Bear Valley Music Festival Returns for 51st Year July 19 - August 4! Bear Valley, CA...Celebrating the start of its second half-century in the High Sierra, the Bear Valley Music Festival begins on Friday, July 19 and runs through Sunday, August 4, 2019 with a total of 14 concerts including a special free family matinee on Saturday, July 27. The festival showcases a wide selection of artists and genres including rock, classical, Broadway and jazz.
A mere 3.5-hour drive from San Francisco, Bear Valley is known primarily as a ski resort. Now in his seventh summer as music director, internationally recognized conductor Michael Morgan has put Bear Valley and the Highway 4 corridor on the map as a summer destination as well, drawing an audience of thousands.
Highlights of this year's festival include tributes to Carole King & James Taylor, Neil Diamond, Dolly Parton and Billy Joel, a concert by the legendary Mimi Fox and the Mimi Fox Jazz Trio, the return of world-famous pianist Olga Kern this time with her son Vladik Kern in Mozart's Double Piano Concerto, the world-premiere of a new commission by composer Michael Taylor, and three concert pieces for violin and orchestra featuring soloist Kelly Hall-Tompkins. The classical lineup includes Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony and Fourth Piano Concerto with soloist Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner. The Motherlode Chorale (featured last summer in Beethoven’s Ninth) will return, this time with a concert version of a hilarious Broadway musical by George and Ira Gershwin titled "Of Thee I Sing" about a US presidential candidate running on a creative and unusual platform. Michael Morgan will also conduct a special concert dedicated to symphonic movie themes, including Star Wars, E.T., Harry Potter, The Godfather and more.
"This is the most significant cultural event of the year in our scenic part of the Sierra," says executive director Eman Isadiar. "We always strive to present the widest possible variety of artists and musical styles to appeal to every taste and every generation."
Tickets and information are available online at www.bearvalleymusic.org or by calling 209-813-0554. Lodging is available in Bear Valley and in nearby Tamarack and Arnold. A round trip shuttle ride may be reserved in advance from Murphys, Forest Meadows, Arnold and Dorrington.
All Day
The Hopper Connects You to Calaveras's Wine Country & More Murphys, CA...The Hopper Will Connect You to Calaveras’ Wine Country Angels Camp • Murphys • Arnold. Runs hourly from 10 AM to 7 PM, every Saturday from February 16 to November 2, 2019. Visit www.CalaverasConnect.org or call 209-754-4450 for complete schedule information Scheduled stops are shown on the map. You can also flag the bus down anywhere along the route that it is safe to stop. Or call us to request a pickup within ¾ mile of the route (limitations apply). Fare: $3.00 $1.50 for 65+, Veterans and persons with disabilities $.50 Youth ages 7-12 Children 6 and under free with fare-paying adult. Pay with exact cash or download the Token Transit app to pay with your Smartphone.
All Day
Ride The Rails Into History at Railtown 1897 Jamestown, CA...Ride behind a historic steam or diesel locomotive on a train trip through California’s scenic Gold Country. Your 6-mile, 45-minute roundtrip train ride will take you past the water tower from Petticoat Junction, and transport you from the backyards of Jamestown to the rugged hillsides of California’s Mother Lode country. At the end of the line (Rock Spur), your train will pause as the locomotive uncouples, runs around your car on a side track, then re-couples to the train’s opposite end for the return trip to Railtown.
Train Ride Days: Saturdays & Sundays, April-October (weather permitting)
Departure Times: 10:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Prices: Adults $15, Youth (ages 6-17) $10, Children (5 and under) Free
Members ride free
All prices include park admission
Departure Location: Depot platform at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park
Tickets: During the operating season, weekends April-October, tickets for excursion train rides are available to purchase online during the week or on a first-come, first-served basis at the ticket office on the day of the train ride.
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Old Timers Museum Walking Tours Are Every Saturday at 10am. Murphys, CA...Each Saturday morning the Old Timers Museum in Murphys offers a historical walking tour of Murphys. No reservation necessary. Meet at the Museum, 470 Main St, Murphys, across from the Hotel 10 am. Walk is 1-1/12 hours.
A stroll down tree-lined Main Street transports visitors back to the mid-1800s with buildings bearing thick stone walls, iron shutters and pastoral gardens with white picket fences. Once you experience the charm and hospitality of Murphys, the historic “Queen of the Sierra”, you’ll want to come back again and again!
Rich in Gold Rush History, Murphys today is a vibrant, thriving community of over 2,000 residents. Many of the surrounding hillsides are rich with the fine wine grapes grown in our area. Murphys offers wineries, art galleries, live theater, eclectic shops, fine restaurants, charming hotels and B&B’s as well as a multitude of outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities.
Murphys’ colorful past came alive in 1848 when John and Daniel Murphy established a trading post and gold mining operation in the area that is now their namesake. True entrepreneurs with the luck of the Irish, they were a part of the very first immigrant party – the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy families – to successfully bring wagons over the Sierra in 1844, paving the way for westward migration. John and Daniel’s cries of “Gold!” were among the first heard in California. It is reported that the brothers took two million dollars in gold ore from the Murphys Diggins in one year’s time, making them millionaires before the age of 25. The sizzling Gold Rush camp of Murphys also played host to President Grant, Mark Twain and Black Bart. And in some circles, to an even more famous chap – a young, inquisitive lad who literally changed the scientific world, Dr. Albert Michelson.
Our friendly residents invite you to revisit the past while exploring the “new” upscale Murphys. Guided walking tours of the town’s many historic buildings including the home of Albert Michelson, the first American Nobel Prize winner, are conducted every Saturday at 10:00 a.m., starting in front of the Old Timers Museum on Main Street.
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Town Tours of Columbia State Historic Park Every Weekend! Columbia, CA...Enjoy an hour-long walking tour of town led by a park staff member or docent. See the actual gold discovery site, learn about the buildings and early merchants of Columbia. Sponsored by The Friends Of Columbia SHP. Visit their website here for more information. Town Tours are every Saturday & Sunday starting at 11 am. Meet at the office on Main Street & State St Columbia, CA 95310
01:00 PM
Spend the Summer at Big Trees State Park. Guided Hikes Every Weekend Arnold, CA...Calaveras became a State Park in 1931 to preserve the North Grove of giant sequoias. This grove includes the "Discovery Tree", also known as the "Big Stump", the first Sierra redwood noted by Augustus T. Dowd in 1852. This area has been a major tourist attraction ever since, and is considered the longest continuously operated tourist facility in California.
Over the years, other parcels of mixed conifer forests have been added to the park. This amazing park has a huge variety of habitats and recreational opportunities to explore. Click Below for Latest Activity Guide
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"I went into a General Store, they wouldn't let me buy anything specific..." Comedian Steven Wright
The story of Camp Connell Continues with Camp Connell General Store & The Beer Garden. Owner Dan Tulipani and his crew show what Mountain Life is all about.
The Camp Connell of today was largely influenced by the surging popularity of auto travel through the mountains inspired when Dr. D. Sargent of Angels Camp became the first to drive an automobile over Ebbetts Pass in 1908. Family camping was destined to become an extremely popular recreational activity To meet those demands, Jack Connell began construction of a campground, cabins, general store and gas pumps in 1928. He and his wife named their endeavor "Camp Connell". Opened for business in 1929, the general store and gas station have been in operation ever since. The Connell's continued to expand the store and added a café to serve the increasing number of visitors. By 1934 the Post Office was moved to the store and became "Camp Connell Station". The store was a local gathering place where local residents and vacationers alike would come to share news and leave messages, much as it is today. Occasionally, Circuit Court was convened in the building. Monte Wolfe, Art and Harry Schimke, the Whittles, Hunts, Tryons, Lombardis, and Airolas were frequent visitors.
While the popularity of the general store and café continued, the campground was closed in 1949 and the property was subdivided into lots selling for $600 each. The cabins remained as part of Camp Connell until the 1960's, when the highway was realigned to accommodate the ski resort and village at Bear Valley, as well as the development of Big Trees Village. The old highway became the current two accesses to Camp Connell and the property has stayed much the same ever since.
Today the Camp Connell General Store is one of the oldest Chevron stations in California as well as the longest continuously operated retail business between Murphys and Markleeville. It is a popular stop for visitors and a cherished part of the local community."
06:00 PM
The Bistro Espresso, "Music in the Park" Summer Concert Series Arnold, CA...The Bistro Espresso Summer Concert Series will bring music to Cedar Center all summer long. The Bistro serves fresh, made-to-order American cuisine. We serve fair trade, organic espresso and coffee, a variety of beers and wines.
Bistro Espresso began in July 2005 serving coffee, smoothies and a variety of cold sandwiches. Expanding in 2016 to include live music and beer and wine. In 2018 we moved to a larger locations and venue to serve a more menu choices and live music in the park. Serving the community whenever possible, the Bistro is grateful for local loyal patrons and tourists alike.
07:00 PM
Sugarland Rolls Into Ironstone Amphitheatre on July 27th Murphys, CA...To hear Jennifer Nettles tell it, it’s a brand new day in Sugarland. Despite winning multiple Grammy, CMA and ACM awards—and selling more than 8 million records—the country-music duo of Nettles and Kristian Bush is embracing a creative rebirth, a musical awakening that permeates their adventurous fourth album, The Incredible Machine. “We are in a place of discovery,” Jennifer says. “It is the essence of who we are as people in this band. There is never a moment where we think, ‘This is good enough.’ There’s always a place for growth.”
A growth that Kristian says has been encouraged by their fans, their record label, and, most importantly, by the genre-bending, all-are-welcome country-music industry. “It’s as if the industry and the culture have singled out the biggest risks we’ve taken on a record, a song like ‘Stay’ for example, and celebrated those,” he says gratefully. “They’ve embraced us at those times. We’ve tried to learn from that and this is what we’ve made.”
And what they’ve created is a dynamic masterwork. Co-written and co-produced in full by Jennifer and Kristian, The Incredible Machine is a soaring album elevated by sky-high choruses, ringing guitars, and pulsing drums that recall the beating of the album’s titular engine, the human heart.
Kristian describes it as a collection of anthems—and there may be no greater understatement. If the duo was searching for the grander side of country on their last record, the double platinum Love on the Inside, they’ve obviously found it on The Incredible Machine. From the fanfare of the album’s opener “All We Are” to Jennifer’s sublime piano-ballad closer “Shine the Light,” this is an album built for stadiums.
“This record is designed to play in very large places and to communicate with a large group of people,” Kristian confirms. “When you have an instrument as powerful and as graceful as Jennifer’s voice, you don’t want to tip-toe in. You really go for it! And those types of songs are often where Jennifer and I intersect musically.”
In fact, the pair found shared inspiration in the iconic music and films of the 1980s, their growing-up years. “We allowed ourselves to play with our influences,” Jennifer admits. As such, the coming-of-age movies by director John Hughes and songs by Blondie, Peter Gabriel, The Pretenders and even The Clash all helped fire up the Machine. “When we were writing, we asked what if John Hughes were making movies now.... Who would be on the soundtrack?” Kristian says, going on to connect the dots between rebellious country and rebellious rock. “If you dig far enough you’re going to see that The Clash and Johnny Cash had a lot in common. I like to live right where those guys meet.”
In a song like the joyous “Find the Beat Again,” for instance, Jennifer reminds the heavy-hearted among us that nothing lasts forever, while Kristian’s siren-like guitar sound—a technique he adapted from The Clash, he says—pushes the song toward its climax.
Or the call-to-arms “Stand Up,” in which the band exhorts listeners to “use your voice.” A tale of personal empowerment, the track is almost heroic in its message. It’s also one of two songs on the album to showcase Kristian’s voice. “I don’t know how many people have really ever heard me sing before,” he says of his lead verse. “For fans of the band, it’s like a whole new layer is peeled back.”
“All We Are” is equally triumphant. A rallying cry of sorts, it culminates in a mass of melodies folding upon one another. The result is breathtaking, a musical equation so intricate that it solidifies the duo’s ability to write complex fare as well as breezy, winking tunes like first single “Stuck like Glue.”
“We write songs for different reasons. There are some songs that we want to change your life and there are some that we just want to change your day. That’s what ‘Stuck like Glue’ is,” Jennifer laughs. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously, and that’s what fans love.”
They also flock to Jennifer’s knack for finding the voice of everywoman—or even everyman. One of Sugarland’s many gifts is their ability to write lyrics that transcend gender, like in their 2004 breakout hit “Baby Girl.” On The Incredible Machine, the proof is in the acoustic “Little Miss,” a profile of a woman who tries to handle everything, all by herself. “I saw my mom as that person. I see pieces of it in my own daughter. Jennifer is certainly one of those women,” Kristian says.
Aside from the powerhouse rocker “Wide Open,” written specifically for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, “Little Miss” is one of the record’s earliest penned tracks. “We were at a festival over a year ago and I was on the bus doing my makeup while Kristian was warming up,” recalls Jennifer. “I was wearing a checkered dress and he started playing this lick and singing, ‘Little Miss checkered dress.’ I popped my head out and sang, ‘Little Miss one big mess!’ The way that song was discovered was fun and really beautiful.”
And the band is confident that fans, old and new alike, will have a similar experience as they discover the gears and cogs of The Incredible Machine—a country record, a pop record, an anthem record, a ballad record, but above all, an authentic record.
“It’s just the two of us,” says Kristian. “In the story of who we are, this album is more us than we’ve ever been.”
Jennifer agrees and says the band’s rebirth is best summed up in the gentle, searching words of the album’s title track: Feels like I’m flying, wings made of light/brand new and shinin’, like a shot rung out through the night.
“That’s a wonderful metaphor and image for this newly emerging creature that Sugarland is right now, with these vulnerable but beautiful wings. The Incredible Machine is definitely us, but at the same time, there is something very precious and new,” she says. “And we want to show it to the world!”
07:00 PM - 09:00 PM
An Evening with Jason Eady – Classic Country, Americana - at the Sutter Creek Theatre 7/27 An intimate solo performance.
A champion of the Texas honky tonk tradition, Jason Eady is different than most Lone Star singer/songwriters in one important respect: he was born and raised in Mississippi. Known for songs about the tougher side of life played with heart, soul, and a rootsy atmosphere, Eady’s music combines contemporary country with traces of bluegrass and Americana, and he found an eager audience for his work after settling in Texas. While Eady enjoyed regional success with his first three albums (released between 2005 and 2009), it was with 2012’s AM Country Heaven that he first hit the Country Albums chart and made a major impression nationwide. Fan support and positive reviews continued to grow, and with 2018’s I Travel On he took his music and songwriting in a more organic, personal direction.
Jason Eady was born outside Jackson, Mississippi in 1975. Though his earliest love was country music, he was exposed to a wealth of sounds from the lower Delta region: blues, soul, vintage R&B, and swamp rock. At 14, he began singing and playing guitar in cover bands, and was soon writing songs.
For Eady—who names Merle Haggard, Guy Clark, and Willie Nelson among his main inspirations—instilling each song with so much graceful honesty proved to be his greatest achievement and thrill in creating the new album.
On his last two albums, Jason Eady earned major acclaim for his ahead-of-the- curve take on classic country, a bold departure from his earlier excursions into blues-infused Americana. Now with his sixth album, the Mississippi-bred singer/guitarist merges his distinct sensibilities into a stripped-down, roots- oriented sound that starkly showcases the gritty elegance of his songwriting.
The follow-up to 2014’s critically praised Daylight/Dark—an album that “belongs on a shelf next to Dwight Yoakam’s Buenos Noches from a Lonely Room, Joe Ely’s Letter to Laredo, and yes, even Willie Nelson’s Phases and Stages,” according to AllMusic—Eady’s latest finds the Fort Worth, Texas-based artist again teaming up with producer Kevin Welch. Now longtime collaborators (with their past efforts including 2012’s AM Country Heaven, a top 40 debut on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart), Eady and Welch worked closely in crafting the album’s acoustic-driven yet lushly textured aesthetic. “At the beginning I told everyone I wanted to make a record where, if the power went out, we could still sit down and play all the songs the exact same way,” says Eady, who points out that steel guitar is the only electric instrument featured on the album.
Despite its subtle approach, the album radiates a warm vitality that’s got much to do with Eady’s gift for nuanced yet unaffected slice-of-life storytelling. “I’ve always been drawn to writing that’s got a simplicity to it, where you’re digging deep into real day-to-day life,” he notes. Here, that means touching on such matters as turning 40 (on the reflective, soul-stirring “40 Years”), his daughter’s growing up and going off to college (on the sweetly heartbreaking “Not Too Loud”), and the everyday struggle to “embrace the messy parts of life instead of trying to get the point where you’ve somehow fixed all your problems” (on “Rain,” a joyfully determined anthem featuring SteelDrivers fiddler Tammy Rogers). Throughout the album, Eady’s soulfully rugged voice blends in beautiful harmonies with his wife, singer/songwriter Courtney Patton. And on “No Genie in This Bottle,” the legendary Vince Gill lends his singular vocals to what Eady refers to as a “good old country drinking song.”
The historic Sutter Creek Theatre is an intimate 215 seat former silent film theatre with superb sound. Beer and wine at the venue. Tickets and video at the web site www.suttercreektheatre.com
Here’s video https://youtu.be/r095MKa8YZs
07:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Dance Party at Big Trees Fitness Arnold, CA...Big Trees Fitness Evening Swim Series Continues With a Saturday Night Dance Party. We’re opening the dance floor to a live dj at the Big Trees Fitness Center Saturdays through the Summer Pool Season from 7:00 to 10:00 PM. The pool is open until dusk, and we’re serving great food and drink from our new menu. Come join us for a good time and an evening swim at the Big Trees Fitness Center! Big Trees Fitness Center 2116 Hwy 4 Arnold , CA (209) 795-9965
07:00 PM
The Sequoia Woods 2019 Music in The Mountains Summer Concert Series Arnold, CA...Sequoia Woods Country Club has a complete summer music schedule to keep you entertained all summer long. Sequoia Woods Country Club is located on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains, roughly between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park, at an elevation of 4000 feet. The club house is open to the public, with a bar and lounge, dining room and seasonal deli. The beautiful setting can be enjoyed from indoors or outside on the deck, with a view down the main tree-lined golf fairway.
The bar serves food several evenings each week and the restaurant is open for dinner every weekend. The dinner menu has a perfect variety of traditional favorites, with creative and contemporary preparations, and our guests marvel at the quality of cuisine to be found here, in this little mountain hamlet. There is dancing in the lounge every Saturday night, with a DJ or frequent live bands. The deli opens its windows to the deck for an extended summer season, with tasty sandwiches, salads and hot specials. Special group events find our venue especially accommodating and fun. This is a truly lovely place to enjoy good food, good friends and good scenery.
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