July 15, 2004

Midsummer melodies

Almaden Valley summer concert series returns to new venue

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer 

A temperate summer evening coupled with energetic children, bonus daylight hours and free admission served as the perfect backdrop for the first installment of the 2004 Almaden Valley Summer Concert Series on July 8 at Graystone Park.  

The series was formerly held at Parma Park, but ongoing construction of the new Almaden Library and Community Center forced a change in venue. The first concert brought out a higher than anticipated crowd, according to Community Services Supervisor Marie Alberry-Hawkins. 

“I was very impressed,” she says. “It was a good crowd and good music. People seemed to be having a great time. What more can you ask for on a nice summer evening?” 

Depending on whom you ask, the event drew between 300 and 500 attendees—families sprinkled amid a quilted landscape of blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets. Some sang reminiscently to “Brown-Eyed Girl” and other old favorites, while others danced in tandem with the sway of the band. Most however, opted to snuggle with loved ones and catch up with old friends in the comfortable, musical atmosphere. 

With more than 30 years logged together, Sage delighted concert goers with big band-style arrangements of classic favorites from Chicago, Huey Lewis, Kenny Loggins, Steve Winwood, Steely Dan, Tower of Power, Paul Simon and Phil Collins. 

According to the Berube family, who live near Parma Park and attended each of last year’s events, the familiar crowd they remembered seemed to change with the venue. “It’s interesting coming here,” says Debbie Berube.

“It’s a completely different group of people attending and I’m surprised to see all these new faces. It’s fun.” 

Booking the talent, according to Almaden Valley Community Center Advisory Council organizer Vickie Sochocki, involved finding just the right combination of music for a family-style concert, including memorable tunes that would send parents down memory lane, while children flock to the stage for dancing partners. “They all play the stuff you remember,” she explains. “They play the good old songs.” 

Although initial attempts to bring a free concert series to the community proved unsuccessful, Sochocki admits that landing top local entertainment at reduced prices, along with the fund-raising efforts of both the Teen and Senior Community Center Advisory Councils and a grant from Vice Mayor Pat Dando’s office contributed to the past—and hopefully, future success of an annual event that has now blossomed into a five-week offering. 

“The bands really like it and almost do it gratis,” she says. “It doesn’t conflict with their weekend gigs and gives them exposure. It’s really been great for everyone.” 

According to Dando, it is more about creating community events that involve the entire family. “This is an opportunity for people to take their families out with a blanket, sit in a park, maybe have dinner and enjoy not only good music, but get to know neighbors that they might not otherwise get to know,” she says. 

The Almaden Valley 2004 Summer Concert Series continues at Graystone Park every Thursday through Aug, 5 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., with top local entertainers—offering classic favorites from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s, along with blends of original music, smooth mixes of rock and jazz, classic R&B, soul, funk, disco and more.
Admission is free. 

Scheduled for July 15 is Mystic Pilots, followed by The Crew on July 22, The Hitmen on July 29 and Rock Hard on Aug. 5.  

“It was nice to kick off this series with a great local band,” admits Sochocki. “Especially one with so many Almaden connections. I hope the rest of them go as well as this one.”