Saturday's Andover Block Party hosted by The Village Pub was a well-attended success. The party began at 2pm with local band Off the Wagon. There was an early rain interlude, but overall the evening didn't have more than a light drizzle. Tasked with playing to the mostly sober crowd, Off the Wagon got everyone in a dancing mood with a mix of classic and southern rock as well as some Irish tunes. One attendee stated, "They had good energy, and the harmonica playing was dope."
After Off the Wagon got the dancing started Longshot took over at 4pm and kept the party going. The dance floor was full most of the evening, and it was the kind of night that let you know which of your neighbors weren't gifted with good rhythm. Of course that wasn't an issue for the Andover residents as we're well known for our groovy moves. Longshot called for a moment of silence for recently-deceased ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill before launching into a cover of Sharp Dressed Man. There were indeed many sharp dressed men in attendance provided you enjoy an unbuttoned look on a gentleman of a certain age.
Throughout the evening the bartenders Crystal, the new one, and Samantha kept things moving smoothly inside, while Amy and Sabrina served food and canned beverages outside. The drinks were cold, and the food good. It was commented that the new upstairs cooler was making the evening run much more smoothly. Brent made a few dozen passes through the lot cleaning up everyone's empty cups and cans while running things to and from the outdoor service area. Overall it looked to be a well-planned and managed event. There were a couple folks observed being grumpy with the bartenders for the longer than usual wait for drinks, but it didn't make their orders arrive any faster. It's almost like being nice to your waitstaff yields better results.
By the time Chet & Louie took to the stage at 8 the crowd was fully warmed up and ready to sing along and dance the night away. They played fan favorites and classic rock while the crowd cut a rug and boogied as the sun went down. They put on an excellent show as usual and had the crowd singing along and remembering the good ol' days when music rocked.
Overall it was an excellent event. The VIP tent was both self appointed and full for most of the evening with guest appearances by Matt Burns, Nick Davis, and Dawn Carlin just to name a few. Many thanks to The Village Pub and the Gaylords for hosting it as it was truly a full family effort.
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