Concerts for varied tastes

Andrew Edwards

A summer night can be a good time to pack the kids in the car, head

to a local park and watch a live music performance as the sun sets.

Newport Beach and Costa Mesa host a series of free concerts for

just those occasions. Costa Mesa’s first show was held Tuesday at

Fairview Park. Newport’s set of shows is scheduled to begin Sunday.

The first band to play at Costa Mesa’s concert series was the

Doo-Wah Riders, a country act. The next band lined up to play at

Fairview Park are swing performers the Kid & Nic Show.

The Costa Mesa series is set to continue through Aug. 26. The

other acts on the city’s list are blues performer Brian Young, surf

band Orange Colored Sky, Latin rockers El Soul, and the Answer, a

classic rock band.

“We try to mix it up throughout the concert series,” Costa Mesa

recreation coordinator Robby White said.

All concerts in the Costa Mesa series are scheduled to begin at

6:15 p.m. on Tuesdays at Fairview Park.

Newport Beach’s four-concert schedule is a blend of classical and

popular styles. The Pacific Symphony is slated to open the series

Sunday with a performance at Eastbluff Park, which is near the

intersection of Vista del Oro and Vista del Sol. Plans call for

overflow parking and shuttles to be available at Corona del Mar High

School.

The Pacific Symphony is scheduled to begin Sunday’s show at 5 p.m.

Children will be able to participate in a variety of activities at a

musical playground that is expected to begin one hour before the

show.

“Parents can bring their kids and experience all kinds of hands-on

projects,” Newport Beach cultural arts coordinator Jana Barbier said.

The Russian National Orchestra Wind Quintet is set to perform the

second show in Newport’s series. The orchestra’s chief executive

officer, Sergei Markov is slated to narrate “Wolf Tracks,” a

performance that is billed as an updated retelling of the “Peter and

the Wolf” story. The wind quartet’s shows are scheduled to begin at

6:30 p.m. on Aug. 2 at Grant Howald Park in Corona del Mar.

After two classical acts, the Kahuna Cowboys Jug Band and swing

act Moonlight Express are scheduled to round out the shows. The

Kahuna Cowboys’ show is scheduled for 5 p.m. Aug. 28 at Irvine

Terrace Park. The final show is slated for 5 p.m. Sept. 18 at Bob

Henry Park.

For information on Costa Mesa concerts, call (714) 754-5300. For

more details about the Newport Beach series, call (949) 714-3870.