Starting this weekend, Downtown Santa Monica’s newest nightlife destination will host live jazz concerts every Sunday night.
Canary opened last month in the building that West End occupied at the corner of 5th Street and Arizona Avenue. Wen Yeh, one of Canary’s founders, told The Daily Press in June that the tropical lounge aims to offer a sophisticated but lively night out and attract a crowd that skews older than The Bungalow and younger than Bar Chloe.
In addition to a rainbow of cocktails from bartender Devin Espinosa, Canary invites musicians and DJs to perform on a stage in the lounge, Yeh said. Its weekly jazz nights kick off Sunday and will feature Grammy-award winning musician Dave Yaden, his band and guest vocalists each week.
“It’ll be a very elevated, upscale experience that nowhere else in town is offering,” Yeh said. “Other places may have beautiful decor and views, but we’re going bring a live experience to Santa Monica.”
Yeh, who grew up in Santa Monica, said he wants Canary to be a chill space where people can hang out and listen to live music.
“There used to be this place called Bob Burns 15 to 20 years ago on 2nd and Wilshire. It was a nice little rat pack lounge that had live jazz and old school diner booths,” he said. “It was just a fantastic place to spend time, and that’s what I was going after for this venue.”
General manager Bart Clemmer said Yaden will bring in different vocalists to perform each week, such as R&B singer Jacob Lutrell.
“David does a great job of blending all the different styles his vocalists bring out and keeping the quality of the music high,” Clemmer said.
Clemmer added that burlesque dancers from Donna Hood’s “Tease if you please” company will make surprise appearances on Sunday jazz nights.
Canary is open Wednesday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
madeleine@smdp.com
