Long Beach Parks Alive With Sounds of Music

Almost every Friday afternoon for the past five summers, Bill Comer has followed the same routine. He drives to El Dorado Park from Seal Beach, sets up lawn chairs and a card table in the shade, walks over to the nearby house of his friend, Vivian Kiley, and escorts her back to the park.

As a crowd of up to 5,000 people slowly fills the park, the 60-ish couple eat a light dinner under the trees, sip white wine and practice bridge. Then, around 6:30 p.m., they sit back for an evening serenade as the Long Beach Municipal Band takes the stage. Comer likes big band oldies. Kiley prefers Broadway musical themes. But both inevitably enjoy what they hear.

“These concerts haven’t disappointed us yet,” Comer said last Friday, tipping his glass toward Kiley. “It’s good music, good company and good food.”

“I make him a good meal on Friday, and Saturday he takes me out,” Kiley said with a smile. “It’s a nice routine.”

Comer and Kiley are part of a diverse crowd that has made a tradition of attending Long Beach’s extensive array of free concerts in the park. Thanks to a commitment of city funds, live music is performed almost every summer evening through late August at one of eight parks. The entertainment covers the spectrum of tastes--classical, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, swing, reggae and salsa. It is played by local groups, the city’s own Municipal Band or occasional celebrity musicians.

Long Beach keeps its residents swaying to the music so well that the city’s Parks and Recreation Department won an award last year from the National Park and Recreation Assn. The association honored the city for having the best park concert program in eight Southwestern states.

The summer series has proved so popular that the parks department has installed a concert hot line number that provides information on dates, times, places and performances. The number is (213) 421-9431, ext. 4100.

“We have so much interest in music because we have so many different cultures and ethnic groups in Long Beach,” said Karen Melkonian, the parks department’s community information coordinator who helps schedule the concerts.

This summer, the parks department, along with the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency, sponsored five musical series. A Music Under the Stars program has been performed once a week; singer Glenn Yarbrough was a featured guest earlier this month, and the Del Rubio Triplets are scheduled to appear this Sunday. The Twilight Stars Concerts already have featured Curtis Mayfield; Freddy Fender is to perform this Saturday and Sunday.

To provide some cultural diversity, the city held a Jazz Concert Series, as well as City Life concerts that offered salsa and reggae played by local musicians.

The fifth series--featuring the Long Beach Municipal Band--is the mainstay of the summer concert program. Now in its 81st season, the city-funded band of 40 musicians has been playing five days a week at different parks this summer, drawing a total weekly audience of about 15,000 people.

Each Municipal Band concert costs the city about $5,000, which pays for stage set-up, security and musician salaries.

The free concerts with celebrity performers and extra security can cost up to $40,000, said Carol Patton, parks superintendent of special events. Patton helps sell T-shirts and water bottles at the events to partly offset the costs.

All told, Long Beach budgeted $501,000 this year to provide free music for its residents. The Municipal Band budget alone is $200,000.

“The city is committed to providing top quality music, and we change our show every week, so that’s what keeps audiences coming back,” said Marvin Branson, director of the Municipal Band. Branson added that he expects to raise $25,000 in donations this year, which will be turned over to the city.

City officials report no complaints about the costs of the concerts. “The people keep giving us good feedback, so we keep giving them more of what they want,” said Patton. She said she expects the city to provide the same five music series--and perhaps more--next summer.

“Whatever the city spends on this is money well spent,” Long Beach resident Gayle Goodman said last Friday as she attended a Municipal Band concert at El Dorado Park. Joining her were her mother, who used to bring Goodman to park concerts when she was a child, and her son, who brought his fiancee from Santa Ana. They had fixed an elaborate spread of cabbage salad, quesadillas, meat loaf and fruit.

Also in the crowd were aerospace engineer Rhonda Boggess, 33, and her husband, tax consultant Lynn Boggess, 39, who relaxed under a pine tree after a hectic work week. With them were their Afghan hound, Lady Ashley, and their Samoyed pup, Chatto.

“We saw a sign in the park about the concert so we walked over; this is our first time here,” Rhonda Boggess said. “It’s such a pleasant way to get acquainted with our family again,” she added, patting the fluffy, blonde Lady Ashley.

Nearby, as the band performed its version of “Chattanooga Choo-Choo,” Betty Reidel tapped her hand on her wheelchair. Her husband, Ted, also in a wheelchair, said the concerts are one of the few times during the week they get outside. They are both stroke victims.

“Look around, look at all the variety of people and how everyone is enjoying this,” said Mike Houlihan, who had come to the concert with the Reidels and his wife, Betta, who also was crippled by a stroke. “These concerts are therapeutic.”

For Pam and Keith Larsen, it is also a tradition. “We’ve been coming out here with a group of high school friends for as long as we can remember,” said Pam Larsen as the band started the theme to “Phantom of the Opera.” Meanwhile, a masked miniature “Batman” ran through their picnic, followed by a stream of other children.

“That’s my son, Eric. He’s 3,” Larsen said. “Gosh, we’ve been coming here before any of us even thought of having kids!”

As the band kicked into a rousing rendition of “Rock Around the Clock,” high school music teacher John Heideman boogied around a picnic blanket with his 3-year-old daughter, Michele.

“We love it, the whole family,” said Heideman. Along with Michele, he was at the concert with his other daughter, his wife, mother-in-law and aunt.

“You’ve got to admit, it’s cheaper than taking them all out to dinner and a movie. It’s the best deal in town.”

This summer’s program of city-sponsored park concerts in Long Beach has slightly more than a week to run. All concerts listed below are free.

* Today: Municipal Band, 6:30 p.m., 72nd Place Park, 72nd Place at Ocean Boulevard.

* Friday: Municipal Band, 6:30 p.m., El Dorado Park, 2800 E. Studebaker Road.

* Saturday: Freddy Fender, 6:30 p.m., in the Amphitheatre, 1st Street and The Promenade.

* Sunday: Del Rubio Triplets, 6:30 p.m., Houghton Park, 6301 Myrtle Ave.

* Sunday: Freddy Fender, 6:30 p.m., Silverado Park, 1545 W. 31st St.

* Monday: Municipal Band, 6:30 p.m., Marine Stadium Park, 5255 Appian Way.

* Tuesday: Municipal Band, 6:30 p.m., Wardlow Park, 3457 Stanbridge Ave.

* Wednesday: Municipal Band, 6:30 p.m., Los Cerritos Park, 3750 Del Mar Ave.

* Aug. 23: Municipal Band, 6:30 p.m., 72nd Place Park, 72nd Place at Ocean Boulevard.

* Aug. 24: Municipal Band, 6:30 p.m., El Dorado Park, 2800 Studebaker Road.

* Aug. 26: Victorian music concert, noon to 4 p.m., Virginia Country Club Park, 4600 Virginia Road.