Velvet Caravan Comes to The Center For The Arts

Velvet Caravan brings their high-energy showmanship and genre-mixing music to Pepperdine University's Smothers Theatre at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 1 at the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts.

Tickets, starting at $20 for adults and $10 for full-time Pepperdine students, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522 or visiting arts.pepperdine.edu.

Originally an informal instrumental combo which routinely drew enthusiastic and loyal followers at restaurant and bar gigs, Velvet Caravan has evolved into a respected and admired touring act that's one of the shining lights of Savannah's burgeoning music scene. The group has performed in venues ranging from nightclub residencies to featured guest appearances with small orchestras and full-sized philharmonic symphonies.

Rooted in the Gypsy Jazz/Gypsy Swing and Latin Swing styles, this unorthodox, acoustic-based quintet is comprised of violinist Ricardo Ochoa, keyboardist Jared Hall, bassist Eric Dunn, guitarist Sasha Strunjas, and percussionist Jesse Monkman, and takes pride in their non-traditional array of musical and cultural influences. Velvet Caravan's eclectic style is the direct result of the diverse backgrounds of the band members, which include Venezuela, Serbia, Austin, Texas, Iowa, Boston, Massachusetts, and Southern Georgia.

Velvet Caravan plays upbeat, tunes from all over the world that are both "tight and [sophisticated]" (Beaufort Gazette), yet also sound fun and organic and highlight the group's sense of humor.

As a follow-up to their debut album Acoustic in Nature (2014), the band is currently writing and arranging original material for their second album, which they plan to record sometime in 2018.

The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University provides high-quality activities for over 50,000 people from over 800 zip codes annually through performances, rehearsals, museum exhibitions, and master classes. Located on Pepperdine's breathtaking Malibu campus overlooking the Pacific, the center serves as a hub for the arts, uniquely linking professional guest artists with Pepperdine students as well as patrons from surrounding Southern California communities. Facilities include the 450-seat Smothers Theatre, the 118-seat Raitt Recital Hall, the "black box" Helen E. Lindhurst Theatre, and the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art.