Fanfare for the town band - local band concerts

Sunset, July, 1996 by Bill Crosby

Summer still has oompah when the park resounds to brass and bass as you picnic before the band-stand on a balmy evening in July. Many cities and towns have made sure that the tradition of free outdoor band concerts doesn't die - it's surprising how many locales have them. To find out about offerings in your area, contact the local community college or recreation and parks department.

On Washington's Olympic Peninsula, the Port Townsend Summer Band holds forth from the gazebo in 91-year-old Chetzemoka Park, overlooking Admiralty Inlet. The band's Sunday afternoon concerts usually end "with a rousing rendition of 'Stars and Stripes Forever,' as all band concerts should," reports local band fan Jean Fee. Concerts run from late June to mid-August on a staggered schedule; call (360) 385-3086 for more information.

From the Butler Band Shell in Lithia Park, the Ashland, Oregon, City Band has been performing Thursday evening concerts for years. This year, its 7:30 concerts will be staged from late June to mid-August and, as always, will last exactly one hour: "They have to end at 8:30 so they won't compete with the nearby outdoor Shakespeare performances, which begin at that time," writes local Penny Thorpe. Call (503) 488-5340 for more information.

"I grew up in Modesto, California, but left when I figured out where I was," writes Karen Black of Berkeley. "But even now there is something I go back for - Mo Band!" The remarkable Modesto Band of Stanislaus County plays its six consecutive Thursday evening concerts (at 8) at the Mancini Bowl in Graceada Park downtown, beginning June 13. What makes the 77-year-old band remarkable is that it's open to musicians of all skill levels and ages; any aspiring musician old enough to have graduated from eighth grade can play, provided he or she shows up for practice. "Each week the number of players onstage may range from 130 to 170-plus," Laura Parker of nearby Oakdale writes. The band draws crowds of 3,000 to 4,000; die-hard fans stake out their picnic spots in front of the stage at the crack of dawn each Thursday. Call (209) 522-2425 for more information.

Wednesday evenings in Ojai, California, in July and August mean band concerts in Libby Park, right in the center of town. "They kick off right after the eighth chime from the post office bell tower with the traditional 'Ojai Band Song,' sung by one of Ojai's local choir directors," writes Laura Denne, who plays string bass in the band. Popcorn, lemonade, and a children's balloon parade contribute to the event's old-time atmosphere. Call (805) 646-4665 for more information.

The Long Beach, California, Municipal Band plays four nights a week in July and August at five different parks throughout Long Beach. "I usually attend the Friday night concerts in El Dorado Park (along with hundreds of other music fans!)," writes native Karen Guthrie. All concerts start at 6:30; call (310) 570-1725 for more information.

Near San Diego, the Coastal Communities Concert Band plays at several different sites during its summer outdoor series, the most spectacular of which is Scripps Park at La Jolla Cove. "Here the audience can observe the picturesque curve of the coastline with fishermen, divers, swimmers, seals, pelicans, and gulls while listening to the band," writes Carolyn Overbay of Vista, California. For schedule and locations, call (619) 436-0783.

And here we have Idaho, writing her way to fame, to paraphrase the first line of the state song. We salute the plucky band from Twin Falls, whose loyal fans penned more than 10 times as many letters of praise as we received for any other band. What is it about the Thursday night concerts at 8 at the City Park band shell from June 6 through August 8? Is it the percussion section? Is it the imaginative arrangements? Is it perhaps the copy of our query that was attached to the concert programs? We admire the initiative, and conclude that if the band weren't good, the fans wouldn't have written. So, to end this acknowledgment as we began, we'll go singing, singing of you, singing of Idaho. (Call 208/733-1079.)