Living in the 831: Popular piano man celebrates 20th Anniversary

MONTEREY, Calif. (KION) - The Central Coast is no stranger to creative minds and one local performer is celebrating a 20-year stint, something unheard of in today's music world. 

Popular piano man David Conley can play and sing it all from the Bee Gees to Billy Joel. And the iconic Sardine Factory restaurant fills up fast while he's performing.

Conley is celebrating a big anniversary.

"It makes me very happy to have been here for 20 years because when I started back in 2004, I come off of being fired from The Mission Ranch," Conley laughs.

He was fired by local legend Clint Eastwood, who wanted a more jazzy feel than rock, but Conley has no hard feelings about it. But since the age of 17, Conley's been a rocker at heart, influenced by the Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Bob Dylan, playing on the road in rock bands since 1975.

"And back then you had to be in a band because the technology wasn't to the point where it is now where I could play by myself and sound like a band," Conley said. "So I, I kind of prefer it the way it is now, but I learned a lot from the old days for sure, including I'm playing the same songs I was playing in 1975."

The song Conley gets requested the most is the Niel Diamond hit "Sweet Caroline."

His fans say it's almost like family here. They come from near and far for the atmosphere, the food, and of course to sing along to those familiar songs.

"Dave makes me happy. I come here, I relax. I love spending time and listen to him sing," one fan said.

Conley is here to stay for as long as he can.

"I will not retire. When you hear that thud on the keys, right, that's my head and it's over, but not until that moment," Conley jokes.

And that's music to our ears in Monterey.