Summer music series, now in its 13th year, at Cape Disappointment State Park
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission announces the schedule for the 13th annual 2018 Waikiki Beach Concert Series at Cape Disappointment State Park. The first concert is Saturday, June 9. The free Saturday concerts begin at 7 p.m. on the lawn at Waikiki Beach in Cape Disappointment State Park, 244 Robert Gray Dr., Ilwaco. The concert venue is located along Jetty Road near the south end of the park.
The summer 2018 lineup is as follows:
June 9 – Wamba; The brainchild of Massamba Diop and Baaba Maal, Wamba’s music evokes the cultures of Senegal and Ghana. As lead drummer in Baaba’s band, Massamba has performed at such prestigious events as the 2012 London Olympics and Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies. He has performed or recorded with Peter Gabriel, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana and James Brown, among other international superstars. In addition to traditional African music, the group also plays jazz, funk, reggae and calypso music.
June 23 – Great American Trainwreck; This Seattle-based five piece ensemble has its roots in Americana, Southern rock, Country, Jam and Bluegrass.
July 14 – Brownsmead Flats; A popular northern Oregon band, Brownsmead Flats fuses folk, bluegrass and Columbia-Pacific geography into a one-of-a-kind musical genre they call “Crabgrass.”
July 28 – Resolectrics; This soulful band, which plays a blend of rock, R&B and folk, inspires audiences with its bluesy riffs and swampy grooves.
Aug. 11 – Champagne Sunday; Endearingly labeled “Pearl Jam meets Bette Midler,” this married musical duo blends grunge and pop/rock with musical theatre.
Aug. 25 – Moe Bowstern and Paper Eclipse Puppet Company;Astoria Fisher Poet Moe Bowstern will share poetry and present a shadow puppet performance on the life cycle of Chinook salmon. The reading and puppet show are appropriate for audiences of all ages.
From Waikiki Beach, which is on the Columbia River, concert goers can see dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean from their seats in the outdoor amphitheater. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own seating, blankets and insect repellant.
The concerts are sponsored by the Friends of the Columbia River Gateway, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Washington State Parks Foundation and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. The first and last concerts in the series, Wamba and Moe Bowstern and the Paper Eclipse Puppet Company, are sponsored by Washington State Parks Folk and Traditional Arts Program.
A Discover Pass is required for vehicle access to the concerts, unless participants are already camped in the park. The exceptions are the June 9 and Aug. 25 concerts, which occur on state parks ‘free’ days, in recognition of National Get Outdoors Day and the birthday of the National Park Service, respectively. No Discover Pass is required on these days.
About Waikiki Beach and Cape Disappointment State Park Cape Disappointment State Park is a 1,882-acre camping park on the southern tip of the Long Beach Peninsula, where the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean meet. The park offers two miles of ocean beach, two lighthouses, an interpretive center and hiking trails. Learn more about Cape Disappointment State Park at: http://parks.state.wa.us/486/Cape-Disappointment.
