Article Contributed by L. Paul Mann
Published on 2026-09-01
Trombone Shorty | Vina Robles Amphitheatre | photos by L. Paul Mann
As the summer sun dipped behind the oak-dotted hillsides of California’s Central Coast on August 23, Vina Robles Amphitheatre delivered a full evening of American roots, soul, and brass-heavy funk. The show also felt like something of a milestone for the venue itself, marking one of the stronger late-summer bills since Nederlander Concerts acquired the boutique 3,000-seat amphitheater earlier this year.
Nederlander had long been the primary promoter booking the space, and its move into full ownership has only strengthened Vina Robles’ reputation as a destination where intimate, European-inspired mission architecture meets first-rate live music production. On this warm August evening, the setting was nearly as inviting as the music.
Opening the night was folk troubadour Tré Burt, whose sparse, barbed acoustic set offered a compelling prelude to the sonic avalanche that would follow. Armed with little more than an acoustic guitar, harmonica, and sharp lyrical storytelling, Burt captivated early arrivals with blues-tinted songs that carried echoes of John Prine and Woody Guthrie. His understated grit grounded the early part of the evening as fans settled into the terrace and lawn sections and the last of the daylight faded from the hills.
The mood shifted quickly when St. Paul & The Broken Bones took the stage. Frontman Paul Janeway, equal parts Southern preacher and show-stopping soul vocalist, brought an immediate charge to the amphitheater. Draped in an elaborate, shimmering robe, Janeway tore through a set packed with gospel-infused horn runs, deep grooves, and soaring falsetto.
During fan favorites like “Call Me,” his raw emotional delivery had the crowd on its feet. The Birmingham outfit has built its reputation on this kind of release, and at Vina Robles the band once again showed why it remains one of the most explosive soul acts on the touring circuit. There is a theatrical quality to Janeway’s performance, but beneath it is a band that plays with precision and force.
By the time Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue hit the stage, the atmosphere had reached a fever pitch. Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews bounded into the lights with his usual athletic energy, launching straight into a high-octane mix of Tremé funk, rock, hip-hop, and New Orleans brass.
Andrews pushed his horn section hard, trading blistering trombone solos with fiery trumpet runs and driving the band forward with the kind of restless momentum that has become his trademark. The music felt rooted in New Orleans street-party tradition but expansive enough to fill the amphitheater, turning a Central Coast vineyard setting into something closer to a massive outdoor dance floor.
Backed by a razor-sharp rhythm section, Orleans Avenue kept the grooves coming with little letup. The combination of brass, percussion, rock muscle, and second-line spirit gave the closing set a sense of motion that never really settled down. By the end of the night, the crowd was still moving.
With pristine acoustics — no seat in the house sits more than 150 feet from the stage — and smooth production throughout the evening, the show also served as a strong early statement for Nederlander’s stewardship of Vina Robles. The venue has always had the setting. Nights like this suggest the booking and production are keeping pace.
If this lineup is any indication of where Vina Robles is headed, Central Coast music fans have plenty to look forward to in the seasons ahead.
