FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Livermore Arts 

Contact: Ruth Egherman (925) 583-2306 

[email protected] 

Iconic Music Careers Kicking Off the 2024-2025 Bankhead Presents Season 

Livermore, CA – (August 22, 2024) – Immediately after the official 2024-2025 Season Opening with star headliner Katharine McPhee, Livermore Valley Arts is thrilled to launch its Bankhead Presents lineup with music stars that have roots in the past, but with modern-day talents. From eclectic pioneers of the alternative country and Americana movements The Jayhawks on Saturday, September 14, to not one but two icons of music at Together Again: Karla Bonoff & JD Souther in Concert on Friday, September 27, the new Bankhead Presents lineup will be taking off heartily, bringing The Bankhead alive with delights for the ears and the heart, right here in the Tri-Valley. Both of these exciting concerts will be at the beautiful Bankhead Theater in Downtown Livermore. 

The Jayhawks and their rootsy sound were definitely swimming against the tide when they emerged from a crowded Minnesota music scene in 1985. Over the course of almost 4 decades, 11 albums, countless memorable live shows, and enough personal drama to fill a couple of Behind the Music episodes, this beloved band soared to heights few ever achieve while winning the hearts and minds of numerous critics, fans, and peers in the process. After releasing two Indie albums in the 80s, The Jayhawks signed with American Recordings in 1991 and over the next decade released 5 challenging, at times groundbreaking albums, toured the world to widespread acclaim, and even survived the departure of founding member Mark Olson in 1995. After a hiatus in the mid-2000s, the “classic” 1994 lineup reunited for another new studio album in 2011 and 2 years of solid touring, reacquainting audiences old and new with the band’s timeless musical vision. The year 2014 saw a late 90s version of the band led by Gary Louris hitting the road to support the reissues of the 3 Jayhawks albums released from 1997-2003. This lineup released the band’s 9th studio album in 2016, recorded in Portland, OR with producers Peter Buck and Tucker Martine. The band’s next studio album, Back Roads And Abandoned Motels

was released in the summer of 2018, featuring Jayhawks versions of songs Gary Louris had previously written with other artists plus 2 new compositions. Recording for a new Jayhawks album was completed in Minnesota in late 2019, and in July 2020 the band released their 11th studio album, XOXO. The Jayhawks will celebrate their decades of music for fans new and old at The Bankhead on September 14, a feast of a concert LVA is thrilled to kick off its regular Bankhead Presents season. 

On September 27, two true icons of music will play in Downtown Livermore. JD Souther, a luminary of the L.A. music scene of the 70s collaborating with the Eagles & Linda Ronstadt, brings his unparalleled songwriting to the forefront, weaving together a tapestry of melodies that seamlessly blend together a lifetime of musical influences. Karla Bonoff’s timeless songwriting has touched everyone from Bonnie Raitt to Linda Ronstadt to Wynonna Judd. Her emotive vocals and soul-stirring ballads have that effortless power to sweep audiences away. Performing together on stage once again, JD Souther and Karla Bonoff promise an evening of musical magic, where the beauty of storytelling through song takes center stage. Tickets are already selling fast. 

Born and raised in Southern California, Karla Bonoff became friends with other singer-songwriters and musicians [in the ‘60s] who were creating their own unique sound, and eventually, they decided to put a band together: Kenny Edwards, (who had started the Stone Poneys with Linda Ronstadt and Bobby Kimmel), Wendy Waldman, and Andrew Gold, and thus the band Bryndle was born – one of the early songwriter groups, even before the Eagles. A bit ahead of their time, Bryndle broke up, but it launched four very illustrious careers. Kenny and Andrew joined Linda Ronstadt’s band, and through that connection, Ronstadt was to hear a demo of hers. On Linda’s Hasten Down the Wind album (1976), there were three Bonoff songs: “Someone to Lay Down Beside Me,” “If He’s Ever Near,” and “Lose Again.” 

As Ronstadt was scoring hits with Karla Bonoff songs, Karla herself was signed as a solo artist to Columbia Records in 1977. There, she not only recorded the three songs Linda had done but also the hit single “I Can’t Hold On” and the tune “Home,” which later wound up on one of Bonnie Raitt’s albums. The producer of this great first album [and the next two] was Karla’s old

friend and partner, Kenny Edwards. She went from there to coveted spots on major tours, opening for James Taylor and Jackson Browne and earning a rave review in Time Magazine. Two subsequent albums, Restless Nights (1979) and Wild Heart of the Young (1982), established Karla as one of LA’s major artists and songwriters. Musicians such as Russ Kunkel, Joe Walsh, Waddy Wachtel, Danny Kortchmar, Don Henley, Timothy Schmit, Peter Frampton, Bill Payne, JD Souther, and her old partners from Bryndle, Wendy Waldman, Andrew Gold, and Kenny Edwards, all participated in the making of these wonderful records. 

There’s been work in film – she and Souther wrote songs for the motion picture About Last Night. She is also the voice on the Tom Snow/Dean Pitchford song from Footloose called “Somebody’s Eyes.” In 1994, Karla had a top-ten AC hit single with a song from the film 8 Seconds, called “Standing Right Next to Me.” She’s toured with Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, JD Souther, and others, resulting in sold-out houses everywhere. In 1990, she wrote three songs that wound up on her old friend Linda Ronstadt’s album Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind. “All My Life,” a duet with Ronstadt and Aaron Neville, won the Grammy for Best Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, ranked by People Magazine as one of the top 5 most popular wedding songs. 

In 1993, Karla’s song “Tell Me Why,” sung by the legendary Wynonna Judd [with Karla on acoustic guitar, and Bryndle members singing backup vocals], was the title song to Wynonna’s second album, and a tremendous hit. The Eight Seconds soundtrack album (1994), featured the aforementioned “Standing Right Next to Me” and a duet with Vince Gill on “When Will I Be Loved” [a ‘70s hit for Linda Ronstadt], bringing Karla’s sound to an even bigger Country audience. 

Karla and her three old partners, Kenny Edwards, Andrew Gold, and Wendy Waldman, then decided it was time to put Bryndle back together again, with much more to bring to the Bryndle experience. In the fall of ‘95, after four years of hard work writing together, the first Bryndle CD came out with some incredible showstoppers for Karla: “On the Wind,” “Under the Rainbow,” and “Daddy’s Little Girl.” House of Silence (2002), the second collection of songs from Bryndle, was independently released. Although a different feel compared with the first album, it still reflected the unique sound that these artists make when their talents merge. Although there are

no plans for Bryndle presently, the members remain friends and there is always the possibility of future recordings and performances. In 1999, Sony/CBS Legacy released All My Life – The Best of Karla Bonoff, a 16-song fully remastered collection spanning Karla’s entire career. 

Karla continues to perform all over America. Her legacy as a writer and perseverance as a performer is best expressed in a Billboard Magazine review of her All My Life recording: “Long before Alanis and Jewel, there was a breed of singer/songwriters whose earthly anthems of soul-searching, heartache, and joy touched souls in a way few can muster today.” 

Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee JD Souther is “one of the most celebrated songwriters of his generation,” writes Interview Magazine. “Raised on a steady diet of big band and jazz during his childhood, Souther has routinely returned to that music—as well as the genius songwriters of the early 20th century (Gershwin, Cole Porter)—for inspiration. On his latest studio album, 

Tenderness, Souther combines these musical threads, striking a perfect balance between understated jazz and the ineffable pop narratives that have been the backbone of much of his greatest work.” JD’s latest releases include Tenderness (Sony Music Masterworks), described by Uncut Magazine as an album that connects “LA’s ‘70s golden age with the Great American Songbook,” with songs that “sound like standards themselves.” Souther has also reissued expanded editions of John David Souther, Black Rose, and Home By Dawn, followed by a reissue of Longbranch Pennywhistle. Longtime friends Glenn Frey and JD Souther, known as Longbranch/Pennywhistle, originally released on the Amos label in 1969, the self-titled Longbranch Pennywhistle may have ultimately been consigned to the side bins of the acid-rock era, but songs like “Kite Woman” and “Run, Boy, Run” serve as the literal seeds of the country-rock movement Frey and the Eagles perfected to a T. Besides navigating the success of his own fine solo career (“You’re Only Lonely”). Souther also went on to be a chief Frey collaborator on such pivotal Eagles songs as “Best of My Love,” “New Kid in Town,” and “Heartache Tonight.” 

Souther has penned countless hits for the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Roy Orbison, James Taylor, Don Henley, George Strait, Trisha Yearwood, Brooks and Dunn, and others while establishing a cult following as a performer with the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band and as a solo artist. As an

actor, he has appeared in the TV shows Thirtysomething and Nashville, among others. A passionate animal lover and advocate, JD is also involved with Best Friends Animal Society. “Souther proves his work holds up as well as Dylan’s or Simon’s or Lennon and McCartney’s and […] deserves such astute re-examination.” (JazzTimes) 

Tickets for shows in the 2024-2025 Bankhead Presents season are available online, by calling 925-373-6800, or at the box office windows. For a complete list of events, visit livermorearts.org. 

# # # 

Livermore Valley Arts is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit offering wide-ranging programs that provide access to the arts for the Tri-Valley community and beyond. The Bankhead Theater and Bothwell Arts Center are home to nine resident performing arts companies, over 40 studio artists, and cultural arts instructors. LivermoreArts.org 

Show: The Jayhawks 

Date/Time: Saturday, September 14, 2024, at 8:00pm 

Tickets: $25—$85 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20% 

Show: Together Again: Karla Bonoff & JD Souther in Concert 

Date/Time: Friday, September 27, 2024, at 8:00pm Selling Fast! 

Tickets: $25—$75 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20% Dates, times, and ticket prices for other events available at www.LivermoreArts.org

YOUTH ALWAYS FREE!

Fandango! 

SAT OCT 18 | 2PM 
One of the most exciting groups on Chicago’s musical scene, Fandango! presents a spicy mix of Latin, Spanish, Sephardic, Balkan, and classical sounds. Founded by four multi-award-winning, globe-trotting virtuosi who hail from SpainFranceBosnia, and Taiwan, they have played, separately and together, on the world’s most prestigious stages.

Get Tickets Now for a Semi-Staged
co-production with Broadway South Bay starring Nicole King as Anya

24th Annual
ArtWalk Livermore
THIS SATURDAY!

Annual ArtWalk
Saturday, October 11 | 11am – 5pm
Join us at ArtWalk – the Tri Valley’s premiere one day art festival. Over 200 artists display their works on sidewalks and plazas, in parks and galleries, surrounded by boutique shops, wine tasting rooms and restaurants in historic downtown Livermore.

Livermore Valley Arts offices are closed today,
Thursday, June 19th.

Join by Mail

Download and Complete the form and then mail to us at:
Bankhead Theater
2400 First Street
Livermore, CA 94550

Our Team

Directory

Executive Director
Chris Carter
[email protected]

Director of Finance and Administration
Reanna Bradford
[email protected]

Director of Marketing
Ruth Egherman
[email protected]

Director of Operations
Eric Johnson
[email protected]

Production Manager
Gary Brunclik
[email protected]

Assistant Production Manager
Rachel Anderson
[email protected]

Front of House Supervising Manager/Volunteer Coordinator
Carol Edwards
[email protected]

Facility Manager and IT Coordinator
Julio Gomez
[email protected]

Box Office Manager
Debra Olson
[email protected]

Visual Arts & Education Manager
Anne Giancola
[email protected]

Development Manager
Brittany Mulgrew
[email protected]

Front of House Supervising Manager/Volunteer Coordinator
Bernice LaRosa
[email protected]

Programs Coordinator
Treg Van Dyke
[email protected]

Marketing Manager
Andrew Kracht
[email protected]

Social Media Manager
Allie Lopiano-Hastey
[email protected]

Food and Beverage Manager
Ann Rice
[email protected]

Development Assistant
Tracy Sahn
[email protected]

Visitor Center Supervisor
Susan Miller
[email protected]

RESIDENT COMPANIES

Get to Know Our Resident Companies

Home to ten Resident Companies with over 270 combined years of artistic experience, the Bankhead Theater’s state-of-the-art facilities enable these organizations to grow artistically and institutionally, develop audiences and collaborate on key projects while maintaining their respective missions and identities.

Cantabella Children’s Chorus

Cantabella Children’s Chorus is a non-profit organization located in the Livermore Tri-Valley. CCC strives to foster and promote the appreciation of choral music in the community through performances at various local corporate and civic functions and churches but above all to have fun.

Del Valle Fine Arts

Del Valle Fine Arts has been presenting outstanding classical music concerts in Livermore for over 35 years. This highly-regarded series offers dazzling performances by acclaimed professional chamber music groups and soloists from throughout North America and beyond. A particular objective of DVFA is to introduce young persons to the appreciation of fine music. To that end, children are admitted free to its concerts, and full-time students above high school can procure tickets at a special reduced price.

Livermore-Amador Symphony

Livermore-Amador Symphony – The symphony offers four concerts a year, as well as a Pops fundraiser. Symphony Guild – If you enjoy LAS concerts, join like-minded people of the Symphony Guild and support this community orchestra! Guild members encourage interest in the symphony and sponsor fund-raising activities. The Livermore-Amador Symphony has received funding from: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, City of Livermore Commission for the Arts, City of Livermore Tourism and Special Event Fund, Livermore Cultural Arts Council, Clorox Company Technical Center-Pleasanton, Target and Livermore Rotary.

Livermore Valley Opera

Livermore Valley Opera combines the talents and expertise of professional music, stage and chorus directors, principal singers, musicians, and designers with the dedication and practical abilities of a volunteer board, adult chorus, stage crew, props master, stitchers, and set builders. Each fall and spring, LVO presents locally produced, fully staged operas with orchestra. Additionally, LVO presents special concerts, events and fundraisers in the winter and “Opera in the Vineyard” in the summer. LVO promotes local talent and attracts outstanding Bay Area singers, directors and conductors.

Pacific Chamber Orchestra

The Pacific Chamber Orchestra (PCO) is a 40 piece symphony orchestra composed of professional musicians from throughout the Bay Area. It was founded over 20 years ago by its talented conductor and musical director, Lawrence Kohl. The orchestra combines the precision of a small ensemble with surprising dynamic range and power. PCO is notable for innovative and insightful interpretations of music of all eras.

Rae Dorough Speaker Series

The Rae Dorough Speaker Series features leading thinkers in science, literature and the arts who discuss topical issues of particular interest to the Livermore community in the intimacy of the Bankhead Theater.

Sycamore Strings Academy / Bothwell Arts Center

The Sycamore Strings Academy (formerly Suzuki Strings Academy) carries on a tradition from 1984 of quality music education in the Tri-Valley area. The Academy includes certified Suzuki instruction on string instruments, licensed Kindermusik classes and a popular guitar program. Students perform across the region in year-round concert series.

Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre

Formerly Pleasanton Playhouse, Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre presents a variety of audience-pleasing musical theater. As a non-profit, volunteer regional arts organization, we continue our mission to provide affordable quality theatre, training and cultural experiences, with a focus on children and family participation.

Valley Concert Chorale

The Valley Concert Chorale is a chorus of about 40 singers, many of whom live in the Tri-Valley area, including Livermore, Pleasanton, San Ramon and Danville. VCC’s director is John Bush and featured pianist is Daniel Glover. If you would like to sing with VCC, why not arrange for an audition? You can audition at any time, and then join the chorus at the beginning of the next quarter.

Valley Dance Theatre

Valley Dance Theatre is a non-profit organization committed to providing exceptional dance instruction and productions to the Tri-Valley Area. Their focus is in classical ballet and modern dance. Each year they present a full-length Nutcracker with a live orchestra, and a Spring show with varying themes.

accessibility at the bankhead

Accessibility

TICKETS
Wheelchair accessible seats cannot be purchased online. You must call our Ticket Office in advance at 925.373.6800 for seating and to ensure your needs are thoroughly met.

DROP OFF/PICK-UP
There is a drop-off/pick-up area located on Railroad Avenue, on the right side of the street, before you reach the stoplight to enter the parking garage.

PARKING
Handicapped-reserved spaces are located on the lower level of the Livermore Valley Center parking garage.

SEATING
An elevator is located on the West end of the main lobby.

LISTENING DEVICES
Assistive listening devices are available free of charge from the House Manager’s Office in the lobby. Please let us know when purchasing your ticket of your special needs.

RESTROOMS
Fully accessible restrooms are located in the main lobby and in the upper lobby.

Support the Arts

Inscribed Pavers

Dedicate one of the decorative paver blocks that frame and define the entry from the Livermore Valley Plaza to the Bankhead Theater. Each size allows you to personalize your dedication and/or message. Once you’ve placed your order we’ll contact you to help you choose the exact message for the paver you’d like to donate.

LOGO & BRICK ART
Permanently commemorate a company or brand, feature your family crest or create your own custom design while supporting the arts with an engraved logo or artistic brick. The image will be etched in black on a sand-colored paver (6×12 or 12×12) or light gray granite tile (24×24). They are visible to thousands of people each year attending a variety of events and performances on the Livermore Valley Plaza and in the Bankhead Theater.

24″ x 24″ – Madden Family Courtyard – $1,500
12″ x 12″ – Livermore Valley Plaza $1,000
Logo Art Brick – Livermore Valley Plaza $500
6″ x 12″ – Livermore Valley Plaza $375
6″ x 9″ – Livermore Valley Plaza $150


PERSONALIZED SEATS
Seat donations will be recognized by a commemorative medallion on your chosen chair in the Bankhead Theater as well as on the Donor Wall in the Lobby.

Grand Tier Seats $5,000
Central Tier Seats $2,500
Upper Tier Seats $1,000

Please note: donating a personalized seat does not guarantee the right to sit in that seat for a given performance.

Leave a Legacy

With a legacy gift to Livermore Valley Arts, you can be sure your charitable intentions will be realized while achieving the most favorable income tax benefits available. We are happy to meet with you to talk about your intentions and situation. However, we strongly recommend you consult with your estate planning professional or tax advisor to fulfill your goals for your financial portfolio and tax needs.

Making a legacy gift to the Center also qualifies you to join the Legacy Society, a group of philanthropic and pioneering members who share a strong bond with LVPAC and a desire to ensure a meaningful, lasting home for the arts in Livermore Valley.

If you have already included LVA in your plans (or if you intend to), please let us know. Contact Chris Carter, Executive Director, at [email protected] or call (925) 583-2311.

We accept a range of planned giving options:

In Your Will
The simplest way to leave a planned gift is to make a bequest including specific language in your will or living trust naming LVA as the recipient. The following is an example of suggested language to include in your will/trust:

“I give and bequeath to the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center, a California non-profit corporation, located at 2400 First Street, Livermore, CA 94550, the sum of $____, or ______% of my estate, to be used for the accomplishment of its general purpose (or for a specific purpose as indicated).”

Charitable Gift Annuities
A charitable gift annuity (CGA) is the easiest way to create dependable income for life and help the Center. Please note that LVA does not administer CGAs but can recommend an administrator.

Charitable Trusts
A Charitable Remainder Trust or Charitable Lead Trust allows you to receive an estate or gift tax deduction and create a source of income for you or your loved ones while supporting the Center. Please note that LVA does not administer these trusts but can recommend an administrator.

Real Estate/Appreciated Assets
A variety of assets can be donated such as real estate, appreciated securities, and tangible personal property such as art or jewelry. Donating appreciated assets can help offset income and capital gains taxes. If you are contemplating gifting an investment property or a vacation home, a gift of real estate offers an excellent option for tax-wise giving. You can also include the Center as a beneficiary of real estate or appreciated assets in your will. Please be aware that as part of our gift acceptance policy, all gifts of real estate, appreciated assets and tangible personal property are examined on a case-by-case basis.

Retirement Plan Donations or Life Insurance Policies
You can name Livermore Valley Arts as the beneficiary of your IRA, 401k or 403b retirement plan or life insurance policy. This is a simple, effective way to support the arts while reducing or eliminating significant, often unanticipated tax penalties.