Guitarists to convene for a candlelight concert

For his latest cross-country tour, guitarist Benise decided to leave the dancers, the sets, the multi-media effects – and the band – at home in California.

Anyone who’s seen his PBS specials, or caught his annual Mahaffey Theater appearances, is familiar with Benise’s elaborate stage show. His music is a combination of flamenco and Mediterranean styles, and rock music favorites done up in world music arrangements for nylon-string classical guitar. PBS’ tagline for him is “The Prince of Spanish Guitar.”

The show arriving at the Palladium Theater’s Hough Hall Jan. 16 pairs Benise (his first name is Roni) and the Greek-born guitarist Pavlo (his last name is Simtikidis). It’s called Romantic Guitar by Candlelight.

“This is a more intimate show,” Benise tells the Catalyst. “It’s a candlelight show, with more of an acoustic, unplugged vibe. We’re setting down a lot of candles. It’s a very romantic setting.”

He and Pavlo (who happens to live in Tampa) will be joined by Almilcar Cruz on rhythm guitar.

Photo provided.

“It’s music-based, and people love it,” Benise says. “My other show, there’s so much going on. It’s about the music, and it’s a lot of fun to do some songs I can’t do in my big show.

“Those are dynamic songs. Songs we’re doing for this can be a little bit more personal, a little more emotional, and I don’t need all those other elements. It’s a lot of fun to stretch out and just do a music show.”

It is not, he insists, a sit-down snoozefest. “We play a lot of classics like Beethoven ‘Moonlight Sonata,’ some Vivaldi … and then, of course, fusion. We do some AC/DC, some Led Zeppelin … it’s a little bit of everything. He does the best of his songs, I do some best of mine. It’s very high-energy. We get the crowd involved.”

He may look like a European opera singer, or someone from the jacket of a romance novel, but Roni Benise is a farm boy from Nebraska. He grew up loving rock ‘n’ roll guitar – Hendrix, Clapton, Page, the usual suspects – and discovered the prodigious passions stirred up by Spanish guitar after he moved to Los Angeles in search of a career in music.

Benise put together a band and began playing Mediterranean/rock fusion on the streets, and wherever else the gigs happened to be. “There were no dancers. This is what I love about this show – it’s kind of a throwback to that time where we were just performing.”

As they attracted repeat customers, Benise began renting out theaters and producing his own shows.

“Everyone came to Disneyland at some point, or Universal, or just L.A., and they discovered us on the streets,” he recalls. “It’s amazing – we’ll be across the country, and they’ll say ‘Oh, I saw you at Disneyland.’ Or ‘Third Street Promenade.’ And that’s where they discovered us, as opposed to maybe PBS.”

He was at one point managed by the legendary Doc McGhee, who’d handled Kiss, Motley Crue and others. Benise – the man, the band, the stage show – began touring in the year 2000, and in all that time, despite the sellout shows, the record and DVD sales and the PBS specials, “I had all these offers coming in, but I decided to basically stay independent.”

In other words, Benise rules his own empire.

It is suggested by this reporter that Pavlo is the Greek version of Benise. “That’s why we hit it off so well!” Benise laughs.

“He’s got his production on PBS, I have mine, and we’re both instrumental guitar players. The Greek God of Guitar, I call him.”

Tickets for the Friday, Jan. 16 concert are at this link.