Image courtesy of the Downtown Long Beach Alliance.
The summer-long free concert series, the Downtown Long Beach Alliance’s (DLBA) Summer and Music (SAM) festival is back. It will kick off with the skate event FKA 720, which is free and open to all ages, and will take place on Saturday, June 24 and begin at 5:00PM at the former City Place at Waite Court between 3rd and 4th Streets.
SoCal native, singer-songwriter and former skateboarder once on the verge of going pro, Matt Costa will headline the event. Earlier in the evening, Los Angeles-based Pinky Pinky, a 3-piece Proto-Prog inspired rock band will perform before Rudy de Anda, DJ Bardo (of Chicano Batman) and DJ Tuandigglz take the stage.
“This venue change will bring new energy to the event as both this popular concert and the former City Place are ‘formerly known as,” stated the release. “Skateboard culture, particularly in Long Beach, has a rich attachment to music that embraced and helped define the sport—which is specifically why this event will showcase some of the best musicians from Long Beach and beyond.”
This ninth season of SAM, with the reinvention of the fan favorite skate event FKA 720, will be followed by Punk Rock Prom on the Promenade on July 29, culminating with the annual Buskerfest in the East Village Arts District on August 19.
“The idea behind this event stems from my love of music having grown out of skateboarding,” SAM Co-Founder Justin Hectus said in a statement. “Skateboarding, music, and Long Beach are connected in a way that always brings me back to my favorite moments growing up. Over the past nine years we’ve seen SAM grow the same way DTLB has grown – and this year is shaping up to be bigger than ever while truly reflecting Long Beach.”
A skate park will be open throughout the event, and prior to the start of the event, the streets will be used by ASkate Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps children with autism learn to use skateboarding as a social tool as well as occupational therapy.
Throughout the event, guests can enjoy small bites from local eateries and drinks from Beachwood Brewery. For more information, visit the website here.