The Vashon Park District is proud to present Concerts in the Park once again this year in partnership with Vashon Events. Concerts will be held every Thursday night in August from 7:00pm - 9:00pm. This year, we’ll be adding one date in July for a total of five wonderful concerts!

Concerts in the Park is a family friendly series of events that bring the community together to enjoy free outdoor music concerts. Taking place at Ober Park, which is located between the Vashon Public Library and the Vashon Park District, the park features grassy berms that make perfect amphitheater seating. You are invited to bring a blanket or lawn chair to enjoy the music.

And guess what? These concerts are all FREE! That’s right, you heard me correctly…there is no cost to attend these wonderful summertime shows!

However, your blanket or chair may not get much use because each concert features a different music genre that will keep you dancing. Each concert presents something new to experience! The lineup includes:

July 31st: Object Heavy

August 7th: Wild Rumours

August 14th: The Sweet Lillies

August 21st: The Cumbieros

August 28th: The Great Divide

Opening for each band this year is a fresh Vashon Events program, “New Voices,” an opportunity to hear the latest musical addition to the Vashon music scene. Performing solo each Thursday to warm up the audience, this year’s New Voices is a wonderful way to showcase these musicians. Openers will perform at 7pm and the headlining band will begin at 7:30pm and play a 90 minute set.

Sound equipment and lighting will be provided by Laird Gonter of Bandstand Music, and Martin Feveyear of Feveyear Master Mix will be dialing in the sound. Enjoy live music performing against one of Vashon's most beautiful outdoor backdrops and bring the family. There's plenty of grass and natural berms to spread out those picnic blankets and enjoy some wonderful music on a warm summer night. Families can come relax comfortably and enjoy the entertainment at these summer events. Please remember that there are no dogs allowed at Ober Park. Alcohol and smoking are also not permitted.

The Concerts in the Park series is presented by the Vashon Park District and curated by Vashon Events. ————————————————————————————————
Thursday, July 31st: Object Heavy

Color Red Artist Object Heavy is Humboldt County’s hardest hitting soul sensation. The band is led by the nuanced and powerful voice of Richard Love, alongside explosive, tasteful keyboardist Brian Swislow, masterful guitarist Leo Plummer, and the man holding down the low end, bassist Bobby Amirkhanian. You might find rock steady drummer Dan Weiss in the loop. Fresh off the release of their new record, 'Love & Gravity' (Produced by Kelly Finnigan of Monophonics), and 5th win as North Coast Journal’s “Best Original Band Of Humboldt” in the past 8 years nominated, they have garnered stellar reviews from an international audience and were promoted as a featured artist on Apple Music's Soul and RnB carousel. They were also featured on several of Apple Music's top playlists within their genre field. Object Heavy has spent the last few years establishing themselves as a stand out live experience in touring the greater western United States and sharing the stage with diverse talent such as Orgone, Galactic, The Motet, Rebirth Brass Band, Polyrhythmics, Turkuaz, Lyrics Born, and Chali 2na. Object Heavy’s magnetic blend of classic Cadillac soul, effortlessly contagious dance grooves, vocal harmonies and blazing musicianship is a must see live experience.
https://objectheavymusic.com/

Opening for Object Heavy will be Madeleine Wolczko, a hometown favorite. Madeleine Wolczko is a Vashon Island-based musician whose voice and artistry have become local treasures. A merchant mariner by trade, Madeleine works as a navigator aboard massive containerships, guiding vessels across oceans while crafting music in her cabin between shifts. Her life at sea fuels her creativity—she’s known to record and produce music onboard, turning her quarters into a floating studio.

Back on land, Madeleine lives aboard a red sailboat named IKI in Quartermaster Harbor, where she continues to write and perform. Her musical style spans electronic production and acoustic sound, and she’s recognized as one of the island’s most captivating vocalists. Whether singing solo or collaborating with fellow island artists, Madeleine brings emotional depth and a sense of adventure to every note.

She’s performed in intimate settings like Tinyboatsession, where her rendition of “Big White Gate” showcased her raw talent and connection to place. Madeleine’s journey also includes mentoring and performing alongside other Vashon youth in community-driven events like Sharing the Stage, where she’s helped bridge generations of island musicians.

With a life split between the open ocean and the close-knit shores of Vashon, Madeleine Wolczko is a rare kind of artist—one who navigates both the literal and metaphorical currents of creativity.

Thursday, August 7th: Wild Rumours

Formed from a lineup of veteran Seattle-area musicians, Wild Rumours performs the music of Fleetwood Mac with love and respect, authenticity and flair. Focusing on the classic albums of the band’s 1970s heyday, Wild Rumours creates a Fleetwood Mac experience designed to transport fans and deliver the music of 1975’s Fleetwood Mac and 1977’s Rumours in all its timeless glory. Originally conceived as a one-night tribute to these two iconic albums, the members of Wild Rumours found the joy of playing these songs together an irresistible elixir and have since taken their show to stages around the Western US. Fronted by the extraordinary vocals and stage presence of Jen Ayers, Wild Rumours is buttressed by the formidable rhythm section of Geoff Reading and Richard Davidson, and flanked by the instrumental prowess of Annastasia Workman, Patrick Porter and Kathy Moore.
https://www.wildrumoursband.com/

Opening for Wild Rumours will be Rowan McBennett and Marlowe Cardoza. Rowan McBennett has been playing piano for 14 of his 18 years on this planet. Rowan McBennett is a jazz pianist and percussionist. He was classically trained and currently performs with his jazz trio, the Beall St Trio. He will study jazz piano and percussion at NYU in the fall. He was a classical pianist for the first ten years of his career and now he has moved on to Jazz. Rowan believes that music is a language, so once he learned the piano he felt like he could have access to any other instrument. After seeing islander Wesley Peterson rehearse with Saint Ophelia, he was inspired to play drums. Rowan's a big advocate for the school band program and the people behind it - Dan Baker, Gabriel Burgess and Todd Zimberg. Versatility is important to Rowan - it's like the biggest thing that he values and it views it as a way to connect with so many people. He strongly believes that if we can connect with music, it will help us solve our world problems.

Thursday, August 14th: The Sweet Lillies

The Sweet Lillies' music is, first and foremost, heartfelt and collaborative. Those defining traits are given life by the quartet of musicians who make up the Lillies. Together they have combined their individual strengths to deliver powerful narratives of life in song. With their lineup of guitar, viola, upright bass, drums and ethereal vocal harmonies that float like a dream, the Sweet Lillies' music has a hard hitting original flavor with a forward-looking eye. They have incorporated all of their cumulative life-experiences into their music, song-writing, and artistry, crafting an uncommonly-beautiful style they have christened “String-Americana” - a nod to the band’s all encompassing musical tastes and willingness to experiment with genres ranging from folk and rock all the way to hip-hop.
https://www.sweetlillies.com/home

Opening for The Sweet Lillies will be Mickey Fontaine. Mickey Fontaine plays six-string electric bass in theater productions and rock and jazz groups. He also writes, produces, and performs avant-garde cyberpunk hip-hop influenced by minimalist classical music. His reviews of live music, video games, and cultural phenomena can be found on his blog, odetojoyblog.substack.com

Thursday, August 21st: The Cumbieros

The Cumbieros are a Seattle based "new cumbia" band that started in the spring of 2011 and have quickly grown mixing members from many different nations. Featuring such instruments as, guiro, guitar, drums, percussion and horns, The Cumbieros fuse traditional South American Cumbia with ska, rock and psychedelic sounds creating fun, high-energy music that drives everyone to the dance floor. Cumbia is a genre of music/dance that originated in Colombia and is now extremely popular all across Latin America. For over a decade, The Cumbieros have been spreading their style of cumbia all over the Pacific Northwest and beyond with one goal in mind; getting people on the dance floor. Come dance with us! ESO!!!
https://www.facebook.com/TheCumbieros

Opening for The Cumbieros will be Indigo Alton. Indigo Alton is 9 and has been playing violin for 2 years. She made her acting debut as Little Girl in Vashon Repertory Theater production of Sweeney Todd, She has also acted and sang in VRT's Oscar the Bird King. Indigo does Aerial and soccer. She has also performed in Vashon Events Holiday showcase. You might have seen her busking at First Friday or in front of her house as well as selling her sculpey creations.

Thursday, August 28th: The Great Divide

In 1987, the Vashon Island-based band The Great Divide achieved a significant milestone by winning the Marlboro Country Music Talent Roundup. This victory awarded them a $5,000 grand prize and the prestigious opportunity to open for renowned country artists Alabama, The Judds, and George Strait at the Tacoma Dome, performing before an audience of 20,000.

Formed in the early 1980s, The Great Divide is an all-islander band from Vashon Island. They initially gained local popularity before expanding their reach by touring with blues guitarist Elvin Bishop. Their musical style encompasses a blend of country rock, Texas swing, and straight-up rock, contributing to their dynamic performances and broad appeal. Beyond their notable 1987 performance, they have also opened for other prominent acts such as Asleep at the Wheel and Charlie Daniels.

The Great Divide last performed publicly at Strawberry Festival in 2018. This year's show will be one for the books and could very well be the last, but we've said that before... Notably, the band will be joined by Dan Tyack on pedal steel, which is a perfect fit. Dan is deeply experienced and has actually worked with many of the bands we have rubbed elbows with over the years.

The Great Divide is Loren Sinner on bass & vocals, Bob Goering on rhythm guitar & vocals, Jerry Wilks on fiddle & vocals, Lonesome Mike Nichols on harmonica & vocals, Greg Hitch on drums & vocals, Randy Webb on lead guitar and Dan Tyack on pedal steel guitar.

Our fiddle player Jerry wilks comes from Yakima, and lead vocalist Bob Goering will be flying in from his home in Kona, Hawaii.

Opening for The Great Divide is Neko Rogneby. Neko Rogneby has called Vashon home for nearly 13 years, and currently attends Vashon High School (VHS). She is a swimmer and coach with the Vashon Seals Swim Team, a newly minted lifeguard, a Fire Cadet, and a participant in Rain City Rock Camp’s Amplified Teen Voices (ATV) leadership program. Her formal music lessons began at age seven, when she studied piano with Camille Reeves. During the pandemic, she picked up bass guitar, and later, the tenor saxophone. She has played in several bands over the past few summers, including Wisteria, which performed at the inaugural Teen Jam. You may have seen her perform at Open Space’s Black Box (Orbit Music Club), Snapdragon (VHS Jazz Ensemble), Vashon Center for the Arts (VHS Wind Ensemble), the Crocodile (Rain City Rock Camp), and MoPOP’s Sound and Vision Stage (Rain City Rock Camp’s Amplified Music Program ). Her New Voices performance will be her solo debut. Thank you for supporting Vashon Events and local, homegrown musicians. Free Palestine. Love thy neighbor. Protect trans kids. No one is illegal on stolen land.

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Vashon Events is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to building community and supporting artists-musicians on Vashon Island, WA. Our mission is to create, provide, and expand positive life experiences through music and art for all. We provide an information hub for Vashon Island including a business directory, information about events and classes happening on the island, and programs that support arts and local music. We believe that keeping Vashon Island vibrant means supporting our local businesses and artists. A big warm thank you to the Vashon Park District for allowing us to work with them and curate the music for this wonderful community event every August.