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Dueling pianos have arrived on State Street.
Fresh out of the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of Santa Barbara’s hottest nightclubs has rebranded from Backstage Kitchen & Bar to Backstage Dueling Piano Bar.
It’s a three-level club at 409 State St., with three bars, two pianos and a stage.
The Victorian and Eastlake architecture stands out from the Spanish style around town. Built in 1889, it was known as the Faith Mission, and it offered religious services, meals and lodging to young men seeking religious guidance, according to Backstage marketing manager Jenny Roberts.
The building survived the 1925 earthquake and transformed into the Hotel Savoy. In recent years, it has been offices and home to places such as Qs, Matrix and Blind Tiger.
The dueling pianos happen every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
“They feed off the energy of the crowd,” Roberts said. “It’s by request. The more energy from the crowd, the more entertaining it is.”
Backstage serves food and drinks, and it offers live music on Wednesdays. Roberts calls it “elevated pub fare,” adding that the vibe of the place is “unpretentious, comfortable and genuine.”
Roberts said she’s pleased to be on State Street at a time of such transition. She would like to see the vehicle closure extend to the 400 block.
“Closing down State Street and keeping it as a promenade is absolute genius because this town was begging for a walking central district,” Roberts said. “Not only is it great for the tourists, but it is fabulous for the businesses because it actually puts people right in front of it, rather than driving by it. There’s a new energy and new understanding of what is on the street. It is giving all business much more of an opportunity to succeed.”
Mayweather Boxing Studio Coming to Santa Barbara
One of the greatest professional boxers of all time is opening a gym in Santa Barbara.
Floyd Mayweather, a boxing champion who retired with an undefeated record of 50-0, plans to open Mayweather Boxing + Fitness in La Cumbre Plaza in September.
The crew is already at work in the plaza, across from Islands and next to Starbucks, signing people up and taking enrollments.
“All of the workouts are designed from his workouts,” said Alex English, director of sales and operations.
The Santa Barbara gym is one of about 50 set to open across the country. About 30 already have opened. Mayweather owns a majority of the company but is offering franchises.
English noted that it will be a boxing studio, not a boxing gym.
“Boxing gym, people think sweaty, smells bad, people get punched in the face, head gear, mouthpiece, all of that,” English said. “That’s not what this is. This is a fitness studio.”
The company’s website states, “No matter who you are — a former athlete, young professional, stay-at-home-parent, or retiree — for 45 minutes a day, you become a champion.”
There will be classes all day, personal trainers, and everything is guided and geared toward a person’s needs.
“You are learning technique, you are learning form, but it is not necessarily to fight,” English said. “It’s to get in shape.”
For more information or to enroll, click here to visit the studio’s website or email santabarbara@mayweather.fit. Founding enrollees, English said, will get about 50% off the cost of enrollment.
Cappello & Noël Firm Adds Two Attorneys
Santa Barbara law firm Cappello & Noël LLP has hired two new associate attorneys, Matthew Hofer and Richard Lloyd.
Hofer’s practice focuses on commercial and environmental litigation in state and federal courts. He advises clients ranging from private individuals to Fortune 500 corporations on a variety of complex legal issues and has experience with state regulatory agencies, including the California Coastal Commission, the California Air Resources Board and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, according to a news release.
Before joining Cappello & Noël, Hofer was an attorney with King & Spalding LLP and Morrison & Foerster LLP in Los Angeles. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science and history from UCLA and his juris doctorate from the Georgetown University Law Center. He grew up in Santa Barbara.
Lloyd has worked at the firm since 2015, beginning as a paralegal.
He graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2003, and in 2020 from the Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law, where he was class valedictorian, according to a news release.
Lloyd is involved in all firm cases, from intake to preparing and providing support for multiweek trials and arbitrations. He is originally from Great Britain. He worked in London advising clients, negotiating legal fees and conducting detailed assessments on a variety of costs matters, including multi-jurisdictional commercial litigation, high-profile defamation cases and complex clinical negligence claims.
“Matt’s commercial and environmental litigation experience is extensive,” managing partner A. Barry Cappello said. “He has successfully represented clients ranging from private individuals to Fortune 500 corporations. Richard’s meticulous attention to detail and high level of negotiating skills are a tremendous asset to the firm. We are fortunate to have them both on our team as they continue to grow in their legal careers.”
Dispensary Allows Cannabis Consumption On-Site
Lompoc is home to the first cannabis dispensary where people can smoke the cannabis on-site.
Seaweed on Ocean, Dispensary and Lounge has opened at 1101 E. Ocean Ave.
It’s the only place between San Francisco and Hollywood where cannabis can be consumed on-site. The dispensary received the first license from the City of Lompoc, on July 13, 2018.
Patrons can consume high-quality, safe, tested products by smoking, vaping, dab bar eating, drinking as well as topical, according to a news release.
Seaweed Lounge is open weekdays from 5 p.m. to close, and all day on weekends and holidays.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
