With so much to hear in and around Santa Rosa this summer, Kenwood Hearing Centers is pleased to provide you with our top picks. This summer’s line up is packed with musicians whose long careers have survived the ebbs and flows of the music industry, and whose unique sounds and recognizable personas continue to delight audiences
today.
1. 10,000 Maniacs:
For over three decades, 10,000 Maniacs, has pushed folk rock to innovative places. Lead by Natalie Merchant’s dark, resonant vocals, this band’s earthy, autumnal sound has enchanted audiences worldwide. In 2015, reuniting with the band’s founding member John Lombardo, 10,000 Maniacs released a new album, Twice Told Tales, a stark and hauntingly beautiful collection of folk songs from the British Isles. Catch them live on July 24 at the City Winery in Napa. For tickets, visit http://www.songkick.com/concerts/23535328-10000-maniacs-at-city-winery-napa
2. Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo:
Four-time Grammy-winner Benatar and her partner and creative collaborator, Giraldo, soared to stardom in the 1980s with pop hits such as “Love is a Battlefield” and “Heartbreaker.” Last year, they released a 35th anniversary collection and lately, they have revisited their country roots with medleys that blend “Heartbreaker” and “Ring of Fire.” This dynamic duo performs at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts on July 31. For tickets, visit http://www.wellsfargocenterarts.org/
3. Guillaume “William” Tell Opera, Summerfield Cinemas:
This final masterpiece by Rossini comes to the big screen at Summerfield Cinemas in a pre-recorded live form from the Royal Opera House in London. In this opera, William Tell struggles to liberate his people from an Austrian occupation, and faces the cruel and unusual punishment of shooting an apple off his son’s head. As a hearing looped venue, Summerfield Cinemas is an ideal place to hear this famous opera with a score that is “harmonically daring and fiercely difficult for the singers.” Directed by Italian rising star Damiano Michieletto. For showtimes and tickets, visit http://summerfieldcinemas.com/events
4. Live at Juilliard – Summer Concert Series:
Now in its 22nd year, this annual music series brings together food, free music, and fun at Juilliard Park in Santa Rosa. Held on Sunday, from 5-7pm, there are four unique shows left in the series: The Dixies (folk, eastern European, soul); The Vivants (Dixie swing); The Honey Dippers (blues, rock, soul); and The Soulshine Blues Band closing out the series on August 9. For more information, visit http://srcity.org/departments/recreationandparks/programs/specialevents/Pages/LiveatJuilliard.aspx
5. Dwight Yoakam:
Since the late 1970s, Dwight Yoakam has challenged the status quo of country music with his stripped-down revivalist approach. Playing alongside punk bands in Los Angeles and rejecting the pop-urban cowboy movement in Nashville, Yoakam followed in the footsteps of his idols Merle Haggard and Hank Williams, creating an earnest, sophisticated country-rock sound of his own. Hear Johnny Cash’s “favorite country singer” Dwight Yoakam on August 21 at the Green Music Center. For tickets, visit http://gmc.sonoma.edu/event/2624567-dwight-yoakam
6. Wizard of Oz, 6th Street Playhouse:
From August 21 to September 20, catch the fantastic stage adaptation of the L. Frank Baum classic Wizard of Oz at the 6th Street Playhouse. Follow Dorothy Gale on her adventures after being swept up by a tornado and landing in the magical land of Oz, where she and her new friends make their way through a series of obstacles and finding their strengths. Wizard of Oz plays in the GK Hardt Theatre at 6th Street Playhouse, which is a hearing looped venue that feeds sound directly to hearing aids outfitted with T-coils (for more information on hearing looped venues in and around Santa Rosa, check out our article here). For tickets and information, visit http://www.6thstreetplayhouse.com/season/gk-hardt-theatre/wizard-of-oz/
7. Free Sunday Concerts at the Terrace, Montgomery Village:
Another free Sunday concert series, this one takes place at the Village Terrace from 1-4pm on Sundays. With beverage proceeds benefiting local nonprofit organizations, this series showcases a diverse array of performances, from Cajun zydeco to bebop jazz to classic rock to Motown to Broadway favorites. The series runs through the summer and fall, with a Beatles tribute band playing the closing show on October 11. For complete listing of performances, visit http://www.mvshops.com/events/free-sunday-concerts-at-the-terrace