Central Coast Amphitheaters
World-class performances in small-town California
By Zachary Rosen
If Two Years Of Digital Events And Entertainment Through Zoom Has Proven Anything, It Is That There’s No Replacing Live Music.
From the roar of the audience to the reverberation of the stage, seeing a live concert is a visceral experience that cannot be captured through a screen. Music venues are opening back up and bands are going on tour again — which certainly is celebratory — but with people having varying levels of comfort and safety concerns in crowds, some are hesitant to rush back to an indoor venue. Fortunately, outdoor amphitheaters offer the perfect opportunity to see live music while having some fresh air around you.
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Connecting the Central Coast to the World
By Tiobe Barron
Radio: since its inception in the early 19th century, it has been a medium that connects, informs, and even comforts during times of upheaval. In the 1930s, families in the United States would gather around “the wireless” to listen to President Franklin Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats, gleaning important goings-on of the time. As well, it united and engaged in a way that included those previously disenfranchised by print media, such as those who could not read or were sight-impaired. Important local and national events, everything from boxing matches to elections, were experienced communally in this way, united by radio broadcasts.
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Vibing Ventura
By Nigel Chisholm
Growing up in the gritty steel city of Birmingham, England, I loved the song, Ventura Highway. Full of the impossible dream that was California, and sung by a band named America. Although the lyrics of their song, A Horse With No Name more accurately represented my circumstance, well, this boy was allowed to dangle an impossible dream at the end of another grim day, right? Fast forward to 1987 and I found myself living in, you guessed it, Ventura. I rode on that famed Highway 101 every day and eventually moved up to Ojai. That’s where I met and became friends with keyboardist and saxophonist Jimmy Calire, who toured with, you probably didn’t guess this, America, for more years than you can shake a stick at. Funny how life often does what you make it do. All these years later, I have found myself immersed in the music scene for the past 15 years and now writing about three profoundly different music venues in, yep, you definitely guessed this one too, Ventura.
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Winter Events
It is cold outside — at least, by California standards! Luckily, the Central Coast has a calendar full of fun activities and events to keep you toasty.
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The SLO County Music Scene
By Donna Wolfe
San Luis Obispo County has it all — from sunshine to surf, endless recreational opportunities, a world-class wine region, fabulous breweries, great shopping and dining, respected places of learning and, not surprisingly, a thriving local music scene. The county is bordered to the west by coastal ocean views and lined with the gentle rolling mountains heading east.
Located about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco along U.S. Highway 101, “SLO County” is home to a musical community that covers all genres and features a variety of fun venues. Here are some of the area’s most well-known and favorite spots:
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Summer Festivals
There’s something glorious about a festival. People from all walks of life gather together to honor traditions, or celebrate regional flavors and products, or just to revel in the sheer, sometimes quirky, joy of their passions. Festivals are part of human civilization the world over and, since time immemorial, they have taken us out of the mundane and given us the spectacle, color, music, and variety we crave in life. We mingle and eat and browse and eat and marvel and eat and eat and eat! In our bounteous region, local foods and specialties are some of the things we celebrate most, but summer festival season is also the best time of the year to soak up the rich diversity of activities and culture the area has to offer.
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