Music in the Park a July jam

Tunes will be cranked up for this season’s Music in the Park starting Friday beside Lake Tye.

The free Monroe concerts begin at 7 p.m. each Friday in July, with a new band featured every week.

The festivities are part of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce’s plan to put on weekly activities for the community all summer, said executive director Yvonne Gallardo-Van Ornam.

“The series of four concerts will feature an array of musical acts,” according to a chamber news release.

All bands selected for this year’s Music in the Park are first-timers, Gallardo-Van Ornam said.

Seattle-based Pat McHenry and the Chinook Hooks play this Friday. McHenry’s music has been featured in TV shows, national ad campaigns and independent movies, and he has performed around the country, according to McHenry’s website. His latest work is self-produced. 

“It is a healthy dose of Honky Tonk and All American Rock, relatable story telling, catchy melodies, and winsome composition,” according to his site.

Motocross Spaceman will take the stage July 13. The Everett-based group covers and plays classic Rrock from the 1960s through the ‘90s, according to the band’s site.

“We produce a very versatile and dynamic sound that is sure to get you dancing, or just listening.”

Seattle-based Stacy Jones Band will follow on July 20. Jones’ 2017 album release made it to the first round of Grammy voting in the Best Contemporary Blues Album and Best Americana Song category, according to her website.

“SJB continues to blow fans away with their high-energy, genre-bending performances,” according to Stacy Jones Band’s website. “Amazing vocals, incredible musicianship, outstanding songwriting and powerful, dynamic arrangements — it’s easy to understand why Stacy and her band are captivating the crowds and gathering new fans at each event they perform.”

Arlington’s Harvey Creek Band will round out this year’s lineup on July 27. They play country and blues, and list bands like Zac Brown and Little Big Town as inspirations.

Gallardo-Van Ornam said local brews will be on tap each night at the beer garden, as well as margaritas. Twin Rivers Brewing Co. and Dreadnought Brewing in Monroe, Sultan’s Timber Monster Brewing Company and Woodinville’s 20 Corners Brewing will be featured in that order during Music in the Park, according to the chamber.

Food trucks will also be on site: Seattle’s Famous Ezell’s Chicken Express, Arlington’s Jimmy Peppers, Edmond’s Yummy Box and Snohomish’s Cathouse Pizza mobile eateries are scheduled to serve each performance, respectively.

“We are so excited that we could again organize and help host these great musical events and keep this tradition going another great year,” according to the chamber news release.

All events are subject to change, according to the release. If there is poor weather, or if anyone needs more information, they can call the chamber at 360-794-5488.

The chamber’s 2018 summer programming began with Monroe-based Last Leaf productions’ two Shakespeare in the Park performances at Lake Tye in June. King Lear was acted out for audiences at the park on Fryelands Boulevard this year.

The chamber’s summer events bring in some old and some newer partnerships. The Monroe Parks and Recreation staff helps pull off the productions. Last Leaf has been hosting the live theater shows in Monroe for the past two decades, according to the chamber.