Special Homecoming weekend concert! Enjoy a magical music experience under towering redwoods in the Berkeley Hills.

Come rock out with Sonny & the Sunsets. Birthed from the sand, the surf, and twilight campfires down in Ocean Beach, Sonny & the Sunsets’ busted beach-pop songs spark recollections of doo-wop’s otherworldly despair, a dose of goofball humor from the Michael Hurley school, and positive possibilities exuded by Jonathan Richman. Early rock and ’60s psych-pop inspiration shine on their newest release Self Awareness Through Macrame. Sonny Smith is a musician, playwright, and multimedia artist from San Francisco. His band Sonny and the Sunsets have released nine albums. Over the years he has worked with many amazing artists/musicians including Miranda July, Shannon And The Clams, Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs, Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, and James Mercer of The Shins. He is the founder of local record label Rocks in Your Head.

Admission Information

Please register in advance for this event through the UC Botanical Garden. Cal students receive an $8 discount!

Concert Information and Ticket Policies

All tickets are by registration “will call list”; no physical tickets available. Your name will be on the check-in list available at the Kiosk and Grove Gate.

Parking at the Botanical Garden is not guaranteed. The adjacent UC parking lot has only 52 spaces — rideshare and carpooling is highly encouraged. UC Berkeley campus shuttle available every 30 minutes.

Ticket includes admission ($18 value) to the main Botanical Garden collections before they close at 5 p.m. Redwood Grove Gate opens at 5 p.m. Show starts promptly at 5:30 p.m.

Seating is general admission in the wood bench amphitheater. (Stadium chairs ok.) Please contact us in advance if you will need a wheelchair accessible spot.

Picnics welcome. No concessions provided. Alcohol prohibited per UC Berkeley policy.

Warm clothes recommended.

Cancellation Policy

All concert ticket sales are final and non-refundable. The value is not transferable to another concert or program. In the event you are unable to attend the concert, you are welcome to gift or sell the ticket(s) to someone else in advance of the show. The recipient will have to use the ticket purchaser’s name for admittance. Absolutely no ticket selling or transfers allowed at the Botanical Garden, including the parking lot.

For more information, contact gardenprograms@berkeley.edu or 510.664.7606. If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, contact Marykaren Mrowka at 510.664.7606 or gardenprograms@berkeley.edu 7 to 10 days before the event.