The striking duo that captured the hearts of southwest Michigan and went on to tame music critics of both country and folk, and were featured in Close-up Magazine and Country Weekly, perform this Thursday, June 17, at the Beckwith Park Summer Concert Series in downtown Dowagiac.

Using their maiden name, Amy Sherman and Julie Peebles are the compelling musical force known as the Mickeys.

Identical twins, this striking twosome blends Americana, country, Celtic, blues and folk music to create a unique acoustic sound with unbeatable, harmonized vocals of bell-like quality.

Dowagiac’s 12-week concert series, co-hosted by the Dowagiac Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, was underwritten for the third consecutive year by Huntington Bank through its $6,000 donation to the DDA.

Thursday’s performance is the fourth segment of this season’s 12-week outdoor fine arts program, which is held at the Haggin-Wimberley Bandstand, corner of Front and Beeson streets.

Vickie Phillipson, DDA and Chamber of Commerce program director, who coordinated the summer fine arts program, said she is pleased to welcome this exciting duo to Beckwith Park, where they will be making their first Dowagiac appearance.

The Mickeys have enjoyed many accomplishments.

They formed their own record label, RiverBeat Music.

With John Albani they co-produced and recorded two CDs,”Finding Our Way” and “Walk Along,” and secured nationwide distribution for the first record.

The twins co-wrote five of the project’s 11 tracks on “Finding Our Way.”

Having performed all the vocals, it’s their bell-like harmony that has them racing to the top of music charts, as critics chime in with their own enthusiasm.

After hearing their second album, “Walk Along,” music critic and writer Buzz McClain described The Mickeys as “a duo of lovely, talented twin sisters from Michigan who sing heartfelt songs in the kind of dulcet harmonies only siblings can.”

McClain predicted the album would “swell the ranks of their following in the United States and overseas, and would excite those who are already hip to this band’s entirely pleasing country-folk sound.  The Mickeys roam from tender ballads to vintage blues, their perfectly matched vocals freely playing in streams of dobra, harmonica, mandolin and fiddle.”

Having played two European tours, “Old Kentucky Wind” has since topped the European Independent Country Chart as a number one single, as “Finding Our Way” was third on the Folk Chart.

The Thursday evening concerts, featuring lawn-chair seating, begin at 7:30 p.m.
During the July 29-31 “Summer in the City” Festival featuring the Taste of Dowagiac and its Sizzlin’ Hot Sidewalk Days, the Thursday evening concert will be a two-hour performance and will begin at an earlier time.

Huntington Bank and the DDA are also pleased this season to present: the Otsego Jazz Ensemble and vocalist Ian Brown on June 24; the high-energy bluegrass performance of Schlitz Creek on July 1; the electric blues of The Skeletones that combines urban jazz and powerful soul on July 8; Lake Effect Jazz Big Band on July 15; and the richness of Tex-Mex Americana music, presented by Los Bandits on July 22.

During Dowagiac’s “Summer in the City” Festival, fine arts enthusiasts will celebrate Huntington Night on Thursday, July 29, honoring the underwriter of the 2010 concert season.

Phillipson said music that evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with the Kalamazoo Avenue Band that will present a special two-hour rock, rhythm and blues revue, featuring music by Chicago, The Beatles, The Blues Brothers and more.

On festival Friday, July 30, Wildfire returns to Dowagiac.

Nominated for Detroit Music Award’s best country band and best country recording artist, Wildfire will present an afternoon performance at the festival from 11 to 5 p.m., with a special two-hour encore performance that evening, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Rounding out the summer concert season will be the dynamic bass-popping blues of Out of Favor Boys, which is blended with funky boogaloo and soul on Aug. 5; and Michiana’s premier barbershop chorus and multi-year winner of Michigan’s Best Small Chorus Award, The Lighthouse Chorus, on Aug. 12.

In case of inclement weather for any of the performances, a scheduled rain date is slated for Aug. 19.

To receive a concert brochure, call the Chamber of Commerce and DDA at (269) 782-8212.

The public can also access the concert schedule on-line at www.DowagiacChamber.com.