Port Orchard’s rocking and rolling for a skate park

The longboarders in Port Orchard need a place to call their own and the music scene is trying to make it happen.

On Aug. 30, a $5 cover will

buy a four-band set at Moondogs, Too, 714 Bay St.

The concert kicks off at 3 p.m. with Super Heroes in Training and at 4:30 p.m. Snakebite will take the stage. At 7 p.m., Leon Hendrix – brother to Jimi Hendrix – will perform, and Goldy McJohns and friends – Steppenwolf’s founding keyboardist – will round out the music at 9 p.m.

The two main attractions were already on the books to play at Moondogs Too, before the idea of the fundraiser was conceived, said club owner Darryl Baldwin.

Hendrix’s likeness to his older brother is a bit uncanny. His music style, too, emulates Jimi Hendrix’s, but differs enough that little brother has paved his own way in the music world. For taste of his music, go to www.myspace.com/leonhendrix.

Headliner McJohns was a member of Steppenwolf when it released two of the most popular anthems in history: “Born to be Wild” and “Magic Carpet Ride,” according to www.goldymcjohn.com.

“(Hendrix and McJohns) haven’t done many concerts in this area, but they’ve done quite a bit in Seattle. They kind of wanted to get over in the Kitsap Peninsula. Combining it with this fundraiser seemed like a great idea,” Baldwin said.

Hosting a fundraiser to benefit a skate park in Port Orchard just seems like the right thing to do, Baldwin said. About 10 years ago, skateboarders were banned downtown as their hobby tends to result in property damage. Since then, skaters have been congregating wherever a slab of concrete is available.

The current plan is for a skate park to be constructed off Jackson and Lund avenues. The funds from the concert will help ensure the park can be built properly, Baldwin said.

For more information on the benefit, call Baldwin at (253) 307-1280. For more information on the effort to build a skate park, go to the South Kitsap Skatepark Association’s Web site, skskatepark.com.

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