A Mad, Mad World

We’d love to hear from you on the subject. And we’re making it easy for ya. Our pal, Sean Pete of It’s Not Art has set up a survey to take a look at what motivates, encourages, drives and/or deters music fans to attend live music events.

All answers are confidential. We absolutely will not use your info for any other reason but to help us discover what gets a music lover out of the house and into a club, festival, concert or other venue.

Please take the Live Music Survey and share your thoughts on what makes a show worth attending.

Live Concerts. Better than staying at home.

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What can I say? I love to dance and I love watching good dancers.

James Brown was one of the very best! He was in his body completely.

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Good Scientific American article: Why Music Moves Us by Karen Schrock.

“Music is the most direct and mysterious way of conveying and evoking feeling,” Sacks professes. “It is a way of connecting one consciousness to another. I think the nearest thing to telepathy is making music together.”

Yep!

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I’m posting this early so everyone can make plans to come.

Next week on Friday night, June 19 we join Vagabond Opera and Amber Lee and the Anomalies for a “Summer Solstice Cabaret” — a night of top-notch musical entertainment at the Mystic Theater in lovely downtown Petaluma.

If you love accordions, and who doesn’t, all three acts feature an accordionist. Yay!

Doors open 7:00PM
Show starts 8:00PM

$15

21 and over

There are dozens of good restaurants within walking distance of the theater including McNear’s right next door. Dempsey’s is the local brew pub about a block away. They are renowned for their award winning beers. If sushi is your thing, Hiro’s, located a half a block away, has an excellent menu and a large selection of fine sake.

This year’s Summer Solstice happens in the early morning on June 21st.

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We’re joining forces with the fabulous Go Van Gogh this Thursday night June 4th, at Ashkenaz in Berkeley.

Doors open 8:00
Show starts 8:30pm – only $7!!

Wear your dancing shoes!

A céilidh (kay-lee) in modern usage is a traditional Gaelic social dance originating in Ireland and Scotland, but now common throughout the Celtic diaspora. Before discos and nightclubs, there were Céilidhs in most town and village halls on Friday or Saturday nights; they are still common today.*

Klezmer describes music of traveling Eastern European Jewish musicans who played largely dance songs for weddings and other celebrations. Originally, klezmer (plural klezmorim) referred to musical instruments, and was later extended to refer to musicians themselves. It was not until the mid-to-late 20th Century that the word was used to identify a musical genre. Early 20th Century recordings and writings most often refer to the style as "Yiddish" music, although it is also sometimes called Freilech music.*

yours in a mad, mad world,

Mags

*Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceilidh

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klezmer

http://borzykowski.users.ch/EnglMCKlezmer.htm
 

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Playing music for a music-loving, pro-beer crowd on a Sunday afternoon in perfect weather was a pleasure.

During our breaks the Golden Gate Bavarian Dance Club performed to taped traditional music. The dancers looked festive and danced fabulously. They wear beautiful green, black and white costumes, lots of pewter coins and chains, velvet hats, lederhosen, dirndls, the whole bit. And they can kick up their heels, literally.

It was a special treat for us when, during our sets, several of them danced. They could dance to anything we played – polkas, waltzes, Cajun two-step, swing, hasapikos, serba, Irish reel, whatever.

Beer holding and beer drinking contests were part of the event. Three of us valiantly competed in the Maß holding contests. The sun shone through the huge steins of golden German beer, one liter /33.8 oz. Maßkrüge to be precise, as the brave contestants struggled to keep from spilling or letting the Maß dip below shoulder line. It’s not that easy holding 5 1/2 lbs of beer and glass straight out from your shoulder!

Owners, Cindy and Peter know how to put on a good party. You owe it to yourselves to check out this local gem of a restaurant.

eins, zwei, drei g’suffa

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