And the Beat Goes on at the Granada

Forced by COVID to find ways to bring the music to a house-bound audience, the Granada Theatre teamed up with the Santa Barbara Symphony to create intimate podcasts that both illuminated and entertained. Out of this collaboration grew the idea of presenting cross-genre performances, the first one being Moondance which featured the music of Van Morrison as played by the Santa Barbara Symphony in concert with local rockers, the Double Wide Kings, in November 2023.

A year later, for its Centennial, the Granada reinstituted the Granada House Band which drew on local talent for a blockbuster show that nearly blew the roof off.

This year, on May 24, the collaborative idea came to complete fruition with the inaugural Locals & Legends concert. To celebrate the music of the legendary David Crosby, the Santa Barbara Symphony and the local All-Star Band, led by Tariqh Akoni, featured renditions of Crosby’s music through the vocals of five local artists, who also presented their own original work.

It was a show not to be missed, if for no other reason than to see conductor Nir Kabaretti, who can eloquently wave his baton to the swaying rhythm of a Strauss waltz, or groove to Crosby’s signature folk-rock beat. Stories were told and hearts were touched, and several local singers took to the stage to honor Crosby. Featured local artists included guitarist/songwriter Glen Phillips; Americana musicians and father-son duo, Chris and John Beland; the blended country style of Jonathan Firey; the musical storytelling of Kathleen Sieck; and the dulcet-toned Shawn Thies, whose clear, haunting voice on her own “Oh, Nightingale” had the
audience mesmerized. 

The incomparable Lois Mahalia and Miriam Dance sang back up, adding touches of richness, whimsy, and soul to the performances before each broke out on her own to thrill the audience with their powerful voices. And the band, comprised of Austin Beede, Steve Postell, Randy Tico, David Delhomme, James Raymond (Crosby’s son), and Fausto Cuevas melded with the Symphony beautifully. Crosby was celebrated, and Crosby was reimagined in memorable ways.

Some of the greatest artistry was created behind the scenes, as scores were rewritten for orchestral performances that would blend and augment the original instrumentation, adding but not detracting, exciting but not overwhelming, the original motifs. That and the sound engineers who had to make it all work together. An incredible undertaking and a prodigious achievement. 

The inaugural concert of “Locals and Legends” was presented in part by Santa Barbara Records. Founded in 2021, the label’s vision is to build a platform that helps deliver professional sustainability for artists and positively impacts the local creative economy. Through its innovative advocacy, the Granada Theatre is creating, supporting, and presenting new trends and modes in entertainment. Not bad for a 101-year-old dowager.