A Mad, Mad World

The 2010 Cotati Accordion Festival was two days of squeezin’ bliss and a chance to hang with friends and fans and make new ones. I’m collecting all the photos and video and will be posting asap.

Meanwhile …

Death really, really liked this artwork and insisted that I get a snapshot. The owner was kindly accommodating. (Andrew if you email me your tattoo artist’s info I’ll be sure and give proper credit.)

UPDATE 8/30/10
Thanks, Andrew! The artist is Jeff Rassier at Black Heart Tattoo in SF.

And you can hear my pre-festival interview on KSRO here:
Mags on KSRO

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We play the Cotati Accordion Festival this Sunday at 1PM.

This two-day festival is one of the very best local live music events. Don’t miss it!

We have new beautiful t-shirts that we will be selling along with our CDs. So come by and say hi before or after we play.

And the new 2011 Accordion Babes Album and Pin Up Calendar will be available.

Gates open 9:30
Single day rates at $17 ($15 Advance)
Two-day rate of only $25
Children under 16 (w/ adult) are FREE!
Buy tix online.

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I’m happy to be one of the babes in the new, upcoming Accordion Babes Pin Up Calendar and CD for 2011.

I knew I wanted to go “classic” pin up, black and white, round toe pumps, gams, nice naughty. Photographer John Clayton (claytonshot.com) loved the idea. We shot in his home studio on June 25th in the afternoon. We kept it simple, one outfit, one backdrop so we could concentrate on getting the right twist to the body, the right expression etc. I am particularly fond of his lighting which captures the vintage feel perfectly.

In the process I discovered that there are b&w lovers and those that much prefer color. Do you have a preference?

Ultimately editor Renée de la Prade chose color for the calendar. John gave that color shot what he called a “kodachrome” look. You can see the shot in both b&w and color and the other shots here in our gallery: Mad Mags Does Vintage Pin Up.

The 2011 Accordion Babes Calendar will be available to the public beginning on the weekend of the Cotati Accordion Festival, August 21 & 22. Note: The Mad Maggies play Sunday 8/22 at around 1PM.

Of course I’ll be talking the calendar up once I have them in hand. It’s going to be a real good one judging by the sneak preview I got to see. 13 squeezebox goddesses!

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This is so cool. We “West Coast Accordion Babes” now have our own internet radio show — The Accordion Babes Radio Hour — courtesy of Uncle Ozma of NeverEndingWonder Radio. Stream it live on Wednesdays 7pm, Sundays at noon and Friday 4am.

More info from the Never Ending Wonder Radio website:

“The Accordion Babes Radio Hour is the only radio show anywhere that features the music of women accordion players exclusively. You’ll hear traditional folk melodies, contemporary experimental numbers and everything in between!”

“OPENING THEME: Cabbage Rolls & Coffee by Big Lou’s Polka Casserole
CLOSING THEME: ellemenope by Salane & Friends“

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Celebrate Accordions and the Women who play them!

Hope to see you at this free in house concert at Down Home Music in El Cerrito this Saturday afternoon from 3PM till 6PM.

Babes perfoming are Renée de la Prade, Nada Lewis, Big Lou, Salane C. Schultz, Marla Fibish, Sabra Daly and me with GDub.

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February 6th – Saturday 8:30PM – Speisekammer Restaurant, Alameda.

GDub (guitars), Johny Blood (tuba), Rhian (whistles/clarinet), Adrian (alto sax) and yours madly on accordion.

Come early and eat — the food is simply stellar at the Speisekammer Restaurant. And their selection of German beer is outstanding!

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February 13th – Saturday 2:00PM – Down Home Music Store, El Cerrito — an Accordion Babes happening. GDub & I will be playing along with several of the 2010 Accordion Babes.

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Weird Al Yankovic is an accordion loving man!

We Accordion Babes get around. Yes we do

Get yours here.

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POST SHOW NOTES: 1/15 with Culann’s Hounds at the Sleeping Lady, Farifax

Oh my, this night was a wild one. When we arrived at 8:45 to set up the Sleeping Lady was packed and it stayed packed all the way past the last note of the Hounds’ set. We began to play at about 9:50 and stirred up a nice batch of tunes including some good rebel songs — “Óró ‘sé do bheatha ‘bhaile” and our own “Rough Music.” We tried out our new (and soon to be recorded) version of the ska classic “A Message to You Rudy” and we sang the “High Seas Lament” for those who have passed in the recent earthquake in Haiti. Hounds’ drummer Chris sat in on snare about halfway through our set. (Thank you, Chris!) Toes tapped, beer bubbled!

The Hounds took the stage at around 11:20 and kicked into a rousing set full of reels, jigs, original tunes and stalwart Pogues covers. Our whistle player, Rhian sat in on a few tunes. People pushed tables aside to make more dancing room. There was at least one woman who really did know how to Irish step-dance so she took Renée’s challenge to do a Riverdance imitation seriously

The windows fogged up completely from the heat of bodies having a good time. We sold Accordion Babes Calendars, CDs and most definitely made new fans. Yep, a very good night!

There’s talk of doing this double-bill again. You won’t want to miss it.

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Return of the Accordion Babes

Accordionist, Renée de la Prade with Culann’s Hounds just asked us to join them on Friday, January 15th at the Sleeping Lady in Fairfax. We’ll be a Mad Maggie’s “Lite” for this show. GDub (guitars), Johny Blood (tuba), Rhian (whistles & clarinet), Miguel Ashby (bass) and yours madly on squeeze.

Come early and eat — the Sleeping Lady has great food. Stay late for the show which will run from 9:30 to 1. This is a rollicking, foot stomping double bill, sure to shake off any post-holiday dreariness! Definitely worth pulling yourself off the couch and venturing into the night air

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Enjoy fantastic holiday fare and beautiful music performed by several Accordion Babes from the Accordion Babes Pin-up Calendar which just happened to be selected by the Bohemian as a must-have gift this season.

The Speisekammer Restaurant has a lovely bar with a large selection of beers including excellent German ones. Bar is open from 4-12PM. Dinner is served from 5-9PM.

Music starts at 8:30.
Johny Blood (tuba), GDub (guitars) and Mad Mags (squeeze) will play a set around 9:30.

Line up includes:
Amber Lee and the Anomalies
Salane C. Schultz
Renee de La Prade & Joan Wilson Rueter

This will be a family friendly, gemütlichkeit filled holiday evening.

We’ll have calendars on sale for those last minute gifts

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