Often a way to bait old folks out of their aromatic dens and get them to splurge on $20 root beers, free summer concerts tend to suck. Imagine our surprise, then, when we heard about several upcoming free concert series’ with a decent line-up of performers this year. Check out some new acts this summer, meet some like0minded fiends, and save your money for important stuff, like tacos y margaritas.
8/14 – MC Lyte and Custom Chucks
Put on those old, ratty shoes and hick into downtown LA tonight to pick up some custom new shoes and new beats. Converse and WWS, formerly Warehouse Shoe Sale, are taking over the LA Art Walk at at the famed St. Vincent Court, located on 7th Street between Hill and Broadway, at 9 pm to 12 am this Thursday, June14th. They will be bringing the music, culture, fashion, art, and food together for this community event. The event is free and open to the public and boasts 4 unique Limited Edition Chuck Taylor All Stars exclusively created for the Block Party, a pop up WSS shop with only 60 pairs of these LA-centric sneakers available, a free downloadable playlist created by MC Lyte for the event, food trucks, free drinks and more!
Make Music Pasadena – Old Pasadena
If you’re looking for something to do this Saturday, June 16, you obviously haven’t heart of Pasadena’s free music fest. This Saturday from 11 AM to 11 PM, old town Pasadena and the Playhouse District will be transformed into a musical wonderland with multiple stages will be blasting every genre of music imaginable. Even the weird shit. Alley, courtyards, lobbies, bus stops and other unconventional places for musical performances to occur will be transformed into stages and social gatherings. Bring some friends to dance in the streets to these internationally and locally renowned acts such as Grouplove, Grimes, Cults, Dengue, Fever, Soko, Electric Guest, Dam Funk, honeyhoney, Milo Greene, The Peach Kings, The Happy Hollows, Dustbowl Revival, So Many Wizards, Shadow Shadow Shade, Steelwells, and so many more. As if old town Pasadena didn’t have enough great sights, great sounds are now added to the mix. This event is free to all ages. Get more info at makemusicpasadena.org
Summer Soulsite – Main Street, Santa Monica
Celebrate the summer SOULstice in Santa Monica this Sunday, June 24th. Head down to Main Street from noon to 7 PM and enjoy the 12th year of this gigantic block party full of festivities. The event is only a block away from the beach, so where the party ends, the ocean begins. Come see over 15 live bands including original, local, tribute, and contemporary music from the likes of Neil Deal, Petty Theft, Stone Soul, Cubensis, Seville, Ohio Trio, Dr. Wu, Good Cop Bad Cop, Bonne Musique Zydeco, Texas House Party, Helios Jive, Highway 61, Gumbo Brothers, Minus Ned, Paul Chesne and more on six stages in addition to a sidewalk sale from local vendors and the Santa Monica Main Street Business Improvement Association. There is also a kid’s play and craft area, so this is an event the whole family will enjoy.
Pershing Square – Downtown LA
LA Parks and Rec is kind enough to set up six weeks of free concerts Downtown. From lunch concerts at the Pershing Square Farmer’s Market to the best of local bands and DJ’s every Thursday and music/film nights every Friday as well as national touring bands on Saturdays. The series runs from July 12th to August 18th and is free for all ages.
Performers include Berlin with Terri Nunn and Purple Melon on July 14th. The Fixx with Modern English July 21st. John Waite with Janet Robin on July 28th. The Bangles with Right the Stars on August 4th. John Doe with Gram Rabbit August 11th. Rev. Horton Heat and Dead Rock West on August 18th. Films include “Part of the Weekend Never Dies” on July 13th. “Stop Making Sense” on Jul 20th. Control July 27th. “24 Hour Party People” August 3rd. “Glastonbury” August 10th. “Metallica” August 17th. “Beats, Rhymes, & Life” August 24. “Joe Strummer” August 31st.
Grand Performances at California Plaza
Make your summer grand like a Steinway. Bringing an eclectic mix of performances to the California Plaza, located at 350 S Grand ave in downtown Los Angeles, is Grand Performances. High quality artists and world renowned performers collide across all genres every Friday and Saturday from June 22 to August 25. Bring some food and friends and mark your calendar for these FREE once in a lifetime concerts:
June 22 – Dirty Dancing Dance-a0long (8 PM)
June 23 – Under African Skies (8 PM)
June 30 – Tongue and Groove, Bukowski
July 6 – Allah Las (noon), San Pedro Squeeze (8 PM)
July 7 – Jazz Mafia (8 PM)
July 14 – Nitin Sawhney (6 PM)
July 20 – Peace Go With You, Gil (8 PM)
July 21 – Vamos Al Mabo (8 PM)
August 3 – The Bell Bridge (noon)
August 4 – Strunz & Farah and Niyaz (8 PM)
Editor’s Choice: August 24th – He’s My Brother She’s My Sister (noon)
August 25 – Ana Tijoux, Nomadic Massive (8 PM)
Free Summer Nights – Multiple Locations
The generous rockers at 89.9 FM are bringing back their one of a kind, free for all ages summer concert series. The shows span across a variety of venues around the city and a wide range of talent in different genres. Classic stages like One Colorado in Old Pasadena, Anneberg Space for Photography in Century City, Hammer Museum in Westwood, and China town in DTLA will become the site of rock n roll free for all’s this summer! From June 23rd to August 9th, anyone can check out these wildly entertaining performances.
June 23 – One Colorado – Delta Rae
June28 to August 9 – Hammer Museum – DJs Jason Bentley, Chuck P, Anne Litt, Chris Douridas, Anthony Valdez, Valida, Jeremy Sole
July 14 – Anneburg Space for Photography – Moby, acoustic and DJ performance
July 21 Anneburg Space for Photography – Portugal the Man and the 40th anniversary celebration of T-Rex’s “The Slider”
August 4 – Anneburg Space for Photography – Raphael Saadic and Band of Skulls
August 11 – Chinatown – Jason Bentley and Valida
August 25 – Chinatown – Anthony Valdez and Aaron Byrd
Twilight Concert Series – Santa Monica
Imagine yourself listening to some of your favorite bands with the people you love while starring out into the ocean as the sun goes down and the breeze cools your skin. That is what the 28th Santa Monica Twilight Concert Series is all about. A highly anticipated summer tradition, the Series will again present free concerts across the musical spectrum drawing an audience as diverse as the acts onstage. Join the crowd that stretches from the Pier deck to the beach and beyond as the Santa Monica Bay’s gorgeous summer days blend into enchanting evenings of family, friends, music and magic.
TWILIGHT SERIES 2012 LINE-UP:
JULY 5 – DONAVON FRANKENREITER + Jeff Young
JULY 12 – THE MIGHTY DIAMONDS + The Lions
JULY 19 – HAIM + Wildcat! Wildcat!
JULY 26 – JACKIE GREENE + Rustys Surf Ranch Emerging Artist winner
AUGUST 2 – Australia Rocks featuring KASEY CHAMBERS
AUGUST 9 – PARADE Collective – Showcase featuring musicians from Cirque du Soleil®
AUGUST 16 – AMADOU & MARIAM + Y La Bamba
AUGUST 23 – ALEX CUBA + Lucky 7 Mambo
AUGUST 30 – New Orleans own HOT 8 BRASS BAND + The Gumbo Brothers
SEPTEMBER 6 – BEST COAST + NO