Summer Concerts in the Park

Bring the family!  There’s plenty of grass and natural berms to spread out those picnic blankets and enjoy some wonderful music on a warm summer night.  Families can come relax, let the kids play on the playground and enjoy the entertainment at these summer events.

We are excited to announce that we have invited the Orca Eats food truck to serve concert-goers this summer at the 2016 Concerts in the Park!  Delicious entrees, sides, desserts and beverages - seasonal and local when possible from salmon to veggies to sausage, handcrafted fresh desserts and drinks. They are proud to be a no-plastics food truck, using only paper containers and wood utensils, no straws or lids, which are all truly compostable and recyclable! Join the orca pod with a meal or a snack while you enjoy the concerts at Ober Park.

Concerts in the Park are presented by the Vashon Park District and curated by Vashon Events.   If you’ve never experienced the warmth of community at the cool nights of summer concerts in the park, you’re in for a special treat.
Please remember that there are no dogs allowed at Ober Park. Alcohol and smoking are also not permitted.

Thursday, August 11th, 7-9pm:  Ian Moore. Texas native Ian Moore first made a name for himself in Austin’s vibrant roots-rock scene in the early 90s, gaining national attention for his self-titled debut on Capricorn Records.  Moore’s music is passionate and full of yearning; it aches for answers but only finds more questions and, occasionally, some temporary salvation. His songs, like those of similar artists such as Grant Lee Phillips and Wilco, manage to be at once classic and modern. It’s not the kind of music, however, that lends itself to easy categorization.  While life on the road takes its toll (even when it helps shape great albums), it also makes for great live shows. As a performer, Moore consistently manages to reduce packed houses to stunned silence through the sheer power of his voice, his songwriting and the unadulterated emotions he conveys. He’s an artist who’s built a reputation through his live shows, one convert at a time.  Back to the Ober Park Concert series by popular demand!
Thursday, August 18th, 7-9pm:  The Ganges River Band. You can take the man out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out of the man. So it goes for Aaron Dugas, who fronts The Ganges River Band and whose vocals sound as though they were lifted straight off a dusty road somewhere in the Lone Star state. “When I moved here from Houston,” Dugas remembers, “I was going to start the only honky-tonk band in Seattle.” Funny thing about the country scene in Seattle—there is one. After securing a day job with Motivated Movers, Dugas learned he wasn’t the only Americana game in town, but his gravelly tone—similar to the dry croon of Son Volt’s Jay Farrar—shines nonetheless on his self-titled full-length LP. With his band, a rotating cast that includes high-school buddy and bass player Steven Burnett and pedal steel player “Country” Dave Harmonson, songs like “Winter All the Time” and “I Am Your Man” have just the right amount of twang. And they’re bringing Seattle music fans to their feet. “Every show we’ve played, everyone was dancing,” says Dugas. “Even friends we knew didn’t know how were doing it.”

Thursday, August 25th, 7-9pm:  Rabbit Wilde. Though all four members of Rabbit Wilde grew up running around wooded areas of the same small town in the farthest Northwest corner of Washington state, brothers Zach and Nathan didn’t meet Miranda, the third founding member, until they had all ended up in New York City. This kind of backyard folk seasoned by the edge, polish and fervor of big-city inclinations is at the root of their high-energy sound and stage presence. The group revamps classic string band instrumentation with homespun percussion and the unique integration of six-string ukulele and Jillian Walker on cello. With their widely varying influences, three distinct vocal styles and copious amounts of foot-stomping, they demonstrate a sound and presence that’s at once original and familiar, appealing to audiences of all generations and genres.

Thursday, September 1st, 7-9pm:  The Portage Fill Band. For over 40 years, the Portage Fill Big Band has been an integral part of the musical life of Vashon Island. A perennial Strawberry Festival favorite. The Portage Fill Big Band continues to entertain with exciting and danceable music from the Big Band era and beyond. Made up of almost two dozen current or former island residents, Portage Fill is a classic “Big Band” with full horn and sax sections, backed up by a complete rhythm section, and features 2 vocalists for the crowd’s listening and dancing pleasure.  Portage Fill is well known for their selection of Big Band swing tunes from the 30’s and 40’s, but is versatile enough to work in some blues, Latin, or even rock and roll numbers to put on a show for all ages and musical tastes.