Take a deep dive into the music of some of the greatest songs ever recorded during The Center Session: A Night With The Beatles with Christian James Hand. Popular KLOS 95.5 FM host Christian James Hand brings his groundbreaking radio segment The Session live to Samueli Theater on Friday, March 6. In this exclusive, one-night-only event, Hand will guide the audience through a track-by-track breakdown of some of the Beatles' most iconic songs.
Equal parts fascinating and informative, Hand methodically deconstructs the songs, isolating individual tracks and illustrating the genius behind each note and the inspired arrangements that comprise the band's beloved discography. Said the LA Daily News, "You'll never listen to music the same way again." A wine and hors d'oeuvres reception begins at 7:00 p.m. with the performance beginning at 8:00 p.m. All proceeds from the evening support Segerstrom Center for the Arts and its array of exceptional programs. This event contains language which may not be suitable for younger audience members and is recommended for ages 17 and up.
Ticket prices differ based on section and are available at price points of $100, $150 and $200. Seat assignments in a given section are assigned on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are available for purchase at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. Visit the Center's website at
www.SCFTA.org for more information.
Christian James Hand is a British musician, music producer, radio personality, and voice-over artist. Born in Tittensor, Stoke-On-Trent, England on January 27, 1969, his family later moved to Botswana, Africa. In 1976 the family returned to the UK and lived in London until re-locating to Port Jefferson, Long Island.
Hand attended The State University of New York at Purchase (Purchase State College). While there he was instrumental in revamping the college radio station, WPUR (now WPSR). After graduation, Hand was offered a job touring with P.M. Dawn in the World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) Festival starring Peter Gabriel. His official title was drum technician, although he was originally hired as a lighting tech, and also acted as ad-hoc stage manager.
After returning from the tour, and unwilling to spend his life on the road, Hand worked with British hipa??hop Label, Gee Street Records, as an A&R (artists & repertoire) assistant. In 1993, he became the stage manager for The Gravediggaz while they toured with Public Enemy, Gangstarr, Ice Cube, Korn, and Biohazard, among others. At the insistence of producer Prince Paul, Hand was given the moniker "MC Skullcap" and performed with The Gravediggaz in place of RZA on part of their European tour.
Disillusioned with life in the Major Labels, Hand left Gee Street and took on the job of managing the local live venue in Port Chester, 7 Willow Street. While there he was responsible for helping book such acts as Soul Coughing, Face To Face, The Bogmen, The Goo Goo Dolls, and many others before they went on to national acclaim. It was also during his tenure at the club that he met Street Team from the local Alternative radio station, X-107. He soon quit 7 Willow Street and became promotions assistant at X-107.
In the winter of 1995 there was a re-shuffle of the on air-staff, and he threw his name into the hat to become the overnight DJ. He was hired within hours of delivering his demo and went on the air in the overnight slot using the name "Chase." After a few months, he was promoted to afternoon drive and also began working with Mike Savage on the groundbreaking electronica show, "X107 Hardhouse." When WRGX changed format to Country, he transferred to its sister station Y107 (KLYY) in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the name "Chase" also came with him to LA.
When Y-107 flipped format, Hand joined Sirius/XM's "Faction" channel as the nighttime DJ, initially using the name "Debbie Hernandez," as well as afternoons on "Alt Nation." He would also contribute to the
Jason Ellis Show on occasion. It was during this time that Hand and Ellis came up with the hugely popular "Naked Vocals" segment, where only the vocal parts to a classic rock song are isolated and played over the air.
After leaving Sirius/XM, Hand took the segment and expanded it as guest on the Mark In The Morning Show on KSWD 100.3 The Sound. He introduced the host and coa??hosts to
Marvin Gaye's "Heard It Through the Grapevine," breaking it down to all of its individual tracks, not just the vocals which became a fixture of the show. He then joined with Andy Chanley to become the co-host of the short-lived Andy In The Afternoon Show. During this time he started to do live music breakdowns each month in "The Sound Sessions at Swing House." These continue and routinely sell-out with audiences of 200 in attendance.
It was with Hand's dissection of Toto's "Rosanna" that he received national attention from Guitar World Magazine's website. He was given his own one-hour show on 100.3 The Sound called If You Like That which was heard Sunday nights at 9:00 p.m. The concept introduced listeners to new music by coupling it with a similar sounding classic rock song from an established artist. Many listeners considered it the best hour of radio on the station.
Today Hand can be heard on Monday mornings on the legendary 95.5 KLOS, where his 20-minute segment, The Session, teams him with Frosty, Heidi and Frank. He continues to expand his live shows beyond the Los Angeles area, having traveled to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Texas and Ireland. "Sessions" have been held at The Grammy Museum, and recently at NAMM with Linda Perry and Robbie Kreiger of The Doors.
He also still finds time to produce music. Among the artists and groups he has produced are The Mowgli's, Alexa Melo, The Jet Morgans, The Absolute, Analog Saint, and Mark Mackay. His greatest joy is not having to make records for the Majors anymore.
