Sacramento music fans dreading the upcoming end of this season's Concert in the Park Series have a new reason to rejoice. There is a new series in town, and it looks to be a doozy. The Hot Lunch Concert Series, brain child of Hot Italian owner Andrea Lepore and local concert promoter Jerry Perry, begins next Thursday, Aug. 20 in Fremont Park at the corner of 16th and P Streets, and will host an eclectic slew of talented and entertaining bands.

The series, which will take place every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the next six weeks, began with Lepore's dissatisfaction with the under-use of Fremont Park. She saw the series as a "way to promote the park as a venue and as a place for people to come and gather." Encouraged by the results of Sacramento's Concert in the Park Series, she decided that the best way to revitalize the park would be through a similar experience. So she contacted Perry, "the local music guru," and asked for his help in forming a line-up of local talent. Perry delivered, booking a "great line-up" of diverse bands, ranging from country to funky soul.

Although she acknowledges that the concerts will be "on a smaller scale" than the Cesar Chavez concerts, Lepore envisions it as becoming "an annual series." She believes success will come not only from the capable acts, but also from the many other distractions the series has to offer. Chief among these is Hot Italian's new mobile ordering system, "so that people can just go straight to the park and start listening to music and place their orders right from there," she said. "They don't have to waste any of their precious lunch hour."

It may be too soon to compare this series in its infancy with the well-matured Concerts in the Park, but Lepore insists Sacramento will grow to love it. She sees it as a great opportunity to "bring blankets, sit on the grass, hang out with coworkers and friends and have Hot Italian Pizza and live music." Who couldn't use some more of that?

Here is a list of the bands, the dates, a brief description and a link to their websites.

Aug. 20 - Blvd Park - alternative folk

Aug. 27 - Kate Gaffney - country folk blues

Sept. 3 - Richard March - country

Sept. 10 - Ricky Berger - jazz folk

Sept. 17 - Syncro - funky soul

Sept. 24 - Walking Spanish - Americana blues rock