Every year the line-up has changed and the crowds have grown. From local bands — The Badlees, The Jellybricks, Bloom Box — to national acts — Black Lab, Chlorine, Sponge — and from a gathering of a couple hundred people the first year to some six thousand last year, WQXA-FM’s annual free summer concert has become more than an area tradition — it’s become a musical showcase.

Five years ago, the City of Harrisburg offered radio stations in the area a day on which to take over Reservoir Park. Some have attempted, some have succeeded, but none have turned their afternoon in the bandshell into anything nearly as landmark as A Day in the Park — a fact that WQXA Program Director Claudine DeLorenzo takes great pride in, "The city came to us … they were giving each radio station a day to do something, they said, ‘we have this bandshell …’ and it started from there," she said. "We saw it as an opportunity to make something out of it … and I just kind of took it under my wing."

And in the past five years, A Day in the Park has prospered. This year’s line-up boasts five national acts — One Way Ride, The Clarks, Earth to Andy, Stir, and the hometown favorites, Fuel, who have not performed in the area since before the release of their album Sunburn. And the successful reputation of the radio show has not only caused waves with the listeners of the station — some of whom schedule their summer vacations around the event — but with those in the music industry, as well. According to DeLorenzo, the show has grown so large that even now, after the line-up for the show has long been announced, national acts are still calling the station and requesting to be on the bill — only to be turned away.

For those who make the bill, taking the Reservoir Park bandshell stage is an honor, proven in the fact that the bands come — all at various points in their careers — to support the station, promote their work, and play for their fans — for free. The bands on the bill come to town each year for the sole purpose of the notoriety that performing at the event will get them — nothing less, nothing more. "They understand that the exposure they get from the show will benefit them," said DeLorenzo, "it’s that simple."

Touring in support of their most recent release, Holy Dogs, the St. Louis-based band last played the area in spring at the station’s SpringFest concert at Ski Roundtop. They have spent their time since that event promoting their singles "New Beginning" and their latest "Climbing the Walls," sharing the road with bands such as Semisonic, Seven Mary Three, The Verve Pipe, Creed, Sevendust and Tonic, with whom they are currently on tour.

"We’ve outdone ourselves already this year," Schmidt said, referring to the line-ups the band has appeared on and the number of people they’ve performed in front of since the album’s March release.

And whether it’s a radio show or a packed stadium, Schmidt attests that no matter the venue, nothing matches the emotion of performing live, "Going up in front of the people ... that’s where it’s at, the heart’s racing and I feel good, it’s like, ‘yeah, that’s why I do this.’

With their most recent release, Chronicle Kings, the band has been circling the country with acts such as Vertical Horizon, Tonic, and Stone Temple Pilots, performing in support of their singles "Still After You" and the newest "Sometimes." And while the band is heading for a breather at the beach before the show, Murphy swears that the vacation time will more than put the band in the mood to rock. "We’re stoked about this show and we’re really excited because we’ll be coming off a vacation, so we’ll be really relaxed — we’re going to chill out and wind down a little bit and we’re going to be ready to throw down when we get back to playing. It’s going to be fun, that’s the one show on our schedule that we’re really pumped about right now."

Satisfied with the outcome of the album and with their first single, "Painted Perfect" just hitting the airwaves, Leldon sees Straight Up! as a stepping-stone for greater things to come. "We’d like to cross it over, to reach out and get a chance to rock all of America over radio so we can back it up with a tour, because what you hear on the album is nothing like what you get live," he said. "I think that’s the beauty of this band — it’s honest, it’s rock and roll."
And in the mean time? He and the band are looking forward to their day in Reservoir Park. "It’s exciting, there’s nothing like the festival thing, the outdoor, all day in the park thing — I cannot wait! I wish it was tomorrow."

With the release of their latest album, Let It Go, The Clarks have ventured into the waters of the record label business again, moving beyond the smaller, independent labels to one of the bigger efforts, Razor and Tie Records. And while a record deal is no doubt a thing of great significance, according to James the band has its own yard stick method of measuring success. "I have learned to really appreciate what I have right here, in the moment — and what I have in front of me is really special, it’s unique. You don’t find many bands who can totally do their thing so defiantly as we do and make a living out of it …" he said. "If you asked me what success is, I’d have to say that at some level we’ve already made it. If this is the bottom for us, this isn’t bad."

And with their new single, "Better Off Without You" creating quite a buzz on the radio and on the Internet (better-off-without-you.com), the band is ready to put on a great live show. "When a radio station gets behind a band and asks the label if you can play for them, that is sort of a dream come true — first, getting the radio play, but then having the radio station call up and say, ‘Can you come and hang out with us for a day and play the show and show people what you’re all about,’ it’s incredible, we’re really excited."

According to lead vocalist and guitarist Bret Scallions, it was nothing more than a pleasure. "On our last tour, we never really got to go into the heart of Harrisburg and really get to do a show for the hometown crowd, so I think this is our way of going back and just giving our thanks for everything they’ve done for us," he said.

Originally from Tennessee, three of the members of Fuel moved to Harrisburg six years ago as a stopping point in their career — it had a centralized location, a good radio market, and the cost of living wasn’t too high — but, says Scallions, when they got here they found their niche. "We got to Harrisburg and started playing around the area and in the beginning we weren’t sure if we were going to stay there or not, but once we got there we were like, ‘Man, this is a great place.’ The people were so great and we were building up a fan base, and they were so loyal to us and they were so good and humble to us and from there we branched out and started playing Philadelphia and D.C. and New York and everyone just made us feel like ‘this is home’ so to me, this [Harrisburg] is home."

And ‘home’ is where they first heard the radio blaring the strains of their hit single "Shimmer" from their breakthrough album Sunburn. "You always dream of it and hope for it, but when it actually happens, you say, ‘wow, check this out.’ And kudos to The X, they’ve always stood firm behind us and supported us in everything that we’ve ever done. 105.7 the X is by far the heaviest hitter for us and they’re the ones who have contributed a lot to getting us signed and getting us to where we are."

After touring with Sunburn for over 2 years and playing over close to 500 shows, the band took some time in December to record the new disc, Something Like Human. Set for release in September, the album’s first single is "Hemorrhage," a song that Scallions is quite happy with, "It’s exactly my kind of song. I like songs that have a lot of depth and a lot of passion to them, and I think this song has exactly that."

A new album, a new single, a new tour, a fourth member — drummer Kevin Miller, who joined the band after the recording of Sunburn — sounds like a perfect time for Fuel to put on a concert in their adopted hometown. And by all indications, the band is just as excited to return as the area is to have them, "We love to play live and we love seeing our fans come out and we love playing for them. That’s what music is all about: loving the music, playing the music, and hopefully people will enjoy it as much as we enjoy doing it."

And, when it comes down to it, enjoying the music is what it’s all about.

So, in addition to car pooling, dressing comfortably, and bringing a blanket, DeLorenzo urges music lovers to, "come for the entire event and just soak it in, because it’s not very often that you get something for free …"

And if you don’t take DeLorenzo’s words for it, perhaps Earth to Andy’s Kevin Murphy said it best: "something tells me that this is going to be a pretty rockin’ show from stem to stern."