FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Livermore Valley Arts
Contact: Ruth Egherman (925) 583-2306
Warm Your Heart this Season with an Array of Performances at The Bankhead
Livermore, CA – (November 21, 2024) – Livermore Valley Arts will close out 2024 with a season full of events with something for everyone. From a return visit from the supergroup of Broadway stars who transform hits from the American pop songbook at The Doo Wop Project Holiday Show on December 8 to beloved Los Angeles Bolero trio Tres Souls, holding dear to their rich Mexican Heritage, at their Boleros de Navidad show on December 16, the holiday month will kick off in Downtown Livermore smashingly. The festivities continue with dynamic and soothing four-piece a cappella group Kings Return Holiday Show on December 18, and Bankhead favorite, the acclaimed klezmer “Jewish Glam-Rock” band Mostly Kosher, on December 23, leading up to a truly special way to ring in 2025, on the Bankhead Stage, at Jeff Bordes and Friends: Swinging in the New Year on December 31. All of these dazzling performances will take place at the beautiful Bankhead Theater in Downtown Livermore.
Kicking off the month of celebration, The Doo Wop Project boys will return to Livermore to get audiences into the Holiday Spirit! Hear old school Holiday Classics like The Drifters’ “White Christmas,” The Temptations’ “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” and Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons’ version of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” along with “Doowopified” contemporary hits like “This Christmas” and “Last Christmas.” It is sure to be a jolly good time once again—after a nearly sold-out holiday performance in 2022—at The Bankhead on December 8 at this unforgettable matinee concert.
In the middle of the month, the Tri-Valley will celebrate the holiday season with Tres Souls at their Boleros de Navidad, a night where bolero classics and Latin American holiday songs fill the season with romance and celebration. The beloved Los Angeles Trio of Rocio Mendoza, Roberto Carlos, and Jesús Martínez have spent the last decade serenading audiences with the
vintage sounds and songs of the 1940s-60s, songs from the Golden Era of Mexican Cinema, and vibrant interpretations of boleros – all with a modern spin. Now, the trio will take the Bankhead Stage with a bilingual and festive Latin holiday performance, sure to delight Downtown Livermore on December 16.
Two days later, dynamic and soothing four-piece vocal group Kings Return at their Holiday Show will take pride in showing how they craft a diverse yet supremely cohesive a cappella sound, with a blend of unique vocal timbres so rich and so smooth that, at times, it sounds more like a full choir than a mere four men. Discovered after posting a series of bare-bones stairwell performances that went viral, their music is a balm to the soul, laced with expansive harmonies that flex the agility and effortless range of their vocal talent. Their sound has earned comparisons to iconic acts like Take 6 and Boyz II Men, being set apart by their seamless integration of a wide range of genres and styles. Drawn to the flexibility of a cappella music, they take full advantage of the genre-mixing aspects of the tradition. Their brand of R&B is entwined with free moments of jazz, soulful bursts of gospel, and bright touches of pop—all built on a solid, classical foundation. Theirs is the kind of talent that makes virtuosic performance look (and sound) like sublime, effortless playtime, defying the constraints of any single genre to explore a myriad of sonic shades and textures. Kings Return was first conceived in 2016 when Gabe Kunda asked some friends to perform with him for a college recital. The a cappella performance captivated the crowd and soon led to local gigs, where the group cut their teeth before finalizing the lineup in 2020. Composed of tenor Vaughn Faison, bass Gabe Kunda, tenor JE McKissic, and baritone Jamall Williams, the Dallas-based quartet has since captured the hearts of millions of fans in-person and online. They earned their first taste of fame that summer, when they arranged, performed, and posted a video of their soul-stirring, a cappella rendition of “God Bless America,” which went viral. The next year, they posted a more classical a cappella performance of “Ubi Caritas,” which also went viral, amassing over 10 million views. A pivotal moment for the budding act, Kings Return began to shift away from a strictly gospel focus to explore a more diverse musical repertoire. They dropped their debut EP in December 2021, a warm, jazz-leaning holiday album titled Merry Little Christmas, followed by the June 2022 release of their stunning Bee Gees cover “How Deep is Your Love” off debut LP ROVE, which earned a GRAMMY nomination for “best arrangement instrumental or a cappella.” Epic, expansive, and polished,
ROVE was released in September 2022, showcasing a nuanced attention to detail and a remarkable fusion of four distinctive, classically-trained voices into one elegant and intricate whole. “When we come together to do this vulnerable thing called a cappella, it strengthens our bonds. It makes us tighter as a unit and as human beings. We want to be examples for other men like us.” Having released their first full-length holiday LP, aptly titled We 4 Kings, in November 2023, Kings Return continues to defy expectations, charming audiences with their signature smoothness and sophisticated, down-to-earth charisma, and they will be celebrating the holidays with their talents in Downtown Livermore on December 18.
On the Monday before Christmas, The Bankhead will be welcoming once again Klezmer-Rock band Mostly Kosher, who boldly redefines their musical genre taking the listener through a timeline of history with modern protest music, toppling norms of intolerance and indifference. In response to the poetry and street Jewish folk music roots, their original voice resounds with themes of social justice, human dignity, and mutual understanding. Led by frontman Leeav Sofer, one of Jewish Journal’s “30 under 30” most accomplished professionals in the Los Angeles Jewish diaspora, Mostly Kosher is a fixture at renowned California stages such as the Ford Amphitheatre, Skirball Cultural Center, Torrance Center for the Arts, and Chandler and Livermore Valley Performing Arts Centers. The first Jewish music ensemble residency at the Disney parks, with 2021 marking their fifth season performing during the 2-month long Festival of Holidays, Mostly Kosher is also proud to be teaching artists for Urban Voices Project, performing and educating in underserved areas in and around Southern California including prisons, community clinics, and shelters. Also a mentor ensemble to the Los Angeles Jewish Youth Orchestra for middle school and high school musicians, Mostly Kosher recently kicked off their 2022 live performance schedule with a long-anticipated record release of “This World is Yours.” Kicking off this festive week on the 23rd with Mostly Kosher, Livermore Valley Arts is making this an all-are-welcome, pre-Chanukah Party, with treats for all. With festivities beginning at 6:30 pm with dreidels, gelt, and donut holes for all in attendance, The Bankhead looks forward to celebrating with our community while school is out and families are together.
Closing out the schedule of performances will be Jeff Bordes and Friends: Swinging in the New Year, a most special way to ring in 2025 on December 31. Kicking off a first-of-its-kind festive New Year’s Eve show, on the Bankhead Stage, Jeff Bordes needs no introduction to those in the music industry. A 1997 graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, he has been playing since his early years and since hasn’t stopped changing the face of jazz. He has during his career played live with and recorded on the projects of such esteemed artists as Jon Faddis, Branford Marsalis, Alex Acuna, Giovanni Hidalgo, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Richie Cole, David Garibaldi, Tom Petty, Steve Earle, Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow, Karl Denson, Sugarhill Gang, Dana Carvey, and most recently, John Mellencamp. He has toured in Japan and across the United States with various groups such as the Bill Berry Big Band, Dizzy Gillespie, and others. Bordes has recorded numerous CDs for a variety of groups including San Francisco’s Force Seven, Adam Ben, Heather Combs, and Boston’s ‘The Hi-Hats.’ While always striving to grow and improve as a musician, Bordes has recently added another achievement to his resume: composing. Bordes has begun composing pieces for film and commercials, and contributed to the soundtrack of the award-winning documentary “De Colores.” Aside from playing, Bordes has been “spreading the word of Jazz” in other ways. He has been a featured clinician in schools and music festivals throughout the world and continues to teach privately in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bordes also utilizes his experience by freelancing as a writer. He has written articles for numerous publications including Trumpet Player Online and All About Jazz. He has several musical projects in the works including regular performances with The Heather Combs Band and a recording set for the near future with Jeff Bordes and The Jazz Desperados. He is actively freelancing as a musician in recording as well as regular performances. With such an impressive list of accomplishments and talents, it’s The Chico Synthesis that puts it best: “Jeff Bordes solos with the inspirational improvisation of a jazz veteran. He is a true seasoned pro.” A holiday celebration to remember on the Bankhead Stage, this performance only has a handful of tickets left (check closer to the performance for availability).
In addition to this packed month of performances, Livermore Valley Arts will also bring some season-worthy cheer within the realm of visual arts. On Saturday, December 7, the VIP Room at The Bankhead will come alive with a free-admission Holiday Art Fair from 2pm—5pm, which will bring together art and fine handcraft vendors for shoppers to find that perfect gift, either for
a special someone or for oneself. Additionally, LVA will be as usual putting on Winter Break Art camp, Winter Break Art at the Bothwell, for young people on December 30 & 31 and January 2 & 3, 2025, at the Bothwell Arts Center, the perfect pump-up of creativity and imagination for students and kids before they head back to school.
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.
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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 eight resident performing arts companies, over 40 studio artists, and cultural arts instructors. LivermoreArts.org
Show: The Doo Wop Project Holiday Show
Date/Time: Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 3:00pm Selling Fast!
Tickets: $25—$95 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20%
Show: Tres Souls—Boleros De Navidad
Date/Time: Monday, December 16, 2024 at 7:30pm
Tickets: $25—$60 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20%
Show: Kings Return Holiday Show
Date/Time: Wednesday, December 18, 2024 at 7:30pm
Tickets: $25—$65 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20%
Show: Mostly Kosher
Date/Time: Monday, December 23, 2024 at 7:30pm
Tickets: $25—$65 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20%
Show: Jeff Bordes and Friends: Swinging in the New Year
Date/Time: Tuesday, December 31, 2024 at 8:00pm
Tickets: $100 Almost Sold Out!
Dates, times, and ticket prices for other events available at www.LivermoreArts.org
