"The Tams are back again this year for the third or fourth time in a row," said Liz Hood, executive director of the Cartersville DDA. "We've had them for several summers and the public just loves them.
"We've had other bands that get the crowd dancing about halfway into the concert. With the first or second song, The Tams have the crowd up dancing. They're very interactive with the public. They're just a lot of fun. They sing a lot of songs that we all remember and love."
Named after the members' matching Tam O'Shanter hats, The Tams were formed in Atlanta in the early 1960s.
According to www.thetams.com, "Known for such hits as 'Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy,' 'What Kind of Fool,' 'I've Been Hurt' and 'Untie Me,' The Tams have had [two] Gold Records and [one] Platinum Single. 'What Kind of Fool' hit #9 on the Billboard charts and #6 on the R & B charts. 'Hey Girl Don't Bother Me' hit #1 in the UK in 1971. ... Though their style of music has historically been referred to as Beach Music, it can be also classified as a mixture of Smooth Soul and R & B. Their show is fun, fresh and exciting and appeals to audiences of all ages and musical tastes."
The concert series is one of three free downtown events hosted by the Cartersville DDA this summer. While the Tom Clayton Memorial Car Cruize wrapped up Saturday, First Friday Family Fun Night has one more offering. Originally scheduled for Friday, the Fun Night was rained out and has been postponed to Aug. 20. Also to be held at Friendship Plaza, children's activities will be from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., followed by the feature presentation of "The Wizard of Oz."
"We've had so many families come up to the DDA staff after an event or during an event and thank us for having free events because in this kind of economy it gives them something fun to do that they don't have to spend a lot of money on," Hood said. "We know that things are tight for a lot of families and it is nice to be able to have somewhere free that you can take the whole family and enjoy an evening downtown."
Next year, the Cartersville DDA will be modifying the events to further meet the public's needs.
"One of the things we're looking at is combining some of the events," Hood said. "The car shows and concerts will definitely will be combined back together next year. People just liked having both events. We had thought it might be a good idea to split them to have more parking. But what the public's told us is they enjoy having both events on the same night.
"[For the] movie nights, we're looking at perhaps a different time of year because it has been so hot. We've had of course rain and heat and felt like maybe a different time of year would be better for the public."
For more information about the summer offerings or becoming a corporate partner for next year's events, call the Cartersville DDA at 770-607-3480.