Dancing in the streets in Laguna at Fete de la Musique
Summer kicked into high gear a day before the season’s solstice with plenty of sunshine, exposed toes and the blissful sounds of live music wafting through open-air crowds in Laguna Beach.
The Saturday afternoon heat didn’t stop listeners from enjoying the eighth annual Fete de la Musique, an eclectic mix of singers, dancers and musicians performing at 38 locations along Forest and Ocean avenues and Pacific Coast Highway.
The festival, organized by the nonprofit Laguna Beach Sister Cities Assn., which has united Laguna Beach with French city Menton, presented the event to promote performing arts through music.
“It’s very joyful here, and it’s one of my favorite F-words because it’s free,” said Maggie Hempen, Fete de la Musique organizing committee chairwoman. “It’s a wonderful celebration.”
Sydney Haik, a 9-year-old Laguna Beach resident, sang an a capella version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” to open the festival. The Laguna Concert Band, a group that has over 70 members from Laguna Beach and surrounding communities, had set up a small ensemble of brass and woodwind instruments at Main Beach to play classics like “Since I Fell For You.” Vocalist Ginger Hatfield sang “Fly Me to the Moon,” and crowds danced before departing for additional performances elsewhere.
Barbara Hawthorne, a retired Laguna Beach dentist, strapped on an accordion and sat outside the Greeter’s Corner Restaurant to play French tunes, including “La Vie en Rose” and “Michelle.”
Hawthorne, who became interested in the accordion when she first heard the instrument’s sounds on the streets of France, said she used to play music for her patients.
“It’s important for me to practice and push myself to get better,” she said. “This is a fun event and it’s special for me to play.”
People strolling along Forest Avenue were treated to performances by The Budrows, a three-piece band featuring Jason Farthing strumming blues and folksy notes on a handmade cigar-box guitar, Jesse “El Gato” Boden on harmonica and flute and vocalist Macarena Rivera, who reprised washboard playing.
The trio thanked the crowd and acknowledged familiar faces on the sidewalk. The Budrows had just returned from their “No Bad Whiskey” tour, during which they performed in cities along the West Coast. The group also has a local following after playing at the Marine Room Tavern.
“It’s great to see local people with excellent talent giving Laguna Beach such a great vibe,” said listener Dan Melhase. “This is definitely the best spot.”
Further down the street a band played 1960s and 1970s rock music, including a tribute to Led Zeppelin.
To further point up the contrasting styles, Chanteuse April Walsh stood before a microphone outside 2bella Boutique and sang “Que Sera, Sera,” while Good Time Dixieland Band delivered jazz notes at Tuvalu Corner.
Ken Aubuchon, an organizing committee member who handled the talent, said the festival is a celebration of a broad range of music genres. The Fete, which originated in France more than three decades ago, is held in conjunction with World Music Day to celebrate the coming of summer. It has been celebrated in more than 110 countries and 700 cities.
“The spirit of the Fete is you’re not supposed to see the hottest musicians,” Aubuchon said. “It’s supposed to bring in all sorts of people and it’s to be informal. Everything is original and it’s just an incredible show.”
Aubuchon said he was particularly proud of booking German band Denmantau. The Indie rock and Bohemian dance group, which has sold more than 15,000 units of three albums independently, was a coup for the festival, he said, since the band has been featured in its own reality television show, “Almost Famous American Tour.”
The group was also featured in the artists showcase at the 2015 NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention Center, a music product trade show.
“I thought they were very impressive,” Aubuchon said of the musicians, who played in front of Water District Garden on Third Street. “When they play, you have to see them. They drew in people, and the crowd stayed during a break. They’re pretty great.”
Gregory Nelson, manager at the Rock Etiquette shop on Ocean Avenue, said he learned of the international group through a friend and has since traveled to Los Angeles more than 20 times to see the five-member electric rock band perform at various venues, including House of Blues and Molly Malone’s.
He got in touch with the band’s booking agent and suggested the musicians perform at Fete de la Musique.
“I knew their vibe and sound would attract people, and it would be something they wanted to do because they love to street-perform,” Nelson said. “Their sound is perfect and I try to support them in any way I can.”