I hope you’re deep into enjoying your Fourth of July weekend. Here in the Pacific Northwest (at least on the west side of the Cascade Mountains), we often say summer doesn’t really begin until July 5th because it isn’t unusual for the Fourth to be rather cool, cloudy and often damp. This year, however, the entire region experienced warm to hot (above 100 degrees) temperatures and sunny, blue skies. For me, my summer began on Memorial Day when I traveled to Portland to enjoy the first of several concerts for the summer.

I was less than a week home from our extended trip to the Eastern Mediterranean, and I was recovering from a bout of food poisoning and strep throat on top of that. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to the four-hour solo drive north to Portland, but after a few days on antibiotics, I felt I could manage the trip. My sister Julie, daughter Jenny, her friend Mary Jane and I carpooled to downtown Portland early on Monday evening for a quick dinner before hopping the Max light rail across the river to the Rose Quarter. We’ve found this is the easiest, quickest way to enjoy a concert at the multipurpose venue (also home to the Portland Trailblazers and the Winterhawks hockey team), as we avoid the exorbitant parking fees and traffic tangle around the arena.

We thoroughly enjoyed Mumford & Sons, a group Jenny introduced me to a few years ago and whom Julie and Mary Jane were new to. They of course entertained us with a number of their hits from Babel and Sigh No More, but we really also enjoyed one of their encore numbers. They surprised the audience by shifting to a small, make-shift stage at the opposite end of the arena floor from the main stage (and just below our perch midway up the bowl) to perform a few  numbers (sort of like what Coldplay did in the concert I saw in this same venue last year), including an absolutely haunting and beautiful a cappela version of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire.” (Personal peeve: I don’t pay a lot of money for a concert ticket to hear yahoos hollering and whistling piercingly while the artists perform — especially annoying when the musicians have asked the audience to listen quietly!) Magical!

Just last week my husband and I saw the Steve Miller Band perform at the outdoor pavilion in Jacksonville at the Britt Festival. I’ve written previously about one of our favorite concert venues almost right in our backyard. Tickets are reasonable (especially for locals who can purchase special package lawn seating deals), one can bring in any food and beverage items (short of hard liquor — though bags and coolers are rarely checked) one wants, and the vibe is decidedly relaxed and very friendly. It was a cool and breezy evening, but the music was great and the band in top form. Steve Miller’s voice is still strong and clear, and his guitar playing is truly phenomenal. They played several numbers from the 40-year-old (!) The Joker and a slew of danceable, sing-along-’cause-you’ve-known-the-words-forever tunes.

What a great way to start the summer: with a (relatively) new band and a legendary one, both boasting entertainingly accomplished musicians. Thankfully, I’ve got a few more concerts on my slate for the season, too!

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor