“I think this is the prettiest backdrop we’ve ever had,” commented Shelbi Bennett, lead singer of the band The Midnight Pine, before the first annual Bay Sessions concert. The band’s percussionist, Al Howard, nodded in agreement at the view of Silver Strand, the Coronado Bridge, and downtown San Diego spread out in the bay behind them.
The concert series, which began last weekend and continues into the fall, is a new offering from Loews Coronado Bay Resort. “We want to be an incubator for San Diego talent,” said Olivia Hernandez, Marketing Manager for the resort. This year the concert series is free and RSVPs are encouraged, but in the future the resort hopes to increase awareness, charge for tickets, and continue to bring the best of San Diego music and talent to the resort for guests and visitors.
The first concert on August 21 featured four different bands: The Midnight Pine, Birdy Bardot, Dani Bell & The Tarantist, and Cardinal Moon. All of the bands are connected to The Redwoods Music, a San Diego music collective. The four bands share many musicians but vary their lead singers, and several have already released albums.
Shelbi and Al both perform in the band The Midnight Pine, whose new album will be released on September 9th. “I really love singing,” said Shelbi before the concert, “and I love playing with these guys.” She described their style as “folky, rock ‘n’ roll, moody.”
Another band, Cardinal Moon, is just two years old and released their first album this past April. The band’s lead singer, Dawn Mitschele, said, “I’ve been a singer and songwriter for 10 years. For this project, which is a mix of roots and rock and folk, and I write all the music and Al writes the lyrics and is the percussionist.” (At the bottom of this article, a video clip of the concert includes music by Cardinal Moon.)
As the bands began to perform, guests in the VIP section enjoyed complimentary food and drinks, and the menu was also available for purchase to the general public. The food available included spicy pulled chicken and pickle sliders, sushi rolls, smoked ham & Gruyere baguettes, marinated olives, lemon bars, and brownies. Each item cost $5.
As the sun went down, the music picked up, and the guests gathered in front of the stage or on the overlooking balcony to enjoy the view. Fire pits came to life when the air turned cold, and people gathered around them to eat and drink and talk before moving closer to the stage for the music.
The overall vibe was very San Diego: all outdoors with amazing food, drink, and music, and a stunning view of the ocean and setting sun. Loews should be complimented for its excellence in many things that evening, including the perfect sound and perfect setting. The Redwoods Music vibe also fit the relaxed-yet-cool setting with the soulful rock tunes.
“We heard Birdy Bardot at a festival last weekend,” commented one couple attending the concert. “She said she’d be at this concert today, and we decided to come check it out. We live in Mission Valley, but we’re so glad we came. The concert is awesome, and the setting is so beautiful.”
The concert series continues Sunday, August 28, from 7-10pm with Tiki by the Bay with Creepxotica, and two more concerts are planned in September. All are free with RSVP and open to guests 21 and over. For music lovers in Coronado, these concerts are a wonderful opportunity to enjoy local bands in a stunning setting not far from home.
