News

With the countdown on to Grammy award winner Sara Bareilles’ hometown concert in Halvorsen Park on Oct. 16, the city of Eureka announced today that she has selected two opening acts with local ties for the free show.

Sharing the stage will be Mario Matteoli — a singer, songwriter and music producer who also grew up in Eureka — and local favorite Huckleberry Flint.

While tickets were swooped up within hours of the last month's announcement of Bareilles’ community concert, there is a waiting list and the city is encouraging anyone with more tickets than they need to return them to free up spots for others by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/ECEKpTfhCXcksvTTA.

“I am so lucky to be able to come home and share music and appreciation for the community that raised me,” Bareilles said in the Sept. 20 news announcement. “It has been such a long time since I have been able to do a show for my hometown, and this year felt like a good year to make an effort to spread some joy. The roots of my music and my artistry come from Humboldt County, and I am who I am because of where I’m from. I hope to simply bring some music and gratitude to the community to say thank you for being my home.”


Read more about Bareilles, her career, how her upcoming concert came together and how growing up in Humboldt made her "scrappy,” taught her empathy and put her on the path to writing and performing in the Sept. 22 Journal cover story "Sara Bareilles Comes Home" here.

Find the city of Eureka release below:

(EUREKA, CA.) — Community reaction to the Oct. 16 Sara Bareilles concert at Halvorsen Park has been extraordinary, with reservation capacity for the event filling up in only the first day of availability.

With today’s announcement of opening acts for the concert, the community has even more reason to celebrate. Bareilles has chosen two acts with local ties – Mario Matteoli and Huckleberry Flint – to share the stage on what is sure to be a memorable afternoon.

More on the opening acts below:
Mario Matteoli is a Humboldt County native who grew up in Eureka, California. As a singer, songwriter, and music producer he has toured nationally and internationally. At the age of 19, he decided he wanted to be a professional musician and moved to Austin, Texas. As a solo artist, and in collaboration with other bands, Matteoli has dabbled in various musical genres but is best known for his alternative country and alternative rock styles.

Huckleberry Flint started as an old-time string band playing acoustic music on the streets of Arts Alive in Eureka. The band’s sound has since morphed into full electrified folk-rock, but the band has not lost touch with their roots. A melting pot of styles and sounds, Huckleberry Flint has become a local favorite while drawing inspiration from the many different musical interests of the members of the 6-piece band.

Anyone holding extra tickets that they do not need is encouraged to return them using this form: https://forms.gle/ECEKpTfhCXcksvTTA. Doing so will allow members on the waitlist to receive tickets as space allows.

ABOUT SARA BAREILLES
Sara Bareilles’ performances on the world’s largest concert stages, as well as on Broadway and television have made her internationally acclaimed, but her success remains a significant point of pride for Humboldt County. Many consider her to be Eureka’s favorite daughter. Bareilles burst onto the national music scene in 2007 with her single “Love Song,” which spent 41 weeks on the Billboard top 100 chart, 19 weeks in the top ten. Other hits and millions of album sales followed, but perhaps more importantly, other doors were opened for Bareilles to broaden her reach. In 2015 she wrote the lyrics, composed the music, and later starred in the hit show Waitress on Broadway, for which she received a Tony nomination. More recently she stars as Dawn Solano in the ongoing TV series, Girls5eva, and in 2022 played the Baker’s Wife in the critically acclaimed run of Sondheim’s Into The Woods on Broadway. But Bareilles’ impact locally extends well beyond her accomplishments in entertainment. Her philanthropic legacy has helped fund a variety of youth-empowerment programs in Humboldt County and beyond, and she consistently acknowledges the positive impact that growing up on California’s North Coast has had on her success.

ABOUT THE CITY OF EUREKA
As the county seat of world-famous Humboldt County, California, the city of Eureka (Pop. 27k) is the heart of the U.S. Redwood Coast. Eureka is the market and cultural center of a beautiful region filled with iconic redwoods – the world’s tallest trees – and stunningly beautiful, rugged, and remote ocean landscapes. Eureka is the largest coastal city between San Francisco and Portland and a frequent stopover point for road trippers exploring the Pacific Northwest. Culturally protected by the ‘redwood curtain,’ the city is most famous for its unique Victorian architecture, one-of-a-kind shops and artisanal businesses, and its rich, authentic history. Learn more at visiteureka.com.