Greetings Downtowners!
This is a great week for music.  Natalie Merchant and her eight piece band will perform this evening at the Dodge Theater, giving you some of her classic favorites as well as soon-to-be-favorites.  I love her 10,000 Maniacs era, and her new material is sure to please. [Editor’s Note: Check out more great concerts here.]
Civic Space Park will be live with music that’s hotter than the pavement this weekend with the Third Friday Concert Series and the Big Bang on Saturday night.  Nothing says “urban” like a free concert in the park.  Saturday’s Big Bang features the up-and-coming Makepeace Brothers.  Check out www.facebook.com/asupab  for a look at this phenomenal new band.
The Valley Youth Theater will get you singing with classics like Beauty School Drop-out and Grease Lightning, when they perform the Broadway hit Grease.  Don’t miss your chance to see the talent that this children’s theater churns out, showing until August 29th.   Plus, who doesn’t love a good hand-jive?
Make sure to check out the feature on the cover of this week’s What’s Happening because you’ll get a sneak peek of all the exciting public events coming to Downtown this fall.  Mark your calendars for the grand opening of Lucky Strike Lanes,  The Ambassadors’ Downtown CoolDown pool party at Hotel San Carlos, our nearly-famous Zombie Walk, the 5th Annual Pub Crawl, PAPA, and SO MUCH more! 
And to coin Elvis, “A little less conversation, a little more action please,” I’ll stop writing, you stop reading, and get Downtown!
Have a great week!