The hills were definitely alive with the sound of music over the course of 2019—whether those hills are of the rolling variety in the Santa Ynez Valley or the equally rolling in Lompoc, Orcutt, and Santa Maria. To celebrate the new year, here’s a Throwback Thursday summary of some of my favorite concerts and album releases from both local and visiting artists over the past 12 months.
2019 came into full swing with a perfect kick-off concert from acclaimed jazz artist Trombone Shorty, who performed at the Chumash Casino Resort on Jan. 25. Although primarily known for jazz, the musician has dabbled in multiple genres over the years, while also collaborating with some pretty big names, including heavy hitting acts like Macklemore, Madonna, LeAnn Rimes, and Ryan Lewis. And while the titular trombone is Shorty’s weapon of choice, the multi-instrumentalist also plays the drums, organ, trumpet, and tuba.
The Lompoc-based Americana group Angie and the Nightmares released its debut album, If I Fall, in early 2019 and celebrated the event with a concert at Naughty Oak Brewing Company on Feb. 15. The thematic lyrics found within the album’s songs are laced with references to folklore, tall tales, a few comedy podcasts, and other mythologies. Bandleader and principal songwriter Angelina LaPointe (pictured, center) told the Sun that she took “an old-school country storytelling” approach with the album. “As a songwriter, I’m mainly interested in stories,” said the musician, whose influences include Willie Nelson and Patsy Cline.
Virginia-born blues artist Eli Cook performed a special acoustic show at the Radisson Hotel in Santa Maria on April 28. What made the concert unique was the showcase of animated projections that accompanied Cook’s music, provided by Yippee Ki-Ay Blues, a Central Coast-based media company. A portion of the concert’s proceeds were donated to benefit Generation Blues, a music scholarship offered by The Blues Foundation. Visit blues.org to find out more about the nonprofit.
It’s almost as if you can actually hear Jineanne Coderre smiling during the chorus of “Cool,” the first single from her debut EP, Listen, which was released on May 3. “Just smile and keep it cool” is one of the lyrics, and the rest share a common theme of triumphing over insecurity. But speaking of smiles, Coderre’s day job in the dental field earned her the nickname “the Singing Hygienist” among her friends and fans. The Santa Maria-based singer-songwriter celebrated Listen with a special concert at Presqu’ile Winery. Local artist Damon Castillo opened the show and also helped Coderre produce the EP.
Although the majority of his discography is original material, singer-songwriter Tom Brosseau decided to dedicate his 2019 album, In the Shadow of the Hill, on covering a collection of songs by the Carter Family, whose impact on the folk genre and its U.S. revival in the 1960s is unquestionable. Brosseau brought his Carter iterations to the Lompoc Factory for a concert on Oct. 5. The concert was presented by the SipMusic Club, whose founder, Randall Sena, opened the show with his band, The Rad Shadows.
Like more than 100,000 residents of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, musician Thomas Hopkins was evacuated from his home amid the Thomas Fire. Hopkins, the frontman and founder of Americana-folk band The Left Hand Lions, captured the eerie landscape of the monstrous wildfire in “California Flames,” one of the group’s latest singles. “One last glance before you go/Go on take a damn good look below/Only ash and burnt out homes.” The Left Hand Lions made the Cold Spring Tavern off of Highway 154 their den for the night on Sept. 13.
Pops on the Lawn, an outdoor afternoon performance presented by the Santa Maria Philharmonic Society, took place on July 21 and featured eclectic quintet Cafe Musique. Known for blending gypsy, tango, swing, and their self-defined genre, “wild classical,” this Central Coast-based ensemble transformed the lawn of the Santa Maria Country Club into its stage. The five-piece is led by violinist and vocalist Brynn Albanese (pictured, center right), who performed in the orchestra on not one, not two, but three John Williams soundtracks (Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, and Saving Private Ryan).
Santa Barbara-based singer-songwriter and live looper Will Breman gained international attention while competing on NBC’s The Voice near the end of 2019. Although the musician was eliminated at the end of the Dec. 10 episode, Breman emphasized his extreme appreciation for the opportunity to compete via Instagram. “What a friggin ride being on The Voice was,” he wrote in the post. “This is only the beginning of so many wonderful things to come.” Breman’s next local show takes place at Vino et Amicis Wine Bar in Orcutt on Jan. 10, at 7 p.m.
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote this week’s Local Notes. Contact him at [email protected].
