Concerts are back! Here’s a lineup of the best SLO County shows coming this summer
Editor’s note: This week, The Tribune is publishing a series of stories looking at California’s June 15 reopening and what it means for San Luis Obispo County.
It’s been more than a year since most San Luis Obispo County residents sat in a concert hall, rocked out in an outdoor amphitheater or watched actors perform a play live.
That lengthy gap has been particularly tough for the local performers who thrive on entertaining people in person.
As California officially reopens its economy this week — dropping most mask mandates, easing social distancing restrictions and eliminating its color tier system of COVID-19 restrictions — event venues and performing arts organizations are ramping up for a summer full of fun.
From rock concerts to comedy shows to Broadway musicals, here are some of your best bets for entertainment on the Central Coast. (All venues are complying with state and local health guidelines, but rules differ by venue so be sure to check before you go.)
California Mid-State Fair
Live concerts are returning to the California Mid-State Fair this summer after a lengthy hiatus. The Paso Robles fair was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Fair officials have announced only a couple of grandstand concerts so far — both featuring big-name country acts.
Big & Rich will perform at the Chumash Grandstand Arena for the first time July 23, while Little Big Town will return to the Mid-State Fair on July 30. Tickets for both shows, which range from $55.50 to $126.50, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday via MidStateFair.com.
Meanwhile, the fair has a full lineup of concerts that are free with fair admission, ranging from classic rockers Blue Öyster Cult and Kenny Lee Lewis to local favorites Bear Market Riot and The Turkey Buzzards.
The California Mid-State Fair runs July 21 through Aug. 1 at the Paso Robles Event Center. For more information, call 805-239-0655 or visit midstatefair.com.
Clark Center for the Performing Arts
The Arroyo Grande venue only has a few events set in stone right now, most of them rescheduled from 2020.
Up first is Jan & Dean’s Beach Party! — featuring Dean Torrence — on Sept. 11, followed by “A Tribute to Johnny Cash & Elvis Presley” on Oct. 23 .
Comedy show Whose Live Anyway will bring the belly laughs on Nov. 26, while Chris Perondi’s Stunt Dog Experience promises plenty of canine capers on May 21, 2022. Tickets for those shows range in price from $20 to $77.
Call 805-489-9444 or visit clarkcenter.org for more information.
Central Coast Shakespeare Festival
Enjoy Shakespeare under the stars as the Central Coast Shakespeare Festival returns to the outdoor stage.
The festival’s latest show has a zippy runtime and a long title: “The Rude Mechanicals present The Riot of the Tipsy Bacchanals, or a Tedious Brief Assembly of Wondrous Hot Ice and Strange Snow.”
Characters from William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” “try to figure out what to perform to celebrate the Duke’s wedding,” festival artistic director Zoe Saba explained, resulting in “slapstick comedy ... sword fights and unfettered shenanigans.”
The play runs Aug. 21, 22, 28 and 29 and Sept. 4 and 5 at Filipponi Ranch in San Luis Obispo. Theatergoers are encouraged to bring regular-height camping chairs, warm clothing and picnic dinners.
Tickets go on sale June 25, although it’s not clear yet how much they’ll cost. Go to centralcoastshakespeare.org for more information.
Festival Mozaic
San Luis Obispo County’s premier classical music festival features eight days of live music at venues across the region.
Festival Mozaic, which runs July 24 through 31, is returning after a year-long hiatus.
Although some events are already sold out, tickets are still available for popular events such as Baroque in the Vines, which features an evening of Baroque favorites by Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi and other composers at the picturesque Serra Chapel in Shandon. Also in store are a performance by Guatemalan singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno at the DANA Adobe & Cultural Center in Nipomo and chamber music concerts at SLO Brew Rock and the Performing Arts Center in San Luis Obispo.
Admission ranges from $10 to $85, depending on the event. Call 805-781-3009 or visit www.festivalmozaic.org for more information.
Fremont Theater
After remaining dark for more than a year, the Fremont Theater — and its iconic neon marquee — will light up downtown San Luis Obispo this fall.
Jerry Garcia tribute band Jerry’s Middle Finger kicks off the show calendar Sept. 18.
Other acts booked to play the venue in 2021 and 2022 include standup comedian Whitney Cummings, country star Tanya Tucker and blues legend Taj Mahal.
For details, go to fremontslo.com. Tickets range from 18 to $160, depending on the show.
Great American Melodrama
The Great American Melodrama kicks off its latest season of old-fashioned entertainment with “Comedy Tonight.”
The show, which runs July 15 through Sept. 12 at 1863 Front St. in Oceano, is described as “a two-act vaudeville revue filled with puns, parodies, song and dance starring some of your Melodrama favorites.”
Also in store are horror spoof “Frankenstein’s Bride.” running Sept. 16 through Nov. 14, and “The Holiday Extravaganza,” running Nov. 18 through Dec. 13. The latter combines a one-act version of “A Christmas Carol,” a fractured fairytale opera and a vaudeville revue celebrating the music of the holiday season.
Ticket sales begin online June 18, with regular box office hours returning on June 30. Admission costs $25 to $32, or $30 to $35 for holiday shows.
For more information, call 805-489-2499 or visit americanmelodrama.com.
PCPA-Pacific Repertory Theatre
Live theater will return to the Solvang Festival Theater this summer as PCPA-Pacific Conservatory Theatre presents a pair of outdoor productions.
The first, “Together: A Musical Journey,” is an original theatrical concert featuring the artists of the PCPA resident company.
“After more than a year apart, ‘Together’ is a celebration of being able to share experiences through story and song again in the same space,” PCPA artistic director Mark Booher said of the show, which runs July 21 through Aug. 8.
The second production, “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,” recreates one of the final performances by jazz legend Billie Holiday. That musical runs Aug. 15 through Sept. 5.
Tickets cost $35 to $50, and can be purchased by visiting www.pcpa.org or calling the box office at 805-922-8313.
Performing Arts Center
San Luis Obispo’s Performing Arts Center switches from virtual events to live entertainment this fall.
Only a handful of events — all of them rescheduled from earlier dates — are scheduled so far but the calendar is sure to fill up.
Contemporary Christian singer Michael W. Smith will take the stage Oct. 31 on his 35 Years of Friends tour.
Shows lined up for 2022 include Broadway musical “Waitress,” classical Chinese dance show Shen Yun and tuneful parody “Menopause The Musical.” Tickets for events announced so far range in price from $20 to $165.
For details, call 805-756-4849 or go to pacslo.org.
![Jeff Salsbury and Billy Breed appear in a scene from San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre’s production of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged],” running Friday through Aug. 8.](https://www.sanluisobispo.com/public/latest-news/7f1j2b/picture252197333/alternates/FREE_1200/romeojuliet.jpg "romeojuliet.jpg")
San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre
After a 14-month intermission, one of the Central Coast’s oldest theater companies is opening its doors again.
San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre is kicking off its stage calendar with “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged].”
”This fast-paced, madcap comedy features three actors who weave their wicked way through all of Shakespeare’s comedies, histories and tragedies in one wild ride,” the theater company said in a news release.
“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [abridged]” runs Friday through Aug. 8 at 888 Morro St. in downtown San Luis Obispo. Tickets are $20 to $35. For more information, call 805-786-2440 or visit www.slorep.org.
Vina Robles Amphitheatre
COVID-19 concerns forced Vina Robles Amphitheatre to postpone most of its music concerts and comedy shows in 2020. But the popular Paso Robles venue is back with a full slate of outdoor shows.
Guitarist Joe Bonamassa kicks off the fun on July 31.
The rest of the lineup features a mix of rescheduled shows — featuring bands including The Beach Boys, Barenaked Ladies and Train, plus comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short — and newly added acts such as Counting Crows, Los Lobos, St. Vincent and Ziggy Marley.
For details, call 805-286-3680 or go to vinaroblesamphitheatre.com. Tickets range from $35 to $204, depending on the show.
Whale Rock Music & Arts Festival
Ben Harper and Michael Franti & Spearhead lead the all-star lineup at this outdoor festival, returning to Castoro Cellars in Templeton after a yearlong break.
In addition to live music and “dam fine wine,” the festival formerly known as Beaverstock features yoga classes, arts, crafts and children’s activities such as face painting and a musical petting zoo.
Admission to Whale Rock Music & Arts Festival, which takes place Sept. 18 and 19, costs $85 for a one-day pass or $130 for a two-day pass. (Children 12 and under are free.) Proceeds benefit Templeton music education.
Visit whalerockmusicfestival.com for more information.
This story was originally published June 18, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
