In 2017, the Quarry Amphitheater on the UC Santa Cruz campus reopened after being shuttered for 13 years. Its first event was a soft opening, a concert for students, donors, basically anyone who was involved in fundraising for the restoration and reopening of the venue.
The headliner that night? Chicano Batman, the Los Angeles-based Latin psychedelic rock act. Now, as the band possibly winds down its career—having announced an indefinite hiatus upon completion of its current tour—it returns to Santa Cruz and the Quarry Amphitheater Oct. 26 as the venue is set to embark upon a new era.
“It’s just mind-blowing. I kind of feel like we’ve grown together,” says Jose Reyes-Olivas, general manager of the Amphitheater, citing Chicano Batman’s sold-out show at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum this summer. “It was a big deal for us, and to do it all over again feels that much more meaningful. … I can’t wait to host them again.”
Reyes-Olivas recounts a story from that first show, where one of the members of the band called the Quarry the “zenith” of outdoor live music. Which must have been an incredible feeling for Reyes-Olivas to experience on opening night, given that he’s been involved with the venue going back decades.
“I love the Quarry Amphitheater and was fortunate enough to help with some great events prior to the closure of it,” says Olivas-Reyes, who’s been a university employee all this time, but also had a side hustle working in the live-concert industry for more than 20 years. He’s helped put on Michael Franti’s Power to the Peaceful Festival and Outside Lands. “I had a lot of production experience I learned outside of the university, and brought some of that understanding, experience, and network with me to my new position.”
Reyes-Olivas was involved in the project even when it was just a twinkle in a university bureaucrat’s eye. Now, as general manager, he’s shaping how the future looks for the Quarry. Chicano Batman will be the first major concert during the academic year, setting a precedent.
Indeed, the plans ahead are big, with Reyes-Olivas calling it the mini Red Rocks of the West, a reference to the famously picturesque Colorado concert venue. Perhaps an even more apt comparison might be Berkeley’s Hearst Greek Amphitheatre, which has hosted everything from famous free-speech protests to the biggest musicians from the Grateful Dead and Joni Mitchell with B.B. King to Radiohead. It’s viewed as something of a sister venue given that it also resides on a UC campus.
“We’re trying to replicate calendering that they do at the Greek at UC Berkeley,” Reyes-Olivas says. “It’s important for us to think outside the box, and it’s a great opportunity for the campus.”
But let’s be clear and not pigeonhole the venue to one type of event, or as even just a facility. The Quarry holds non-concert events, including a popular Dia de los Muertos gathering and the Deep Read, an annual salon focused around one piece of literature or academia hosted by the university’s Humanities Institute. Moreover, the venue acts as a lab for students as part of the Quarry Theater Production Academy.
“We know that we have a lot of constituents and communities that we want to serve,” says Olivas-Reyes. “I think that’s the beauty of the Quarry. It’s intimate enough, but at 2,600 capacity it’s the largest outdoor amphitheater in Santa Cruz County. So we can wear a lot of hats and serve a lot of different communities. We want to continue bridging the campus with the community. That’s been my personal goal, making those connections where the community feels really welcomed and excited about coming up to our campus.”
The San Francisco–based promoter Noise Pop has been instrumental in helping to get the venue’s name out as a destination for touring musicians. But there’s no exclusive agreement, leaving options open.
Chicano Batman will be supported by Thee Sinseers, The Altons and Tropa Magica, a bill full of strong Chicano roots and influences. Thee Sinseers are a full-stop soul throwback, having seen a huge rise in popularity releasing a number of singles since 2019 and, especially, their debut LP, Sinseerly Yours, earlier this year.
The Altons, currently in the middle of a global trek, bring a similar soulful sound with a bit of psychedelic influence. And Tropa Magica completes the well-themed program, a band that might be equally at home time traveling back to the ’70s or performing a modern-day residency at a border-town dive bar.
Chicano Batman with Thee Sineers, The Altons and Tropa Magica play starting at 7pm on Oct. 26 at the Quarry Amphitheater, 1156 High St., Santa Cruz. Tickets are $48, $90 VIP.
