Summer Concert Series Goes Quietly Into the Night
Eric Richardson
[Flickr]
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Friday at noon Charangoa closes out the 2007 season of Grand Performances, and while I'm looking forward to seeing the L.A. based Cuban group, I thought back on how GP on Grand opened the season with a bang, and the late add of El Vez opened the 2nd act of the season with flair and glitter.
As solid as they are, Charangoa is a rather quiet finale for a successful season. If Grand Performances extended one week and had any of the three local acts that performed during 2007 do smaller sets as part of the Grand Ave Festival being held Sunday, September 30, it could have raise some visibility for the 2008 season.
Nonetheless, in an eventful summer that saw further transition for Downtown L.A., the free outdoor concert series continued its role as a 20 year anchor that preceded developers vision of Downtown as an urban experience. In some ways, the rest of Downtown has finally caught up with Grand Performances.
A similar hat tip goes to Pershing Square's smaller summer concert series, also closing out in September.
Pictured, Mango Blue playing a lunchtime set earlier this summer.
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I think that the folks at Pershing Square have a little known treasure on their hands with Salsa Sundays. By starting at 3:00 p.m., the sun and heat are still fairly forbidding but the acoustics of the area are great and the orchestra can be heard from a block away. The music draws people in and by 4:00 p.m. the park begins to be in the shadows, making the space more conducive to dancing. For the last hour, many couples are dancing in front of the stage and more listeners enjoy the show from the lawns and seats under the umbrellas. My wish is that for next year, these salsa concerts could start at 5:00 p.m. when the temperature is a little more comfortable. Better and/or more active promotion would bring a larger audience.
Perhaps a superior idea might be to produce these salsa concerts on Friday nights from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Promote them as a fun way to wait out rush hour and enjoy the first few hours of the weekend dancing at the park. Allow food vendors to set up at the square and the city could have a real social scene on Friday nights. By running until 8:00 p.m., people could still head to performances at the Music Center or California Plaza or start hitting the plethora of fine drinking establishments within easy walking distance. Or they could then head home without having to contend with the heaviest traffic of the day.