Council to discuss summer concert series

The popular Culver City Summer Concert Series will be on the City Council’s playlist on Feb. 8 at the council’s first meeting this month.

Despite the political wrangling of past years over who would produce the concerts and how they should be funded, the nearly two-decade old music festival has retained its popularity under local producer Gary Mandell.

Under Mandell, who owns Boulevard Records on Sepulveda Boulevard in Culver City, the concerts have grown exponentially in size and popularity.

Over the last several years they have been reduced from a dozen to six dates beginning in July.

In addition to the summer concert series, the council will consider an agreement with Arts Earth Partnership, an environmental sustainable certification program as part of its sustainability plan.

Arts Earth was created by the founder of the Electric Lodge in Venice Dr. Joel Shapiro and Justin Joffe, its board president.

According to the partnership’s website, Santa Monica’s and Los Angeles’ cultural affairs departments have endorsed the initiative.

Los Angeles city officials have also committed to having all of its city-owned cultural facilities certified as partnership members.