Music, theater, food and community
Join us for unforgettable concerts in a beautiful, intimate outdoor setting.
Music, theater, food and community
Join us for unforgettable concerts in a beautiful, intimate outdoor setting.
Discover Siesta Valley Amphitheater
Our Mission
At Siesta Valley Amphitheater, we are dedicated to providing the East Bay Area with a premier outdoor live music and performing arts experience. Our mission is to transform the former Bruns Amphitheate and the surrounding environs into The Siesta Valley Amphitheater, a premier cultural destination and mixed-use performance space that blends world-class entertainment with watershed education, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.
Our RFP response proposal to EBMUD has been accepted, and if we are successful in completing the process to secure a new 15 year lease on this magnificent outdoor theatre, we plan to showcase a diverse lineup of theatrical performances (community theatre, touring theatre companies including Shakespeare) and music entertainment (rock, country, bluegrass, jazz, classical and pop music artists), thereby creating unforgettable moments for music and theatre lovers of all ages.
Magic at the Siesta Valley Amphitheater
Our Story
Our Passion for Live Music and Performing Arts
At Siesta Valley Amphitheater, we have a deep love for performing arts and live music in our community, that fuels everything we do. We believe that there is nothing quite like the magic of a live performance in a beautiful outdoor setting to celebrate the arts, and we want to share that experience with as many people as possible. Our team of East Bay Area arts, music and theatre enthusiasts are members of the Lamorinda and Oakland area community, are raising our families here, and have supported and participated in the arts. We aim to keep this remarkable venue going with a far more robust and active program than what has been available at the Bruns / CalShakes in the past. Specifically, our aims both align with the mission of EBMUD and the goals of community residents and leaders in the greater Lamorinda/Oakland area.
Specifically, we understand that with the bankruptcy of CalShakes, EBMUD seeks a partner that can not only sustain the legacy of this remarkable venue, but also expand its cultural impact, maintain its environmental integrity, and serve the diverse communities of the East Bay. That requires leadership from the community with both business experience and non-profit program management experience. Our team has both, including the capital to make it happen.
Siesta Valley Entertainment is a newly formed entity representing a coalition of artists, entrepreneurs, environmental advocates, and seasoned venue operators. To the community and to EBMUD (the owner of the amphitheatre and land), we propose to deliver:
- A robust sustainability, capital improvement, and maintenance plan for long-term care of the venue and surrounding watershed
- 40 to 60 live music performances annually from April through November, spanning genres and audiences
- Film screenings that provide a family-friendly, low-cost community entertainment option
- 8 to 12 theatrical productions annually that build on the rich history of Cal Shakes. The Amphitheater will feature performances from local non-profit theater companies, community theater groups, schools, and educational partner
- Year-round educational programming for local youth, with a focus on environmental stewardship and the performing arts
- A vibrant food and beverage experience emphasizing health, sustainability, and hospitality
Team Members
Tom Romary is a tech exec and serial entrepreneur who is involved in the local East Bay music scene as a songwriter and piano player. He and his wife of 26 years, Linda, have raised a family of 3 boys in Orinda CA, and has enjoyed attending plays and live music at the Bruns over the past decade.
Michael Karp is a restaurateur and entertainment industry executive who ran all of Food & Beverage at Live Nation before starting 6 restaurants in the Bay Area and Arizona. Michael is a music an arts enthusiast, hosting local musicians and bands at several of his local bars and restaurants, including the Fourth Bore Tap Room and Grill in Orinda.
Clive Worsley is a career theater and performing arts professional, and was the Executive Director of the award winning Cal Shakes Theater at the Bruns for over twenty years.
Campbell Foster is a Lamorinda area business owner, sales and marketing executive, and nonprofit founder with experience building diverse organizations and environmental charities.
This team is building the coalition of investors, community leaders, arts professionals and music industry promoters to rebuild the Bruns Amphitheater into world class music and performing arts destination in the Siesta Valley in Orinda CA.
Team
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We are a group of local Bay Area music and arts enthusiasts who want to revitalize one of the most beautiful outdoor amphitheaters in the country: the Bruns Amphitheater (former home of the Cal Shakes theater). After Cal Shakes went bankrupt, and EBMUD was faced with dismantling this local treasure nestled in the Siesta valley between Grizzly Peak and Hump Peak, we rallied to build a coalition of investors and supporters -- made of professional musicians, professional theater operators, restaurant owners, entertainment industry execs, entrepreneurs, business executives -- who all share a passion for keeping performing arts thriving in our community. We also want to build a model that is enduring for years to come.
Get involved
Get involved
Get involved
Contact us to get involved as a supporter and investor in this exciting performing arts and live music amphitheater project, which will sustain a high quality level of music and art for the East Bay for years to come.
Musicians for Siesta Valley Amphitheater
Live Music: Sat August 2, 6 to 9:30 @Fourth Bore Taproom, Orinda
To build support and to get the conversation and buzz started for the new Siesta Valley Amphitheatre, we are hosting a free concert featuring 3 local East Bay Bands on Saturday August 2nd in the courtyard at Fourth Bore Taproom & Grill in Orinda CA. Show up for some good music, good vibes, and fun and learn more about the project.
- The Ripplers
- The Wayhighs
- The Hippy Hill Gang
The Ripplers
The Ripplers play Rock and Roll & Blues covers, are a local Lamorinda favorite, and are fun with strong playing tunes.
The Wayhighs
Wayhighs perform original psychedelic rock with memorable choruses, soaring guitar, head-bouncing feet-moving beats, and the Halycon Horns taking it up a notch in all the right moments. It’s a sound that was born in the Fells Point blues bars of lead singer and guitarist Lorne’s hometown of Baltimore. When he moved to California in 1999, his songs grew up on the beach, around the campfire, by the river, and beneath the tall trees. Wayhighs music takes the audience on that journey from classic sounds to modern psychedelic jams, channeling, creating in the moment something new—a spark that the audience shares in. This is the rush we seek, where the party is, on the highway of our journey. Or is it the way high? Pack your bag let’s go!
The Wayhighs have been recording performing in the Bay Area since 2012 at venues such as The Independent and The Boom Boom Room. Their fourth studio album is due in mid 2025.
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6u2TE0oBwaRvq15LgMKRAp?si=3kBFyDNESkWbe1xnyCGSvg
https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Wayhighs/100066350597209/
The Hippy Hill Gang
An authentic Orinda local party band, featuring local musicians from El Toyonal (aka “Hippy Hill”) and playing rock and roll favorites from the 1960s to 2020s.
Support Local Music & Arts
Show up to share your enthusiasm and support for local artists and music
Welcome to Siesta Valley Amphitheater
Experience unforgettable outdoor live music at Siesta Valley Amphitheater! Join us for incredible performances featuring rock, country, bluegrass, and pop. Discover upcoming events and immerse yourself in the vibrant music scene. Visit us at siestavalley.org!