Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara has announced the lineup for Fiesta Music and Dance Fridays, a live-streamed concert series in July Audiences can watch the roster of popular local bands from anywhere in the world streamed to a smart TV or on any internet-connected device, such as a phone, tablet or computer.
Every Friday in July, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Fiesta Music and Dance Fridays will be streamed for free to the Santa Barbara community and beyond.
Scheduled acts include: Area 51, Spencer the Gardner, False Puppet, King Bee and Mezcal Martini. In between sets, Old Spanish Days will bring forward local dance acts and history segments.
The theme of this year’s Fiesta is ¡Vamos a Bailar! — in English, Let’s Dance!
“I am excited and proud that we are fulfilling our commitment to keeping the Fiesta spirit alive during this challenging time,” said El Presidente Erik Davis. “I’d like to thank the city of Santa Barbara, our dedicated sponsors and community donors for helping us achieve our goal of honoring our rich traditions in a safe way while bringing Fiesta joy to all in this time of uncertainty.”
Fiesta Music and Dance Fridays will be streamed on the Old Spanish Days website www.sbfiesta.org/live-stream, and on the Fiesta Facebook and YouTube pages. All concerts will be archived and will be broadcast on TV Santa Barbara, community access Channels 17 and 71.
The series officially kicked off on June 26 with an intimate concert with the internationally acclaimed flamenco Latin guitarist Tony Ybarra. He was joined by bassist Santino Tarfarella and percussionist El “Lalo” Smith. During intermission Old Spanish Days historian David Bolton provided a history of the Spirit of Fiesta tradition followed by dances by the Spirit and Junior spirits of Fiesta.
“Our first concert proved that bringing joy, hope and optimism to our Santa Barbara community is possible even during a global pandemic,” Davis said. “We will get through this together.”
To support Old Spanish Days, a tax deductible donation can be made to www.sbfiesta.org/support. To purchase such items as the 2020 poster, visit the online store at www.sbfiesta.org/shop. All proceeds benefit Old Spanish Days.
Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation dedicated to honoring and preserving Santa Barbara’s history, spirit, culture, heritage and traditions. Putting the health and safety of the community first, Fiesta 2020 will hold many of its signature events online, on television or in ways that adhere to physical distancing practices, all while encouraging community-wide participation.
For more about Fiesta 2020, visit www.sbfiesta.org.
Fiesta Music and Dance Fridays Lineup:
» July 3: Area 51 will be playing funk, soul, Motown, R&B, rock, disco and popular hits from the past and present. During intermission, the 2020 Honorary Presidente(s) and Presidenta(s) will be inroduced. In this annual tradition, the current el presidente or la presidenta names people important in their lives and those who have helped them on their journey to lead the historic festival.
The Spirit of Fiesta Alena Velasco will open the show and dancers from the Garcia Dance Studio will perform during intermission.
» July 10: Spencer the Gardener band describes itself as “California sun-kissed, Latin-tinged, genre-bending, big-band surf mariachi indie pop is distinctively quirky and sonically unrivaled.” Inspired by bands like Cake, Jane’s Addiction, B-52’s, They Might Be Giants, Violent Femmes, and Latin Playboys, Spencer the Gardener plays dance-inducing tunes.
» July 17: False Puppet is a three-piece rock band from Santa Barbara, consisting of Tyler Benko (guitar and vocals), Brennan Benko (drums), and Channing Peake (bass). Stylistically, their music features influences ranging from blues to hardcore, but they are most easily classified as rock and roll.
In addition to being mainstays in the local music scene, the trio has toured extensively across the country, most notably as members of the 2015 Vans Warped Tour.
» July 24: King Bee is called “the ultimate dance party band” by Santa Barbara locals. King Bee’s repertoire includes hand-picked top hits from seven decades. Bring your dancing shoes.
» July 31: Mezcal Martini, a Latin Jazz band whose musical consciousness has been shaped by the likes of Poncho Sanchez, Tito Puente, Willie Bobo, and Mongo Santamaria, playing many of their tunes and arrangements. Mezcal Martini takes a non-traditional approach toward jazz standards by infusing them with Latin rhythms. Their music is punctuated with infectious grooves and scintillating horn lines. Dance on!
