Kicking off the OC Parks 2025 Summer Concert Series on June 19 at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley, the beloved Los Angeles-born collective brings their infectious energy, genre-hopping rhythms, and socially conscious soul to the stage in what promises to be a summer kickoff celebration.

And this year, there’s even more to dance about: Ozomatli is celebrating 30 years of blending music with movement, both literal and political.

The milestone year is being marked by their newly launched “30 Revolutions” Nationwide Tour, which kicked off on May 30 in Boulder, CO and will span the country through the end of August.

Stops include major cities like Los Angeles (June 14 at Grand Performances), New York City (Aug. 12 at SONY Hall), Chicago (Aug. 23 at Park West), and Austin (Aug. 30 at Antone’s). In true Ozo spirit, the band is donating $1 from every ticket to mental health services for music industry professionals through Sweet Relief and Backline.

“Celebrating 30 years of music, madness, and familia? That’s not just a milestone — that’s badass,” says saxophonist/vocalist Ulises Bella. “Through all the chaos in the world, one thing hasn’t changed: Ozomatli brings the vibes that bring people together.”

We caught up with founding member Raul Pacheco ahead of their SoCal homecoming to talk about three decades of making noise, staying united, and what fans can expect from this milestone moment at OC Parks.

Three decades deep! Ozomatli was born out of community activism and organizing in L.A. How have those roots continued to shape your identity as a band, both on and off stage?
Raul:
Our first show was at a labor protest and that spirit to lend our support to causes we agree on is still there. Right now we support the immigrant communities in California and all over the country and we support anti-ice protesters. Music brings people together and we are here for it. 

What’s been the secret to keeping the spirit of the band alive and thriving after 30 years?
Raul:
We each love music so much and do our best to respect each other. We share our profits equally and try to make room for everyone’s voice and creativity. Over time we have learned to listen better and support each other as people, not just bandmates.

From street protests to the Grammys to global tours, you’ve played just about everywhere. Do you have a favorite moment that still cracks you up or blows your mind?
Raul:
Playing for 25,000 people in Mongolia was wild. We were like, how did we end up here. Jamming with Stevie Wonder at Grand Performances is another one, we backed him up a little and he jammed with us on our final song.

This year’s OC Parks concert kicks off summer with you guys at Mile Square Park. What can SoCal fans expect from your live show? Any surprises to mark your 30th?
Raul:
Music, movement and community. We are playing songs old and new. We hope to create a safe and loving space for all in attendance to connect and enjoy each other.

Looking back, is there a particular moment, song, or collaboration that felt like a turning point for the band?
Raul:
“Cumbia De Los Muertos” helped define our sound in the early days. It showed how all these different influences could live in one song.

As you hit this milestone year, what message do you hope fans old and new take away from the Ozomatli journey?
Raul:
That you can create joy while standing up for what matters. That community and culture are worth celebrating and protecting. We hope people feel seen and heard in the music. Whether you have been with us since the beginning or just found us, we are grateful you are part of the journey.

Lastly, if you could go back and give one piece of advice to the band in year one, what would it be?
Raul:
Document more. Take the pictures. Write things down. But also, trust the process. Keep playing with heart. Keep showing up for each other. It is going to be a ride, and it is going to be worth it.

For more info, visit: https://www.ocparks.com/news/oc-parks-presents-2025-summer-concert-series-and-sunset-cinema-film-series

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SoCal fans can finally see the British duo Martyn Ware and Glenn Gregory in action this week, with a stop at The Belasco in Los Angeles on Sept. 29, House of Blues San Diego on Sept. 30, and the Observatory in Santa Ana on Oct. 1.  

Known for their greatest hits “Temptation,” “Let Me Go” and “Hands Up To Heaven,” the U.S. tour titled We Don’t Need This Fascist Groove Thang is sure to be a nostalgic experience for fans who have followed the group throughout their 40 years of eclectic music-making. 

Glenn Gregory and Martyn Ware shared their thoughts on current music trends, staying fresh in the ever-evolving music industry, music influences, and more.  

What continues to spark your passion for the synth-pop genre?

GG: I think people (artists) continue to innovate using synthesis as they do companies, both big and small, are pushed to make more interesting products both as physical instruments and soft synths for your DAW and this in turn leads to more creative innovation. It’s that ever-spiraling partnership that I find interesting.

MW: As it is now ubiquitous, we are proud of our musical influence, and still love the futuristic sound of synths…

Who are your biggest musical influences?

GG: It’s a list: David Bowie, Roxy Music, Earth Wind and Fire, Dean Martin, Faust, Gong, Brian Eno

MW: Too many – Bowie, Moroder, Kraftwerk, Cameo, etc., etc.

Digging into your history, you have collaborated with many notable artists. What has been your most treasured collaboration?

GG: I have worked with many artists over the years, it’s hard to pick a favourite but I think the collaboration with Tina Turner was a pretty spectacular high point. She’s such a beautiful person and a consummate professional and let’s not forget her amazing voice.

MW: Tina Turner was a great pleasure, but I think Sananda Maitreya just wins.

What has been your most memorable career moment, and what makes it so special?

GG: I’m going to say Heaven 17’s first-ever TV appearance which was on Top Of The Pops, which was a total British institution as we were growing up. Every Thursday night at 7 o’clock, you would be glued to the TV watching this chart show…and to find ourselves actually appearing on that iconic show was a massive high and something that has always stuck with me.

MW: “Wishing Well” reaching number one on the Billboard Top 40 Singles Chart

What has been the most impactful shift in the music industry for Heaven 17 over the past four decades?

GG: I think not just for us but for everyone wanting to create music, the biggest shift has been the computer and how now you can create pretty much any kind of music from your bedroom. On the flip side (down side), the way music as an art form has been devalued by record labels and streaming services.

MW: Streaming – we hate it, so we release exclusively on vinyl now.

What does it mean to you to return to the US for a tour?

GG: A lot of bloody travelling! And a real connection with Heaven 17 fans that have been waiting way too long to see us perform.

MW: We’ve never done a full headline tour in the US before – after 40 years!

With your longtime legacy, how do you keep your concerts fresh?

GG: We continue to change and evolve the live show, including reworking and sometimes reinventing older songs. We have a great connection with our live audience and the shows are an ever-changing conversation.

MW: We constantly rework and remodel the arrangements – and we work with young fresh talent!

Are there any current synth-pop artists you feel deserve a shoutout?

GG: I think synthesis is such a massive part of music now, but I like Chvrches. Billie Eilish dare I say.

MW: Too many to mention – but those who focus on songwriting excellence are my favorites.

What is next for Heaven 17?

GG: More live concerts around the world and Martyn and I actually talked about writing some new songs the other night. Watch this space.

MW: More touring, and possibly a new album!

For more info and ticketing details, visit https://www.heaven17.com/live-dates

The post 40 Years in the Making: Synth-Pop Legends Heaven 17 Talk First-Ever U.S. Headlining Tour appeared first on Backstage Socal.

There is talent. And then there is Marie Osmond.

In the third stop of her “A Symphonic Christmas” tour, the entertainment icon kicked off the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts’ season with holiday glitz, glamour, nostalgia, fun, and jaw-dropping vocals that were sure to have left her large audience with an unforgettable evening.

Although the night was full of memorable highlights, here are standout moments that deserve a special shoutout:

Marie’s opera vocals are flawless and her stage presence is unmatched. Her personable nature, storytelling abilities, and warm wit make even a large theater feel intimate. The stage was full of lit-up Christmas trees, an award-winning orchestra, and the talented Cal State Fullerton chorus. Her dazzling fashion alone is a sight to see. 

As promised in her Backstage SoCal interview, she performed Christmas favorites, songs from her new album (out Dec. 10) “Unexpected,” and of course, her classics, including the hit single “Paper Roses” which launched her country career in 1973. She sang the iconic song with her younger self in past videos playing on a screen behind her.

While performing a fun rendition of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” in a captain cap, the backdrop screen displayed historical images and videos of Marie performing and meeting U.S.S. servicemen over the past six decades. 

Singer David Osmond, Marie’s nephew and son of older brother Alan, joined her on stage for a holiday medley and a few solos. Before singing “Mary Did You Know?” he shared that his father who has Multiple Sclerosis always says, “I have M.S., but M.S. doesn’t have me.” Then he shared that he, too, has the disease but it doesn’t stop him from performing, proving that to the audience with impressive dance moves and vocals.

Also joining her on stage was multilingual/classical singer Daniel Emmet, a finalist on Season 13 of NBC’s America’s Got Talent, whose powerful opera vocals boomed over the theater in duets and solos. The three sang a couple of fun holiday medleys together, and finished with a powerful “Silent Night.”

In a poignant moment, she gently sang “Let There Be Peace On Earth,” with commentary recognizing the pandemic hardships the world has endured over the past year-and-a-half. There was plenty of fun as well, including bringing an audience member on stage with her, placing a Santa hat with a shield on their face, and having them sing “Blue Christmas.”

As a dedication to her late son Michael, who passed away in 2010, Marie sang a beautiful rendition of “How Great Thou Art,” leaving not a dry eye in the house. Her own tears shed as she thanked her fans for six successful decades, and dedicated an emotional Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Unexpected Song” (from her new album) to her adoring fanbase.

For more information and tour dates, visit marieosmond.com

The post Marie Osmond is exceptional in ‘A Symphonic Christmas’ concert appeared first on Backstage Socal.

There is something about Marie. After several decades of success in all forms of entertainment — including, but not limited to, music, television, theater and film — the superstar Osmond sister continues to prove to the world she is the definition of unstoppable.  

This December, the entertainment icon will release her new 17-track album “Unexpected” (out Dec. 10), kick off a tour, perform a slew of special Christmas shows, and produce and star in the Lifetime holiday film “A Fiance for Christmas,” debuting on Dec. 9. 

Her Christmas show, “Marie Osmond: A Symphonic Christmas,” will feature a 30-piece orchestra performing a mix of her hits, Broadway songs, and holiday favorites. Joining her on stage will be special guest David Osmond (her nephew) and America’s Got Talent finalist Daniel Emmett. She will kick off the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts season on Dec. 3. 

Marie shared how she developed her strikingly beautiful opera vocals, what it means to perform with her family and friends, how she embraces change and growth, and the art of remaining fierce and fearless.  

On developing her opera vocals

I did The Oprah Winfrey Show when my son passed away and I sang a song called “Pie Jesu,” which I put on this album. As you know, I’m kind of an eclectic person, as far as music. I love everything. I’m of course country; that’s the genre that I love to sing. But I never liked putting people in boxes, you know? I like trying new things. I’m not a one-note person. And when I did “Sound of Music” in Kimuni, I knew I couldn’t sing “The Hills Are Alive” with a country accent, so I wanted to have some vocal training. (The vocal coach) said, “Hey lady, you can sing soprano! You can sing opera if you want.” And I went, “Shut up!” (laughs) So I started to sing around the house and work on it, and I loved it so much. I did “Nessun Dorma“ as a trial run to see if people were even interested, because I got a lot of feedback from the Oprah show. And when I put that into the show, people really enjoyed it. So that’s how this album was created. It’s kind of a long way around it, but it’s funny how things happen. 

On returning to live Christmas concerts

To have the orchestra live, this show is going to be so much fun, I can’t stand it. One song I have pre-recorded background vocals; I just had to put them on there. It’s the Tabernacle choir from Temple Square and it’s on the last song that I do. Their vocals just give me chills, so I just knew I had to have them for Christmas. Everything else beyond that will be bona fide live. 

On performing with nephew David Osmond and America’s Got Talent finalist Daniel Emmett

I believe for the holidays, his story needs to be told. He’s an incredibly talented guy, but he’s a miracle. I think his story is unique and I want him to perform so people will see why I have invited him. Also Daniel Emmet who was on “America’s Got Talent,” will be performing. He is so gifted. Oh my gosh, just wait until you hear this kid’s voice. Placido Domingo singled him out as being brilliant. He recorded “The Prayer” with me on the new album, and we did it really simple with a piano, and then I go from simple to full on opera at the end and it’s really fun. 

But by saying that we’re doing that, that doesn’t mean that I’m never singing my hits or singing country. It’s just an extension. It’s like adding another instrument to your repertoire, you know?

On constantly evolving

I loved watching Streisand perform and I love watching Bernadette Peters, but they don’t tour anymore. You know, there’s a time and season for everything. And right now, while my voice is in shape, I want to enjoy this period. There will come a time where I probably won’t be able to hit the high notes, but I’m not going to let the fear of having a perfect vocal stop me from performing. And I think that happens a lot with people. Like everybody expects them to be perfect. Live is not perfect. That’s why Broadway is so fun. I think that energy that comes from doing everything in one shot for the audience is just incredibly fun. 

On new projects

On Dec. 9, my new movie will debut on Lifetime. It’s called “A Fiance for Christmas” and I’m also producing it. And it’s the third year that I did this with Lifetime. I just finished their commercials for the holidays. They’re going to be cute fun. You know, acting’s something that’s new to me too. I don’t know what it is. Maybe you get over 50 and you want to just start over. At first, my acting was okay, but I feel like in this one, the acting is better. I think a lot of times, women especially, put a lot of pressure on ourselves as we get older, saying, “I can’t do that.” That is so far from the truth. I feel like when the kids are gone, you’ve raised them, and now you’re at the time to experiment and find life. So I have a film coming on the 9th, the “Unexpected” album coming on the 10th, and then I’ll be on tour. 

On being fearless 

Never settle for fear. I can’t stand fear. As a young girl, I hated change. I just wanted consistency. And I realized that the only thing consistent in life is change. And so I embraced it. Now I’m the kind of person that’s not afraid to try things. I’m the kind of person that’s not afraid to close doors, because new ones will open and new things will be found. 

Marie Osmond: A Symphonic Christmas, With Special Guests David Osmond and Daniel Emmet

Theater:     Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos

Date:             8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3

Ticket Prices:     $110/$100/$90/$70

For more info: https://www.cerritoscenter.com/

The post New holiday shows, album, tour, film: Marie Osmond is unstoppable appeared first on Backstage Socal.

In their latest album, “Crash of the Crown,” the legendary rock outfit presents 15 revolutionary tracks with themes of perseverance, protesting, fighting for what’s right, love and family — most of which, ironically, were written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic world. The band’s 17th album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Rock Albums chart and No. 5 on the Top Current Albums chart.

The Chicago-bred group hit the road in June after over a year for a full U.S. tour, including a return stop at Agua Caliente Casino Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage on Sept. 18. The band, which includes guitarists Tommy Shaw and James “J.Y.” Young, keyboardist Lawrence Gowan, drummer Todd Sucherman, and bassist Ricky Phillips, will perform their latest album, along with a heavy selection from their vast album collection.

Gowan shares how the iconic rock band continues to prove to the world time and time again, even in the midst of a global pandemic, that they are unstoppable.

It’s just amazing how long you’ve been with Styx and yet, you seem to still be referred to as the “new guy.” And even more amazing, is how every time I see you guys live, you are a powerhouse on stage as if you haven’t been doing this with this band for over 20 years.

GOWAN: (Laughs) I enjoy it. It’s funny what you’re saying though. I mean I’ve been in the band 22 years, but it feels more like 22 months maybe. You know, as you get older, the years seem to fly by quicker, but it is still remarkable because I think to myself, wow, when I was 22 years old, I thought I’ve probably got five or six years left on the planet. If I’m going to be a respectable rock star, I should be out of here when I’m 30. So when I compare it in that manner, it’s quite a chunk of my life. It means a third of my life I’ve been in the band. I don’t take it for granted. And I love the fact that we’re still ending our days with large crows. Last night, we ended with a multitude of people as far as the eye could see, their arms in the air and big smiles on their faces. So it tells me that this is worth doing for another day or another year or another 10 years if possible.

And your concerts remain so fresh like you’ve been playing for five years — and not just you, the whole band. How do you maintain that fresh energy?

GOWAN: It should feel fresh, you know? It should feel fresh onstage. When I meet musicians who say, ‘Don’t you get sick of playing the same songs?’ And it’s like, no. They’re the same chords and the same lyrics, but it’s a different song every day, because it’s different opportunities to convey that song and to kind of personalize it and integrate it into your experience in the last 24 hours. So it’s more akin to looking at your favorite painting. You never really get bored of looking at it. It’s something new every time you take it in. And that’s a big part of what keeps it fresh and being on stage with guys who are like-minded, that doesn’t hurt as well.

So what does it feel like to be back out there on stage in front of large crowds again after taking a break?

GOWAN: It was amazing last night. All the shows that we’ve done since coming back six weeks ago have been at capacity. A couple of indoor venues have taken the measures of having distancing. Two venues sold out every other row, so the place looked full but there was still space between people. And there was an outdoor venue that we played up in Nebraska where they did the same thing. But other than that, fortunately almost all the shows have been outdoors, so people are able to kind of keep their air supply replenished and hopefully not catch this thing that’s still around.

When I first heard the new album “Crash of the Crown”, I was just blown away by the lyrics being so relevant, being that it was written prior to the pandemic. Can you tell me more about that?

GOWAN: That is the oddest thing. It’s like a prescient thing. We were about two thirds of the way into the record, basically in the writing and early recording stages. And we were really looking forward to finishing up the record when the pandemic hit. And we thought, oh, you know, like the rest of the world, we’ll deal with this for the next six weeks and then we’ll get back to it. Well, then six weeks turned into three months and we began to see the likelihood of it stretching on for a year. And we started listening to where we were on the record, just so we could remind ourselves.

We basically were on a zoom call and were like, isn’t it remarkable how the lyrics of the songs, the whole tone of the album, seems to relate to what we’re going through right now? You know, even though we might’ve been referring to other things, it’s almost like you feel there was something in the ether that was telling you what we’re about to face. Some sort of crisis that we’re going to have to navigate our way through. And because the Zoom calls became more and more commonplace and relaxed and, sometimes too relaxed (laughs), they became so common that we began to think.

A couple of engineer friends of ours said, hey you guys gotta get this software Audiomovers. It’s an app that you can put on your phone or on your computer that hooks your studio into a studio anywhere on the planet. Unlike having to send emails back and forth with tracks you’ve recorded, the guys could be in a studio in Nashville, I’m in a studio in Toronto, Todd’s (Sucherman) in the studio in Austin, Texas, and we’re all hooked up on a Zoom call and we’re all listening to each other play in real time through the speakers. So we’re able to give real proper, in the moment feedback on what we’re doing. And it became so second nature that we said we’ve got to finish the album. You know? Let’s try this. And if we don’t like it, we can always stop and go back to the way we’re doing it. But we were getting such great results. And it opened up opportunities like any crisis does.

I mean, I have a vintage keyboard collection and the things are so old now they’ll fall apart. But on this record, I got to use my 1926 Steinway piano and an old organ. And then I’ve got my Mellotron from the 70s that, you know, if you look at it the wrong way, it just says goodnight, but it sounds amazing on the record, and all my old synths. And because of that, those things made it onto the album, whereas they wouldn’t have otherwise. And I think we really made the best apple pie from the squashed apples that we could. I know that there’s probably a better metaphor (laughs).

That’s a phenomenal story on how you guys utilized technology, because artists really seemed to be at a standstill and put their works on pause during the pandemic. You just gave a testament on how you guys persevered, and your album includes exciting elements like your piano and Mellotron that makes it that much more special. Now, in terms of singing, did you feel like there was more emotion there because the lyrics are relatable to the current situation?

GOWAN: That’s really a good a question because yes, there are some songs that I sung and I was happy with the vocals on them, but as you began readdressing them or redressing it, you know, some of the parts I noticed I wanted to sing differently. I wanted it to have a little more of the gravity of the moment. Like I think I can capture that a little better. And I should also add two of the songs were written after the pandemic started. And I wasn’t involved in the writing of them because I wasn’t in Nashville, but Tommy (Shaw) and Will (Evankovich) came up with two songs; one was ‘Our Wonderful Lives’ and the other is ‘To Those.’ Consciously knowing that they were written after the pandemic started, it makes a lot of sense, but that starts a bit of a domino effect. There were certain lines in some of the other songs that I thought, no, I can hit this with a little more of what I feel is the emotional intent of the moment. So, for example, the last line in the ‘Crash of the Crown,’ — “there’s no denying, the truth will be the light, through the darkness tonight.” That sort of hinting at the light at the end of the tunnel was far more realistic, that I had to readdress it. Same with ‘Fight Of Our Lives,’ ‘To Those’ and ‘Common Ground.’ So, yeah, there’s some instances of that raw emotion, for sure.

It’s interesting because ‘The Mission’ is this spacey futuristic album and then “Crash of the Crown” has this revolutionary realistic feel with lyrics that relate heavily to a world feeling a crisis.

GOWAN: That’s a good observation. Yeah ‘The Mission’ is fantasy based on a likely reality and ‘Crash of the Crown” is based on reality and the likelihood that the best intentions may come through, perhaps even despite ourselves.

For more Styx info and tour dates, visit: styxworld.com

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For their fifth annual Season Premiere, OCSA presented a virtual concert on Sept. 25 that highlighted the best of previous premieres and features never-before-seen professionally recorded performances by four OCSA alumna superstars.

Hosted by Broadway actress Lauren Lim Jackson (Broadway: “Pretty Woman,” “Motown the Musical”; TV: “Almost Family”), the premiere featured performances from Broadway, television and film actors: Matthew Morrison (TV: “Glee,” “American Horror Story; Broadway: “Finding Neverland,” “Hairspray”), Krysta Rodriguez (TV: “Halston,” “Smash”; Broadway: “The Addams Family,” “In The Heights”), David Burnham (Broadway: “Wicked,” “The Light in the Piazza”) and Terron Brooks (Broadway: “The Lion King”; TV: “The Temptations”).

In addition to live music, the event hosted a weeklong virtual auction to support the public charter school’s arts conservatory programs.

I caught up with Matt Morrison about how he has spent his time in lockdown, discovering new talents, and his passion for his former grade school.

How have you been spending the time in lockdown?

Honestly, just a lot of the self-work. I’ve realized that this is like the first time in my life that I haven’t worked in like 25 years, you know? And I’ve been kind of going full-throttle for that long. So it’s been wonderful because I have a little one who is turning three pretty soon, and it’s just been wonderful to just be with my wife and my child, and just really focus on them and nothing else. That’s been rewarding, especially in a time in my son’s life where developmentally he’s in his prime. So, we’re just really getting that time in and seeing all the transitions and the animations and the mood swings and everything; just the joy as he develops his brain.

I’ve talked to so many different artists during this time, and it seems like on top of the rest period, there’s also this inspiration or creativity that’s come from having this time off. Have you experienced that?

Yes, absolutely. We are entrepreneurs. We’re actually slated to start this thing called Museum of Dance, which is an immersive theater experience that takes you through different decades of dance history. So you actually learn how like women’s suffrage led to flappers and how war time in the 1940s led to people just wanting to cut loose and swing dance. You’re actually seeing a Broadway-style show with amazing professional dancers, but they pull you into the story, so you actually get to learn the dances of the decades as you go through the experience. So you burn while you learn. So it was slated to open up in New York City in October, but obviously that’s not happening right now. So, we’re on hold with that project. But we just have been kind of finding out different ways to even make it better. I’m really excited about that one

I’m also getting more in the headspace of creating new things that really haven’t been done before. It’s been a lot of fun and I’ve got a project that I’m in negotiations with now, so I can’t really talk about it, but it’s a new musical project that’s going to be on television pretty soon. So I’m just kind of working on that character and just getting inside his head and stuff.

What would you say your dream role would be?

It’s so crazy hearing that question, because I think when I was younger, I had a lot of dream roles. Like Chris in “Miss Saigon” would have been one of them. But I’ve had such a blessed career that I didn’t even know some of these dream roles. I got to create some of my absolute dream roles. Definitely changing the landscape of television with ‘Glee’ was really just a wild ride. And so instrumental in the deepening of my work, and also just inspiring a whole new generation of people in making theater cool in a way. It’s been a wild ride. I think the one character that I’d absolutely love to tackle still, and it’s been a dream of mine for a long time is John Wilkes Booth.

Ah, I could see that from other darker roles you’ve taken on.

I like darker stuff. I’m kind of drawn to them cause I’m kind of a light person. I like to go into that other side. I definitely have gone darker with different projects, but I also like to be in a positive light. We’re (my family) is all about positivity and if you go into something with a positive attitude, usually the results will end up being a positive one instead of going to stuff like with apprehension or negativity. You get to shape the experience you want to have. And I’ve realized that as I’ve gotten older; going into things with a positive attitude really has a lot to do with the outcome of what the experience will be.

Many artists I’ve talked to have discovered new talents during this lockdown time. Have you discovered anything new that you didn’t know you were capable of doing prior?

Actually (laughs), yes, I’ve had a piano at my house for a long time, but it’s just kind of sat there. I’ll have like friends come over or Brad Ellis who was on ‘Glee.’ Now he’s also my music director. So he’ll come over to work on something and play the piano, which is great, but I never play it because I don’t know how. So I’ve actually started learning how to play during this time. I wouldn’t call it a special talent because I’m not great at it, but I’m hoping someday it will be a special talent that has been cultivated in this time of COVID-19.

Do you do any songwriting?

I do, well I did. My whole first album was a lot of songwriting that I did on my own, but I don’t delve into much because I know there are a lot more talented people, and I like singing good songs, and so I rely on people that have been doing it much longer and are really, really good at it. So, it’s not something that I pursue, but I do it for fun. I make up a lot of songs for my son, he’s an easy critic. So I’m focusing on that right now.

As an alum, you have always been such a supporter of Orange County School of Arts. How have they shaped you and your career?

Yeah, it honestly laid the groundwork for my entire career, that school. I mean, music has always been an influential part of my life since childhood, but I just owe so much to that school for the nurturing, educational environment. And also the great teachers that I had that really just molded my raw talent that I had as a young kid. They just really honed all my skills and gave me new goals and aspirations, and just really set my sights onto what I wanted for my career. And I went off to college in New York after, and I just felt like I was kind of relearning everything I learned in high school, but I just felt like I was ready and that kind of propelled me to want to go out and audition.

I think my third audition was for ‘Footloose’ and I got my first Broadway show at 19 and then I was just off to the races. So, yeah, it was just vital to have that kind of nurturing environment as a young student. And I love going back there. I mean, I can’t go back there now. So I guess this is my way to do that for the virtual concert. I loved being with the students because they’re like on a different level than when I was there. Like they’re so good. I think the arts in general has had this kind of resurgence with young people. There’s so many young people that are just thriving in and so much better than when I was at that age. I kind of came into dance at a later age and they’re already doing triple turns and singing and doing crazy acting scenes. I’m blown away by the students there and just students in general. I’ve actually learned so much from them. I’m just inspired that they’re doing their own thing and are authentically themselves; that’s something that I love to see. And that’s the way you get jobs is to find what you can bring to the table that no one else is doing.

Why was this virtual benefit concert important to you?

I released a Disney album in March and I was just coming off of the UK show ‘The Greatest Dancer’ as a mentor figure. So I released the album in March and I started promoting it in New York right when COVID was hitting. I think the last performance was on ‘Good Morning America.’ And I was about to do like a whole concert tour with my band. So that all changed. And thankfully the albums still did well. I think a lot of parents were drawn to it because they needed something to kind of help them with their children that were constantly at home.

So I never really got to fully perform any of these songs the way I wanted to. So for me, it was a great chance to kind of showcase what I’m bringing to this new album and to kind of show my reimagined album. They give me full clearance and access to anything of any size I wanted to do and do it any way I wanted to do it. So it was great. And like I said, I love to have great songs and great songwriters and these are some of the best. They’re sort of solid brick to our childhood, we all grew up on these songs. So it worked on so many different levels for me. I absolutely loved getting to show that in this this virtual performance. I did a couple of hits like, ‘You’ll Be in My Heart’ and ‘Friend Like Me.’, So it was fun. It was a very interesting experience filming this because we were on this little soundstage with a very limited crew. Everyone wore a mask and I was in a mask right up until this point, and it was so hot on the soundstage. But I’m happy.

What do you hope your audience will take from this benefit virtual concert experience?

I think now more than ever arts education is important. I believe in a balanced education between arts and core curriculums. But I think arts is something that has so many social benefits. From playing an instrument, and learning musical skills. I think it’s so therapeutic and music is the international language that we all speak and it connects us all. I think we can get so many positive vibrations and this is such a great cause to keep the arts going and alive. So people tune in, because they’ve really done a great job in making this a fun experience for people to just sit down and watch this amazing show with some incredible alumni.

The Season Premiere performance began Friday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. The virtual auction was live on Monday, Sept. 21 at 9 a.m. and closed Friday, Sept. 25 at 10 p.m. For more information, visit https://one.bidpal.net/SeasonPremiere

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Most recognized for originating the role of George Washington in the musical phenomenon “Hamilton,” Jackson will bring live theater and music into the homes of many this weekend for the virtual concert “Christopher Jackson: Live From the West Side.” Proceeds from this event will benefit Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, as well as several performing arts centers and institutions throughout the country.

The one-night-only concert will feature Jackson and his live band performing Broadway show tunes, pop hits, original songs — including a tribute to his idol Harry Belafonte — as well as sharing stories about his adventures in hit musicals “Hamilton,” “In the Heights,” “Freestyle Love Supreme” and his role in the CBS television show “Bull.”

The Tony nominated and Grammy and Emmy Award-winning actor, singer and songwriter says he was “itching to get on stage” and is excited to help performing arts centers and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. 

“The idea that we could actually safely pull this off was obviously very appealing to me. I think we’re all trying to find a lane by which we can get back on stage and share what we do with the public,” said Jackson, “The idea that we were going to be doing it in a way that allows people to stay at home and be safe, but still get a taste of a live experience means so much.” 

The livestream, a co-production of Dallas Summer Musicals and Entertainment Benefits Group, is being shared by a number of non-for-profit arts presenters around the country. The event will take place at New York’s New World Stages, the off-Broadway venue that has housed productions of “Jersey Boys,” “Avenue Q” and many others. 

Ticket holders will also have the opportunity to text questions to Jackson for a real time question-and-answer session. When asked what he wants his home audiences to feel when the concert is over, Jackson said there is a lot, but mainly that people have a great time.

“I want them to say we had a great time. Or that they feel a lot less heavy than they felt when they first sat down. That they want to have another glass of wine and listen to some Stevie Wonder or some ‘In the Heights’ or ‘Hamilton.’ That they are inspired to call someone up and tell them they love them. That they are inspired to tuck their kids in a little bit longer and spend more time with them. That whatever it is in their life that they are loving on or could love on more, that they are inspired to do that.”

The virtual event requires only one ticket per household, and the event is suitable for all ages.

“I think ultimately my hope is that everybody is reminded that it isn’t about some perfect scenario with theater or music or art or anything else, but that art is happening in real time and it only happens when someone is there to receive it, and someone can feel something. There’s always going to be better singers, there’s always going to be slicker productions. There’s always going to be a million other tricks that could be employed, but when you break it all down and simplify it, an artist shares something because they have to. It becomes something as essential as air,” said Jackson.

“And the center of that sharing is love and generosity, and that’s what we’re trying to promote. So, my hope is that everyone has a great time, crack a bottle of wine, have some dinner, and enjoy yourself. We’re going to enjoy ourselves. We just have to.”

Christopher Jackson: Live From The West Side
Presented by Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Tickets for are $40 per household and are available online at the SCFTA.org or by calling (714) 556-2787, Monday – Friday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. 

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Performing at Irvine Barclay Theatre, Scott said he plans to provide the audience “with a dynamic and entertaining evening combining jazz, funk, and new versions of classic popular songs.” With over 30 solo recordings and over 500 as a guest artist, the saxman has garnered three Grammy Awards and 14 nominations and has worked with such diverse artists as Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Carol King, Paul McCartney, the Blues Brothers and Steely Dan.

The aptitude for music runs strong in the Scott family — Scott’s father, film and television composer Nathan Scott, had over 700 television credits and more than 100 film credits as a composer, orchestrator, and conductor, including the theme songs for “Lassie” and “Dragnet.”

We had the honor to chat with the music legend before his stop in O.C.

With your father being a notable composer, how did that inspire your own career in music?

Dad was a great film and TV composer with over 700 credits. There was always a room where we lived (the dining room at first, later a separate studio behind the house) where he would be busy composing with an upright piano, a drafting table and score paper. It’s not that he taught me music directly, but when, in the fourth grade, I wanted to play the clarinet in elementary school, he paid for lessons by one of L.A.’s finest woodwind players. He also introduced me to jazz; he bought me a Benny Goodman Carnegie Hall concert recording from 1938 — 10 years before I was born. I wore that record out trying to imitate Benny on my student model clarinet.

Upon entering junior high, now they call it ‘middle school’, I took the only chair available in the sax section — the baritone sax. My Dad, once again wanting me to hear the ‘best’ on that instrument, presented me with a Gerry Mulligan record, which I also wore out. He was always so supportive, but he didn’t have to work too hard to keep me interested — by that time I was thoroughly hooked on jazz.

Do you have a favorite memory of witnessing your father’s writing process that has influenced your own process?

As a composer, Dad was a perfectionist. His scores, written in pencil, always looked like artwork. Although I never attained that level of neatness, he taught me to provide as much clarity to the players as possible. That includes not only the notes themselves, but also the dynamics and articulations that tell the players what to do on the very first rehearsal.

Which film or television score of yours in particular do you most treasure, and why?

I especially enjoyed composing the score for “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes” (1972). I was inspired to build an instrument for the film — a ‘Bass Dakadebello’, a kind of large African marimba that was effective in providing the sound for a bunch of enslaved apes being taught how to serve their cruel masters.

You have accompanied some of the biggest names in music. Is there someone that you feel would be a dream to work with that you haven’t yet?

That’s a difficult question. Having had the privilege of working with so many pop and jazz icons, over 500 recordings, I feel so blessed already.

Soloist versus bandleader: if you could only choose one to perform live for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

Definitely bandleader. All I ever wanted to do was play with great musicians. The ‘soloist’ thing is nice, but the real fun for me is the musical interaction with other great players.

Where are your Grammy Awards currently?

I just moved, so currently they are sitting in a box in the garage!

Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to share?

Yes — I’m currently working on a project for Jack Jones — he’s 82 years young! I’m also creating the music for a new L.A. Express CD project entitled “Back On Track.” In addition, I’m adding to the curriculum for my third year on the faculty of the New York University Summer Jazz Program.

Tom Scott & the L.A. Express

When: Thursday, February 27, 2020 at 8pm

More info: https://www.thebarclay.org/buy-tickets/tom-scott-the-la-express.html

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Before he hits the Marina Room Tavern stage as the anniversary celebration’s headliner, Martin chatted with us about his influences, favorite career moments, his undying work ethic, and his hopes for the future of jazz.

What challenges have you experienced as a jazz artist in the modern music climate?

Jazz has fallen to about one percent of all music consumption. That’s concerning for jazz artists and I think that’s why many jazz artists often cross genres. The challenge is adaptability. So many jazz musicians seem trapped within what was being pioneered by the great jazz artists in the 20s, 50s, or whatever. In reality, Coltrane and others were performing pop songs of their era so what’s so wrong with doing that today. I often pull out Nirvana and Christina Aguilera songs during my show and people go nuts. I’m still improvising and exploring harmonic possibilities and it connects with the audience. Connecting with the audience one of the great things about music and should be a top priority to every musician, jazz included.

What’s on your current playlist?

I’ve been listening to a lot of Anderson Paak. I love the way his music is produced, the melodies, and the horns. Trumpeter and former New Orleans resident Maurice Brown is on a lot of his stuff.

What has been the most treasured moment of your career so far?

My most treasured moment is when I’m on stage and everything is clicking. The band is locked in and everyone is listening to each other on a deep level. The audience is in the palm of my hands and I’m choosing the right songs at the right moment. I never have a set list, I call the songs on the spot depending on what I’m feeling from the crowd. It’s exhilarating when it all comes together and everyone is feeling it.

What will the audience experience at the Music Preserves Foundation 1 Year Anniversary Party?

We’re bringing New Orleans to Laguna Beach! I plan on performing some of the New Orleans classics as well as my original music; something old, something new.

What is your creative process? And how are you continuously evolving in that process?

As a songwriter, ideas can come in a variety of ways. Some of the songs on my new album “Keep Movin'” were deliberately written. I made time, sat down, and started writing. Other songs just come to me. I heard “Leaf in a Hurricane” in almost its entirety in a Copenhagen apartment when my band performed the jazz festival there in 2018. I heard the melody, lyrics, key, and chords changes in my head. As a soloist on the saxophone, I listen and transcribe other players as much as possible. I try to expand my vocabulary and adventure to new approaches in improvisation. It’s all a never ending journey.

What do you feel is the best song you’ve ever released, and why?

This is hard! I like them all and often for different reasons. The lyrics to “Another You” always get to people even in the rowdiest of New Orleans clubs. I’m really proud of vibe and stories of “Rectify” and “Young Ambition” off my new album. The message in “Leaf in a Hurricane” is poetically powerful. I’m going to stop now because I can’t think of just one and I’ll keep going.

What are your current and/or future projects?

I’m a part of the “Soul Brass Band” in New Orleans. We just released an album called “Levels” produced by Galactic’s Ben Ellman. Both Soul and the James Martin Band are scheduled to perform several of the top music festivals this year in the US and in Europe. I think after releasing two solo albums in 2 years, my direction will be to collaborate writing and recording singles with other artists. Hit me up on Instagram at @JamesMartinMusic if you would like to create some music together!

The Dana Point-based Music Preserves Foundation has the mission to “inspire and educate the community through the preservation and presentation of music.” The foundation generates an appreciation for music by creating music and arts programs at festivals, schools and in the city through preserving and presenting lectures, exhibits, performances, educational programs and cultural collaborations.

For more info on Music Preserves Foundation, visit https://www.musicpreserves.org/

For more info about James Martin, visit http://www.jamesmartinmusic.com/

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The musical pair’s songs are actually written explicitly for the purpose of audience participation, using the call-and-response technique to get their audiences moving, shouting and singing the second they hit the stage. The Minnesota-grown group is making their way to California rock clubs to perform their fun show, including the Voo Doo Room in San Diego on Jan. 23 and Chain Reaction in Anaheim on Jan. 30.

Bryan Atchison chatted with me about everything from “Darrin’s Dance Grooves” to punk rock influences to the science behind writing a song about cats.

My sister is a 4th grade teacher and her students warm up to your songs and dance moves every single morning. They are so excited that you guys are playing the all ages Chain Reaction!

That’s so awesome! I am so excited. I know that some parents are like, “Why is this kids band playing the Chain Reaction?” But as a kid that loves punk music, I’m like, “Yes! We get to play Chain Reaction. That’s the coolest.” 

So I just rocked out to “Cat Party.” You have to tell me what’s the inspiration behind this song?

Well “Cat Party” is one of five cat songs on an album called “Viral: Songs About Cats and Stuff” and it was made in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We have a modern art museum called the Walker. And they did like a hundred events in a hundred days, and one of the events was having this internet cat video festival. I’m going to give you a little backstory. So they were like, “Hey, hope 15 people come to this.” And 12 thousand people showed up. So they were like, alright we’re going to do this again in the next year. And they did. And then at the State Fair, which is a huge staple in Minnesota, they did it at the amphitheater where like Usher plays and stuff like that. And there were 15,000 people. They sold it out. It was ticketed like $15-$20 to get in. And all the famous cats came, like Grumpy Cat, Lil Bub, all the cats who are now deceased. But anyways, they asked us to make an album for the promotion, and then we played the festival stage. We played the five cat songs with Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub. The funny thing is, we are not cat people at all. So the whole album is kind of like how can we make tongue-in-cheek songs that are like cats are cool, but people are crazy.

Before we started mainly playing like kids’ shows, we were in punk bands. We opened up for a guy named Frank Turner from the U.K. and “Cat Party” was like the jam on that whole tour. So we just kind of stuck with it. We were just kinda trying to make a dumb cat song that would be a crowd pleaser for this singular event, not knowing it would go anywhere else. And since then, every show people are coming up to us showing us pictures of their cats and I’m just kinda like, I don’t care. (laughs) Well I do, I just didn’t grow up with pets, cause my dad was like allergic to everything. And Neil’s a huge dog person. So we have a song called “Puppy.” We have a dog song too, but people don’t even know it exists because it’s not like “Cat Party.” 

There’s definitely an internet trend of cat people with figures like Grumpy Cat, cat videos, and memes that are cat-centric. It seems like you were right at the forefront of this trend that you probably didn’t even realize at the time. 

Yeah, not even, we didn’t even have a clue. I mean, if you think about it, in the age of the internet, fanny packs, cats, rainbows and unicorns are all super popular and it feels like we were like devising a way to like monetize the system or something like that. Not that we have (laughs), but I feel like we were just making music; like we’re camp counselors that kind of really dug things like Lisa Frank, and now that’s kind of what the internet is nowadays. I mean, it doesn’t bother me either way, but now that I look back on it, I’m like, wow, weren’t even planning on it but it works. That’s cool. It’s been fun.

I heard your newest song “My Jam,” which is instantly catchy. What exactly is your writing process? 

Yeah so we basically have like four different kinds of songs. We have like a hard topic like, writing some songs about cats or pizza, and then songs like “My Jam” is kind of a fun generic dance song. We just have a couple of those. This is just kind of a party jam as our newest single. We put out a song later in September called “Glitter” and one about hot sauce, and then “My Jam,” and we have another one about air guitars coming out. So we just kind of have a topic and try to hone in on it, and sometimes in either of our brains, we think of the chorus first and then we build up from there. 

“My Jam” has been kind of kicking around in my head for like four years or so, since I was on a camping trip, and I’ve been trying to figure out how to crack it. I was trying to put other things on top of it, like themes on top of it, because I was convinced just saying you like a song is not enough. And Neil was like, ‘No, that’s it. That’s the song.’ You can just have a song about liking a song! So we’ll see how this one does. I always get a little nervous about songs that don’t have like a hit-you-on-the-head kind of theme. I don’t know how it’ll do, because songs that are about something like pizza take off way more. But we have a fun video that I have planned for it and a couple of really cool dance moves; I think it will go well live. 

Our writing process is pretty collaborative, whichever way a song comes in the hamper. We always have a running list of themes or topics, and then we just try to figure out what we think is funny about that. So either like the funny joke will be the chorus hook or the chorus hook will be kind of a generic saying, word or topic. And then within the verses, we think about how we can explore that thing even more. And we are always making different beats and melodies. Or we make it specifically for that song and then whatever producer or engineer we’re working with will help mix and sparkle it up. And then we’re also thinking about sing-along parts and dance moves and video concepts later. 

But that’s kind of how maybe a generic song comes through. Most of the time we like to have a theme album where all the songs are a minute long, like we have a motivation record but we also have an album about Panera bread. So we create a box around the theme so we can kind of work within that. I don’t know what I would do if I was somebody who we used to be and just wrote songs about love and stuff. I can’t even think about being in a band like that because topics and themes and concepts help me focus and gives me something to construct. 

Are you continuously looking at things and coming up with songs in your head now? 

Definitely! I’m always thinking about songs in my head and I was before Koo Koo existed too. So that’s why I’m glad this exists. I have an output for that. It kind of helps me focus. I love driving cause that’s when I think the most; so I’m always trying to think of things and how they work and how that could be a dance move. Neil’s always trying to make a really funny song and I’m always trying to make a song that’s going to be like the next rock arena. Like I want to be a one hit wonder wedding hit band. I want the next “Cupid Shuffle” so bad. I don’t care if that’s like our only hit, and we just play like Laker game halftime shows for the rest of our life. I’m cool with that. 

You guys could be like the next Kool and the Gang.

I mean, that’d be great to have lots of hits like them to party to, and my head is always thinking of songs and dance moves to hopefully create that. 

Glad you brought up dance moves. Who creates your choreography? 

That is fully Neil and me. We’re just mashing it out always, and it’s getting harder now because we’ve made so many videos with new moves. We think what’s a really dead simple move that you can still do with a microphone? We run through the song a bunch of times and think about the moves. It has to be like really bad and really easy. Like it’s gotta be something my dad can do. If my dad can do it, then everyone can do it and will want to do it.

I always would watch these backup dancers or — do you remember the VHS “Darrin’s Dance Grooves?” It’s funny, that just popped in my head. So I had that and I’d watch it a lot and I thought it was really fun, but I was always a little angry at it. It’s like, “Why do you have to be like that? I get it, you’re good, but you’re trying to teach somebody to dance with this. So why you gotta show off and be perfect?” (laughs) I don’t even practice, because we’re lazy or too busy or don’t want to. And that benefits our show because it shows that these guys are half-assing it, so I can do it too. I just never aspire to be perfect; I like everything a little sloppy. 

It’s really cool that you are bringing that punk rock feel to younger generations by playing all ages rock clubs. 

I appreciate that a lot. Yeah we’re playing seven shows in California. I asked Neil if we could play at least two shows on the way out, so we don’t just drive 36 hours to Southern California. We wanted to go up to Northern California too, and Neil could not find an all ages place. I would like to have an all ages show that we didn’t have to bring in our own PA. We really care about all ages spaces, and most of the time when venues and promoters think about all ages they think about 14 years and up. And we like to have four-year-olds and their parents as part of the party. Our target is everyone from 4 years to 4th grade to 22 year-year-olds and their parents. 

Besides live shows, do you guys have any hopes of bringing this to a different medium, like television? 

Oh heck yeah. We’ve been working with a couple of different groups to get a pretty darn good pilot we have been pitching. I can kind of understand the music game, but the TV game is another beast and so it’s changing constantly, and we just kinda have to keep trying. It’s almost like winning the lottery is what we’ve been told by people. Even Steven Spielberg gets shut down. But we keep working at it. We’re not stopping. 

Koo Koo Kanga Roo

• January 23 at 6 pm: Voodoo Room, San Diego, CA
• January 24 at 6 pm: Temblor, Bakersfield, CA
• January 25 at 6 pm: Cornerstone, Berkeley, CA 
• January 26 at 6 pm: Holy Diver, Sacramento, CA
• January 29 at 6 pm: Strummer’s, Fresno, CA
• January 30 at 6 pm: Chain Reaction, Anaheim, CA
• January 31 at 6 pm: Rock City Studios, Camarillo, CA 

These shows are open to all ages. Details and advance tickets (unless otherwise noted, $15 general admission; $40 VIP admission) are available now at http://kookookangaroo.com/shows.

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1. She loves rock ‘n’ roll. 

When you performed at the Segerstrom Center a couple of years ago, you performed Radiohead’s “High & Dry” which made me wonder, who are your favorite bands?  

One of my favorites for sure is Steely Dan. Donald Fagan and Walter Becker. Yeah, I have all of their albums, they are my favorite, favorite band. And then beyond that, The Doobie Brothers, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones. I covered “Don’t Take Me Alive” and “Any Major Dude Will Tell You” by Steely Dan, and of course, I like Radiohead too. 

You know, I live in Texas on a ranch and those are two of my favorite driving songs when I’m driving about country roads, I’m singing at the top of my lungs. I’m a rock and roll singer at heart. I’m a child of the ’60s and I really wanted to go to Berkeley to be a part of the whole music scene out there and go to college. And my father was like, ‘No, you will go to TCU (Texas Christian University) and you will like it.’ So I had to do that, but Janice Joplin was from Beaumont, Texas, so I figured I could eventually do that. But my mother of course had aspirations for me to be more like Julie Andrews. So the truth of me lies somewhere between Janice Joplin and Julie Andrews. 

2. She paints and plays the guitar.

Your music tastes are as diverse as your career — singing, acting, writing, dancing. Do you have any hidden talents we might not know about?

I can sketch pretty well. I used to paint and sketch and I fantasize a lot about starting my sketching back up and painting, but I never seem to have the time. But now that I live on this ranch, I come back here in between jobs and I have all these sketchbooks that are unfilled and every now and then, I’ll get the urge and grab my charcoal pencils and sketch one of my animal’s faces or something. I don’t do it on a regular basis and I really should because it was one of my great loves. 

The other real aspiration of mine is to learn to play the guitar, which I’ve dibble dabbled in because I had to play the guitar in the musical “Promises, Promises” when I was 22 years old. So I took guitar lessons to learn how to play and I could play rudimentarily, but the guitar player in the orchestra pit filled it in and made it sound like I was really playing. And then for a while I got to work with a brilliant record producer and guitar player, Stuart Scharf, who produced “Spanky & Our Gang” and produced a recording for Roberta Flack, and he became my guitar teacher for a brief period of my life. And I got this beautiful guitar I was learning to play. I would go to him for lessons and he would get really mad at me because I hadn’t practiced enough. And he was like, ‘I want you to come with coffee spilled on your music sheet so that I know that you’re really practicing it.’ One day I went in and I actually had a glimpse that I could play when he was playing with me. We were compiling a blues thing and I was so excited I was actually playing the guitar and creating music, and I composed this piece of music called ‘If I Remember You Right,’ with chords that I’d selected with my guitar, which took me hours because I had such rudimentary skills (laughs). And it came out really nicely and he was very impressed with that so he kept me on as his student. I kept going back to my guitar class and one day he was like, ‘You haven’t practiced.’ And so he fired me! I was humiliated. I was fired by Stuart Scharf as a guitar student (laughs). But that beautiful guitar sits in my home, and I keep thinking one of these days I’m going to learn to play it again. 

3. She enjoys good TV.

Do you have any Netflix or television shows that you’re currently bingeing? 

I just finished bingeing “The Politician,” which I thought was great. And “Schitt’s Creek,” my new favorite. Unbelievable. It’s the best, I can’t wait for season six. Those two have been my latest favorites. 

4. She has “staircase karma.”

What was the most difficult numbers you have had to perform? 

Oh, wow. I think the levels of difficulty are kind of relative to where you’re at at that moment in time. Most recently though, learning to do the “Hello Dolly” number because it had all the things that challenged me most. I have staircase karma. The stairs in “Sunset Boulevard”, I ran up and down in high heels and heavy beaded gowns, probably 12 times a night in eight shows a week for two years, a year in London and a year on Broadway, which compromised my knees. I still have a lot of knee pain from that. And then I did the show “Grey Gardens” and Michael Wilson directed it and I was like, ‘Are you kidding me? There’s a staircase.’ And he was like, ‘Yeah.’ And I was like, ‘I had my karma with staircases.’ And then ‘Hello Dolly’ has the staircase. They took me to the Shubert during rehearsals right before the show closed in New York, so I could walk the stairs and get used to them before it went out on tour. I was like, damn, these staircases, what is that about? 

5.  She meditates before every show.

Do you have any pre-show superstitions or routines? 

I have a whole set of rituals I go through before every performance, whether it’s in a show or shooting a film or doing a concert, it’s all pretty specific. For “Hello Dolly,” my day was always get up, have breakfast, read the paper, answer whatever emails I have, and then go work out, take a shower, eat an early supper, meditate and then go to work. And then at the show, I would put on my makeup, my costume, and then do this little pre-show ritual with my assistant, my wig dresser, and my dresser. And then they leave me alone in the dressing room. Then I’d get the five minute call, and I would do this little ritual where I read the key words of things that’s been told to me about the character. And then things I discovered about the character, about where she’s at and what she’s thinking. And then I do my little meditative ritual after reading those key words and prayer. And then I’d go and sit backstage or in my quick change booth and meditate until it was time to get on the cart to go on for the opening. 

6. She is living her lifelong dream of owning cutting horses on a ranch in Texas. 

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grow up? 

Well, first I wanted to be the world champion barrel racer and that didn’t work out. So then I wanted to be successful in show business so I could have a ranch and ride and own cutting horses. And I forgot that that was my goal. And then after 9/11, I remembered that. Beyond the grief that we all felt as the world changed after 9/11, was the sense of, ‘Oh my God, none of us know how much time we have left now.’ What was it I wanted to do? So I went on this quest to find my first cutting horse and I connected with one of the top trainers in the sport, a man named Bill Freeman, who at that point had won more money than anyone in the sport and had trained some of the most remarkable horses in the business of cutting. And he said I wasn’t too old at 55 to learn to do that because I had ridden as a child; I had a barrel racing horse and competed in junior horse shows and junior rodeos and stuff. So he took me on as a student and I was commuting from New York to take lessons with him and try different horses. And then within a period of months, he found my first cutting horse, who was a brilliant champion horse named Purple Badger. So I bought that horse and continued for a while to commute from New York and stay at my mother’s and then drive to the trainer’s ranch and ride my horse.

And then I started traveling with him and his wife to cutting horse competitions all over the country. It was so much fun. I did that for about six years with him, and it was amazing. I had my horse for three years and they were really blissful. And then as soon as I got my horse, I realized that I needed to live where my horse sleeps. So I sold my New York apartment and bought this lovely ranch an hour west of Fort Worth. I used to ride my horse around my property and say never was a horse so well loved as you Badger. I bought this property for you. I live in that house and I built this barn for you and I built these fences and these pastures for you. 

My friendship with him caused me to change my life and it’s given my life a lot of meaning to have this beautiful place. He passed away three years after I got him from an anomaly, like a brain aneurysm. He was very young, eight years old. It shouldn’t have happened, but it did. And that was a huge loss. But I had two other cutting horses and it’s been a great thing. I used to just practice, practice, practice, study, study, study, practice, practice and work. And now the work is to provide me with this life.

7. Her Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in A Musical (“Cats”) sits on her piano at home.  

Where is your Tony award at this moment? 

Currently I have a little black upright Steinway piano that’s so beautiful. I’ve been hauling it all over the world from apartment to apartment. I had a pianist friend go with me to these various piano stores and play these little upright pianos for me and Steinway had this beautiful little black ebony upright that has the sweetest voice. So I bought it and it’s been going with me from apartment to apartment in New York, and finally sits in my music room at my ranch, and my Tony sits on top of it.

8. She struggles with insecurities, and her heavy-handed father did not approve of her going into show business. 

What advice would you give to 20-year-old Betty? 

Oh, poor, poor young Betty. Well, 20-year-old Betty was in college and having a grand ol’ time. I guess it’s the 22-year-old Betty who was living in London all alone. It was my first time being alone and I was a leading lady in “Promises, Promises,” and I was very, very lonely. I was learning how to take care of myself, which I had no real skills to do. So learning to be on my own, take care of myself, cook for myself, and pretty much all I did was try to figure all that stuff out and then go do my show at night. So that was a real growth period. I was pretty lonely and really insecure for a long, long time in my 20s. It took me a long time to grow up, and I was really conflicted as a kid because my father didn’t want me to be in show business. He was a pretty ruthless dad, a tough guy; which in the end really prepared me for a lot of weird guys in show business, in terms of producers and stuff that can be ruthless. In my heart of hearts, I’m like, “I’m not scared of you. I had my father who was was tougher than any of you guys know how to be; so if I can survive him, I can survive you.” That’s been basically a kind of mantra. 

So it was good that he was my dad in some ways, but it was also difficult. I’ve spent a lot of years in analysis, getting a sense of self and giving myself permission to be who I am and to develop and choose my talent and choose my chosen path without the fear, insecurity and self-doubt. Even at my age of 72, I can still, in a certain set of circumstances, be thrown back into my own insecurities and self-doubt. So it’s kind of a perpetual thing I have to work on. And fortunately I have a brilliant psychologist that I work with. So I would tell young Betty not to be so scared. And I would also encourage her to pick better boyfriends; the ones I picked, wow, I didn’t do too good in that department. 

9. She seeks to inspire joy in the world, so she is picky with her TV & film roles.

So, what’s next for Betty Buckley? 

Well, I’ve got these lovely concerts at the Segerstrom Center and The Saban in LA coming up. There’s also a new set of concerts coming up that’s going to be announced pretty soon that I’m really excited about in New York, and then I’ve got a two week engagement at The Carlyle in New York in March. Fortunately, several projects have crossed my path since ‘Dolly’ was done. I’ve been offered several film and TV things. I haven’t come across the thing I want to do next, so I turned those down, which took some courage. When you’re an actor between jobs, you’re like, ‘God, I hope they’ll remember I’m still here.’ 

Fortunately all those offers came and it was like a very nice vote of confidence, but none of them were something I wanted. I think the world is in a really difficult place right now and it’s really important to bring messages of hope and truth and joy to the world. Like “Hello Dolly” was a complete immersive experience of joy and hope. And some of these projects, I turned down because they’re without hope and truth. So I’m looking for that thing. Well, I’m not exactly looking, I’m on the lookout for it. I hope that kind of project comes to me where I can really help people to feel better. That’s what I’m doing in the concert work that’s coming up.

BETTY BUCKLEY

Segerstrom Center for the Arts – Samueli Theater

• Oct. 17 – 19, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.
• 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA
• Tickets – Start at $89
• (714) 556-2787; scfta.org

The Saban Theater – The Canyon

• Nov. 2, 2019 at 6 p.m.
• 8440 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills
• Tickets — Start at $58
• wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com

The post 9 fun, inspiring stories from Broadway queen Betty Buckley appeared first on Backstage Socal.

The Coffee House Tour at The Troubadour, Los Angeles was an unforgettable night with stellar music from three of SiriusXM’s powerhouse artists. Covering classic tracks from the 1960s to unreleased modern gems, this tour gives a taste of the full range of the music spectrum and more. 

Matt Hartke, a Coffee House veteran, who has been under the radar writing for artists such as Adam Lambert, Avicii, Kygo and Tiesto; kicked the show off with some of his newest singles barely released on SiriusXM’s radio. His new singles “American Dreams” and “Evergreen” received unanimous woos from the audience, and a heavy round of applause. Matt is an artist/songwriter who was able to captivate the entire room with just his voice and a guitar. Hartke carried an extremely pure and innocent nature throughout his performance, which resonated with the crowd in an extremely humanistic way. He closed out by bringing special guest Maggie Peake to the stage to perform one of his most popular singles, “Gold”, topping over 17 million plays on Spotify.

JD & The Straight Shot, one of the Coffee House Folk Rock hard hitters, comprised of vocalist/guitarist Jim Dolan, guitarist/vocalist/mandolinist Marc Copely, upright bassist/banjoist Byron House, violinist/vocalist Erin Slaver, drummer/percussionist Shawn Pelton and guitarist/vocalist Carolyn Dawn Johnson kicked their performance off with their title track off the album, “The Great Divide,” receiving an uproar of recognition and snaps from the crowd. The band explained the story behind each of their songs, and gave the audience a different look into their expression. Each member of this band had created different songs for their set, finding different ways to engage the room, and synergize with one another. Additionally, JD & the Straight Shot made sure to pay ode to their musical background by covering classics like, “Happy Together” by the Turtles and “Jessica” by The Allman Brothers, which had the whole room singing along and grinning. These artists are true entertainers, covering all spectrums of what it means to be a performer. 

Matt Costa, an OC native and a Coffee House icon, connected to his music on a different wavelength. From start to finish, there were almost no breaks from his music. Costa varied between several different instruments, including the trumpet, harmonica, guitar and vocals, showing the full capacity of his musical aptitude. Costa had the room packed from start to finish, reaching just about every demographic of age within his audience. His music had a storytelling and casual format making it extremely easy to connect to. Costa treated the room by showing them songs still unreleased in media, and made sure to give a show worth remembering. 

Final SiriusXM Coffee House tour dates:

7/26    Santa Barbara, CA @Soho Santa Barbara
7/28    San Diego, CA @Music Box

For more info, visit www.siriusxm.com/thecoffeehouse

Matt Costa: www.mattcosta.com

JD & The Straight Shot: www.jdandthestraightshot.com

Matt Hartke: www.matthartke.com

The post Review: Matt Hartke, JD & the Straight Shot and Matt Costa at The Troubadour, July 25 appeared first on Backstage Socal.

Although rock ‘n’ roll seems to be strapped in the backseat of the modern music industry, Orange County-bred rock band The Jacks has made a significant mark in the scene.

Since forming in Los Angeles in 2016, the group has sold out gigs at legendary hometown venues like the Roxy and Viper Room, performed major festivals, and supported music icons such as The Doors’ Robby Krieger. Now the group has recorded and released their first self-titled EP with producer Matt Wallace (Maroon 5, Faith No More) in June 2019, and are working on a full U.S. tour, including a stop at the Troubadour in L.A. on July 26.

Earlier this year, the quartet performed at the NFL pre-Super Bowl and NHL Winter Classic events. For the remainder of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, their music was played during the games’ broadcasts, highlight reels, and commercial bumpers.

The band consists of Jonny Stanback (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Tom Hunter (lead guitar, vocals), Scott Stone (bass guitar, vocals) and Josh Roossin (drums/percussion). Bassist Stone chatted with Backstage SoCal on the band’s undying passion for rock ‘n’ roll, how the band got their name, favorite lyrics and more.

What part of OC are you all from? 

Stone: We all grew up in Corona Del Mar and Irvine.

What inspired you to pursue music? 

Stone: Music has always been a huge part of my life. I grew up going to as many shows as I could. I became obsessed with live concerts and bonded with my friends over a shared love for rock ‘n roll. We’d sneak into shows when we couldn’t get tickets and constantly shared CDs. It was after the first time I saw The Who live that I went and bought a bass. Tom and I started playing together in my garage when we were 13 and haven’t stopped since. 

How did you come up with the name The Jacks?

Stone: When we were starting out, we played four-hour shows in dive bars to make some money. We finished a show and one of the regulars at the bar said we were “the jack of all trades” since we could play all different styles of music. The next morning we shortened it down to “The Jacks.” 

What genre of music do you feel your music falls under? Or do you define your music in a genre at all? 

Stone: To us, it’s as simple as rock ‘n roll. We try not to put a lot of sub genres on it. 

How has your music evolved since forming the band? 

Stone: Our songs have started to mature and we’re constantly searching for ways to improve our sound. We’re confident in the sound we have now, but we’re always exploring new options and ideas. I think when we started out, we really wore our influences on our sleeves. Now, we’ve really honed in on our unique sound. 

What are the biggest challenges your band has faced in today’s industry? 

Stone: I think the rock genre has lost popularity over the past few years, so a lot of industry people are hesitant to jump on board. We’re really fortunate to have found the team we have now, as well as our incredible fans.

What song or lyric is your “pride and joy”? 

Stone: That’s tough for me to say, but one of my favorites has always been “Are you living with your head in the constellations? Swimming with the stars but still all alone,” in our song “Hello My Friend.” Each band member has a different meaning for it, but to me it means that people can strive so hard for fame and fortune that it ruins their relationships with people who matter most.  

What do you want readers to know about The Jacks? 

Stone: We’re four best friends writing and playing music we love. We’re passionate about what we do, but never take it too seriously. 

For more info on The Jacks, visit: www.thejacksbandla.com

The Troubadour tickets for July 26 can be purchased at: https://www.troubadour.com/event/1851658-jacks-los-angeles/

The post Bassist Scott Stone of band The Jacks talks current rock climate appeared first on Backstage Socal.

Aspiring singer-songwriter and ABC’s “American Idol” former contestant Nick Townsend will perform in Los Angeles for a one-night show on June 20 at the Rockwell Table & Stage.

Joining the frontman will be his all-star band, including keyboardist Daniel Kirkpatrick from the band Walk the Moon, guitarist and “American Idol” contestant David Francisco, drummer and The Young Americans actor Jacob Figueroa, bassist Blake Estrada and Zach Stauffer on audio.

The band will play a one-hour show full of covers and original tunes.

“I am so overwhelmingly excited to have the opportunity to perform my first solo show at the Rockwell Table & Stage,” said Townsend.

With years of performing as a singer and motivational speaker around the world, Townsend is best recognized for his emotional audition during the season two premiere of the ABC reality show. The 25-year-old Nebraska native shared his personal tragedy about his two brothers, Zach and Matthew, who committed suicide last year.

Townsend’s time on “Idol” came to an abrupt ending, when he was eliminated in the early rounds of the show. The singer, who moved to Southern California, continues to perform and write his own music.

“Having the chance to perform my own music and a few covers from some of my favorite artists is nerve wracking, but this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. So here we go,” said Townsend.

Nick Townsend

Where: Rockwell Table & Stage, 1714 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles

When: 8 p.m. Thursday, June 20

More info: rockwell-la.com/

The post Former ‘American Idol’ contestant to perform L.A. appeared first on Backstage Socal.

“Sunday Summer Sounds” takes place every Sunday afternoon from 4:30 – 7:30 and offers guests drink specials and bar bites, along with some of OC’s top local solo performers. Styles ranging from classic rock, alternative, Americana, soul and more.

Phil Vandermost can be seen throughout Orange County in a variety of venues performing solo or with his band, Telesound. Paying homage to his influences at live performances and events, Vandermost is known locally for an almost encyclopedic playlist of classic and modern rock. From brit-pop to Americana, from mellow ballads to rousing rockers, and dirges to dance tunes, Phil Vandermost and Telesound tailor each set to their audience. 

Old Vine Kitchen & Bar

Where: 2937 Bristol St. Suite A-103, Costa Mesa

More info: Old Vine Kitchen & Bar: oldvinekitchenbar.com

Phil Vandermost: telesoundmusic.com

The post Rocker Phil Vandermost to play double shows in Costa Mesa appeared first on Backstage Socal.