It’s a warm late July evening when the lowering sun’s rays prick the eye, finding space between oak branches to stretch their orange rays before settling into dusk. On stage, under the arches of a gazebo with a thickly wooded backdrop of lush trees and foliage growing in the banks of a stream in the heart of Calistoga, a man with slicked back black hair sings, “Don’t take your guns to town, son, leave your guns at home,” while gently strumming his guitar.
Only a few minutes before, he was singing, “I keep a close eye on the ties that bind, because you’re mine, I walk the line.” It was a pretty good Johnny Cash impression; he had the voice right, but the white shirt under his black suit was a disappointment. Having been a Johnny Cash fan as long as I can remember and memorizing the lyrics of the Man in Black song, I knew better. Johnny Cash was always the Man in Black (especially late in his career), and I had a sense he would want to be remembered that way today.
But it’s a step back in time for me to a happy childhood memory, asking my dad what story he was telling in his song on the radio, my dad explaining the lyrics to me in a way that made sense to my impressionable mind on a long drive home. Johnny Cash, in my mind, has always been a man who was never for “The Man” and seemed to have found peace with God while always speaking his truth in his music. Yeah, I’m a fan.
So when I happened to be in town and heard that a Johnny Cash tribute band was coming to Calistoga’s Free Concert in the Park, I knew I had to be there. Happily, the venue is much like I’ve already experienced, having attended many of Lakeport’s Free Summer Concerts in the Park series in Library Park on the idyllic shores of Clear Lake.
Come by boat, come by foot, come by car; the venue is similar to Calistoga. Chairs, blankets, and foot traffic encircle the gazebo turned concert stage, leaving just enough room for a make-do dance floor directly in front of the gazebo every Friday evening in summer.
It’s not only a great way to meet with friends and family over a picnic dinner in between visits to the dance floor, but it’s also a terrific way to support our locally owned restaurants, whether tapping to the tunes on the patio of Park Place or On The Waterfront Restaurant while sipping on a glass of local wine. Truth be told, there is no wrong way to experience Lakeport’s Summer Concerts in the Park.
And if it’s the third Thursday of the month through September, let’s not forget the iconic Kickin’ It In The Country street dance on Main Street, Kelseyville. There’s nothing quite like an ordinary street turned concert venue where chairs gather in what was only a few hours ago parking spaces. Or moving to the music on the yellow-painted asphalt where happy feet beat to the rhythm under the dark night skies when stars shine all the brighter, perhaps joining in the revelry as only they can do.
But tonight happens to be different Thursday, and here I am singing the tunes I know so well with other happy faces, reminding me it doesn’t matter the town, a concert in the park is the same everywhere. It’s a warm kind of feeling when I start singing to “A Boy Named Sue.”
Summer’s not over yet! If you haven’t gotten your fill of outdoor concerts, Lakeport Summer Concert in the Park is still going strong every Friday night through August 22nd, starting at 6:30 pm, and Kelseyville’s kickin’ It In The Country street dance is on August 21st, beginning at 7 pm.
And if that’s just not enough concerts for you, you’re in luck! Calistoga has just one more concert in the Park on August 14, starting at 6:30 pm. But a note to the wise. These concerts are well attended, and the venue is much smaller than Library Park. Get there early, as some people set up chairs the day before. Long live summer outdoor concerts!
