The City of West Hollywood returns outdoors for its 2022 Summer Sounds Free Outdoor Concert Series, which will take place on select Sunday evenings at 5 p.m. between Sunday, June 19, 2022 and Sunday, August 21, 2022 at Plummer Park, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard, in West Hollywood.
The Concert Series will kick off on Sunday, June 19, 2022 at 5 p.m. with Cliff Beach. Cliff Beach has been performing live for more than 20 years in Southern California. The Berklee-trained singer/songwriter/keyboardist and DC native has created a style of music he’s coined “Nu-funk,” a hybrid of soul, traditional R&B, funk, and neo-soul. He has won and/or been nominated for several awards including an Independent Music Award, a Global Music Award, a World Songwriting Award, and the John Lennon Songwriting contest. His single has more than 700,000 streams on Spotify and is in the house band on ‘Josh Gates Tonight’ on Discovery. He is also the host of the Deeper Grooves Podcast and Deeper Grooves Radio show on The Independent 88.5 FM.
The next concert in the series will feature the all-female salsa band, Las Chikas on Sunday, July 3, 2022 at 5 p.m. Las Chikas is comprised of some of the most talented female musicians in Los Angeles. Salsa never looked so good in Southern California; a melting pot of cultures and ethnicity come together to give birth to a multicultural female band that sets the stage on fire! Las Chikas has performed in several Southern California cities and special events, including the San Jose Jazz Festival, for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Anaheim Angels, the Los Angeles Latin Jazz Music Festival, and Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
ARKAI will perform on Sunday, July 17, 2022 at 5 p.m. ARKAI’s genre-bending music fuses classical virtuosity with contemporary technology, forging new possibilities for what a violin and cello can be. Winners of the 2021 Astral Artists National Auditions, their past engagements have included performances at The MET Breuer, Rockwood Music Hall, Juilliard School, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the 92nd Street Y. Letters from COVID, their electronic debut composition, was featured at TED@PMI for a global audience of more than 30,000 people from 182 countries. ARKAI is currently creating its debut album, Aurora, in collaboration with seven-time Grammy-nominated producer Joel Hamilton.
Ella Luna performs on Sunday, August 7, 2022 at 5 p.m. Ella Luna is a singer/songwriter from Denver, Colorado, combining intimate vocals, raw instruments, and intricate lyrical work. Denver Thread says, “Ella Luna pairs jazz and dream pop with a sincere & smooth indie lyrical and musical style that recalls up and coming artists like Lucy Dacus or Lindsey Jordan on first blush. But then seasons that mix with vocals that lilt with tired tears just underneath her tongue at times, and with the vigorous power of an Amy Winehouse or a Norah Jones at others, but she always sounds real, and herself.”
The City of West Hollywood’s Summer Sounds Concert Series finale on Sunday, August 21, 2022 at 5 p.m. will feature M&M The Afro-Persian Experience (Mehdi Bagheri & Marcus L. Miller). The Afro-Persian Experience is a duo featuring Persian kamancheh master Mehdi Bagheri and artist/percussionist Marcus L. Miller. Based in Southern California, the group was formed in 2016. The music consists of all original compositions created by Bagheri & Miller. It is deeply rooted in the traditions of ancient Persia and Africa. Their unique sound results from the natural contrast of their individual musical styles as well as the expression of their passion for the music. This concert is presented in partnership with Grand Performances supported by an arts grant from the City of West Hollywood.
The City of West Hollywood’s 2022 Summer Sounds Free Outdoor Concert Series is organized by the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division. Summer Sounds concerts are free to attend; RSVPs are not required but are requested. Seating will not be available. Attendees are encouraged to bring picnics, picnic blankets, and low chairs. Masks and social distancing recommended. For additional information about the performers and to view the series, please visit www.weho.org/summersounds
For more information about WeHo Sounds please contact Joy Tribble, the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Technician, at (323) 848-6360 or at jtribble@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
