Idyllwild’s 2023 free Summer Concert Series (ISCS) continues Thursday, July 13, when the Big Band Staff backs up Sharon Owens in a “Tribute to Barbra Streisand.” There will be no opening act, and the music starts at 7 p.m. The concerts are free to all and have been a big draw for locals and visitors since 2000.
PHOTO COURTESY OF OWENS
Series organizer and Big Band Staff leader Ken Dahleen said Owens is another of the artists he has worked with off the Hill, and invited to Idyllwild. “Sharon Owens is Barbra Streisand in the Vegas ‘Legends Show.’ She tours the world. I was out on tour with her for seven weeks earlier this year. She is incredible.”
Owens has made a career out of her uncanny sonic and visual resemblance to Streisand. In addition to her work with the Legends in Concert franchise, she has won many competitions, including Fox TV’s “Performing As …” in 2005. For over 10 years she has performed “Barbara and Frank, the Concert That Never Was” on the Las Vegas strip, and around the country. In addition to a sold-out engagement in London’s West End, she tours Australia, Canada, Holland, Belgium and Asia and has entertained aboard cruise ships for Royal Caribbean, Princess and Norwegian cruise lines.
ISCS is a manifestation of Dahleen’s love of Idyllwild and live music. As a contractor, he has the sound and lighting equipment, and the crew, to put on professional shows in a big venue like the Butterfield Amphitheater. Series Vice President Pete Holzman said that Dahleen’s contribution to the series is “the equivalent of a $50,000 line item.”
Working with his Big Band Staff and other ensembles, Dahleen meets a certain class of performer, and the invitation to play Idyllwild has a draw all its own. He told the Crier last year that musicians are more willing to do outdoor gigs that are not over 100 degrees. Previous artists have confirmed there is a benefit for Idyllwild’s cooler climate, and the town itself is a draw for visiting artists, many of whom decide to make a weekend of it. Dahleen’s crew also appreciates the cool.
He started the Big Band Staff in 1989. “We are all studio musicians. We all work together in different organizations and studios. They’re first-call guys all over the Southern California area. They take the calls at casinos to play for major stars. We’re expected to get it right the first time.” The group made the rounds. “We were popular throughout Southern California. Organizers always invited a big band to their summer concerts,” Dahleen said. He kept wanting to perform in Idyllwild, but there was no venue. Finally, in 2000, the right group of locals came together to provide the funding for the series. Since then it has grown from four concerts to nine, each week a different style to provide something for everyone.
The concerts are all free, but donations are gratefully accepted. Funding is met through contributions from the community, and the series always starts on a wing and a prayer. The budget this year is $36,900. Contributions, checks payable to Idyllwild Summer Concert Org, may be sent to P.O. Box 1542, Idyllwild CA 92549-1542, or call (760) 413-4638.
Remember that temperatures drop in the summer evening. Come prepared with an extra layer at Butterfield Amphitheater, 54201 Ridgeview Drive. Access is through the Idyllwild Community Center Playground parking lot on Highway 243 just south of town.
