Pleading the Fourth

Thousands of people filed into the Starlight Bowl on Sunday night to hear some live music, watch some fireworks and relax with family and friends.

The event was called a “Salute to the Soul of America” and marked the beginning of the Starlight Bowl’s 2010 Summer Concert Season.

Armed with coolers filled with food and drinks, they trekked up the hills to the venue. Tickets ranged from $11 to $22, depending on how close one wanted to get to the stage.

Ron Black came to the concert as a spectator, but said he would love to come out as a performer next year and do some country singing.

The Burbank Philharmonic and Stone Soul, a band that covers classic soul and Motown songs from James Brown, the Temptations and the Four Tops, both came out to keep people grooving throughout the night.

Jim Faryman has come to the Starlight Bowl for the Fourth of July for years, bringing along as much of his family as he can. Eight of his clan accompanied him this year.

“It has become a family tradition,” Faryman said. “It’s a great show; we love the music and all of the bands. It brings in a lot of people from out of town.”

The event also serves as an opportunity to socialize, catch up with old friends or make new ones, said Jim’s wife, Pat Faryman.

She described it as “a small-town event with a big-city feel.”

“The Fourth of July has always meant so much to me,” Pat said. “For me, it’s always been a day to be with family, and we get to keep doing that here.”

There were also recruiting officers from the Air Force on hand.

“We are here to support the community and promote awareness about the Air Force,” Air Force recruiter Sgt. Benjamin Sambolanay said. “Not too many people realize what the Air Force has to offer as far as education, skill development and travel.”

He has spent years on duty living in Japan and Turkey, and it has only made him appreciate home even more, he said.

“I’ve been to a lot of different countries that don’t have the same rights or freedoms that we have, so today means a lot to me,” Sambolanay said. “Today is about being proud to be an American and celebrating the freedoms our servicemen and women provide for us.”