Wine & Song
South Pasadena’s nightlife gets a boost from singer-songwriter Brad Colerick’s weekly music series
By Bliss 01/07/2010
South Pasadena is a popular nesting spot for many artists but, save for Sunday nights at Buster’s and periodic concerts at the Fremont Centre, it rarely registers on the nightlife radar. That’s gradually changing, however, thanks to Brad Colerick’s weekly Wine & Song gatherings at WineStyles.
Since its low-key launch in October, Wine & Song has bubbled into an inviting community hub for musicians, songwriters, wine geeks and local yokels just looking for something to do close to home. The venue’s rear space, comfortably appointed with stuffed leather chairs and couches and wooden tables, contributes much to the living room vibe that Colerick was striving to create when he first hatched the idea for the series while participating in a local songwriters group.
“It was such a fun evening for me to just sit and listen to other songwriters that I admired,” he says of that San Gabriel Valley group. “The purpose of that was to sort of light a fire under each other to keep writing. Somewhere along the line I started thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to do this at a venue and have other people enjoy this as well?’”
A South Pas resident who produces music for commercials by day, Colerick is also a very fine, respected songwriter in his own right. He plays a few tunes at Wine & Song but mostly serves as baseball-capped host throughout the evening, genially setting up microphones and introducing performers. The format has evolved to include locals as well as artists visiting from out of town; former Angeleno Randy Weeks, for example, recently returned from his new home in Austin to play a handful of songs, accompanied by longtime guitarist Tony Gilkyson, who also played a brief set. On another night, Gilkyson received impromptu support from mandolinist/guitarist Tom Corbett, while local songwriters Severin Browne and Dave Morrison also stepped to the mic to share a song or two. Other past guests have included Ed Tree, Dan Navarro, Kara Grainger, Austin Hartley-Leonard, Rob Laufer, Moira Smiley, Grant Langston, David Serby, Rick Shea and Sweet Talk Radio.
“I wanted to keep it moving along and not too focused on one individual performer,” Colerick says. “We have such an incredible talent pool in the LA area.
“I learn from one week to the next and try to pair people up the best I can. It’s been really interesting. The break [between sets] has become a really important part of the show … The time for people to talk and connect and socialize is as important as anything with this gathering, because it’s really about further connecting with the community.”
Brad Colerick presents the Wine & Song series from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays at WineStyles, 1007 Mission St., South Pasadena; no cover charge. His featured guest this Wednesday is Tom Corbett. For more details, call the shop at (626) 799-4638 and/or visit wineandsong.com and bradcolerick.com.
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