Sam Llanas and Friends + special guest opener Zach Pietrini

Sam Llanas & Friends with drummer Guy Hoffmann and bass player Bob Griffin with special guest opener Zach Pietrini

Join us for an unforgettable musical journey at The Bend Theater as Sam Llanas reunites with Guy Hoffmann and bass player Bob Griffin, delivering a night of legendary hits and soulful harmonies. The experience begins with special guest opening act Zach Pietrini, setting the stage for a captivating evening of classic and contemporary sounds that will resonate long after the final note.

Sam Llanas & Friends:

Sam Llanas is an iconic American singer, acoustic guitarist, and songwriter. Best known for his unique and distinctively soulful voice, Llanas burst onto the national music scene in 1986.

After 25 years of a storied career with his band, including being a part of U2’s celebrated Joshua Tree tour, singing on Robbie Robertson’s “Somewhere Down the Crazy River,” being voted best new band by the readers of Rolling Stone Magazine, and sharing the stage with such luminaries as David Bowie, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, and Tom Petty it was time for a change.

After leaving in 2011, Llanas released 4 A.M., a stripped down, quietly introspective offering that reflected the mood of the title. Once again critics were taken with the haunting quality of his singing and his ability to construct concise songs with lovely melodies that manage to say a lot with a few simple basic chords and a minimum of straightforward words.

In 2014 came The Whole Night Thru, the third installment (he released his first solo album, A Good Day to Die in ‘97) of what Llanas calls his night music. While retaining a mostly darker tone, “TWNT” also contained elements of his former bands most loved songs (it was Llanas after all who wrote his former bands biggest hit “Closer To Free”).

Zach Pietrini:

Zach Pietrini’s Midwestern, indie americana songwriting aesthetic is the sonic embodiment of a well-worn denim jacket. At the forefront of the Americana resurgence, Pietrini—lead vocalist and guitarist for his namesake band—takes an everyman’s approach to the genre with a knack for honest storytelling and a wistfulness that comes across in both the music and lyrics. The band takes its cues from Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and David Ramirez, reinterpreting and rejuvenating American roots styles through a contemporary lens. Pietrini’s songs “situate him at the confluence of all that an urban Millennial audience finds relatable” (Milwaukee Magazine), performing old-soul themes of ennui, regret, disappointment, and nostalgia with a modern twist.

Doors open at 6:30 PM to give you time to find your seats, visit our historic lobby, concession stand and fully stocked bar! Show begins at approximately 7:30 PM.