PeopleSoft House Band Highlights This Year's "Concerts in the Park" Lineup

A warm summer night, a shady spot under a tree, and fantastic live music sounds like a perfect start to a weekend. The Pleasanton Downtown Association's popular Friday Concerts in the Park series starts June 4 this year and the eclectic line-up of bands promises to make this the best series yet. Bring a blanket and a cooler filled with food and drinks and you're on the way to a great night.

"The concerts have become a very popular event in our community," says the PDA's Frances Hewitt. "It's a wonderful venue to start the weekend. Families come down and have a picnic, really relax and enjoy each other's company and the band."

Hacienda's own Raving Daves start off the series. The band, which was founded in 1992 at PeopleSoft, will be making their fourth appearance. The band promises to showcase, as their web site says, "a bunch of geeks on stage layin' down the funk." They've even been recognized as Best Band at the 2002 Fortune Magazine "Battle of the Corporate Bands," which took place at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

A wide variety of musical styles will be represented this year, something for which Hewitt strives. "When I book the bands, I try to cater to all the different age groups in our community," she explains. "I try to mix it up so we don't have three weeks in a row of, say, blues or rock 'n' roll. We try to cater to a lot of different people with different tastes. It's really fun!"

Here is this year's schedule:

  • June 11 - Silicon Valley Houserockers - Rock 'n' roll with a five-piece horn section playing hits from the 60s and 70s.

  • June 18 - Georgi & the Roughweek - Blues

  • June 25 - Finding Stella - A variety of rock and pop sounds with energy

  • July 9 - CoolTones Band - Big band jazz and swing with a traditional sound

  • July 16 - Direct Access - Classic rock for dancing

  • July 23 - Blue House - Acoustic rock, folk, and blues

  • July 30 - Star Celebrations - Rhythm and blues, top 40

  • August 6 - Midnight Hour - Soul, rhythm and blues, and top 40

  • August 13 - Night Fever Band (formerly Off The Record) - Disco and R & B

  • August 20 - Magic Moments - Classic 50's rock 'n' roll

  • August 27 - Burton & Company - Blues

  • September 3 - Public Eye - Pop and dance

The concerts are held at Wayside Park (First & Neal streets downtown) and begin at 7:00 pm. Call the Pleasanton Downtown Association's events line at (925) 484-2199, ext. 3 for more information, or access the organization's web site at www.pleasantondowntown.net.

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