Oregon Zoo Summer Concert Series

"Plus" CONCERTS in July & August Free with zoo admission - or - become a member at the "Plus" level or higher, and pay nothing at the door! Enjoy many other member benefits as well.
Thursday, July 8	Riders in the Sky, $9 Beginning each performance with their trademark greeting, “Mighty fine and a great big Western ‘Howdy,’ all you buckaroos and buckarettes,” Riders in the Sky simultaneously pay tribute and poke gentle fun at the classic cowboy songs of the 1930s and 1940s. In 2001 the Riders wrangled up several prestigious awards, including a Grammy for “Best Children’s Album,” “Entertainer of the Year” by Western Music Association and “Group of the Year” by Academy of Western Artists. The Riders’ enthralling act centers around the expert musicianship of Ranger Doug (Idol of American Youth), Woody Paul (King of the Cowboy Fiddlers), Too Slim (Insert Title of Your Choice Here) and Joey “the CowPolka King”. They combine refreshing acoustical music and a wide musical repertoire with outrageous comedy, delivering entertainment guaranteed to delight listeners, regardless of age or musical preference. www.ridersinthesky.com
Wednesday, July 14	The Iguanas, $9 Blasting out of the multi-dimensional New Orleans music scene, The Iguanas produce a gritty blend of roots-rock, Caribbean R&B, and Cajun zydeco grooves. Despite their well-deserved reputation as a party band non pareil, The Iguanas have always had a flair for melodies and lyrics as well as grooves. Driven by twin saxophones, the bajo sexto (a Mexican string instrument), electric guitar, accordion, bass and drums, The Iguanas' have created a unique sound that is representative of all that their home city has to offer. Their most recent album, Plastic Silver 9 Volt Heart showcases their multi-genre talent; singing in both English and Spanish while blending their diverse musical influences, the album transports the listener from smoke-filled, underground city clubs, to the haciendas of Mexico, to the 60s’ deco scene and beyond. www.iguanas.com
Thursday, July 15	It's A Beautiful Day, $9 It’s A Beautiful Day, led by violinist David LaFlamme, have been celebrated in the psychedelic jam band scene since their formation in San Francisco during the early 1960s. An icon in the underground scene performing with people like Jerry Garcia and Janis Joplin, LaFlamme’s training in classical music pushed the envelope for artists of the psychedelically charged Haight Ashbury district. After his short-lived Electric Chamber Orkustra, David co-founded an early incarnation of Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks before joining It's a Beautiful Day in mid-1967. Well known for their platinum songs “White Bird,” and “Hot Summer Day” LaFlamme and IABD have celebrated a highly successful career as talented, genre bending musicians and performers. Showcasing their latest release, Beyond Dreams, the group brings a unique contemporary blend of rock, bluegrass, and classical music. www.davidlaflamme.com
Wednesday, July 21	Rhonda Vincent, $9 Mandolinist, fiddler, and four time Bluegrass Female Vocalist of the Year, Rhonda Vincent brings a blend of original lyrics, reworked honky-tonk, gospel and classic bluegrass to the stage this summer. In the midst of a revival of roots inspired acoustic music, Rhonda Vincent stands at the forefront with her soulful voice and powerful arrangements. Working with the likes of Allison Krauss, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis, and performing several shows with the Down from the Mountain Tour, which showcased the music from O Brother Where Art Though, Vincent is now an icon in the bluegrass community with her fiery picking and heartfelt song. rhondavincent.com
Thursday, July 22	Youssou N'dour, $9 Youssou N'Dour, named “African Artist of the Century,” is perhaps the most celebrated African musician in history. An incomparable singer, songwriter, and composer, Youssou's mix of traditional Senegalese m'balax with eclectic influences ranging from Cuban samba to hip hop, jazz, and soul have won him an international fan base of millions. In the West, Youssou has collaborated with musicians Peter Gabriel, Sting, Neneh Cherry, and Wyclef Jean among others. In Senegal, Youssou is a powerful cultural icon actively involved in social issues. In addition to being an ambassador to the United Nations, he acts as a spokesman for UNICEF where he performs concerts benefiting the children of AIDS victims. Rolling Stone writes, “if any Third World performer has a real shot at the sort of universal popularity last enjoyed by Bob Marley it’s Youssou, a singer with a voice so extraordinary that the history of Africa seems locked inside of it.” www.youssou.com
Wednesday, July 28	Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, $9 Louisiana-born, Texas-raised, multi-instrumentalist and Grammy winner Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown has been playing blues, R&B, country, jazz, and Cajun music for more than 50 years. A virtuoso on guitar, violin, harmonica, mandolin, and viola, Gatemouth began his long-lived career as a drummer during World War II and has since influenced performers as diverse as Albert Collins, Frank Zappa, Lonnie Brooks, Eric Clapton, and Joe Louis Walker. At 80 years old, Gatemouth continues to deliver his own blend of American music showcasing his lasting energy with all the swing and swagger the Lone Star state has to offer. www.gatemouth.com
Thursday, July 29	Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali, $9 Pakistan's fresh, young ensemble Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali, though still in their teens, are already proving to be masters of Sufi devotional music from Pakistan and India. These nephews of the great Qawwali artist Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, come from a direct family line of Qawwali vocal music that spans over five centuries. The ensemble is made up of two lead singers (Rizwan and Muazzam), five secondary singers, two harmonium players, and a tabla. Using music as a vehicle of enlightenment through the traditional Qawwali style, which is seen as one of the world's most passionate and vibrant forms of music and includes Farsi, Punjabi, Braj Bhasha, Urdu and Arabic, Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali continue in their ancient musical heritage. www.folkloreproductions.com
Wednesday, Aug 4	Kekele, $9 Kekele is a Lingula term for a fibrous vine that climbs trees in the tropical forests of the Congo River basin. Ropes woven from Kékélé are still used in some places to build makeshift bridges across forest streams. By calling their group Kékélé, then, perhaps Noel, Jean-Papy, Syran, Nyboma, Djeskain, Bumba, Wuta-Mayi and Yves are thinking of their long career paths as strands woven together to make something strong, something that spans divisions (generations, genres) and allows musicians to continue on their journey and to return home to their musical origins: Congolese Rumba. The golden era for Rumba Congolaise-an irresistible mix of Cuban rumba and African rhythms-was in the sixties, when it reflected the optimism of the newly independent African nations. Kekele has succeeded in bringing this sound back to life, featuring many of the musicians from the classic orchestras of that era. Enchanting vocals, viviacious rhythms and spellbinding guitar based dance make the Congolese Rumba totally uplifting and joyous. www.gatewayofafrica.com
Thursday, Aug 5	Daude, $9 Brazilian Grammy-winner Daude combines contemporary blends of hip-hop, techno and dance and uses them to enhance her style of African influenced Brazilian music. A key figure in Brazil’s pop-roots music scene known as Musica Popular Brasileira, Daude injects radical politics into her lyrics reminiscent of Brazil of the late 1960s. Daude is exhibiting her most recent album, Negunha te Amo (Little Black Girl, I Love You), which showcases an assortment of Brazilian instruments and Daude’s sailing, sensual voice. www.daude.com.br
Wednesday, Aug 11	Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, $9 Performing their contemporary version of the pre-war dance music of the 30s and 40s, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy are one of the leaders of the West Coast Swing Revival Scene. Their performance in the 1996 sleeper hit movie Swingers, where they appeared as the club band, brought national attention to the boys from Ventura, California. The members drew upon their punk rock background to create a sound called “big band gone crazy” that inspires the old and young alike to suit-up and swing. www.bbvd.com
Thursday, Aug 12	Dave Alvin One of America's great songwriters returns with ten new original songs in support of his Yep Roc label debut, “Ashgrove.” Whether it's his revered songwriting, his groundbreaking work with The Blasters, his unmistakable guitar contributions to dozens of other records (X, Tom Waits, Los Lobos, Little Milton), or his sought-after work as a producer (Big Sandy, The Derailers, and most recently Amy Farris), Grammy Award winner Dave Alvin makes his mark on the history and future of American music. “Ashgrove” continues in the folk/blues tradition of “Blackjack David” and “King of California” while incorporating the more raucous electric sound of his live albums “Interstate City” and “Out in California”. www.davealvin.com with Ellis Hooks, $9 With a soulful passionate voice, this singer/songwriter guitarist is already drawing comparisons to Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. This young blues and soul singer from Alabama began his music career hitchhiking the country, performing for occasional clubs, and passersby. He also traveled and performed his way through Europe where, in 2002 his Undeniable album was named one of the strongest albums of the year in the UK. Hooks is currently showcasing his US debut album, Uncomplicated. www.artemisrecords.com
Thursday, Aug 19	Jaojoby, $9 In Madagascar, salegy is probably the most danceable music of modern times and Jaojoby is its undisputed king. Born in the era of pop music, towards the end of the 60s, salegy is an electric music but owes nothing to the West. An original and powerful rhythm pulls dancers into its spiral; the instrumentation is delicate, inspired by tradition. Jaojoby (djo-djoob) is one of the founders of salegy as well as its most famous interpreter. At over forty years old Eusebe Jaojoby conceived the national style, a blend of western instrumentation, ancient island melodies and local rhythms, marvelously carrying the voices of Jaojoby and his backing girls. Unlike other recent bands who have surrendered to the synthesizer and drum machine Jaojoby’s band is the real thing. Now for the first time, Jaojoby is ready to tour North America, where he is guaranteed to get the audiences moving to the salegy rhythms of his homeland. www.ritmoartists.com
Wednesday, Aug 25	White Bird Dance Series, $9 Do Jump! Enter a world where humor, music, dance, theater, acrobatics, and ideas ignite. A place where art breaks down barriers and artists are immune to human limitations. A realm where art and entertainment are one and the same. Do Jump! performances hold nothing back. Using hilarious wit, extreme physical prowess and intelligence, they take a diverse audience on a poetic journey. Under the direction of Robin Lane, Do Jump! has been capturing the imagination of audiences since 1977. Lane leads an ensemble of six multi-talented performers, two technicians and a bevy of musicians and designers who all work as one to fuse athletics with aesthetics. Their props are everyday objects as well as ropes, ladders, and trapezes that dangle from above. Their goal is to express Lane's vision physically and emotionally, taking the audience with them on the journey.

All dates and prices subject to change.

OTHER IMPORTANT "Plus" CONCERT FACTS

Concert admission is on a first-come, first-served basis and limited to concert area maximum capacity. Once total concert capacity has been reached, per order of the Fire Marshall, no additional guests will be admitted to the Zoo. This includes additional family members or friends of guests already seated on the concert lawn. For your safety and convenience, we encourage you to enter with your complete concert-going party.
Blankets and chairs are allowed on the lawn after 4 p.m. No outside alcohol permitted. Cell phone use is prohibited during performances.
Free overflow parking and shuttle bus service will be available off the Sylvan exit on Hwy. 26.
TriMet MAX and bus line #63 provide service to the Zoo. Call (503) 238-RIDE for more information.
Shows start at 7 p.m.

MEMBER ADMISSION BENEFITS

Individual Plus, Zoo4Two Plus, Family Plus, Patron, Benefactor, Sponsor and Conservation Circle members receive free admission to Wednesday and Thursday concerts based on space availability at time of arrival on the day of the concert. For your convenience, a special Express ticket line will be open from 5 to 7 p.m. at the main entrance. Your check in will be much faster if you have your membership card and photo ID ready for the attendant.
Individual, Zoo4Two and Family members must pay the special concert admission rates of $9 (adults 12-64), $7.50 (senior 65+) or $6 (youth 3-11) after 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday concert days. If you leave the Zoo before 7 p.m., your admission will be reimbursed.

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