Upcoming Concerts

The Peninsula Arts Center presents the best and brightest in the Northwest music scene in an intimate house-concert-style setting with professional production and staging at the Peninsula Arts Center on Pacific Avenue in Long Beach.

Concerts benefit the Long Beach Peninsula Acoustic Music Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization.

The Foundation is supported by our many donors and patrons, The Templin Foundation, and  ArtsWA. ArtsWA, the Washington State Arts Commission, is a state agency formed by the Washington State Legislature in 1961 with a mission of nurturing and supporting the role of the arts in the lives of all Washingtonians.

The Peninsula Arts Center is a Fair Trade Music venue.


2024 Schedule

We’ll move our concerts back outdoors in the Spring, weather permitting. We’ll again move back inside for the Winter when it’s no longer comfortable to be outside.

Watch for our emails, which will always have the latest info.

Open Mic Every Friday

To accommodate both online and in-person preferences, the online portion of the weekly open mic will begin weekly at 5:00 PM, and the in-person part every other week at 7:00. Steve Frost will be hosting the online portion (thanks, Steve!).

The link for the on-line portion will go live at 4:45.

The Arts Center will open for the in-person portion at 6:30.

NEW EVENT LINK:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6254080029
Meeting ID: 625 408 0029

Hope to see you there!


 

Saturday, March 16th, 4PM – The Sun City Players

Come and enjoy the sweet acoustic sound of the duo, Sun City Players. Laura Caldwell will charm you with her heartfelt melodies from pop and country to blues and soft rock. She is a dynamic and engaging performer, drawing her listeners in as she moves easily between an eclectic selection of songs and artists.

Al Carness is an accomplished and seasoned guitarist coming from the music world in Los Angeles. He has played in touring bands since the age of 14, starting with surf, to rock ’n’ roll, jazz, blues, classic rock and country. Al provides a blend of dynamic finger-picking styles and riffs that audiences and other musicians love.

Since 2010 Al has joined with Laura on acoustic guitar and together they create a rich sound for fun and easy listening as they cover familiar favorites. Audiences often tell them how much they enjoy their chemistry when they perform together throughout the Pacific Northwest.

~ Seating is limited to 34 people ~
For reservations buy tickets with the link below.

Wednesday, March 20th, 4PM – Acclaimed Irish Fidler Kevin Burke

Kevin Burke’s fiddle playing has been at the forefront of traditional music for over 30 years. Whether solo or accompanied, on record or in concert, Burke is an immensely engaging performer. He has been established as a first class musician ever since his work in the early 1970’s (with such renowned performers as Arlo Guthrie, Christy Moore and the Bothy Band and with his far-reaching solo album, “If the Cap Fits”). During his long musical career Kevin has earned international acclaim in both Europe and America as a solo performer, a teacher and as a member of some of folk music’s foremost groups.
Kevin’s contribution to music was acknowledged by The National Endowment for the Arts when he was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship, the USA’s highest honor for excellence in the folk and traditional arts. In Ireland he was given the prestigious Gradam Ceoil award, both acknowledging him as a master of the tradition.
Although Kevin has spent much of his life playing in a group context, he has never lost his love for solo fiddle music – the “naked fiddle” as he himself sometimes puts it. This is very evident in his live solo release, “In Concert”, a performance of mostly unaccompanied traditional pieces.
With the great popularity of various groups over the last 25 years or so, many people have forgotten that this kind of music used to be played mainly solo. The bands, groups and accompanists are a relatively recent development… so I thought it would be interesting to let people hear the ‘naked’ fiddle once more. – Kevin Burke
The great Irish fiddler Kevin Burke…plays the fiddle so smoothly, with such buoyancy, and with such relaxed showmanship, that even a large concert hall becomes intimate. – The New Yorker Magazine
One of the great living Celtic fiddlers. – The New York Times
~ Seating is limited to 34 people ~
For reservations buy tickets at the link below:

Saturday, March 30th. 4PM – The Peninsula Guitar Trio

Three accomplished guitarists, each bringing a unique style and perspective, blend to form the Peninsula Guitar Trio.
George Coleman is a skilled finger stylist with a strong understanding of music theory.
Jayson Sheaux is a talented blues artist who grew up playing rock in heyday of Southern California.
Ken Emo is a student of classical guitar who grew up performing with family members in church.
Each are active in the music community on the Long Beach Peninsula. Together they combine their joy of music and of each other to bring their take on instrumental World Music to listeners. The interpersonal and musical synergy between George, Jayson, and Ken becomes apparent as they perform a variety of pieces with a focus on music from Latin America.
~ Seating is limited to 34 people ~
For reservations buy tickets with the link below.

Wednesday, April 3rd, 4PM – The Eddie Parente Jazz Quartet

Originally from New Jersey, Eddie has lived in Boston, Mass. Where he played in a Mexican mariachi band while studying Classical Indian Music with table master Shashi Nayak, attending Irish Traditional Music sessions, and playing in an international folk dance band.

“My mother started me on piano when I was five. This lasted for a couple of years, but I was more interested in the guitar, my father’s instrument. His Fender Stratocaster was just too irresistible. He soon gave me my first electric guitar, the coolest thing in the world at that time. He taught me to play and we would “jam” together.

My friends and I would form garage bands and play the music of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zepplin, Rolling Stones, Santana, and other popular music of the time. I wish I had recordings of these “garage” performances! We even played local parties and dances.

One day, at a rehearsal in the basement at Drummer, Steve Lange’s house, I put down my guitar and picked up an instrument case that was lying in the corner. It appeared to be a violin case. I opened it up and inside was a beautiful stringed instrument and a bow. Despite that it only had three strings, I began to tune it, somehow instinctively in Perfect 5ths, tightened the bow and played “Willie the Pimp”, a Frank Zappa tune, as played by blues violinist “Sugarcane” Harris. My bandmates seemed to be pleased (who knows what they really thought!) and Steve offered to let me keep it if I would take good care of it. This instrument turned out to be a very nice Viola (Larger and deeper than a violin) but at the time I had never seen one up close, much less played one. So, my first bowed string instrument is actually the viola, and to this day, I still play the viola and continue to be more attracted to its deeper tone.”

~ Seating is limited to 34 people ~

For reservations buy tickets at the link below:

Click here for tickets


Saturday, April 6th, 4PM – Bluegrass with Dale Adkins and Rock Ridge

Based in Sisters, Oregon, Rock Ridge specializes in bluesy vocal-based deep-groove bluegrass music with a solid traditional approach. They perform traditional & contemporary bluegrass, featuring original material as well as traditional country duets.  Each of the Rock Ridge members is a veteran musician having played in some of the best bands on the west coast.

~ Seating is limited to 34 people ~

For reservations buy tickets at the link below:

Click here for tickets


Saturday, April 13th, 4PM – Acoustic Blues with Terry Robb

Terry has been praised by Rolling Stone, Vintage Guitar, Down Beat, Acoustic Guitar, Living Blues, Guitar Player, Blues Blast, Guitar World, Blues Matters, Blues Revue, Oprah’s O Magazine and countless more esteemed journals, placing him among the top acoustic blues guitarists of our time. His signature fingerpicking style landed him in the Oregon Music Hall of Fame and the Cascade Blues Association Hall of Fame, and earned him international acclaim from music critics, peers and fans.

In his latest album Confessin’ My Dues, Robb draws on his deep knowledge of Delta blues, ragtime and swing in 13 original compositions ranging from blistering instrumental blues and ragtime fingerpicking to soulful singing backed by a powerhouse rhythm section. From country blues to Coltrane, ragtime to Hendrix, Americana to American Primitivism, Confessin’ My Dues will captivate listeners with its melodic and rhythmic invention and musical virtuosity.

A member of the Cascade Blues Association Hall of Fame, Robb was honored the eponymous “Terry Robb” Acoustic Guitar Muddy Award after winning the prize for 19 consecutive years, and in 2017 he received the Lifetime Achievement Muddy Award.

~ Seating is limited to 34 people ~

For reservations buy tickets at the link below:

Click here for tickets


Wednesday, April 17th, 4PM – Singer and Guitarist Bruce Mihalek

Bruce is new to the Arts Center concert series. Like several other of our artists, we first met him at an open mic. He’s now on the Sunday rotation at Castaways and we’re very glad to to have him at the Center.

A singer for most of his life, Bruce has a wide-ranging repertoire covering genres from folk to rock.

~ Seating is limited to 34 people ~

For reservations, but tickets at the link below.

Click here for tickets.


Wednesday, April 24th, 4PM – The Brothers Reed

With their comedic brotherly banter, impeccable harmonic expression, and widely varying influences, a Brothers Reed performance will have you reflecting on lost lives and lovers, laughing hysterically and leaving completely entertained.

The duo incorporates harmonica, percussion, into their live performances, soothing your soul with songs that are familiar yet original. Whether they are finger picking their way through a lamentable ballad or bringing you around full-speed with a barn-burning bluegrass number, The Brothers Reed are masters of their craft.

 ~ Seating is limited to 34 people ~

For reservations, buy tickets at the link below:

Click here for tickets


Wednesday, May 1st, 4PM – Fingerstyle Guitarist Claude Bourbon

A breathtaking acoustic fusion of blues, jazz, folk, classical and Spanish guitar from a stunning guitar virtuoso…” – Altadena News, USA

Ready for a unique and talented take on a wide range of musical traditions? Claude Bourbon is known throughout Europe and America for amazing guitar performances that take blues, Spanish, and Middle Eastern stylings into uncharted territories.

Claude’s inimitable style incorporates all five digits on each hand dancing independently but in unison, plucking, picking and strumming at such speed and precision that his fingers often seem to melt into a blur. Thousands of people in the UK, Europe and USA have enjoyed listening to this virtuoso and for the majority of his audience it is an experience that compels them to return again and again to hear and watch him play, as his fingers lightly dance over the strings of his guitar and create a unique sound that is ’Claude’.

Now based in the UK, some of this guitarists’ influences allow us a fascinating insight into this remarkable musician; Paco De Lucia: Deep Purple’s Richie Blackmore; Joaquin Rodrigo; JJ Cale; JS Bach….

Claude has played countless venues, including Glastonbury Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, Colne Great British & Blues Festival, Rock O’Z Arene, Avenches, Switzerland, among others. He has shared the stage in Europe and the USA with countless musicians, Calvin Russel, Charlie Morgan (Elton John, Gary Moore), Jan Akkerman (Focus), Steve Grossman (Miles Davis), Herbie Armstrong ( Van Morisson), Jose barrense Dias and many more.

Claude Bourbon is a unique figure today… his playing is almost indescribable“ – The Hook, Charlottesville, USA

Never heard anyone get that much beautiful sound out of a J-45“, Bob, Tucson, AZ

 ~ Seating is limited to 34 people ~

For reservations buy tickets at the link below:

Click here for tickets


Wednesday, May 8th, 4PM – Songwriters Jim Faddis and Dale Adkins

Returning to the Arts Center!

Jim Faddis’ soulful voice strikes a chord deep within audience members, and resonates a musical memory of long ago. His bluegrass band, Prairie Flyer, has been firing up the Washington State bluegrass scene for years, and is a reflection of Faddis’ talent and skill. His gift for song writing and his songster ways shine in his work, where he leans on styles from Gillian Welch to Neil Young for inspiration making new and old tunes his own.

As a part of Grammy nominee Kate MacKenzie’s touring band, Dale Atkins has performed across the U.S. and Europe . Many of the Northwest’s premier Bluegrass bands have benefited from Dale’s creative mastery of the guitar including the groups Out of the Blue, Dr. Corn’s Bluegrass Remedy, Frontline, True North, Old Growth Acoustic Quartet. Dale can be seen playing a mahogany Preston Thompson acoustic guitar built in Sisters, OR.

~ Seating is limited to 34 people ~

For reservations buy tickets with the link below.

Click here for tickets


Saturday, May 18th, 4PM – Lisa Mann with Jason Thomas

Two of our favorites are back again!

Originally from West Virginia, LISA MANN’s vocals effortlessly straddle the line between the honey sweet warmth of the south, and the force-of-nature sound Mann has cultivated by mastering everything from hard rock to rhythm and blues. Her clever blues balladry is complimented by her considerable prowess on bass guitar. Her bass grooves touch on the hallowed soil of soul greats James Jamerson and Bob Babbitt.

Her influences run the gamut, from low down blues sisters Etta James and Koko Taylor, to singer-songwriters like Bonnie Raitt and R&B belters like Little Milton. She writes the majority of her recorded material, and her songs paint pictures of a gritty (and sometimes humorous) personal experience in life, love and the not-always-pretty music business.

JASON THOMAS offers a cross genre blend of vocals indicative of his wide-spread influence. His songwriting is powerfully meaningful, and his ability to intertwine the labyrinth of life in a metaphorical form is brilliant. He co-produced his last single, “I’m Your Radio”, and newly released single “Roll On” with the fastest up-and-coming Pop/Rock/Country Producer in Nashville, Mark Burch. “I’m Your Radio” is a spectacular upbeat arrangement that pays homage to the musical greats of Garth Brooks, Bryan Adams, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, and Tom Petty.

~ Seating is limited to 36 people ~

For reservations buy tickets at the link below:

Click here for tickets


Saturday, May 25th, 4PM – The Oyster Crackers

The Peninsula’s favorite vocal group.

Join us for a concert with our area’s most popular vocal group, the Oyster Crackers.

~ Seating is limited to 36 people ~

For reservations buy tickets with the link below.

Click here for tickets

 


Wednesday, May 29th, 4PM – Songwriter & Guitarist Scott Law

A guitar virtuoso and a great songwriter.

Multifaceted artist Scott Law is a powerful instrumentalist, singer­, songwriter and authentic performer widely known for his distinctive abilities on electric guitar, acoustic guitar or mandolin.

A student and devoted fan of American roots music and psychedelic Rock ’n’ Roll, Law’s sound is strongly informed by the stylistic tributaries, songbooks and the fearless improvisational approach of bands like The Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers and their Jazz and R&B influencers. Law’s own music has sprung from these sources, predicated on deep listening, lyrical melody and implicit freedom of musical expression.

Besides fronting his own projects, Law is a regular collaborator with legendary Grateful Dead bassist, Phil Lesh in his rotating Phil Lesh & Friends cast and other lineups. Law has contributed as a monthly ‘artist-in-residence’ at Lesh’s Terrapin Crossroads venue in San Rafael, California since 2014 and also joins fellow TXR bandmate, Ross James in co-leading the psych-roots powerhouse electric band “Scott Law & Ross James’ Cosmic Twang.”

~ Seating is limited to 36 people ~

For reservations buy tickets at the link below

Click here for tickets.


Summer at the Arts Center

 

Saturday, June 8th – Extraordinary guitarist Carl Tosten returns

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, June 12th – Guitarist and songwriter David Jacobs Strain with harmonica wiz Bob Beach

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, June 22nd – The Ellen Whyte Trio

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, June 26th – Multi-instrumentalist singer Christopher Worth

 

 

 

 

Saturday, July 6th – Joel Underwood

 

 

 

 

Saturday, July 13th – Singer-Songwriter Jon Lee

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, July 17th – Kathryn Claire and Margot Merach

 

 

 

 

Saturday, July 20th – Nashville songwriter Bradford Loomis returns to the Arts Center

 

 

 

 

Saturday, July 27th – Blues great Lloyd Jones

 

 

 

…and more to come!