The Sunnyvale Sun
News
Annual summer music series blasts off
By Stephen Baxter
Downtown Sunnyvale got funky on June 27. A crowd of more than 1,000 watched Double Funk Crunch wail away the evening on S. Murphy Avenue, and young and old clapped along and boogied in front of the stage. The band was the second of nine weekly acts in the eighth annual Sunnyvale Summer Music Series, which continues to Aug. 22.
Sunnyvale Downtown Association president Joe Antuzzi said the street festival's popularity has been steady.
"It's gotten better every year," he said.
On June 27, event sponsor Toyota Sunnyvale showed off a blue Prius and a yellow FJ Cruiser on W. Washington and Murphy avenues, and vendors sold food, flowers and crafts. Fans reveled in the evening sun as members of Double Funk Crunch sang and skipped across the stage.
Sunnyvale resident Sharon Peek set up her foldable chair in front of Leigh's Favorite Books on Murphy to eat dinner and watch the show. She said she liked the music.
"They have a lot of energy, which is good. They don't take a lot of breaks," Peek said, adding that she hoped the festival would continue next summer. "Tell them to keep doing this!" she exclaimed.
When Double Funk Crunch finally took five at about 7 p.m., children did cartwheels in front of the stage as a Justin Timberlake song thumped on the speakers.
Some new bands will perform in the series this year that have roots in Sunnyvale, including Phil 'n The Blanks. They will play the series finale on Aug. 22. Sunnyvale resident Phil Wiseman is a guitarist, keyboardist and singer in the band, and he said he's excited.
"This will be a big one for us, and we're looking forward to it," Wiseman said.
Wiseman has been playing sporadically with guitarist Gregg Cook for more than a decade, and the band's current lineup has been together for a few years.
They play classic rock covers from such bands as the Eagles, ZZ Top and the Doobie Brothers, and also glide into country with songs from artists such as Brooks & Dunn and Keith Urban. They also play some more current rock covers from such bands as Maroon 5.
"It's kind of a mixed bag, a little something for everybody," Wiseman said.
They have played at private parties at The Historic Del Monte Building and at Fibbar Magee's, but the music series will be their largest outdoor concert yet.
"I hope everybody can check us out," Wiseman said.
