line-up
The San Mateo Italian Festival (Festa Italiano) will be held this year on Sunday, July 25th. last year I decided to get involved with the event and was given the opportunity to handle the activities on Stage 2, which is the stage where Baldwin Avenue meets B Street, across the street from Cappelini's Restaurant.
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Luvhed 5 PM - 6 PM
I have seen Luvhed live a couple of times. They are an established original rock band with an intriguing mix of Rock & Roll with an essence of the 80’s swirling guitars and the ability to write catchy songs. They have ton of potential as a power-pop band and will be an exciting headliner to a full day of music.
Here is what Luvhed has to say about their band:
Luvhed is a Bay Area band that has been aptly described as "Testosterone-fueled hard rock with an estrogen kicker". Co-founded by Lisa Burke and Sam Haun, Luvhed has a sound that is firmly rooted in classic 70’s Hard Rock, ala The Stooges, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and The Who, but they’ve added a strong dose of late 80’s Punk/Psychedelia and a touch of 90’s Noise-Pop to their unique mix of musical styles."
Band Website
Rodeo Clowns Band 4 PM - 4:45 PM [ Back to Top ]
This is our third time playing the Italian Festival. Our band focuses on songs that are timeless classics and often choose artists that have ties to the Bay Area. WE are flanked by 2 original bands Luvhed and Ol’ Cheeky Bastards (OCB), so we may be inspired to share a few more of our original songs this time.
Band Website
Ol’ Cheeky Bastards (OCB) 3 PM - 3:45 PM [ Back to Top ]
In my mind OCB’s style is unique, it kind of "post-apocalyptic folk meets punk". This band has some serious curb-appeal as well as some solid songs and vibrant stage personalities. Their instruments are as varied as you’ll ever see, they have HighlandBagpipes, a Bodrahn, a Cajon, Penny Whistles and your standard guitars and bass. They are an experienced soundman’s dream, an inexperienced soudman’s worst nightmare and one of the coolest bands around.
Here’s what OCB has to say:
It all started with a dobro and some bagpipes...
Seminal San Francisco punk-rocker Dave Dalton (Screaming Bloody Marys, Cell Block 5) got bored, pissed off, and tired with the whole punk scene, and started busking Celtic folk songs and “bastardized” Pogues tunes with bagpiper, whistle player, and bohdran drummer Sean Cummings. Then, it all got weird really fast.
Dalton got signed to Vagrant Records of Seattle; cut Bag O’ Tricks in 2008 with producer, guitarist, and Guitar Player editor in chief Michael Molenda (who then joined the group); added bassist Patrick Wong and vocalist/percussionist Cheryl Doll; recorded the acoustic-oriented Working Class Heroes & Truths for Rotten Eggs Records in 2009; performed with everyone from the Vibrators to Ian McLagan; and ended up with a rowdy-ass band that comes on like the Faces and Pogues in a cage match with T. Rex and the Sweet."
Band Website
Erica Sunshine Lee 2 PM - 2:45 PM [ Back to Top ]
Erica is bringing her Country band out to play. She has been busy this year playing the Saddle Rack in San Jose one night, a bar in Gergia the next night and then Nashvill a couple days later. Erica does it all, but when you hear her, you can tell that Country Music is her calling. She just released a CD called "Road to Recovery" and already is working on anther. Come on out and check her out!
From her website:
"With a name like Sunshine, this up and coming Country Artist is bound to turn heads with her talented song-writing and beautiful unique southern voice. Accompanied by her sunny blonde curls, blue eyes, this Southern Belle, born and raised in the fields of a small northeast Georgia town, is now known as performing artist Erica Sunshine Lee. After her recent performances in Nashville, Sunshine completed her second album, “Road to Recovery”, weaving stories of her love for “Grandpa’s Whiskey”, adventures of waking up in a stranger’s bed, and love gone wrong. With the success of her first album, Struggle Street, it’s no wonder Erica Sunshine Lee and her contagious smile is finding fans worldwide. Having performed with the likes of ZZ Top, Henry Kapono, Wayne Mills, and Derek Welsh from Vegas to Hawaii to Nashville, Erica has won the hearts of musicians and fans. "
Band Website
New Speedway Boogie 1 PM - 1:45 PM [ Back to Top ]
I haven’t had a chance to see them yet but they are another group that has previously play the Italian Festival.
From their website:
New Speedway Boogie embodies the music and sprit of the legendary 60’s and 70’s Bay Area music scene. In the tradition of the Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Santana, the band skillfully blends high-energy classic rock with a funky, danceable beat. New Speedway Boogie is a complete musical experience, featuring innovative interpretations of rock’s most distinctive all-time favorites alongside modern classics from the 80’s and 90’s as well as provocative original songs about life in modern America."
Band Website
The She’s are a group of young ladies who I heard about through Facebook. I posted a question asking for good bands and that is how I found them. They remind me a little of a modern day version of the Go Go’s, with the exception that these girls know how to play their instruments. They have logged some good gigs at places like the Bottom of the Hill and the Maker Faire in San Mateo. The do both originals and covers and I am excited to have them on the bill.
Band Website
Hillsdale High School Ska Band 11 AM - 11:45 PM [ Back to Top ]
Hillsdale High School has a Ska Band, how cool is that? I’m a big fan of Ska music and also of youthful bands of accomplished musicians, so we can’t go wrong here. I have seen video of the band, and one of the moms saw my Facebook post looking for young bands - the rest is history.
Rita is a seasoned musical performer and one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. She toured the mid-west for years playing Rhythm & Blues and can sing it like nobody's business. You can see Rita every thursday and Friday night at Max's Opera Cafe in Burlingame. Joining her on stage is John Green, who performs with the house band Sunday's from 4:30 PM - 8:30 PM at the Pioneer Saloon in Woodside, CA.
Artist Website
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