Positive Vibrations Hit Santa Barbara’s Lobero on October 19

Their excitement is infectious when I meet with Hale Milgrim and Richard Salzberg to learn more about the newest in their Go to Hale series at the Lobero Theatre. “Positive Vibrations” will take place on October 19. Despite the fact that Milgrim, the former CEO and president of Capitol Records, has hosted these benefit shows for the Lobero since 2008, and Salzberg has been collaborating with him for more than a decade, these two self-professed music nerds are just as eager as ever to share their latest musical treasures. 

“The program is part of the Lobero building’s year-long centennial celebration, and many of the artists we’ll be showing will have played on the Lobero stage at some point in their careers,” explained Salzberg. 

The “program,” for those who’ve never been, uses their impressive private archives of musical film footage as a springboard to share personal stories from Milgrim’s many years in the music industry, including his relationships with artists before and during his tenures at Capitol, Elektra/Asylum/Nonesuch, and Warner Brothers/Reprise, among others.

And thanks to the technical assistance of John Flandrick, they have a much more sophisticated editing process in place now to highlight the evolution of various artists and their song craft, and in many cases, have the artists discussing their musical evolution in their own words. For example, one of the segments is Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues with A Question of Balance, the group’s sixth album, which was released in 1970. 

Another great piece they shared with me in Salzberg’s home screening room was Paul Simon (whom Milgrim worked with at Warner Bros.) and the origins of Graceland. And there’s even a peek into the new Grateful Dead show at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

Expect some clips from Pink Floyd, Mark Knopfler, Peter Gabriel, and many other well-known artists, as Milgrim has worked with so many greats, from Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne to Paul McCartney, Radiohead, Metallica, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, the Who, and more.

“Music is such an important part of our lives,” said Milgrim.

“Hale and I live and breathe this stuff,” said Salzberg. “The Lobero is just a bigger living room for all of this.” 

Music possesses a special power to raise our spirits and can create positive shared experiences, they both agree. And these one night only live presentations make that communal experience all the more unique. 

The Lobero Theatre (33 E. Canon Perdido St.) doors open at 6:22 p.m. on Saturday, October 19, with a 6:52 p.m. sharp showtime. Tickets and additional information are available at lobero.org.