Indulge in a Dose of Funk Every Tuesday with 7 Come 11

Every Tuesday, the cozy Crepe Place reverberates with the upbeat jams of 7 Come 11, a unique organ-drum-guitar trio that knows how to get a crowd hopping.

Propelled by the singing notes of a Hammond organ, 7 Come 11’s sound is drenched in delicious funk, but refuses to be hemmed in by any one style. All that funk is permeated with electric jazz, classic rock and heavy improvisational jams that rile up the audience. The best part, though, is that the music is free. 

“We want to make sure we can cram as many people in as we can jam in there,” says guitarist Danny Mayer.

And that, they do.

If the free cover is incentive for folks to check it out, the 7 Come 11 experience is incentive to keep them coming back. Since the band began playing Tuesday nights back in January, it has sunk its hooks into an impressive number of loyal Tuesday-night returnees—like that one kid who emotes in impressive dance moves almost every single Tuesday.

“They’ve kind of got that family vibe, with friends of the band  always there; it’s a friendly atmosphere,” says local music lover Shasta Criss. 

The band is equally stoked. 

“This gig is such a blessing," says Mayer. "The audience is always so great, and we’re really just so comfortable just jammin’ out. To have a weekly gig in general is such a blessing in this economy, and it's a nice break from that hectic life.” 

He says he believes the band has evolved since he began playing with it last May, and it's definitely gotten funkier. 

“It’s a totally different band than when we first started playing; I am so much more comfortable with what they do,” says Mayer.

“They’re like a standard organ trio as far as their get up—drums, guitar and organ, but they’re kind of taking it to a more modernized level. I mean they’ll take typical rock songs and just jam out on them,” says Criss, who references Jimmy Smith as the musician who popularized the Hammond organ as a jazz and blues instrument back in the mid '50s.

Organist Gianni Staiano, who got his first organ when he was 16 years old, plays bass with the foot pedals at the same time he jams out on the keys, which he says took him years to master.

“To play with the bass foot pedals is one of the unique things about an organ that’s so fun to do,” says Staiano, who also wears special shoes—skin-tight leather ones. "Most of the guys I’ve seen don’t actually play with the foot pedals; they do more of a left-hand kind of a bass.” 

Mayer’s tight riffs blend sweetly with the organ, and he thoroughly enjoys playing with an organ. He began playing at the age of 15 and is self taught.

“It fills up so much space and can also create such a feeling of space in the music, so it's like a really nice cushion—a launch pad for any guitar play to take off of," says Mayer. "It’s such a powerful instrument. When it’s not there, I miss it a lot.”

Drummer Kris Di Noto, who studied music at Humboldt State, came to Santa Cruz after realizing that the music scene in Humboldt wasn’t going to satisfy his cravings to rock out. He not only provides the musical heartbeat of 7 Come 11, but pretty much sums up the feeling the members exude when they play.

When Patch asked him how he was doing, Di Noto replied what he always replies, “Today is the best day of my life.”

That’s pretty much the feeling you get when you’re saturated in the good, juicy funk of 7 Come 11.

The band has put out a 7-inch vinyl with two songs, as well as a self-titled EP with seven songs. They are available for purchase at the shows or on the band's website.

7 Come 11 plays from 9 p.m.-midnight Tuesday nights at the Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. There is no cover charge, but the band encourages its fans to support the Crepe Place by buying food and drinks. Tips for the band are also appreciated.