The coolest place to be in Phoenix this summer? $5 matinee concerts at Crescent Ballroom

Looking for fun new ways to beat the heat on weekend afternoons as we suffer through the dog days of a record-breaking Phoenix summer?

Crescent Ballroom’s got you covered.

The downtown Phoenix music venue is about to launch Escape to Crescent Ballroom: Summer Matinee Series with an afternoon performance by Tucson legend Salvador Duran, who brings his duo to town on Sunday, July 30.

Charlie Levy, who opened the club in 2011, says, “I think everyone knows it’s been a pretty hot and brutal summer in the Valley of the Sun. And I know the people on our team and people we know are always looking for things to do during the day that’s not just getting something to eat or drink.”

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'People can see friends and get out of the house'

For now, the series will consist of seven shows through Saturday, Sept. 9.

“What better way to spend an afternoon on the weekend than to see some great live music indoors in the AC? “Levy asks.

“People can see friends and get out of the house. I think the biggest thing in Arizona in the summer is you’re sort of locked in your house. And this is a great opportunity do something.”

The shows will start at 2 p.m. with a $5 cover so the club can pay the artists.

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Escape to Crescent Ballroom's afternoon concert lineup

Here are the Arizona artists playing Phoenix as part of the Escape to Crescent Ballroom: Summer Matinee Series.

• July 30: Salvador Duran Duo.

• Aug. 6: Arizona jazz legends the Charles Lewis Quartet.

• Aug. 12: Giovanni Kiyingi.

• Aug. 13: Flamenco Por la Vida.

• Aug. 19: The Senators with Cole Trains and Victoria Bigelow.

• Aug. 26: Rolling Monsoon Revue: A multi-artist tribute to Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue Tour

• Sept. 3: GABI JR with GHONE (formerly known as Lonna Kelley), L3MON and Weston Smith.

• Sept. 9: Barefoot with Faun Flora and Sun Order.

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Crescent Ballroom's $5 summer concerts: Here's the lineup