Ladies, gentlemen and children of all ages, don your dancing shoes! Liberty Station’s Arts District, San Diego’s exploding arts and culture destination, will host free Saturday evening outdoor concerts – July 1, July 15 and July 29 – on its Northern Promenade. Touting a full stage and an elaborate sound system, San Diego’s hometown finest will present a potpourri of crowd-pleasing music. Families can sizzle to the samba, rock with the roll, clap and stomp to country favorites, and swoon to rhythm and blues. The inaugural event is produced in partnership “as a collaboration of ideas” between the Liberty Station Arts District and Damian DeRobbio’s production company, Beer, Food & Music. Opening bands begin at 5 p.m. followed by the evening headliners at 6 p.m. “The Liberty Station Concert Series is a free, family-oriented, culturally diverse outdoor party,” said DeRobbio. “We’ve collected a diversity of bands that the entire community will enjoy.” Saturday, July 1: Sol Y Mar and The B-Side Players Opening band Sol Y Mar will offer a modern collection of Brazilian and Latin vibes – Carnival style – complete with Brazilian Samba dancers sporting lavish costumes flared with vibrant feathers. Musical treats include the samba, the Bossa Nova, the salsa, and the merengue sprinkled with rhythm and blues, hip-hop and funk. According to Mark Lamson, Sol Y Mar’s musical director, the band’s musical and costume emphasis on Carnival and Mardi Gras inspire a community spirit while encouraging audiences to participate in the simple art of dance. “We’re successful in getting a party started,” he said. “We parade through the audience and rouse the crowd to get everyone movin’ and shakin’!”
“Sol Y Mar’s sounds of Brazil bring Samba and Capoeira dances through a drumline,” added DeRobbio. “Kids don’t have to understand the music, but they’ll light up and dance once they hear drums jamming in unison. Sol Y Mar will set the tone to show what the Liberty Station Concert Series offers – music for everyone! Bring the kids, enjoy the music, dance, and have a great time!”
The evening’s hometown headliners, The B-Side Players, is a nine-piece band that melds Cuban, Jamaican, Mexican and Brazilian music with funk, jazz, rock and island rhythms. Infamous for igniting crowds into a dancing frenzy with the Cumbia, salsa, samba, and even some Bugaloo, The B-Side Players Latin-flavored soul music showcases “a breathing cultural art experience for the mind, body and soul.” “The B-Side Players have been San Diego favorites for over 20 years,” continued DeRobbio. “The United States meets Mexico by smashing Cumbia, reggae and funk music with a Latin edge. Amazing percussions gets the entire family dancing to some good vibes!” Saturday, July 15: Casey Hensley and The Highwayman Show Casey Hensley will kick start the evening with some rock ’n’ roll blues. The quoted, “young Janice Joplin,” is a seasoned entertainer who began performing at age 5. Today, at 25, she’s noted for her heartfelt renditions of classic blues, soul and gritty rock songs. “Casey Hensley will give you goose bumps, send chills up your spine and bring tears to your eyes,” said Evan Caleb Yearsley, the band’s drummer and musical director. “You can hear the passion in this old soul. Casey will take you on an incredible melodic journey.”  Tony Suraci’s tribute to the original Highwaymen will headline the evening. Showcasing the legends – Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings – Suraci is known for wowing audiences with his ability to perfectly emulate outlaw country’s favorite musical icons. Accompanied with a 10-piece band, The Highwayman Show will perform “Me and Bobby McGee,” “On the Road Again,” “Good Ole Boys,” and “Folsom Prison Blues,” among other fan favorites. Inspired by “the sounds of these songs,” Suraci taps into the emotion of the artist and their artistry. “Willie Nelson makes me feel his sadness,” he said. “Waylon Jennings makes me feel like a macho badass while Johnny Cash transports me along dusty roads with loud trains and quite cotton fields. And Kris Kristofferson levitates my consciousness and my imagination. People are often surprised at how much they enjoy this outlaw music.” Saturday, July 29:  Paul Cannon/Iron Sage Wood and Vaud and the Villains Paul Cannon, Abner Nevarez and Damian DeRobbio will underscore the evening’s festivities with their dynamic, melodic and soulful ensemble. One of San Diego’s popular musical trio’s, the band’s popularity stems from its ability to celebrate the love of music – and the art of consciousness – with its audiences. Cannon, a Native American wrote their popular, “Love Your Life” song that depicts the struggles of Native Americans living in a modern western society. Derived from Cannon’s upbringing on the San Pasqual Reservation, the song serves as a “great reminder that no matter what we face or where we come from, we should love this one life we are given.”
Like no other, Vaud and Villains, an orchestra and cabaret ensemble, highlights New Orleans jazz music circa 1930. Horns, tubas, banjos, violins, guitars, and drums, totaling between 18 and 22 pieces, weave burlesque dancers through the spirit and the story of the infamous big band. Vintage New Orleans jazz, rhythm and blues, as well as gospel music shine through “incredible arrangements” and “truly dynamic and theatrical performances.” Often described as raucous, Vaud and the Villains leave audiences, breathless, cheering and jeering for more! “Everyone’s thrilled to be a part of the Liberty Station Concert Series,” concluded DeRobbio. “Celebrate music in one of San Diego’s ideal venues!”