Labor Day weekend is always a festive, family time in Greater Cincinnati and the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. The KSO will present three free, local outdoor concerts — Saturday through Monday evening, offering a nostalgic, participatory, and fitting close to Summer 2025 with a program dubbed: Primitive Pop – Transistor Radios to the Walkman.
Popular music didn’t become truly portable until the hand-held transistor radio in the 1960s-70s, and the Walkman in the 1980s. The KSO will celebrate these decades — and the tech of the day — with its 21-piece studio orchestra and eight vocalists authentically covering hits by Three Dog Night, Chubby Checker, Wham, Queen, The 5th Dimension, Barry Manilow, Yes, Rick James, Chicago, The Eurhythmics, The Carpenters, Percy Faith, The B52s and many more.
Nothing is more nostalgic than the music of one’s youth. Teens in the ‘60s-80s are now in their 70s, 60s, or 50s. As these groups and songs fade further into history, they will fortunately remain with us as long as we keep flipping the yearly digits.
Music of these decades also featured memorable, often beautiful, melodies which could be sung by everyone. Feel free to sing along, get up and dance, grab some thunder sticks, and stomp and clap along to close this summer, all while creating a fond memory with your children and grandkids.
Join the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra 7:30 p.m. Saturday, August 30 in Devou Park in Covington, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, August 31 in Tower Park in Fort Thomas, and 7 p.m. Monday, September 1 at Woodside Arboretum in Middletown, Ohio.
For the Devou concert, the TANK park and ride shuttle from Covington Catholic departs on the half hour starting at 6 p.m. for $2 each way. Concessions are available in Devou Park. Food trucks will be on-site in Tower Park. Free ice cream will be available in Middletown. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring blankets, picnics or lawn chairs.
For more information, registration, weather updates and directions, visit www.kyso.org or call 859-431-6216.
The concerts and parking are free, though a $5 per person donation to the KSO is suggested.
Kentucky Symphony Orchestra