Crowd favorites are back for this year’s Lacey in Tune outdoor entertainment series

This summer’s Lacey in Tune series, which starts Tuesday, features a hard-rocking military band, echoes of Elvis and the Beatles, a former “American Idol” contestant — and a hypnotist.

Justin James of Ocean Shores, performing July 22, will be the first non-musical headliner for one of the city's Saturday night shows.

“My favorite new twist this year is the comedy hypnotism show,” said Jeannette Sieler of Lacey's Parks and Recreation Department. “He’s just very entertaining, and I think people will get a kick out of either being in the show or watching the show.”

Participating might require a bit of daring: Video clips on James’s site show his subjects squirting themselves in the face with water guns, playing air piano and violin, and attempting to use a shoe as a phone.

But, Sieler said, there’s not much to worry about. “They can’t make you do something that you would not do,” she said. “You’re still in control.”

And she knows from experience. James, who has worked in Las Vegas, hypnotized her.

“He came and performed for a staff event we had and I got goaded into giving it a try,” she said. “It was fascinating.

“I apparently did a gummy bear dance that I apparently created,” she said. “I danced like a gummy bear.

“There’s no video of this, so we will never know,” she added, laughing. “I knew what was going on, but I went along with it and it was fun.”

A guy doing his version of the dance (and biting himself on the arm, because, he tells James, he loves gummy bears) can be seen at https://vimeo.com/16137020.

Another highlight of Lacey in Tune this year is the return of Full Metal Racket, the National Guard rock band. They will open the series on Wednesday. “They weren’t here last year, but they’ve been here almost every year for the last 10 or 12 years,” Sieler said. “They’re always a crowd pleaser.”

Also returning are Elvis tribute artist Danny Vernon and Beatles tribute band British Export.

This summer’s most famous performer, though, is new to Lacey in Tune: Lovey James of Hillsboro, Oregon, who made it to the top dozen female singers on “American Idol” in 2015.

The 20-year-old singer-songwriter (who is no relation to Justin James) will perform both originals and covers. At her “Idol” audition, Keith Urban said she showed “a lot of originality.”

This story was originally published June 22, 2018 at 5:52 AM with the headline "Crowd favorites are back for this year’s Lacey in Tune outdoor entertainment series."