Your favorite summer concerts on the beach will always be free for you to enjoy, but they are not free to produce! Local vendors are 1 of 3 main funding sourcesthat continue to pay for entertainment, permits + production costs every Thursday. This week we sat down with a few of our favorite vendors at RISE + TahoeLab to get the inside scoop on their experiences as #LiveatLakeviewvendors.
Live at Lakeview is wrapping up the 2015 summer with its most bodacious Tahoe party this summer. Tahoe legends Lavish Green and recent local favorites Black Star Safari are playing rocking farewell sets on the shore to celebrate the last shows of the summer. The City of South Lake Tahoe is also celebrating its 50th Anniversary Birthday with a group photo of the whole beach with everyone invited to join. It is going to be one hell of a party.
Over the past two years, Black Star Safari has grown to be one of Tahoe’s favorite live acts for its deep-set grooves and tenacious rhythms. Dan Green’s guitar and Matt Mandella’s drums have found a harmonious interplay together that pumps back-and-forth like pistons on a steam engine. In the spring the duo released their second EP, “All In.” Green and Mandella self-produced the five-song EP and recorded it in their home in the heart of Meyers. The band had worked out the songs live for some time and the vice grip tightness of the compositions speak to the blood and sweat that has been spilt on stage over the past couple years from the pair.
The night ends with a finale set from Lavish Green. The band was formed 20-years ago this summer amidst the mountains and water and return for another special night at Live at Lakeview. Three of the original members remain, Chris Sanchez, Robbie Wheeler and Joel Gruneich, with the newly minted Mike Bennett on drums. They still throw heart and passion behind their ska/reggae/rock combination and love doing it in front of a crowd. Tahoe has been their home and they love returning to its open arms, especially for such dedicated fans as Live at Lakeview’s.
Spend your summer on the beach with great people and give a little back to your favorite community event series at the same time! Sounds great, right?! Well it gets even better – we’re gonna hook you up with some free food if you join us this Thursday to learn more about getting involved as a Live at Lakeview Volunteer!
That’s right! Free food at the Volunteer Recruitment Party this Thursday at Lakeview Commons. The BBQ will go down from 5:00 – 8:30 pm and all that are interested in getting involved with Live at Lakeview are welcome! We’ll have volunteer information, and sponsor/vendor information will be available as well.
2014 Volunteer Opportunities:
Photographers & Videographers – Thursday 4:30-9:00 pm
Capture the moments of each Thursday night and gain some incredible exposure for your portfolio. Credit will be given along with any usage of photos/videos.
Beach Cleanup Crew– Mondays 9:00 – 10:30 am Help us in our weekly efforts to keep our favorite playground litter free and our lake blue! We’ll supply buckets, grabbers, gloves, and trash bags.
Vibe Squad – Thursdays 3:30-9:30 pm (various shifts available) Act as stewards of Live at Lakeview by offering general assistance and event information to attendees. Specific tasks may include:
Greeting attendees
Assisting with the safe exit of all attendees post-event
Assist staff and vendors with parking
Providing general information &maintaining an awesome vibe
Tossing beach balls and/or giveaways into the crowd
Assisting with weekly games and/or activities
Event Crew – Thursdays/Fridays (various shifts available) Assist the On Course Events crew with event set-up & breakdown; muscles required!
Specific responsibilities may include:
Set-up and breakdown fencing, barricades, beer garden enclosure, bike valet, banners, vendor booths, etc.
Clean up trash from event site during and after each event
Security – Thursdays 4:00-10:00 pm
Assist in maintaining the safety of all attendees. Keep the crowd informed of City ordinances (no dogs, alcohol, smoking, etc.) *Positions available for beer garden monitoring and overall crowd security.
All volunteers will receive our endless gratitude (of course!) PLUS an official Live at Lakeview T-shirt and sweet prizes from our sponsors including concert tickets and gift cards to Sushi Pier, Lake Tahoe Yoga, Tahoe Bowl, and more!
Contact our On Course Events staff to get signed up!
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!
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!
Live at Lakeview would like to invite you to enter our fan photo contest for a chance to see your pictures all over next year’s marketing campaign! We’re also going to hook up the winner with a sweet goodie bag full of freebies from our event sponsors!!
Photo credit Dylan Warren
Here’s How You Can Enter:
Take all the photos you can at each Live at Lakeview concert and submit your best shots by posting them on our Facebook Fan Page or emailing them to LeslieAllison33@gmail.com with the subject line “Lakeview Fan Photo Contest.” Each person can submit up to 3 photos for this contest.
Have fun with it and by all means, get creative and crazy!
Here’s How the Contest Works:
Once you’ve submitted a photo, it will be added to the “Lakeview Fan Photo Contest” album on our Facebook Fan Page, with your name as the description!
Our Facebook fans will be the judges in this contest, so be sure to send all your friends to our fan page to vote for you pics! The photo that gets the most likes & comments will be the winner!
The winning photo will be used in next year’s Live at Lakeview marketing campaign and they will also receive Live at Lakeview Superstar Fan Package including all sorts of goodies from event sponsors!
Important Dates to Know:
The final deadline to submit your photo(s) is Sunday, August 19th
Pictures will be posted August 15th with voting will running from August 15th – September 1st
The winner will be selected by September 2nd & awarded at our last concert on Thursday September 6th
Best of luck Live at Lakeview fans! Can’t wait to see your pictures!
The Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series continues to bring the community together at Lakeview Commons to enjoy free live music every Thursday from 4:30-8:30pm.
While these concerts are absolutely free to attend, they are not free to produce.
Every Thursday morning, long hours of hard work is put in to setting up the beer garden, bike valet, vendor booths, the stage, and all the sound equipment. The On Course Events crew starts setting up these free concerts at 7am and they continue working up until the show starts. Unfortunately for our crew, the equipment won’t magically disappear once the show is over, so we all strap on some headlamps and work late into the night breaking down the venue.
In order for these free concerts to continue, we need the support of our community. The Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series is seeking volunteers to help break down the venue and pick up trash after each Thursday night concert. Volunteers are also encouraged to join us every Monday morning at 8am for the Live at Lakeview Neighborhood cleanup. To get involved, call our event phone line at (530)600-2233 or email the events coordinator at Leslieallison33@gmail.com.
If you are not able to volunteer, but you want to show support for these community events then remember to purchase a beer or two from the Beer Garden. Also be sure to show some love to all of the local vendors and sponsors that help to make these events possible!
The biggest turnout at Live at Lakeview so far this summer! 7/12/12
The Live at Lakeview Summer Music Series has got the South Shore buzzing with excitement! With a free bike valet, tons of local vendors, a beer garden, and live music on the beach every Thursday…what’s not to love!?!!
Last Thursday, over 1,500 people attended the Keyser Soze & Good Gravy concert – it was the biggest turnout so far, and we are just getting started!! These free concerts have created an incredible vibe and give us all a reason to come together each week! The community atmosphere is truly what Tahoe is all about!
Bringing Free Live Music to the shoreline of South Lake Tahoe for over a Decade!
