5-16-2025 5:32am

Segerstrom Center Summer Sounds Outdoor Concerts | Julianne and George Argyros Plaza | Jun 6 - Jul 25

Eric Bergstrom Editor

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is thrilled to announce the return of Summer Sounds, the Center’s annual free outdoor Summer concert series, kicking off this June on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza. Every year, the Plaza comes alive with high-energy performances that spotlight the rich and diverse music scene of Southern California.

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This year’s Summer Sounds lineup features an eclectic mix of genres, including rock, reggae, funk and country. All showcasing talented local artists that bring community and culture center stage. Concerts will take place on Friday evenings, offering a perfect start to summer weekends with accessible, family-friendly entertainment for all ages.

Jun 6 - South Side Symphony

Jun 13 - Edi Callier

Jun 20 - Upstream

Jul 11 - The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble

Jul 25 - QUITAPENAS

Admission to Summer Sounds is free with our new Plaza Pass! Before you arrive, sign up for free and download this digital pass to your mobile wallet for access to the entire Summer Sounds series along with thrilling live entertainment, exciting cultural experiences, and free community programming on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza all year round.

This is a casual outdoor concert in an open plaza with limited seating. Don't forget to grab your lawn chairs, blankets, and sweaters to enjoy the show comfortably. Seating location is unassigned and first come first served.

SUMMER SOUNDS 2025 LINEUP

South Side Symphony | June 6

Dr. Marcus Norris founded South Side Symphony with the idea “What if orchestras didn’t exist, and were invented today by a young Black man?” He describes the sound as “like if Quincy Jones grew up on 90s R&B and Rap.” The predominantly Black orchestra has performed with Chloe x Halle, Andra Day, and played on several film & TV scores including AppleTV's new hit series "Lady in the Lake" starring Natalie Portman & Moses Ingram, as well as NBC Universal’s “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.“ After hearing South Side Symphony perform under Marcus’s Musical Direction at the 2022 Wearable Art Gala, Beyoncé asked Marcus to orchestrate several songs for her and 50-piece orchestra as part of her surprise 2023 Dubai return to live performance. The orchestra’s motto is “Our music in our time,’ because nobody can tell our stories like we can.”

Edi Callier | June 13

Edi Callier is a recording artist, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and mental health advocate. Inspired by the music of Prince, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, EWF, Aerosmith, Nirvana, John Williams, Danny Elfman, and his roots playing and singing alongside his father in the church at a young age, his journey led him to the city of Atlanta where he rapidly made a name for himself, built a following through his genre-bending brand of music, commanding stage presence, extraordinary musicianship, and his distinguishably smooth yet passionate vocal performance.

Upstream | June 20

Upstream has been spreading their message of love and positivity through their exhilarating Caribbean Music, namely, Reggae, Calypso, Soca and Steel Drum Music, for quite some time now.

Through the years they have mesmerized audiences throughout the world and brought many to kneel at their alter of ultimate enjoyment. With a multi-talented line up of some of the most experienced and enlightened musicians in their camp, they continue to spread joy to an unsuspecting public.

Sure Fire Soul Ensemble | July 11

The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble is a 9-piece heavy, instrumental funk band from San Diego, CA. Their influences are vast and include Hip Hop groups like Wu-Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest, as well as funk and soul masters like Isaac Hayes, The Meters, and James Brown. Their last two LPs debuted in the top 15 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Chart. SFSE is equally at home in the studio as they are on the stage, where their original songs transform and take on new life through live performance. They have shared the stage with Kamasi Washington, Quantic, Lee Fields, Monophonics, Jungle Fire, and most recently served as backing band for Hip Hop legend, Big Daddy Kane. The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble are definitely still on a roll coming off of their fourth LP, Step Down, which debuted at #14 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Chart.

Midnight Cowgirls | July 18

THE MIDNIGHT COWGIRLS are a powerhouse feminine quartet poised to revolutionize the music scene with their electrifying blend of country, new wave, post-punk, and rockabilly. Their fresh sound defies genre conventions, seamlessly blending twangy guitars with pulsating bass lines and driving rhythms. Conceptualized by songwriter and bassist Jennie Vee of Eagles of Death Metal, the band quickly came together with Canadian singer/songwriter Kandle Osborne, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and vocalist Blaise Dahl (Dahl Haus, F You Tammy), and drummer, vocalist and composer Marlhy Murphy.

QUINTAPENAS | July 25

QUITAPENAS, one word – all caps, four syllables – all claps, gives you a taste of their rhythmic contagion. This tropical Afro-Latin combo was born under the warm California sun. They borrow aesthetics from the radical 60s, 70s and 80s. Each song echoes a remix of history and invites one to engage in the liberating evenings of Angola, Peru, Colombia, Brazil and beyond. The name means “to remove worries.” Everybody has a “pena” and the mission of QUITAPENAS is simple: to make you dance and leave you without a worry.