Concert series at Heavenly Village expanding and bringing in bigger acts

Submitted by paula on Fri, 06/03/2016 - 7:46am

On any given day of the year, one can find live music in South Lake Tahoe, and this summer's lineup has just increased by 33 with the schedule for the free Heavenly Music series being released.

This is our fourth year, and we've expanded," said Dreu Murin of Dreu Murin Productions.. "We searched all top bands in the area, Bay Area, Las Vegas and Sacramento. This is going to be exciting!"

Heavenly Village has added staging and lighting in order to create a more effective stage for the acts. If the crowds at the opening weekend are any measure, the move was a successful one.

"We had almost 800 people at opening weekend," said Murin. "They were all dancing and having a great time."

The series is the vision of the The Shops at Heavenly Village's developer and operator, Gary Casteel, Jr. According to Murin, Casteel wants to provide the community and the visitors with great music and his goal is to bring in headliner acts to the village as early as next summer.

Bands selected to perform are all approved by Gary's wife Marci who wants to ensure they are fun, family friendly and talented, said Murin.

The stage at the Heavenly Village moves each week between two locations. This week, the stage is set up for Friday and Saturday between Fire & Ice and Gunbarrel Tavern by the fountain. Next week, the stage is set up at the corner of Hwy 50 and Heavenly Village Way in front of Azul Latin Kitchen and California Burger.

"There is so much talent in the surrounding area," said Murin, and the musicians at all of the South Shore locations are amazing."

Locals also are heading to the Village to eat and listen to music, not just tourists. The family friendly venue attracts all ages, pets with their owners, and families.

"we're excited!" said Murin. "We're seeing a lot more locals in the Village with the great restaurants and live music."

For those wanted to avoid parking issues, there are bike racks at many different spots around the concert area and in the Village.