So you’ve seen the Coachella lineup this year, right? This star-studded bill is headlined by Eminem, Beyonce and The Weeknd, but three-day passes are already sold out, and the tickets aren’t cheap for a potential excursion to the Coachella Valley. Fret not, Benicia music lovers! The BottleRock Napa Valley music festival just announced its lineup […]
Motown tribute group to close out 2017 with Empress concert
The new year is a time to deliver good intentions. Why not close out the year with The Best Intentions– that is to say, the rhythm and blues group of the same name when they come to Vallejo? With soulful tunes that bring to mind the classic R&B music from the 60’s, 70’s and beyond, […]
Benicia High School grad helps bring next swing revival to LA
By Denise Hasler Special to the Herald Art Blakey said that “Music washes away the dust of every day life.” The L.A. Swing Barons are helping make that happen in Southern California. The classic 13-piece jazz big band was formed in 2015 when it became clear that no one in the greater Los Angeles area […]
Diablo Regional Concert Band returns for winter library gig
Like Christmas itself, the Benicia Public Library’s Winter Concert– starring the Diablo Regional Concert Band–comes once a year. It’s a free event and all ages are welcome to enjoy some festive music played by a band with a long history. The Diablo Regional Concert Band was formed in 1910 when it was called the Martinez […]
Killer Queens will rock Vallejo
All-female Queen tribute band to perform at Empress Did you know that there exists an all-female tribute to the band Queen, and that you can see them at Vallejo’s Empress Theatre the day after Thanksgiving? No, this is not fantasy. This is real life. The Killer Queens are a group of five Bay Area women […]
BHS Panther Band hosts first golf tournament fundraiser over weekend
Benicia High School’s Panther Band Boosters held the program’s first-ever golf tournament fundraiser at Hiddenbrooke Golf Club on Sunday where money was raised and fun was had by all. Benicia High School’s band program– including its jazz band, Color Guard, drumline and two concert bands– remains one of the school’s proudest organizations. The program has […]
Review: Vallejo Symphony Orchestra opens season with triad of classical compositions
The Vallejo Symphony performed the first concert of its 2017-18 season to a packed house Sunday, celebrating its new permanent home at the Empress Theatre with a trio of classical works spanning the 18th to 19th centuries. Piano soloist Cecile Licad thrilled the packed house with impressive technical proficiency and careful sensitivity in the exciting […]
Sir Stryker concert at Empress will benefit local charities
With hurricanes battering the Atlantic and other parts of the world experiencing tragedies, the spirit of giving is on a lot of people’s minds. To help with this giving, Vallejo’s Empress Theatre will be hosting a concert with acclaimed entertainer Sir Stryker in which the proceeds will go to two local charities that serve Solano […]
Digisaurus to bring past, present and future sounds of music to Vallejo on Saturday
When creating music, James Allison looks to what is popular in the present while also taking cues from the past and even looking to where he thinks music will be in the future. That is the philosophy behind his musical project Digisaurus, which audiences can get a taste of when Allison performs this Saturday at […]
In Harmony Music enriches children’s lives through song
Babies: they laugh, cry, brighten our world, keep us up at night and are our future. Parents always want the best for their kids and for them to excel in whatever they choose to do in life. Justine Chadly, founder and owner of In Harmony music, is a mother who had– and certainly still has– […]