Party in the Park continues Friday with a terrific lineup of live entertainment that will literally fill the downtown core with music.

Murphy's Lagh featuring Damian Brennan and Chris O'Brien will be warming up the crowds at Central Community Park as the first act of the night.

Authentic and rousing Celtic tunes with a smattering of Beatles and U2 thrown in, it's a match made in musical heaven starting at 7 p.m.

Next up is a popular band that's been serving up classic rock for many years in the Fraser Valley, known as Blonde Sonya.

The closing act is the Lazy Susans, a local ska band with instrumentation including trumpets and saxophone along with guitar, bass and drums.

Lazy Susans member Bonnie Northgraves says their music offers "a fresh take" on some well-known tunes, as well as originals.

The band's online bio says she's the one responsible for the "funky fresh" trumpet licks, and vocals.

"We were originally influenced by the ska band Reel Big Fish from the States, but we ended up taking a different direction since then," she says.

Loath to pigeonhole the band in any way, Northgraves concedes their sound tends toward "upbeat sounds, with reggae, pop and hard rock" influences.

The Susans, who are all from Chilliwack, range in age from 19 to 22.

These days, since there've been numerous change-ups in five years, the Susans include Northgraves on trumpet and vocals, Brittany Waslen on guitar, Tristan Martin on bass, Mitchell Foster on drums, Jamie Reid on sax and Thomas Houlden on trumpet.

What will they play for the park crowd?

"Mostly some originals with a couple of surprise covers," Northgraves says. "It's going to be really spirit-lifting. So if you're a little down, we'll get you up on your feet and clapping."

Brittany Waslen, who started the Susans when she was still at Chilliwack secondary, says she got the band name from a list of possibles her brother was considering for his band.

The band recorded its first self-titled CD in 2006, and is making plans to lay down tracks for a second pretty quick, she says.

"We'll be starting to record in the next month," Waslen adds. "And it will be a little funkier than our first CD, with less ska and more rock."

She writes about herself in third person on the band's bio section of the website, saying the experience "has turned into more than she'd ever hoped.

"She is living proof that even without talent, training, or hard work, you too can start a ska band. Follow your dreams, kids."

Here are the dates for upcoming performers on the Coast Capital entertainment stage at Party in the Park:

July 24

Wiskee Jack

Head over Heels

Whitey

July 31

Vedder Crossing

Travellers

Getaway

Aug. 7

Midnight Sun

Weekend Pass

Dirty Jim

Aug. 14

James Knight

Tractorgrease variety show featuring Todd Richard and the Reluctant Cowboys

Aug. 21

No Time Flat

Soundscape

Stephen Toon

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