What a stunner.
Oh, sure, the band was also great.
But the real star of this show — at least for this first-timer to the venue — was the unbelievably beautiful Quarry Amphitheater.
And most people in Northern California don’t even know this place exists.
Thankfully, the friendly folks at Noise Pop — the organization that puts on the same-named festival in San Francisco in late-winter each year — is helping to change that by hosting such cool shows as the Remain in Light Tour featuring Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew that touched down on Friday night at the 2,600-capacity amphitheater tucked away on the lovely UC Santa Cruz campus.
The 10-piece band, which featured three horn players and four singers trading off on lead vocals, did a splendid job entertaining the crowd with a 14-song that was built almost entirely off selections from Harrison’s old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame act — The Talking Heads. In all, there were 12 Talking Heads numbers, half of which hailed from this current ensemble’s namesake album — 1980’s Brian Eno-produced “Remain in Light.” That left time for one Harrison solo cut (“Rev It Up”) and one number (“Thela Hun Ginjeet”) from Belew’s King Crimson catalog.
The show started while it was still light outside, which allowed fans ample time to enjoy the stunning setting of what’s known as “Red Rocks in the Redwoods.” Any positive comparison to the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, of course, is high praise indeed. Yet, it’s by no means hyperbole when it comes to this intimate venue, which is surrounded by tall redwoods and fells like some hidden space that you’ve accidentally stumbled upon while living out some sort of Tolkien-esque experience.
The spot was carved out a former limestone quarry — thus the name — in the ’60s and hosted Angela Davis, Alfred Hitchcock, Cesar Chavez and other well-known in figures over the years. It was shuttered for 13 years, from 2003 to 2017, with part of that time being dedicated to gutting and then rebuilding the facility. It reopened in 2017 with its first-ever nighttime concert, from Chicano Batman, with fans taking their seats in what was now a replica of the original Quarry design. Then COVID hit, shutting down the Quarry — and basically the rest of live music industry.
Now things are starting to pick up again, thanks to the partnership between UC Santa Cruz and Noise Pop. Jose Reyes-Olivas, the venue’s general manager, says he believes the two organizations share “common values, common vision” and sounds excited about having more concerts at the Quarry.
“Ultimately, it’s about preserving and celebrating the legacy of this amphitheater,” he says.
The stage setup is bare bones, with little more than a suspended roof and lighting rig over the performers, which allows the natural setting to really shine through.
So as you watched Harrison, Belew and company open the show in powerful fashion with “Psycho Killer” — from “Talking Heads: 77” debut album — you also got to just soak up the regal redwoods behind and beside them.
Prior to visiting for the first time, I had seen pictures of the venue and was somewhat — well, at least marginally — prepared for the natural beauty. So, the biggest surprise of the night was the sound. I had no idea that the redwoods surrounding the concert bowl would deliver such marvelous acoustics, making for a much better sounding Remain in Light show than at the last place I saw it (at a venue that will remain nameless, but was not located in the Bay Area).
In all, it was a mighty night of synergy, as the group kept powering through classic Talking Heads numbers — . “Slippery People,” “Once in a Lifetime,” “Life During Wartime,” etc. — in one of the most magnificent music venues imaginable.
Music fans should definitely make it a point to visit the Quarry. The next show on its books is Chicano Batman on Oct. 26. Visit quarryamphitheater.com for more information.
Harrison and Belew were also scheduled to bring the Remain in Light tour to San Francisco on Saturday for a free show at China Basin Park.
Setlist:
1. “Psycho Killer”
2. “Crosseyed and Painless”
3. “Houses in Motion”
4. “I Zimbra”
5. “Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)”
6. “Cities”
7. “Rev It Up”
8. “Slippery People”
9. “Thela Hun Ginjeet”
10. “Once in a Lifetime”
11. “Life During Wartime”
12. “Take Me to the River”
Encore:
13. “Drugs”
14. “The Great Curve”
Originally Published: