Solvang Theaterfest Announces Spring Concert Season Lineup

Acts to play at venue include Peter White and Richard Elliot, Pablo Cruise, and Tegan & Sara

Staff Report

Taking advantage of the first full season in operation since the pandemic and fresh off the $5.3 million renovation project that was completed in July 2022, Solvang Theaterfest’s spring concert lineup will feature a diversified mix of artists performing at the Solvang Festival Theater.

Kicking off the concert series will be an evening of smooth, urban jazz with Peter White and Richard Elliot on Friday, March 24, at 7 p.m. on the Amphitheater stage. White, a popular British electric and nylon-string guitarist, is known for his lyrical and inventive approach to contemporary smooth jazz and fusion. He initially gained fame in the 1970s as a collaborator with Boney James, Rick Braun, and Dave Koz before earning more widespread acclaim as a leader and soloist in his own right.

Elliot, originally from Scotland and now a Los Angeles-based saxophonist and composer, is widely considered one of the architects of urban contemporary jazz. After indulging his lifelong love of funk and R&B as a studio ace and spending five years as a member of Tower of Power, Elliot and his reedy tone began braiding soul, funk, and hip-hop grooves with smooth jazz on his albums, including 1986's "Trolltown."

White and Elliot have released a number of Top 10 Billboard Jazz Albums, including 1998's "Perfect Moment," 2001's "Glow," 2009's "Good Day," and 2016's "Groovin'."

Next onstage will be Pablo Cruise, the classic rock group from the ’70s, performing Saturday, April 15, at 7 p.m. In 1975, Pablo Cruise released its first A&M album, simply entitled "Pablo Cruise." The album cover was shot in the tropical gardens of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and featured a huge gorilla standing front and center.

The band, David Jenkins (guitars, vocals), Cory Lerios (keyboards, vocals), Bud Cockerel (bass, vocals), and Steve Price (drums, percussion) were nowhere in sight.

At that point there was a bit of a mystique surrounding Pablo Cruise, and when asked what Pablo Cruise meant, the well- rehearsed answer went something like this: “Pablo” represents an honest, down-to-earth individual, and “Cruise” depicts his fun-loving, easy-going attitude towards life.

In essence that’s what Pablo Cruise has always been about. Honest, real, down-toearth vocals, accompanied by fun yet elegant, infectious grooves, including the classic hits “A Place in the Sun,” “Whatcha Gonna Do,”and “Love Will Find a Way.”

Canadian indie pop duo Tegan and Sara take the stage on May 3 at 7 p.m. The band is led by identical twin sisters Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin, both of whom are songwriters and multi-instrumentalists who have released 10 studio albums. For their 10th studio album, "Crybaby," they got inside each other’s songs in a whole new way. “This was the first time where, while we were still drafting our demos, we were thinking about how the songs were going to work together,” says Tegan. The band received huge notoriety in 2014 for the hit song “Everything is Awesome!” from "The LEGO Movie," and have received the Juno Award for Group of the Year and for Pop Album of the Year.

“We are approaching this year with a promise to bring a diversified, interesting, educational set of performances to the theater throughout 2023,” said David Silva, chair of Theaterfest Board of Directors.

“Community support for the theater’s ren- ovation project was so overwhelming, and now it’s time to celebrate with an eclectic mix of genres and artists.”

Tickets for Solvang Theaterfest’s spring season are on sale now at Solvangtheaterfest.org.

Solvang Theaterfest is the 501 (C ) (3) nonprofit corporation that owns and operates Solvang Festival Theater. It is managed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors. For more information, contact Solvang Theaterfest Executive Director Scott Coe at exec.director@solvangtheaterfest.org, or call (805) 588-4112.

Here is more background on the Rebuilding Project: https://solvangtheaterfest.org/campaign.php