NORWICH – The Chenango Blues Association is presenting the NBT Bank Free Thursdays Summer Concert Series every Thursday through the end of August this summer, bringing the some of the biggest artists the area has ever hosted to Norwich's East Park.

The summer series kicked-off last Thursday with Victor Wainwright and the Train's performance, which followed a community block in east park.

“I think we had nearly 1,000 people for the show, that's kind of our target,” said Chenango Blues Assocation President Eric Larsen. “We have a couple good shows this year that we hope will draw even more people than that.”

Larsen said this year's summer series will feature the two biggest bands the CBA has ever put on: Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and Yonder Mountain String Band. Southside Johnny will perform on August 16, and Yonder Mountain on August 23––sandwiching Chenango Blues Festival weekend.

"Our summer series is gaining recognition in its own right, and now with the profile of the artists that we're putting on this year – which was clearly the highest that we've ever been able to do – we got extra support from NBT Bank, R.C. Smith Foundation, Greater Norwich Foundation, and for the first time the Community Foundation. All of that combined to give us the resources to book these bands," said Larsen.