Summer in St. Mary's: Toledo-based band debuts at the park

The Sweet Tea Band will perform its 291st show in Monroe.

The Toledo/Point Place-based rock and party band will play from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday in the bandshell at St. Mary’s Park. It's the band's first performance in the Concert in the Park series sponsored by the City of Monroe's Parks and Recreation department.

Admission is free. Attendees should bring blankets or lawn chairs. A food truck will sell food. Children’s activities will be set up. Activities are sponsored by Great Start Collaborative and the Monroe Family YMCA.

The Sweet Tea Band has been playing bars, regattas, weddings and private events for more than 10 years. The members also played at past Labor Day Festivals at St. Joseph Church in Erie.

“We are a four-, sometimes five-piece, very versatile band,” Danny Thomas, lead vocalist, said.

Members play a wide variety of music accompanied by drums, bass, mandolin, acoustic rhythm guitar and sometimes, tambourine.

“We are looking forward to the Monroe show. We have an amazing country rocking, boot-stompin’, good timin’ show in store for Monroe,” Thomas said. “Our roots are ‘80s and ‘90s country music, but the audience will hear songs by Travis Tritt and Hank Williams Jr. to Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd to maybe a little rap music and definitely Bob Seger.”

All the songs have a positive vibe.

“Our favorite stuff to play is anything upbeat that keeps the crowd moving. The crowds seem to really enjoy the few older hip hop songs we do. It's always a super crowd pleaser," Thomas said. 

The Sweet Tea Band can frequently be found on the water.

“We’ve been very fortunate to stay pretty busy right here on our home front,” Thomas said. “We cater to our amazing boating community. We play lots of boat regattas and parties. We get out to Port Clinton and Put-in-Bay every once in awhile.”

In fact, it all started at a boat club.

“The band was formed on the back porch of Toledo Yacht Club while entertaining for the women’s pool party,” Thomas said. "We are all professional musicians in the Sweet Tea Band. I was very lucky to get the very best in the business. Drummer Joe and bass player Steve Hornyak played in a rock band together years ago. These two play very well together. The lead guitar player and back-up vocalist, Rob Lawson, and I have been besties since day one. We were both raised on country music, bluegrass and in a fire-and-brimstone southern Baptist Church.”

On the Net: Sweet Tea Band on Facebook

Up next for the Sweet Tea Band:

Aug. 12: Toledo Yacht Club’s Regatta

Aug. 13: ProMedica main stage in downtown Toledo for the Jeep Fest