Roots & Wings Online
The Led Hot Fighter Pilots lived up to their name. The 5-member band, who have their roots in Ladera Ranch, were red hot on Friday evening as they got the 2024 summer concert series off to a rocking start.
Earlier this year, Ladera Ranch Community Services (LARCS) released a survey asking Ladera residents to decide which band should open the Summer Concert Series. The Led Hot Fighter Pilots were the clear choice.
The concert was held at Town Green, where residents placed their blankets and folding chairs at 7:00 a.m. to save their spot. As the show time approached, families could be seen strolling towards Town Green from surrounding neighborhoods, pushing their wagons with picnic goodies. Many residents supported local restaurants by ordering dinner to enjoy in the park. Others enjoyed a perfect summer evening while dining at Rancho Capistrano Winery, Ten Mile Brewing, and Board & Brew.
LARCS staff greeted attendees and distributed Ladera Ranch-branded items at the lifestyle division's booth. Residents were excited to receive golf towels, frisbees, tumblers, stickers, and LaderaLife sunglasses, which were popular. Maybe the most popular item with the children was the inflatable noise makers provided by Raising Cane's.
The LARCS Teen Leadership Council was present, collecting items for homeless teens. The TLC-sponsored Collection Drive for Homeless Teens is a partnership effort with Project Hope Alliance. Residents wishing to donate personal and laundry items may do so at any summer concert or by dropping items in the bins at Oak Knoll Village Clubhouse or Avendale Village Clubhouse.
At one point during The Led Hot's second set, the generator went down, which caused a 12-minute interruption. Once the power was back on, the Ladera dads got back to work and went right into Basket Case by Green Day. According to Paul Wickstrom, bass player, "We proceeded to rock even harder to prove that the setback of the power outage didn’t phase us. We felt the audience feed off our energy, and by the time we played My Hero by the Foo Fighters, we were full steam ahead!"
Enter Sandman by Metallica was followed up by Higher Ground by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. LARCS gave the green light for one more song, so the band performed the classic Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin.
The attendees, who ranged from toddlers to teens and young at heart, enjoyed the eclectic mix of songs and the relaxed summer evening in the park.
For information about upcoming concerts, visit LaderaLife.com/events.
Band photos by Chenin Boutwell Photography.
