Sunset Sessions Music Series

The days may be getting shorter, but that doesn’t mean people are ready for summer fun to end. The folks at Hotel Californian feel the same way, and so they are hosting Sunset Sessions, a music series held Sundays at the hotel’s rooftop pool. The evenings feature deejay sets, specialty cocktails, and a view of the Pacific that is unbeatable. In a recent email interview, Hotel Californian General Manager Warren Nocon filled me in on the series’s origin and what to expect.

What prompted this idea?  We wanted to open up our incredible Mirador rooftop to locals and non-hotel guests for special experiences, and a sunset music series that plays out against the backdrop of those gorgeous ocean and mountain views felt right. … Sunset Sessions is an important part of our goal to be a cultural and music hub in Santa Barbara.

How do you decide which deejays to invite?  We were going for a mellow daytime disco vibe … and worked with some of the best musical tastemakers in Southern California to book deejays and artists through collectives such as Dublab, A Club Called Rhonda, and Crew Love. … Live performers … are coming from as far away as Nigeria and Manchester in the U.K.

What do you hope the community gets out of it?  We’re focused on creating a community where locals and visitors feel welcome at our hotel. … With Sunset Sessions, we’re hearing people say that Santa Barbara hasn’t seen anything like this rooftop music series. The Santa Barbara community has been very receptive.

The next sessions are Saturday, September 7, featuring a musical collaboration with SWAYLO and Noah from C3 (get there early for yoga and sound-bath meditation with Lizzie Aguirre), and Sunday, September 15, with tunes from Nick Monaco and friends, Loren/Goddollars from the A Club Called Rhonda dance party, and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. Sunset Sessions go from 3 to 9 p.m. See hotelcalifornian.com for ticket prices and upcoming shows.