Church of Rock & Roll showcase in Long Beach Saturday

On Saturday July 17, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., dozens of Long Beach musicians will celebrate the music coming from the Los Angeles canyons in their 1970s heyday for Summer And Music (SAM) 2010’s collaborative showcase, Church of Rock & Roll, happening on a solar-powered stage in the East Village Arts District near the intersection 1st & Elm.

SAM 2010—downtown Long Beach’s award-winning, sustainable concert series providing an entire summer of free music to the public—fashioned Church of Rock & Roll from a raw, inspiring moment at last year’s street performer event, BuskerFest. At the end of the night, the Pawnshop King’s all-inclusive finale—where they invited other bands to share the microphone for a smoking rendition of Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released”—evoked a brand of collective magic that left the crowd under a spell, broken only by the end of the last chorus.

“The Pawnshop Kings unexpected sing-along finale to their set at last year’s Buskerfest really stuck a chord with me,” SAM co-founder Rand Foster said. “Not only of the enduring power and relevance of the songbook of the canyons, but in the enormous sense of musical community that is growing in Long Beach. That moment was a coalescence of past, present and future, and it was the seed that turned into this event. Needless to say, we are ecstatic about the enthusiasm of the artists participating to help us try to capture some of that same lightning in a bottle.”

Church of Rock & Roll will recapture and recreate the Last Waltz sentiment – The Band’s farewell concert captured in the emotional 1978 documentary film directed by Martin Scorsese - several times over, breathing new life into some of the most beloved songs coming out of the canyons in the 1970s and paying homage to an incredibly rich music scene that resonates still with many of us on a daily basis.

Performing artists of the evening include Brett Bixby, Marika Dahlin, Korey Dane & Tess Shapiro, Guggenheim Grotto, Brook Lee & Paul Mitchell (of Brook Lee Catastrophe), Pete Marchica, Scott & Joel Owen (Pawnshop Kings), Sam Morgan (of Sam Outlaw), Chris Paul Overall, Micah Panzich (of Paper Planes), Terry Prine (of Greater California), Keith Slettedahl (of The 88) and Jenny Stockdale.

The Church of Rock & Roll band includes the incomparable Mitchell Townsend (of Matt Costa, The 88 and The Watson Twins) on guitar, Harris Pittman (of Matt Costa, Zi Avi and The Watson Twins) on bass, James Fletcher (of Matt Costa, Smile and Satisfaction) on drums and Jacob Sahagen (of Matt Costa and Mad Man Moon) on keyboards.

To close out the evening, SAM will be inviting the full cast to join in for a mellifluent finale that will carve out the East Village Arts District with a soulful river of sound unique to this city alone.

SAM is produced and sponsored by the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (RDA) and the Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA). Alternative transportation to the event is encouraged, with several public transit options offered by Long Beach Transit. Long Beach Cyclists will also be offering free bicycle valet parking to folks who commute to the show on two wheels.

For more information, visit www.summerandmusic.com or call (562) 436-4259.