Old Town Temecula Community Theater is turning its stage over to two of rock's most enduring icons this September, booking back-to-back tribute concerts honoring David Bowie and the Rolling Stones. Jumping Jack Flash brings its Stones recreation to the venue on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m., followed two days later by Julian Shah-Tayler's Bowie tribute act, Electric Duke, on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 4 p.m. Both shows are billed as appropriate for all ages.
The concerts unfold inside a venue with its own local backstory. Construction on the Old Town Temecula Community Theater complex began in March 2004, and the building officially opened its doors on October 4, 2005, according to the City of Temecula. The 68-foot-tall complex houses a 357-seat main proscenium auditorium alongside a separate 48-seat black box space called The Merc, which patrons reach through Temecula's historic 1890s Mercantile Building, per Visit Temecula Valley. As the Record Gazette reports, the theater is located at 42051 Main Street in Old Town Temecula.
The theater's development is part of Old Town Temecula's broader history.
Jumping Jack Flash Recreates the Classic Stones Lineup
Jumping Jack Flash bills itself as a recreation of the look, sound and personalities of the classic Rolling Stones lineup, according to the Record Gazette's report. The band's Temecula set list is expected to include Stones staples such as “Satisfaction,” “Jumpin' Jack Flash,” “Paint It, Black,” “Ruby Tuesday” and “Get Off of My Cloud,” the same report notes. The Rolling Stones first broke onto the U.S. charts in 1964 with “Not Fade Away,” a milestone the paper's report ties to the band's long arc toward the songs Jumping Jack Flash now performs.
The band's Southern California roots run deep. Jumping Jack Flash was formed in San Clemente in 2005 by Keith Richards impersonator Young Hutchison and made its stage debut that January at the Freighthouse Saloon in San Juan Capistrano, per Wikipedia. The group isn't unfamiliar with Temecula audiences, either — it previously performed a free outdoor show at the city's Community Recreation Center amphitheater in June 2023 as part of Temecula's annual summer concert series, according to the City of Temecula Community Services Department.
Electric Duke Spans Five Decades of Bowie
Two days after the Stones tribute, Electric Duke takes the same stage to explore David Bowie's five-decade career, per the Record Gazette's account. The show is fronted by Julian Shah-Tayler, an internationally touring musician and producer who has spent more than 15 years performing Bowie's music, the paper reports. His set is expected to draw from a catalog of more than 120 Bowie songs, including “Space Oddity,” “Starman,” “Moonage Daydream,” “Rebel Rebel,” “Fame,” “Golden Years,” “Ashes to Ashes,” “China Girl,” “Let's Dance” and “Heroes.”
Shah-Tayler's Electric Duke has grown into an international touring act. The Record Gazette notes that Shah-Tayler has worked and performed alongside members of Bowie's own bands, including Mike Garson and Carmine Rojas, while his musicians have also performed alongside Lou Reed, Bryan Ferry and Dweezil Zappa. His website also discusses his Bowie tribute work.
A Real-Life Bowie-Jagger Connection
The pairing of Bowie and Stones frontman Mick Jagger tributes echoes a genuine moment of overlap between the two musicians. Bowie and Jagger joined forces in 1985 to record a cover of “Dancing in the Street,” cutting the song and its video in a single 13-hour session for Live Aid, according to David Bowie's official Facebook page. Bowie and Jagger released the charity duet that August. Together, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie reshaped popular music, fashion and culture, the Record Gazette's report states.
Tickets, Pricing and Venue Details
Tickets for both shows range from $25 to $37, with discounts available for seniors 55 and up, military personnel and students with ID, per the Record Gazette. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone at 866-653-8696, or at the theater box office. These are the theater's listed ticketing channels.
Beyond touring tribute acts, the Old Town Temecula Community Theater also hosts recurring events at The Merc. More information on the September tribute series is available at temeculatheater.org.
