Billy Galewood
Jamie Shadowlight
Seawall Prophet
Friday, October 7 & 21; November 4, 2022
7:30 PM
The Acoustic Evenings series at the Athenaeum showcases some of the finest acoustic musicians in San Diego. Three acts fill each program and attentive audiences delight in the intimacy of the unplugged storytelling format. Refreshments are available at the intermission reception and post-concert meet-and-greet. San Diego Music Hall of Fame founder Jefferson Jay curates and hosts the concert series. The project advances the Athenaeum’s commitment to support diverse San Diego talent. Acoustic Evenings is an unforgettable and personal experience for San Diego music lovers.
Friday, October 7, 2022
Billy Galewood
Billy Galewood is an American singer, songwriter and rapper from Cleveland, Ohio.
At the age of nine, Billy entered a youth theater group called "Kids on Broadway". Ten years later Billy migrated to New York City, where he studied musical theater at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. There he met Jason Mraz at a party and they subsequently became roommates. After years of honing their own musicianship, the two then moved from New York to Mraz's native Virginia, then California where they performed together as often as they could. Among their collaborations is "Curbside Prophet", a track from Mraz's album Waiting for My Rocket to Come.
Billy eventually ended up in California where he continued to hone his eclectic acoustic/hip-hop sound. Known for his freestyle skills on the microphone, Billy has toured extensively throughout the U.S., independently releasing his album Ghetto Blaster, which features the likes of Spooner Oldham, Speechwriters LLC, and Jason Mraz’s rhythm section. Billy's shows blend hip-hop, acoustic rock, funk, improvisation and comedy. His performances also incorporate circus tricks such as hula hooping, fire breathing, face balancing, juggling and balloon art.
Jamie Shadowlight
Based in Pacific Beach, violinist Jamie Shadowlight plays jazz and Latin-influenced music. Her ambitious local performances have included a version of West Side Story staged with local legend Gilbert Castellanos as a Latin love story for trumpet and violin.
Seawall Prophet
Guitarist Seawall Prophet is a USAF veteran, retired AFD firefighter, award-winning musician, and published songwriter from Ocean Beach, California. He has 5 full-length albums with a vast catalogue of original and cover songs spanning a variety of styles, including beach rock, Cali-pop, reggae, funk, punk, blues, and acoustic roots.
Tim Flannery
Wax
Jefferson Jay
Friday, October 21, 2022
Tim Flannery
It’s easy to think of Tim Flannery as a baseball man turned musician turned philanthropist. But in all honesty, all of these aspects of his life overlap, making it hard to discern where one ends and another begins. Regardless which role he’s in, Tim “Flan” Flannery is a storyteller and one of the last of the old dogs.
Flan has released 12 studio albums, one live album, and is currently performing and booking dates to support his 14th album, “The Light” which is a journey to find, hope, faith, love, light in a world where darkness seems much easier to see. The eleven tracks of original music are drenched in real life experiences that has led Tim through darkness, pain, and disappointment, to find peace and hope in today’s sometimes confusing human climate. His 13th album “The Last of the Old Dogs” released last year, gave life to new stories about the characters he’s met over the years on the road, while also delivering important messages about love, work, being an outlaw, and knowing when to fight for what you believe in. With a voice as smooth as Kentucky bourbon and a heart worn on both sleeves, Flan’s performances ebb and flow with brilliant melodies and soaring harmonies. As a talented and prolific singer/songwriter, Flan’s music enjoys radio support across the planet, from the shores of Ireland to beach towns up and down the California coast. Flan has also been joined onstage by the likes of Jackson Browne, Bruce Hornsby, Garth Brooks, Jimmy Buffett, Bob Weir and many others.
Wax
Wax is mostly known as a rapper. He is also a producer, songwriter, singer (kinda), comedian, and all around creative dude. He has been making music for many many years now and has a gold record and millions of views on YouTube to show for it. Wax's songs have a wide range of styles and cater to many different types of audiences. Some are advanced technical displays of rap wordplay, some are heartfelt tales of struggle, some are inspirational numbers containing optimistic advice and/or guidance.
Jefferson Jay with Michael James
Long-time curator and host of Acoustic Evenings, Jay is at home with the Athenaeum audience. A prolific artist, his current projects include the fully inclusive animated series, “The Hunt for the Holiday Spirit,” and a five-record set, “Spring,” Jay will be hosting The 4th Annual San Diego Music Hall of Fame event on November 11th at Newbreak Church in Ocean Beach. Info on all these activities is available at www.thegoodvibe.com.
Jimmy Patton and Enrique Platas
Gaby Aparicio
Shakedown String Band
Friday, November 4, 2022
Jimmy Patton and Enrique Platas
Guitarist Jimmy Patton and percussionist Enrique Platas have combined their talents to form this award-winning duo. Their music can be described as having an international flair as they incorporate flamenco, Middle-Eastern, salsa, calypso, Brazilian, and other world rhythms into their compositions and arrangements. Jimmy and Enrique's musical collaboration has given creation to their unique, fiery world-music style that has captivated audiences from all over. Listeners will experience virtuosic guitar passages accompanied by exotic percussive rhythms, which together produce a sound that will grab your soul.
Gaby Aparicio
Gabriela Aparicio has her family roots in Uruguay. When she moved to San Diego in 2014, she began to bring her bilingual background to her writing. Gabriela likes experimenting with sound in her solo appearances, and she also loves playing with her band, La Buena Onda.
Shakedown String Band
Hailing from the laidback shores of Ocean Beach in San Diego, CA, Shakedown String Band is rapidly garnering attention with their contagious blend of Americana, soul, and bluegrass. A traditional interpretation of “string band” may mislead you; while the core of the sound relies heavily on vocal harmonies and soaring melodies, the momentum is powered by tight drums and percussion that leave no mistake about the groove. SSB is most known for their danceable, upbeat sound and their ability to fluctuate between a duo all the way up to a 9 piece party band with musicians spanning all generations.
The band’s debut album In the Key of OB was nominated for “Best Americana Album” at the 2019 San Diego Music Awards. They have recently shared the stage with nationally touring acts Hot Buttered Rum, Dead Winter Carpenters, and Kitchen Dwellers. Highlights from their first regional tour include Live at Lakeview, Lost Sierra Hoedown, and winning battle of the bands at Huck Finn Jubilee.
The concerts will be in person at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. There are no physical tickets for these events. Your name will be on an attendee list at the front door. Doors open at 7 p.m. Seating is first-come; first-served. These events will be presented in compliance with State of California and County of San Diego health regulations as applicable at the time of each concert.
Masks optional. If you have a fever, cough, or flu-like symptoms, please stay home.