The new year is now almost a month old. As the saying goes, “time flies when you’re having fun.” Such is the case at the Fiddlers Crossing venue, now almost a year into its revival after several years of dormancy. The venue is, once again, focused on providing high-quality concerts, featuring nationally and internationally touring musicians, singers and songwriters, all in a warm, intimate “listening room” environment.
On Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m., the downtown venue will present singer-songwriter and storyteller Jeffery Alan Berkley. Fiddlers Crossing regulars may well recognize the name as he is the Berkley of the duo Berkley Hart, with fellow singer-songwriter Calman Hart. The duo has performed for the venue’s concert series a number of times since 2013, always receiving an enthusiastic response from the audience. This time around, Berkley is appearing solo, bringing his easygoing, humorous performance style, his warm, melodic voice, masterful guitar work and well-crafted songs back to Tehachapi.
Berkley is a native San Diegan who has made music his life. He has spent over 40 years in the business of making music. A Kerrville Festival “New Folk” winner, he has been nominated for 10 best album awards for his production. The San Diego Music Awards named him artist of the year and awarded his album “I Can Reach the Stars” album of the year in 2023. That same year, he was inducted into the San Diego Music Hall of Fame.
He’s toured the U.S, UK, and Australia as a solo performer as well as with Berkley Hart. He’s also provided guitar and percussion accompaniment on stage for artists including Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Ben Harper, The Indigo Girls and more.
As a producer, songwriter and performer, he wears many hats, but maintains that there is no favorite aspect of his career. “They all feed off each other. The truth is that I’d go insane just doing one or the other,” he says. Between his time in the studio and gigging, there is really no time he is not making music. “I truly don’t know any other way of living.”
A Jeffery Alan Berkley show is full of laughter, love and life, with clever, well-written songs, funny, heartwarming stories about real life and people, and just lots of fun!
For more about him, visit www.jeffberkley.com.
Fiddlers Crossing is located at 206 E. F St. in Downtown Tehachapi. Tickets may be purchased next door at Mountain Music as well as House of Wax Records, 122 South Green St. To reserve seats with a credit card, call 661-823-9994. A Venmo link to purchase tickets is at www.fiddlerscrosing.com. Please specify “Berkley” when purchasing. Tickets to the concert are $25 and, as always, refreshments are included. The concert begins at 7 p.m., doors open 6:30 p.m.
On the horizon, The Weeds (Irish music), singer-songwriter, Dana Hubbard and progressive Bluegrass band, Water Tower.
Peter Cutler is with Fiddlers Crossing.