Arts & Entertainment
Big Name Bands Coming to Mountain View for A La Carte & Art!
Silicon Valley's big spring shindig is May 2-3, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Castro Street and is presented by the MV Central Business Association.
Festival season is nearly upon us, and downtown Mountain View is once again getting ready to transform into THE Bay Area entertainment destination for A La Carte & Art, May 2-3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Castro Street, Silicon Valley’s big spring shindig. Music lovers will be treated to two full days of free live music from the Bay Area’s best bands performing on stage and street throughout the bustling downtown.
MAIN STAGE AT CALIFORNIA AND CASTRO
The Fog City Swampers are kicking off the festivities, so get to Castro Street early to enjoy their boot-stomping roadhouse boogie. The San Francisco-based classic rockers serve up their Southern-fried swampy blues rock with favorites from Lynryd Skynyrd, Alabama, the Allman Brothers Band, Creedance Clearwater Rival, and John Mellencamp, to name a few.
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The Element’s spot-on vocals and flawless musicianship will make you feel like you’re dancing in front of pop and rock royalty from the ’70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and today. With a wireless mic, the roaming lead singer will keep you entertained, along with bandleader Ray Buyco’s searing guitar solos.
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The Hitmen, a 7-piece powerhouse lineup of funk, soul, and R&B masters, will get you moving and grooving ‘70s-style. These pros have been rocking audiences for over two decades, and have shared the stage with members of Santana, Tower of Power, Cameo and the Ohio Players.
Step into a ‘60s time portal guided by Old School Rock-N-Roll and immerse yourself in the harmonies and timeless melodies of that kinder, gentler decade. Dressed to impress in ‘60s retro chic, this 6-piece wonderband will take you back to simpler days with Nancy Sinatra, Mama Cass, the Lovin’ Spoonful, Monkees, Yardbirds and many others.
The Jesse Charles Band has something for everyone, from ‘50s crooners Sinatra and Elvis, ‘60s rockers Steppenwolf and Van Morrison, lively ‘70s hits from Abba and Earth, Wind and Fire, ‘80s pop favorites from Pat Benatar and Michael J., as well as today’s top artists including Pharrel, Bruno, Pink and Katy.
The 5-piece Megatones will close the festival with their wide-ranging mega-mix of rock covers including songs by Iggy Pop, Jet, Los Lonely Boys, and the Foo Fighters. The 20-year music scene veterans, named Best Cover Band in the Bay Area by KFOX’s Last Band Standing competition, are the perfect way to end the festival on a high note.
STREET MUSICIANS
Enjoy the traditional music of the Andes with Jose Cabezas’ Ancient Winds. Jose makes his own beautiful wooden Native American flutes and plays calming, peaceful Andean folk songs that fill the heart and calm the soul.
The music of Hubert Emerson and The GroWiser Band might be tricky to describe, but there’s one unmistakable defining characteristic: it makes people happy. If you have to pin it down, Caribbean-influenced soul fits the bill. Hubert’s vocals draw similarities to the sultry stylings of Barry White, Lou Rawls and Otis Redding and his positive message of love and understanding is inspirational and touching.
Bob Culbertson is a virtuoso of the Chapman stick, a guitar-like stringed instrument designed to be tapped, not strummed or plucked. He has spent more than 30 years cultivating his unique sound. His combination of expression, technique and musical emotion is like nothing heard before and his musical style ranges from light jazz with folk and blues flavor to classical with Spanish, contemporary, and traditional influences.
John Clarke is a gifted acoustic nylon-string guitar player who met his fellow bandmates, Josh Mellinger (cajon) and Rob Hansen (violin), while they were all performing on the street in San Francisco. Their mutual admiration inspired them to form the John Clarke Trio with charming, romantic old-world compositions influenced by Spanish and Latin American guitar traditions. Guitar students from around the globe are able to learn Clarke’s beautiful songs through his online guitar lessons.
Bolivian-born Oscar Reynolds plays his refreshingly original compositions on the panpipe and guitar simultaneously. Combining influences from the Andes and Africa, he merges ancient styles and instruments in energetic, dramatic arrangements. For his tireless dedication to developing, performing and promoting Bolivian music around the world, he has been honored by both the Bolivian and US government.
Feel the rhythm and join in the fun with Mike Fair’s drum circle. The rhythm master plays hand drums from Africa and the Middle East and he will have a few extra drums available, but people are encouraged to bring their own. The circle will be based on Fair’s principles of “drumming from within,” a concept he developed to help others understand rhythm and connect with their source and their soul’s healing frequencies.
Also slated to perform between bands on the Main Stage on Sunday at 1 pm is the innovative, upbeat social dance performance group, Decadance, a festival fave that has wowed crowds for many years.
WHEN: May 2-3, 2015. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.
WHERE: On Castro Street, Mountain View, California; between Church Street and Evelyn Avenue.
INFO-LINE: 650-964-3395
WEBSITE: http://www.miramarevents.com/alacarte
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/mountainviewalacarteartfestival
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/#!/miramarevents
YOU TUBE: https://youtu.be/FZ58PkJ6ZvM
ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE
MAIN STAGE (CALIFORNIA AND CASTRO)
Saturday, May 2
11 AM to 12:30 PM –– Fog City Swampers http://www.fogcityswampers.com
1:00 PM to 3:30 PM –– The Element http://www.driveelementmusic.com
4 PM to 6 PM –– The Hitmen http://www.thehitmen.com
Sunday, May 3
11 AM to 12:30 PM –– Old School Rock-N-Roll https://www.facebook.com/oldschoolrnrband
1 PM to 1:30 PM –– Decadance http://www.decadance.org/
1 PM to 3:30 PM –– Jesse Charles Band www.jessecharlesband.com
4 PM to 6 PM –– The Megatones www.megatones.net
Street Musician Locations (Both Days)
Jose Cabezas’ Ancient Winds (Evelyn/Castro) http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001012095193
Hubert Emerson and The GroWiser Band (Villa/Castro) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hubert-Emerson-and-The-GroWiser-Band/190969777586431
Bob Culbertson (Dana/Castro) http://stickmusic.com/
John Clarke (California/Castro) https://www.facebook.com/JHClarke
Oscar Reynolds (Mercy/Castro) http://www.facebook.com/oscarreynolds
Mike Fair (Church/Castro)
