Kirkland Summer Concert Series Booked, Kicks Off July 7 with Ruby Dee

The lineup for the 2o11 Kirkland Summer Concert Series has been booked, with eight Tuesday morning concerts for kids and eight Thursday evening concerts for all ages, beginning July 7 and ending Aug. 25.

“We just have a phenomenal lineup this year,” Karen Story, series comittee chairperson, said Monday. “I am really excited. I love the concerts. It wouldn’t be summer in Kirkland without them.”

Kicking off the series will be Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers, a roots-rock band out of Austin, Texas, that was formerly based in Seattle. The season finale will be reggae legend Clinton Fearon and the Boogie Brown Band, a Seattle-based act.

Performers for the children’s concerts include Caspar Babypants, Recess Monkey and the Not-Its.

All shows are at on the downtown waterfront. The kid’s shows are from 10 to 11 a.m., while the all-ages shows are 7 to 9 p.m.

The summer concerts series originally was sponsored by the City of Kirkland, but it dropped the program because of budget issues in late 2009. A committee of volunteers operating through the nonprofit Kirkland Downtown Association now organizes the series.

“Some people were a little disappointed with some of last year’s acts,” said Story, a resident of the Highlands Neighborhood. “We know we can’t please everybody. But this year’s lineup is really top of the line, class acts.”

Other bands playing include the Freckles Brown Band, a classic rock act, on July 14; Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs, who play alt-rock and folk, on July 21; Mud Junket featuring Kirkland blues rocker Eve Maler on July 28; roots rocker Garth Reeves on Aug. 4; Soul Purpose on Aug. 11, and the violin-powered light rock of Handful of Lovin’ on Aug. 18.

The concerts are free, but organizers ask for a $2 donation. The evening shows are often packed, standing-room-only.

“People come early to stake out spots,” says Story.

For more information, see http://kirklandsummerconcerts.org. Businesses interested in sponsoring shows can e-mail KirklandSummerConcerts@gmail.com.