{"id":11532,"date":"2023-06-29T07:00:07","date_gmt":"2023-06-29T14:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sanpedrotoday.com\/?p=11532"},"modified":"2023-06-29T07:19:01","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T14:19:01","slug":"sounds-of-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanpedrotoday.com\/2023\/06\/29\/sounds-of-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Sounds of Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"
This is the time of year when Mike Caccavalla\u2019s blood pressure begins to rise.<\/strong><\/span> This isn\u2019t a surprise if you know him; many in San Pedro do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s the beginning of June, and in a few weeks, Caccavalla, 62, will be walking onto the stage at Point Fermin Park in front of more than 2,000 people to introduce the first band at this year\u2019s Music by the Sea concert series. It\u2019s a walk he\u2019s done for nearly three decades as the co-founder and lead organizer of the event, which, for many, marks San Pedro\u2019s \u201cunofficial official\u201d beginning of summer.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one big family gathering backyard party, is what I call it,\u201d says Caccavalla, who\u2019s also the current executive chef at San Pedro Meals on Wheels. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And he\u2019s right. Since 1995, Music by the Sea has become one of the town\u2019s most beloved annual events and is quintessentially San Pedro. The crowd is always multigenerational and eclectic, ranging from new families enjoying the park for the first time to old timers reliving their glory days and everyone in between.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It hasn\u2019t always been smooth sailing, but with the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island backdrop, a constant ocean breeze, and hours of live music, Music by the Sea has always had the ingredients for a perfect summer Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n FILLING THE STAGE<\/span> Caccavalla recalls sitting with a group at Angels Gate Park that year to discuss the possibilities. \u201cWe were at the Korean Bell, and somebody had mentioned that back in the 1970s, they used to have concerts [at Point Fermin Park] all the time,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n That idea caught wind, and by the following summer, the City of L.A.\u2019s Department of Recreation and Parks, with the help of Caccavalla and several volunteers, was organizing the newly named Music by the Sea concert series.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe first year we had it, I think maybe 300 people showed up, and we thought it was the best thing that ever happened,\u201d he laughs.<\/p>\n
\nThe problem was simple: the stage at Point Fermin Park was underutilized, and the City of Los Angeles was interested in activating it for local events. What that meant in 1994, no one knew yet.<\/p>\n