Kate Hudson Opens New Concert Series From Mercedes-Benz and Auberge Resorts

As a marque that offers a $6,800 Burmester audio system as one of its options, Mercedes-Benz clearly understands the impact an exclusive musical performance can have on the automotive experience. It’s not much of a stretch, then, that the automaker is partnering with the Auberge Resorts Collection on a few live concert events from now through at least December. 

The Auberge Resorts Concert Series Presented by Mercedes-Benz kicked off on October 6 with actor and musician Kate Hudson serenading an audience of about 300 attendees at The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos, Calif.

The concert was simultaneously intimate and inclusive, since anyone on the neighboring properties could hear the music wafting through the air. Some of the resort’s rooms even overlooked the venue, affording those guests a panoramic view of the musician, her band, and their assembled fans. The nearby church’s bell tolled halfway through the show, integrating greater Los Olivos into the concert even more.

It should come as no surprise that Kate Hudson’s abilities as a live performer are more than impressive. Appearing in a flowing sundress with her signature beach-blonde waves of hair cascading over her shoulders, she greeted the audience without any pretense of fame, as if she were singing karaoke or jamming around a campfire with friends. America’s breeziest sweetheart, through and through.

And then there’s her voice, which carries a new-wave rasp not unlike Elizabeth Daily or Tiffany, perfectly suited for her cover of Till Tuesday’s sweetly innocent “Voices Carry” and Miley Cyrus’ self-possessed “Used to Be Young.” Hudson performed her own original songs as well, turning on a dime from the sensual “Talk About Love” to the nostalgic “Glorious”— the title track to her debut studio album. It was exactly the kind of music one would expect given her filmography, which encompasses a turn as a 1970s rock groupie in Almost Famous and a boisterous singing role opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in Nine.

Almost equally engaging is Mattei’s Tavern, which was an original Overland Company stagecoach stop in the late-1800s before morphing into an upscale hotel that catered to well-heeled East Coasters looking for some frontier adventure in the beginning of the 20th century. That distinct Central California DNA persists in the resort’s decor today, with horseshoes and lariats on the walls and local flora in the bungalow-style rooms.

As part of the partnership, Mercedes will offer guests at each concert a ride-and-drive fleet comprising SL roadsters, Maybach EQS SUVs, and examples of the indefatigable G-Class, each equipped with special-order Manufaktur colorways and options. Surprisingly, the assemblage at Mattei’s Tavern also included the new Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E-Performance four-door coupe, packing 831 hp and 1,032 ft lbs of torque—truly a reward for the designated drivers in one of the nation’s premier wine regions.

The Auberge Resorts Concert Series Presented by Mercedes-Benz continues on November 15, when LeAnn Rimes will appear at The Lodge at Blue Sky in Park City, Utah, and concludes with Maren Morris performing at Commodore Perry Estate in Austin, Tex., on December 13. Other resort locations and artists are also being considered for the series, which may possibly extend into next year with events all over the country.

Click below for more photos of the Auberge Resorts Concert Series Presented by Mercedes-Benz.