By Miriam Raftery

July 16, 2022 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells and his 7-piece band will perform a concert at the Magnolia performing arts center on Saturday, August 6 to benefit the East County Transitional Living Center. The Center provides shelter and services to help homeless families and individuals transition off the streets.

By Joe Gandelman, Editor-in-Chief, The Moderate Voice

July 4, 2022 (San Diego) - I read seemingly every review on the new Elvis movie and some critics seem locked into the traditional formula and norms for biopics. Here’s the bottom line: forget any negative reviews and forget any other biopics that you’ve seen. Elvis is different and is likely to have an influence on future film biographies.

By Miriam Raftery

June 18, 2022 (El Cajon) – Bidding is now open online for a special auction of two signed, limited edition, framed and matted prints by Olaf Wieghorst, an internationally recognized artist considered one of the top painters of Western art.  Some of his works sold for over a million dollars during his lifetime.  Proceeds will benefit both the East County Art Association and East County Magazine. Now you can own one of Wieghorst’s  exceptional works, Spring Rain and Beef Herd. View video for a close-up look at these impressive artworks:  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7V496dpqHSw.

About the auction:

The auction opens online (see below to bid),  and will close on Saturday, June 25  at 3 p.m. during the ECAA’s upcoming event, “Ocean Love” at the Courtyard Marriott in El Cajon. View event flyer. If you wish to view the works in person, you can visit the ECAA gallery at 124 East Main St. in downtown El Cajon, Wed.-Sat. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  60 percent of proceeds will benefit the East County Arts Association and 40% will benefit East County Media, the nonprofit that supports East County Magazine.

How to bid:

Send your name, mailing address, phone number, and email along with your bid amount to editor@eastcountymagazine.org and the words "AUCTION BID" in the subject line, along with which art piece you wish to bid on, and the amount of your bid.  You will receive a bid number and confirmation your bid was received. Bid numbers and amounts will be posted online at the bottom of this page and updated regularly. (No personal information will be posted.) The online auction bids will be accepted until June 25 at 11 a.m., after which the auction will continue at the event from1-3 p.m.

East Count News Service

Image: Mariupol, 22 000 civilians are dead, by Daniil Movchan

June 14, 2022 (San Diego) – Today, San Diego hosts a unique exhibition of Ukrainian artists called “Ukrainian Voice. Your choice!" There are 58 artists from Kyiv, Kharkov, Lvov, Odessa, Mariupol, Bucha, Irpin, Militopol and other Ukrainian cities showcasing their work, telling their war stories through contemporary art.  Each artist is considered a voice of Ukraine to be heard. What is also remarkable is that most of the authors still remain in Ukraine, fighting for the freedom of their homeland.

The art exhibit, “Ukrainian Voice. Your choice!” – which also features video and audio installations – will be held at the “Bread & Salt” gallery in Logan Heights. It illustrates the war from the beginning of the invasion to the present day, telling stories of bravery, sadness, desolation and hope captured in real time as the conflict rages on. The show is free to the public. All funds raised from purchases of artwork and donations will be sent directly to Ukrainian families in need.

By Kathy Carpenter

By Miriam Raftery

June 12, 2022 (Alpine) – Viejas Casino & Resort has some hot summer nights entertainment lined up at its outdoor Park at Viejas.

The lineup includes some legendary names in rock and roll including Jefferson Starship and Blue Oyster Cult, as well as new wave music by Berlin, a Latino music and dance night with Los Bonadadosos and E Nuevo Acapulco, R&B with En Vogue, and country music singer Billy Currington.

Below is the schedule of events:

Source:  Helix Water District

June 1, 2022 (La Mesa) - Helix Water District honored local student artists for their winning Water Is Life posters at an awards ceremony during Helix Water District’s board meeting on May 24, 2022.

East County News Service

May 23, 2022 (El Cajon) –The Spinners, one of the most iconic and enduring groups in R&B history, take stage in a live concert May 28 at 8 p.m. at Sycuan’s Live and Up Close Theatre. With a legacy spanning over six decades, The Spinners released their latest all-new original album in 2021, the aptly-titled, “Round the Block and Back Again.”

Photo: Cc by NC-ND via Bing

East County News Service

May 3, 2022 (Santee) -- You’re invited to join the City of Santee for a pre-summer kick off of the Thursday Nights Live series.

“We are warming everyone up before the Santee Summer Concerts start on Thursday, June 9 with free family fun and entertainment on Thursdays, May 5 – June 2 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Santee Trolley Square amphitheater,” the invitation states. “This new Thursday night occurrence will be for the whole family and a fun opportunity to get out and about on Friday Eve. Grab a bite to eat at one of the Santee Trolley Square eateries or pack a picnic dinner while you enjoy the free fun.”

East County News Service

April 30, 2022 (San Diego) - Erick Dickerson presents a concert on the 13 course Baroque lute of the music of Sylvius Leopold Weiss, a composer who lived from 1687-1750.  The concert will be on May 8 from 4 - 5 p.m. at Mission Trails Church,

By Greg Dunne

Photo: CC by ND via Bing

April 9th, 2022 (Alpine) -- The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced the following Nominees for the 2022 induction. You can vote for your favorite singer or band online at vote.rockhall.com by April 29^th. The Nominees this year are Beck, Pat Benatar, Kate Bush, DEVO, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Judas Priest, Fela Kuti, MC5, New York Dolls, Dolly Parton, Rage Against the Machine, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, A Tribe Called Quest, Dionne Warwick.

Band and LJMS appeal to the public to support Ukrainian relief efforts

East County News Service

April 5, 2022 (San Diego) - After some doubt about whether the band would be trapped in Ukraine by the Russian invasion, La Jolla Music Society (LJMS) is delighted to present the Ukrainian folk “ethno-chaos” group DakhaBrakha on April 22, 2022, at The Conrad in La Jolla.

Attendees will have the opportunity to donate to relief efforts in Ukraine or to directly support the band, whose members left families in Ukraine.

East County News Service

March 31, 2022 (Spring Valley) - The Saps at Sea, the San Diego chapter of the Sons of the Desert, the worldwide Laurel and Hardy fan organization, present their April program, "No Fooling!", on Saturday, April 30 at Williams Hall at Trinity Presbytarian Church in Spring Valley.

By Kathy Carpenter