7/31/2019 Local Nuggets: Saint Rocke - The Saint of Rock 'N' Roll

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62 SouthBaydigS.com | 7.27.2012

When Saint Rocke opened its doors a little less than fve years ago, right on the

corner o 2nd Street and PCH in Hermosa Beach, it wasnt without some grand plans.

The impetus o the name comes rom the idea that we are going to save rock n

roll in the South Bay, co-owner Allen Sanord said. Lets be the saint o rock n roll. We

didnt want to be cliche, so we added the e.

Hoping to bring live music back to the South Bay, Saint Rocke is committed to having

bands play at the venue six nights a week. And while Saint Rocke has become more well

known in the South Bay since its opening fve years ago, Sanord understands that the

venue is only as good as the bands it books.

The live venue business is like going to Las Vegas every day. You bet on how things

will do, Sanord said. We have committed to live music and it is super important to the

community and really is apart o everyones lie.

Unconventional in its design, Saint Rockes setup doesnt allow people to see the

stage at every angle. However, Sanord believes that adds to the experience instead o

detracting rom it. So many venues I would go into were just a big black box without a

design. Nothing was given attention to, Sanord said. When we talked about what Saint

Rocke would be, we designed it to eel like you are watching a band rom your living room.

Whats most important in live music is your connection with who is playing. I wanted

to build a place where people could eel comortable. It eels nice with 10 or 300 people.

With everyone rom Toots and the Maytals to Chris Robinson o the Black Crowes

taking the stage at Sainte Rocke, Sanord and the other owners strive to get an eclectic

mix o perormers throughout the year. That is also true or the Hermosa Beach

Summer Concert Series, something St. Rocke has been in charge o since 2010. The

our concerts, which are every Sunday rom the end o July to the middle o August,

will eature: Nikka Costa, Poncho Sanchez with The Bside Players, Spazmatics and The

Aggrolites.

Putting a band on the beach is about as So Cal as you can do and is one o the

coolest things we do, Sanord said. We got to reshape it and make it an even more special

experience. We get to create memories that people will have or the rest o their lie.

And while Sanord loves the bigger shows, he also enjoys seeing the smaller bands

perorm at Saint Rocke, on stage or the frst time with a sound system and real

lighting.

It is our responsibility to showcase local talent since we are a local

venue and give young bands a place to showcase their crat, Sanord said.

No one else ocuses the time and eort we do with music in its purist orm.

For more information on saint Rocke, viit: aintrocke.com

BY QUINN ROBERTS

The Saint ofROCK N ROLL

l o c a l N u g g E t S