SLO Symphony’s Pops by the Sea concert is back — after a four-year absence
One of the San Luis Obispo Symphony’s most popular events is back after a four-year absence.
Pops by the Sea returns to the Avila Beach Golf Resort on Aug. 31, the symphony announced Tuesday.
“This was a really beloved event that we are looking forward to bringing back,” symphony spokeswoman Kristen Hintz said.
Traditionally held Labor Day weekend in Avila Beach, Pops by the Sea had been a hit with local concertgoers for decades. But the symphony’s board of directors, staff and orchestra musicians decided to cancel the annual fundraiser in 2015, citing economic reasons.
As of 2015, Pops by the Sea had not been profitable for four of the past five years, then-symphony spokeswoman Lisa Nauful told The Tribune at the time. She described the family-friendly outdoor concert as an expensive and labor-intensive event that was “no longer sustainable’’ for the nonprofit organization when all costs were included.
“Concerts always are expensive. Concerts always are strenuous,” Hintz said, so the symphony decided to give Pops another shot. “We will see how this one does.”
The 2019 Pops by the Sea will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Woodstock music festival with a program featuring classic rock songs by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Santana and Crosby, Stills & Nash.
The symphony is teaming up with Jeans ’n Classics, a group of musicians based in Ontario, Canada, that “faithfully interprets the music of legendary rock and pop albums and artists, with their own special and signature flair,” according to the group’s website.
It’ll be the first Pops by the Sea concert for conductor Andrew Sewell, who joined the San Luis Obispo Symphony as music director in 2017. (Longtime symphony music director Michael Nowak stepped down in 2015 after his contract was terminated; he now leads Orchestra Novo.)
“We are looking for more opportunities to bring concerts like this back to the general public,” Hintz said. “ We’re very excited for it.”
According to Hintz, the 2019 Pops by the Sea will serve as a sort of trial run. If everything goes well, the symphony could bring back Pops permanently, she said.
Tickets for Pops by the Sea go on sale June 1, with table, chair and lawn seating options available.
For more information, visit www.slosymphony.org.
This story was originally published February 19, 2019 at 7:27 PM.
