By Chip Chandler — Digital Content Producer
Despite this week's unseasonably cool weather, summer really is around the corner, and with it comes a slew of great outdoor concert series.
This year's Sounds of the Summer series features weeks' worth of concerts by some favorite bands in several great locations — Amarillo College, Sam Houston Park, downtown Amarillo, Amarillo Botanical Gardens and the downtown square in Canyon.
The Starlight Theater series, sponsored by the Amarillo Parks and Recreation department, kicks things off May 31. Concerts take place at 7 p.m. Tuesdays weekly through Aug. 16 in Sam Houston Park at Western Street and Line Avenue. Bring blankets or lawn furniture along with a picnic dinner; admission is free. Here's the schedule (with links to web pages, where available):
- May 31: Mason Jar & The Shine Brothers, a country and rock band
- June 7: Windy City, a classic rock band
- June 14: Black Slacks Combo, an oldies band
- June 21: The Prairie Dogs, an Americana band
- June 28: Mike Fuller & The Repeat Offenders, a country and folk band, for a Celebrate America concert
- July 5: The Buster Bledsoe Band, a Texas country act
- July 12: Blue Denim II and Friends, a Western swing act
- July 19: The Martinis, a jazz combo
- July 26: Just 2 Guys, a country/rock band
- Aug. 2: The Dustjackets, an Americana band
- Aug. 9: Smokey City Rhythm Revue, a jazz/classic rock/blues band
- Aug. 16: Insufficient Funds, a classic and contemporary rock band, for a Back to School Bash
Launching next is Center City of Amarillo's High Noon on the Square, which adds two weeks to its season. Concerts — held on the lawn at the Potter County Courthouse, Sixth Avenue and Tyler Street — begin at noon Wednesdays from June 1 to Aug. 10, with lunch service at 11:45 a.m. Lunches are $8 or $88 for a season-long punch card, which lets you bypass a line; cards are $75 through May 31. The music is free, and you'll want to bring a blanket or lawn chair to find seating in the shade. Here's the schedule (with links to web pages, where available):
- June 1: Folk singer Andy Chase, with hamburgers from Youngblood's Cafe
- June 8: The cast of Texas, with barbecue from Desperado's Catering
- June 15: Jazz combo Patrick Swindell & Pizzazz, with box lunches from Schlotzsky's
- June 22: The cast of the Summer Youth Musical production of The Music Man, with tortas from La Fiesta Grande
- June 29: Americana band Shandy Bandits, with sausage wraps from American Quarter Horse Association cooking team
- July 6: Amarillo Symphony, with burritos from Burrito Stop
- July 13: Jazz/classic rock band Smokey City Rhythm Revue, with sandwiches from Chick-Fil-A
- July 20: Lone Star Ballet dancers, with gourmet sandwiches and wrpas from Pan-Handlers
- July 27: Party rock band Velvet Funk, with wraps from Midtown Wood-Fired Kitchen
- Aug. 3: Pop singer Katie Eddins, with chicken-fried steak sandwiches from Youngblood's Cafe
- Aug. 10: Classic/contemporary rock band Insufficient Funds, with fajitas from Joe Taco
Up next is Music in the Gardens at Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive. Gates open at 6 p.m. for the Thursday concerts; music begins at 7 p.m. in the outdoor Attebury Amphitheater. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for garden members. Bring a lawn chair or blankets, along with food and beverages. Here's the schedule (with links to web pages, where available):
- June 2: Americana band Sadie's Rangers
- June 9: Folk singer Tennessee Tuckness
- June 16: Folk singer-songwriter Susan Gibson
- June 23: Classic/contemporary rock band Insufficient Funds
- July 7: Classic rock singer Jackie Haney
- July 14: Country singer Lindsey Blackwell
- July 21: Folk singer Andy Chase
- July 28: Folk singer Yvonne Perea
- Aug. 4: Jazz/classic rock band Smokey City Rhythm Revue
- Aug. 11: Country/folk band Mike Fuller & The Repeat Offenders
- Aug. 18: Jazz combo The Martinis
- Aug. 25: Jazz combo Patrick Swindell & Pizzazz
Amarillo College's June Jazz series kicks off next, with weekly concerts throughout the month on the mall in front of the Amarillo College Experimental Theatre on the Washington Street campus. Bring a lawn chair or blankets, along with food and beverages. Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. and are free. Here's the schedule (with links to web pages, where available):
- June 7: Jim Laughlin with Austin Brazille
- June 14: The Martinis
- June 21: Polk Street Jazz
- June 28: Patrick Swindell & Pizzazz
And finally, the Canyon Main Street will host June Jams, a concert series on the downtown square in Canyon, on the southeast lawn of the Randall County Courthouse at Fifth Avenue and 16th Street. Bring a lawn chair or blankets, along with food and beverages. Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. and are free. Here's the schedule (with links to web pages, where available):
- June 9: Country band Next to Kin
- June 16: Country singer Lindsey Blackwell
- June 23: Americana band Strangetowne
- June 30: Folk singer Andy Chase
Chip Chandler is a digital content producer for Panhandle PBS. He can be contacted at Chip.Chandler@actx.edu, at @chipchandler1 on Twitter and at www.facebook.com/chipchandlerwriter on Facebook.