The outdoor amphitheater in the Orinda hills that sat quiet after California Shakespeare Theater closed in 2024 is hosting concerts again.
Siesta Valley Bowl opened its inaugural season on Friday, June 5, with singer-songwriter Jonathan Richman, former frontman of the Modern Lovers, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The venue, previously known as Bruns Amphitheater, operates under a 15-year lease between the nonprofit Siesta Valley Foundation and the East Bay Municipal Utility District, which owns the property. EBMUD approved the lease in November, the Chronicle reported.
Michael Karp, president of Siesta Valley Bowl, Inc., runs the operation through a public-private partnership with the foundation and EBMUD. The venue has partnered with Blue Note Entertainment Group for talent booking, bringing in David Lefkowitz, Blue Note's senior vice president of talent, to oversee programming. Suman Chatterjee, former general manager of the 3,000-capacity Masonic in San Francisco, has been named general manager.
Lefkowitz said in a press release that the venue aims to pair festival-quality production with an intimate setting among the redwoods of the Berkeley-Orinda hills. "Artists are going to love performing here, and audiences are going to love experiencing music in this environment," he said.
Operators say they plan to host 75 to 100 performances annually from April through November, spanning rock, blues, jazz, funk, bluegrass, country, classical, and pop. The Siesta Valley Foundation says programming will eventually expand beyond music to include film, dance, and educational offerings, according to Diablo Magazine.
Cal Shakes had operated at the site for roughly 50 years before closing. Then-Executive Director Clive Worsley said in 2024 that the company faced an "insurmountable financial impasse" after years of declining ticket sales, rising expenses, and changes in arts funding.
Capacity is a point of some ambiguity. Siesta Valley Bowl's operators describe it as a 1,000-seat amphitheater and have announced plans to expand to 2,000 seats with premium food and beverage service. EBMUD's official figure, per the Chronicle, is 540 seated or 750 standing.
The summer series runs through mid-October. Upcoming shows include DakhaBrakha on Thursday, July 23; Stanley Clarke on Saturday, July 25; Jake Shimabukuro on Friday, August 7; Rebirth Brass Band and The Soul Rebels on Saturday, August 8; Cécile McLorin Salvant on Tuesday, September 22; and Super Diamond on Saturday, October 24. Tickets and the full schedule are available at siestavalleybowl.com.
