Win tickets to see Julian Lage at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco

Julian Lage performs during the Newport Jazz Festival 2023 at Fort Adams State Park on August 05, 2023 in Newport, Rhode Island.
Julian Lage will perform with organist John Medeski, bass guitarist Jorge Roeder and drummer Kenny Wallesen. (Image credit: Douglas Mason/Getty Images)

We've been doing GP Presents promotions with SFJAZZ for Julian Lage's residencies at Miner Auditorium over the past few years, and it’s been so successful that this time we’re moving on up to prestigious Davies Symphony Hall!

Legendary organist John Medeski (Medeski Martin & Wood) is the featured guest on Lage's latest Blue Note gem, Scenes from Above (2026), and he will be on the gig as well along with Lage’s longtime bass guitarist Jorge Roeder and drummer Kenny Wallesen.

Following on the heels of his Grammy-nominated and mostly acoustic album, 2024’s Speak to Me, Lage flipped the script back to playing mostly electric on Scenes from Above. Joe Henry (Bonnie Raitt, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot) produced the adventurous affair full of fascinating counterplay between Lage and Medeski.

Lage explains, “Scenes from Above is kind of a response to the last record, not only in the bias towards electric versus acoustic but also to have a band that felt really agile where everyone could kind of go anywhere at any time. Speak to Me was basically my working trio surrounded by a perimeter of orchestration that kind of came and went.

“The structure on the new album required me to have a little more authority in the sound or the playing because it was so in the moment. An organ has such a miraculous sound through a Leslie, and it was very important that when the guitar came it didn’t feel like all the energy dropped. The continuous presence of the organ through the whole record made me feel like electric guitar is the better partner, and then to supplement certain moments, we’ll go acoustic.”

Watch the official video for “Talking Drum”

Talking Drum ft. John Medeski, Jorge Roeder, Kenny Wollesen (Official Video) - YouTube Talking Drum ft. John Medeski, Jorge Roeder, Kenny Wollesen (Official Video) - YouTube
Watch On

Lage is hotter than ever, wheeling in on the heels of playing with Bob Dylan over the summer. This show will sell out.

Secure your seats now to see GP Presents Julian Lage Quartet at historic Davies Symphony Hall in the Civic Center area of Downtown San Francisco on Monday, October 19. Contemporary Latin singer-songwriter Laura Itandehui opens the evening.

WIN TICKETS!

For a chance to win a pair of tickets to see GP Presents Julian Lage Quartet in San Francisco, send an email and put “Lage” in the subject line. Include a sentence about yourself and why you want to go.

Phone contact greatly appreciated for confirmation.

Winner must provide his or her own transportation to Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, California, on Monday, October 19, and have his or her own accommodations in the Bay Area.

Best of luck!

EVENT DETAILS

GP Presents and SFJAZZ welcome Julian Lage Quartet, plus opener Laura Itandehui

Monday, October 19

Davies Symphony Hall

San Francisco, CA

8:00pm show

Free Martin Strings at the GP Presents table in lobby

CATEGORIES

Jimmy Leslie is the former editor of Gig magazine and has more than 20 years of experience writing stories and coordinating GP Presents events for Guitar Player including the past decade acting as Frets acoustic editor. He’s worked with myriad guitar greats spanning generations and styles including Carlos Santana, Jack White, Samantha Fish, Leo Kottke, Tommy Emmanuel, Kaki King and Julian Lage. Jimmy has a side hustle serving as soundtrack sensei at the cruising lifestyle publication Latitudes and Attitudes. See Leslie’s many Guitar Player- and Frets-related videos on his YouTube channel, dig his Allman Brothers tribute at allmondbrothers.com, and check out his acoustic/electric modern classic rock artistry at at spirithustler.com. Visit the hub of his many adventures at jimmyleslie.com