Orcas Center summer concert series announced

||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER |||

Orcas Center is proud to present its annual Summer Concert Series on the Village Green, bringing free, live music to the heart of Eastsound. This vibrant outdoor series, supported in part by Joe & Maureen Brotherton and the Doe Bay team, features many artists from the Doe Bay Artist in Residence program (www.doebay.com/music-and-art/). It celebrates community, creativity, and the magic of music under the open sky.

All performances are free for the community and take place on Sundays at 5 p.m. The series runs June 28 through Aug. 30. The eclectic lineup will have something for everyone with phenomenal performers for all ages.

Sunday, June 28: Kicking off the season is James Charles Howard, Jr. with local group Minnow Creek opening. Howard, Jr. performs original blues-rock, instrumental rock and acoustic singer-songwriter originals and covers. Drawing inspiration from legends like Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, Jeff Beck, and Jimi Hendrix, Howard fuses traditional blues with psychedelic roots rock — seasoned with touches of Latin and jazz — to create a sound that’s uniquely his own. Opening act for the performance is Minnow Creek, an indie folk quartet that blends heartfelt storytelling, rich harmonies and percussive grooves into a warm roots-driven sound. Led by frontman Clint McCune on rhythm guitar, with Joel Gamble on violin and keys, Rebecca Cohen on stand-up bass and Dan Hall on percussion, the band creates music that is both intimate and alive.

Saturday, July 12: Ska Island takes the stage, with Desolation Sound opening. Ska Island is a Pacific Northwest supergroup that plays vintage Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and reggae. The band regularly performs across the Salish Sea and often features regional reggae legend Adrian Xavier, touring to celebrate the roots of 1960s and 1970s Caribbean music. Opening the show is Desolation Sound, whose music they call “Salish Rock,” inspired by the beauty and remoteness of their island home of Friday Harbor, Washington. The band consists of Scott Sluis on drums, Darvis Taylor on bass, Gene Nery on lead guitar and Daniel DeShon on vocals and guitar. Their third record arrives on King Tide Records on July 10.

Sunday, July 19: Thunderpussy headlines, with Maka Gallinger and 808 Ohana opening. Thunderpussy is an all-female rock band from Seattle, Washington. Composed of vocalist Molly Sides, guitarist Whitney Petty, bassist Leah Julius, and drummer Michelle Nuño, the band draws its sound from the swagger and energy of 1970s rock. Opening the show are Maka Gallinger and 808 Ohana. Maka Gallinger is a Hawaiian advocate, activist, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and accomplished performer from the Big Island of Hawaii, known for her unique ukulele play style, versatility, and powerful voice. Her music blends tones of reggae, Latin and island sounds with lyrics that uplift and inspire. Together with her husband Petroglyph, Maka leads 808 Ohana, a multigenerational band whose music features native sounds with tones of reggae and messages that carry the voices of the Kanaka Oiwi and their community.  Doe Bay is bringing music from the Big Island to our island.

Sunday, July 26: The Charlie Porter Quintet headlines, with Rumbo Tumba opening. GRAMMY Award-winning trumpeter and composer Charlie Porter, an early Doe Bay Fest performer, has been a vibrant force on the jazz scene for over two decades. Recognized for his distinct artistic vision, Porter merges narrative design, sophisticated long-form composition, and boundary-pushing collaboration to continually expand the possibilities of modern jazz. Described by DownBeat as “fluid, expressive, and magnificent,” Porter has released six acclaimed albums as a leader, including Immigration Nation, which was named one of DownBeat’s Best Albums of the Year. As a bandleader and performer, Porter has graced major festival stages and anchored legendary New York jazz venues like The Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club, and Birdland, performing alongside Joe Zawinul, Paquito D’Rivera, and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars. This summer, Porter launches his seventh album, Sci-Fi Standards, Vol. 1: The Future We Knew, reimagining classic science-fiction cinema themes through a modern jazz lens. Opening the show is Rumbo Tumba, the electroacoustic project of Argentine multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer Facundo Salgado. For over 13 years, Salgado has captivated global audiences, touring more than 30 countries on every continent. A true one-man band, he plays, records, and mixes a variety of native South American handmade instruments in real time.

Sunday, Aug. 2: Reposado headlines, with Nick Drummond opening. Reposado is a Seattle-based Afro-Latin funk band fronted by singer and bandleader Jean-Paul Builes. Centered in the crowd and creating a movement of connection and vulnerability, the band encourages everyone to rise and let loose. Their sprawling ensemble has employed over 40 musicians since its inception, and their live performances are renowned for their irresistible, full-throttle energy. Opening the show is Seattle singer-songwriter Nick Drummond, a staple of the Emerald City. Playing solo sets at festivals such as Oak Harbor Music Fest, Little Big Fest, Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts, and Oregon Country Fair, among others, he has captivated audiences in venues large and small for years. His weekly residency at Seattle’s Mermaid Lounge has become a can’t-miss event, and he provides a sound much larger and more intricate than one expects of a solo performer. Doe Bay owner Joe Brotherton’s message: “Don’t miss this one.”

Sunday, Aug. 9: Saltydog headlines, with Honey of the Heart and Pamwe Marimba also performing. Saltydog is a funk-jam improvisational exploration that takes the audience and band on a journey through playfully crafted, folk-driven tunes inspired by everyone from The Talking Heads and The Band to classic country and jam-band staples. The band spawned on the banks of Duluth’s ice-covered stones by brothers Jacob and Owen Mahon. This midwestern psychedelic cowboy revue features Calvin Lund, Lefty Johnson, Gavin St. Clair, and Sam Deters. Their second album Pepper dropped in spring 2024, and the band is set to release their third album in winter 2026. Also performing is Honey of the Heart, a Northern California-based band and community collective fronted by singer-songwriters Maren Metke (vocals, guitar, ukulele) and Justin Ancheta (vocals, guitar, multi-instrumentalist). Formed in 2014, their genre-blending sound incorporates folk, soul, jazz, and world-flamenco into rich harmonies, focusing on matters of the heart and aiming to inspire and uplift listeners. Rounding out the evening is Pamwe Marimba, an eight-piece ensemble of passionate advocates of Zimbabwean marimba music, with roots in New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Montana. Their repertoire ranges from traditional Shona music to original compositions, each piece a celebration of the marimba’s versatility. Salty Dog will visit Eastsound as part of the MAI (Music Arts & Ideas) Festival at Doe Bay: www.doebay.com/event/mai-fest-2026. Shows are free and open to the public at Doe Bay.

Sunday, Aug. 23: Up Up Up! headlines, with Dana Lyons also performing. Also on the line-up is a Kid Faire, hosted by Kaleidoscope Preschool and Child Care Center. Up Up Up! is a nonprofit self-contained touring circus show that brings outdoor circus performances to small farms, immigrant communities, tribal community centers, refugee support groups, nursing homes, women’s shelters, and more. Their ensemble of seven performers creates whimsy, beauty, and hilarity accessible to audiences of all ages. Performing its sixth annual one-hour, all-ages, outdoor circus show, the production features aerialists, musicians, acrobats, clowns, and illusionists — complete with a crane truck for shenanigans and a jumble of instruments for live music. Also performing is Dana Lyons, the Bellingham-based “environmental troubadour” who carries on the legacy of artist-activists such as Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Best known for his hit comedy song “Cows With Guns,” Lyons is a singer, guitarist, and recording artist who has toured the world for thirty years promoting environmental and social justice causes.

Sunday, Aug. 30: General Mojos headlines, with Robert Sarazin Blake and His High, Wide & Handsome Band also performing. General Mojos is a psychedelic rock band from Seattle, Washington, with over a decade of history in the Northwest. Composed of four generational talents, they found their Pacific Northwest voice within the richly established DIY scene and have been described as “the band with no weak link.” Closing out the season alongside them is Robert Sarazin Blake and His High, Wide & Handsome Band. For three decades, Blake has toured across the US, Canada, Ireland, Germany, and beyond, performing old songs, new songs, and whatever the moment calls for. He has released 13 albums, earning praise from critic Robert Christgau. With The High, Wide & Handsome Band, Blake puts on his party hat and the band puts a beat behind the stories.

Dates, times, and performers are subject to change, so be sure to check Orcas Center’s website for the latest information as performance dates approach. Doe Bay music events are free and open to the public.