MUSIC REVIEWS:

New Venue in San Diego, (July 15, 2003, Jeniffer Thompson) San Diego is home to many great folk artists, but few great folk venues. Recently a new venue has popped up in Coronado of all places. It is a quaint and intimate little joint for 50 people to gather, the acoustics are phenomenal- it is, and I kid you not, a yoga studio.

Bamboo Yoga Studio & Bodywork Center is located at 1127 Loma Avenue across from Chez Loma. They kicked off their folk concert series with a Summer Solstice Show featuring Berkley Hart.

Berkley Hart Summer Solstice Concert, (June 28, 2003, Jeniffer Thompson) It's a cool Saturday evening in Coronado, a soft glow beckons Berkley Hart fans up a candle-lit stairwell for their third annual summer solstice concert at Bamboo Yoga Studio and Bodywork Center. This unlikely setting is not uncommon for Berkley Hart who perform a House Concert Revolution series in private San Diego homes. Bamboo offers an underlying tranquility with a soft amber glow that illuminates the quaint yoga room. A group of 30 enjoy gratis Ballast Point beer and two-buck-chuck wine as they talk softly among themselves. The duo is greeted with a hearty laughter as they begin their show with a humorous anecdote. Jeff Berkley and Calman Hart are a unique blend of distinctive talents, each adding an individual layer of richness and personality. Berkley, a native San Diegan, draws the crowd in with his soft voice and tender smile. He glows with sincerity as he sings a song he wrote for his five-year-old daughter. His talents are rooted in alternative rock percussion where he has developed a style all his own. Berkley has a warm demeanor that is approachable and comforting. Hart began playing originals in honky-tonk bars across Wyoming, Utah and Idaho. San Diego's folk scene has welcomed him with open arms. His deep voice rings a constant melody that warms the room, harmonious and gentle, yet strong with a power that speaks directly to each member of the audience. - It would be unfair to say that Berkley Hart sounds like or is a cross between other folk/country singer songwriters. Berkley Hart is two veteran San Diego musicians whose songs are created with witty poeticism and individual talents. They add a little percussion and a little harmonica to their acoustic duet. The two convey heart-felt stories with toe-tapping tunes and sad-slow ballads. Each song, whether it is a personal testament or an American tradition, rings true to this crowd as a few tears run down the cheeks of their listeners. But suddenly the crowd is swooning with laughter as Berkley Hart offers a happy-go-lucky reminder of the goodness in life. They incorporate a delicate balance of joy and tragedy in their repertoire of American folk tales. From a story about a young-man who changes his name over and over again in search of his destiny to an old rusted Chevy in need of some adoration, Berkley Hart sings about the American dream.