Free live music shows that will cover the gamut of cultural sounds are returning to downtown Los Angeles with the annual Grand Performances series.
The concerts, which will include genres such as orchestral, g-funk, Latin ska, spiritual jazz, soulful house and psychedelic boleros, are set to take place every Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. June 14-Aug. 23 at California Plaza. The concert series will be accompanied by the Fridays in the Amphitheater series, which is a mix of poetry, film and classical performances taking place June 20-Aug. 22.
“If you go up and down this summer’s lineup you’ll see the cultural and artistic mix that represents the many generations that call L.A. home,” said Rafael González, president and CEO of Grand Performances.
“And then it’s all free. It’s making the arts and music accessible to the people and that’s what Grand Performances is all about,” he said.
The season kicks off with one of the city’s most vibrant live bands as Ozomatli performs a 30-year anniversary show. Other highlights include California Love: An Orchestral Celebration of Dr. Dre on June 28 and Grammy-winning Adrian Quesada of the Black Pumas who will perform Boleros Psicodélicos, which are a genre-bending mix of psychedelic music and traditional boleros on Aug. 2.
Here’s the concert lineup:
June 14 — Ozomatli: 30-Year Anniversary, with Healing Gems and Anthony Valadez
June 21 — John Coltrane: A Love Supreme at 60, with Isaiah Collier, Surya Botofasina, Jimetta Rose & The Voices of Creation, and Jeremy Sole.
June 28 — California Love: An Orchestral Celebration of Dr. Dre, conducted by Sly5thAve, with DJ Jedi and Monalisa.
July 12 — Mystical Melodies: Saami Brothers Qawwal and Chishty Ensemble.
July 19 — Berimbau: Sounds of Resilience
July 26 — KCRW Summer Nights featuring Baby Rose, Angélica Garcia and DJ Francesca Harding.
August 2 — Adrian Quesada’s Boleros Psicodélicos II, with Tommaso Cappellato’s Explorare and El Marchante.
August 9 — Latin Goes Ska, with Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra, The Untouchables, Mobtown, The Elysians, Blanco Y Negro, and The Delirians.
August 16 — DEEP: 25th Anniversary.
August 23 — Oro Sólido
Grand Performances
When: 6-10 p.m. June 14–Aug. 23
Where: California Plaza, 350 S Grand Ave., Los Angeles
Cost: Free
Information: grandperformances.org
