In our turbulent political climate, it seems everything lives in conflict — even holidays. But Memorial Day should be different, as it honors those who have given so much. For those of us who come from military families, it is a poignant moment of pride (sending love to my cousin Matt!), great big hugs, and recognition of what we have lost. Music, even differently themed, seems a very good way to celebrate all of that.
This long weekend tends also to mark the start of summer in SoCal, as spring weather is waning and swimming pools increasingly become the center of a lot of activity in the long months of hot weather ahead of us. It is an annual changing of the guard, and makes palpable the seasonal shift that happens in our minds as well as our environment. For this reason, the organizations and artists who choose to present musical events over this weekend, knowing that their audiences might be otherwise engaged and generally distracted, deserve a little special attention. There are quite a few intriguing things to hear this week, and for this reason, we’re listing them all equally, all “featured”, if in an abbreviated way. Be sure to click the buttons to learn more about each event. I hope you’ll venture out and support at least one.
Wishing you all a meaningful weekend.
Originally published in Next7 — Vocal events thru 6/2/22