music

Growing up in a blue-collar neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, thirteen-year-old Kenny Cetera watched as his brother, ten years his senior, joined a newly-formed rock band that was looking for a tenor. With singer and bassist Peter Cetera on board, The Chicago Transit Authority released their self-titled album in 1969 and soon skyrocketed to fame.

On December 31st, 1961, at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, five young men from Southern California performed their first paying gig; a memorial concert and dance show honoring the late Ritchie Valens. The group, comprised of brothers Carl, Brian and Dennis Wilson, their longtime friend Al Jardin and cousin Mike Love, were being promoted for the first time on radio and in print as The Beach Boys.

The Christmas season is filled with delights for our senses, including the sight of beautiful light displays, the smell of cookies baking in the oven and, of course, the sounds of carols we wait all year to hear. And when it comes to Christmas music, the Southwest Women’s Chorus enhances the holiday cheer every year with their annual “Christmas in the Air,” winter concert.

If you’ve ever been to a winery or restaurant that features great live bands, chances are you’ve had a experienced the music of Lifetime Rocker; four local guys who are constantly in demand and never wanting for a gig. Consisting of Geoff Ryle (vocals, keyboards), Kelly Cowan (vocals, guitar), Joe Schiavone (vocals, bass), and Ray Ortega (vocals, drums) the members of Lifetime Rocker truly live up to their name in talent and experience.

If you’ve been anywhere in wine country lately, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Missy Andersen’s face on a sign, poster or tabletop advertisement because the singer and her band are a hot commodity. Performing at a handful of Temecula wine country locations this month, R&B vocalist Andersen started as many performers do, in New York City as a backup singer for other artists.

Every Sunday afternoon, the Old Town Temecula Community Theater and the California Chamber Orchestra present the community with an opportunity for not only cultural enrichment but also to enjoy an afternoon of excellent music in an intimate setting. The weekly series, Classics at the Merc, brings the finest of classical musicians to the Inland Empire and there isn’t a bad seat in the house, by way of the popular 48-seat Merc theater.

The City of Temecula Community Services Department and the Inland Valley Symphony are showing their gratitude to the men and women of the armed forces with a Patriotic Salute to Veterans, this Tuesday, November 11th at 5:30 pm in the quad in front of City Hall.

Just as the Halloween festivities are winding down in the valley, the Old Town Temecula Community Theater prepares to celebrate the Latin American tradition of El Día de los Muertos, with their Latin American Sketches concert, presented by the California Chamber Orchestra. When Dana Zimbric, Chamber Artistic Director and Composer, discovered that their concert would be scheduled for November 1st, she knew it was a perfect opportunity to celebrate not only El Día de los Muertos (November 1) but also the Catholic traditions of All Saints Day and All Souls Day (November 1 and 2).

On the last Tuesday of every month, popular Old Town haunt, Crush & Brew, hosts a Craft Songwriter’s Showcase where local and regional songwriters and recording artists can come together and share their latest work, all while sampling some of the area’s best wines and microbrews.

I know that a lot of you are probably looking for something to do after the kids have finished trick or treating, carving pumpkins and bobbing for apples, so I have compiled a list of some of the adult-centric Halloween activities being scared up around the valley. Here is just a taste of the happy haunting available for the big kids in town.