Suzanne Schonig speaks with upcoming Cal Poly Arts musician, Sunny Jain, about his musical influences, current projects, and future aspirations in theatre, movies, and comedy.

Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East hits the Cal Poly Arts stage this Friday, March 14th! Tix at calpolyarts.org! Sunny Jain – musician, composer, and bandleader – known for blending South Asian rhythms with jazz, punk, and global music influences. A top of the game dhol player and drummer. He is the founder of the Brooklyn-based band Red Baraat, which fuses Bhangra, hip-hop, and funk into an electrifying live experience. With lots of artists across genres and composing work for music for film, TV, and theater, his work celebrates cultural fusion and storytelling.

Mornings with Suzanne , The KRUSH - MARCH 2025

In this episode, Adam sits down with Molly Clark, Director of Cal Poly Arts, to talk about the business of performing arts and what it takes to curate a show-stopping season. Molly shares behind-the-scenes insights into booking performances, balancing financial wins with artistic risks, and why some acts resonate while others take time to find their audience.

They also discuss the surprising show that sold out for the first time in 14 years, the challenges of securing Broadway-level productions for a mid-sized market, and how she’s working to diversify the arts scene in San Luis Obispo. Plus, Molly reveals the one artist she’d book tomorrow if budget wasn’t an issue—and let’s just say, Adam did not see it coming.

Up + Adam with Adam Montiel - FEBRUARY 2025

Ukrainian singer and bandura (a hybrid lute and harp) virtuoso Maryna Krut was a talented performer updating a beautiful musical tradition before the Russian invasion of her homeland transformed her into an activist. The 28-year-old was a Eurovision finalist who frequently represented Ukraine at official events, but these days when she's touring internationally, she's testifying about the devastating war, and when she's home, she's entertaining Ukrainian troops in the war zone.

NEW TIMES SLO - JANUARY 2024

New Times spoke to longtime lead singer China Forbes about Pink Martini's upcoming show at Cal Poly's Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, Dec. 18. The band is celebrating its 30th anniversary, playing songs from its 11 studio albums as well as holiday favorites.

NEW TIMES SLO - December 2024

As fiddles, guitars, mandolins, and other instruments play Christmas carols, the air fills with festivity and the Appalachian musical spirit. This magic is what can be expected when Mark and Maggie O’Connor take the stage for their “An Appalachian Christmas” performance at the Performing Arts Center on Dec. 5.

“The concept of the show is that Maggie and I invite the audience into our living room around the Christmas tree to hear some old-fashioned spirited American music played on fiddles, guitar, mandolin, mandocello and wooden spoons,” performer Mark O’Connor said. 

MUSTANG NEWS - December 2024

Internationally renowned chef, restaurateur, and food writer Yotam Ottolenghi wants you to arrive a little hungry to his San Luis Obispo stop of his cookbook interview tour on October 12. “Come somewhere in the middle,” Yotam said. “If you come totally full, you may not enjoy some of the tantalizing aspects of seeing the food and talking about the food. If you come hungry, you’ll just suffer,” he laughed.

EDIBLE SAN LUIS OBISPO MAGAZINE - October 2024

On Feb. 25, Cal Poly Arts welcomed Lightwire Theater to the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo to perform “Dino-Light,” a glow-in-the-dark experience illustrated through puppetry, dance and state-of-the-art lighting technology, Cal Poly Arts Director Molly Clark said. 

In a nearly sold-out show, Lightwire Theater’s 59-minute performance utilized light, technology and music to tell the story of a scientist bringing a friendly dinosaur to life with magic. Five of Lightwire Theater’s ensemble members used electroluminescent technology to portray different characters and props, ensemble member Tristan Rodney said.

MUSTANG NEWS - March 2024

It’s not Carnegie Hall, but the music being played from this truck could transport you there. Co-founders and directors Nick Luby and Susan Zhang founded The Concert Truck and since 2016, they have traveled around the country performing for a wide variety of communities with their mix of classical piano performances.

KSBY NEWS - March 2024

As about 40 Digital and New Media Marketing students took their seats in Harold Miossi Hall on April 16, trailblazing British organist Anna Lapwood looked down from the 2,767-pipe organ and began playing  a haunting and iconic piece of music: the opening song from the 1996 Disney movie, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

CAL POLY NEWS - June 2024

Similar to many people and fields, COVID-19 has impacted individuals in a variety of ways. Nearly two years after not hosting events and in its second season back, Cal Poly Arts is adjusting to the changes. 

There are about 25 to 40 performances within a season ranging from singers, musicians, dancers and more. Past performances this season include Aida Cuevas, Malpaso Dance Company and Terence Blanchard.

MUSTANG NEWS - February 2023