DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE – DOUBLE YOUR FUN

Music fans that came out to CUPPY’S for Christian Rock Night may have noticed the slight change. Wednesday night’s ‘open mike’ night crew may have muttered that something was different. But Thursday night the murmur was almost palatable. Where was the Rock/Movie Bus? Had a new tour taken the bus on as a mascot?? Was there a ‘renegade music’ show taking place and being filmed somewhere?? A night shot, perhaps!? By Friday as I covered the return of THE SLOW POISONER and BURKE up the hill in French Valley, news was out and the 411 was that the bus had been spotted across town at a place called ‘The Sound of Music’, a music school recently relocated from the Target Center on Rancho Cal Road and Ynez, across from Pat & Oscar’s at the duck pond. Long a fixture here in the community and one of several locations that music lessons are taught at, the facility was the only full service music store until the arrival of the Murrieta Guitar Center (see archive article). Perhaps this new market rival helped shine a light toward the Rock Bus, which was present doing a ‘renegade music show’ in the parking lot that night?

Meanwhile back at CUPPY’S, Ivan left the venue in the eager and capable hands of James, who has soaked up what Ivan generously showed him like a guy going for his Doctoral. “I turned over a bunch of shows I booked, to James, except for a few. He’s working the sound board alright, I’ve got my door people out front for him, so I feel he can handle it on his own,” said Ivan when he was tracked down following a tip. Co-CUPPY’S owner Debbie, who recently worked a Christian Rock Night along with hubby James and looked more ‘coffeehouse-ish’ with a dark colored sweater and a shoulder length ‘do’, remarked that the Ivan Promotions departure as not unexpected from her point of view. “(What with the movie and all), he’s blown up. Ivan is a lot bigger than a little coffeehouse.”

Sources close to the construction of the new-to-be venue, called THE VAULT, say it will have a coffee bar, have a stage (bigger than Cuppy’s but smaller than the Monte Vista stage), and have practice rooms to warm-up in, not to mention, hey, I’m in a store, I need some strings.

In a town that once had nothing for the kids to do, two all-ages venues have got to mean double your pleasure for hearing original, new music made by the people you read about in the free mags, and know on Myspace. Keep it here for more on this developing story as it develops in the Full Value Review.