Contributed photo Day Clean, a duo of cello, guitar and vocals, will perform their unique blend of soul, hip-hop and blues at the Lakeside Music Room of Cheraw State Park Friday, June 29, 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. Thanks to community effort and support of this summer concert series, the event is free and open to the public. Barbecue rib plates will be sold from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.

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The Lakeside Music Room at Cheraw State Park will host its second free, sunset concert of the season Friday, June 29, with music by Day Clean.

Although pleased with the first concert in May, Mark Davies, director of Cheraw State Park, said he’s already made some improvements for the event by adding more lights to the walking paths, more food, chairs, and even fans to help accommodate the forecast of temperatures near 100 degrees Friday.

“We’ve made some improvements to the shelter at the boat dock where the event is hosted,” said Davies, “We’ve replaced some of the timbers and given it a fresh coat of paint.” Davies also said the music would begin earlier this time, so it can end before it gets too dark. “The concert will begin at 7 p.m. and end by 9 p.m.,” said Davies. Dinner plates, prepared by Bi-Lo, will feature a half-rack of barbecue pork ribs, beans and a roll for $6. Food will be served prior to the concert, beginning at 6 p.m. Meals will not be served past 7:30 p.m.

The music is billed as a unique combination of soul, hip-hop and blues. Marcus Thomas and Idris Chandler, both of Columbia, make up the duo of cello, guitar and vocals, whose musical influences include Bill Withers, Arrested Development, Tracy Chapman, Yo-Yo Ma, Ben Harper, Al Green, and The Fugees.

The origin of the group’s name, Day Clean, is derived from a quote posted on their website by Christena Bledsoe: “… that brief instant of time when the night clouds are being cleared away and the first rays of light are streaking across the sky. Day clean, we call this, when the day is new and the world is made fresh again.”

Chandler is the cellist and Thomas is guitarist, singer and songwriter.

The event is offered at no cost to the public, the successful result of a grass-roots effort by Jeffrey Johnson of Pee Dee Outfitters in Cheraw, musician Dylan Sneed of Hartsville and Davies. Together, in early spring of this year, they launched a fund raising campaign that essentially paid for the production of the entire concert series before the first one ever happened.

For more information about the concert series, the Cheraw State Park, or to listen to samples of Day Clean’s music, simply look up Lakeside Music Room at Cheraw State Park online.

— Staff Writer Karen Kissiah can be reached by calling 843-537-5261, or by email at kkissiah@heartlandpublications.com.