We’re getting super excited for the return of the Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series! Our first show will be June 20th so that means only 42 more days, and only 6 more Thursday evenings (tonight included) without live music at Lakeview Commons!
I know how much our community wants these free events to return, but we are going to need this community’s help and support to make it happen all summer long. It’s so easy to get involved, you can support these concerts through sponsorship or by volunteering your time. Don’t worry, we plan to take good care of our volunteers by raffling off sweet prizes from our local sponsors each week and did I mention the grand prize of the season is a RIVIERA Standup Paddle Board?!?! (courtesy of South Tahoe SUP)
So if you can’t wait another 6 Thursdays to get involved with these community events, come hang out at Lakeview Commons on Thursday, May 23rd from 5:00-7:00 pm and learn about all the cool volunteer opportunities this summer!
Can’t wait to see all of you smiling and dancing with us every Thursday!
With an average of 1500 people gathering in Lakeview Commons and over 200 bikes coming through the free Bike Valet each Thursday night; it’s no secret that the Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series quickly became the pinnacle of South Lake Tahoe’s summer of 2012.
The locals have been raving all summer long:
“Great Community event! Thanks for the good times!” –Mark Garbarini
“Live at Lakeview is the best thing that’s happened to the South Shore in eons!” –Darren Senn
“Best event Tahoe has ever seen!” –Dylan Lynn
“Thank you Rob Giustina for helping Lake Tahoe raise the bar.” –Jon Hetherton
On behalf of the entire On Course Events crew, I want to say THANK YOU to all of you who came out, week after week, to support these community events! We couldn’t have made these free concerts a reality without support from the local community!
We have already begun planning for next summer and we’d love to hear from you! After all, these are your community events (we just produce them!) We want to know all about your Live at Lakeview experience and any other feedback you’d like to share is much appreciated. Please take a few moments and write On Course Events a brief email on your thoughts, experiences, and suggestions for the Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series.
It’s been a summer filled with spectacular live music and great family fun as the Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series made Lakeview Commons come alive! In its’ first year of production, this free concert series quickly became the pinnacle of South Lake Tahoe’s summer of 2012.
The whole crowd was dancing all night at the final Live at Lakeview Concert
Large audiences of 1500-2000 people gathered each Thursday to enjoy a variety of talented musicians rocking the Live at Lakeview stage along the shore of Lake Tahoe. On Course Events, the producers of this concert series showcased local and regional musicians, as well as a lot of new bands that have never played in Lake Tahoe before. Every Thursday this summer, Live at Lakeview brought a little something for everyone to enjoy – from the bluegrass tunes of Fruition, to the local talent of The New World Jazz Project with Trey Stone, and ending with a huge reggae star, Elan, the former lead singer of The Wailers!
On Course Events has not only provided free live music, it produced a weekly summer event where the local community could come together to enjoy this beautiful place we all call home. A strong community vibe was present every Thursday as thousands gathered in the brand new Lakeview Commons.
On Course Events has remained committed to keeping these concerts sustainable and limiting the environmental impact. This was accomplished with a variety of actions including: offering a free bike valet, helping environmental non-profit organizations raise money, and spearheading weekly beach and neighborhood clean ups.(Join us for the last one this Monday, September 10th at 9am).
The free bike valet was operated by local non-profit organizations each Thursday, housing an average of 250 bikes per week. The demand for the bike valet exceeded the space each week, no matter how large we made it. In fact, during the 12 week concert series, the bike valet held over 3,000 bikes! Along with accommodating thousands of bikes, the bike valet also served as a fundraising opportunity for local nonprofit organizations including The League to Save Lake Tahoe, The Sugarpine Foundation, USASA, and Tahoe Youth & Family Services.
The entire Live at Lakeview crew has been overjoyed with the immense amount of support we’ve received from the local community. Thank you all for your support, as these concerts wouldn’t have been possible without the local sponsors and vendors including: Lake Tahoe TV, KRLT/KOWL, Coors Light, Pet Projekt, Tahoe Production House, Sprouts Natural Foods Café, Lake Tahoe Community College, Mountain News, and many more!
What’s next for Live at Lakeview? Stay tuned to www.Lakeviewcommonslive.com and the official Live at Lakeview Facebook Fan Page for information on summer 2013 concert schedule!
With rising gas prices top-of-mind among consumers, On Course Events offers an eco-friendly way to take advantage of the beautiful weather on your way to the free concert series with a free bike valet service every Thursday through September 6, 2012. Just steps away from all the action, the valet service provides a secure, fenced area where people can drop off their bikes in return for a claim ticket.
You can trust that your bike is safe as each week the valet is operated by your local non-profit organizations including the League to Save Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Youth & Family Services, Sugarpine Foundation, and Live Violence Free. On average, each non-profit organization has raised about $200 in donations from this service.
Service with a smile! Ted Quaday, from the League to Save Lake Tahoe takes in a local’s bike on Thursday, August 9th, 2012.
“People are loving it because the parking is limited around Lakeview Commons! Tahoe has figured it out, BIKE or HIKE!” said Rob Giustina, Owner and producer at On Course Events. Every Thursday the bike valet has grown larger and larger, bringing in an average of 300 bikes per event. Over 2000 bikes have already used this free valet service – helping to keep these events sustainable and most importantly, the community is helping to Keep Tahoe Blue.
Hours of Live at Lakeview Bike Valet Operation: 4:00pm-8:30pm. (All bikes must retrieved by 8:45pm.)
Thousands of people gather at Lakeview Commons every Thursday to enjoy a free concert on the beach! I can’t help but wonder what it is that draws so many people to the commons week after week. Are they all attending the show for the awesome bands we bring in? Or do the crowds of people just hang out simply for the chill vibe?
There’s no doubt about it, Live at Lakeview is the place to be on Thursday nights! Plus, everyone loves that it’s all about the locals; local non-profits organizations are running the bike valet and beer garden to raise hundreds in weekly donations! Dozens of local vendors have also come in to support these events – providing a large variety of unique items for guests purchase.
I can’t talk about the Live at Lakeview vibe without mentioning the Beer Garden!! That’s where I always run into all my favorite locals! With a beautiful view of the stage and reasonably priced, ice cold beers (Coors Light $4; Blue Moon $5) why wouldn’t you want to throw back a few cold ones in the garden?! Oh yea, and every beer purchased in the garden will help to pay for the awesome bands your listening to! Don’t forget to tip your bartender, because that benefits locals too! All tips in the Beer Garden are donated to the Heavenly Ski & Snowboard Foundation!
Live at Lakeview volunteer, Kelsey Adams, recently interviewed this week’s bands to discover that for headliner, Forrest Day, the “beach setting with the lake background is definitely not the norm.” Forrest Day’s sound can best be described as “Stadium Rock” and we’re beyond stoked to welcome them here.
Before the show, we can expect to the members of Forrest Day all over Tahoe as, “most of the time we are coming off a fairly long drive, so some of us roam the town. Some of us head straight for the bar. And Jasper sits in the van, playing drum rudiments on the back of the seat for hours.”
Keep a look out for these guys and be sure to welcome them into Lake Tahoe!
In true Tahoe fashion, the Live at Lakeview crowd usually peaks around 6 or 7; however, this week you are not going to want to miss the opening band Groove Session! They will also keep the vibe rockin’ at the Live AFTER Lakeview party in Rojo’s Tavern, $5 cover and music starts around 10pm! We’re stoked to have them join us during the last leg of their 3 month cross-country Summer Tour.
Kelsey also caught up with the opening band, Groove Session, who has a rockin’ sound that is going to add to the killer Live at Lakeview vibe! Drummer, Manny Sanchez, says the band is pumped to return to play another show in Tahoe especially, as they prepare to release two new albums next month! (Self Tiled 4th Studio album (GrooveSession) as well as our first LIVE album Recorded down in San Diego.)
If you are drawn to the Live at Lakeview concerts for the killer vibe or the awesome live music – we thank you for your support either way! In the end, I’m sure it’s a little of both, and let’s face it – they both ROCK!!
We’ve officially hit the halfway mark to the Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series, and what a huge success these events have become! Thursday night music at Lakeview Commons has become the pinnacle of summer here on the South Shore, with thousands of people turning up to support their community.
Thousands came out to enjoy Keyser Soze & Good Gravy on July 12th
There’s a lot to love about the Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series, but I’m only going to cover the top 5 in this edition of Backstage Pass.
1) FREE Bike Valet RULES!
It’s of high importance that we keep the carbon footprint on these concerts as low as possible. Thankfully, it seems as though the community has agreed to do their part, as one of the biggest hits at these events has been the FREE Bike Valet service! During the first six weeks, the Bike Valet has brought in about 800 bikes and over $600 in donations.
We made the Bike Valet a lot bigger and you still packed it in with about 200 bikes!!
All donations are given to the non-profit organizations running the Valet. Each week, a different non-profit organization or charity has volunteered to run this service and keep your bikes safe! Thank you to the following non-profits for helping to make the Bike Valet a huge success:
Nothing goes better with FREE live music on the beach than a nice cold beer at a reasonable price. The Live at Lakeview Beer Garden offers Coors Light for $4.00 and Blue Moon for just $5.00 and it also happens to have a killer view of the stage!
Most important thing to know about our awesome Beer Garden……it is our #1 source of funding for these FREE concerts! I’m not kidding; we literally pay for our bands and crew with your beer money! If you enjoy these free events, then make sure to support them by purchasing a beer or two, or four from our Beer Garden!
Who doesn’t LOVE free live music??!! Seriously though!
Huckle on July 26 – Photo Credit Larry Sabo
It’s pretty awesome to have a FREE event for everyone in the community to enjoy! While these events are absolutely FREE to enjoy, they are not free to put on! A lot of time and money is invested in these shows each week so it’s important that you support the events as much as you can.
40 Watt Hype on July 19th – Photo Credit Dylan Warren
I already shared the inside scoop on the Beer Garden, but the other way we fund these shows is through our local sponsors and vendors! Please take notice of the local businesses that are supporting these events, thank them for their support and if you’re able to -make a purchase or two at the event!
4) Community Atmosphere
Live at Lakeview Thursday Nights is the place to see old friends, make new ones, and dance the evening away with all of them around you!
Dancing the evening away as 40 Watt Hype rocks the Live at Lakeview stage! Photo Credit Dylan Warren
In my opinion, the best part about these events is the way they bring everyone together and truly create a community atmosphere. The last time I wandered through the Beer Garden, I ran into an old teacher, a previous employer, and three of my friends from high school! Beyond the surprise reunions that are bound to happen, these concerts create family fun for all ages!
5) Sunset Backdrop
The cherry on top of these super fun Summer Concerts has to be the breath-taking sunsets we experience every Thursday. The band gets the crowd up on their feet dancing the evening away, and the sun goes down to create a spectacular backdrop. This amazing venue has produced some of the most beautiful photos and I encourage all of you to keep these gorgeous images coming!
The best Live at Lakeview sunset so far! Shout out to all of you who braved the strange Tahoe weather on July 19th! Photo Credit Larry Sabo
Let’s face it, there’s A LOT more to love about the Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series, so come out and see for yourself! See you next Thursday!
The City of South Lake Tahoe's Signature Event Series
