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The Waifs, who were originally scheduled to perform, had to cancel because of financial difficulties.
"They gave us about a month's notice," said Stella Sexton, the summer music series director for the Amphitheater Foundation. "Then we found out The Lovell Sisters were available."
Sexton said she had been trying to get the bluegrass trio from Georgia for more than a year.
"It just had never worked out because of scheduling," she said. "But then (The Lovell Sisters) had a change, too. It was meant to be."
Seemingly also meant to be was one of the few beautiful nights that the concert series has seen this summer.
While the past several shows had been plagued by bad weather, this particular Sunday evening had a clear blue sky.
"The weather is perfect," Suzanne Wool of Sinking Spring said. "It's not at all humid."
Wool, along with three of her friends, was expecting to see The Waifs. However, she said she also was familiar with The Lovell Sisters from listening to WXPN-FM radio station.Dave and Melanie Heckel of Lititz said they don't prefer country bluegrass music, but they couldn't pass up the concert.
"We were going to come other weeks but didn't because of the rain," Melanie Heckel said. "It was just a nice night to come out and listen to music."
The Lovell Sisters, Jessica, 22, Megan, 19, and Rebecca, 17, have each been playing music since they were 5 years old.
"We started out playing classical," Jessica Lovell said before the show. "But five years ago, we discovered bluegrass."
Since this discovery, The Lovell Sisters have focused on creating their own style within the genre.
"It gives you the freedom to do your own material and touch people with your music," Lovell said.
The trio has been in Nashville working on its second album and will head to Europe in September to debut their new material.
Lovell said their formula for writing music is simple.
(767) (739) (133) (9) (2) (2)"We like interesting melodies and lyrics that mean something," she said. "We don't want anything cheesy."
The Lovell Sisters opened the show with a Garth Brooks song, "Callin' Baton Rouge."
"This is our first time in Lancaster," Lovell told the crowd of about 4,500. "The park is beautiful!"
They then moved on to a more traditional-sounding country tune, "Blood is Thicker," that was written by Megan and Rebecca Lovell.
With a voice made for bluegrass, Jessica Lovell, who plays fiddle, sang lead on most songs while Rebecca, on mandolin, and Megan, on resophonic guitar, added the harmonies. When Rebecca sang lead on a few songs, the band sounded more contemporary.
Although their music is rooted in bluegrass, the trio isn't afraid to branch out to try different sounds.
In between original songs, they played a Bonnie Raitt and Linda Ronstadt duet, an uptempo Union Station number and some blues.
The sisters have their act down to a science. While each has her own demeanor and sound, the harmonies of their stage presence and voices are pitch perfect.
During the show, a few audience members danced in front of the stage as the sun went down.
When the band returned for its second set, Jessica Lovell called everyone's attention behind them.
"Look at the trees along that sky," she said. "It looks really cool. This is the place to be."
Email: lfreeman@lnpnews.com
