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Popular band expected to be a big draw

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By Eric Robinette, Staff Writer Updated 11:22 PM Tuesday, June 30, 2009

MIDDLETOWN — The zany cover band, The Menus, will order up another big crowd at the Broad Street Bash Wednesday, July 1, if their appearance last year is any indication.

When the group came to Middletown in 2008, they drew the largest crowd the downtown block party has ever seen, at about 1,800 people. That was more than double what the Bash had drawn.

“Judging from the response we’re getting so far, that should swell quite a bit, to more than 2,000,” said Tim Lewis, who helps book the bands for the event.

Lewis was working the beer booth when The Menus appeared last year, and when the beer ran out, “We had to clear out every drive-through within a one-mile radius of downtown,” he said.

Of The Menus, Lewis said, “They’re great musicians, but they also put on a heck of a show.”

The group plays songs by the likes of Blood, Sweat and Tears, Neil Diamond, Boston, Johnny Cash, John Mellencamp and more that one does not typically hear, Lewis said.

Tim Goldrainer, the lead singer for the group, advises bash-goers to “expect the unexpected, always.”

“There will be a lot of good classic rock and roll and a high-energy show,” he said.

The group will feature some new songs and some new stage costumes, but the core appeal remains the same.

“Classic rock is just timeless music that gives people a chance to whoop it up in the summertime.”

The bash starts at 5:30 p.m. around Governor’s Square Park and runs until 9:30 p.m. The next bash will be on July 15, featuring the country/rock band Stagger Lee.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2836 or erobinette@coxohio.com.