Local Band Bill Steely and Where's Dave Kick Off Flint Park Concert Series

About 100 people showed up at Flint Park in Larchmont for the first night of . The laid-back rock of the group Bill Steely and Where’s Dave (no question mark; it’s a statement) meshed perfectly with the mellow crowd.

Distancing themselves from the speakers that flanked the stage, the bulk of the crowd set up their blankets and chairs around 40 feet from the stone stairs that lead from the edge of the stage to a small hill.

Enhancing the festival feeling, around 40 au pairs from Brazil, South Africa, New Zealand, Europe and Asia, on their monthly excursion, encamped on a hill overlooking the proceedings.

Nili Asherie, chairwoman of the Larchmont Committee on the Arts, helped organize the month-long series, which features free concerts every Thursday evening at 7:15 in July.

The series has become popular in the region. “I get people emailing me from all over, including publicists and bands that want to play here,” she said. “But I want to retain a community feel and we have a lot of great local musicians.”

Steely lives in Larchmont. The band has performed at Chat 19, the Watercolor Café and Café Mozart in Mamaroneck. This year marked the fifth time they played Flint Park.

“We look forward to this gig all year,” he said. “It’s a great vibe and stage is so big I feel like a rock star up here.”

They sounded like rock stars through the clean, yet powerful, sound system. Kids swayed to the beat in front of the stage while others played with a hula-hoop and threw around a football.

Bass player Bruce Rose brought wine, sushi and bug spray. Guitarist Tom Nelson polished his instrument before the gig and printed out a super-sized set list. Drummer Eric Stramiello drank from two large bottles of Gatorade to help deal with the humidity.

For her indispensible item, Marjorie Sachs, on keyboards, brought along a clip light, the better to see her sheet music with after the sun went down. Though the stage lights went on after the band’s break, she sets up in an area that stays dark. Backup singer Elizabeth Bruce had the least gear to worry about.

Despite the humidity, Steely bounced around like a teenager, enthused to play his songs for a receptive crowd. “It’s fun to play outside and it’s summer, so you have to surrender to it,” he said. “Besides, you play better because your muscles get loose in the heat.”