The ads for Candlelight concerts on social media are captivating, featuring images of a candlelit stage and musicians playing stringed instruments.
Promoted by Fever, an entertainment ticketing platform, about four to five concerts are held each month at various locations around the country, including El Paso.
We recently attended a Candlelight concert in El Paso and came out huge fans of these concerts for a date night or a special girls’ evening. Here is what to expect and know about these live music experiences.
The Candlelight concerts are held monthly at various locations, such as the St. Roger’s Depot, 420 N Campbell Drive, near Downtown, or the El Paso Zoo. Each concert is themed, whether featuring music by a particular famous singer or tied to a popular show. We attended the concert paying tribute to the popular Netflix series, “Bridgerton.”
The depot is already an iconic historic landmark, a restored 1903 railroad terminal. But on concert nights, it is even more magical with more than 4,000 battery-operated pillar candles flickering on the stage and around the seating area and shelves throughout the venue.
The attire typically ranges from evening to business casual, with some people taking it a step further and dressing to the theme, on this occasion, early 19th-century evening wear. And just like in the series’ social scene, concert attendees gather for a drink before the concert.
As the lights begin to dim, it’s time to take our seats, while the Four Bridges Quartet, which regularly performs the concerts, takes its spot on the stage. The quartet is led by Alejandro Gonzalez, who plays the cello.
Guests are instructed not to take photos or record the performance until instructed, typically at the end of the last song. There is usually one who doesn’t listen, so shame, shame.
Gonzalez, who usually has a script for the concerts, delights audiences by offering some insight before each song. In this case, we were able to enjoy pop songs we regularly hear on the radio, but with classical musical twists.
It’s so intriguing to hear “Give my Everything,” by Pitbull, “Happier than Ever,” by Billie Eilish or “Wrecking Ball,” by Miley Cyrus as an elegant classical piece.
Each concert is about 60 minutes long but the time goes by too fast with the beautiful harmonies created by the talented musicians. The quartet is filled by rotating musicians, many of them public school music teachers or members of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra.
Gonzalez said his quartet has played most of the concerts since 2022, when they started in El Paso. The musician has seen the popularity of the concerts grow, moving from the Shoppes at Solana to St. Roger’s Depot and, more recently, to the El Paso Zoo.
“They have grown in popularity and attendance,” he said. “For me, personally this is a dream come true of sorts because I grew up listening to the Vitamin String Quartet play covers of movie soundtracks. And I love pop music and am a huge movie and soundtrack nerd, so it’s great.”
He added, “For us being able to put together the songs with the timeline of the show (like Bridgerton), and in particular knowing how popular a lot of these songs are – it’s a fun challenge.”
Candlelight concerts coming up
Candlelight: Tribute to Juan Gabriel on Strings: 6:30 p.m. March 12. From $46.50 on up.
Candlelight: 90s Hip-Hop on Strings: 8:30 p.m. March 12. Tickets range from $69.50 to $78.50. $54.50 tickets are sold out.
Candlelight: Tribute to the Beatles: 6:30 p.m. April 2. From $37.50 on up.
For tickets and more information: feverup.com
María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150; mcortes@elpasotimes.com; @eptmaria.bsky.social on Bluesky, and @eptmariacg on TikTok.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Candlelight concerts in El Paso offer unique live music experience
Reporting by Maria Cortes Gonzalez, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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