City of San Jose and Team San Jose officials -- along with country music superstar Wynonna Judd and Nederlander Concerts -- have unveiled the renamed City National Civic and new marquee to rebrand the historic concert venue.
The historic San Jose Civic has been renamed the City National Civic. City National Bank, California’s premier private and business bank, will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2014. Backed by nearly $30 billion in assets, the company is now the 25th largest American commercial bank.
“The City National Civic is an iconic venue and City National Bank’s investment is a testament to their community driven focus,” said Councilmember Sam Liccardo. “The City of San Jose is proud to partner together with Team San Jose, City National Bank and Nederlander Concerts to reactivate the concert venue and support the local economy.”
Since 1936, City National Civic has played host to legendary stars, including Duke Ellington, Buddy Holly, The Grateful Dead, The Who, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Cream, Frank Sinatra and the Rolling Stones. The theater’s recent upgrade – coupled with Team San Jose’s partnership with Nederlander Concerts – has received rave reviews from recent artists who have played the venue and concert patrons who have visited the intimate mid-sized venue.
“I was delighted to celebrate the unveiling of the new City National Civic in the heart of Downtown San Jose,” said five-time Grammy winner and New York Times bestselling author Wynonna Judd. “It was such a thrill to acknowledge Little Kids Rock and what they do to help a younger generation of aspiring musicians. It was great to continue the celebration with my Christmas show that same evening.”
“City National Bank has been serving the Bay Area for years, and we’re very proud of our long-term partnership with the City of San Jose,” said company president Christopher Warmuth. “The City National Civic is a terrific concert venue – one that makes strong contributions to the artistic, cultural and economic vitality of San Jose. My colleagues and I are committed to both the Civic and the community it serves, and we look forward to continuing our work with the city, Team San Jose and Nederlander Concerts.”
Following the official renaming ceremony, Judd awarded a check to Little Kids Rock organization and helped the City of San Jose unveil the new City National Civic. In addition, Judd was the marquis entertainer that evening with her “A Simpler Christmas Tour” featuring her band, The Big Noise at the venue. The concert joins a roster of upcoming headline entertainment, including The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses (Dec. 14), Charlie Daniels / Montgomery Gentry (Dec. 15), Tower of Power / War (Dec. 28), David Garrett (Jan. 21), Styx (Feb. 6), Pixies (Feb. 22), Emblem 3 ( March 12) and The Piano Guys ( June 27).
“The City National Civic is a fantastic venue for concerts, special events and conference general sessions and we look forward to welcoming even more visitors to Downtown San Jose as a result of the recent investment by City National Bank,” said Karolyn Kirchgesler, Team San Jose chief executive officer. “We look forward to a successful partnership with City National Bank and couldn’t be happier with their investment back into the local community.”
“Between the renovations and partnership with City National Bank, we have an improved product and enhanced marketing resources to help activate the City National Civic and elevate the status of the venue as a must play concert venue,” said Alex Hodges, Nederlander Concerts chief executive officer. “This will help raise San Jose’s profile as an entertainment destination.”
For a list of all events coming to the City National Civic of San Jose go to www.citynationalcivic.com
