The first of what I hope will be many bands played at our new Town Square last night. They were greeted by the Burlingame Breeze which unfortunately is not an umbrella drink. Bert’s Brew, featuring local bassist and former city councilmember Stephanie Lee, ran through a very fun variety of classic rock covers, some Calypso and some Reggae, mon. “Suntan Man”, who many would recognize from his busking on his tenor sax on the Avenew (along with his persona tanning sessions all over downtown), joined in from the audience on Girl from Ipanema.
The Burlingame Breeze made for two distinct experiences. In the sunny section in front of the Old Post Office things were quite pleasant. In the shade where the band was set up and nearby seating, things were less toasty. Future bands should note that the Breeze means they should bring their full PA set-up and layers of clothing. The weather and some confusion over the starting time made for a smaller audience than I expected. The sandwich sign with all of the upcoming shows listed a 5pm start, but the band started at 5:30 despite having set up early. I’ll try to get some clarity from Park & Rec on the start times which are variable (today’s start is listed as 4pm). There are worse places to while away a half hour.
I noticed the lack of an actual stage/bandstand during the Grand Opening but did not mention it in that post. Now that live music has started the lack of any staging is noticeable (even 10-12 inches makes a difference). It just doesn’t feel the same without a bit of a lift. Perhaps there is some budget left over to rectify this before Burlingame on the Avenue arrives on August 15-16 and the Square gets its real debut. All in all, we are off to a great start on a much-needed addition to the downtown scene.
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