2014 Todos Santos Music Festival

Vaso Loco LLC logo for the Todos Santos Music FestivalVaso Loco LLC and the Hotel California will be presenting the 2014 Todos Santos Music Festival January 16 through January 25, 2014.

Shows will take place at the Hotel California in Todos Santos January 16, 17, 18, 23 and 24. Doors open at 7 pm, music starts at 8 pm.

The Todos Santos Music Festival Town Plaza Concert will be on Saturday, January 25. Seating starts at 7 pm, music starts at 8 pm.

This year’s bands include Peter Buck’s own band, The Minus 5, headed by Scott McCaughey and featuring Peter Buck and Steve Wynn’s Dream Syndicate known as the saviors of alternative rock.

Kevn Kinney, who played the 2012 festival, will return this year with Drivin’ n Cryin’ an American hard rock/Southern rock band from Atlanta, Georgia.

Other bands that played at the 2013 Festival will be playing this year:
Torre Blanca–This Mexican group play post-pop with symphonic touches, with intimate, deep, playful and thoughtful lyrics.

Twin Tones–This Mexico City band’s music is an explosive fusion of rock, surf and spaghetti western film music. They stole the show during their 2013 debut at the Todos Santos Music Festival! This year that are also featuring one of their side projects, Sonido Gallo Negro, that takes the sound of psychedelic Peruvian cumbia of the 70s and covers it with garage attitude.

New this year, there will also be a “local bands” night at the Hotel California on Wednesday, January 22.

When REM disbanded, after 32 years of creating music and fans around the globe, guitarist and founding member Peter Buck was in the process of making Todos Santos, in Baja California Sur, a south-of-the-border second home. The idea for the first Todos Santos Music Festival was born in September of 2011, and took place in January 2012.

The 2013 Todos Santos Music Festival featured ten nights of entertainment over the course of three weekends, including two free concerts in the town plaza. The lineup of artists was hand-selected by Peter Buck and featured an eclectic array of musicians ranging from industry legends to emerging local talent.

Both the 2012 and 2013 Todos Santos Music Festival raised money for the Palapa Society of Todos Santos A.C., which provides educational after-school programs for local children. Some merchandise, including t-shirts and tank tops are still available from the 2013 festival via the Palapa Society.

The proceeds from some of the shows for this year’s festival will again benefit The Palapa Society of Todos Santos, A.C. Other shows will benefit the Hogar del Niños orphanage, ProPlayas A.C. (lifeguards), The Todos Santos Internado (boarding school for local ranch children), DIF, the Bomberos (fire department), Escuela Pacifica and local animal welfare groups.

Festival founder, Peter Buck of REM, has had a busy year making albums and touring with his band, Tired Pony, as well as with The Baseball Project, The Minus 5 and Kevn Kinney. He is currently planning a US tour of the Midwest and South with Alejandro Escovedo (Todos Santos Music Festival 2013) in late February and early March 2014. Peter and singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata both accompanied Ed Kowalczyk of Live on his second studio album, “The Flood and the Mercy,” available on October 29. http://audioinkradio.com/2013/10/ed-kowalczyk-new-album-r-e-m-peter-buck/

For more information on Peter’s busy year, read this great interview at Salon
http://www.salon.com/2013/10/09/peter_buck_i_think_we_were_all_really_ready_for_a_change/

Peter Buck’s first solo album was released on vinyl only in November 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCEcfeTL5pU He also has a second, vinyl only, album coming out in 2014 on Mississippi Records. His 45 vinyl single, “Peter Buck! El Rei de los Monos Presente! You Must Fight to Live on the Planet of the Apes” available from Mississippi/Change Records. http://blurtonline.com/feature/the-singles-scene-vi-blurts-indie-45-roundup/

Tired Pony’s second album ‘The Ghost Of The Mountain’ was released in the UK/Intl. in August and in the US in October. You can order in the UK now at Fiction (CD) – http://trdpny.com/FictionCD / Fiction (Vinyl) – http://trdpny.com/FictionVinyl / iTunes – http://trdpny.com/iTunes

To watch a preview with Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpZPt3pFkvk  You can follow Tired Pony online at their Facebook page and on Vine and Twitter @TiredPony.

Erick Ochoa, president of the Palapa Society of Todos Santos, A.C. stated that they are grateful for everything that the Todos Santos Music Festival has done for the Palapa Society. The contributions and publicity generated from the Music Festival and the move into their new home in the San Vicente neighborhood of Todos Santos have enable them to include over 100 children in their programs. They have also received a US fellowship via the International Community Fund allowing them to hire both a full time teacher and part-time assistant for their Bridge to English program.

Todos Santos, near the tip of Mexico’s Baja peninsula on the Pacific Ocean, features colonial architecture, top-rated restaurants, fine art galleries, miles of pristine beaches and a colorful community of locals and expats. Todos Santos has a population of just under 8,000 people, but offers an abundance of creative events, annual arts and cinema festivals and other cultural activities that cater to an international tourist and expat crowd as well as locals. It was the first town in Baja designated as “Pueblo Magico” by the Mexican government, which signifies places in the country that have “a unique authentic historic and artistic charm.”

Check TodosSantosMusicFestival.com or Facebook: TodosSantosMusicFestival for more information and tickets soon!

Other upcoming Todos Santos events and festivals include:

Todos Santos PorQue 5k? Walk/Run. December 28, 2013. Sponsored by the Palapa Society of Todos Santos A.C.

The Festival de Arte Todos Santos takes place February 1-8, 2014.

The 5th Annual Open Studio Tour will be held immediately following the Todos Santos Art Festival on February 9, 2014. Last year there were 35 artist studios open for viewing, covering mediums from oils, pastels, watercolors, mixed media, en-caustic, ceramics, sculpture and photography. Sponsored by the Palapa Society of Todos Santos A.C. All proceeds go towards Children’s Art.

The 11th Festival de Cine de Todos Santos, February 20 – 28, 2014 with the Premiere of ‘Youth in Video’ films on February 20.

Todos Santos Historic Home Tour takes place Sunday, March 16 from 10 am to 2 pm. Sponsored by the Palapa Society of Todos Santos A.C.

The Todos Santos GastroVino Festival will be held in May 24 and 25, 2014.

For a complete listing of events visit:  http://journaldelpacifico.com/blog/events-2/

About Peter Buck
Peter Buck is a founding member and lead guitar player of REM.

About The Hotel California
At the hub of Todos Santos is the legendary and colorful Hotel California. Originally built in 1948 this unique hotel underwent a masterful renovation in 2001 that would go on to win numerous awards for design and décor. The original 16 rooms were transformed into the eclectic 11-suite hotel it is today.www.hotelcaliforniabaja.com/press

About The Palapa Society
The Palapa Society of Todos Santos, A.C., founded in 2003, is a multicultural, non-profit Mexican Civil Association. The mission is the development and administration of scholarship, educational, medical and environmental programs for the benefit of local children and their families. http://palapasociety.org/

Summer Issue

Journal del Pacifico Summer 2013 cover by Laurie Pearce Bauer, Baja, MexicoThe new issue of “Journal del Pacifico” is on the streets in Todos Santos and Pescadero and in select locations in Cabo. We’ll be distributing in La Paz in the coming week. Already we’re getting great feedback on the beautiful cover photo of an air plant by Laurie Pearce Bauer and our Spa and Eco Adventure feature stories–such as Baja Rock Art, Swimming with Sea Lions and Saving Sea Turtles.

The water is warm here in Baja California Sur and there’s a lot to do from eco-adventures to being pampered at a day spa. Those who know me may be more accustomed to seeing me leading a yoga class, out running or riding a horse on the beach, but for a change I tried out the White Sand Massage and Day Spa signature facial for a feature story in this issue. Photographer, Laurie Pearce Bauer, provided the photos for the story. ‘Tiny Town’ also tells the hilarious tale of the author’s decision to get a fresh new look.

ÉTNICA is a new store in the historic district of Todos Santos, across the street from La Copa / The Todos Santos Inn. They have beautiful handmade Mexican blouses, dresses, leather handbags, sandals, belts, shirts and guayaberas for men, unisex hats and espadrilles.

Santo Vino in the Hotel California will only be open for another week, so hurry in to get one of Chef Dany Lamote’s special creations. Citlalli Martinez Cano of Santo Vino wrote an article for this issue on wine pairing.

If you’re looking for some Baja wine, La Bodega de Todos Santos will be open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 2 to 8 pm through June and July. La Licoreria is open all summer with over 400 wine labels from the US, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Germany, France, Italy and Portugal.

Joseph Arthur, one of the very talented artists from this past year’s Todos Santos Music Festival, has a new album out. You can listen here:
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2013/06/album-stream-joseph-arthur—the-ballad-of-boogie.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

The children’s library at the Palapa Society of Todos Santos, Rincon de Cuentos, will be open at the same time as the adult library–Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm. The children’s library is free and stocked with lots of great books.

There’s a new Mexican restaurant on the otro lado next door to Mercado Pinos, Restaurant Horizonte, serving breakfast and lunch daily from 8 am to 5 pm.

Royal Palm Property Management provides homeowners from Elias Calles to Las Tunas with professional and reliable service along with an exceptional vacation experience for travelers.

Efimiro Colectivo Mural at La Encantada, photo by Kat Bennett, La Paz, MexicoIf you’re in La Paz, stop in La Encantada to see the beautiful murals painted by young, Paceños artists. Kat Bennett of Allende Books shared her photographs, that show details of the murals, on page 42 of the current issue.

The Cortez Club in La Paz is fully equipped to take you on a variety of adventures in the world’s largest natural aquarium, the Sea of Cortez. Go SCUBA diving, snorkeling, kayaking, water skiing, windsurfing, wave running, sailing, a day of sport fishing or ‘Dancing with Sea Lions’!

Staying in an air conditioned room at Sr. Mañana in the historic district of San José del Cabo is a great way to start or end your visit to Baja Sur. Todos Santos and Pescadero have a variety of accommodations in different price ranges all with swimming pools! Check out Hacienda Todos Los Santos or Hotel Casa Tota in the historic district, Hotelito, just outside “downtown” on La Cachora road or Serendipity and Casa Rancho on the otro lado. In Pescadero you can relax on the beach or spend the day surfing at Rancho Pescadero, or hang out with fellow travelers by the pool at Pescadero Surf Camp. What could be better?

Thanks to our clients, contributors and our readers for making the second season of Journal del Pacifico–La Revista de Baja California Sur such a success! We’ll be back in the fall with more great stories about the best that Baja has to offer. You can follow us through the summer at journaldelpacifico.com and on Facebook at JournaldelPacifico.

If you can’t be in Baja to pick up the latest issue, you can always get the PDF online at: http://journaldelpacifico.com/blog/issues-online/summer-2013/

Last weekend in April

Singer/Songwriter Sara Bernassi at La Encantada

Singer/Songwriter Sara Bernassi

Looking for something to do?

Friday night is Ladies Nights at La Encantada in La Paz with Karoke and a billard tournament on Friday, April 26 and Jello shot and Pink Fluzies specials.

Shut Up Frank’s in Todos Santos is holding their 1st Annual Spring BBQ & Brew Bash Party in the front yard on Saturday, April 27. Big Jesse will be the guest grill master serving pulled pork, ribs, and tri-tip starting at 1 pm. There will be live music all day and a D.J. too! At 7 pm you can watch the UFC Megafight John “Bones” Jones vs. Chael Sonnen live.

Saturday afternoon from 4 to 7 pm, there will be a Benefit for the Joven Ecologistas de Pescadero (Young Ecologists of Pescadero) at the Mariscos Restaurant, Hwy. 19 in Pescadero. The event features presentations by the children, great food, live music and a chance to meet local students and their parents. Sponsored by Amigos de El Pescadero nonprofit. A 50 pesos donation is requested; any amount appreciated. If you want to donate, but cannot attend, stop by the Pescadero Life booth at the Sunday Farmer’s Market at Baja Beans, or email: sharon@aztecbaja.com

Saturday night, starting at 8 pm, join Tim Lang and the Post Surf Crew for their The Speakeasy show at Hotel Casa Tota in Todos Santos. Limited tickets are available.

Also Saturday, starting at 9 pm, the Acoustic Rock Duet of Raul Alejandro Mendoza on guitar and Luis Enrique Leon on vocals and bajo will be at La Encantada in La Paz. No cover and sopa and tapas available.

Sunday morning, enjoy your breakfast with great music by singer/songwriter Sara Benassi at Hotel Casa Tota from 11 am to 1 pm. Sara sang with Ken Stringfellow and The Posies at this year’s Todos Santos Music Festival. She will perform a great mix of original songs plus a good choice of tasty covers in English, Italian and Spanish.

For more information on these events and more, click on “Events” in the menu. To be included in our listing, email your Baja Event information to info@journaldelpacifico.com

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Training for the La Paz Half Marathon

Whew! I just completed a 9 mile run the length of the malecón up over the hill towards Costa Baja and back home through the centro district. This route took in part of the course of this year’s half marathon, which is different from the prior years’ courses.

The Medio Maraton Costero La Paz 2013 will take place Sunday, May 5. There will also be 10k and 5k events. To see the full course map, click here.

The weather has been warm and sunny in La Paz. This morning there was a cool breeze off the water. I love watching the egrets and cormorants fishing on the rocks and people stand up paddle boarding and kayaking in the clear blue green waters of the bay while I’m running by.

This year will be the first time that I haven’t been able to get at least one 10 or 11 mile run in before the race. Instead, I’ve been increasing my weekly miles (21 miles this week) and working on speed work for my 10k runs.

Joining me on the “Journal del Pacifico” running team will be Customer Service Manager Celia Devault and Bruce Bennett of Allende Books.

Journal del Pacifico running team at La Paz half marathon 2012

The Journal del Pacifico running team at La Paz half marathon 2012
Janice Kinne, Bruce Bennett and Celia Devault. Photo by Kat Bennett

Last year the Director of Deportes (Sports) for La Paz municipal surprised me by asking that I help handle out medals to the finalists as a guest presenter.La Paz half marathon 2012, La Paz, Baja, Mexico

You can register for the half marathon at the Dirección de Deportes y Recreación located at Bravo #400 between Guillermo Prieto and Serdán in La Paz. You will need a copy of your passport and $100 pesos. All participates receive a commemorative t-shirt, medal and certificate. For more information you can view the Convocan here or email: deporte.lapaz@gmail.com

We look forward to seeing our running friends from La Paz, Todos Santos, Pescadero and Cabo on the big day!

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