By Gary Mandell and Gary Kohatsu
Summer breezes… an intimate courtyard… free parking… and great music. Escape to Culver City for the 2018 Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival. Boulevard Music presents 6 free concerts on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. from July 12 through Aug, 16 in the palm-lined Dale Jones Courtyard of Culver City City Hall.
Also become an entry-level sponsor by purchasing one of the 100 premium reserved seats at $10 each per show available at Boulevard Music. Tickets may be purchased at Boulevard Music in person or over the phone and probably will not be available online.
Thursday, July 19 featured the Carl Verheyen Band with special guest John Jorgenson.
Verheyen in his 40-plus years of playing music has created a wildly successful, multi-faceted career. He is a critically acclaimed musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger, producer and educator with fourteen CDs and two live DVDs released worldwide. Verheyen is commonly regarded as a guitar virtuoso capable of playing any style of music with remarkable mastery and conviction. He has been one of L.A.’s elite “first call” session players for the past 25 years, playing on hundreds of records, movie soundtracks, and television shows. He has graced the pages of countless industry publications and been the subject of numerous articles chronicling his rise to the forefront of the modern day guitar scene. Carl has won numerous polls and musical honors in the US, Germany, France, Italy and the UK.
Verheyen has been playing the guitar every day since 1965 and has always made his living with the instrument. A member of the smash hit British rock group Supertramp since 1985, he has played to millions of enthusiastic fans in sold-out arenas worldwide. As the creative force behind the Carl Verheyen Band, his 14-record discography showcases his endless talents across a wide array of musical genres.
Plus Special Guest John Jorgenson
Born July 6, 1956, in Madison, Wisconsin, is perhaps best known for his guitar work with bands such as the Desert Rose Band and The Hellecasters. Jorgenson is also proficient in the mandolin, mandocello, Dobro, pedal steel, piano, upright bass, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone. John Jorgenson, known for his blistering guitar and mandolin licks and mastery of a broad musical palette, has earned a reputation as a world-class musician, as evidenced by his collaborations with Earl Scruggs, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, Luciano Pavarotti, Bob Dylan and many others.
First coming to national attention in the mid-‘80s as co-founder of successful country-rock act The Desert Rose Band, an eclectic array of artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Bob Seger, and Barbra were drawn to add Jorgenson’s artistry to their own recordings. While a member of the Desert Rose Band, Jorgenson won the Academy of Country Music’s “Guitarist of the Year” award two consecutive years.
Avoid the crowds and parking hassles of other areas on the Westside. Parking is free for one hour (2 hours with festival validation) in designated structures in downtown Culver City, and dozens of dining options are available within walking distance. Culver City’s downtown area is Southern California’s best-kept secret, featuring a wonderful mix of historic buildings, boutiques, theaters, galleries, and unique restaurants opening onto tree-lined streets.
The Dale Jones City Hall Courtyard is located at 9770 Culver Blvd. in Downtown Culver City (corner Culver Blvd. and Duquesne Ave.). The courtyard opens at 4:30 pm. No glass containers or alcoholic beverages may be brought into City Hall Courtyard. For more information, call Boulevard Music.
Culver City’s Boulevard Music Festival is sponsored by The City of Culver City, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Boulevard Music, Culver Studios, Palm Court, Michael Morabito—Compass, John Riordan Plumbing, Culver City Volvo & Mazda, Maxam Properties, Swiss Motors, Sorrento Market, D & E Associates, Mateo’s Ice Cream, Cavanaugh Realty, Dolce Realtors, Marriott Hotel, Michael Kayem Remax, Hillside Memorial Park, LaRocco’s, Music Munchers, Culver Hotel, Dynagraphics, Culver City News, Culver City Observer, Steeldeck Inc, Eastman Guitars, Kremona USA, Ohana Ukuleles, and Ernie Ball.
Catching up with Verheyen earlier this year, the NEWS probed the mind of this multi-talented musician.
1) When did you start playing and writing music, and when did you start taking it seriously (playing live, recording, etc)?
I got my first guitar and my first lesson on my 11th birthday. I’d been asking for a guitar for 2 years and when it finally arrived I never looked back. Strangely, I knew at that early age I was going to be a guitar player. Within a few years, I had a little band that played at church festivals and eventually high school dances. That became a 5 night-a-week solo gig at the Sawmill in Pasadena. With the exception of a summer box boy job at Safeway that I needed to pay off a Les Paul guitar, I’ve always made a living as a guitar player.
2) Who are your main influences?
I could fill up 3 pages of influences, so let me just tell you my early ones: Roger McGuinn, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Duane Allman, Pat Martino, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, Albert King, BB King, Alvin Lee, Mike Bloomfield….and about 150 more!
3) Describe your particular style
The music styles that are “real” for me are Rock, Blues, Country, and Jazz. So I ‘d have to say that my style incorporates all these elements and integrates intervals instead of running up and down scale tones. I like to emphasize melody over gymnastics.
4) Where are you based? What do you think of the local scene?
I live in Topanga and I’ve lived in LA all my life. I spend a lot of time touring in the US and Europe. I’ve seen much better music “scenes” overseas, but here in LA, we are fortunate to be able to hear so much music whenever we like. I really admire the people that get off the couch and support live, creative music.
5) Best gig to date? And worst?
I’ve been a member of Supertramp since 1985 and twice we’ve played the Roman Coliseum in Nimes, France. Both times the full moon rose between the ancient arches and it occurred to me on those balmy Mediterranean nights that this venue has been a “gig” for over 2,000 years.
The worst was probably a show where I got violently sick from something I ate before going on stage. I shouted, “DRUM SOLO!” then raced backstage to hurl!
6) Do you have any albums/singles available?
I have 15 albums out. I started the Carl Verheyen Band in 1988 and we’ve been touring steadily since our 3rd album, released in 1996. The latest one is called “Essential Blues” and was also released on vinyl. I’m a soloist/studio musician on hundreds more records and movie soundtracks.
7) Have you played Boulevard Music / Cinema Bar before? How did that connection happen? How did it go?
I’ve played Boulevard Music many times, mostly solo acoustic. I don’t remember how it all got started, but through that connection, I’ve also played at the Culver City Music Festival 3 times over the years. Once was with my band, a second time was with the legendary guitarist Albert Lee as my special guest.
8) What can we expect from the set?
In April my band and I toured Europe and finished in mid-May at the Schorndorf Guitar Festival, near Stuttgart. We played 6 shows in Italy, 3 in Lithuania, 6 in Germany and a few in The Netherlands on that trip. Then we’ll do Scandinavia and the UK in September. And we’ve got various U.S. dates popping up all summer. I plan on doing (the Culver City Summer Music Festival) this summer, too, with my band and yet another special guest, John Jorgensen. So it seems 2018 is booking up nicely!
