27th Annual Brookings Concert Series Fills S. Oregon Coast with Tunes All Summer

Published 06/08/22 at 11:15 PM PST
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Brookings, Oregon) – One little town on the south Oregon coast is about to get bigger every weekend.

Brookings begins its Summer Concerts in the Park series on June 22, with shows happening various Sundays through September 4 at the town's famed Azalea Park. It's a wide mix of genres that attract a varied range of niche tastes and musical leanings. Classic rock, Cajun, various kinds of pop, country and bluegrass fill this gigantic lawn all season.

It's the 27th year of the festival, having been a rager on the south Oregon coast for almost three decades. Some of the concerts fill up with as many as 1200 attendees, making it one of the hottest tickets in the region for the summer – yet they're all free.

All this kicks off with a special performance on Wednesday, June 22, then moving to diffrent Sundays afterwards. That initial show features Beat Frequency, a Vancouver-based party band known for its original songs and killer covers of classic and modern pop, rock, dance and R&B songs. Their set list includes songs by Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Steely Dan, Marvin Gaye and singer The Weeknd (UPDATE: this first show has been cancelled - July 26 is now the first show).

Scott Graves is the series promoter with the nonprofit American Music Festival. He credits the series' success to the increase in business sponsorships from the southern Oregon coast area and crowd donations that have grown more generous over the years. This allows the nonprofit group to attract high quality artists that usually only play larger cities.

“This truly is the community’s music series,” Graves said.

He's particularly proud of this year's lineup, which boasts eight different bands throughout the typically almost-tropical summer this section of the southern Oregon coast is known for.

“There are some exciting new artists, plus the return of fan favorites from years past,” Graves said. “Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets to the park and enjoy quality live music.”

Just a few days after the opening musical volley, June 26 features the Portland Styx tribute band Grand Illusion, with all the hard-edged, Prog-like grandiosity in full form.

The free music series is supported this year by presenting sponsors Rogue Credit Union, Travel Curry Coast and Elk Valley Casino. The sound system is provided by sound engineer and local resident Ed Ajimine.

On the park grounds you'll find good eats. The Rotary Club of Brookings-Harbor operates the Snack Shack for all the events, providing food such as hot dogs, pizza and burgers, and sodas and water. In case of bad weather, the concerts will move indoors to the Gibney Center at Brookings-Harbor High School or Azalea Middle School cafeteria, 505 Pacific Ave. in Brookings.

Also on hand will be the unique Pacific Coast Trolley – a bus that looks like an antique street car ride and a south Oregon coast fave. They will provide free rides from the lower parking field on North Bank Chetco River Road to the park’s bandshell. The pickup times for the Wednesday concert are 5 - 6 p.m. and 8 - 9 p.m. The pickup times for the Sunday concerts are 12 - 1 p.m. and 3 - 4 p.m.

The 2022 lineup:

• June 22, Wednesday, 6 p.m.: (CANCELLED) Beat Frequency, original pop, rock and R&B.

• June 26, Sunday, 1 p.m.: Grand Illusion, Styx tribute.

• July 10, Sunday, 1 p.m.: Abbey Road Live, Beatles tribute.

• July 17, Sunday, 1 p.m.: Rock Bottom Boys, hillbilly rock hits and originals.

• Aug. 7, Sunday, 1 p.m.: Blonde Ambition, Madonna tribute.

• Aug. 14, Sunday, 1 p.m.: A.J. Lee and Blue Summit, Americana and Indie bluegrass.

• Aug. 21, Sunday, 1 p.m.: Gator Nation, Cajun and zydeco music.

• Sept. 4, Sunday, 1 p.m.: McKayla Marie Band, country.

Information and videos about the bands can be found at the American Music Festival’s Facebook page at facebook.com/AmericanMusicFestivalBrookingsOregon

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