Summer 2016: Free Outdoor Concerts in LA

Ah, outdoor concerts are back for summer and, best of all, these are all free!  From the best tribute performers to bands representing genres from soul to big band, rock to country, this summer's line-up has you covered!  To help you discover what's playing near you, the concerts are listed by location rather than chronologically.  Have fun!

WOODLAND HILLS

8/14:  Led Zepagain @ Warner Park in Woodland Hills

WHERE:  Lou Bredlow Pavilion, Warner Park, 5800 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91367

WHEN:  starting at 6:00 PM

MORE INFO



 7/4:  David Marks (of The Beach Boys) and the Surf City Allstars + Fireworks
7/10:  Wanted (Bon Jovi tribute band)
7/17:  Glenn Leonard's Temptations Review (featuring original member of The Temptations)
7/24:  Arrival from Sweden (ABBA tribute)
7/31: Billy Joel 2 Elton John (tribute performers)
8/7:  Matchbox Twenty Too (Matchbox 20 tribute)
8/14:  Led Zepagain (Led Zeppelin tribute)
8/21:  The Long Run (Eagles tribute)
8/28:  Taylor Dayne

                                                                                                                       

MONTEBELLO

7/14: Tierra @ Montebello City Park Bandshell

WHERE:  Montebello City Park Bandshell, 1301 W. Whittier Blvd., Montebello, CA 90640

WHEN:  Thursdays 7/7-8/18, Festival from 4:30 pm, Music  6:30-8:30 pm

MORE INFO:  Art Walk, Food Vendors, Int'l Booths, Raffles, Jumpers

7/7:  Cold Duck
7/14:  Tierra
7/21:  Mariachi Divas
7/28:  Stone Soul
8/4:  The Wiseguys
8/11:  Montebello United Concert
8/18:  BomBam Boom & Joe May & The Tuxedo Junction

                                                                                                                       

BREA

7/27:  Ry Bradley Band @ Brea's City Hall Park

WHERE: City Hall Park, 401 S. Brea Boulevard, Brea, CA  92821

WHEN:  Wednesdays 7/6-8/17, 6:30-8:00 pm

MORE INFO






7/6:   The Symphonic Winds of the Pacific (Pops & Patriotic)
7/13:  The Fenians (Celtic Rock)
7/20:  CHICO  (Latin Jazz/Top 40)
7/27:  The Ry Bradley Band  (Country)
8/3:   The Urban Renewal Project (Soul & Hip Hop Big Band)
8/10:  Southland Band (Classic Rock)
8/17:  The Moonlight Express (Big Band)

                                                                                                                        

SAN GABRIEL

7/2:  Little Faith @ Mission Playhouse Plaza

WHERE: Mission Playhouse Plaza, 320 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA  91776   OR  
Vincent Lugo Park, corner of South Ramona St. & Wells St., San Gabriel, CA  91776


WHEN:  Thursdays 7/2-7/30, starting at 6:30 pm

MORE INFO



 7/2: Americana Concert featuring Little Faith (Mission Playhouse Plaza)
7/9: Rockin’ in the Park Concert (Vincent Lugo Park)
7/16: Family Concert & Movie in the Park (Vincent Lugo Park)
7/23:  Havana Nights Concert featuring Louie Cruz Beltran (Mission Playhouse Plaza)
7/30: Kollaboration at the Park Concert (Vincent Lugo Park)

June 2016: Free Movies, Concerts, Festivals in LA

Summer 2016 is starting strong with free outdoor festivals, tribute band performances and more free events in LA!  Here are a few to check out:  (** indicates Editor's Choice)

6/9: Woody and the Longboards

**Saturday, June 4:  "Inside and Out Plazacast" free community festival featuring live simulcast of Pacific Symphony concert, pre-concert talk and post-concert immersive musical experience, live performances by community music and dance ensembles, community mural painting, and food trucks, 5pm, Segerstrom Center for the Arts plaza and lobby in Costa Mesa.  All the festival's activities and performances are inspired by Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, and the first 100 attendees will receive free tickets to future Pacific Symphony concerts.  More info


Sunday, June 5:   World Music and Cultural Arts Festival featuring musicians and artisans from around the world, 1pm to 8:30pm, Lou Bredlow Pavilion at Warner Park in Woodland Hills, More info

ALSO, "Very Very Romantic" free classical concert by CalStateLA Symphony Orchestra performing with Olympia Youth Orchestra, 3pm, San Gabriel Mission Playhouse in San Gabriel, More info

Thursday, June 9:  "Surf's Up San Gabriel" free concert and community festival featuring Beach Boys' cover band Woody and the Longboards, food trucks, entertainment and kids' activities, 6pm to 9:30 pm, Mission District in San Gabriel, More info 

6/30: Louise Cruz Beltran

Sunday, June 12:  "DSB: Tribute to Journey" free outdoor concert, 6pm, Lou Bredlow Pavilion at Warner Park in Woodland Hills, More info

Thursday, June 16: "Rock'n the Park" free outdoor concert featuring Cold Duck, 6:30 pm, Vincent Lugo Park in San Gabriel, More info

Sunday, June 19:  "Space Oddity: World's #1 David Bowie Tribute" free outdoor concert, 6pm, Lou Bredlow Pavilion at Warner Park in Woodland Hills, More info

Tuesday, June 21:  "Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl" free outdoor film screening, 8pm (dusk), Granada Beach in City of Long Beach, More info


Thursday, June 23:  "Cinderella" outdoor film screening, Vincent Lugo Park in San Gabriel, 8:30 pm or dusk, More info

6/21 at Granada Beach

Sunday, June 26:  "Ticket to Ride: Tribute to the Beatles" free outdoor concert, 6pm, Lou Bredlow Pavilion at Warner Parkin Woodland Hills, More info

Tuesday, June 28:  "Pretty in Pink" free outdoor movie screening, 8pm (dusk), Granada Park in City of Long Beach,  More info

Thursday, June 30:  "Noche de Baile" free Latin jazz concert with Louie Cruz Beltran and his jazz ensemble, 6:30 pm, Mission Playhouse Plaza in San Gabriel, More info

Free Fun in LA: Poetry at the Playhouse (Apr. 26)

On April 26th at 7pm, in celebration of National Poetry Month, the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse will present a free community event featuring three of L.A.'s finest poets:

• Vickie Vértiz was the Lucille Clifton Scholar at the Community of Writers, and a Hillary Gravendyk Book Prize finalist in 2015 with works published in Los Angeles Review of Books, Huizache, The Offing, and Nepantla. Her first poetry collection, Swallows, was published in 2013 by Finishing Line Press.
• Mike Sonksen has published over 500 essays and poems and his KCET column LA Letters celebrates literary Los Angeles. His forthcoming book Poetics of Location is published by Writ Large Press.
• Naomi Hirahara’s Sayonara Slam, the sixth book in the Mas Arai mysteries series, is released this May. The first in her bicycle cop mysteries, Murder on Bamboo Lane, received the T. Jefferson Parker mystery award in 2014. A former editor of The Rafu Shimpo newspaper, she writes noir short stories and fiction/nonfiction related to the Japanese American experience.

The event will be held in the Playhouse's lobby.  Although this event is free to attend, you will need to reserve your tickets in advance through the Playhouse box office either over the phone or by appearing in person on Tuesdays or Thursdays between 12pm and 5pm.

San Gabriel Mission Playhouse

320 S. Mission Drive

San Gabriel, CA   91776

(626) 308-2868

TOMORROW! Free Teleclass for Screenplay Writers: April 23

ScreenwritingU is presenting a two-hour teleclass "Selling to Hollywood...for Real" at 12:00 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 23rd.  You'll need to make a reservation online to receive call-in information (see link below).  The call will cost you a couple of dollars in long-distance fees depending on your provider.

The class will cover the following topics:

• 5 keys to getting your script sold
• How to light up Hollywood--from anywhere
• Your most important screenplay marketing decision
• How to get your network to sell you
• What to do if producers aren't biting
• Your direct paths to studios 

You've seen these free tele-classes listed on this blog before but I have participated in a few myself now and have found them to be very well-prepared and informative.  I always walk away with valuable information and feeling inspired to take action.  Because they are so popular, the classes are now announced only a day in advance which is why this notice has not appeared sooner.  

What distinguishes these classes is that the presenter continually interviews authorities in the movie business--from agents and managers to producers and professional writers--and compiles the information to present a real-life picture of the TV and film industry today.  Each class includes a short pitch for a paid course but the free class is worth it, and if the topic is very relevant to where you are with your career or a particular project, you may want to consider paying for a more in-depth course because their alumni have generated productive results for their careers out of the work done for those courses.

Register for Teleclass

Free Teleclass for Writers: April 12

ScreenwritingU will hold a free 2-hour teleclass on April 12, 2014 on screenwriting rewrite strategies entitled "21 Steps to a Professional Rewrite" which will cover the following topics:

• The #1 Key to Rewriting Success (change this one thing and rewriting gets so much easier)
•  The most important question you must ask to turn dull scenes into dramatic and valuable scenes 
• The key ingredient that will turn a simple conflict into an unforgettable one
• Three ways to turn ordinary characters into extremely compelling story people
•  The #1 Reason writers won't cut bad scenes
• And 16 other Advanced Strategies for rewriting 

The class is free and open to the first 100 callers.  You will be responsible for long-distance phone call fees which are estimated at around $5-8 depending on your phone plan.  Click the link below for more information or to register for the class:

Click Here for Teleclass Information & Registration

Self Portrait Art Contest: April 6 Deadline

Jerry's Artarama is hosting a Self Portrait Contest and 33 winners will be awarded gift cards to spend on art supplies with the Grand Prize being a $2000 shopping spree.  It can be in any media so you can submit something you already have lying around.  The contest is open to U.S. residents only and submissions are made on Facebook.  But hurry!  The deadline is April 6th!

Click Here for More information

Click Here to Submit Your Artwork