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<\/p>\nFor his latest cross-country tour, guitarist Benise decided to leave the dancers, the sets, the multi-media effects \u2013 and the band \u2013 at home in California.<\/p>\n
Anyone who\u2019s seen his PBS specials, or caught his annual Mahaffey Theater appearances, is familiar with Benise\u2019s 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\u2019 tagline for him is \u201cThe Prince of Spanish Guitar.\u201d<\/p>\n
The show arriving at the Palladium Theater\u2019s Hough Hall Jan. 16 pairs Benise (his first name is Roni) and the Greek-born guitarist Pavlo (his last name is Simtikidis). It\u2019s called Romantic Guitar by Candlelight.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a more intimate show,\u201d Benise tells the Catalyst. \u201cIt\u2019s a candlelight show, with more of an acoustic, unplugged vibe. We\u2019re setting down a lot of candles. It\u2019s a very romantic setting.\u201d<\/p>\n
He and Pavlo (who happens to live in Tampa) will be joined by Almilcar Cruz on rhythm guitar.<\/p>\n
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Photo provided.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s music-based, and people love it,\u201d Benise says. \u201cMy other show, there\u2019s so much going on. It\u2019s about the music, and it\u2019s a lot of fun to do some songs I can\u2019t do in my big show.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose are dynamic songs. Songs we\u2019re doing for this can be a little bit more personal, a little more emotional, and I don\u2019t need all those other elements. It\u2019s a lot of fun to stretch out and just do a music show.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is not, he insists, a sit-down snoozefest. \u201cWe play a lot of classics like Beethoven \u2018Moonlight Sonata,\u2019 some Vivaldi \u2026 and then, of course, fusion. We do some AC\/DC, some Led Zeppelin \u2026 it\u2019s a little bit of everything. He does the best of his songs, I do some best of mine. It\u2019s very high-energy. We get the crowd involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
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 \u2018n\u2019 roll guitar \u2013 Hendrix, Clapton, Page, the usual suspects \u2013 and discovered the prodigious passions stirred up by Spanish guitar after he moved to Los Angeles in search of a career in music.<\/p>\n
Benise put together a band and began playing Mediterranean\/rock fusion on the streets, and wherever else the gigs happened to be. \u201cThere were no dancers. This is what I love about this show \u2013 it\u2019s kind of a throwback to that time where we were just performing.\u201d<\/p>\n
As they attracted repeat customers, Benise began renting out theaters and producing his own shows.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone came to Disneyland at some point, or Universal, or just L.A., and they discovered us on the streets,\u201d he recalls. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing \u2013 we\u2019ll be across the country, and they\u2019ll say \u2018Oh, I saw you at Disneyland.\u2019 Or \u2018Third Street Promenade.\u2019 And that\u2019s where they discovered us, as opposed to maybe PBS.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was at one point managed by the legendary Doc McGhee, who\u2019d handled Kiss, Motley Crue and others. Benise \u2013 the man, the band, the stage show \u2013 began touring in the year 2000, and in all that time, despite the sellout shows, the record and DVD sales and the PBS specials, \u201cI had all these offers coming in, but I decided to basically stay independent.\u201d<\/p>\n
In other words, Benise rules his own empire.<\/p>\n
It is suggested by this reporter that Pavlo is the Greek version of Benise. \u201cThat\u2019s why we hit it off so well!\u201d Benise laughs.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got his production on PBS, I have mine, and we\u2019re both instrumental guitar players. The Greek God of Guitar, I call him.\u201d<\/p>\n