There’s an exciting lineup coming soon to the Performing Arts Center! Below are some highlights coming up in January and February. Check out the full list of upcoming events at pacslo.org.
Terence Blanchard
Featuring the E-Collective & Turtle Island Quartet
Wednesday, Jan. 18, 7:30 p.m.
Cal Poly Arts presents five-time Grammy-winning trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard in a jazz concert with his internationally acclaimed band The E-Collective and the double-Grammy-winning Turtle Island Quartet.
In 2021, Blanchard made history by becoming the first Black composer to have an opera performed at the Metropolitan Opera since its founding in 1883. His rise to fame is largely attributed to his 30-year partnership with Spike Lee who helped make film scoring his primary vocation. He has composed more than 40 film scores throughout his career, including Father of the Bride (2022), BlacKkKlansman (2018), Cadillac Records (2008), Barber Shop (2002), 25th Hour (2002) and Malcom X (1992).
“Terence Blanchard is the rare jazz star whose renown as a composer almost overshadows his reputation as a daring and stylish improviser. Almost.”
– The New York Times
Voices of Mississippi
Featuring Bobby Rush, Sharde Thomas and Luther and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars
Wednesday, Feb. 1, 7:30 p.m.
Cal Poly Arts presents Voices of Mississippi, an immersive multimedia concert that celebrates southern blues, gospel and storytelling traditions. Based on the 2019 double-Grammy-winning box set Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris, the program features live musical performances integrated with film, audio recordings and rare photographs by folklorist William ‘Bill’ Ferris, who will serve as host for the evening. The show will feature blues musician Bobby Rush, fife player Sharde Thomas and Luther and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars, all of whom have deep ties to Mississippi and artists Ferris documented.
“This is far from an ordinary concert, it’s a multimedia time capsule that transports one to a time and a state that changed American music and its culture and still echoes into today.”
– Elmore Magazine
A.I.M by Kyle Abraham: An Untitled Love
Thursday, Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m.
Set to the music of R&B legend D’Angelo, An Untitled Love is a creative exaltation paying homage to the complexities of self-love and Black love. Choreographer Kyle Abraham says An Untitled Love was shaped by happy memories of his 1980s youth in Pittsburgh and a desire to spotlight the sweetness of Black life, “the way that we love, centered on our joy and family and community.” The work is structured a bit like a sitcom house party, set in a comfortable living room amid a gathering of friends on the theme of affection and connection.
Kyle Abraham has become one of the most sought-after choreographers and dancers of our time, commissioning works for companies like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and the New York City Ballet. Abraham creates work for his company that draws from his personal experiences, often exploring themes of Black life, emotion and the relationship between visual art, music and dance. This event is presented by Cal Poly Arts.
“It’s a theatrical love letter to social dance.”
– The New York Times
The Lone Bellow
Wednesday, Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m.
Rising Americana trio The Lone Bellow embrace the dynamics of bluegrass and gospel, the fire of rock and roll, and the passion of the blues. Their chart-topping 2020 album, Half Moon Light, included songs “Count On Me” and “Dried Up River” which both hit #1 on the Americana singles chart. They just released their fifth studio album called Love Songs for Losers.
The Lone Bellow began as a songwriting project for Zach Williams, whose wife had suffered temporary paralysis following a horseback riding accident. During his wife’s recovery, Williams coped with the experience by writing in a journal and was urged by his friends to learn the guitar and turn his entries into songs. Following his wife’s recovery, the couple moved to New York City where he teamed up with Kanene Pipkin and Brian Elmquist. This event is presented by Cal Poly Arts.