Rock On! Lemon Grove's Concerts in the Park Kicks Off Tonight

There won't be dancing in the street—but there's sure to be plenty of dancing in the park as the city kicks off its tonight from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Berry Street Park.

From Cajun blues and country-western music, to modern dance and rock 'n' roll, concertgoers will get a musical variety to enjoy every Thursday through Aug. 11.

“It’s a great community event,” said Dave Huey, the city’s community services superintendent. “We’ve been doing it for a long time. People look forward to this.”

The city has hosted for more than 30 years, and attendance has increased every year, Huey said. Huey added that roughly 400-500 community members attend each concert, but local favorites like the Cat-illacs draw more than 1,000 people.

“It’s a big tradition,” Huey said. “I see the same people there every year.”

The Cat-illacs, a vintage rock 'n' roll band, will return to the park on July 14. (Lemon Grove Patch will be there, too, passing out some free goodies. Look for us!) The four-member band has participated in the concert series numerous times throughout the last 15 years, said bassist and vocalist Steve Loftis.

“It’s always fun for us watching people enjoy the music, no matter where we’re at,” Loftis said. “Everywhere we play, it’s about family entertainment.”

Loftis said the Cat-illacs has about 200 songs in its repertoire, so attendees can expect a mix of tunes.

“We don’t try to stay trendy or try to keep up with the top 40,” said Loftis, who helped formed the band in 1984. “We have a pretty good mix of good rock 'n' roll dance music.”

Four of the six bands scheduled to perform have participated in the concert series before.

In addition to the Cat-illacs, country-western group Three Chord Justice will perform on July 21, '60s and '70s group AM Forever will perform on July 28 and Cajun blues group the Bayou Brothers will end the series on Aug. 11. Two new groups, rock cover band West of 5 and modern dance band Y3K have been added to the lineup on July 7 and Aug. 4, respectively.

Frank Cicero, bassist and vocalist of West of 5, said the band’s guitarist lives on the border of Lemon Grove and Spring Valley and has frequented the city’s summer concert series.

“He’s attended the shows every year,” said Cicero. “We inquired about playing this year. They came out and checked us out, liked us, and thought we would be a good fit for the crowd.”

From Journey to Lady Gaga, the five-member band performs a variety of classic to current rock hits.

“We try to find some hidden treasures that people recognize that not everyone plays, as well as mainstream hits,” Cicero said.

At one point, the summer concert series brought eight bands to town, but the lineup was reduced to six bands last year because of budget cuts, Huey said.

“When the economy was good, we were trying to do as many as we could,” Huey said. “It was nice. People really enjoyed it.

“It’s still a good event,” he said. “It’s a low-key event. People have a good time.”

It costs about $9,000 to put on the event, Huey said. The City of Lemon Grove, EDCO, Hitzke Development Corp. and Dr. Kevin Swartzberg sponsor the free concerts.

“It’s nice to be part of it,” said Swartzberg, who has practiced dentistry in Lemon Grove since 1994. “A lot of my patients go there, so I get a lot of feedback.”

Attendees are invited to bring their own food, as well as blankets and chairs, for barbeques and picnics. No pets are allowed.

“Get ready to have fun,” Cicero said. “I hope they have as much fun as we do.”

Free concerts take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays at Berry Street Park, located at 7071 Mt. Vernon St.