Now in its 10th year, Summer and Music (SAM) highlights local bands throughout Long Beach that range in genres from indie rock to punk.

On Thursday, May 17, I went over to Fingerprints Music on 4th Street for the Summer and Music Festival’s Kick Off. Summer and Music is a concert series located in Downtown Long Beach that provides an entire summer of free music to people of all ages. Now in its 10th year, Summer and Music (SAM) highlights local bands throughout Long Beach that range in genres from indie rock to punk. Downtown Long Beach Alliance produces the event and has been voted “Best Music Festival” by the OC Weekly three years in a row. SAM’s Kick Off holds winners of its battle of the bands concert Buskerfest, which is also the organization’s last concert every year.

Previous winners of Buskerfest, Bearcoon, Rudy de Anda, and Korey Dane, kicked off the concert beginning at 7 p.m. Each artist played a 15-minute set consisting of about three songs, and my personal favorite was the indie folk band Bearcoon with their song “It’s Just You and Me.” The rhythm of the electric guitar and single drum got the crowd of around 70 tapping their toes and moving to the catchy beat.

If you want to listen to good music and support local Long Beach bands, there are four more events held by SAM throughout the summer. The next concerts in the series are FKA720 on June 23 (location to be determined), Twisted at the Pike on July 7 at the Pike Outlets, Stay Tuned… on August 4 (location to be determined) and, lastly, Buskerfest on September 8 at East Village Arts District on 1st Street and Linden Avenue to end the summer. Each artists Spotify account can be found above and on SAM’s website.