The sound of summer

Suzie Harrison

Any other day of the week, the grass is in full view at Bluebird

Park, but on summer Sunday evenings the green becomes sparse, as

blankets and chairs take over.

Friends and families descend to the park where the concerts are

free, provided to locals by Music in the Park Inc. and the city.

The event has been solidified as the summer ritual, a warm-weather

rite of passage for Laguna Beach residents of all ages -- and it has

been a routine for many since its beginning two decades ago.

“It’s been going on 20 years and has become almost inherent to the

Laguna Beach lifestyle,” city arts manager Sian Poeschl said. “We

have the festivals, the beach and the concerts -- that’s the summer.”

Avid fan and Laguna Beach artist Kirk Milette has been going to

the Music in the Park concerts since its pre-school years. He loves

that it is quintessential Laguna, a community event for everyone.

“We lived in Bluebird Canyon in ’82 and ‘83,” Milette said. “I

think I’ve been going for 18 years -- I remember the first few years

two-thirds of the time [only] half the grass was full. Now you have

to go at 3 or 4 p.m. with your blanket to have a place to be.”

Poeschl estimates now that 800 to 1,000 people come each week.

While the concert venue’s main hub is at Bluebird Park, with eight

concerts during the series, there are a couple other locations in

town where these concerts can be enjoyed.

The music is as eclectic as those who attend. The audience is a

cross-section of the community, from children to parents and

grandparents.

“The number of concerts has increased,” Poeschl said. “We’re

taking the concerts to different parts throughout the city so

different neighborhoods can enjoy it.”

A committee of arts commissioner selects who will perform on this

popular stage, and the competition to play is great.

“We review about 400 bands every year and also listen to various

bands throughout the year to find out new bands and people to

perform,” Poeschl said. “Year-round we collect music from different

artists, people continually send me information, I go through

everything and make recommendations to the arts commissioners.”

They try and select music that’s appropriate for the size of the

venue and the type of music, keeping in consideration the surrounding

neighbors. Some of the more popular bands have come back three or

four times, but they try to intersperse the well-liked bands with the

new ones.

They also don’t want bands that have performed too close by or

often in Orange County -- rather, the committee looks for bands that

are slightly more unusual, eclectic and energetic.

“We’ve had an array of new bands this year,” Poeschl said. “We do

look at the styles of music and try and get bands with the most

popular styles, such as Latin, Afro-Cuban, reggae and blues.”

From Poeschl’s experience over the past several years, bands she

has booked all enjoy playing in Laguna. It’s also viewed as a career

booster for bands that play here -- a perk to have on their resume.

“They love the audience in that they get up and dance almost at

the first song,” Poeschl said. “They like the family and community

atmosphere and the vibe people give out is very welcoming to the

bands.”

She’s seen an increase of younger audience members in the past two

years.

“It does truly achieve encompassing the whole community, being

enjoyed by the whole community,” Poeschl said.

She said one of the things that draws people to Laguna is the

strong sense of community, and one will find many they know at the

concert. They’ll see neighbors, kids their children go to school with

and people from work, from council members to CEOs of organizations.

“I think it’s nice to have live performance art,” Arts

Commissioner Mike Tauber said. “It’s a great compliment to all the

visual arts in Laguna Beach. I think we can welcome more performing

art venues too. Isn’t it a great way to use our parks?”

Sunday’s concert is a band called Trailer Park Troubadours from

Tennessee. They change lyrics to popular songs, for a whole new

experience. On Sept. 7, Hot August Night, a Neil Diamond tribute

band, will mark the last concert at Bluebird Park. The festival

changes venues for the last two performances of the season.

The last two performances are from 4 to 6 p.m. A popular returning

band, Caravana, which offers an exciting mix of Afro-Cuban and reggae

will perform at Riddle Field on Sept. 14.

And the season will end back at the Festival of Arts Grounds where

it had its premiere pre-season show on July 20. The final concert is

on Sept. 21 with Elvis Schoenberg’s Orchestra Surreal, featuring Miss

Thing. Poeschl described the band as a bold, eclectic and theatrical

19-piece orchestral ensemble, which has humorously thrown in rock by

Jimi Hendrix and the Doors, classical music by Debussy and Prokofiev

and some soul.

The concerts are free and run from 5 to 7 p.m. at Bluebird Park at

the corner or Bluebird Canyon Drive and Cress Street. For

information, call 497-0716.