Unplugged View
By Aaron Rowan
The San Francisco Free Folk Festival went beautifully a couple weekends past. I spent the day in fellowship with many wonderful people in the Bay Area folk music scene; attended a musical saw workshop; enjoyed some Arabic dance music complete with a bevy of belly dancers, a Celtic a capella trio, and even a “Jestival” joke-sharing session. I also had the privilege of curating and emceeing the evening concert on the Woody Guthrie stage, one of the two performance areas. Our local ukulele heroine and recent “Valley’s Got Talent” winner, Alida McKeon, made her bay area debut with her sisters, joining her on harmonies. I also featured Americana/Celtic duo Halfpence & Haypenny (also making their first SF appearance) and returning FFF favorites Dirty Cello, closing the evening out with a high-powered dance set. I am counting the days until next year¹s Free Folk, and hope to bring a few more of our great area performers out to share their music with a whole new audience!
The 2014 MAMA Award winners in both the singer-songwriter and Americana categories each have a wonderful gig going on this month. On July 4th, Patty Castillo Davis takes her country-rock sound to Las Vegas, where she will help christen the new art gallery founded by expat Modestan Yvette LaForce. The Gallery Red grand opening party will feature work by other notable area artists such as Rita Barbano and Jim Christiansen. Then on Thursday 7/9, Merced Americana duo Cottonwood Creek open for 90s country star Mark Chesnutt at the Merced Theatre. Concert starts at 8PM with doors at 7PM. General admission tickets are $29. More info can be found at www.mercedtheatre.org.
Saturday 7/11, Celtic-French trio Vishtèn appears at the Twisted Oak Winery concert series in Vallecito (up in Calaveras county, about five minutes northeast of Angels Camp on Highway 4.) They¹ll be performing French Acadian party music complete with three-part harmonies and step dancing. Doors at 7PM, show at 8PM. $25 for advance tickets, and $10 for kids 12 and under – all proceeds from children’s ticket sales will benefit music education in Calaveras County. Tickets and info at www.twistedoak.com.
Friday 7/17, Doug Adamz performs at the Great Valley Songwriter Series near downtown. Check out their Facebook page to learn more about the time & location, etc. Doug is a very versatile and inventive songwriter, composing folk, acoustic blues and more. His hilarious story song “The Authentic Skulls Of Pancho Villa” is not to be missed!
Friday 7/24, the “Live In The Cellar” series, co-sponsored by Modesto Unplugged and Modesto View, continues in the cellar beneath Greens Restaurant at 953 10th St. This series highlights a rotating array of genres from world music to bluegrass/old-time to acid jazz – a different musical experience every month. We¹re still finalizing this month¹s feature as of press time, but mark your calendar and make sure to check our website at www.modestounplugged.com where we¹ll have info on the concert soon.
