Latest concert ends with a boom

By Vanessa Anik Special to The Acorn

PATRICK SHELBY/The Acorn GOLDEN MOMENTS-Melissa, 2, and Brad Souva from Agoura Hills spend the evening with family and friends enjoying one of the city's summer concerts at Chumash Park. The event featured music from the fabulous '50s and a fireworks celebration.

Music from the past drifted toward Agoura High School from Chumash Park where the Crewcuts and the Chordettes performed for Agoura Hills residents. The Agoura Hills summer "Concerts in the Park" series was sensational on Sunday. It included music and booths selling food. A crowd estimated to be around 1,000 seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the show.

The park was filled with umbrellas, blankets, picnics and music. At the edges of the sprawl of lawn chairs, kids and teens tossed Frisbees and gleefully ate shaved ice.

Joyous shrieks of kids and the hum of conversations didn’t drown out the Crewcuts and the Chordettes harmonies.

Songs like "Little Darlin’" and "Life Could Be a Dream" drew couples to the stage for dancing and had neighbors buzzing. The dancers and the music were reminiscent of a scene out of "Grease." The upbeat tunes and light jokes with the audience kept residents jubilant and clapping for more.

The summer concerts have been around for years, seemingly growing in popularity. Those with ’50s and ’60s music attract big crowds; later music is also a crowd- pleaser.

"Billy Joel (music) was a huge hit," said event organizer Nick Newkirk, implying that concert fans can look forward to more Billy Joel tribute music in the future. Newkirk has spent nine years with the Agoura Hills Department of Community Services and two years organizing the summer concerts. His latest was a terrific show, and he credited his "great staff" and teen volunteers. Donations went directly into a fund for future concerts.

Old, young and everyone in between listened as the performers "wawaad" and "shoobopped" themselves into the night. After the closing song, "Goodnight, Sweetheart," the audience was ready for a second round of July Fourth-style fun.

Following a short intermission, the audience waited for the sun to set. Then, to the songs "Born in the USA" and "American the Beautiful," fireworks shot into the night sky.

After the fireworks finale, people shuffled out of the park. But many of them no doubt will be back in two weeks when the Missing Links, a tribute band to The Monkees, performs at 6 p.m. in Chumash Park, 5550 Medea Valley Drive.