Free Summer Concert Series starts off with a bang
Grammy and Country Music Award winner Suzy Bogguss will perform in Moses Lake July 22 as part of the Free Summer Concert Series at McCosh Park.
Bluegrass band Blue Highway performs during the Five Suns Bluegrass Festival July 29 and 30, part of the Free Summer Concert Series in McCosh Park.
MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake's annual Free Summer Concert Series starts off with a concert and fireworks show July 4.
The series continues with performances by nationally renowned country, rock and bluegrass bands later this summer.
All of the free summer concerts are held at the Centennial Amphitheater in McCosh Park in Moses Lake.
The concerts are sponsored by Moses Lake Parks and Recreation Department, which hopes to draw 2,000 people to each concert, said Lori Moholt-Phillips, recreation superintendent.
A free community barbecue from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at McCosh Park kicks things off on the Fourth of July, followed by a free performance by the Ryan Larsen band of Spokane at 8 p.m. and a fireworks show at 10 p.m.
The Ryan Larsen Band plays contemporary country music and was voted best local band two years in a row by KREM 2's "Z Best of Spokane."
Fireworks will be launched across the lake from the amphitheater, said Moholt-Phillips. Approximately $16,000 was spent on fireworks for the show, the same as last year, she said.
The next in the series is the Grant County Food & Wine Festival July 22-23. The event features the music of headliners Suzy Bogguss and The Classics IV.
Bogguss, a Grammy and Country Music Award winner, has made a career blending traditional folk with contemporary country. Her latest release, "American Folk Songbook," will be released with a companion song book July 18 and features American folk music recorded in an "updated but reverent way."
The Classics IV started as a cover band but went on to pioneer the "soft southern rock" sound during the 1960s. They're known for such hits as, "Spooky," "Stormy," and "Traces."
The next event is the annual Five Suns Bluegrass Festival July 29-30.
Grammy award-winning Blue Highway headlines both days. The contemporary bluegrass group formed in 1994 and still boasts its original lineup.
The bluegrass festival starts at 5 p.m. on July 29. Blue Highway performs at 9 p.m.
A $5 barbecue is served from 4-8 p.m. on July 30. Music starts at 4 p.m. and Blue Highway performs again at 9 p.m.
On Aug. 13, contemporary a capella group The Coats take the stage at 8 p.m. The group started out singing on the streets of Seattle's Pike Place Market, and has since gained international acclaim, opening for such acts as Trisha Yearwood, The Beach Boys and Billy Dean.
The band ASIA, featuring John Payne, plays Aug. 27. The original supergroup formed in 1981 and featured members of King Crimson, Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Payne joined the lineup in 1992 and although original members left to revive the original supergroup, ASIA featuring John Payne continues to make new music.
Legendary singer and songwriter Leon Russell plays Sept. 3 at 8 p.m. Throughout Russell's 50-year career, he's worked as a session musician, arranger, producer, singer, songwriter, pianist, guitarist, record company owner, band leader, and touring musician. He has collaborated with hundreds of musicians, including Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Barbara Streisand and the Rolling Stones.
The concerts bring professional entertainers to Moses Lake, offering a variety of musical styles that appeal to all ages, said Moholt-Phillips.