UnpluggedView: Homeward Bound
by Aaron Rowan
When I grow up, I want to be like George Clooney in ‘Up In The Air’ and travel full-time for a living. This is one of my favorite movies. Modesto even gets mentioned as one of Clooney’s destinations. Much like his character, I am most at home when I’m out on the road.
As a music presenter, I constantly seek to bring in talent from around the world. Antarctica has yet to develop a healthy music scene, but I’ve worked with artists who have toured and/or migrated here from all the other continents. Times being what they are, however, my new concert season which recently commenced is working on a more limited scale, and focusing almost entirely on the Modesto area’s finest.
November will feature two such listening showcases. Sunday 11/15 at 3 PM, it’s a matinee with Us4Love featuring one of the cutest musical couples in town, Tyler & Christina Bates, plus Andru Vigil on guitar. In 2018 the band won Best Original Composition at the Valley Talent Project and were twice nominated for a MAMA. This is sweet local folk-pop to fall in love with. Look for some special guests as well, like Amy Winehouse. (?!?!) You’d better believe it. Tyler & Christina have been having tons of fun painting lately, so they’ll have Amy, Cruella De Vil and some others on display.
Saturday 11/28 at 7:30 PM, I’m welcoming back the opulent and operatic Ellie Barton, who last appeared onstage at Moon & Sixpence last December at our Christmas program collaboration with Opera Modesto. Around this time last year, she made her professional opera debut in ‘Rigoletto’ at the Gallo Center, and this summer Modesto Unplugged sponsored her tuition for the Summer Opera Institute. Ellie knows how to put on a richly textured program with everything from opera numbers to pop songs, and has a good team of musicians joining her for the evening.
Each concert is $5 (cash only) and doors open half an hour before showtime. Find Moon & Sixpence at 500 9th St. between E & F, just to the left of Stonehenge. Seating limited to 25 people; reserve seats at modestounplugged@yahoo.com or 209-543-5306.
Intimate performances. Infinite playlist. MODESTO UNPLUGGED. www.modestounplugged.com
