Sweet Judys bid bittersweet farewell at Casino Theatre

It will be a bittersweet Saturday.

Sweet Judys, an all-female trio, will play a final concert at the Casino Theatre in Vandergrift.

The Crosby, Stills & Nash tribute band has been taking the stage together for two years, but other life commitments have led to this decision.

“We are so pleased to have the Sweet Judys for this final performance,” says Linda Boarts, a musician, who is also a board member for the theater. “I am really excited for this show. Their vocal harmonies are wonderful, so I am looking forward to this show. We are honored to be hosting them at the theater. That’s pretty special.”

The women who make up Sweet Judys are Wendy Koulouris of Lower Burrell, Mary Jane Smittle of New Kensington and Meredith Holliday of Latrobe. Holliday was looking for two women to form the group and discovered Koulouris and Smittle through a friend. Their repertoire includes 40 songs from the folk-rock group. All three play the guitar and Holliday and Koulouris also play the piano. The name Sweet Judys came from the Crosby, Stills & Nash song “Judy Blue Eyes.”

“We are calling it a hiatus, “ says Holliday, who plans to continue performing solo at venues such as one of her favorites Helen’s Restaurant in Seven Springs. “It is sad and it is going to be a bittersweet night for us. But we have such busy schedules that we decided it was time. It’s been a great run.”

Holliday says the timing was right to have the final show at the Casino Theatre which was available and not far from where Smittle and Koulouris live.

“It will be a tough evening but my kids are at an age where I am missing so many of their things because I am singing,” Koulouris says. “I want to be doing more family things. We have gotten so much support for Sweet Judys and recently people have been talking about coming to this final performance,”

Holliday says,“We plan to give them a fantastic show.”

Show time is 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $15.

Details: 724-567-5049 or casinotheatre.org