.Sonny Smith to Display His Evolution at Mitchell Park

May 25, 2023

Sonny and the Sunsets — Sonny and The Sunsets

Earthwise brings another musical chameleon to Palo Alto to kick off the weekend. Sonny Smith “finds comfort in returning to his roots in the wake of personal upheaval” on his latest album with the Rhinestone Sunsets, Longtime Companion. Released in 2023, the album finds the Bay Area artist and his band in a decidedly country mode—one that suits these world-weary songs about the breakdown of a decade-long relationship perfectly. It’s a marked evolution from the doo-wop beach-pop on his previous two records, but Smith grew up with a father who instilled a love for the banjo in him. In that sense, he’s right at home.

Sonny & the Sunsets

Fri, 8pm, $20

Mitchell Park, Palo Alto

Addie Mahmassani https://www.addiemahmassani.com/

Addie Mahmassani is a poet based in Santa Cruz. She holds a PhD in American Studies from Rutgers University-Newark and is currently an MFA student in creative writing at San Jose State University. There, she is a Teaching Associate as well as the lead poetry editor of Reed Magazine, California's oldest literary journal. She also surfs, sings and loves a part-sheepdog named Lou.