‘Summer in the City’ concert series returns in Southfield

SOUTHFIELD — Later this week, Southfield will kick off its “Summer in the City” concert series with the first of four shows.

The concerts, hosted by the Southfield Parks and Recreation Department, will take place 7-9 p.m. select Fridays June 24-July 29 on the front lawn of the Southfield Municipal Campus, 26000 Evergreen Road.

For the June 24 concert, The Circle of Sound Band will perform, featuring a blend of R&B, funk and pop. On July 8, Angela Davis will perform a mix of soul and R&B. The July 22 show will feature The Live Experience performing a mix of old and new R&B, hip-hop and pop. And on July 29, the series comes to a close with Straight Ahead, a jazz ensemble.

Food and drink will be available for purchase at each event. All four shows will feature the Motor City Sweet Treats food truck and Shelly’s Hot Dog catering service. In addition, the June 24 show will feature the Cornbread Restaurant & Bar food truck, while the July 8, 22 and 29 shows will have the B.L. Ellis Catering food truck as another option. Each will be available on-site beginning at 6 p.m.

Stephanie Kaiser, the marketing analyst for the Southfield Parks and Recreation Department, said in an email that the concert series began in 2018 as a one-day concert to celebrate the arrival of summer. In 2019, the concert series expanded to four concerts, and by 2020, the city had expanded it to six concerts, albeit in a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the 2020 shows, the bands prerecorded 30-minute performances that were then premiered on the city’s Facebook page each week. The city brought back the concerts in person in 2021, but with pandemic protocols in place, such as painted squares on the grass for participants to sit within, and blue flags denoting social distancing. People were encouraged to wear masks that year, even though it was outdoors, since fewer people were vaccinated at that point in time.

The concerts have always been well received, said Samantha Jenkins, a recreation programmer for the city and the event lead.

“These concerts are our most popular of the summer. We average anywhere from 500-1,000 people, depending on the Friday,” Jenkins said via email. “The public are always commenting that they would like more. We’d love to offer more, but we run out of Fridays! Artists always love our community and want to come back. Many have reached out to perform for us.”

She noted that the stage will be set up right in front of City Hall, in the circle drive, while the food trucks will line the driveway leading up to City Hall. The audience, meanwhile, is encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets, and find a spot on the lawn.

In addition to the four main concerts, the city is also planning two concerts aimed at the kids, including one noon-12:45 p.m. July 20 featuring Miss Paula & The Candy Bandits, also on the front lawn of the Southfield Municipal Campus; and another 7-8:30 p.m. Aug. 17 featuring The Funny Dumplings performing at Burgh Historical Park, 26080 Berg Road.

Jenkins said people should look forward to the food.

“Our food offerings this year include a great variety, from hot dogs and nachos to soul food and ice cream,” Jenkins said. “The concerts in Southfield are my favorite part of my job. I love seeing everyone come out and fill our front lawn. Many people get up out of their seats and dance! If they don’t get up, at least they dance in their chairs. It’s a good feeling to know that we can provide fun and safe entertainment for our community.”

Added Russell Malburg, the city’s recreation operations manager, in an email: “I would encourage anyone who loves live music and sunshine to come out to our summer concerts! The staff here puts so much effort in throughout the year preparing, and it really shows, from the parks services crew maintaining the quality of our green spaces, to the programming staff organizing every aspect of the day. For many of us, the reason we get into this profession is to bring people together and put smiles on faces. The Summer in the City concert series does exactly that.”