Published in the June 11-27, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life

By Mark Fenichel

Mark Fenichel

Mark Fenichel

Summer is most certainly here with the kickoff of the first Friday Night Music Series show at the newly named Downtown Amphitheater June 13.

A newly added feature this year will be opening acoustic acts from 6 to 6:45 p.m., with the main act taking the stage from 7 to 9 p.m. The series begins with The Jesse Charles Band and the acoustic opener is provided by a local new comer Steve Barbour.

On June 20 acoustic blues singer-songwriter Janet Thompson opens for the band Rodeo House. The theme of the series all summer long is high-energy dance bands.

The Thursday night downtown Street Dance opened with its first show last week featuring The Kelly McDonald Band in all of its country glory. With the overlap of the downtown Thursday Farmer’s Market, and all the food spots (Rosy’s at the Beach, Huntington Station, The Trail Dust, The Good Fork, The Hill Bar & Grill, Betto’s Bistro, Ladera and Sinaloa’s ), the area around Third Street and Monterey Road is a summer hot spot in downtown Morgan Hill.

The local area wineries are starting up again with many featuring live music from acoustic acts to full bands.

With Memorial Day weekend recently, Clos LaChance on Watsonville Road opened its Time for Wine Music Series, with acoustic concerts taking place every Thursday night starting at 6 p.m. The season goes to Labor Day (excluding July 3). Guests get to enjoy incredible vineyard views and a variety of complimentary live music acts.

The Freedom Fest is going all out this year with a whole day of live music followed by an $18,000 pyrotechnic show at the soccer fields at the Outdoor Sports Center on Condit Road on the 4th of July. To view a complete Freedom Fest schedule, see the box on the facing page.

More details on that event, including a full music line up and where the music can be found at some of the local wineries, will be in my next edition of Music in the Air.

If you have a music tip, feel free to let me know and I will try to include it in the next issue.