Our Laguna: Music festival quite the success about town

Laguna welcomed summer with music and camaraderie with its sister city, Menton, France.

The fifth annual Fête de la Musique was presented Saturday by the Laguna Beach Sister Cities Assn., mirroring an event held in Menton.

Mayor Jane Egly and association President Karyn Philippsen welcomed the crowd at the opening ceremony on the cobblestones at Main Beach. Terri Gans, communications attaché to the French Consulate in Los Angeles, stood in for the consul, who was unable to attend.

The ceremony included Lisa Morrice singing "La Marseillaise." Jenny Wang sang the "Star Spangled Banner." The Laguna Concert Band's Swing Set also entertained.

Onlookers included association members Nancy Beverage, Jennifer Karan, Betsy Jenkins and Councilwoman Toni Iseman; Laguna Beach High School teacher Odile Dewar; Barbara Painter and other beachgoers, who staked out spots on the grass surrounding the cobblestones.

No Square Theatre kicked off the performances at Madison Square Café and Garden. Street performances began at 1:30 p.m. The sites were checked off by Decibel Divas Pat Kollenda and Susan Davis, who carted around town to check out the sounds of the fete.

They reported that no one exceeded the city's noise limits. In fact, at a couple of stops, Kollenda urged some talented performers to amp it up.

Just to let you know who you saw and heard while roaming around downtown: Capistrano Mariachis were stationed at Las Brisas. Fete chair Chic McDaniel's trio played folk rock in the South Coast Cinema alcove.

Alcoves are ideal locations. The performers don't interfere with pedestrians or with nearby musical groups.

The Funghis' '60s and '70s folk rock was played in the recess by Laguna Colony, only a few yards from the Coffee Pub/Lumberyard Mall patio, where Matt Quilter's trio performed county rock, with no conflict. Quilter called his group the MonTones — a play on the name of Laguna's sister city (he has really been hanging out too long with his brother Chris, who comes up with the wickedly clever parodies in "Lagunatics").

The Cigar Box Rock 'n' Roll Group drew a crowd at Chico's alcove. There was also singer Macarena Budrows, who just graduated from Laguna Beach High School with a Festival of Arts scholarship for dance.