Free music abounds throughout the Bay Area
Jun 17, 2008
No downloads required. No subscription fees or cover charges either. Free music — and it's all around us. At least during the summer months. "I tell you what — if someone says there's nothing to do for free here in Pensacola," said Steve Dazet, 54, of Pensacola, "then they're just not trying." Dazet spoke while sitting in a lawn chair, sipping merlot and dining on Mexican salad with friends while awaiting local rockers Midnight Confession to hit the stage for a recent Bands On The Beach concert, which attracted about 2,000 people. Around him, thousands of like-minded middle-aged men and women did the same. They lugged chairs, picnic tables, coolers and Crock-Pots to Casino Beach, grabbed a spot in front of the pavilion and began the Tuesday party even before the music started. For many who attend the events, the music — almost always familiar, time-tested cover versions of popular hits — is just a part of the allure. Just look at Dale Fowler and Charla Watts. They're regulars at Bands On The Beach and also attend other music series such as the long-running, always popular Evenings In Olde Seville. But Bands On The Beach is special to the Gulf Breeze couple, now engaged. "We met here five years ago," said Fowler, 53, as he pulled home-cooked pork from a Crock-Pot and piled it onto sandwiches. "And we had our first kiss here a year later." And when they marry at a yet-to-be determined date? "We're going to get married right here at Bands On The Beach," Fowler said. "We're going to have our family and friends here and just party with the band." Bands On the Beach is just the start of the work week aural extravaganza. On Wednesdays, music lovers pack up lawn chairs and picnic baskets for the Summer Serenade Series at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church on 12th Avenue. On Thursdays, many of the same folks — and thousands more — pile into shaded Seville Square for Evenings In Olde Seville, which attracts anywhere from 5,000 to 8,000 people each week. There are other music series — Sunsets at Plaza de Luna Park at Palafox Pier on Thursdays; "Sounds of Summer" on various weekend days at the Portofino Boardwalk at Quietwater Beach; Evenings at Navarre Park on Thursdays through September; and "Live After Five — First Friday," which brings even more music to the streets of downtown and takes place once a month. Performers say these free festivals bring them a bigger audience and an opportunity to showcase hometown pride. "You're playing to Pensacola, not just the bar scene," said Dave Windsor, 61, drummer for Midnight Confession. "They're family events with no offensive material. And the excitement level just seems higher. When you're playing one of these, you just want to pour your heart out."
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