I am donating two bands �" of Leon Timbo, of Josh Thurston Milgrom�" to the third Third Thursday event �" July 20, 2023, but I actually doubt you will see much results from this effort without $100,000 in seed money. The City and Chamber put up $6,000�" but are asking Carol to earmark part of that to port-a-potty's.
What about getting a lease on Fine Arts Theatre and using that for live music?
PS In a related move, I am donating four shows in June to Lytton Plaza downtown�" there is talk of renaming the plaza for Earth Day or for Stanford A3M anti-war movement.
PPS in Menlo Park $35m was donated to create The Guild Theatre.

If California Avenue business and restaurant owners really want to attract larger crowds, Ms. Garsten should consider booking Metallica or Bob Weir and the Dead.

...I have five free shows at Lytton Plaza, four free shows at Mitchell Park Bowl, one at Johnson Park and the two bands donated to Third Thursday...

The music and age of the participating musicians is more reflective of an older generation (aka aging baby boomers).

I assume this is the targeted audience as there are no DJs and hip-hoppers invited to perform.

"The music and age of the participating musicians is more reflective of an older generation (aka aging baby boomers)."

^ Which explains why all one ever hears from these street-fair cover bands are tiresome regurgitations of Eagles, Steely Dan, and Fleetwood Mac music.

The elderly Baby Boomer male population can be easily identified...older men (60+) with gray goatees wearing cargo shorts, a tropical shirt or tie-dyed tee-shirt, and an outdoor-themed fedora.

Most of them do not dig rap or DJ themed music.

OMG! Stop with the snark and give this a chance! There are 9 more Third Thursdays in 2023. If your preferred music type isn't performing tonight, maybe it will be next month. And you can always contact the organizers and make a suggestion or request. I think it is great that Palo Alto is finally doing something like this. Kudos to Garsten and her team!

Editor: please let this 2nd post stand. Tonight on Cal Ave was terrific! My son came to town and we strolled up and down and ultimately dined at Pro Bono. It was a lovely evening. We ate outside and could hear the music from the corner band. Perfection!

THANK YOU to all who made this happen.

"The music and age of the participating musicians is more reflective of an older generation (aka aging baby boomers)."

"...all one ever hears from these street-fair cover bands are tiresome regurgitations of Eagles, Steely Dan, and Fleetwood Mac music."

^ Every generation has its preferred genre of music. The aforementioned bands are the Lawrence Welk of the Baby Boomer generation.

What I don't understand is why there are so many 'farewell tours' and then these bands keep coming back at a later date.

Talk about sell-outs.

Since Palo Alto prides itself as a community of diversity, it would also be appropriate to enlist Mandarin musicians and dancers as part of the Thursday festivities.

The promoter should also include various West African and Middle Eastern musicians, not just cover music for older white audiences.

Think inclusion and expansive cultural representation.

East Indian/Hindu music should also be included to accommodate the emerging Indian demographic.

The tabla and sitar are East Indian equivalents of a standard drum kit and electric guitar.

Worse case scenario and to pacify everyone, maybe have one of the cover bands play Norwegian Wood but with authentic East Indian musicians sitting in.

there were too many bands playing at the same time.Maybe 3 at a time and 30-45 minutes sets so they all get a turn. and no one has mentioned it, latin/salsa music.

I would have liked to see more "portable" food and drinks for strolling. It seems like a missed opportunity for restaurants to entice new customers with bites. also a dessert truck would have been nice.

The is also a good opportunity for local craft vendors.

The solution to 3 bands playing at once would be for them to simply turn up their PA volume levels as I assume most of the musicians and vocalists use some form of amplification.

I totally agree that enough with the snark. Be grateful that this FINALLY happened in Palo Alto after the success this has enjoyed in Los Altos and similar events have enjoyed elsewhere.

Congratulations to Carol for doing this; she did a superb job of organizing First Fridays in Los Altos and she was proud of the free rein given her by the city, often saying how it cost taxpayers nothing.

Shame on Palo Alto and the Chamber of Commerce If they're trying to ding Carol for the cost of the Port-a-Potties when they couldn't even find an active member with a PA business willing and able to organize this event!

Re too many bands playing at once, it was never a problem in Los Altos because you had musicians of all different types, including violin soloists. It was the MIX of musicians that made it work in Los Altos and should here as well.

Also the Nature Gallery wasn't really "a unique home furnishing and design store" but one selling lots of jewelry, minerals and a very few gorgeous slab tables and pedestals. It used to be in Town & Country before moving to Los Altos.

Thank you, Carol.

Re the local music scene, note the long lines at The Guild in Menlo Park and The Fox in Redwood City ans check out the demographics and you'll see lots of baby boomers.

"Shame on Palo Alto and the Chamber of Commerce If they're trying to ding Carol for the cost of the Port-a-Potties when they couldn't even find an active member with a PA business willing and able to organize this event!"

^ Since the CA Avenue merchants and restaurants are directly benefitting from this free entertainment that draws in customers, why don't they simply open-up their restrooms to the public at large?

No need for banks of porta-potties.