A Noisy Fourth

Music has become as big a part of most July Fourth celebrations as fireworks, only not as loud. At least most of the time.

Here, in no particular order, are five places to hear some music on Friday.

1) The Hodads at the Santa Clarita Stars and Stripes Festival, noon-4 p.m. at Newhall Park, 24933 Newhall Ave. (805) 298-ARTS. Free.

A neologist might tell you that, in surfer lingo, hodads are people who associate with surfers but do not surf themselves. But could a neologist tell you what to call people who associate with neologists but do not neologize themselves?

Regardless of all that, it’s pretty easy to guess what type of music the band the Hodads played when they first got together eight years ago.

“We started out as a surf band and then we branched out,” said chief Hodad Bob Schuster.

Fear not, these guys still have sand in their shoes. From their humble surf-music origins, the Hodads now bill themselves as simply “the best damn party band in the universe.”

“It’s a pretty amazing blend,” Schuster said proudly, during a break at the best damn party band’s rehearsal. “The best of rock, soul, Motown, disco--all the great party icons.”

Festival promoters say the Hodads will be performing an even wider array of styles--big band tunes by Tony Bennett, LouisArmstrong, Nat King Cole, Louis Prima and others; disco hits--the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” and Van McCoy’s “The Hustle”; and of course, surf rock classics.

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2) The Mop Tops perform Beatles classics at 5:30 and 6:45 p.m. Friday at CityWalk, Universal City. (818) 622-4455. No admission, but parking is $6.

It’s an irony not lost on the people at CityWalk: The Mop Tops--a tribute band to perhaps the greatest British rock band in history--on the Fourth of July, the day America’s Founding Fathers told British King George what he could do with the crown sitting on his own mop top.

The Mop Tops pride themselves on looking as well as sounding like the genuine article. Rather than emulating the Broadway show “Beatlemania,” this foursome attempts to re-create the experience of a Beatles concert with authentic clothing, haircuts and musical instruments. After their performance, the band will be available for autographs in CityWalk’s cinema plaza--but whose autographs will they be signing?

Besides the Mop Tops, KGIL-AM, the all-Beatles radio station, will be broadcasting live from CityWalk from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, and a Beatles trivia contest will be held.

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3) “Red, White and Boom,” starring the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra with vocal groups the Lucky Stars and Beachfront Property, plus fireworks at Burbank’s Starlight Bowl, 1249 Lockheed View Drive. Gates open at 6 p.m. Admission is $5-$20. (818) 238-5300.

Bill Elliott has a varied musical pedigree: He has played with Bonnie Raitt, Donna Summer, Bette Midler and Stevie Nicks, to name a few. And he’s written and arranged music for films and television, including Disney’s “The Return of Jafar,” “Dick Tracy” and “Northern Exposure.” But it’s swing music that really lights his fuse.

Elliott and his ensemble perform his own original swing music in the styles of Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey and other masters. In addition, they do their own version of less frequently heard tunes by other bands, including Duke Ellington’s and Benny Goodman’s.

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4) Jennifer York Quartet and Carne Country at the annual Tri-City Chambers’ Independence Day Celebration, CSUN North Campus, at Zelzah Avenue and Devonshire Street. Gates open at noon. $5-$8; Parking after 4 p.m., $3. (818) 349-5680.

Jennifer York, the airborne traffic reporter on KTLA-TV’s top-rated morning show, will bring her all-female jazz quartet to Northridge. Anchored by York’s funk-driven bass grooves, the band’s repertoire includes Latin, swing and straight-ahead jazz numbers--some originals, some covers.

The country music band Carne Country and others will also perform.

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5) Captain Cardiac and the Coronaries, Pacific, Wild Roses, plus fireworks at Saugus Speedway, 25500 Soledad Canyon Road. Gates open at 5 p.m., the show runs from 5:30 p.m. to midnight. $5 adults; $3 children 6-12, seniors 55 and older; children under 6 free; $2 parking. (805) 259-4787.

Captain Cardiac and the Coronaries perform rock hits of the 1950s and ‘60s. The band is celebrating its 25th anniversary--it all started at Monroe High School in North Hills in 1972.

Paula Rae Blake and Lori Lewis comprise the country music vocal duo Wild Roses. They will perform some originals as well as hits by George Strait, Wynonna, Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Patsy Cline and others.

And finally, Pacific is a musical tribute to the quintessential California band, the Beach Boys. Be ready to do the surfer stomp. And don’t be a hodad!