Hot summer concerts that won't cost you a nickel

Music lovers can spend hundreds, even thousands, of dollars going to see live music this summer. Or they can spend nothing at all.

Zero. Nada. Zip.

If you decide to join the latter group, or just plan to be frugal with your ticket purchases this season, you can still take in your share of shows. That's because there are many free concert series taking place around the Bay this summer.

The best thing about these concerts, besides the free admission, is the plethora of musical styles that will be presented in the months ahead. Fans can pick among everything from blues and bluegrass to world music and opera, jazz and rock.

The following is a detailed look at some of the biggest and most impressive free concert lineups are scheduled for the Bay Area.

There are many other options, perhaps some even closer to your home, so keep checking our calendar listings for more offerings.

The City of Concord presents 2008 Summer Concert Series at Todos Santos Plaza

What and when: "20th Annual Music at Noon," noon-1:30 p.m. Tuesdays through June 24; "Acoustic Tuesdays," 6:30-8 p.m. July 1-29; "11th annual Music and Market Series," 6:30-8 p.m. Thursdays through Sept. 18

Where: Todos Santos Plaza, between Willow Pass Road and Salvio, Grant and Mt. Diablo streets, Concord

Contact: 925-671-3464; www.communityconcerts.com

Tip:

"20th Annual Music

at Noon"

Crooked Roads (folk rock), May 20

Pamela Rose (jazz, blues), May 27

The Shillz (roots rock), June 3

Jeffrey Halford and the Healers (Americana rock), June 10

California Cowboys (country), June 17

In Disguise (jazz), June 24

"Acoustic Tuesdays"

Country Joe McDonald (folk rock), July 1

(Note: This Woodstock legend will lead Concord's attempt to break the world record for largest guitar ensemble _ which will require 2,000-plus people with guitars to show up.)

Houston Jones (bluegrass, gospel), July 8

La Catrina Quartet (classical), July 15

Duo Gadjo (jazz), July 22

Red Hot Chachkas (klezmer), July 29

"11th Annual Music

and Market Series"

Concord High Jazz Ensemble, May 22

Lava (salsa), May 29

Fundamentals (rock, soul cover band) June 5

Earl Thomas (blues, soul), June 12

Salvador Santana (hip-hop, funk), June 19

Aja Vu (Steely Dan tribute), June 26

Dave Crimmen (rock-a-billy), July 3,

Zoo Station (U2 tribute), July 10

Da Island Way (Polynesian), July 17

Beaufunk (funk, blues), July 24

Boyz Nite Out (a cappella), July 31

Sourdough Slim (Western songs, family show), Aug. 7

James Clark (Elvis Presley tribute), Aug. 14

Stompy Jones (R&B, jump swing), Aug. 21

Hipwaders (kid tunes), Aug. 28

Delgado Brothers (Latin blues), Sept. 4

Junius Courtney Big Band (swing), Sept. 11

Tom Rigney (Cajun), Sept. 18

Special events

Bay Area KidFest, 11 a.m.—6 p.m. May 24—26,

Father's Day, 2—4 p.m. June 15: Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums (R&B, boogie-woogie)

July 4th Parade and Festival, 8 a.m.—2 p.m.: The Washboard Wizardz ("hillbilly jazz") and Mark Russo and the Classy Cats (swing)

National Night Out, 6:30-10:30 p.m. Aug. 5: Tia Carroll (blues), Sue Lukito (jazz), others

California Symphony: Pops in the Plaza Concert, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 20

Yerba Buena

Gardens Festival

When: Now through Oct. 26

Where: Yerba Buena Gardens, between Mission and Howard streets and 3rd and 4th streets, San Francisco

Contact: 415-543-1718; www.ybgf.org.

Tip: There's no free parking in the area, just a multitude of pay-by-hour lots. Try using public transportation since the Powell Street BART station is just a couple blocks away.

Jon Jang: Unbound Chinatown + Special Guests (world music), 1-2:30 p.m. May 17

Artists Guild, Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. May 17

Gamelan Sekar Jaya (world music), 1-2:30 p.m. May 24

Mo' Rockin Project (jazz, world music), 12:30-1:30 p.m. May 29

Israel in the Gardens, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. June 1

Goethe-Institut presents Paco Mendoza (rock, reggae), 12:30-1:30 p.m. June 5

Omar Sosa's Afreecanos Quintet (Afro-Cuban jazz), 1-2:30 p.m. June 8

Native Contemporary Arts Festival, noon-3 p.m. June 15

Jenny Lind (classical), 12:30-1:30 p.m. June 19

Deborah Slater Dance Theater, Dance/Theater Shannon, 1-2 p.m. June 21

Red Hot Chachkas (klezmer), 12:30-1:30 p.m. June 26

blacKMahal + Special Guests (funk, world music), 1-3 p.m. June 28

Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble, 12:30-1:30 p.m. July 3

Merola's Schwabacher Summer Concert (opera), 2-4 p.m. July 6

Patrick Ball (Celtic), 12:30-1:30 p.m. July 10

Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra, 1-2:30 p.m. July 12

San Francisco Mime Troupe, 1:30 p.m., July 13

The Nice Guy Trio (folk), 12:30-1:30 p.m. July 17

Yosvany Terry: Ye-dé-gbé —Afro Caribbean Legacy, 1-3 p.m. July 19

TODCO Poets, 12:30-1:30 p.m. July 22

The Stairwell Sisters (bluegrass), 12:30-1:30 p.m. July 24

San Francisco Theater Festival, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. July 27

Le Jazz Hot, 12:30-1:30 p.m. July 31

Afro Solo's Jazz in the Gardens, 1-3 p.m. Aug. 2

Homenagem Brasileira (Brazilian jazz), 12:30-1:30 p.m. Aug. 7

Pistahan (Filipino-American festival), 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 9-10

Japanese music festival, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Aug. 14

Woman's Will (Shakespeare), 6 p.m. Aug. 15, 4 p.m. Aug. 16

Carnaval, 1-4 p.m. Aug. 16

Marcus Shelby Trio + Special Guest (jazz), 12:30-1:30 p.m. Aug. 21

Tom Rigney & Flambeau + Special Guest (Louisiana fiddle tunes), 1-2:30 p.m. Aug. 23

Richard Howell (jazz), 12:30-1:30 p.m. Aug. 28

Brazilian Percussion Celebration, 1-3 p.m. Aug. 31

Destani Wolf (soul), 12:30-1:30 p.m. Sept. 4

Artists Guild, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 6

John Handy & the Bay Area Melding Pot (jazz), 1-3 p.m. Sept. 6

TODCO Poets, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Sept. 9

Bayonics (hip-hop), 12:30-1:30 p.m. Sept. 11

Dell'Arte Theater Company, 1-2:30 p.m. Sept. 13

Zazhil (world music), Thursday, Oct. 2, 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Latin Jazz All Stars: Tribute to Hilton Ruiz, 1-3 p.m. Oct. 5

Living Word Festival: Race is Fiction, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Oct. 17

Family Festival 2008, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 18

Yerba Buena Gardens Children's Garden Series

(Show times are 11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. unless noted)

Caterpillar Puppets, June 6, 28; July 26; Aug. 1, 23, 29

The Unique Derique, June 13, 14; July 11, 19; Aug. 8, 16

California Sing-Along with Charlie Chin, June 20, July 18, Aug. 15

Chelle! & Friends, June 27, July 25, Aug. 22

Venezuelan Music Project: June 7, July 5, Aug. 2

Balamcoatl: Mesoamerican Music & Dance, noon-1 p.m. June 21, July 12, Aug. 30 Gardens Halloween Costume Walk, noon-2 p.m. Oct. 26

Concert in

the Park Series

When: 7-8:30 p.m. Fridays, June 6-Sept. 5

Where: Lions Wayside Park, corner of First and Neal streets, Pleasanton

Contact: 925-484-2199; www.pleasantondowntown.net.

Tip: Pack a picnic for a complete family outing. Pleasanton boasts plenty of fine delis, sandwich shops and grocery stores to help fill the basket.

The CoolTones (big band, swing), 7-8:30 p.m. June 6

Blues Bottle Band (blues), June 13

Night Fever (disco, dance music), June 20

The Crisis (rock, blues), June 27

Tommy and the 4 Speeds ('50s, '60s), July 11

Dave Matthews Blues Band, July 18

D-Lucca (modern jazz), July 25

Houserockers (rock), Aug. 1

Finding Stella (rock, pop), Aug. 8

La Ventana (Latin rock), Aug. 15

Magic Moments ('50s rock, pop), Aug. 22

Pladddohg (Celtic rock), Aug. 29

Public Eye (rock), Sept. 5

Stern Grove

Festival

When: 2 p.m. Sundays, June 15-Aug. 17

Where: Sigmund Stern Grove, 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard, San Francisco

Contact: 415-252-6252; www.sterngrove.org.

Tip: From noon to 1 p.m. before each Sunday concert, kids of all ages are invited to participate in hands-on arts projects and programs at KidStage in the West Meadow at Stern Grove. A different activity is featured at each concert.

Booker T. Jones and Bettye LaVette (soul, R&B), June 15

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, and Sila and the Afrofunk Experience (world music), June 22

San Francisco Symphony, June 29

Allen Toussaint, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue (New Orleans R&B), July 6

Rachid Taha and MC Rai (world music), July 13

Alonzo King's LINES Ballet featuring Pharoah Sanders, July 20

Voices of Latin Rock and SambaDá, July 27

Bajofondo and Si*Sé (electronic music), Aug. 3

One Hawai'i , Aug. 10

San Francisco Opera, Aug. 17

Redwood City

Downtown Concert Series

When: 6 p.m. Fridays, May 30-Oct. 3

Where: Courthouse Square, Broadway and Middlefield Road, Redwood City

Contact: 650-780-7250; www.redwoodcity.org.

Tip: For price and convenience, you can get pizza by the slice right around the corner at Escape From New York.

Tom Rigney & Flambeau (zydeco), May 30

Mazacote (salsa), June 6

Pure Ecstasy (R&B, soul), June 13

Freesound (rock, soul), June 20

Tempest (Celtic rock), June 27

Zoostation (U2 tribute), July 11

Madison Blues Band, July 18

Handful of Luvin (folk rock), July 25

The New Morty Show (big band), Aug. 1

Cocktail Monkeys ('80s rock), Aug. 8

Sun Kings (Beatles tribute), Aug. 15

Skynnyn Lynnyrd Reloaded (Lynryd Skynrd tribute), Aug. 22

California Cowboys (country), Aug. 29

Evolution (Journey tribute), Sept. 5

Aja Vu (Steely Dan tribute), Sept. 12

La Ventana (Latin rock), Sept. 19

Unauthorized Rolling Stones, Sept. 26

Zebop! (Santana tribute), Oct. 3

POINT RICHMOND

MUSIC'S SUMMER

CONCERT SERIES

When: 5:30-7:45 p.m. second Friday of each month, June 13-Sept. 26 (plus Sept. 16)

Where: Park Place, Washington Avenue, downtown Point Richmond

Contact: www.pointrichmond.com/prmusic.

Tip: Each concert celebrates a different genre of popular music, so pick your favorite flavor, pack an appropriate picnic basket and head on down.

Dave Workman Band, Richie Barron (blues), June 13

Michael O'Neill, Adrian Gormley (jazz), July 11

Rock Soup Ramblers, Houston Jones (Americana), Aug. 8

Gumbo West, Ed Earley (New Orleans-style R&B/blues), Sept. 12

Resin 7, Mucho Axe (Latin), Sept. 26

Reach Jim Harrington at 925-945-4717 or jharrington@bayareanewsgroup.com. Read his Concert Blog at www.ibabuzz.com/concerts.