Bella Vista Social Club and Caffe sits atop the mesa of La Jolla, nestled in next to some of the world's premiere research institutes such as the Sanford Consortium, Salk Institute, and UCSD. It's no surprise then that the restaurant/bar/event space is a hub for scientists, professors, professionals, locals, and visitors from around the globe. With so many great creative minds coming together, it made sense to add another artistic element - live music. Since launching in 2014, Founders Amanda and Nico Caniglia have made Bella Vista a hot spot for local music with sunset shows (overlooking the cliffs of La Jolla) every Thursday and Friday. GigTown partnered up with Bella Vista early on and besides bringing local artists more gigs, the partnership has led to something more... love. Read on the hear the story of how the King Taylor Project was formed :)
March 31st 2015
GigTown Music hosted its very first "Jammy Jam Jam" event in March of 2015, presented by 22 Kings (Sandi King's band at the time) at the Bella Vista Social Club & Caffe in La Jolla. Joshua Taylor Music was scoping out the event with fellow artist Jon Berghouse to see if he wanted to become a part of the GigTown family. Sandi "saw Josh walk in while we were playing a set. I mean, you couldn't miss him... tall, handsome, and that spiky hair that I could follow through the crowd." When 22 Kings finished their set, the floor was opened up to any artists that wanted to jam out. Sandi recalls, "When Josh went up to perform a couple of songs, I stopped what I was doing and noticed it was the same guy I was eyeballing earlier. I think I knew that night that I was done for. I didn't want to admit it of course! I am very stubborn! It took little more than a week for us to be officially dating, and less than 6 months before we were engaged."
"What I saw and heard that night was remarkable," Josh reflects. "I had never experienced a voice like hers before—not just sonically, but energetically. There was something unmistakably authentic and compelling behind it, and it hit me right in the chest with a massive force. I finally had a chance to talk to Sandi later in the evening and felt an instant connection. I knew I had to know this woman. The rest came as naturally as breathing—falling in love with her was the easiest thing I've ever done."
Sandi and Josh started humorously using the hashtag #thekingtaylorprojectto describe the engagement, and the name stuck. Within a year of their meeting each other, King Taylor Project was formed as an expression of Sandi and Josh's shared love for soul, r&b, funk, and blues music. It is a collaborative band model, with King and Taylor at the core of the band, and the format is often augmented by some of San Diego's most talented musicians.
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So with that said, we're happy to present Bella Vista Social Club and Caffe as GigTown's Venue of the Month for July! Fans - go enjoy some music and delicious food on Thursday or Friday evenings. Musicians - keep an eye out for gig opportunities!
