Carlsbad Music Festival
Adventurous music by the beach
Eclectic Lawn: Saturday, October 9, 2-6pm
Carlsbad Music Festival
Adventurous music by the beach
Eclectic Lawn: Saturday, October 9, 2-6pm
eclectic Lawn
Saturday, October 9, 2021, 2-6pm
St. Michael’s By The Sea
Scheduled to perform:
Shannon Lay • 5pm
Francis Blume • 4pm
Ed Kornhauser Quartet • 3pm
Kamini Natarajan • 2pm
17th Annual Carlsbad Music Festival
Friday - Sunday, August 27-29, 2021
in the Village of Carlsbad
Carlsbad Music Festival is back! All venues are outdoors for COVID safety.
Our 17th Annual Festival will feature dozens of adventurous and eclectic artists.
Get your tickets now and join our email list to stay updated.
"a celebration of stylistic diversity . . . a seemingly endless appetite for aural adventure"
-San Diego Union-Tribune
Festival artists
THE MATTSON 2 • AROOJ AFTAB • SYSTEMS OFFICER • CALDER QUARTET • TROUBLE IN THE WIND • SUNNY WAR • GYAN RILEY • SHAHZAD ISMAILY • ART OF ELAN • AMADOU FALL • STEPH RICHARDS POWER VIBE • VIENTO CALLEJERO • SHANE HALL • PARQUE DE COMETAS • MATT MCBANE + BUILD • Charlie Arbelaez Afro-Cuban Sextet • The Get Down Boys • SANGAM • VÁKOUM • Nathan Hubbard Trio with Anastasya Korol • Son de San Diego • NATHAN AND JESSIE • JASON DIAZ • Dean Davidson’s Cool Jazz • CHUNKY HUSTLE BRASS BAND
Eclectic Lawn
Saturday, October 9, 2021, 2-6pm
Eclectic Lawn
Saturday, October 9, 2021, 2-6pm
ECLECTIC LAWN
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2021, 2-6PM
ST. MICHAEL’S BY THE SEA
Scheduled to perform:
Shannon Lay • 5pm
Francis Blume • 4pm
Ed Kornhauser Quartet • 3pm
Kamini Natarajan • 2pm
doors open at 1:30pm
Tickets
General Admission: $12 advance, $15 day-of
Children ages 6 - 12, $5 • Children 5 and under are FREE.
VIP w/parking: early bird $49, full-price $59
VIP w/out parking: early bird $39, full-price $49
For COVID-19 safety, this event will be held entirely outdoors. Proof of vaccine or a negative Covid test (taken within 72 hours) will need to be presented upon entry with a valid photo ID. If you are not vaccinated, masks are required to be worn, if you are vaccinated they are not required but highly encouraged. Let’s work together to keep our community safe!
Shannon Lay • 5:00pm
LA-based folk singer whose gorgeous recent release on Sub Pop Records, “Rare to Wake,” was named “Best New Track” by Pitchfork
“Shannon Lay delivers each moment in “Rare to Wake” with deep care and intention. Throughout the song’s five-minute runtime, the Los Angeles songwriter’s voice never appears unaccompanied: It is always layered in harmonies, followed by wordless echoes, or conversing with a sparse ensemble of upright bass, keys, electric guitar, and handclaps. Her lyrics are formed by existential concerns (“Have I always been who I am?”) and quiet affirmations (“I am longing to grow”). While her words slowly outline an imagistic narrative, the real story is in the sound itself—percussion teases a climax that never arrives, the background vocals sometimes overtake the lead, and her central acoustic guitar riff loops with the steady, meditative quality of ambient synths. Like a living painting, each new texture and color shifts the mood.”
-- Pitchfork
Francis Blume • 4:00pm
North County-based golden-voiced singer channeling retro Americana
"Singer-songwriter Francis Blume sees the beauty and intricacies in the clean and clear approach. There is boldness in being raw and transparent in lyricism and production because it doesn’t leave much for the artist to hide or blend into; it allows for the emotional intent to come through clearly and dynamically. Blume’s rich vocals and bluesy, rock and roll approach harken back to the sound styles from the late 50s to the late 60s, where an emphasis on unclouded storylines allow for open interpretation and emotional messages to be applicable. Though the San Diegan vocalist only has a handful of songs available to stream currently, Francis Blume is carving his own path, spotlighting the power and captivating quality of clear soulful lyricism within his rock and roll groove. Each track transports listeners into a romanticized zone of raw love loss as spouts his potent narrative and heart-tugging vocals." –Amadeus Magazine
Ed Kornhauser Quartet • 3:00pm
“… one of San Diego’s top pianist/keyboardists.” San Diego Troubadour
San Diego-based pianist Ed Kornhauser holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from San Diego State University. His debut album “The Short Years” was released in November, 2020, featuring a quartet and all original compositions. “The Short Year” won the San Diego Music Awards “Best Jazz Album” in August 2021.
Ed also plays for The Matt Smith Neu Jazz Trio along with drummer Matt Smith and bassist Mackenzie Leighton. He is featured on all three releases: “Shorthanded” (2013), “RETROgrade” (2016), and “I.Am.Calm” (2017), the last of which feature saxophonist Dayna Stephens and trumpeter Curtis Taylor. Both “RETROgrade” and “I.Am.Calm” were produced by Grammy award-winning producer Kamau Kenyatta.
Ed Kornhauser, piano
Jesse Audelo, sax
Mackenzie Leighton, bass
Kevin Higuchi, drums
Kamini Natarajan • 2:00pm
Kamini’s musical journey started in central India with her mother Uma Natarajan. She started learning intricacies and nuances of Indian Classical Music since she was 6 yrs old. She would spend hours coming up with various improvisations at different time signatures. At the age of 10, Kamini started training under one of the most loved and respected musicians of India, Pt. Krishna Kant Shukla and Shri Rajeev Sharma. She graduated in Vocal music and was on Top position at her University.
After years of rigorous training, Kamini started performing at various National level music festivals and her performances were adjudged as “Outstanding” by experts in the field. Kamini was one of the youngest graded artist from All India Radio, Indore (India). She regularly appeared in National Television of India. She is currently a senior disciple of Pt. Arun Dravid of Jaipur Gharana.
After moving to Los Angeles area in 2002, Kamini collaborated with various music producers and composers of different genres and recorded and performed live. Her song “Devi,” a World Music composition is featured along with Anoushka Shankar and Talvin Singh on the “Tantra Lounge” album.
Festival Artists
Festival Artists
THE MATTSON 2 • AROOJ AFTAB • SYSTEMS OFFICER • CALDER QUARTET • TROUBLE IN THE WIND • SUNNY WAR • GYAN RILEY • SHAHZAD ISMAILY • ART OF ELAN • AMADOU FALL • Steph Richards Power Vibe • VIENTO CALLEJERO • SHANE HALL • PARQUE DE COMETAS • Matt McBane + Build • Charlie Arbelaez Afro-Cuban Sextet • The Get Down Boys • SANGAM • VÁKOUM • Nathan Hubbard Trio with Anastasya Korol • Son de San Diego • Nathan and Jessie • Jason Diaz •Dean Davidson’s Cool Jazz • CHUNKY HUSTLE BRASS BAND
The Mattson 2 is a twin brother duo from Encinitas at the intersection of jazz, surf, indie, and the lush and carefree soundscapes of Japanese city pop. Their recent albums have reached #1 on the Billboard contemporary jazz charts, and they have toured with them around the world.
Arooj Aftab came to prominence in Pakistan in the early 2000s when she developed a style that combines Sufi-mystical poetry with the spirit of independent rock. Her 2021 album ‘Vulture Prince’ has been widely praised by outlets including Time, NPR and Pitchfork, which awarded it a coveted Best New Music.
Systems Officer is the solo guise of Armistead Burwell Smith IV, the prolific multi-instrumentalist songwriter and founding member of Pinback and Three Mile Pilot.
Calder Quartet is a string quartet hailed as "superb" and "imaginative, skillful creators" by the New York Times. The group's distinctive artistry is exemplified by a musical curiosity brought to everything they perform and has led them to be called "one of America’s most satisfying - and most enterprising - quartets". (Los Angeles Times)
Trouble in the Wind are festival favorites returning with an Americana sound fronted by Robby Gira’s staggeringly powerful voice and framed by pedal steel, banjo and accordion.
Sunny War is a blues/folk/punk guitarist and singer/songwriter whose last album brought her universal praise and a powerful Tiny Desk performance at NPR.
Gyan Riley is a composer and guitarist described by The New Yorker as "a one-man American-music machine, amicably ranging across the fields of jazz, world music, and post-minimalism." He is also known for his duo performances with his father, the legendary composer/pianist/vocalist Terry Riley.
Shahzad Ismaily was born to Pakistani immigrant parents and is a largely self-taught composer and musician. Ismaily has recorded or performed with an incredibly diverse assemblage of musicians, including Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, John Zorn and Tom Waits.
Art of Elan is known for its collaborative spirit and has been pioneering unique events and bringing exciting classical music to diverse audiences for over 13 years through innovative partnerships and bi-national initiatives that have cultivated curious audiences on both sides of the border.
Amadou Fall is a kora player from Senegal who comes from a family of musicians. The Kora is a 21 stringed instrument made from wood, calabash (gourd), cow skin and fishing line, and can best be described as the African harp. Growing up, Amadou often visited the house of the Griots (West African storytellers and keepers of tradition) where he was taught how to play the kora. Amadou has performed with artists such as Baba Maal, Fatou Lowbe and Ibrahim Ba, and has performed extensively on the African continent as well as in Europe and the US.
Steph Richards Power Vibe featuring Tasha Smith Godinez (harp), Amy Cimini (viola) and Andrew Munsey (drums). Trumpeter and composer Steph Richards has steadily established herself as an engaging experimentalist on the jazz and creative music scenes, working with pioneering artists ranging from Henry Threadgill and Anthony Braxton to Laurie Anderson and David Byrne. Her works have been featured on stages as iconic and varied as Carnegie Hall, the Blue-note and Lincoln Center.
Viento Callejero represents the newest incarnation of the Latin music movement in Los Angeles. The group breaks down the rhythmic and melodic pulse of Cumbia and fuses it with electronic experimental and psychedelic soundscapes.
Shane Hall brings to life a soulful accounting of human conditions in a blues-driven American style. Shane’s ‘West’ won the 2019 San Diego Music Award for Best Blues album.
Parque de Cometas is scrambled pop from Tijuana, Baja California channelling krautrock, lo-fi and more.
Matt McBane + Build: festival founder, composer and violinist Matt McBane returns with new music for his instrumental band that straddles minimalist chamber music and instrumental post-rock. Featuring Betsy Rettig (cello), Aron Kallay (keyboards), Mack Leighton (bass), and Nathan Hubbard (drums).
Charlie Arbelaez Afro-Cuban Sextet features some of the finest musicians in Southern California. This diverse and versatile group brings intense energy through an eclectic mix of music rooted in the blues and coupled with fascinating rhythms of a Latin flavor.
The Get Down Boys are a staple in the Southern California Bluegrass scene. They have appeared at events across the country and performed with Ed Helms, John C Reilly, John Mayer, Willie Watson, and have provided music for Comedy Central's Brickleberry.
Sangam is a chamber music duo of sitarist Paul Livingstone and cellist Peter Jacobson that performs innovative compositions and improvisations straddling the worlds of Indian classical music and European polyphony.
Vákoum is an Israeli & Mexican experimental pop duo of instrumentalists, composers and producers, Natalia and Kelli Rudick-Padilla. The duo’s wide palette of rhythmic, textural and tonal complexity delivers an anxious beauty of mood swings that shape a profound mindset.
Nathan Hubbard Trio with Anastasya Korol The Nathan Hubbard Trio’s music covers Hubbard’s hummable catchy originals, great American songbook classics, and jazz re-working of modern pop tunes. Their recent release This Stream won “Best Jazz Album” at the 2020 San Diego Music Awards. For this performance, they will be joined by guest singer Anastasya Korol.
Son de San Diego plays music from the southern region of Veracruz State in Mexico known as Son Jarocho using the traditional string instruments jarana, guitarra de son, and tamira.
Nathan & Jessie is Nathan Rivera and Jessie Andra Smith, joined by Trevor Mulvey on upright bass. They are a blend of jazzy folk and blues on resonator guitars and accordion, along with a trilingual interplay between male and female vocals.
Jason Diaz is a San Diego based jazz guitarist/arranger and pop vocalist/singer-songwriter. He has written and produced 7 albums of original music, some of which have been featured on popular TV shows such as Gossip Girl, the Ghost Whisperer and Community, and various independent films.
Dene Davidson’s Cool Jazz has been performing outdoors at St Michael’s by the Sea for the past year as part of the weekly Evensong sometimes joined by Tom Morey (Carlsbad legend and inventor of the boogie board). Featuring Bob Weller, Keith Bishop, Joey Carano, and Leonard Thompson.
Chunky Hustle Brass Band plays New Orleans street funk, and classic and contemporary R&B, and will continue their annual tradition of second line parade through the streets of Carlsbad.
Festival Tickets
Festival Tickets
August 27-29, 2021 Festival Tickets
General Admission:
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GA Fest 3-Day Pass: $69 (available through Friday, August 27)
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GA 1-Day Pass: $21 advance • $25 day-of
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GA Kids Passes: ½ price for all levels (except VIP) for kids 5-12. Kids 4 & under Free
VIP Packages:
For those who want (a lot!) more out of their Carlsbad Music Festival experience, there is a very limited quantity of 3-Day VIP passes are available, seating will also be limited to encourage physical distancing:
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VIP 3-day passes with parking: $259 SOLD OUT
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VIP 3-day passes no parking: $229
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VIP 1-day passes with parking: $99 Friday and Saturday SOLD OUT
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VIP 1-day passes no parking: $89
Festival Schedule
Festival Schedule
Festival SCHedule
All venues are outdoors for COVID safety. Venues open 30 min before the first set.
Friday, August 27
4:00-4:40 Dean Davidson’s Cool Jazz St Michael’s
5:00-5:40 Jason Diaz St Michael’s
6:00-6:40 Charlie Arbelaez Afro-Cuban Sextet St Michael’s
6:30-7:30 Amadou Fall Magee Park
7:00-7:40 Vákoum St Michael’s
8:00-8:40 Parque de Cometas St Michael’s
8:30-9:30 Calder Quartet Magee Park
9:00-10:00 Mattson 2 St Michael’s
Saturday, August 28
3:00-3:30 Carlsbad High School Orchestra St Michael’s
3:00-4:00 Chunky Hustle Brass Band (parade) Carlsbad Blvd. at Pine Ave.
4:00-4:40 Chunky Hustle Brass Band St Michael’s
4:30-5:30 Art of Elan Magee Park
5:00-5:40 Nathan Hubbard Trio with Anastasya Korol St Michael’s
6:00-6:40 Matt McBane + Build St Michael’s
6:30-7:30 Sangam Magee Park
7:00-7:40 Viento Callejero St Michael’s
8:00-9:00 Trouble in the Wind St Michael’s
8:30-9:30 Gyan Riley Magee Park
9:30-10:30 Systems Officer St Michael’s
Sunday, August 29
1:00-1:40 Nathan & Jessie St Michael’s
2:00-2:40 Son de San Diego St Michael’s
2:30-3:30 Shahzad Ismaily Magee Park
3:00-3:40 Shane Hall St Michael’s
4:00-4:40 The Get Down Boys St Michael’s
4:30-5:30 Steph Richards Power Vibe Magee Park
5:00-6:00 Sunny War St Michael’s
6:30-7:30 Arooj Aftab St Michael’s
Connect
Connect
Twitter Feed @CbadMusicFest
Instagram Feed @CbadMusicFest
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Carlsbad Music FestivalRT @ElWildBrunch: Suena A Thread to Find de Shannon Lay 96.9 fm / https://t.co/3panOnItWh https://t.co/mMwrWH5piM https://t.co/clKn6eJUxp -
Carlsbad Music FestivalRT @CFUR_Tracks: Shuffling Stoned by Shannon Lay from August https://t.co/zYtnUcZOT4
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Carlsbad Music FestivalRT @KaminiMusic: Happy Guru Purnima! What better way to celebrate than to play some music with my daughter- my student, my teacher a… https://t.co/EQ7sitptYz
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Carlsbad Music FestivalRT @KaminiMusic: Such a delight to be able to practice with my 10 yr old accompanying on Tabla ! Singing Raga Bihag #indianraga… https://t.co/vYZrNHdnET
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Carlsbad Music FestivalDon’t miss Francis Blume’s golden voice channeling retro Americana at our upcoming Eclectic Lawn. The North County-… https://t.co/dEBxCp2LBZ
