A double dip weekend…

Another weekend in Van Wert means yet another weekend of doubleheader entertainment. Fountain Park will be rocking out with Attaboy at 7:30 p.m. Friday night at and on Saturday, the red-hot Country trio Chapel Hart, from American’s Got Talent fame arrives in town straight from the deep South for a concert at the Niswonger on Saturday night.

How can be? We are already at Feel Good Friday Week No. 3. Just who is Attaboy and why is Van Wert Live elated to feature them as part of the free summer series made possible by the Van Wert County Foundation?

Attaboy is a four-piece indie-pop band from Ft. Wayne. Plain and simple, they love making music that is fun and that will encourage, challenge and/or inspire the listener. Since their beginning the band has been aggressively touring, and the stage feels just as much like home as anywhere else.

The Attaboy sound has an “Indie-pop” vibe but could also be referred to as “alternative.” The band members all have roots and draw inspiration from rock music, but they also really enjoy and lean into pop music. Attaboy has been around since 2004 and over the years has recorded six albums. But it’s only now, since signing with Radiate Music, that they’re beginning to find an international fan base, and their songs “Never Going Back” and “Dirty Lie (Beacon Light)” are getting airplay. Their radio hits spring from their album ‘Wild’ and show that Ryan Payne (vocals/guitar/piano), Jeff Edgel (guitar/piano), Melanie Morris (bass) and Christian Morris (drums), helped by producer/engineer Doug Weier (Anberlin, We Are Leo), have created an indie pop sound which is on the money.

Their desire is to create music that speaks to a wide spectrum of human experiences. Some songs celebrate the joy, beauty, and wonder of life. Others wrestle with loneliness and break away from the negativity and lies that can cripple our lives. Still, others evoke determination and a call to trust God in everything, especially the things that are beyond our control.

“Our music is about God calling us to an abundant life and one that is not for the faint of heart,” Payne said. “It’s full of highs and lows, joys and sorrows, love and loss. Life isn’t meant to be lived in the confines of a risk-free existence striving for the absence of difficulty. To borrow a thought from C S Lewis, God is not safe, but he is good. Likewise, the abundant life is not tame, but it’s also good.”

On Saturday at 7:30 p.m., we roll out the red carpet for CMT and CMA performer, Chapel Hart. Danica and Devynn Hart along with their cousin Trea Swindle, make up Chapel Hart and have proven they are truly a force to be reckoned with since bursting on the scene with a Golden Buzzer performance on America’s Got Talent. These ladies have found a way to gift-wrap their Mississippi roots & Louisiana spunk and share it with listeners around the world.

Witness the evolution of this band who went from singing together as children in Hart’s Chapel, to a world-class group whose colorful and contagious energy has flourished into a full live band experience that fills venues at home and around the country. Chapel Hart has an amazing ability to tug on your heartstrings with a tender yet powerful ballad, then have you pumping your fist in unison to the pulse of hard-hitting rock and roll. The band accentuates the three vocalists, who embody the sweet and southern sound of country with soulful undertones noting their gospel roots. The cohesiveness of the band has not gone unnoticed as they have garnered thousands of fans from all over the world and have received hundreds of thousands of views online of their performances.

Tickets beginning at just $19 are available at vanwertlive.com.

Come on and join the fun. Summer is made complete with live melodies that are sweet and a beat to move your feet. Van Wert Live is offering up the sound where a wellspring of joy can be found. Live only happens once but this weekend you can multiply it by two. Don’t miss it!