By Leon Thompson

(Photo: Jeff Berkeley, left, performs with former Padres player Tim Flannery, right)

November 23, 2014  (Poway)--A sold-out crowd of tie-dye wearing, long-haired hippies with flowers in their hair descended on the Poway Center for the Performing Arts Saturday night to revisit Woodstock, the celebrated concert that changed the music world.  The music and an enthusiastic crowd rekindled the spirit of the original Woodstock, which I attended back in 1969.

Local musicians including Jeff Berkeley,  Eve Selis and former Padres’ Tim Flannery joined The Back to the Garden Band to re-create the iconic three-day outdoor concert that rocked the world in '69 with such greats as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Who, Sly Stone, Joe Cocker, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Jefferson Airplane, Credence Clearwater Revival, Santana and Richie Havens, to name a few.

November 15, 2014 (El Cajon )--When two young men of substantial wealth fall in love with two beautiful but penniless ladies, they employ the assistance of the clever, crafty, and possibly clairvoyant servant, Scapin. Complications abound in Bill Irwin and Mark O’Donnell’s modern adaptation of Moliere’s classic French farce, Les Fourberies de Scapin.

November 9, 2014 (San Diego)—A free choral concert, “Bright Mornings, Silent Nights” will be presented by the Pacificaires and Cedar Center Chorus on Saturday, December 6 at 2 p.m. in the College Avenue Baptist Church, 4747 College Avenue in San Diego.   The concert features Christian and Jewish holiday favorites as well as secular music.

“You’ll hear the full chorus of 100 singers plus ensembles and soloists, accompanied by a 7-piece orchestra of talented instrumentalists, and maybe a bit of theatrics,” says Kelci Cell, publicity chair. She adds, “We are united by our delight in the power of music to restore and enliven both singers and audiences, especially among seniors.”

November 6, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - The California Indian Heritage Center Foundation is calling for Native American artists to produce new visual artwork that shares the Native Californian perspective of the Anza Expedition of 1775-76 and its impact. The visual art will enter the collection of the California Indian Heritage Center Foundation for display and interpretation. It will also be used by the National Park Service for education and interpretation of multiple perspectives of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.

…And Here’s Some Woodstock Trivia, Just for Fun

October 30, 2014 (Poway – It was muddy. It was peaceful. History was made.  “An Aquarian Exposition: Three Days of Peace and Music” in 1969 came to be known simply as “Woodstock,” the name of the town 43 miles from Max Yasgur’s 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills of New York. On November 22, the Poway Center for the Performing Arts presents a live tribute to Woodstock, which became the definitive nexus for the counterculture generation. The event will feature local San Diego musicians Eve Selis, Tim Flannery, Berkley Hart, Back to the Garden Band, and dozens of special guests. Surprises are guaranteed!

October 22, 2014 (Rancho San Diego, CA)-- The Heritage of the Americas Museum, located on the campus of Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego, is holding a huge benefit sale to support the Museum’s programs for local elementary school children.  Over 4,000 students come to the Museum each school year for docent-led tours.  Volunteers also make presentations in school classrooms.  The sale is called “Five Sales! One Location!” and is an Art Sale, Rummage Sale, Jewelry Sale, Gems and Minerals Sale, and a Fossils Sale.  Items for sale are donated by Museum members, over 300 households.

October 15, 2014 (Alpine) - Alpine is southern California’s home to a very small group of didgeridoo players who gather to hear music played by top talents from around the world. http://www.ididge.com – check out past events- very colorful.  Next up is a concert, workshop and potluck on Friday, October 17.

October 4, 2014 (Mission Trails) – Artworks by over 43 award-winning artists depicting nature will be on display at Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation’s annual Art in the Park event on October 11^th from 6-9 p.m., including 125 works for sale.  Art aficionados can also savor craft beers and premium wines, as well as hors d’hoeuvres, Rita’s Italian Ice and Xocai chocolates. In addition, guests can enjoy  San Diego Native American flute music and Circa and Musa’s vibrational tones,.as well as astronomy viewing with telescopes provided by the San Diego Astronomy Association.

September 29, 2014 (San Diego) –Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation President  Jay Wilson announces the Kumeyaay Lake Poetry Campout, a three day, family-friendly poetry workshop weekend at Mission Trails Regional Park's Kumeyaay Lake Campgrounds (Two Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego, CA, 92119). The event is open to for 12 participants (ages 10 years old to adult, three camp sites can be reserved), Friday, October 10, Saturday, October 11, and Sunday, October 12, 2014, with check in time Friday, October 11, 2014, at 5:00 p.m.

East County News Service

September 25, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) --The fall series of the San Diego County Library Acoustic Showcase continues in October with eight concerts taking place throughout the month countywide.  The Acoustic Showcase series offers a wonderful variety of some of San Diego's very best singer/songwriters, folk music performers and story tellers. These concerts are free to the community.The series includes the following concerts in East County:

Paul McCartney’s OUT THERE Tour has added a San Diego concert set for Sunday, Sep 28th at 8:00 p.m. at Petco Park. Our freelancer, Ariele Johannson, attended the McCartney concert in August at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles—and also shares memories of a Beatles concert in New York 50 years ago that she attended back in 1964. Written for the 50th Anniversary of the Beatles first U.S. tour, this article is a “must read” for all Beatles fans of today and yesterday.

Photo, left: Beatles in 1964,  Library of Congress image

THE BEATLES! IN PERSON                                                                             

By Ariele Johannson                         

September 23, 2014 (San Diego)--The year was 1964, and I was touched by a movement—the craze of “Beatlemania.” An eleven-year-old girl in Long Island, New York, my life still felt like a closed book. I didn’t fit in anywhere…yet. I was quiet, smart, freckle-faced, and wore glasses. Yes, they called me “four eyes.”

A review by Reina Lisa Menasche

September 21, 2014 (San Diego)--What do you get when you cross Neil Simon’s classic 1960s New York comedy “The Odd Couple” with modern day, southern California references and Latino color, characters, innuendo, and ad libs? A surprising and delightful rendition, zestily presented by the Teatro Mascara Magica at San Diego’s Lyceum Theatre. Dave Rivas, co-producer and co-director of the production, is a Spring Valley resident.

The theme of the play remains true to the original and is universal: divorced bachelors, slob versus neat freak, in a friendship strained not only by conflicts over living conditions but also the poignancy of loss and change. But the seasoning on this well-known dish of a show is exotic, original, up to date, and hilarious.

"An international sensation." -The Today Show



"The Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele." -Guitar Player

 

September 20, 2014 (Escondido) -- Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro will wow audiences as part of The California Center for the Arts, Escondido's 20th Anniversary 2014/2015 season with a special Halloween show on Friday, October 31, 2014 in the Concert Hall. Redefining a previously under-the-radar instrument, the critically acclaimed slinger combines elements of jazz, blues, funk, rock, bluegrass, folk, and flamenco, fully revealing his musical dexterity. Shimabukuro has appeared on television shows including Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel Live, he's earned notable fans such as Eddie Vedder and Sanjay Gupta, and performed for the likes of the Queen of England. Interviews and hi-res photos are available upon request.

East County News Service

Photo: entertainer Raelee Nikole is among the 100 musical acts scheduled to perform

September 19, 2014 (San Diego)--Over 100 different musical acts on eight stages are slated for the 2014 Adams Avenue Street Fair on September 27 and 28, which is one of the largest free music street fairs in California, according to the organizers. It also includes four beer gardens, 300 food and craft vendors, and giant carnival rides.