Although the night of Aug. 6, saw a rare evening lightshow featuring the rumbling sounds of thunder and an impressive lightning show, the skies cleared and the weather was perfect for the Aug. 7 Annual Street Dance at Franklin Square. The evening began early as residents and fans of the Street Dance and the musical guest, The Hitmen, crowded onto the grass in front of the post office to claim the best seats in the house. By the time the concert started, everyone was either nestled in their seats, up and ready to dance, mingling on the street buying wine or food or just enjoying the weather.
But with the way Franklin Square is configured, there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. Most of the dancing took place on the walkway near the stage and on the grass directly in front of it, but people could still be found rocking and dancing to the music on Jackson Street. The restaurants in the area were packed with lots of outside seating.
As in the past, the Cultural Commission sponsored the Street Dance and the Santa Clara Sister Cities Association sold beer and wine. Although the choices of food were limited, it was still outstanding: tri-tip sandwiches and macaroni salad from Mariani’s, jambalaya and a variety of pie cobbler cups from Sandi’s Cobbler Cups, a variety of ice-cream flavors from Mission City Creamery and kettle corn. The only thing that might have been missing was bottled water for sale, but fortunately, the Santa Clara Water Department was prepared and gave away free, BPA free plastic water bottles (they brought 4,000 to the dance) that were being filled from a 500 gallon water truck.
The main attraction for the night, however, was the concert and dancing. The Hitmen, who have been performing for over 20 years, were a hit, and it’s easy to see and hear how the seven-piece band has become so popular. “I’ve been following The Hitmen for years and absolutely love hearing them play,” Tiffany Rose from Sunnyvale exclaimed over the music. “This is my third year coming to the Street Dance and this is definitely the best. I first heard them when they played at the city’s (2010) fireworks show and I was hooked.” Rose added that she loves all of The Hitmen’s songs. “There’s no song they play that I don’t just love,” Rose said as she disappeared, dancing her way back into the crowd. As in past years, the crowd wanted the band to keep playing throughout the night. The Hitmen have performed all over the Bay Area.
For more information, visit www.thehitmen.com.