Known for opening for Jackson Browne, David Crosby and Stevie Nicks, local band Venice will go solo next weekend on the Santa Monica Pier, Friday and Saturday, April 8 and 9, at a pair of benefit concerts for the For The Arts endowment fund and the Olympic Continuing High School Guitar Class.
Venice is actually two sets of brothers: Michael and Mark Lennon and their cousins, Pat and Kipp Lennon. Born and raised in Venice, the quartet has been a staple on the California club scene for several years. Crosby has called the band “the best vocal group in the country”.
In addition to Browne, Crosby and Nicks, Venice has toured or recorded with Warren Zevon, Phil Collins, Sting and Cher. Its latest album, “Pacific Standard Time,” was released in Europe in November. It recently returned from a European tour and plans to tour America later this year.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to give something back to the community where we grew up,” said Michael Lennon, “Venice is part of the local landscape here in Santa Monica and Malibu. Our kids go to school here. This community is our community.”
The concerts, at the Arcadia on the pier, are being produced by Artists For The Arts (AFTA), a non-profit foundation dedicated to producing fund-raising concerts to benefit arts programs in public schools. AFTA has pledged that 100% of proceeds from the two concerts will go directly to the public school arts programs.
Venice will appear live on Friday at a VIP event. The evening will include a cocktail reception at the Santa Monica Pier Carousel followed by the concert at Arcadia. The reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by the concert at 8:30 p.m. Tickets for the VIP Benefit Event are $150.
Venice will return Saturday for a community concert at Arcadia, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35.
For The Arts, the Campaign for the Education Foundation of Santa Monica-Malibu, is a community-wide effort to raise $15 million to ensure that every student in the Santa Monica-Malibu public schools, beginning in the earliest grades, receives a broad introduction to the arts: music, visual arts, dance and drama.For tickets, or more information, call Linda Gross, Executive Director, Education Foundation of Santa Monica Malibu, at (310) 396-4557 or email smmef@smmusd.org.
