I had already moved from the Los Angeles area to Orange County when the Troubadour was in its hey day, so this was my very first time to experience this music venue icon. My granddaughter’s favorite band is Delta Rae. I took her to Memphis in December to see them, but the concert was cancelled at the last minute. So when their appearance was advertised at the Troubadour in March, we jumped at the chance to finally see them. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. First, it was dinner.

Pump is on Santa Monica Boulevard a couple of blocks from the Troubadour. It is owned by Lisa Vanderpump (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and multiple other ventures with her husband). I expected over the top, but it was really quite nice. It was like eating in the forest.

Interesting menu – Lisa’s Big Pinky for starters (Vodka, muddled lime and mint, club soda and cranberry), and shared Truffle and Parmesan Cheese Fries and Mini Sliders with Pump’s thousand island with baby arugula, caramelized onion, and white American cheese. Kaitlynn said her pan-roasted salmon with lime turmeric sauce, rosemary potatoes and roasted vegetables was quite yummy. I couldn’t resist the Lisa’s Homemade Potato Salad with turkey. bacon and scallions. It was a meal in itself.

Then off to the Troubadour for the evening’s entertainment – and quite an evening it was. We had reserved seats in the balcony over center stage. I played the age card and told management that I could not stand for 2 hours. They were more than happy to indulge me. Unfortunately, I really am too old to stand that long.

Opening act was Wyn Stark – amazing voice – and Delta Rae was a great surprise. Their voices blended so well. The group is made up of 3 siblings and 4 good friends. To my ear, their original music is a mixture of folk, soft rock, and indie. So much energy radiated from that stage. It was lots of fun, and I swear that every person down on floor knew the words to every song (as did my granddaughter).

The Other Thing –

After concert, a line up for souvenirs and a chance to see all the photos on the walls of well-known bands in their early years. It’s quite a lineup!