It’s summer and thou shalt not be blah!

No excuses today, folks. I’m late because I’ve had a tremendous time getting up the motivation to post. I’m draaaaaggin.’

In my defense, I spent much of yesterday at a callback interview, which was awesome but strangely exhausting. And then I met a friend in DC and we ended up hanging out longer than I intended and I came home late-ish. And then I did my usual up-at-6:30-am-for-the-7:28-train routine. And Benevolent Dictator Jamie isn’t here this week, and nobody is sending me any web updates to do, and I already finished organizing all of next season’s concerts by composer, and I already made myself a list of potential apartments should I get this job, and in short: blah.

But never fear! I have mentally slapped the metaphorical cheeks of my sleepy brain into something akin to alertness, and I’m ready to talk about the BSO’s summer season. Like those popsicles at Walt Disney World, itzakadoozie.

First you have your “Star-Spangled Spectacular” on July 3 and 4 at Oregon Ridge. Ya got your Sousa, ya got your 1812 Overture, ya got your national anthem and lawn chair and barbecue.

Next up is “Planet Earth Live,” wherein clips of the documentary will be projected onto a screen while the BSO plays the soundtrack conducted by the composer. I find this decidedly nifty and am looking into attending. It’s on Thursday, July 8 at 8 pm at Strathmore and Friday, July 9 at 7:30 pm at the Meyerhoff.

Then we have “Rising Stars Perform Tchaikovsky Concertos.” The BSO is bringing in two fifteen-year-old prodigies, one on the violin and one on the piano. They will play – get ready – concertos by Tchaikovsky. Oh, and the program also includes his Capriccio Italien. That will be on Saturday, July 10 at 7:30 pm at the Meyerhoff and Saturday, July 17 at 8 pm at Strathmore.

Next! A Michael Jackson tribute! Yup, orchestral versions of his works, plus a Jackson-esque vocalist. That’s on Thursday, July 15 at 7:30 pm at the Meyerhoff. You can’t make this stuff up. Nor can you make up the Eagles tribute concert at Pier Six in the Inner Harbor on Friday, July 16 at 8 pm. I rather like the Eagles and I’m not afraid to admit it!

This one’s free! Soprano Rachel Gilmore joins the BSO for a concert at the Meyerhoff on Saturday, July 17 at 2 pm, gratis.

Not gratis but (if you ask me) even more exciting is the Porgy and Bess Gershwin concert on Thursday, July 22 at the Meyerhoff. They’re playing An American in Paris too! I love that piece! Especially that really swingy slow bit on the solo horn that gets picked up by the whole orchestra and then syncopated, if you know the part I mean.

And if all that wasn’t out there enough for you, how about some Philip Glass and Frank Zappa featuring beatboxer Shodekeh? That’s on July 23 at 7:30 pm at the Meyerhoff.

And finally, you can head back to Oregon Ridge for a “Broadway Melodies” concert on July 24 at 8 pm. “From My Fair Lady to Jersey Boys!” the brochure avers. I’m afraid.

For more information and to purchase tickets to any or all of these concerts, click here. Tomorrow: the frenzy the above have stirred on Facebook!