It was a beautiful summer night to take in an outdoor concert. July 7 was the kickoff of the Culver City Summer Concert Series with Argentinian folk rock band Los Pinguos performing to an enthusiastic crowd in the courtyard of a well-attended Culver City City Hall.
The early bird faithful lined up their tables and chairs surrounding the inner circle of the courtyard, with appetizers and beverages that would make Wolfgang Puck proud and perhaps not even knowing exactly what kind of act they were about to see, unless they have seen them in previous seasons.
What they experienced was a mix of South American rhythms, using Spanish guitars similar to the Gypsy Kings, with some Latin percussion thrown into the mix. Los Pinguos arrived in Los Angeles in 2001 from their native country and since then, Angelenos have had plenty of opportunity to hear them on the Westside during the past 10 years, from the Third Street Promenade to clubs like the now-defunct Temple Bar in Santa Monica. So sticking with the tried and true, they were booked once again into the series.
On July 21, another local act that performed at the festival previously, Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca makes its return to the city hall courtyard, blending African soukous and rumba, with Cuban salsa and song. Some music fans with their finger on the pulse of what’s happening in Los Angeles may have seen Lemvo on previous occasions, while patrons of past Culver City concerts will once again be entertained by this 10-piece group that includes a horn section, percussion and full rhythm section.
Competing for more of the youthful music crowd will be the Also I Like to Rock free concert series at the Hammer Museum in Westwood. This all-ages concert series put on by the Hammer in partnership with the musical tastemaker public radio station KCRW continues tonight with Los Angeles quintet Grouplove, along with Milo Green. Grouplove was formed after a chance meeting on the island of Crete, in Greece, where two friends from New York met future band mates at an art residency. Finding immediate chemistry, the quintet moved to L.A. and recorded an EP of ambitious pop, marked by sweeping anthems and soaring harmonies.
Then on Thursday, July 28, the Hammer presents the Pavement- and Tom Petty-influenced rock of L.A.’s The Henry Clay People, who recently performed at the wildly popular Coachella concert series in the desert. All shows start at 7 p.m., with KCRW jocks spinning tunes before and after the acts take the stage. More information on the series can be found at hammer.ucla.edu.
Thursdays seem to be the night for music in the summer, which is always a good thing for music fans who desire to seek out different venues and styles of music throughout the Southland based on their individual tastes. Royal/T Café in Culver City continues its eclectic musical booking policy tonight with a program called Women Composers: Cathlene Pinseda & Beth Schenck.
Pineda is an award-winning pianist and composer who recently performed at the REDCAT at Disney Hall. She’ll be joined by New York-based saxophonist and composer Schenck, who will collaborate for a one-night performance that combines creative improvised jazz, with an inventive approach to rhythm. Showtime will be at 8 p.m. and there is a $10 general admission charge and $5 for students.
On July 28, Royal/T will host $2 shows & The Harmony Project present “An Electric Bath.” This will be an evening of innovative electronic music, indie rock and visual and sound performances that will include appearances from musical acts Incan Abraham and Newman Wolf, along with visual artists Duke +1 and Darin Vartanian. Craft vendors and other performing artists will be on hand, and Royal/T’s full dinner menu will be available. As per the title of the show, there will be a $2 admission charge.
And finally, if you haven’t gotten your fill of Latin music, Tito Puente Jr. will be performing at Burton Chace Park in Marina del Rey on Saturday, July 30, as part of its summer concert series. Puente Jr. is the son of the late mambo musician Tito Puente and is carrying on his father’s legacy by presenting in his performances and recordings much of his father’s repertoire. The Pop Saturdays concerts begin at 7 p.m. and are free to the public.
Burton Chace Park is at 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey. For those with a nautical interest, you can take a water bus to the concert from numerous locations for $1. More information on the series can be found at chacepark.com/Events.
Jonathan Weiss is a Los Angeles-based music supervisor for film, TV and advertising. Email him at jonjaz@aol.com.
