They could be contenders

Thanks to the mayor, you no longer have to worry about what to do on Tuesday nights - at least until Aug. 19. The city's Waterfront Performing Arts Series kicks off tonight with up-and-coming locals Casey Desmond (left), a flame-haired folk/pop/rock singer/songwriter whose four-octave vocals should fill the entire North End, and Ahmir, an R&B group that's opened for John Legend and Busta Rhymes. Opera Boston is up next Tuesday, followed by the Zili Misik and Mark Zaleski Band (Aug. 5), dance troupes (Aug. 12), and the Orchestre Symphonique des Jeunes de Strasbourg (Aug. 19). 6-8 p.m., weather permitting. Free. Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park, 200 Atlantic Ave., Boston. 617-635-3911. cityofboston.gov/arts