Skip to main content
search

Go To Hale: Film Series – Curated Evenings in Rock ‘N Roll

Hale Milgrim is a rock ‘n roll raconteur and a die hard fan whose passion for music has never dimmed.

There is a lot we can say about Hale; beyond an incredible career that including being the President of Capitol Records, he is incredibly generous, supporting Lobero LIVE and Sings Like Hell, and giving his time to compile and share personal memories in several, “Go to Hale” evenings at the Lobero Theatre. We wrapped the first round of the Go To Hale Film series in January and wanted to share our thoughts as we head into Series 2 this summer.

Hale has amazing insights and stories, but, prefers to keep the spotlight on the musicians he so admires.

After David Bowie’s death in early 2016, Hale was reliving some of Bowie’s best performances and came across the incredibly touching opening of the Concert for New York City – a stripped-down medley of Simon and Garfunkel’s “America” and “Heroes.” Seated on the floor with only a Casio keyboard, Bowie’s raw vocals soared as he sang to his own local FDNY Ladder before being joined by a full band. It was a standout performance in a brilliant career of standout performances, and it inspired Hale to craft a loving tribute to honor the fifteenth anniversary of September 11, focusing on how these incredible musicians came together to heal in the face of tragedy. Held on Sunday, September 11 to a packed house, this showing of hand-selected excerpts from the

Held on Sunday, September 11 to a packed house, this showing of hand-selected excerpts from the Concert for New York City featured performances from Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, Elton John, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, John Mellencamp, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, The Who, and more. Hale shared stories about artists he knew and worked with and thanked Santa Barbara’s First Responders who enjoyed complimentary tickets.

As he worked on the Concert for New York City evening, Hale conceived of two more in the burgeoning film series, choosing to honor George Harrison and Bob Dylan. On the 15th anniversary of George Harrison’s passing, Hale led audiences through select performances from the moving concert film, Concert for George, featuring to Eric Clapton and friends giving the performance of their lives. Besides truly special performances by Anoushka Shankar, Jeff Lynne, Billy Preston, the Traveling Wilburys, and of course, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, there were bits of comedy from Monty Python, and clips of Dhani Harrison carrying on George’s legacy.

The third was the Bob Dylan: 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration comes on the heels of Dylan’s Nobel Prize in Literature award, which only adds to his growing mythology. Recorded at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1992, the concert features many artists performing classic Dylan songs including members of Booker T. and the MG’s, Kris Kristofferson, Roger McGuinn, Ronnie Wood, Johnny Cash and June Carter, Neil Young, Lou Reed, Eddie Vedder, The Band, and more.

“Go to Hale” has always been a celebration of the Lobero, held to thank our wonderful volunteers and raise needed funds. Each of these evenings featured a coordinated silent auction featuring items from Hale’s personal collection–from gold records and record industry sales awards on down to DVD’s and collectibles that tied into each performance. All proceeds went to supporting live music on the Lobero stage. Best of all, items went home with passionate fans, just like Hale.

The newest installment in the Go To Hale Film Series kicks off on June 16.