anthologysd.com

By Chelsea Regnani | radiosophie.radio.com

In case you have been living under a rock for the past two years, there is this little phenomenon called “Twilight” that has been driving most women from age’s 10-80 crazy. Last night, Bobby Long played a show downtown at a truly unique venue called Anthology. Bobby Long is one of the writers of a song called “Let Me Sign” which is featured on the Twilight soundtrack and performed by his BFF, Robert Pattinson *swoon*. The show was fantastic and British Bobby is not too hard on the eyes either! His performance was energetic, heartfelt, and couldn’t have been held at a better place. Anthology is an intimate venue with amazing food (the chocolate mousse was to die for) and acoustics. Also, I really appreciate a place where I can see an artist and not have to worry about someone spilling their drink on me right after they elbow me in the face, I really do! So next time you see Bobby Long coming to San Diego, grab your ticket quick because he usually plays at smaller venues and make sure you check out Anthology because they have some awesome shows this summer that you won’t want to miss!

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Via radiosophie.radio.com

Mike Hall | examiner.com

Great show last night at Anthology. Three solid bands; all could have been headliners in my book.

The nice thing about Anthology is you can relax, enjoy some good food and hear some great music with a minimum of hassles or waiting. The first band (who weren’t even on the advertised bill) actually started well before the sun went down and they were really, really good.

HoneyChild is out promoting their hot-off-the-presses CD, “Nearer the Earth,” and they came very close to playing the entire thing. They had a full stage including a banjo player and a harmonica player, and they warmed up the crowd with their lively folk rock before everyone even took their seats. This is a band to watch; I think you’ll be hearing a lot from them in the near future.

After a short break, Alpha Rev took the stage and they were equally impressive. They’re from Austin and they play some interesting, trippy indie rock featuring a high-tech cello and an amazing violin/fiddle player. You can hear the title track off their latest CD, “New Morning,” on KPRI.

After the first two bands, I was expecting a lot of bodies on stage with One eskimO, but the British quartet somehow build their full, multi-layered sound economically. The bass player (Jamie Sefton) doubles as the flugelhorn player (sometimes at the same time) and the drummer (Adam Falkner) had a unique set-up including a cajon, chimes, an electronic sample pad, and a “stompourine.” Peter Rinaldi plays guitar and Kristian Leontiou is the band leader and vocalist. All together, they create a very unique, atmospheric, tribal effect with pure, silky vocals.

They put together an entire animated “visual album” called “The Adventures of One eskimO” and they played parts of it on the enormous video screen behind the band. It was the perfect backdrop to immerse the crowd in the music, but I was kind of glad they didn’t play out the entire story with all the songs and all the videos; I think it would have been a little distracting from actually watching the guys perform. Their biggest hit is the near perfect “Kandi,” and it features sampling from Candi Staton’s “He Called Me Baby” (and it’s nearly impossible to get out of your head). Another familiar song is “Hometown,” which was used in a Toyota Prius commercial last year.

If all that makes them sound mainstream, it’s not intentional. They did play to a full house and they’re getting a lot of buzz lately, but they still seem comfortable with an indie label.

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Via examiner.com

By Mike Hall | examiner.com

If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, there’s still time to join the circus. The cirque-style show, iL CiRCo, still has some tickets left for tonight’s performances, and for the shows on Saturday and Sunday.

With jugglers, balancing acts, trapeze artists and elements of modern dance, the talent will certainly amaze you, and it’s fascinating to see them utilize every square inch of the Anthology stage. (I’m sure they’re used to more room to move, but it actually adds to the suspense when an acrobat is high above the stage with little margin for error.) Most of the stunts (as far as I could tell) are achieved with very few safety measures like harnesses or wires.

The costumes are brilliant, the actors engaging, the music is dreamlike and the entire effect is very memorable, for adults and kids alike. This is the same group that created the Cirque de la Mer at Sea World, so the performances are polished and world-class. Over the last several years, they’ve taken the show on the road and toured extensively.

Anthology has added a few menu items to add to the ambiance. Popcorn was popping, and kids were enjoying pigs-in-a-blanket, churros and frozen chocolate bananas. The adults were indulging in baked dates, black mussels and cotton candy martinis.

So if you’re looking for some last-minute ideas for the weekend, they still had tickets available for all shows as of this afternoon (including tonight, with 7:30 and 9:30 shows). There are two shows Saturday and a Sunday matinee. Call the box office for reservations at 619.595.0300, or go online at www.anthologysd.com.

Tickets start at $20 for upper level general admission and the bar/lounge area is $39.

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Via examiner.com

By Morgan M. Hurley, SDGLN Copy Editor

SAN DIEGO — Do not pass go, do not collect $200., but go directly to see iL CiRCo this weekend!

iL CiRCo is the amazing ACRO (acrobat) Circus that is now playing at Anthology through Sunday.

Enough cannot be said about the skills, agility, flexibility and sheer strength of the cast that make up this troupe of men and women. It will dazzle you. It will amaze you. It will literally knock your socks off.

Introduced in 1996 by local San Diegan Sam Trego, this show is not to be missed. Trego, a longtime active member of the local LGBT community, got his start at 16 years old when he toured the United States as part of the “Young Americans.” His other wildly popular show of the same genre is “Cirque de la Mer” which just celebrated its tenth year at Sea World.

Although iL CiRCo is of the same genre as the well known Cirque du Soleil, it is much more than a series of individual performances. There is a storyline that threads each performance together until a resounding finale.

The show begins with the cast in a carinval-like atmosphere, with the focus on a young girl. The underlying thread is revealed to be her dreamlike-state, with the performances assumedly dotting the inside of her eyelids as she sleeps and imagines a world of amazing imagery.

The audience doesn’t have to imagine that imagery, because it unfolds for them right before their eyes. A harlequin acts as the host to a series of spectacular performances, from the juggler, to a female silk fabric acrobat (reminiscent of Pink’s Grammy performance), an incredible set of aerial acrobatic twins, eye popping balancing acts, a trapese, a few contortionists, a mime, and even a little bit of sexual electricity.

Don’t be fooled by this common-sounding list of acts, there is absolutely nothing ordinary about any one of them. Think a juggler’s act grows stale after a minute or two? Wondering how appealing a contortionist can be? Can’t imagine how new and fresh a trapese artist can be? Come see the show and find out.

Consider Olympic gymnastics and then multiply the skill by 10.

The new age music that envelopes each act was chosen with precision and adds a whole new dimension to each already incredible performance.

Mixed in between all the strength and agility on stage, there are plenty of rock hard abs, pecs and biceps to appeal to the straight women and gay men of the audience. There was even a wardrobe malfunction.

The sheer number of times that “Wow,” “that’s incredible,” and “oh my God” exclamations were heard throughout the venue don’t even help to explain how fabulous this show is.

Anthology stepped up the tempo of their already fabulous dining selections with a special menu tailored just for this show and its carnival theme.

Come see this show. There are only 5 performances left. Friday 7:30 & 9:30, Saturday 6:00 & 8:00, Sunday 1:00. For tickets, call the box office at (619) 595-0300 or visit Anthology’s website for a preview and buy your tickets online.

Bravo Sam Trego, Bravo.

Morgan M. Hurley is the Copy Editor for SDGLN. She can be reached at (877) 727-5446, x710 or via email at morgan@sdgln.com

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Via SDGLN.com

The Bill Frisell Trio impressed a crowd of attentive jazz fans at Anthology at a recent show.

The trio, which included longtime collaborator Kenny Wollesen on drums and pianist Jason Moran — a virtuoso in his own right — played songs from throughout Frisell’s catalog, as well as a couple of unexpected Stephen Foster tunes.

After a quick joke about the big screen above the stage (”I’m not used to seeing myself on television”), the trio opened with a slowly building, chaotic intro that began with bird calls and ended with a rearrangement of Foster’s “Hard Times.” The lyrics, though not sung at the show, go like this: “Tis the song, the sigh of the weary/Hard times, hard times, come again no more/Many days you have lingered all around my cabin door/Oh, hard times, come again no more.”

It felt appropriate. With “Hard Times,” Frisell seemed to be asking us to cast off our preoccupations and just listen and enjoy — if only for a couple hours. After that, we could go back to whatever was bothering us. And Frisell didn’t make it very difficult to forget our cares. The trio — with what seemed like very little effort — had no trouble creating something artful and unique that transcended the day-to-day. I can guarantee you that very few audience members were thinking about anything other than the atmosphere and good music playing at Anthology that night.

Frisell himself played without any kind of pretense; he spent almost the whole show smiling, often downright beaming at Moran and Wollesen, and not saying much else except through his careworn Telecaster.

Before the encore, a fan on the balcony yelled, “You guys rock!” Frisell acknowledged the attention while looking distrustfully, again, at the big screen, then launched into another Foster tune, “Beautiful Dreamer.” Judging from the relaxed way people lingered at their tables after the music ended, not too many folks left the show thinking about hard times.

T. Loper is a writer for the San Diego music blog Owl and Bear.

By T. Loper | owlandbear.com

Before the show started, Perfect Age lead guitarist Bob Margolin quipped that for a late show, 10pm “ain’t all that late.”

This was a bit of a surprise, coming from the guy who leads a band made up of Pinetop Perkins (96), Hubert Sumlin (78), Willie “Big Eyes” Smith (74), and Bob Stroger (about 70). But Margolin was right. These men — who have seen blues and jazz evolve over decades — showed little sign of slowing down.

Even Perkins — the clear draw for the band — played piano and sang like a man in his prime. He’s one of those legends — like Dave Brubeck or Doc Watson — who you know has no plans to stop. And while Perkins only played a handful of songs, his presence electrified everybody in the house like only a true blues hero can.

The show started with Margolin on guitar, Smith on drums, and Stroger on bass, and Margolin introduced new band members throughout the set. The show’s first highlight came early on, with Stroger’s rendition of “You Got to Move.” After a few verses behind the mic, Stroger took his bass to the edge of the stage and sang mic-less in a voice that had no trouble reaching the venue’s most obscure corners.

Next, Margolin introduced Sugar Blue, who led a blazing rendition of “Krystalline” — You’re a strange white lady/tell me honey what’s your name/she said baby…just call me krystalline cocaine. At first, I was worried that Mr. Blue, with his embroidered pants, jewelry, and bandoleer of harmonicas, would be inclined to showboat, but just as he knew how to dazzle on the harp, he also knew when to lay low; as the show continued, his intuition became quite evident.

Hubert Sumlin, whose guitar playing has been likened to an “icepick to the brain,” came out next. His entrance was complicated by amplification problems, which stymied the initial shock of his staccato picking, but he recovered quickly and proved his ability on my favorite song of the night: a subtle, soulful rendition of “Sittin’ on Top of the World.” During this song, even the 20-something girl next to me managed to put a lid on the stream of mundane chatter that she insisted upon shouting to her date throughout the entire show. Her attempts to compete with the band were the real icepick to my brain.

No matter. The performers were was great, and the fact that these guys were up there, still doing what they love after so many decades, was a highlight in itself. The show was simulcast on KSDS 88.3 FM; hopefully I can track it down somewhere.

Saturday marked the culmination of their “Once and For All” tour, and it’s unlikely that the tour’s name is just a marketing ploy, so the evening took on a particularly celebratory vibe. If The Perfect Age of Rock ‘N’ Roll Blues Band does decide to embark on a “One More Time and For All” tour, though, be sure to catch them wherever they land.

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Via owlandbear.com

By T. Loper | SoundDiegoBlog

There can be nothing like listening to Ladysmith Black Mambazo sing un-amplified in a small room. Fortunately for San Diegans, Anthology’s perfect sound and quiet atmosphere supplied the best possible alternative.

The members of Ladysmith specialize in a form of music called isicathamiya, Zulu for walking softly, and the translation could not be more appropriate. The music and singers’ personalities are akin to sneaking up on your brother not to scare him, but to give him a massive embrace.

The music is nuanced — and so quiet, in fact, that Anthology asked the audience to maintain complete silence throughout the show. It seemed like a tall order for a sold-out crowd, but as soon as the band took the stage, the audience gave Ladysmith their full attention.

For Ladysmith Black Mambazo, even after 50 years, peace, love, and harmony are still the important things to remember. Founder Joseph Shabalala and the eight-member group — which includes four of his sons — reiterated this theme throughout the night, even as they joked about South Africa’s superiority over the U.S. Men’s Soccer Team.

But for all the lightheartedness, Ladysmith’s songs aren’t necessarily warm and fuzzy. Consider “Homeless,” a song they performed with Paul Simon on his 1986 classic Graceland. With harrowing lyrics like “Strong wind destroyed our homes/Many dead, tonight it could be you,” it’s easy to see why Shabalala believes that love is so important in a land where there is no shortage of suffering. Shabalala’s pleas for peace are even more poignant considering that he has lost his wife and two former members of Ladysmith — including his brother — to violence.

Despite this, the show was uplifting. Each member of the group exhibited unbridled joy, while skits, teasing, and an overall sense of sincerity kept things interesting.

Isicathamiya is a soul-cleansing, harmonious kind of music, and truly a wonder of this world. The performance was our privilege.

T. Loper is a writer for the San Diego music blog Owl and Bear.

By Jamie Freedman | SF Music Examiner

Saturday night I was down in San Diego for work and wanted to take my 16-year-old cousin out for a nice evening. Going to the movies didn’t seem special and she’s not the kind of kid I would take to an all-ages punk show. And lets face it, I didn’t want to go to a punk show either. I saw that Anthology is all-ages and that the Count Basie Orchestra was rocking the house for two nights. This legendary Kansas City big band is swinging towards San Francisco and will be performing on May 30th at Davies Hall with Kurt Elling as part of the SFJAZZ spring season.

Celebrating their 75th anniversary, the Basie Band has never sounded better. It’s obvious from the smiles, the goofiness, mutual encouragement and choreography (the trumpet section has it down) that these guys thoroughly enjoy themselves on stage. And with songs titles like “Fun Time,” “Way Out Basie,” Right On Right On” and “Cute” a good time is guaranteed.

Some members of the Basie Band are new, yet the majority of the sound still swings from musicians handpicked by Count Basie himself. I would guess that at least 75 percent of the band is over 50 years old. Bill Hughes is the current director and has been in the band since 1953. That’s pretty incredible if you ask me. Basie hired singer Carmen Bradford in 1982 by when she was 22.

“It was like traveling with your grandpa and great-grandpa,” she said from stage, “but they swing just as hard.”

Anthology is a “classy” (my 16-year-old cousin’s description) establishment unlike any other club I’ve ever been to. The way it’s designed with its stacked four level seating reminds me of theaters and opera houses of past centuries. Everyone in the club has a good seat. And if you’re not quite close enough to see details and the faces of performers, there is a gigantic screen above the stage.

On the tables was a flier (also on their website) congratulating a wide range of 2010 Grammy Nominated artists that have performed on Anthology’s stage including pop acts Death Cab for Cutie and Jason Mraz, jazz acts like Kurt Elling and Jake Shimabukuro and gospel/R&B singer Mavis Staples. With variety like that and the opportunity to come by on Tuesday nights for $5 and check out the Anthology House Band where everything on the menu is $20 or less, this is the perfect all-ages venue for an nice evening out.

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Via SF Music Examiner

Mavis Staples may be seventy years old but this soul and gospel icon, who also happens to be an inductee to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, still has it all going on. This is her fifty ninth year in the business and the fact she blew into San Diego for two nights at Anthology on dates that coincided with the birthday of Martin Luther King made this, for her, a very personal performance. After opening the set with Stephen Still’s ‘For What Its Worth’ (which was a hit for the Staples Singers as far back as 1967) she asked the audience to respect the victims of Haiti with a few seconds silence before sharing with them some of her memories of being on the road with the Staple Singers and of meeting Dr King along the way.

Mavis came to Anthology with a message of hope and the music of inspiration that, given the power of its delivery, was almost tangible. Of course there appeared to be few ‘born again’ Christians in the crowd and the way expensive wine flowed like rivers made it unlikely that many were there to be converted. However, this not withstanding, her potently soulful music found huge favor throughout.

Mixing her gospel passion with soul from the heart, and during a set that lasted around seventy five minutes, she was grandly supported by vocals from Donny Gerrard, Chavonne Morris and Yvonne Staples. Not only that, with the tight instrumental backing of Stephen Hodges on drums, Jeff Turmes on bass and, most notably, Rick Holstrom on guitar the quality of the music remained, for the whole time, consistently high. In fact, for a fifteen minute break during which Mavis took an off stage rest, Holstrom, Turmes and Hodge provided an instrumental interlude that proved to be as delightful as it was varied. However the show was all about the legend that is Mavis Staples and she did a particularly good job with her hearty rendition of the classic ‘Wade In The Water’. Equally pleasing was her take on another Staples Singers blockbuster, The Bands ‘The Weight’, and talking of Staples Singers hits she reserved the best to the very last. Although her turbocharged rendering of ‘Respect Yourself’ seemed unbeatable she topped it and then some by the magnificent play out tune ‘I’ll Take You There’ that brought the audience to its feet.

As time goes on the opportunities to observe the very best of what, for R & B, was a golden age become ever more limited. As such Mavis Staples at Anthology was a show to be remembered and, more than that, cherished.

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Via Smooth Jazz Therapy

By Katie Browning | San Diego News Room

Thursday, 08 October 2009
In her first of three performances at the Anthology Jazz Club, singer/songwriter Shawn Colvin proved she’s still got it.

Taking the stage with only her acoustic guitar and that distinctly tranquil voice, Colvin captured the crowd with hits like “Fill Me Up,” and “Polaroids.”

Born in Vermillion, South Dakota, Colvin began performing when she was 15. Since releasing her debut album Steady On in 1989, Colvin has had impressive record sales and continues to perform live over 50 times per year, proving she’s an enduring presence in American music.

With talent extending far beyond her 1997 Grammy-winning hit “Sunny Came Home”, no one seemed to mind that Colvin didn’t include the song in last night’s performance. The acoustic performances of songs like “Wichita Skyline” gave Colvin a James Taylor-esque quality.

Colvin closed the set with “Round of Blues” from her 1992 album Fat City before returning to the stage for an encore performance including her popular version of the Gnarls Barkley hit “Crazy.”

Most of the songs Colvin performed are on her newest release, Shawn Colvin: Live, recorded last year during a three-night performance at Yoshi’s jazz club in San Francisco.

Colvin applauded the beautiful atmosphere at Anthology, and with the flawless acoustics of the venue, the night felt more like a cozy living room concert than just the average club experience.

Opened in 2007 by Howard and Marsha Berkson, Anthology is both restaurant and concert venue. Some say hybrids of this kind are often lacking, but Anthology does it all well. Combining seamless service, a delicious menu inspired by local and seasonal flavors and a warm, intimate atmosphere, the venue is sure to please music enthusiasts and gourmets alike.

This week’s dinner menu includes a plate of herb gnocchi and sautéed baby summer squash, served with petite heirloom tomatoes and topped with the finest parmesan. For dessert, try the trio of profiteroles, delicious cream puffs layered with espresso and vanilla ice creams, mascarpone and brandied cherries.

While any concert at Anthology would be a treat, Shawn Colvin and a plate of gnocchi made for a wonderful night of timeless music and cuisine.

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Click here for the original article in sandiegonewsroom.com.

Via Dossier

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I thought I was going to see Vincent Gallo and Sean Lennon make weird psycho-ambient music together. Instead what I got was a similar ensemble to Gallo’s former band RRIICCEE, followed by Sean Lennon crooning away with his girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl as The Ghost Of A Saber Toothed Tiger. All the same, totally worth 7 bones.

Gallo’s stage presence, in his white motorcycle jacket, back turned to the audience, a mess of dark curls covering his face (thankfully making illustrating the show a lot easier) provided sparse enough elements to compliment his musical minimalism – a vintage keyboard, his voice just above a lover’s whisper. The songs ranged from road tripping through space to post-apocalyptic love songs. Soft lyrics like “love me forever” and “The future’s not returning, bridges built for burning… Are we the chosen ones?” wafted through the room.

Then came Sean Lennon and the ridiculously pretty Charlotte Kemp Muhl. They were very convivial with the audience, and acoustic – a good contrast to Gallo’s electronic set. When switching to an electric guitar, Lennon laughed as he was repeatedly electrocuted by his instrument, and then began singing about unicorns down the yellow brick road. Charlotte Kemp Muhl’s strong vocals were wistful, sparkling.

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Click here for the original post on Dossier.

Please click here if you can’t watch the video below.

Arturo Sandoval performs again tonight as Anthology. Don’t miss this show!

BUY TICKETS

On a recent night out at Anthology, which has officially passed the new-restaurant-survives-downtown test, I watched spring turn to summer in San Diego. Perhaps it was the fresh-tasting, locally grown fava beans and cherry tomatoes served with my salmon. Perhaps it was the smooth saxophone of the house jazz band that serenaded the other diners. Perhaps it was the young, vibrant crowd.

Whatever it was, Anthology’s getting it right.

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CLICK HERE to read the rest of the San Diego News Room article by Gina Giacopuzzi.

It started with a spark of an idea from a twenty-something named Philip Gilpin, who quit his corporate job and banked it all on changing the world.

Please click here if you have trouble watching the video below.