Feb. 7, 2014
A rts &Entertainment
The Coastal Communities Concert Band celebrates Sammy Nestico’s first 90 years. Courtesy photo
The personal side of Sammy Nestico brush with art kay colvin
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n celebration of its 31st anniversary, the Coastal Communities Concert Band presents “Sammy Nestico: The First 90 Years” concerts Feb. 8 and Feb. 9 in Carlsbad. Sammy Nestico, whose stellar music career made him a natural choice to be honored with a concert of his music, will be joined by Camp Pendleton’s First Marine Division Band on this festive occasion. Kate Takahashi of the CCC Band shares insights
ART CALENDAR FEB. 7
OMA EXHIBITION The Oceanside Museum of Art hosts a free Artist Alliance II Juried Exhibition through May 11 with an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 7, at the OMA/Herbert B. Turner Galleries, Southfair, 2010 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar. BLUES CONCERT Robin Henkel, Whitney Shay and Billy Watson will play from 8:3 to 10:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at Ki’s Restaurant, 2591 S. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas.
FEB. 8
ART ON CAMPUS The art exhibit “Non-Perishable,” the multimedia work of artists Rachel Shimpock and Kelly Schnorr, will be on display through Feb. 20 in the Kruglak Gallery, MiraCosta College, 1 Bar-
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T he C oast News
into the personal side of the music luminary Sammy Nestico, “This man is as kind as he is talented. No ego, and he is a great in the jazz world. The kindness, easy laughter, and big heart he possesses are rarities in any person, let alone someone of his stature in the music world. He has the most prolific career of anyone I have ever heard of in music.” The son of Italian immigrants, Nestico was born in Pittsburgh in 1924. While growing up in the 1930s, he was a fan of the big swing bands, particularly Tommy Dorsey. He remembers as a young boy receiving an allowance of ten cents each weekday to buy lunch. He discovered TURN TO NESTICO ON A23
nard Drive, Oceanside. LOVE OF ART See the work of artists Jorge Garza and Bruce Stewart in “For the Love of Art” from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8 at the San Dieguito Art Guild, 937 S. Coast Highway, Encinitas. For more information, visit offtrackgallery.com or call (760) 942-3636.
FEB. 9
CHOIR EVENT Southern California Threshold Choirs will be hosting a Mini-Gathering led by Kate Munger, from 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Crossroads Spiritual Center, 2734 Loker Ave. Suite H, in Carlsbad. MEET THE ARTIST A reception will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Feb. 9 for sculptor Scott Beale and watercolorist Frank Glendinning, whose art shows through March 2 at 300 Carlsbad Village Drive, Suite 101, Carlsbad. Call (760) 434-8497 or visit coalartgallery.com.
Send your arts & entertainment news to arts@thecoastnews.com
The Imagine Dragons are performing at the Valley View Casino Center Feb. 15. Photo by Reid Rolls
Imagine that: Dragons enjoying their success By Alan Sculley
Imagine Dragons may be a fairly new presence on the music scene to many listeners — a band that has quickly gained major visibility these days thanks its hit singles, “It’s Time,” “Radioactive” and “Demons.” Like so many seemingly overnight successes, though, Imagine Dragons spent its share of time in relative obscurity, writing songs, touring and settling into its current lineup before making such impact with its first full-length album, “Night Visions.” Formed in 2008, the group self-released a self-titled EP in 2009, a second EP, “Hell and Silence,” in 2010, and in 2011, a third EP, “It’s Time” (yes, the eight-song release included the hit song), all before the group got its current deal with Interscope Records in November 2011.
In today’s world of instant Internet phenoms and reality TV contestants-turned-chart-topping singers, the gradual progress of Imagine Dragons’ success might have tested the patience of many bands. But guitarist Wayne Sermon of Imagine Dragons is thankful that his group, which ended 2013 as “Billboard” magazine’s top rock artist, didn’t rocket immediately to the level of mainstream success it is experiencing now. “It was definitely a slow process for us,” Sermon said of the band’s development. “We weren’t exactly sure what we wanted to do, what we wanted to sound like for awhile. For people who have collected the EPs through the years, I think you can kind of see that, like slowly kind of hopefully honing in on to something that was more concrete as the EPs
Ave, in La Jolla. RSVP by calling (916) 580-4502. Free FEB. 12 FAMILY MUSIC Feb- chocolate will be given out ruary’s free family music to all guests. program will present soprano Ayse Underhill and FEB. 15 MARDI GRAS mezzo-soprano Georgetta BRUNCH Celebrate MarPsaros in a program of songs of America at 7 p.m. Feb. 12 di Gras at the Oceanside at 3919 Townsgate Drive, Museum of Art Mardi Gras Carmel Valley. For further Brunch fundraiser from 10 information call (858) 552- a.m. to 1 p.m. March 2 at the El Camino Country Club, 1668. 3202 Vista Way, Oceanside. Reservations required by FEB. 14 ROMANCE IN TUNE Feb. 21. Purchase tickets onHear a Valentine’s Day con- line at oma-online.org or by cert with Peter Pupping and calling (760) 435-3721. William Wilson on guitar, SAVE THE DATE Jeff Basile on bass and Roy The Team Godfather Gonzales on percussion at 8 Foundation p.m., Feb. 14 at La Paloma Charitable “Groovin’ for a Cure” will be Theatre, 471 S. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas. Tickets from 6 to 11 p.m. on March 6 are $25 general admission. at the Belly Up, 143 S. CedSINGLE LADIES VAL- ros Ave., Solana Beach with ENTINES Melanie Garrett music by Pine Mountain will be signing copies of her Logs. Tickets are $100. All book, “Ripening of a Wom- proceeds go to research for an,” from 5 to 7 p.m. at Gi- ALS on behalf of “Godather rard Gourmet 7837 Grand Michael Ramirez.”
went on.” That’s not to say that Imagine Dragons is a finished product at this point or that the band’s best music isn’t still to come. But Sermon feels the group, which also includes singer Dan Reynolds, bassist Ben McKee and drummer Dan Platzman, has found a musical focus and an identity that it can call its own. “I think the sound arose out of just a collection of everything we’ve listened to, everything that has influenced us individually,” he said. “There’s definitely a lot of classic rock influence in everything we do because we’ve all lis-
tened to that growing up. We all love Led Zeppelin, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and we all listened to Simon & Garfunkel a lot, Harry Nilsson. We like the ‘60s and ‘70s influences a lot. So at the core, I think that’s what we are as a band.” But while there are classic elements to the Imagine Dragons sound, “Night Visions” also reflects a modern sensibility and some specific twists in the music that command attention. In particular, the band has a unique way of combining acoustic and synthetic instrumental elements, creTURN TO DRAGONS ON A23