The White Album Ensemble’s Friday night performance, featuring special guest Porsche Smith, represents the only gig you’ll need to throw down some cash for all weekend long at Sand City’s West End Celebration. But the WAE’s multimedia spectacle and light show, paired with some of the most renowned local musicians to churn out an assortment of Beatles classics – from an era that’s kept hush-hush until the show begins – helps make paying the price of admission less painful. Also, proceeds benefit a worthwhile nonprofit: the Monterey County chapter of Guitars Not Guns.
Saturday and Sunday, no money will be necessary to experience the roster of more than 40 musical acts spanning nearly 10 different stages spread strategically throughout Sand City’s miniscule grid. Now in its 17th year, the West End Celebration’s music element may be its most overloaded – and ambitious – yet.
SATURDAY: COMING BACK TO THEIR ROOTS
Saturday morning, The Independent Stage opens with a special performance from the Guitars Not Guns Band, followed by the hard-working, local and multi-talented David Holodiloff. Singer-songwriter Linda Arceo and her band are set to ride their brand of vintage rock into the early afternoon sun.
Lovers and Strangers (2:30pm) will forever be known as one of the few homegrown Monterey bands that came within inches of stardom before everything unraveled quite quickly.Originally dubbed the “ultimate party band,” the popular group’s fanbase grew exponentially after their 1984 inception and hit tunes like “Please Don’t Say Goodbye” had regular airplay on local radio. Original members Mike Davila (bass) and Carlos A. Guerrero (guitar) will join frontman Ray Bertolino as Lovers and Strangers return to the place where it all began.
Bertolino headed out to Las Vegas shortly after Lovers and Strangers disbanded. He formed power pop rockers Ray & The Forget Me Nots, who performed the large-scale Napa music festival Bottlerock twice. But Lovers and Strangers never drifted too far from Bertolino’s soul, even when it seemed too far from ever being a reality again. Expect early L&S classics, along with some new material they’re working on for a possible album.
The Los Bandoleros (4pm) close out Saturday with a burlap sack full of Tex Mex crossover rock.
SUNDAY: ALL TOGETHER NOW
On Sunday, the Independent Stage goes even bigger. Music begins with Alisal Center Jazz and the Latin Jazz Collective. A favorite locals’ band, Red Beans & Rice, will work the stage up to a steady sizzle before international reggae star Pato Banton makes his West End debut (2pm).
“Spirituality motivates my music,” Banton says. “I have a desire to reach people, and that’s always growing inside me.”
It’s been a journey for the Grammy-nominated Birmingham, England native. His 1985 debut,Mad Professor Captures Pato Banton, which features non-Jamaican novelty dub, didn’t score much commercial acclaim initially. However, thanks to the Beastie Boys’ sample of “I Do Not Sniff the Coke” on Paul’s Boutique’s “The Sounds of Science,” Banton sprouted an underground following that has since moved above ground.
The Ray Charles Project returns to West End to close out Sunday on the Independent Stage with a high-energy tribute to the revolutionary musician. The seven-piece group features some of the Bay Area’s most talented players, including Grammy Award-winning singer – and frequent Santana collaborator – Tony Lindsay – and blues guitar killer Chris Cain.
Meanwhile, in 2017, the Coffis Brothers (4pm Sunday, Reel to Real Stage) and the Mountain Men recorded their fourth studio record, Roll With It, at the Los Angeles spot Barefoot Studios, a space where Jimi Hendrix, Tom Petty and Eric Clapton, to name a few, had recorded.
“I still believe rock ‘n’ roll is, by itself, a genre,” Kellen Coffis says. “It’s about melody, harmony and groove. There’s a reason that the Beatles have been relevant for 40 years. People listen for those elements.”Since 2010, the Santa Cruz-based outfit has stood proudly behind those melodies, harmonies and grooves that sustain rock music.
Additional Reel to Real Stage highlights include: Jet (noon Saturday), The Shoobies (1:15pm Saturday), Vincent Randazzo (2:30pm Saturday) and Sensory Tribe (3:45pm Saturday).
At 1pm Sunday, the cacophony of improvised sound that is Live From The BASSment is one not to be missed.
A side note directed to music lovers who are memorabilia junkies: On Sunday, a guitar signed by legendary singer-songwriter Jackson Browne will be raffled off (advance drawing tickets are available at Sand City City Hall) – and that means more proceeds for Guitars Not Guns.
WEST END CELEBRATION music happens 7:30pm Friday, 11am-6pm Saturday and 11am-5pm Sunday, Aug. 17-19. Venues throughout Sand City. $25-$30/Fri; free/Sat-Sun. For full schedule of events, see the insert in this edition or visit westendcelebration.com
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