The Long Beach Municipal Band is slated to return with two weeks of free summer shows in August, according to a city memo released yesterday.
This will be the first time the historic band has performed since the COVID-19 pandemic halted the outdoor concert series.
This will also be the first season the band will play under the direction of Kurt Curtis, the son of the band’s esteemed conductor Larry Curtis, who led the band for 27 years before his death in 2020.
The city memo noted that Curtis and the Parks, Recreation and Marine staff are working on hiring part-time professional musicians for the concerts, which will include eight shows over a two-week course in various locations. Concert times will be announced in the coming weeks.
Curtis has promised the comeback to include “fan favorite” songs with the themes “Stike up the Band” in the first week and “A Celebration through Music” in the second.
The schedule is as follows:
Week 1: “Strike up the Band”
- Tuesday, Aug. 17 – Whaley Park (5620 E. Atherton St)
- Wednesday, Aug. 18 – Los Cerritos Park (3750 Del Mar Ave)
- Thursday, Aug. 19 – Marine Stadium Park (5255 E Paoli Way)
- Friday, Aug. 20 – El Dorado Park West (2800 N Studebaker Rd)
Week 2: “A Celebration through Music”
- Tuesday, August 24 – Bixby Bluff Park (130 Cherry Ave)
- Wednesday, August 25 – Los Cerritos Park (3750 Del Mar Ave)
- Thursday, August 26 – Marine Stadium Park (5255 E Paoli Way)
- Friday, August 27 – El Dorado Park West (2800 N Studebaker Rd)
The Long Beach Municipal Band has been performing in Long Beach for over 100 years and is considered to be the oldest-running municipal band west of the Mississippi.