HOULTON, Maine — Katie McPherson of Houlton still smiles when she recalls the memory of the first concert she ever saw.
It was in July 1987, when she and her older brother got extra work picking rocks out of a farmer’s potato field so that they could see Kris Kristofferson in concert at Community Park.
“We were so excited,” she recalled Monday, thinking back on the country singer. “I had never been to a concert before, because I was only 13-years-old, and I couldn’t believe the Chamber had gotten him to come to Houlton. It was a great night, and the concert was packed. I remember it being a wonderful show.”
McPherson said she became a bigger fan of Kristofferson because of the concert, as did her 10-year-old brother.
“Previously, we really had only seen him on TV or in movies,” she said. “We hadn’t seen him sing much But he was up on that stage performing a range of his own songs, so we got to see more of who he was.”
Over the years, a number of talented performers staged concerts in Community Park in Houlton, including country singers Lorrie Morgan, Jerry Reed and John Anderson.
Jessica Maher of Houlton recalled going with her family to see The Charlie Daniels Band in 1992.
“That was really amazing,” she said. “I remember that Lynn York [from York’s Bookstore] was instrumental in making that happen. Daniels was really an amazing performer, and my father was a huge fan of his. It was great to hear him play.”
Michelle Peters recalled attending a Jerry Reed show at the park in the early 1980’s with her mother, Karen Peters.
“I had no idea who Jerry Reed was, I just went because my mother loved him,” she said, referring to the singer who was famous for his country songs such as “East Bound and Down” and “She Got The Goldmine (I Got The Shaft.)”
Peters said that she and her mother really enjoyed the show.
“It was actually a great show, and the shows that were held outdoors were special because they had more of a concert feel, like the ones that you have down at the waterfront in Bangor,” she said. “I wish that someone would bring them back.”
