Super Groups have come and gone, but one Newport Beach-based band comprised of four friends from famous rock groups looks like they’ll be around for a long time.
Charlie Colin, a founding member of Train (“Calling All Angels,” “Drops of Jupiter”) , Stan Frazier, a founding member of Sugar Ray (“Fly”) and brothers Joel and Scott Owen of PawnShop kings formed The Side Deal several years ago after achieving chart-topping success in their respective careers.
The Side Deal’s first gig was in Newport Beach, and the band has performed several times in their hometown since then, as well as concerts around the country including twice at the Sundance Film Festival.
After a six-month hiatus due to the coronavirus, local music fans can see and hear The Side Deal when they play an outdoor concert on Saturday, Oct. 10 at Bayside Restaurant in Newport Beach.
So exactly who are The Side Deal?
Charlie Colin is a two-time Grammy award winning songwriter and lyricist with three Billboard Top 10 Singles and three Platinum Records. Stan Frazier is a two-time No. 1 hit songwriter with four Billboard Top 10 singles and two Platinum Records. Scott and Joel Owen were named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of “The 10 New Artists You Need to Know” following their sixth independent record release.
Collectively, The Side Deal members have sold over 20 million albums worldwide, garnered over 230 million views on YouTube, streamed 330 million listens on Spotify, and performed 5,000+ shows worldwide to a cumulative audience of more than 6.5 million people.
Their live set includes familiar & revamped renditions of their global hits including Train’s “Drops of Jupiter,” “Calling All Angels,” and “Meet Virginia,” and Sugar Ray’s “Fly,” “Someday,” and “Every Morning” alongside The Side Deal originals and a handful of covers.
After sold out shows at the Irvine Barclay Theatre and other venues, The Side Deal spent several months recording their first album together, intending to release it earlier this year. They had shows lined up in support of the album.
Then COVID hit. Concerts were cancelled; the album put on hold. But the band members continued to write and record.
“We were cranking full steam ahead. We had a lot of gigs booked out of town,” said Frazier during an interview at Sgt. Pepperoni’s Pizza in Newport Beach, where Frazier is a co-owner. “We made a full-length album recorded in New Orleans and Los Angeles. We had so much going on including a lot of bookings. It all came to a screeching halt, including the record release.”
The band did release a single in February that garnered 100,000 streams on Spotify, which Frazier considered impressive since “nobody knows about Side Deal. We wanted to have some singles before the album came out.”
One good thing, said Colin, is that the band got signed to an independent record label.
“We wanted to take our live show and make a traditional record,” explained Colin. “We called producers we had worked with in the past, and we wanted to record at interesting studios.”
The record release is pending, but The Side Deal concerts are picking up. The group recently played two private “house party” charity concerts, and now are preparing for the Bayside concert.
“We love the venue—we’re excited to play there,” said Frazier about Bayside, which has converted part of its parking lot into a covered dining area and music venue that hosted a jazz series earlier this summer. Additional jazz concerts are planned for Bayside while the weather remains good.
The Side Deal concert is being presented by the Irvine Barclay Theatre. Like most Side Deal gigs, the set list includes Train and Sugar Ray hits, a few covers done Side Deal-style, and The Side Deal originals.
Tickets to the Side Deal Bayside concert are $100 per person and includes a three course lunch, tax and tip. Door open at 11:30, the concert starts at noon. A handful of tickets are still available. Visit www.TheBarclay.com.
Bayside Restaurant’s outdoor patio is very well set up for social distancing. They have been open for many weeks and have been following all state guidelines for safe outdoor dining. More information on these guidelines can be found here.
Safety rules are in place: A mask must be worn when entering, going to and from your table for restrooms, socializing or leaving. While seated, masks are optional.
All attendees’ temperatures will be taken upon entering. Your temperature must be under 100 degrees for admittance.
