Safety Orange makes its Sacramento-area debut Friday before an all-star cast celebrates one of rock’s greatest guitar innovators Saturday
From Southern California beach rock and pop-punk to an all-star celebration of one of the most influential guitarists in rock history, The Boardwalk has two distinctly different nights of live music ahead before the weekend turns toward remembrance Sunday afternoon.
The music begins Friday, Sept. 11, when San Diego-born Safety Orange makes its first Sacramento-area appearance, joined by Sacramento pop-punk band CaliGO and Rocklin alternative rockers Star Vista.
Saturday, Sept. 12, brings a major change of musical direction with the fourth annual A Tribute to Jeff Beck, an all-star production featuring an extensive roster of accomplished musicians performing music associated with the late guitar innovator.
The weekend concludes Sunday, Sept. 13, when The Boardwalk hosts a Celebration of Life for Joe La Russo beginning at 2 p.m.
Safety Orange brings Southern California sound north Friday
Friday night brings a dose of Southern California to Orangevale as Safety Orange arrives with a sound born from surfing, rock and the beach culture surrounding the band.
Founded in San Diego by surfing friends Harry Elmore and Sol Turpin, Safety Orange traces its history back to the mid-1990s. What began after a surf session and an early performance at a friend’s house party developed into a band that has spent decades blending reggae-infused rock with elements of punk, ska and Latin music.
The group describes its sound as beach rock, an appropriate label for music that combines laid-back reggae rhythms with a harder rock edge and the energy of punk.
Over the years, Safety Orange has taken that sound across the country while releasing multiple studio albums and dozens of singles. Its catalog includes “Life As a Fish,” “Troll Rock High” and “State of Where I Am,” with the latter featuring “Hotel Whatever You Like,” a track that accumulated millions of streams.
The band has continued releasing new music in 2026, including the June single “Leaving in the Morning,” as it remains active on the road more than three decades after its beginnings in San Diego.
Friday’s Boardwalk appearance is billed as Safety Orange’s first performance in the Sacramento area, giving local audiences their first chance to experience the band’s mix of reggae, rock, punk and beach-town energy on a Sacramento-area stage.
Two regional bands will get the night started. CaliGO comes from the Sacramento area with a pop-punk sound built around catchy melodies, loud guitars and the early-2000s style of punk the band members grew up listening to.
Rocklin-based Star Vista brings melodic alternative rock to the bill, combining big guitars and strong vocals with influences stretching from the alternative music of the 1990s to modern rock.
Together, the three acts make Friday a cross-generational rock lineup, moving from early-2000s-inspired pop-punk and ’90s-influenced alternative rock to Safety Orange’s Southern California blend of beach, reggae and punk sounds.
Doors open at 7 p.m. Friday and the show begins at 8 p.m. General admission is $20, plus applicable taxes and fees.
All-star lineup celebrates Jeff Beck Saturday
Saturday night puts the guitar front and center as The Boardwalk hosts the fourth annual A Tribute to Jeff Beck, an all-star celebration honoring a musician whose influence reached far beyond conventional rock guitar.
Beck, who died in 2023 at age 78, continually reinvented his sound during a career spanning more than half a century. From his groundbreaking work with The Yardbirds and the Jeff Beck Group to his later exploration of jazz fusion and instrumental music, Beck became known as a guitarist whose playing could be immediately recognizable without being easily categorized.
Saturday’s tribute is organized by Eric Barnett and brings together a sizable roster of musicians to explore that catalog rather than simply recreate one period of Beck’s career.
The announced lineup includes Alex Skolnick, Stu Hamm, Eric Barnett, Daniele Gottardo, Phil Demmel, Danny Jones, Darby Gould, Frank Martin, Farida Nelson, Tara Rae, Mike Vanderhule and Shane Barnett.
It is a lineup with considerable musical range of its own. Skolnick is widely known as the lead guitarist for thrash-metal veterans Testament while also building a career in jazz through the Alex Skolnick Trio and numerous collaborations. Bassist Stu Hamm has spent decades at the forefront of instrumental rock and fusion and is known for his work with artists including Joe Satriani and Steve Vai.
Phil Demmel brings another heavy-rock connection through his years with Machine Head and Vio-lence, while vocalist Darby Gould is known for her work with the Bay Area band Jefferson Starship. The larger ensemble brings together musicians from rock, metal, jazz, fusion and other backgrounds — fitting for a tribute to an artist who spent his own career moving between genres.
Rather than focusing solely on Beck’s best-known rock recordings, the production is designed to explore the breadth of his music, from blues-rock to the jazz-fusion work that became such an important part of his legacy.
That improvisational element is particularly significant. Beck was celebrated not simply for technical ability but for the expressive way he approached the electric guitar, often manipulating tone, volume and pitch to create sounds that could seem almost vocal.
Saturday’s gathering gives the participating musicians room to honor that spirit while bringing their own backgrounds and playing styles to the material.
Doors open at 7 p.m. Saturday, with the tribute beginning at 8 p.m.
Sunday gathering remembers Joe La Russo
The weekend takes on a more personal tone Sunday when The Boardwalk hosts a Celebration of Life for Joe La Russo.
The gathering begins at 2 p.m., with doors opening at 1 p.m., providing family, friends and members of the community an opportunity to come together at the Orangevale venue in his memory.
Sunday’s event completes an unusually varied three-day stretch at The Boardwalk — beginning with the beach-rock energy of Safety Orange Friday, moving into a musician-filled celebration of Jeff Beck Saturday and concluding with a community gathering centered on remembrance Sunday.
The Boardwalk is located at 9426 Greenback Lane in Orangevale. For all-ages shows at the venue, guests under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Tickets and additional information for the weekend are available through The Boardwalk.
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