The Catonsville High School Steel Drum Band again opens the Lurman Woodland Theatre's annual summer concert series Saturday, June 6, with it performance at the outdoor venue on the Catonsville High School campus.

The band, founded in 1991, has opened the free summer music series for several years.

Its members include students playing five leads, three double tenors, four double seconds, three sets of guitar pans, a set of cello pans, a set of tenor-basses, and two sets of six-basses, according to its Web site.

The band has produced several compact disk recordings with the first, "Catonsville High School Steel Band," released in 2000.

A second CD, "When Spirit Meets Steel," was released in 2003.

Its most recent CDs, "CHS Steel Live with Ray Holman," "CHS Steel Live with Dixie Power Trio," "Ray Jam 2007" and "Andy Narell and CHS Steel Live" are recordings of concerts at the school with famed artist/composers of the pan world.

On Sunday, one of the Washington area's top retro honky tonk bands, Karen Collins and the Backroads Band, takes the stage at 6 p.m. to play classic country music like it was played back then.

The band's vintage country sound is led by Collins on vocals, rhythm guitar and fiddle.

Collins is also fiddler and vocalist with the award winning Cajun band, Squeeze Bayou.

She also plays and sings in the popular acoustic country quartet, "The Blue Moon Cowgirls."

Ira Gitlin, who also plays with "The Blue Moon Cowgirls," will play lead guitar for Sunday evening's Backroads Band performance.

Joining Collins and Gitlin on stage will be Maryland native Geff King on bass and Rob Howe on drums.

Shows at the Lurman are free and open to the public.

Donations are accepted to help support the program, now in its 18th season.

Families are encouraged to enjoy the woodland setting, where children can play and older listeners enjoy the music.

Bring a blanket and a picnic basket.

Food and refreshments are available for purchase.

Lawn chairs are welcome, although alcoholic beverages and pets are not.

Limited bench seating is available on first-come basis.

For information, call 1-877-278-0961 or go to www.lurman.com.

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