Where Music Meets the Soul

You don’t have to go too far to see legendary musicians and great acts thanks to Lance Sterling, owner of Sterling Venue Ventures. “The City of Santa Clarita requested we take a look at their City, and agreed it was an underserved market,” said Sterling.
The Canyon, Santa Clarita is Sterling’s fifth Southern California location and occupies the former Red Robin Restaurant as well as some of the available adjacent space at Westfield’s Valencia Town Center. The 25,000 to 30,000 square foot facility offers big name artists, premium dining, full bar, dinner seating, VIP seating and more. “I don’t fancy myself as an environmentalist, but I try to keep people close to home, bringing the entertainment to them,” Sterling said.
Sterling is no stranger to the music industry. Born in the shadows of Woodstock, his parents were hippies and loved music. After some time at the University of Arizona where he studied civil engineering, Sterling decided he wanted to work in the music industry. He went on to work for Loews Hotel and successfully ran concerts and nightclubs.
In the 1990s, Sterling joined Isaac Tigrett, who was starting House of Blues, and began booking some of the industry’s best artists. Sterling also ran the Tabernacle in Atlanta before venturing out to open The Canyon in Agoura Hills and The Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. Sterling also owns The Rose in Pasadena and produces concerts at The Libbey Bowl in Ojai.
What does this mean for Santa Claritans?
Having multiple venues allows Sterling to book acts for multiple nights, Sterling said.
“An act that plays for other concert promoters has to abide by contract terms known as radius clauses,” said Sterling. “Having multiple venues like The Saban and The Rose, allows me to compete by booking shows with well-known artists for multiple nights.” Headliners for Sterling’s venues like Eddie Money, Timothy B. Schmit of The Eagles and Kris Kristofferson will make their way to Santa Clarita as well.
CaliBurger is open next door to the club and offers a great food option to general admission guests and mall shoppers in general.  “Cali Burger is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, and their burgers are amazing,” said Sterling. Keeping the kitchen busy, The Canyon, Santa Clarita also offers a separate dinner menu for concert goers, complete with prime rib, steak, lasagna, salmon, stuffed chicken and more.
“Guests can come in, buy tickets to a concert and get dinner and drinks,” said Sterling.
The Canyon, Santa Clarita also offers Soulful Sunday Brunch where guests can expect soul music with a country flare and great food, and Country Girls Shake It nights on Wednesdays, complete with line dancing and live country music.
“We’re excited about having this venue in Santa Clarita,” said Sterling. “Get out and have a date night once a week; come out and listen to bands that used to fill stadiums but are happy coming to play for us. It’s comfortable. It’s close to home, and you can enjoy good food and good music.”
Ticket prices range depending on the band. To get a complete listing of upcoming concerts, visit www.wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com. Tickets can be purchased at the website, by phone, (888-645-5006), through Ticketmaster or at the box office.

photo by Joie de Vivre photographie

Comments