By Collin Breaux
Come Dec. 27-28, Donavon Frankenreiter will perform at The Coach House, a venue where he previously saw performers including Willie Nelson and B.B. King.
“I’ve watched a million shows at The Coach House,” Frankenreiter said. “It’s a great place to go to.”
Frankenreiter grew up surfing in California, a lifestyle that influenced the sound of his music, and he now lives in Hawaii.
He recently released the album Bass & Drum Tracks, the songs on which are exactly what the title describes, instrumental and sparse re-workings of earlier songs mixed in with new tracks. The opening track, “Big Wave,” can feel like it’s slowly creeping up on the listener in the way it builds a pace while maintaining a low-key vibe.
The upcoming San Juan Capistrano stop is part of The Record Player Tour, on which Frankenreiter and associate Matt Grundy will play the album live, along with some new songs.
“It’s really fun,” Frankenreiter said. “We’ve been looking forward to it.”
Frankenreiter said he didn’t know if Bass & Drum Tracks would work as an album and called the experience “kind of nerve-wracking, ” since there’s a tendency to go with the natural flow of a song once you start playing one. He wanted to re-record songs and didn’t want to find the masters of past tracks.
He feels the bass and drums are the basis of every song.
“I made it for people to jam to. Bass & Drum Tracks was a tool we were making to do something new,” Frankenreiter said.
Frankenreiter isn’t sure how to describe his music for people unfamiliar with it, saying there are acoustic and electric parts while mentioning he doesn’t like analyzing what he does. One could say his music has an intimate and rustic feel, such as during the song “Woman”from his 2015 album The Heart.
“Don’t be a fool, woman, I’m in love with you,” Frankenreiter softly croons on the song.
The Coach House, where attendees can have a drink and a meal and be right up close to the stage when musicians perform, is a home away from home for Frankenreiter. He mentioned how the walls are adorned with autographed pictures of other musicians who have performed there in the past. Frankenreiter also recalls seeing Gov’t Mule and Leon Russell at The Coach House.
“There’s not anything like it in the area,” Frankenreiter said. “You love to have a room that has incredible history like that.”
The Coach House shows will be a kickoff of sorts for The Record Player Tour, because Frankenreiter will head to San Diego County, Ventura County, and elsewhere afterward.
Tom Curren and Sidney Bowen will also perform. The two will fit in well with the concert and area, as Curren has experience surfing while Bowen is from Orange County, according to biographies. Visit thecoachhouse.com or call 949.496.8930 for ticket prices and more information.