Christian Brothers Band performance at Amargosa Opera House near Death Valley

An incredible intersection between two illustrious icons of American art took place over the weekend when America’s oldest high school performed at a sold-out Amargosa Opera House.

“I was very proud of the boys. They did a great job today,” Christian Brothers Band Director Patrick Bolton told the Pahrump Valley Times after the concert. “We’ve been preparing for this for quite some time, and all that preparation really turned out well. They sounded good. I was really pleased with their performance today.”

The Christian Brothers Band made its California debut at the Amargosa Opera House over the weekend. Founded in 1872, the musical group is the oldest high school band in America. 🎺🥁📯🎼 pic.twitter.com/icgkbr6TMK

— Elijah Dulay (@Elijah_Dulay) March 17, 2026

The Christian Brothers Band of Memphis, Tennessee, founded in 1872, made its California debut at the Amargosa Opera House on Saturday, March 14. The band has performed across the country during its long history and is currently on a quest to play in all 50 states.

“This is an extreme highlight of this whole tour,” Bolton enthused. “This is a beautiful place, and to pack it out the way we did today, the kids are always going to remember this.”

Playing inside the Golden State at the Amargosa Opera House was part of the band’s “2026 Tumbleweed Tour.” Prior to the tour’s start, the band had played in 30 states but added six new ones during this tour: Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and California.

“It goes by quick, but the boys have been great,” Bolton said about the tour. “We’ve gotten to see a lot of the country, a lot of these kids have never seen before.”

The Christian Brothers High School’s reenactment group, the Silver Cornet Band, who play with traditional instruments in the style of the school’s first bands, played at the Amargosa Opera House last weekend. In between songs at Saturday’s performance, Bolton explained the band’s history and shared stories of its rich legacy.

“It’s a great honor to be here in the state of California and a great honor to be here in the Amargosa Opera House,” Bolton added.

Before the Christian Brothers Band took to the stage, Fred Conboy, president of the board of directors of the Amargosa Opera House Inc., greeted the audience and introduced the storied venue founded by famous artist Marta Becket.

“When we can have a live performance in there and people can sit in there and experience the magic of the murals that she painted over six years, their beauty and splendor, matched with the live performance, it’s really an unmatchable experience. There’s nothing like it,” Conboy said after the performance concluded.

During his introduction, Conboy shared the story of how Becket discovered the building and transformed it. He then showed the audience the murals Becket painted on the walls.

“When you have a live performance in the theater, it brings the spirit of Marta back, too, because that’s what she wanted: people to come into her theater and be able to have the same joy of being in a theater like that,” Conboy explained.

Nye County’s largest community also received a moment of recognition when Conboy asked the audience how many were from Pahrump, with a majority of the crowd responding with claps and cheers.

“We had this great audience from Pahrump, and I realized that if you put the word out to your neighbors, they show up. That was really encouraging to see that 90% of the audience was from neighboring Pahrump,” Conboy enthused. “We hope we can do more things like that to attract the locals, so I was really glad that we were able to be in a room full of Pahrumpians.”

For more information about the Christian Brothers Band and the group’s rich history, visit cbhsband.org.

Visit amargosaoperahouse.org to learn more about the historic Amargosa Opera House and Hotel and Marta Becket’s legacy.

Contact reporter Elijah Dulay at edulay@pvtimes.com