Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Louis Prima Jr. and The Witnesses perform in Pittsburg Saturday, Oct. 26

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See the Swingin’est Band in the world at The California Theatre, 4:00 PM

Born into an undeniable musical legacy, Louis Prima Jr. picks up the torch lit by his iconic father and leads his incarnation of The Witnesses headfirst into the future. Their seamless blend of hard driving big band jazz, insanely danceable swing and, at its core, real rock and roll has been wowing crowds worldwide for over a decade.

Make no mistake, this is no tribute act. Although the band most certainly Jumps, Jives, an’ Wails “Prima-style,” they are their own musical beast — thoroughly modern, laying down a blueprint for the future on the foundations of the past. Audiences will be treated to an evening of classics from the Louis Prima catalog, selections from LPJ & Co.’s two CDs (Return of the Wildest! and BLOW) and a healthy dose of sure-to-please surprises.

Equal parts bandleader and ringmaster, Prima Jr. brilliantly distills the finest elements of his father’s five-decade career through a contemporary filter, adding his own indelible stamp. “This is the happiest music on Earth!” he enthuses. “My father was rock n’ roll; Mozart was rock n’ roll. It’s a state of mind; I don’t think it’s a genre of music. It’s how aggressively do you play and do you play it like you mean it.” And The Witnesses mean it. From Passaic to Palermo and Seattle to Sicily, they’re bringing Prima music into the 21st century with new energy and attitude to match. It’s The Wildest Show this side of the ’60s!

Local businessman forms production company with Vegas partner to bring top-tier entertainment to East County

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First two shows in October: comedy in Antioch, the “swingin’est rock band” in Pittsburg

By Allen Payton

East County businessman George Cardinale recently formed Licata-Cardinale Productions with Las Vegas-based Michael Licata to bring top-tiered entertainment talent to the area.

“There’s no reason for people to have to drive to Oakland or San Francisco anymore to see A-list entertainment,” Cardinale said.

“We’re currently in advanced discussions to bring four to six high-level acts to the area for 2020,” Licata added. “But, first up on our schedule are two great shows to get the ball rolling and close out 2019.”

First will be Comedian Mike Marino with special guest and Pittsburg’s own home-grown comedian, Johnny Steele, Oct. 5 at Antioch’s El Campanil Theatre. Their show is entitled “Make America Italian Again!” (https://youtu.be/8jqLeK6aP5s and https://youtu.be/8jqLeK6aP5s)

Louis Prima Jr. & the Witnesses: Oct. 26 at Pittsburg’s California Theater. This band sold out the El Campanil six years ago. (https://youtu.be/91-HjEKKVhU and https://youtu.be/91-HjEKKVhU)

George Cardinale

About George Cardinale

After a successful management career at U.S. Steel, lifelong East County resident Cardinale has worked in the real estate sales and construction business for almost 50 years. The broker and owner of Cardinale Custom Realty, he started as a real estate agent in 1972, before forming Delta Bay Real Estate Company in 1974 with partners.

Then in 1976 he became a partner in Garrow & Cardinale Construction Company, which built several hundred homes in East County. Finally, in 1990 he formed the Cardinale Company, a currently active real estate company focused on land and commercial brokerage firm working with landowners and prominent new home developers.

Cardinale wants to give back to the community where he’s had his success. Due to his passion for the arts he is determined to bring higher quality and top tier acts to East County, to enhance the quality of life for local residents.

Michael Licata

About Michael Licata

Licata has been a force in the entertainment industry for over 20 years and brings his experience as a manager, agent, drummer, writer, producer and musical director to the team. He has been involved and responsible for multimillion-dollar projects for major recording artists including Chris Brown, Blues Traveler, Plain White T’s, Ricky Martin, Drake, Ringo Starr, Rodney Jerkins, Jermaine Stewart, Lil’ Wayne, Rhino Bucket, T-Pain, Savage Garden, Rihanna, Bang Tango and many others.

Michael has performed in internationally recognized music videos, on prestigious concert stages and has been awarded 16 Platinum/Gold records.

Management: Grammy-winners Blues Traveler, Grammy-winners Plain White T’s.

Behind the Drums: Ricky Martin, Ringo Starr, Rhino Bucket, Jermaine Stewart, Bang Tango, Savage Garden, Boys Don’t Cry.

Show Producer: Jason Alexander at Harrah’s Las Vegas.

TV Creator/Executive Producer: Viacom/CMT’s ‘H2Overdrive.’

About Mike Marino

Mike Marino – affectionately known to millions of his fans worldwide as New Jersey’s Bad Boy – is one of the most loved comedians of our time. He has performed in every major comedy club, theatre, casino and event center from New York to Los Angeles and around the world. Mike has also shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the business.

Marino was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He entered the entertainment industry at an early age and has studied at some of the most prestigious acting schools in New York, the Herbert Berghof Studio and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Mike has appeared in over 200 national television commercials, including many endorsements and has received a Best Actor Clio Award Nomination. He has acted in many Prime Time soaps and television shows including: As the World Turns, One Life to Live, Becker, Nikki, Frasier and Party of Five. His film credits include Crooks, Pizza with Bullets, Hangin’ in Hedo and Steven King’s Lucky Quarter and Criticsized.

Adding to his great success in film, theatre, commercials and soaps, Mike Marino began touring the world performing and selling out at countless clubs, theatres and casinos. His stand-up material ranges from cutting edge observations of everyday life to his Italian family roots; which recently spun into a T.V. pilot called “Re-Constructing Jersey”. His comedic style has landed him guest appearances on The Tonight Show as a regular sketch player, The Martin Short Show, Canada’s Comedy TV, The Boomer Show, Wild Pitch, and Hand Held Comedy Radio. A clip of Mike’s appearance on Byran Allen’s Comics Unleashed earned him over 7 million views (and counting), which has led to his current web series “Marino 2016” – an original comedy based on Mike’s road to the White House and wise guy attempt to become the first Italian American President of the United States.

In the Fall of 2008, Mike Marino was inducted into the New Jersey Comedy Hall of Fame and in 2015 he won the USO Bob Hope Comedy Award for his many performances for the military. Mike has also been featured on numerous talk shows and has hosted some of the most prestigious award shows including The Beverly Hills Film Awards, Hoboken Film Festival, Montreal Quintus Film Festival and countless corporate events. Mike has been featured in the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Canada, seven years in a row.

Mike Marino has a tongue like a razor and a heart of gold. He has the incredible ability to perform in any arena, big or small, and can cater his material for all audiences, from strictly clean to down and dirty. He has performed in hundreds of corporate functions for companies including AT&T, United Airlines, American Express, Paul Mitchell, IBM, Wella, Merrill Lynch, Sebastian Intl., Toyota, L.A.S.D., N.J. Asphalt Assoc., The City of Hope, OSIA, and the LAPD. Mike Has performed for numerous charities including Aids Project – LA, Haven House, Team earthworks, and the Eric Davis Cancer Fund. When Marino is not performing, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his family on the East Coast.

For more information visit www.mikemarino.net.

California State Fair in Sacramento now open through July 28

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The 2019 California State Fair & Food Festival officially opened its gates Friday morning, July 12 with big crowds, eagerly awaiting to get into Cal Expo in Sacramento.

“We’re so thrilled Opening Day was such a great success; it’s fun seeing so many people and families out having a good time, and of course, eating at our 100 food booths.” said Rick Pickering, Cal Expo General Manager and CEO. “We’ve worked hard to make this year’s State Fair the best yet – a fair for all Californians up and down the state. The food festival is just part of what we have in store for the next two and a half weeks.”

The California State Fair & Food Festival runs through July 28th.

For the schedule of daily events and concerts, as well as the list of food vendors, fairgoers are encouraged to visit the website at CaStateFair.org or download the Ca State Fair app where they can map out all of their adventures.

About the California State Fair 

The California State Fair is an international award-winning fair, receiving top honors at the International Association of Fairs and Expositions out of more than 1,100 fairs world-wide. The California State Fair is dedicated as a place to celebrate the best the state has to offer in agriculture, technology and the diversity of its people, traditions and trends that shape the Golden State’s future. We invite you to join us for the 166th California State Fair, July 12-28, 2019.

Concertmaster Jennifer Cho leads the California Symphony in A Tango With Mozart Jan. 19 & 20 in Walnut Creek

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The California Symphony kicks off 2019 with two performances of A TANGO WITH MOZART at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 8pm and Sunday, Jan. 20 at 4pm. Music Director Donato Cabrera leads a free, 30-minute pre-concert talk for ticketholders, starting an hour before each show.

In selecting the music for this program, Music Director Donato Cabrera explains that all three pieces are a nod to the past: “In the case of Le Tombeau de Couperin, each movement was written in remembrance of a friend that Ravel lost during World War I. For Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, these pieces are a reflection of not only Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (Piazzolla’s Seasons even follow the same structure of movements as Vivaldi – fast/slow/fast) but also are a reflection of the tango and its importance and relationship to the city of Buenos Aires. And the Mozart symphony is the first of his three last symphonies that are influenced by Mozart’s fascination with the music of J. S. Bach and the dance forms that were popular during the Baroque era.”

Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 was written with break-neck speed in June of 1788, right before No. 40 which was delivered in July, and No. 41—his final symphony—in August. After the death of his father in 1787, Mozart’s correspondence (our primary source of information) becomes sparse, and it is unknown whether the composer lived to hear the work performed before his premature death in 1791 at the age of 35.

Argentinian composer Piazzolla is famous for fusing tango and jazz influences in his compositions. His Four Seasons of Buenos Aires comprises works composed between 1965 and 1970, each evoking a different season, but it was the genius of Russian composer Desyatnikov that pulled it all together as a suite for solo violin with string orchestra and harpsichord, adding in familiar references to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. (And as the seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere, the arranger even playfully takes elements from Vivaldi’s Winter and places them in Piazzolla’s Summer.)

For Concertmaster Jennifer Cho, the concert marks a return to center stage with the California Symphony after her solo turn playing Ravel’s Tzigane in March 2017. This is her first performance as featured artist since being appointed to the role of Concertmaster in August 2017.

Of the collaboration, Cabrera says: “The first time Jenny and I performed together as soloist and conductor was with Piazzolla’s Four Seasons.  We are both very excited to be returning to this masterpiece and sharing it with our Walnut Creek audience.”

California Symphony to perform Christmas music at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center today, Saturday, Dec. 22

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Be Ready to Get Merry at ‘Tis the Symphony – Performances at 4:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m.

With a full program of holiday favorites plus mulled wine and cocoa available to sip at your seat, ‘Tis the Symphony is the perfect way to get into the spirit of the season. Performed by the California Symphony, Matinee (almost sold out) and evening shows take place Saturday, Dec. 22, at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek. Tickets start at $42 / $20 for students aged 25 and under.

Featured artists include Music Director, Donato Cabrera and the Pacific Boychoir Academy.

THE PROGRAM

Anderson—A Christmas Festival

Holiday Selections featuring the Pacific Boychoir Academy

Tchaikovsky—Selections from the Nutcracker Suite

Blake—The Snowman (Film viewing with score performed live)

Various—Audience Sing-Along

Anderson—Sleigh Ride

Running Time: approx. 1 hour 50 minutes, with one intermission

WHAT’S INTERESTING ABOUT THIS CONCERT

  • The Snowman is an animated short film about a young boy and the snowman he builds, who comes to life. The audience watches on the big screen as the California Symphony and the Pacific Boychoir Academy perform the soundtrack live.
  • Nominated for an Academy Award in 1983, The Snowman lost out to Tango. (No, we’d never heard of it either.)
  • Featuring an audience sing-along and festive favorites, the holiday concerts are the most popular of the year—perfect for all ages looking to get into the spirit of the season.
  • Come early for mulled wine, cocoa, and free activities in the Hoffmann Lobby starting one hour before curtain, including the Instrument Petting Zoo.

To purchase tickets online click here, or purchase them at the ticket window today between noon and 7:30 p.m. or call (925) 943-SHOW (7469). The Lesher Center for the Arts is located at 1601 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek.

Antioch’s El Campanil Theatre to celebrate 90th anniversary with huge show Saturday, Nov. 17

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El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation presents “HAPPY 90th, El Campanil!” Celebrating 90 Years of Entertainment in the Heart of Antioch, California, ​this Saturday November 17, 2018 7:00 p.m. in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown.

A Live Retrospective of Shows & Stars* including highlights from The World of Webber, The Broadway Divas, You’ve Got A Friend: The Carole King Songbook, This One’s For You: The Songs of Barry Manilow, From Motown With Love, JOEL: The Band, and more…!

Featuring Performances By

Bay Area Critics Award Winner
Tielle Baker
American Idol Semi-Finalist
Nicholas Crossen
Top Shelf Classics’
Wanda Diamond
Delta Blues Festival’s
Frankie G.
Theatre Bay Area Award Winner
Andrea J. Love		  Broadway’s “Movin’ Out” Star
Kyle Martin
Bay Area Favorites
The Rhythm Method 4
2-Time Grammy Award Winner
Mads Tolling
Shellie Award winning Theatre Company
Vagabond Players
And Special Appearance by
Star of “The Music of John Denver”
Jim Curry

With  Pianist, Kenji Higashihama and Master of Ceremonies Antioch Classical Theatre Company’s Sean J. O’Neil
*FINAL PERFORMERS AND PERFORMANCES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Tickets: Reserved Seating – Gold Circle (1st 3 rows): All Ages – $50 (includes one commemorative wine glass per ticket)
Adults: $35  Seniors: (62 & Over): $30  Youth (Under 18): $25

We do not charge convenience fees ~ Save time – Buy Online www.elcampaniltheatre.com/anniversary.html

Box Office (next door to theatre) 925-757-9500 Tues – Fri 10am – 2pm and one hour before events at 602 W. 2nd Street (corner of 2nd & G Streets near the waterfront).

Director says XO Music Festival lost $500,000 due to cancellation

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The planned headliners for the now cancelled festival.

By Luke Johnson

The XO Music Festival wasted an estimated $500,000, according to Director Sami “Styles” Habib.

The three-day event was canceled because World Class Entertainment did not provide proper insurance by this morning’s deadline, according to Joe Brengle, CEO of Contra Costa Event Park.

“We are the ones who are victimized here,” Habib said.

He added that his party supplied multiple sources for insurance, but they were rejected by Contra Costa Event Park. However, Brengle said those insurance agreements did not fulfill the park’s requirements.

The XO Music Festival faced several allegations online of being a scam over the past few weeks.

However, Brengle disagrees with those accusations and said the event’s management team was guilty of being too ambitious.

“I believe it wasn’t a scam,” he said. “I think they bit off more than they could chew.”

Brengle added that the negative media attention toward the event had nothing to do with its discontinuation.

The event organizers billed 100-plus artists — with marquee names such as T.I., Ludacris, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and the Bay Area’s own Mistah F.A.B. — to perform on seven different stages throughout the park. It also advertised stand-up comedy, carnival rides, roller skating and a foam pit, among other activities.

Habib said ticket sales were much lower than expected, but buyers were instantly refunded through the ticket agency, GrowTix.

Initially, Habib said the music festival lost approximately $750,000, but later said $500,000 was a more accurate number. He then said the financial loss was “definitely” in the six figures. He declined to comment when asked who provided those funds.

Brengle confirmed that Contra Costa Event Park kept $27,500 from the full rental agreement. He explained that money was already spent in preparation for this festival and it was too late to book another event for this weekend.

Habib is facing real estate fraud charges under the name Habidulla Qidar, according to CBS. He and his brother were identified by Fremont Police for being arrested in February involving a fraudulent home rental scheme.

Regarding the event’s authenticity, many people expressed concerns online about some artists’ performing schedules. Both Ludacris and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony are promoted for the Chalice Festival in Southern California this weekend. However, Habib said musicians often book two shows in one day and it was requested by their agencies.

Habib said he plans to eventually produce the XO Music Festival, but at a new location.

Contra Costa Event Park cancels XO Music Festival planned for this weekend in Antioch

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A promotion for the now cancelled XO Music Festival planned for this weekend in Antioch.

In a press release from Joe Brengle, CEO of the Contra Costa Event Park (fairgrounds) today, he stated, “Due to the promoters’ lack of fulfilling contractual obligations between the Contra Costa Event Park and World Class Entertainment, Event Park Management in the best interest and safety of our facility, event attendees and the City of Antioch we have no choice but to cancel the XO Music Festival scheduled to take place at the Event Park July 12 – 15, 2018.”

According to event organizer Sam Styles, a nickname for Sami Habib, the fairgrounds informed him at 8:00 a.m. today that their insurance was denied and that it was done “by another office.” He also said the Event Park will not refund their deposit.

All refund inquiries should be directed to the event promoter: World Class Entertainment, Inc. 39962 Cedar Blvd. #279, Newark, CA 94560, Attn: Sami Habib, sams@xoxomusicfestival.com or info@xoxomusicfestival.com.

Please check back for updates.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.