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By J.R. Brower

Playing many of the songs he wrote for the Clarks as well as some contemporary favorites, Scott Blasey charmed the crowd at the Peters Township Summer Concerts in the Park series show on August 5.

Scott Blasey felt right at home performing at Peterswood Park Amphitheater.

Blasey is the lead singer and guitarist for the nationally acclaimed Pittsburgh band, which formed in 1986 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where its members were students.

The Clarks have recorded a total of 13 albums, the latest entitled “Rewind”, and Blasey, himself, has recorded three solo albums. He, his wife, Denise, and three daughters, Sofia, 10, Ava, 8, and Gracelyn, 6, live in Peters Township, which he said was a great place to live and raise a family.

A highlight of Blasey’s career in the township occurred in 2011 when he played with the Peters Township High School Band and Chorus in a musical program commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9-11.

All of his family members are singers themselves, and the daughters take piano lessons. Ava joined in singing with her dad at the August 5 concert on several numbers, much to the delight of the summertime crowd that included all age groups.

Blasey led off the show with the Clarks’ 1996 tune “Mercury” followed by Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.” He played many Clarks’ favorites including “Caroline,” “Sunshine,” “Born Too Late,” “Take Care of You,” “The Box,” “Shimmy Low,” “Cigarette” and “The River.”

His vocals displayed an amazing low-to-high range pitch that blended in perfectly with his well-tuned amplified acoustic guitar. For audience members who may have been unfamiliar with the Clarks, Blasey interspersed many familiar rock tunes including Steve Miller’s “The Joker,” Tom Petty’s “Breakdown,” Louis Armstrong’s “Wonderful World,” Smokey Robinson’s “Tracks of My Tears,” Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” and Elvis Costello’s “My Aim is True.”

A highlight of the show was a rousing rendition of the 2014 hit “All About that Bass,” when Blasey was joined onstage by his daughter Ava and her friends. Later, Ava helped her dad close the show when she harmonized amazingly to one of the Clarks’ most popular songs, “Penny on the Floor.”

Following the show, the Clarks’ lead singer consented to a brief interview. He said that he is originally from Connellsville. He had made reference during the show to his father, Donald Blasey, who recently passed away at the age of 94. He said that he greatly misses his dad, who had a strong influence on him.

Scott said his favorite Clarks song is “Born Too Late,” a powerful retrospective tune released in 2000 that reflects on great historical and musical people.

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