FREE Community Concerts in Massachusetts

Make it a regular date with your family. Pack a picnic supper to enjoy while learning about jazz, blues, folk, classical, and many other musical styles. Not only is it quality, educational family time, it's free!
Bay State Parent magazine (www.baystateparent.com) has rounded up a sampling of the region's sweet serenades. If your community is not listed, please call your local town hall for concert information and then e-mail us at calendar@baystateparent.com



Concerts on the Common. Town Common, 75 Great Rd., Bedford. Thursdays, 7 p.m. Rain location: John Glenn Middle School Auditorium, 99 McMahon St.781-275-6310. www.bedfordrecreation.org.

Blackstone Valley Community Concert Band. Sun., July 13, Riverbend Farm in Uxbridge, 3:30 p.m. Thurs., July 24, Whitinsville Town Common, 6:30 p.m. Rain location: Northbridge Middle School Wed., July 30, Grafton Town Common, 7 p.m. Rain location: Grafton Municipal Building Sat., August 9 at the Sutton Town Common, 7 p.m. Visit www.UniBank.com for schedule updates.

Fort Point Channel Lunchtime Concert Series. Club Passim's Culture for Kids presents a FREE Outdoor Summer Music Series. Fridays, 12 - 1 p.m. on Children's Wharf, Boston: July 18 and August 1, 8, 22, & 29 Plus, free ice cream, compliments of Hood Dairy. For a complete list of performers visit www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org *Please note 7/25 & 8/15 concerts are scheduled for 6 p.m.

Special Live Concerts. Rowes Wharf, Boston Harbor Hotel, Boston. Fri., June 20 - Fri., Aug. 29. Summer Soul Tuesdays, 6 - 10 p.m., features different R & B and soul singers and their bands. Summer Swing Wednesdays, 6 - 10 p.m., features entertainment of various themes, ranging from a tribute to the legendary performers of big band to the sultry swing of jazz. Blues Barge Thursdays, 6 - 10 p.m., is held on a floating stage anchored behind the Boston Harbor Hotel. Hear some of the hottest local and national blues artists. Free. 617-439-7000. www.bhh.com.

Harborwalk Sounds. The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston (ICA) and the Berklee College of Music, waterfront Putnam Investments Plaza at the ICA, Boston. Thursday evenings through Sept. 11, from 6 - 8:30 p.m. Rain Location: Indoors the ICA. Features rising stars in jazz, world, Latin and more. Relax on the harbor with a delicious drink from the Water Café and hot sounds from the coolest music school around. 617-478-3100 or www.icaboston.org.

Summer Concerts at Elma Lewis Playhouse in the Park. Franklin Park Coalition, near the Franklin Park Zoo, behind White Stadium, Boston. Free summer concerts every Tuesday at 6 p.m. starting July 8. Opening night features renowned folk singer and Civil Rights activist, Odetta. Beginning July 15 concerts will be Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for children and evenings at 6 p.m. for the whole family. Go to www.franklinparkcoalition.org for a full summer program. 617-282-2881.

Concerts at the Hatch Shell. Charles River, Boston. Sat., July 12: WODS Oldies in Concert, 7 - 9:30 p.m.;Wed., July 16: Landmark Orchestra Concert Series - "Green Masterpieces", 7 p.m.; Wed., July 23: Landmark Orchestra Concert Series -"Gospel & Gershwin", 7 p.m.; Sat., July 26: WODS Oldies in Concert, 7 - 9:30 p.m. Wed., July 30: Landmark Orchestra Concert Series - "The Rite of Spring"; Sun., Aug. 3: Harvard University Band, 7 p.m.; Wed., Aug. 6: Landmark Orchestra Classical Concert Series Opera Highlights, 7 p.m. Free. www.hatchshell.com.

2008 Concert Series. Sundays in Coggshall Park, Fitchburg. 2 - 4 p.m. On the day of a concert, enter the park through the Electric Avenue entrance only. Exit will be via the two Mount Elam Road exits. Rain Dates: July 17 and Sept. 21. www.discoveryfitchburg.com

Concerts on the Common. Framingham. Fridays, July - August, 6:30 p.m. 508 532-5960. www.framinghamma.gov/parks/
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Summer Concert Series. Senior Center Lawn in front of the Bandstand, Main St., Holden. Sundays 6 - 8 p.m. www.townofholden.net

Voices of the Andes Concert. Wood Park, Park St., Hudson. Wed., July 16, 6:30 p.m. Free concert of soothing South American music. Rain location: Hudson Town Hall, 78 Main Street. www.upwitharts.org

Family Night at the Bandstand 2008. The Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra Milford Musicians Pavilion. Milford Town Park, corner of Congress & Walnut Streets, Milford. Tuesdays, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 508-478-5924. Rain dates the following Thursday

Art in the Parks. Needham Town Common. Thursdays, 7 p.m. Rain Location: John Eliot Elementary School Performance Center. Please note the change of location for this year, only, due to construction at Memorial Park www.needhamma.gov

Sunday Evening Heritage Festivals. Newton Centre Green, Newton. Sundays at 6:15 p.m. July 6: Rumbafrica - Boston's premier African dance band; July 13: InkasWasi - Combining music from the Andes and American with dancers in colorful Peruvian attire; July 20: Winiker Orchestra - Bill & Bo will trace highlights in American popular music from Ragtime to Hip Hop and all in between!; July 27: Black Sea Salsa - 15- piece band playing an original blend of Armenian music and Afro-Cuban jazz; Aug. 3: Clarence Thompson, Sr. and The New Spirits - Leading light's of Boston's gospel music with influences from the R&B and soul music Also Bob Bachelder's Totem Pole Orchestra will perform at Pellegrini Park in Nonantum on Wed., July 30, at 6:30 p.m. Rain location for July 30 is the adjacent gym. All other concerts cancelled in the event of rain. 617-527-8283; 617-527-8283. www.newtonpride.org.

Sunday Evening Concerts on the Common. Walter J. Dempsey Memorial Bandstand on the Town Common , Corner of Washington & Nahatan Streets, Norwood. Sundays, 7 - 9 p.m. Rain or shine. www.norwoodma.gov

Lakeside Concert Series. Memorial Park Beach Bandstand, Sharon. Wednesday nights, 7 p.m., throughout the summer. July 16- Dale & The Duds Classic Hits; July 23- Sharon. Community Band Selection of Family Favorites; July 30- Kadima Band Popular Jewish Songs; Aug. 6 - Four Guys in Tuxes Swing, Society and Classic Rock. E-mail: mlothrop@townofsharon.net

Southbridge Summer Concert Series for 2008. Free summer concerts at the Rotary (Route 131) in Southbridge on Sunday evenings. Concerts start between 5:30 and 6 p.m, July 6 - August 31. July 13 - Route 66 & Liz; July 20 - Macey & Hart; July 27 - East Woodstock Cornet Band; August 3 - Famingoes. www.southbridgeinfo.com

Sweet Summer Nights Music Series. Sweetwilliam Farm, Upton. Free weekly outdoor concerts Fridays 7 - 8:30 p.m. Features fine local and regional and national performing artists. Fun for the entire family. Spectacular sunsets! Bring a picnic dinner and blanket. 508-529-2000. Visit www.sweetwilliamfarm.biz for schedule.

Concerts on the Canal. River Bend Farm Visitor's Center, 287 Oak St., Uxbridge. Sundays, 3:30-5 p.m. Starts July 13. 508-278-7604.

Concerts on the Common. Sundays, 6 p.m. West Boylston. www.westboylston.com

Concerts at the Clark. 225 South St., Williamstown. Held at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute's expansive south lawn on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. in July. Jae's at the Clark will sell barbeque fare and the galleries remain open until 6 p.m. on concert evenings. Rain Location: auditorium. Free. 413-458-2303 or www.clarkart.edu.

RAIN Comes to North Shore Music Theatre on July 1st

North Shore Music Theatre's summer 2008 Celebrity Concert Series gets off to a scorching start with RAIN – The Beatles Experience on Tuesday, July 1 at 7:30 p.m. Experience what Beatlemania was all about – from Ed Sullivan to Abbey Road! They look like them and they sound just like them! “The next best thing to seeing The Beatles,” raves the Denver Post. All the music and vocals are performed totally live! RAIN covers the Fab Four from the earliest beginnings through the psychedelic late 60s and their long-haired hippie, hard-rocking rooftop days. RAIN is a multi-media, multi-dimensional experience...a fusion of historical footage and hilarious television commercials from the 1960s lights up video screens and live cameras zoom in for close-ups. “An adoring Valentine to The Beatles,” declares the Washington Post. Sing along with your family and friends to such Beatlemaniac favorites as “Let It Be,” “Hey Jude,” “My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Come Together” and “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

Tickets are $42 & $50. To purchase tickets, visit the Web site at http://www.nsmt.org/ or call the Theatre's Beverly-based box office at 978-232-7200.

About North Shore Music Theatre: Operating since 1955, the Theatre has evolved into the largest non-profit producing theater in New England, with approximately 300,000 patrons annually. The Beverly-based theatre has gained a national and regional reputation for artistic achievement, specifically in the areas of developing new works and providing outstanding theater arts and education programs. The Theatre has received numerous industry awards including The Elliot Norton Award, The Rosetta Le Noire Award from Actors’ Equity, and The Moss Hart Award. NSMT annually produces a six musical subscription series, an acclaimed concert series and award winning student productions. With its celebrated Theatre for Young Audiences program, a school touring program, and year-round classes for children, The Theatre has become one of the region’s leading providers of theater arts and education.
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WEEKEND PICK: Premiere Make Music Cambridge Festival

This Saturday, June 21 from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., about 100 local bands will take over Harvard Square on the first day of summer as the Cambridge area hosts the first-ever edition of "Make Music Cambridge", a free, outdoors, live-music festival for everyone, including families.
Starting at 1 p.m., musicians will take over the streets of Harvard Square to celebrate the first day of summer with music, from glass harmonica to electronic music. They will create a new urban experience, playing for the enjoyment of the passer-bys and the spectators, who will unplug their headphones and discover new sounds and new people.
Around 100 bands have signed up to perform, covering all styles: rock, Caribbean, blues, r&b, electro, latin, gypsy, folk, world fusion, jazz, a capella singing, and much more. They will play in 16 different spots on and around Harvard Square. The performers will rotate, some playing for half an hour, some for an hour, some for longer.
An information booth will be open throughout the event on Brattle Street at the entrance of Brattle Street.
At 10 p.m., a special outdoor edition of "The French Party" will take place in Winthrop Park, with a DJ coming from France. This great party will bring this year's festival to a close.
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Make Music Cambridge is inspired by the "Fête de la Musique" a street-music festival celebrating the beginning of the summer, which started 25 years ago in Paris. The "Fête de la Musique" is now celebrated, under many names, in more than 300 cities in 108 countries, from London to Beijing to Buenos Aires, all on the same day. New York's first edition took place last year. Cambridge can now be a part of this worldwide celebration!
Make Music Cambridge is made possible through a special partnership and the support of the Harvard Square Business Association, as well as the financial support of Marie Landel & Associates, the Cultural Services of the French Consulate in Boston, the International School of Boston (located in Cambridge), Boston Accueil, Boston French Party, and Function Drinks.
The Web site for this event is www.makemusiccambridge.com.
Check www.bostonfrenchparty.com for updates on the Winthrop Park party.

See the The Jimi Hendrix of the Ukulele Perform on Sunday, June 22

Following last season’s sold out appearance at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport, ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro returns for two concerts on Sunday, June 22. The performance times are 7 and 9 p.m.
(UPDATE: The 7 p.m. show is now sold out. 6/20/08 10:30 a.m.)
Renowned for his lightning-fast fingers and revolutionary playing techniques, Jake says the ukulele is an “untapped source of music with unlimited potential.” Apparently, he’s right since his repertoire includes jazz, blues, funk, bluegrass, folk, flamenco, rock and classical genres. And although he mostly tours as a solo act, he’s flexible enough to perform with the Honolulu Symphony from time to time.
Experimenting with various guitar effect pedals, Jake creates sounds never thought possible on his tiny four-string, two-octave instrument. A true showman, his performances captivate audiences with intricate strumming and plucking, electrifying, high-energy grooves and smooth melodic ballads evoking heartfelt emotion. He is often referred to as the “Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele.”
Jake has toured with Jimmy Buffett and Bela Fleck & the Flecktones and has performed with everyone from Diana Krall to Bobby McFerrin to Les Paul.
Electric Guitar Review said it best when they wrote, “If God played the ukulele, it would sound something like this!” Come see for yourself what they mean.
Tickets are available by calling the Firehouse Box Office at 978-462-7336 or online at http://www.firehouse.org/ Admission is $22 for Firehouse members and $25 for non-members

Firehouse is an arts and culture member based organization located on the waterfront in Newburyport, with a 195 seat theater, which offers diverse programming including film, dance, theatre and concerts, children’s series, new works festival and has a gallery which exhibits works by local and international artists. The Firehouse is Handicap Accessible.

WEEKEND PICK: KIDZ Bop To Perform 3 Concerts in Massachusetts

I'm a big fan of the KIDZ BOP CDs. While it is great that Fergie taught my 6-year-old daughter to spell GLAMOROUS. I didn't want her to learn some of the other words on the star's hit song. That's where KIDS BOP comes in. Kids sing hit adult songs with kid-friendly lyrics. (For those of you unaware, sometimes the songs you hear on the radio are not the same versions you get when you purchase a CD. Several radio stations run "clean" versions of hit songs as opposed to the artist's CD versions.) With KIDZ BOP CDs, both mom and daughter can listen to popular music; and I don't have to worry about the lyrics - as they are now always "G-rated." Those singing kids are on tour this summer. KIDZ BOP LIVE will perform 3 concerts in Massachusetts between June 28 and July 2. KIDZ BOP launched its first-ever tour last fall with 40 tour dates, creating an exciting concert experience for kids. The KIDZ BOP LIVE show features today’s most popular songs, sung by kids for kids live on stage. The show includes songs from the best-selling KIDZ BOP CDs, the #1 children’s audio series in the country. (http://www.kidzbop.com/) The group is on ts 14th album!

KIDZ BOP LIVE, a rock concert for kids and parents alike, features six kids who sing and dance with a live band. The entire family will be playing air guitar and enjoying themselves. KIDZ BOP LIVE is a memorable concert experience for all. Produced by Kidz Bop LLC in association with Rogar Studios Live Entertainment, KIDZ BOP LIVE is choreographed by Kishaya who has choreographed videos for Ashanti, P. Diddy and Destiny’s Child and is the winner of an MTV Video Music Award for Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback Girl

ABOUT KIDZ BOP: Since the brand’s creation 7 years ago, KIDZ BOP has been the most popular, most recognized and most parent-friendly music product in the U.S. for kids aged 4-11, selling over 10.5 million CDs. KIDZ BOP CD titles have earned nine Gold-certified albums to date. The brand’s website, KIDZBOP.COM, has become a fast-growing online destination, where kids can create, share and watch a variety of content, including games and activities based on music and creativity.


KIDZ BOP LIVE tour dates:

JUNE
28 Cohasset, South Shore Music Circus, 5 p.m., $25 per ticket
29 Hyannis, Cape Cod Melody Tent, 5 p.m., $25 per ticket

JULY
2 Beverly, North Shore Music Theatre, 6 p.m., $25 or $30 per ticket, http://www.nsmt.og/

To purchase tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.com or call the box office for each venue above.

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