OCEANSIDE — Beach chairs and picnic blankets filled Rancho Del Oro Park as Springsteen The Premier Tribute to the Boss kicked off the first of three free summer concerts July 15.
The high energy, guitar-ripping band had young and young at heart dancing to classic 1970s rock ‘n’ roll.
“We’re all Bruce Springsteen-music,” Josh Tanner, lead singer, said. “That’s what we do. We’re look-alikes from the early years of the band.”
Many families brought picnics to the afternoon concert that ended just after sunset. There was also kettle corn and hot dogs for sale.
Two more free concerts are planned this summer. Upcoming concerts are the Beach Fest youth band concert at the Pier Amphitheater July 24, and the Surfin’ Safari Beach Boys Tribute Band at Rancho Del Oro Park Aug. 26.
“We’re really happy we got three this year because of the budget cuts,” Karen Williams-Graham, arts commission member, said.
This year’s free concerts are funded chiefly through donations. A concert event costs about $2,000 to hold.
“Last year we passed the hat at concerts and raised $1,000 to offset this year’s concerts,” Eileen Turk, neighborhood services division manager, said.
The nonprofit group Friends of Oceanside Parks raised another $2,000 to help with costs. The group will hold opportunity drawings, raffles, and sell merchant discount cards to help raise funds for future summer concerts and other no cost community events.
previous post
next post
