PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Fourth of July began a day early in Presque Isle, when members of the 195th Maine Army National Guard Band performed in an outdoor concert at Riverside Park.
The band, which included both instrumentalists and vocalists, offered a repertoire of patriotic standards and modern selections, including vocal renditions of “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby” and “God Bless the U.S.A.”
A salute to veterans included a tribute to “The Greatest Generation” — those who served in World War II — along with a fanfare of each U.S. service branch’s anthem and recognition of veterans in the audience.
Many concertgoers perched under the shady pavilion roof in Tuesday evening’s heat. A city official estimated about 300 attended the event.
The musicians topped it all off with the John Philip Sousa march “Stars and Stripes Forever.”
The 195th group also performed in Fort Kent, Madawaska and Caribou.
