SF says goodbye to ‘Twin Peaks’ creator David Lynch in moody, orchestral style

Perhaps no musical ensemble could pay its final respects to David Lynch better than the one that took its name from the late director’s own work. Red Room Orchestra — whose moniker refers to an eerie dream location in the cult television series “Twin Peaks” — will gather Feb. 19 at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall to pay tribute to the director, who died in January.

Thirteen performers will play selections from the scores to Lynch films like “Lost Highway” and “Inland Empire,” as well as “Twin Peaks” and the prequel “Fire Walk With Me.” They’ll also perform classic songs by Elvis Presley and Judy Garland that Lynch was known to love. 

The show is a collaboration with SF Sketchfest and the Noise Pop Festival, for which Red Room Orchestra makes regular appearances. 

This year’s iteration, however, carries a somber tone, not only because of Lynch’s death but because some participants — including Petra Haden, a member of the Decemberists, That Dog, and other bands — were affected by last month’s Los Angeles wildfires. 

“We’re going to make it very spiritual,” said keyboardist Marc Capelle, leader of the Red Room Orchestra. “We’re doing it in such a way that it’s a release and a celebration, now that we’ve had time to absorb the loss.”

Quoting “Twin Peaks” character Special Agent Dale Cooper (played by Kyle MacLachlan), Capelle added, “Give yourself a present, every day.”

In the spirit of giving, the show is a fundraiser for “Twin Peaks” actor Carel Struycken, who lost his Altadena home to the Eaton fire a week before Lynch’s death. Struycken, like MacLachlan, has been a regular attendee at Red Room performances.

“He’s 7 feet tall,” Capelle said of Struycken, who played a character known simply as the Giant. “He can’t just go to Ross and buy clothes. He lost everything — and he’s an older person, too.”

Other scheduled performers include vocalist Dina Maccabee, synth player Larry Mullins (who has worked with Iggy Pop and Nick Cave), and guitarist Tom Ayres.

San Francisco has long been a stronghold of Lynch fans, with the Balboa Theatre hosting “Twin Peaks” festivals and screening a 35-mm print of “Blue Velvet” immediately after the auteur’s death. Lynch’s artistic legacy endures, Capelle said, because of his sense of mystery and appreciation for humor, both light and dark. “I’m of the age when we all oriented our week around watching ‘Twin Peaks’ live, and later rewatching it on VHS. As David would say, ‘The people who would watch “Twin Peaks” are party people.’”

Now, the party people can gather to say goodbye.