Area music fans will have a feast of free outdoor music to enjoy this summer, many of them taking advantage of the many beautiful natural settings in the area.
We’ve already told you about the return of Wade Oval Wednesdays which run weekly from June 17 through August 19 at Wade Oval in University Circle, and the Cleveland Metroparks concerts weekly at six of its locations starting June 10.
But there’s much more. Here are four more concert series, one weekly, two biweekly and one monthly, with music for almost every taste — much of it original and little of it covers of well-worn rock tunes.
Starting this week, Music at Market Square will host a monthly Thursday night concert across from the West Side Market. And they kick it off in June and July with two of the biggest names in the area. Carlos Jones & the P.L.U.S. Band will play their feel-good rockin’ reggae on June 4 and Apostle Jones will bring its soulful, horn-driven rock & blues on July 2. On August 6 Monica Robbins & the Whsikey Kings will play country and on September 8, the Spazmatics will do their ’80s tribute. Music starts at 6pm.
Some summer concert series are heavy on cover bands or tribute acts, while many, surprisingly, book excellent local original bands in a range of genres. But the East Shore Park Club concert series, running every other Thursday from June 4 through September 10, has one of the oddest mix of bands — cover, original and even a national touring act whose names you’ll probably know.
They kick off with Beatles tribute The George Martins on June 4, followed by Abbey Rodeo, whose 60s-style pop is heavily Beatles-influenced on June 28. On July 2 they’ve got Mister Breeze, a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band which also performs music by other Southern rockers. It’s an odd choice to celebrate July 4 unless you’re celebrating the Confederacy: Lynyrd Skynyrd is probably the most racist rock act ever to make it big nationally.
On July 16, The Forest City Django Club will bring 30s-style Parisian “hot jazz,” and on August 6, Take Me Back will be nostalgic for 70s horn rock. August 20’s “bluegrass showdown” will feature two local acts: Lea Marra and the River Boys, and the Sugar Mules, who both play country/bluegrass-inspired original music. Then on August 27, the series presents John Cowsill (of THOSE Cowsills) and Vicki Peterson from the Bangles, performing their groups’ iconic songs. It wraps up on September 10 with Robbing Mary, a benefit concert where they’ll collect money for the Kidney Foundation of Cleveland. The concerts are family-friendly and there will be food trucks onsite or you may bring your own food and drinks. Shows start at 7, except for the August 20 show which starts at 6:45. Bring a blanket or chair.
The weekly Lakewood Front Porch Concerts always offer an interesting mix of genres and this year is no exception. They take place every Friday through July 17 outside the main branch of the Lakewood Public Library on Detroit Avenue, with the final two concerts at Madison Park Pavilion on July 24 and July 31 . The opening concert on Friday June 5 features with Bassel & the Supernaturals fronted by Syrian-American vocalist Bassel Almadani. On June 12 14-year-old rocker Brady Lorince and her band of teenagers will play, followed by guitarist Michael Weber’s Michael Wber show on The Michael Weber Show. June 19. There’ll be Latin music from Grupo Fuego on June 26, swamp rock by cats on Holiday on July 3, Raven Rae performing neo-soul; pop and jazz on July 10 and Black Voltron’s funk/R&B/hip hop blend on July 17. The two concerts at Madison Park Pavilion feature Country Honk (July 24) and Cleveland Pride Band (July 31). All concerts are at 7pm.
Ben Franklin Community Garden is the area’s largest community garden, located in Old Brooklyn. And it’s a gorgeous place to hear music surrounded by flowers, trees and a sprawl of garden plots packed with growing things. And each summer they book one of the most diverse rosters of intriguing local band on the first and third Saturdays of each month at 6pm. (The July 4 concert will be on Friday July 3.)
They start on June 6, with one of the area’s best Americana/roots music ensembles Hey Mavis, followed by the Zerbo Brothers on June 20, bringing West African and global sounds. Opus 216, who play classical music with a pop twist, perform on July 3, and Da Land Brass Band, influenced by New Orleans-style jazz and funk, will blow the leaves off the trees on July 18 (OK, not literally, but you probably won’t be sitting in that canvas folding chair you brought). The John Orsini Jazz Quintet plays music from the 1940s-60s (you can sit for that one) on August 1; the Rhondas feature three women vocalist/instrumentalists who play a wide range of covers and originals. The concert on September 5 is a women singer/songwriter showcase featuring Liz Bullock and Jessica Sikon, and things wrap up on September 19 with a classical fusion showcase with bassoonist Arleigh Savage and celllst/songer/songwriter Eri Snowden-Rodriguez who use looping and effects to do creative things with their instruments.