Sweet Sounds of Summer

While everyone else was at the Beyoncé* concert in Dallas last Saturday evening, I decided to class it up a bit with some jazz al fresco. Oooh, I feel classy just typing that. (Before you go getting any prurient notions, al fresco means “outdoors.”  Sick-o.)

For this adventure I hopped in the little green Jeep and headed east to Addison, just a few miles down the road.  Every Saturday from June through August, Addison hosts concerts at Beckert Park, right smack dab in the middle of no less than a gajillion apartment buildings with storefronts and artsy space on the first floors. 

It’s not the newest mixed-use development in north Texas, but this part of Addison has done well in retaining a certain young, family-friendly atmosphere. It’s even managed to eschew the cloying hipster vibe and instead feels only slightly townie. That said, I really like the area—especially when there’s free music involved.

Addison’s 2013 Summer Series bills songwriters’ sounds in June, jazz in July and salsa (with dance lessons!) in August. All concerts are from 8-10 p.m. so you’re not suffering in the midday heat. You can bring a picnic if you don’t want to dine at the nearby restaurants, and there are complementary parking garages peppered along Addison Circle.

Really, the ability to bring your own food and readily available free parking are like hitting the jackpot when it comes to events in north Texas. (Twenty-dollar Dixie cup margaritas and $30 valets, I’m looking at you…)

Shameless plug: last Saturday’s band was Corner Pocket, a lovely group of musicians who are either alumni or faculty members of the University of North Texas, so you know the music—and musicianship—were spot on.

Pointers:

Get there early. Like “grand opening of a Trader Joe’s” or “Harry Potter movie opening weekend” early. Beckert Park is really just green space inside a roundabout formed by Addison Circle, Lewis Place, Spectrum Drive and Mildred Place, so space is at a premium.

The sound system is quite professional, so if you can’t find a seat on the lawn, don’t fret. The music can just as easily be enjoyed from benches on the park’s periphery.

Support the musicians! Most will have CDs and merch for sale, so share the love and say thanks to the musicians who make it happen. (Honestly, kids, this is such a fun and inexpensive way to spend a Saturday, the least you could do is drop a little coin for the independent artists out there.)

And because I’m a goober, I forgot my phone AND my camera, so I have no pictures for you. Worst blogger ever. 

And I can’t go to next Saturday's concert because I’ll be Chicago. And I can’t go the next Saturday because I’ll be at the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference in Grapevine. And I probably can’t go the next Saturday because I may be in College Station to see my friend and her family (including her five-month-old who I haven’t met yet), celebrate a birthday, eat at Layne’s, grab a strawberry tart from Café Eccell, and stock up on Aggie gear for Christmas presents.

So I will have to hit you back with a report on the salsa music in August. Until then!

*My spell-check noted that “Beyonce” is incorrect…proving that the true mark of fame is that spell-check knows the correct spelling of your name right down to the accent.