Live at Lagunitas concert series brings free music to Petaluma

Good beer, delicious bites and rocking tunes under the sun. What more can you ask for in a summer concert series - national acts and new music? Check.

Live at Lagunitas combines all of the above at the Lagunitas Amphitheatre located in the brewery’s Petaluma taproom on McDowell Boulevard. Music at Lagunitas isn’t a new thing, in fact, you can catch cool tunes there daily.

Music starts at 4:20 p.m. on weekdays and ?3 p.m. on weekends. If you’ve attended one of these pop-up shows, you might wonder what makes the concert series different.

The concert series brings legendary acts to town. Not to mention the outdoor stage allows you to bask in the glorious summer sun while drinking a “Little Sumpin,” or one of the other many beers on tap, if a pale wheat ale isn’t quite your style.

Last year’s summer concert series included big names such as Unknown Mortal Orchestra who played a concert at Lagunitas just days before two sold-out shows with Tame Impala at the Greek Theatre and Con Brio, who played big-name festivals such as Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and this year’s BottleRock in downtown Napa.

The 2017 summer lineup is just as impressive. This year’s acts include The White Buffalo, whose frontman Jake Smith out-whistles just about any harmonica, Blues and soul queen Mavis Staples and Americana singer songwriter James McMurtry, just to name a few. The best part is the shows are free. The downside - the free tickets go fast.

Lindsay Shepley and her cousin, Jarrod Rupiper, jumped at the chance to see The White Buffalo during this year’s Live at Lagunitas summer series. For Shepley, the concert offered a chance to see one of her favorite artists perform for the first time.

“I live in Rohnert Park, and that’s like seven minutes away,” Shepley said. “It’s so close, I couldn’t not [go] and Cousin here hooked me up with the free ticket.”

Concert enthusiasts can go online before the shows and reserve a ticket on the Lagunitas website. All concertgoers need to do is keep an eye out for ticket release dates, sign up for an Eventbrite account and nab a ticket before they are gone.

Though tickets are free, there’s a limit of two tickets per registered email account. But before you decide to sign up for dozens of accounts, be warned that guests who get greedy and use multiple transactions to obtain more tickets risk getting all of them invalidated.

You can print the tickets from home or save a tree by downloading them to acellphone. The latter option is also convenient if you tend to lose things. What a better way to make sure you don’t leave your ticket at home than to have it right on your phone?

Rupiper found the process fairly simple to follow.

“It was unbelievably easy, not to mention it’s free,” he said. “One of my staple beers is Little Sumpin’ and White Buffalo, who is one of my favorite artists, is here so it’s a great combination.”

Because these shows are in high demand, signing up for free tickets doesn’t guarantee entrance into the event. Entry is based on capacity, so Lagunitas staff encourages attendees to arrive early to guarantee entrance. Doors open at around 4:20 p.m. with music starting at 6 p.m. The outdoor venue offers a large grassy seating area or a dance floor for those who want to be up close to their favorite artist.

The concert series also allows Lagunitas regulars to expand their horizons. Longtime Lagunitas patrons Jennifer Tnormar and Jason Mackey also attended The White Buffalo Concert and plan to return for a few more dates on the summer series lineup.

“We made a pact this year that we’re going to see more live music,” Tnormar said.

The pair like that the shows are free and are limited so they aren’t bumping elbows with other attendees. Mackey said they weren’t planning on staying until the end but he plans to bring a blanket to sit and enjoy the next show he attends.

Other notable things to bring to concerts include your ID since each concert is strictly 21 and older. No children or outside food are allowed inside the venue so it’s best to find a babysitter and eat before arrival or plan to grab a bite from the bar. You can purchase various dishes such as veggie burgers, wraps and pretzels to go along with one of the many beers available on tap.

Doors open at 4:20 p.m. and music starts at 6 p.m. sharp. You can check out the remaining lineup below and log on to the Lagunitas website at lagunitas.com for tickets.