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December 2018
Ho Ho Hoey Rockin’ Holiday Tour
General Admission: $35
VIP Ticket Add-on: $25
VIP Party 6-7PM | Doors open 7PM | Show starts at 8PM
Guitarist Gary Hoey will bring his Christmas show, Ho Ho Hoey Rockin' Holiday Tour back to the Empress Theatre. This event is a benefit concert for The First Tee of Contra Costa, The First Tee is a proactive youth organiztion serving youth in Contra Costa County AND South Solano. There will be a guitar auctioned off at the event, which will be autographed by Gary himself!
Film Club – It’s a Wonderful Life
Tickets: $10 | Free for Film Club Members
Light Snacks at 6PM | Film at 7:30PM
Bring the whole family! Groups of 4 or more get 50% off
Holiday Show - It's a Wonderful Life + socks and blanket drive for homeless
New socks or a clean used blanket is fine
It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Christmas fantasy comedy-drama film.
Starring James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has given up his dreams in order to help others, and whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve brings about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers). Clarence shows George all the lives he has touched, and how different life in his community of Bedford Falls would be if he had never been born.
Larry Vuckovich Presents Nat King Cole, Mel Torme and Christmas Classics featuring Alvon Johnson & Kai Lyons
$25 Online | $30 Phone & Box Office
Doors open 4PM | Show starts at 5PM
Special Christmas Show
Larry Vuckovich Presents Nat King Cole, Mel Torme and Christmas Classics
Featuring Alvon Johnson on Vocals and Kai Lyons on guitar.
Wednesday Night Live in the Lounge with Complicated Animals
General Admission: $10
Doors open 6:30PM | Show 7:30PM to 10PM
Complicated Animals' Mônica da Silva and Chad Alger blend Brazilian Bossa Nova, Acoustic, and World influences to create their self-coined genre Indie Nova. The duo’s songs have been featured in the movie ‘Lady Bird’, in the World Cup, on the Putumayo World Music compilation ‘Brazilian Beat’, and in the Paramount Network series ‘American Woman’.
Kimberlye Gold’s All-Star Rock’n’Soul Holiday Revue
Tickets: $25 Advanced
VIP Meet and Greet 6PM | Doors open 7PM | Show starts at 8PM
Please join San Francisco Bay Area native singer/songwriter Kimberlye Gold for a gourmet feast of her deliciously catchy original tunes, some R&B/Rock’nSoul classics and your favorite holiday songs, delivered by the baddest "All-Star Rock'nSoul" band of merry makers on the planet! Gonna be the BEST dance party/love fest celebration of the season – don’t miss it!
Kimberlye Gold – Lead vocals/acoustic guitar
William Mininfield – Background/lead vocals – (Tongue & Chic Orchestra / Carlos Reyes Band)
Cedricke Dennis – Guitar – (Santana/Narada Michael Walden)
Jonathan Herrera – Bass – (Stanley Jordan/Bass Player Magazine)
Ronnie Smith – Drums – (Maria Muldaur/Joe Louis Walker)
Tom E. Politzer – Sax – (Tower Of Power)
Steffen Kuehn – Trumpet – (Tommy Igoe Groove Conspiracy/Pacific Mambo Orchestra)
Allen Leong – Keyboards/background vocals – (Ernie Watts/Bobby Hutcherson)
So Many Hats Live DVD Taping Starring Chelle T
$30 Online | $35 Phone & Box Office | VIP Meet and Greet $40
Doors open 5PM | Show starts at 6PM
Chelle T has entered the building. From being a mother, wife, pastor, writer, entrepreneur, and comedienne, the term "So Many Hats" has never fit better. Now Chelle T will have an opportunity to share with us all just how she juggles all these hats and makes it look so darn easy. Join us for a monumental moment in the life of this phenomenally funny lady. Be a part of history as she tapes her first DVD Comedy Special live. Come out and hear the thoughts and ideas straight from the mind of Chelle T that will bring you side bending laughter that you'll never forget.
Will Durst & Friends – Big Fat Year End Comedy Show
Tickets: $25 Online | $30 Box Office & Phone
Doors open 7PM | Show starts at 8PM
Will Durst and his merry band of pranksters are pleased as punch to bring to Vallejo for the second year their hilarious show where they promise to lampoon, satirize, mock, scoff, scorn, taunt, tease, rib and ridicule the people and events of the past year and do it with a modicum of taste and decorum. And sometimes not. The 26th edition of the Big Fat Year End Kiss Off Comedy Show features an uproarious collection of riotous skits, songs, sketches, and stand- up, all based on the wacky zany antics that occurred during the calendar year of 2018. Some annums are less conducive as objects of humourosity, but this one gave us a veritable surfeit of Donald Trump, Kellyanne Conway, Kim Jong Un, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, floods and for all we know an actual Sharknado. It was a cornucopia of delights. And enough grist for the comedic mill to fill six 2-hour shows. But we will only be doing one. Cherry picking the best material. Continuing a holiday tradition as hallowed as the coal in Mohammed bin Salman’s stocking and as welcome as the spicy Bloody Mary mix at Roger Stone’s Ash Wednesday hangover brunch, the Big Fat Year End Kiss Off Comedy Show consists of 6 comics, Will Durst, Johnny Steele, Debi Durst, Michael Bossier, Arthur Gaus & Mari Magaloni, providing their unique brand of mayhem and merriment and a minimum of 2,347 laughs. Your results may vary.
New Years Eve – Disco Funky Soul Party featuring But-tah
Doors 8:30PM | Show 9:30PM
Nicole Pearson A.K.A "BUT-TAH" is a native of Richmond CA. Her style is soulfully nostalgic, rich and purely sweet to the ears. BUT-TAH starting singing at an early age. By the age of nine she began writing poetry and from poems came songs. The voice you hear will have you reminiscing on days of old soulful sanging. BUT-TAH is a former member of the groups "Patton Letha" & "The Nathan Owens Band", very successful travel bands which has performed in many of America’s largest and highly acclaimed casinos and venues for over 30 years. She's astounded audiences with her performances on “Showtime at the Apollo” episode 302 with Ciara and Petey Pablo hosted by comedian Mo'Nique and American Idol seasons 3, 5 & 6, she has performed all over the U.S. and abroad, entertaining in many parts of Japan including Tokyo's renowned, “Cotton Club” as a featured guest of the “Whispers” under the musical direction of the late Grady Wilkins.
January 2019
Mindi Abair and the Boneshakers
Reserved Seating: $35 - $65
Doors open 7PM | Show starts at 8PM
One of the most recognized and sought-after saxophonists/vocalists, two-time GRAMMY nominee Mindi Abair has been electrifying audiences with her dynamic live performances and utter command of the saxophone since her debut album in 2000. No one since Junior Walker has brought saxophone and vocals in one package to the forefront of modern music, with a raucous tone and dynamic stage presence. She has garnered ten #1 radio hits, six Top 5 solo records and two #1 spots on the Billboard album charts. In 2014, Mindi received her first GRAMMY® nomination in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category, followed by a 2015 GRAMMY® nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for her solo LP Wild Heart featuring Gregg Allman, Joe Perry, Trombone Shorty, Booker T. Jones, Keb’ Mo’, and Max Weinberg.
Wednesday Night Live in the Lounge with Groovality featuring Simon Russell, Billy Johnson, Rob Watson and Paul Branin
General Admission: $10
Doors open 5PM | Show 7:30PM to 10PM
Blues, Funk, Soul and Jazz are fused together, wrapped into an eclectic, colorful package, and emerge as a funky, yet soulful sound that is called 'Groovality'.
Groovality is a Bay Area-based group that has its own highly distinctive sound. Each member has a discrete background and set of talents, but they come together with their simple, but absolute, love for music, creating a sound that is raw and honest. Like the name, the music is more than groovy-- it has a vitality that expresses joy, blues, passion, and soul all at the same time.
Film Club – You Don’t Have to Ride Jim Crow!
Tickets: $10 | Free for Film Club Members
Event at 7PM
11 years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in Montgomery, Irene Morgan rejected that same demand on an interstate bus in Virginia. Her case caught the attention of the NAACP's Thurgood Marshall and went to the Supreme Court. On June 3, 1946, she won. But the southern states refused to enforce the law, leading 8 white and 8 black men to invent the "Freedom Ride." This is their story.
David Victor’s SUPERGROUP
$25 Online | $30 Phone & Box Office
Doors open 7PM | Show starts at 8PM
SUPERGROUP is former BOSTON vocalist/guitarist David Victor's all-new, all-star San Francisco Bay Area rock band. SUPERGROUP features a stellar lineup of musicians including former members of Y&T (bassist Brad Lang), Creedence Clearwater (guitarist Tal Morris), Night Ranger (keyboardist Jesse Bradman) and drummer Jeff Campitelli formerly of Joe Satriani's band. This band packs a punch with a powerhouse repertoire and captivating stage performance, performing originals and hits from their former bands as well as classics from Led Zeppelin, Journey, Train, The Eagles, Smokey Robinson and Tom Petty. SUPERGROUP beautifully weaves multiple genres and eras of music together into one cohesive, powerhouse performance. Expect stellar musicianship, and harmony-heavy, epic vocals. Purchase of a limited-edition VIP Experience ticket entitles you to a pre-show meet-n-greet with the rock stars of SUPERGROUP. Proceeds from an autographed guitar auction following the show will go to support Harmony & Healing, a non-profit organization that brings acoustic music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities to brighten spirits and speed healing.
West Coast Songwriters Competition – Jan 2019
$10 General | $5 Empress Members | Performers are free with WCS membership
Registration open 7PM | Show starts at 7:30PM
West Coast Songwriters (WCS) - Start of Season Three
Vallejo competition will be held every second Monday of the month at the Empress Theatre, 330 Virginia St in downtown Vallejo.
Anyone may attend, but only WCS members may compete for prizes. Online membership registration is available. There are 2 winners of the Songwriting Competition each month for Best Song and Best Performance. Winners receive 3 hours free recording time, generously sponsored by 25th Street Recording in Oakland along with an invitation to compete at the Location Playoffs for Best Song of the Year on August 13th.
Film Club – Who Will Write Our History?
Tickets: $10 | Free for Film Club Members
Event at 7PM
In November 1940, days after the Nazis sealed 450,000 Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto, a secret band of journalists, scholars and community leaders decided to fight back. Led by historian Emanuel Ringelblum and known by the code name Oyneg Shabes, this clandestine group vowed to defeat Nazi lies and propaganda not with guns or fists but with pen and paper. Now, for the first time, their story is told as a feature documentary. Written, produced and directed by Roberta Grossman and executive produced by Nancy Spielberg, Who Will Write Our History mixes the writings of the Oyneg Shabes archive with new interviews, rarely seen footage and stunning dramatizations to transport us inside the Ghetto and the lives of these courageous resistance fighters. They defied their murderous enemy with the ultimate weapon – the truth – and risked everything so that their archive would survive the war, even if they did not.
February 2019
Stroll Down Penny Lane – A Multi Media Tribute Concert to Paul McCartney
$25 Online | $30 Phone & Box Office
Doors open 7PM | Show starts at 8PM
Stroll Down Penny Lane is a multimedia, live performance of the work of Paul McCartney, the most iconic songwriter of our age. The music is embellished with stories, evocative images and animation, for a fascinating and entertaining romp through McCartney’s career. Enjoy songs from early influences, to the Beatles, Wings and beyond, performed by some of the Bay Area’s most sought-after career musicians. You’ll also hear songs that have never been performed in concert – anywhere, by anyone! Delve deep into the music. Discover the origin of a song or the musical devices McCartney used. Funny and moving by turns, this show is a wonderful spectacle, and just plain fun!
Vallejo Symphony Concert II – Individual
Doors open 1PM | Pre-concert talk 2PM | Symphony at 3PM
Beethoven, Leonore Overture No. 2
Mozart, Violin Concerto No. 3
Nielsen, Symphony No. 5
Marc Taddei, conducting
Alina Kobialka, violin
Smooth Jazz Valentine Show featuring Najee with opener Blake Aaron
Doors 7PM | Show 8PM
VIP Valentine Dinner Add-on $50 per person
The Multi-Platinum & Grammy Nominated saxophonist and flautist, is back with his new album “Poetry In Motion” featuring: Incognito, Will Downing, Eric Roberson, Maysa, Bobby Lyle & Blake Aaron.
Grammy nominated saxophonist and flautist, Najee has made a career following his heart and keen musical intuition by pushing musical boundaries, all of which have made him an international pioneer in the music industry. Having collaborated with everyone in the music business from Prince, Quincy Jones to Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and Herbie Hancock, Najee’s technical agility, grace, compositional prowess, unbridled passion and fearless genre bending have made him one of the most sought after musicians of his generation. With two Platinum and four Gold albums under his belt, Najee is an icon whose musical vision spawned an entire new genre by fusing the music close to his heart (R&B and Jazz).
Gallagher – Comedy Night
Reserved Seating: $25 - $60
Doors open 7PM | Show starts at 8PM
Gallagher World-Famous comedian
Gallagher became a household name by smashing watermelons during his highly rated HBO specials. But millions of comedy fans around the world were already in love with his razor-sharp observations, hilarious dead-on insights, and incredibly creative word play. One need only see that he has joined the exalted pantheon of the "one-name only" celebrities (such as Oprah, and Madonna) to know how beloved Gallagher's comedy is. With a following built upon countless sold-out concert halls, uproarious HBO specials, and bestselling CDs, videos, and DVDs Gallagher's immense talent and broad appeal make him a "first ballot" Hall of Fame comedian Gallagher is not coasting nor is he slowing down, however ! To the delight of audience's across America. Gallagher is still making us fall out of our chairs with laughter.