One of the best parts of my job here at The Sun is going to see in person all of the musical acts Sonoma Valley has to offer. This past weekend was jam packed and discovering new talent (or new to me!) was the highlight. Between karaoke at Steiners Tavern, the Celtic jam at Murphy’s Irish Pub, and karaoke & open mic/blues jam both at The Blue Moon Saloon, I was bound to run into someone who would totally shock and amaze me. Sonoma for some reason is a hub for great musicians. I don’t know why. Perhaps it’s an ingredient in the wine. What I think most people don’t realize is that there are even more singers and musicians unknown to us, as they hide from us in Clark Kent fashion as our shopkeeper, restaurant host, mailman, neighbor … well, the list goes on.
An acquaintance of mine works at Halem & Co. De Sonoma on the Plaza. We’re both friends with lead singers of the Sonoma County band Crossfire, Jodi and Dan. We’ve traveled on occasion to see them perform. I’ve chatted with her numerous times, most recently spending a lovely afternoon on the patio of The Swiss Hotel. Someone leaned over to me and said, “You know she was a blues singer for a very long time; doesn’t sing anymore, though.” I had no idea but didn’t think any more about it until I was blown away by her taking the mic at the blues jam at The Blue Moon Saloon. Not only that, but her son backed her up on guitar. Take advantage of all of these nights throughout the month. Whether you sing, play, or listen, this is an opportunity to be there when magic happens.
On another note, I don’t want to ignore the bands that were out in force this weekend. Junior Boogie & friends took the stage at Steiners Tavern Saturday night. Jeremy aka Junior Boogie hails from Santa Cruz and may be familiar to all die hard Whiskey Thieves fans out there as he was in Codi Binkley’s previous band, Rock Bottom Blues. His harmonica play is outstanding and if you missed the show, make sure you watch my column for his name because Junior Boogie is one of those acts that every music lover should see live.
My Ox Roast discovery was actually the band that came to us on loan from the Air Force. I don’t know what everyone else thinks when hearing “Air Force” in the same sentence as “band,” but my head went straight to revelries, maybe some horns, and definitely marching. Mobility couldn’t be farther from that. They are a full-fledged rock band of six. Again, you may have missed them this weekend, but after talking with them about the music venues in our town, they are anxious to return.
The MySpace Featured Artist this week is KSVY’s very own Michel Saga. His radio show, French Touch is my new favorite and can be heard on KSVY 91.3 Sonoma or ksvy.org every Monday from 2-3 p.m. On his MySpace page, however, myspace.com/parismusique, you can hear the unique sounds of his French barrel organ.
