Fans of the early ’70s, late ’80s California sun and surf sound will be in for a treat to hear that the platinum-selling pop/rock group Pablo Cruise will perform at the Hard Rock Casino on May 31. Photo courtesy of Pablo Cruise

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) – Fans of the early ’70s/late ’80s California sun and surf sound will be in for a treat to hear that the platinum-selling pop/rock group Pablo Cruise will perform at the Hard Rock Casino on May 31.

Originally from the Bay Area, founding members of the band Cory Lerios (vocals, piano) and David Jenkins (vocals, guitar) formed Pablo Cruise in 1973, fresh out of high school. Original band members when the group first started also included Bud Cockrell (bass, vocals) and Steve Price (drums).

The early days for Pablo Cruise members, before they gained national recognition, included playing at bars and clubs in the Bay Area and Sacramento, doing four-to-three-hour sets, “with no one really tuning in,” Lerios told the Messenger Publishing Group on May 14. When their first album, “Pablo Cruise,” was released in 1975, Lerios said, audiences “started listening and grooving” to their catchy melodies.

Originally from the Bay Area, founding members of the band Cory Lerios (vocals, piano) and David Jenkins (vocals, guitar) formed Pablo Cruise in 1973, fresh out of high school. Photo courtesy of Pablo Cruise

The process to getting hits on the radio in those days was a vastly different process that required starting out at local clubs to be heard compared to today, where streaming platforms are the main way to get people listening, said Lerios.

“No one was listening, you know, and then eventually as we started to release music, put our records out, even the first album that we put out, it sold enough and got played enough, especially locally,” said Lerios. “We’d go into these clubs where it was normally just glasses clanging, people talking and all of a sudden, they got very quiet. That really affects you when you’re performing because you're like, oh my God, now they’re listening.”

Pablo Cruise members got their first taste of stardom when their first hit, the R&B tinged “Whatcha Gonna Do?”      reached the Billboard 100 Top Five songs in the country. A&M Records, a major music label at the time, had a big role in the band’s success by signing a deal with them in 1975 that allowed their music to be promoted to radio stations, according to Lerios.

In 1979, Pablo Cruise broke Elvis Presley’s record at the Sahara Tahoe Casino Stateline, Nevada for most sold-out shows and was one of the first bands to perform at a casino. Photo courtesy of Pablo Cruise

Young, college-age audiences jammed to the tunes of Pablo Cruise through the radio and at live performances. Being youngsters themselves at the start of their success, Lerios said, the beginning of the band’s touring was “all about the party.”

In 1979, the band broke records at the High Sierra Theatre at Sahara Tahoe Casino, now the Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe Hotel & Casino, in Stateline, Nevada. The legendary Elvis Presly previously held the record for the most in attendance at the High Sierra Theatre until Pablo Cruise instantly sold out shows three days in a row. They had also become the first band to play at a casino.

Cory Lerios, founding member of Pablo Cruise, co-wrote hits for the band in the ’70s, and went on to produce music for movies and and television series such as “Baywatch.”

“It was unbelievable, really. Because bands hadn’t been playing the casinos,” said Lerios. “It was an amazing weekend, just so much fun and so much energy with these sold-out shows.”

In 1983, Pablo Cruise “threw in the towel” due to members leaving the band to work on their own individual careers and projects. Lerios headed in the direction of producing music for film and television, having an impressive portfolio of work in popular shows such as the “Baywatch” TV series, “Days of Our Lives,” “Child’s Play 3” and “One Crazy Summer.”

Creating music for the entertainment industry was a complete 180-turn for Lerios. He had months to write songs for an album, compared to strict deadlines of typically seven days for TV. Lerios shared that he didn’t mind the change in pace of writing because he actually “loved the deadlines.”

In 2005, Pablo Cruise got back together without any underlying plan to reunite the band but for a brief reunion to play at former drummer Price’s wedding. However, “after having a great time performing at Price’s wedding,” Lerios said, they decided to work their way back into touring together and playing their evergreen hits.

“We had not played, not even hadn’t even really talked to each other. And then, he (Price) called and said, ‘Would you guys mind getting together and playing a few songs at my wedding?’” Lerios said. “And that was sort of the beginning of us touring again. So, we took a good 20 years off and then we went back out.”

In 2005, Pablo Cruise got back together without any underlying plan to reignite the band but for a brief reunion to play at former drummer Steve Price’s wedding after a 20-year hiatus. Photo courtesy of Pablo Cruise

Now that the band members are older and have families to go back to after tours, there isn’t much time or energy for extravagant parties but the band members still put their all into every performance. Loyal fans who come to today’s shows might not be as young as they used to; however, they do bring their own kids to enjoy classic hits from their heydays. And, according to Lerios, the band has begun to build a younger audience with the rise of popularity of ’70s music in recent years.

After having recorded seven studio albums and two live albums, Lerios said, there are no plans for Pablo Cruise to release any new music because fans want to hear the music that they’re already familiar with. The last single released, “Breathe,” was during the COVID-19 lockdown and was remotely put together.

Theatres and casinos continue to be two of Lerios’ favorite kinds of venues to play. Going to a Pablo Cruise show these days, concertgoers will hear a long set full of hits from the ’70s and ’80s, including “Place in the Sun,” “Cool Love” and “Love Will Find a Way.”

“I like venues where the audience is up close. And we used to play for thousands of people. But these days, we play smaller venues. I like the smaller rooms because they're intimate and you can have fun with the audience and you can see the audience, you know?” Lerios said.

While Pablo Cruise tours throughout the country, a majority of their 30 to 50 shows a year are in California. Two of the original band members, Lerios and Jenkins, remain active in the band. The other current members are Larry Antonio (bass/vocals), Robbie Wyckoff (lead vocals) and Sergio Gonzalez (drums).

As an aside, when Lerios isn’t touring, he spends time at his home, located on a golf course, enjoys skiing and spending time at the lake. Music holds a big role in his life, even outside of performing, as playing piano is his favorite hobby that he calls a “hobby job.”

Pablo Cruise has played frequently in Northern California, but May 31 will be the first time that the band performs at the Hard Rock Casino Live venue, 3317 Forty Mile Road, Wheatland.  Gates will open at 6 p.m. and the opening act at 7 p.m. will be OutOfTheBlue. Show tickets range from $30 to $60 and can be bought at pablocruise.com/shows or at the box office located on the north side of the casino open on show days from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.