Issue 6 Casey Hensley Band by Boogie Magazine

Issue 6 April 2016

Coming of Age The Casey Hensley Band Geoff Tate Black Sabbath King’s X Mike Zito Lady Rogo Christine Gilardi Doña Oxford Everything Undone Daring Greatly 6one9

READY TO JAM?

Joel Bolado with Larry Teves at Mondy Night Boogie, Navajo Live Bar Photo by Eli Medellin

CALLING ALL INTERMEDIATE & ADVANCED MUSICIANS

MON

Monday Night Boogie @ Navajo Live 8515 Navajo Rd, San Diego, CA 7:30 - 11:00PM Hosted by Mark Eppler, Boogie Magazine

TUE

Tom’s Band Camp @ Pal Joey’s 5147 Waring Rd, San Diego, CA 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 8:00 - 11:00PM Hosted by Tom Tice

WED

JammingOut The House Of Blues Pro Blues Jam 1055 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 7:00 - 11:00PM Hosted by Doyle Thomas & Rosalea Schiavone Open Jams @ The Shamrock 39252 Winchester Rd, Murrieta, CA 7:30 - 10:30PM Open Mic Night @ Pour House 903 S. Coast Hwy, Oceanside, CA 8:00PM - 12:00AM Hosted by Whit Aadlan

THUR

Open Mic Night @ Aztec Brewery 2330 La Mirand Dr #300, Vista, CA 6:00 - 10:00PM Pizza Party Blues Jam @ Nicolosi’s Italian Restaurant 221 E Main Street, El Cajon, CA 6:30 - 9:30PM Hosted by The Committtee and Friends

SUN

Sunday Open Jam @ PK’s Roadhouse 15573 Grand Ave, Lake Elsinore, CA 2:00 - 6:00PM Hosted by The Big Daddy Deluxe Band Blues Jam Patio Party @ Downtown Cafe 182 E. Main St, El Cajon, CA 3:30PM Hosted by Chet & The Committee

BOOGIE MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

GET THE LATEST INFO

boogiemagazine.com/2015/08/ready-to-jam

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

THE TEAM Publisher Eli Medellin Design / Technology Jennifer Medellin Haley ‘The Whip’ Medellin Marketing Mark Eppler Elizabeth Medellin Photography Nick Abadilla (Cover) Frank Rodrick Greg Doherty Fran Miller John Hancock Jon Naugle Julie Bergonz Stephanie Pillar Writers Tim Mattox (Feature) CSWPatrick O’Heffernan

CONTACT US P.O. Box Boogie Magazine 770 Sycamore Ave., STE 196 Vista, CA 92083 Email us theguys@boogiemagazine.com SUBCRIBE ONLINE boogiemagazine.com

My mother… no wait… my father… no… someone once told me, “If you want to be successful you gotta hang out with positive people.” Since the inception of Boogie Magazine, Jenn and I have been fortunate to have teamed up with some very positive and creative people. Director of Photography Nick Abadilla has been a positive influence contributing flawlessly to every issue with cover and feature photos and always with a smile. Mark Eppler is always on the spot to manage our events and make sure everything runs smoothly with never a grumble. What’s to grumble about? This is fun! Since the first issue of Boogie, RosaLea Schiavone has always been a wise advisor and encouraged us to continue taking our digital magazine to print. Recently, I’ve made some new positive friends with entrepreneur and founder of Gator By The Bay Peter Oliver and Kenneth Rexrode of RexRode Productions. It was my pleasure to introduce the two of these guys to each other. Just listening to them discuss their ideas is inspiring. I’ve also made good friends with the publisher of north county’s Echo and Buzz Magazine Joe Gillaspie who is also introducing me to others who can help Boogie Magazine grow and blossom. All of these people are working hard to bring attention to the San Diego music scene and I am proud to call them my friends. Together we will continue to network and promote the shit out of the music scene. This month we are proud to feature Casey Hensley and Evan Caleb Yearsley of The Casey Hensley Band. “Two young lovers with nothin’ better to do.” Together, they are taking southern California by storm. Casey’s not-so-subtle sexy stage presents and powerful commanding voice combined with Even’s life long experience along with his music royalty status, these two are unstoppable. If you haven’t seen them yet, you can catch them live with the incredible Laura Chavez on guitar at this year’s Gator By The Bay Saturday, May 7th on the main stage. To finish, I want to say a special shout out to Candye Kane and send positive thoughts, on behalf of all of us at Boogie Magazine, for her immediate recovery. Get well Ms. Kane, we love you.

Eli Medellin Publisher

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Coming of Age w/the Casey Hensley Band

10 18

Spotlight - Meet Doña Oxford

Celebrity - Mike Zito

24 26

CELEBRITIES Geoff Tate Returns Black Sabbath ‘The End’ King’s X Mike Zito FEATURE Coming of Age w/the Casey Hensley Band SPOTLIGHT Doña Oxford Lady Rogo Everything Undone Christine ‘Mama Christy’ Gilardi Daring Greatly AROUND THE TOWN 6one9 Goes Out in Style Lake Elsinore ‘Likes to Boogie’ Revival of the Singer Songwriter NEWS Country Rockin’ Rebels to Release Album Puttin’ Blues in Dah “House” Sue Palmer Hosts San Diego Sessions Gator by the Bay: Boogie Like it’s Mardi Gras WGLA to Launch in San Diego

BOOGIE MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

CELEBRITY

Geoff Tate Returns Ramona, Calif. (February 5) Geoff Tate returned to Ramona MainStage fronting his new band of all star musicians called ‘Operation Mindcrime’ on Friday. OM is an homage to his former band’s best selling concept album of the same name. Friday’s performance featured Tate’s former band mates Kelly Gray (guitar) and Randy Gane (keyboards) from his late 70’s band ‘Myth.’ Rounding out the performers were Scott Moughton (guitar), who performed on Tate’s 2002 solo album, and Dubliner Tim Fernley, on bass and stand up bass. The 23 song, 2 1/2 hour set was filled with both hits and deep cuts spanning Tate’s entire career. The evening started off with Neue Regel from ‘Rage For Order,’ included an acoustic set of four songs including the Grammy Nominated (and my personal favorite) “Silent Lucidity” and finished with Empire, the title track to the album that produced “Silent Lucidity”. The band was firing on all cylinders and Geoff’s voice was strong, keeping the full house cheering for more even after the last notes had melted away. Story and photos by Stephanie Pillar

MORE PHOTOS boogiemagazine.com/2016/02/tate

BOOGIE MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

CELEBRITY

Black Sabbath ‘The End’ LAS VEGAS (February 13) - I had never seen Black Sabbath or Ozzy before last Saturday night but I had seen “things” the bat thing..., the crazy looking eyes, the voice, the music... the reality show... I had no idea what to expect, but, I was CRAZY excited to be going. WOW! I must say Mr. Osbourne, you did not disappoint!!!!! If this is “The End” billed as the band’s farewell tour, then what an absolutely fitting end it is! Forty six years after debut of the their self-titled album, Black Sabbath hit the stage at the Mandalay Bay and KILLED IT. From beginning to end. Ozzy and those amazing, haunting eyes, the enormous, over-thetop voice, pacing back and forth, frenetically from one end of the stage to the other, jumping up and down, exhorting the crowd, in short, the consummate performer! With Ozzy’s long-time bandmates and friends, Geezer Butler on bass and Tony Iommi on guitar, and joined by Tommy Clufetos, the drummer in Ozzy’s solo band, Black Sabbath looked and sounded amazing playing a set list that roared into the packed house with all of their classics including, Black Sabbath, War Pigs, Iron Man and in “The End” roared out with their encore, “Paranoid”! A completely entertaining performance from beginning to “The End”! MORE PHOTOS

Story and photos by Stephanie Pillar

boogiemagazine.com/2016/02/sabbath

BOOGIE MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

CELEBRITY

King’s X RAMONA, Calif. (March 4) - American rock band King’s X returned to Ramona Mainstage on Friday. Their setlist spanned their entire catalog, including fan favorites such as Dogman and Over My Head. The highlight of the show was the last song of the evening, when dug (Pinnick) and Ty (Tabor) turned their mics toward the crowd and let us sing the lyrics to Goldilox! A magical end to an amazing night! King’s X is an American rock band that combines progressive metal, funk and soul with vocal arrangements influenced by gospel, blues, and British Invasion rock groups. The band’s lyrics are largely based on the members’ struggles with religion and selfacceptance. King’s X was ranked No. 83 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. Story and photos by Stephanie Pillar

MORE PHOTOS

boogiemagazine.com /2016/03/kings-x

BOOGIE MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

CELEBRITY

Mike Zito SAN DIEGO (February 13) - Mike Zito & The Wheel were on fire were on fire at the Ramona MainStage on Friday Night. With opening bands, Chase Walker Band and Daytona & The BlueSide Rockers, heating up the stage and starting ladies night on the dance floor, Mike Zito kicked it up a notch and lit the stage on fire with a funky blues style straight out of Texas. “My dad took me to Colorado when Zito opened for Tab Benoit,” said Walker. “I got to meet him again the last time he played here in San Diego, but this is the first time I actually get to play with him.” For an encore, Zito returned to play an acoustic version of “Little Red Corvette” then invited Chase Walker to join him in the last song. “The last time I saw this kid was about four feet ago,” said Zito. “I think I was taller than him then.” Zito, a founding member of Royal Southern Brotherhood with Cyril Neville and Devon Allman, is currently touring to promote his latest CD ‘Keep Coming Back’ released in November on Ruff Records. Photos by John Hancock

MORE PHOTOS

boogiemagazine.com/2016/02/zito BOOGIE MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

FEATURE

BOOGIE MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

FEATURE

Coming of Age with the Casey Hensley Band

by T.E. Mattox Photos by Nick Abadilla

tarting your own blues band in today’s uncertain world is a lot like having a tooth pulled while running a marathon. First, you have to understand there’s going to be vast logistical issues that must be identified, negotiated and rapidly overcome. Secondly, and I feel much more detrimental, there will be significant amounts of pain. Yet, knowing full well that these scenarios await, Casey Hensley along with her band mates have enthusiastically accepted the challenge and are in it now for the long run. With a new CD in the works and ongoing conversations for a possible International tour, the Casey Hensley Band is showing all the grit and determination that it takes to successfully…Yank that Thang! Hensley, still in her early twenties, is no stranger to tough decisions and has faced them before. She walked away from a successful acting career as a Disney kid because she recognized, even as a child, it was not the life she wanted. Surrounded by music throughout her formative years the young vocalist has persevered. She has fully committed herself to the endless hours of practice, road miles and the countless bars and club dates that paying your dues demand when blues becomes a calling. As for the immediate future, the Casey Hensley Band seems hell bent on breaking down and or blowing through any and all obstacles.

BOOGIE MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

FEATURE

itting down with both Hensley and CHB drummer and co-founder Evan Caleb Yearsley, our conversation began with their musical direction. “It’s very blues-rooted,” Casey says. “But also pretty heavy in rock and roll. I grew up listening to a lot of Led Zeppelin and Janis Joplin along with the Allman Brothers so it has a lot of that influence in it as well. But we’ve been doing Big Mama Thornton songs and things like that. I don’t want to just stick to one style, I want to venture out.” Or as Evan puts it, “It’s roots blues, roots rock and roll, and soul for sure.” Both Casey and Evan have musical backgrounds dating back to their earliest memories. There’s a history or what Evan likes to call, “…trial by fire growing up with Candye Kane and Thomas Yearsley of the Paladins. My mom would take me to X practices at the Hully Gully. I grew up watching ‘80s L.A. punk rock and being backstage at the Palomino and sleeping on the couch and watching the Paladins, Black Flag and Buck Owens. Country, blues and punk rock were all on one bill, on the same night. It really brought the music scene together.” Yearsley grew up with music, literally scattered all around him. “Being able to watch Brian Setzer when he was just starting to climb the ladder in the ‘80s…Los Lobos and the Beat Farmers…” Evan recalls being just a kid in grade school and “stepping over Country Dick Montana who was sleeping on our floor. I remember stepping over Country Dick to turn the cartoons on and eat a bowl of cereal while he’s snoring logs. It’s been a great upbringing; I wouldn’t change it for the world.” Casey too, had family musical roots… “Yes, my grandfather was a bass player and he was playing in bands and once competed in a ‘battle of the bands’ against Aerosmith.” She smiles. “To this day if you put on Aerosmith, he’s like, ‘I don’t want to listen to it!’” (laughing) “And just going through my mom’s records,”

“When you hear the feeling in the voices, you can’t fake that ... as long as the music had some kind of soul in it, some kind of feeling, that’s what I would cling to .” she says. “I’m like three years old, and finding Aretha Sings the Blues and Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald. Standing on a chair in my living room, lining up all my stuffed animals (she breaks into song) just singing to them all when I was supposed to be cleaning with my mom. To this day…I wake up, it’s like seven in the morning and she’s blasting music. It was just constant at my house.” With all of the choices and various musical styles you were exposed to, don’t you think it’s a little strange that you both were so heavily impacted by blues? “The reason I began clinging to the blues,” Casey says. “When you hear the feeling in the voices, you can’t fake that, you know? As long as the music had some kind of soul in it, some kind of feeling, that’s what I would cling to. They have auto tune and everything now…but when you hear the early recordings it’s…” Evan finishes her sentence. “Organic!” Casey nods, “Exactly! Thank you.” Evan thinks Casey’s ‘organic’ tendencies come directly from her bloodline and says, “Casey is a distant relative of Patsy Cline!” She smiles and says. “Which I found out about a year ago and think is super cool.” Can we talk a little about when you realized that entertainment and performing was what you wanted to do with your life? “Yeah, the first time I was on stage,” Casey grins. “I still have pictures of it, I was five. It was funny, I was up on stage and my parents said, ‘Ok, make sure you move when you’re on stage.’ And there’s a video of me just swaying back and forth…making the crowd seasick. (laughing) And the first time I was in a studio, I think I was

BOOGIE MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

FEATURE

eight. We recorded my first song which was called ‘I Wish’ and it was really cute, it’s talking about my dreams trying to be a singer, moving and growing and making albums. It was really cute and it was recorded with like Stevie Wonder’s cousin, so that was cool. I mean I really got immersed in it right away.”

half. I just locked myself in a room and wrote it. I just had tears running down my face, and when I was recording it too, I was crying. But for the video, the guy was a surfer; I’ll kill him in the video. I’ll kill him and he’ll drown.”

For Evan it was a matter of necessity. “When I was 16, practicing with my buddies and I remember my mom calling me and saying, ‘You have to come to the Belly Up (Tavern) right now, my drummers in traffic in Long Beach, he’s not going to be here for another hour and you need to come play the first set. Just listening to this music, when my parents made a new record we probably heard it a hundred or two hundred times before the album was ever released. A lot of it just became second nature to me but you have to practice and you’re always learning and always progressing, like anything in life. But growing up with them has really been one of the most amazing things, music wise and family wise…they are amazing parents.”

Casey, how did you get involved with the movie trailer side of recording? “Andrew Lane said he had a friend who does movie trailers, can I send him your information? And I was like, ‘Absolutely!’ That would be so fun and I’m still working with him to this day. We’ve done, I’m gonna’ say like seven or eight tracks and I’m on three of his albums.”

While Evan’s career in music seemed predestined, Casey explored other avenues. “I acted.” She says, “and did Disney stuff and as a Disney kid that’s a whole other… she pauses. “I kind of think of the acting phase as dark, I think kids doing that is…I wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t do it to my kid. It was a great experience and I wouldn’t change it, but I wouldn’t do it to my kids, ever. When I decided I wanted to stop, my parents were supportive. I told them, ‘I just want to focus on music; I don’t want to act anymore.’ It wasn’t good for my soul.”

So how did the Casey Hensley Band come to be? “Evan had a jam,” Casey says. “And I started going to that and I couldn’t believe how the blues community just accepted me with open arms. I wasn’t used to that, I was used to the L.A. nose in the air, total competition thing. And I was like, ‘I love this!’ And you know I fell in love with him. (laughing) And I sang on his mom’s record about a year earlier and she gave me a bunch of advice and I was… ‘This is so cool, I love this genre. This is what I want to do, and this is what my voice was made for.’ So we got together and Evan said, ‘Let’s start a band.’ So we’re doing it and it’s everything I’ve ever wanted to do. You know I feel like for the first time I have control of what I’m doing, though it’s kind of scary at the same time.”

Note to self: Don’t ever TICK OFF Casey Hensley.

You both play with other musicians and perform regularly outside of the Casey Hensley Band. Casey, you sat in with Candye Kane, Laura Chavez and Debbie Davies at the B.U.T. awhile back and Evan, literally you’re everywhere. “I sub when anybody gives me a call.” He laughs. “I like playing all types of music really; I like the challenge of it, the chameleon aspect of being able to do not just one, but all types of music. At one point I was playing in about seven bands at one time. I really like it and look at it like relationships or different families of mine and I’m having a great time doing it.” The CHB plays a number of original compositions, Casey tell us about writing ‘Till You’re Gone?’ “It was about my first heartbreak.” She smiles. “I was like…I don’t know, 18? He was a surfer who cheated on me. So what better revenge, I’ll write a song. I was in the studio with my incredible producer, Andrew Lane who I still work with from time to time. He played me this thing on the piano and I thought, ‘God, that’s heartbreaking, that’s how I’m feeling.’ He put it on a loop and I took it into another room in the studio and I stayed in there for like an hour and a

Damn! Note to self: Don’t ever tick off Casey Hensley.

You covered ‘The Devil Inside’ by INXS…that must have been a thrill. “Actually their manager called my producer and said, ‘Michael (Hutchence) would have loved this.’ And to hear that from their manager was insane. But movie trailer stuff is really fun; I get to use my voice like an instrument.”

I’ve seen both Anthony Contreras and Jimmy Zollo playing guitar with the band, and Mark Campbell on bass, so what’s the makeup of CHB currently? “We’ve got Laura Chavez on guitar right now and Marcos Cevallos on the bass. I play drums and Casey’s on vocals.” You and Evan worked together on the song, ‘Searching for a Man.’ “I wrote a couple of lyrics,” Casey says. “And Evan wrote like 75% of it, maybe more. He was playing a couple of chords on guitar and he ‘bluesified’ it for me. And we recorded it in like, two hours.” Evan grins and says, “It’s exciting, but every artist is very, very critical of themselves and their music. The process of writing the song was really done in one night. She had some lyrics, we added some more, we played a ballad blues. It’s so awesome to sit together and play piano and throw ideas back and forth. It’s kind of our normal process.” Casey adds, “He’s taught me something on almost every instrument.” That song even got some local radio airplay. “To have the

BOOGIE MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

FEATURE

support behind us, I can’t thank everybody enough. Thank you Tim Pyles and 91X. To get a blues song on mainstream radio and hear it when we’re driving back from a friend’s house, it was really exciting. We’re high-fiving, ‘Oh My God, they’re playing blues on 91X.’ I think it (blues) is coming back around, people are hungry for it.”

“I think (blues) is coming back around, people are hungry for it.” You both have performed at Cancerstock, a local charity gig in years past…“We love that and feel very honored to be a part of such a noble cause.” Evan tells me and says it’s become very personal to him. “We live with it every day. My mother, Candye Kane is living with and battling pancreatic cancer, she was diagnosed in 2008 and is the strongest person I know, man. You know I played in her band for eight years and toured the world with her and she gave me the greatest opportunity to cut my musical teeth on her stage.” Casey too, shares her admiration for the legendary singer. “I’m learning so much being around her…as a singer. I have to hold back, because I want to ask her so many questions.” (laughing) Evan adds this about his mother’s work ethic. “She’s one of the hardest working people in show business. I mean she works just as hard as James Brown did, I swear.” You’re playing shows all over Southern California including an incredible Six String Society gathering a few weeks ago at the Music Box and you blew the house down at that special benefit in Tio Leo’s for Candye Kane. “Evan and I met Kenneth Rexrode when we played in Fallbrook,” Casey says. “And he invited us to participate with the Six String show.” And about the Kane benefit show she adds, “Candye was actually supposed to play the Tio Leo show and our band was going to open for her. But she was in the hospital and couldn’t make it. Evan had the idea to make it a benefit to raise money to pay for some of her medical bills. We’ve had a really rough time this past month with Candye, we were really upset and sad that she wasn’t able to leave the hospital. We did the show anyway and the crowd was so great, I felt connected. It made everything better and you could feel the love from the crowd.” Candye’s friends came out en mass to support her including guitarist Laura Chavez. You guys did some material I hadn’t heard you perform before…Zep’s ‘Whole Lotta’ Love’ for one. “Yeah, Candye does a version of it and I wanted to do a tribute to her in that way.” Casey says and then adds, “The best thing for me about playing with Laura is she’s so dynamic and she pushes me to sing differently than I do with anybody else. She takes it to a whole other level and I absolutely love playing with her.”

Let’s talk a little about the new CD…“Yeah, we have the whole blueprint pretty much done, and some stuff already recorded, but now that we have Laura Chavez with us we want to try to pull in some heavyweights and make it more collaborative and re-record them.” The initial recordings were done at Thunderbird Analog in Oceanside; do you plan to return? “The new Thunderbird Studios are still under construction right now, but yes. And I’m thinking maybe some at Nathan James’ Sacred Cat Studio’s too. And there’s another studio in Orange County I might be working in too, with a friend of Anthony Contreras. I’d like to try working everywhere…do a couple of songs with a few musicians from the Long Beach blues scene in that studio, then do a recording session here with some San Diego musicians and just make it a Southern California collaboration. I know that’s a lot for my first blues record. But I’m so fortunate I have so many friends and they’re like a family and I want to use everyone.” The last time we spoke you were thinking about an International tour through South America, more specifically Brazil. Is that still in the works? “Yes, we actually just spoke with them and they are thinking possibly April or maybe August. It’s just not set in stone yet for festivals and everything. Looking ahead they may have us come back like three times next year. All over Brazil, Sao Paolo, Rio…” But for the time being, what’s next for the Casey Hensley Band? “We’re going to be playing in Long Beach on March 11th and in Orange County a lot more in the next couple of months. I really love playing in Long Beach and Orange County because the blues scene there is very much like it is here in San Diego. A lot of fans come out and they are really loyal. Then maybe back up to Northern California, we’d love to book more gigs there. The Pocket, the Sand Bar, maybe the Biscuit, Duff’s Garage, Highway 99, up to Seattle and back. It’s been a roller-coaster this past year, but in the next couple of months, now that we have Laura it will be a great process, and I’m hoping to write a little bit more with her, she’s so inspiring.” Evan chimes in, “The music is really therapeutic not only for the listener but for the players, too. It’s great to be able to make music with so many great people, Anthony and Mark Campbell and Jimmy Zollo and everybody that’s been a part of the Casey Hensley Band. We can’t do it alone and having Laura there and Anthony. Everyone has been so helpful and accepting with what we’re trying to do.” Evan recalls just recently, “Casey sat in with Junior Watson and Bill Stuve at the Gaslamp and Junior asked her, ‘Hey, what’s that note thing you do with your voice… you mind if I cop that?’ That’s full circle, right there.”

WANT SOME MORE?

boogiemagazine.com/musicians/caseyhensley

BOOGIE MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

FEATURE

BOOGIE MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

BOOGIE MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pick Founding member of the San Diego based-band Daddy Issues, Julia Welpton and founder of Plays Like a Girl Records, Roni Lee Daddy Issues recently signed with Plays Like a Girl Records and will be releasing their debut recording soon. Photo by Frank Rodrick, StrayShots.com

daddyissuesband.com

BOOGIE MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

playlikeagirlrecords.com

Meet Doña Oxford

SPOTLIGHT

Queen of Boogie-Woogie & Goddess of Soul By Patrick O’Heffernan

oña Oxford was excited. Oxford is known for being excited about her music, but this time she was excited because she had just introduced me to Ray Kurzweil at the NAMM 2016 Kurzweil electric keyboard booth where, the day before, Stevie Wonder had shown up, sat down at the keyboard Oxford had just vacated and started to play for the assembled crowd. But she was even more excited about the fact that later in evening she would be playing for Wonder at the Kurzweil Private party.

“He touched my sweat on the keys! Stevie Wonder touched my sweat on the keys,” she exclaimed, “and now I will be playing for him”. But that is a common story for Oxford, known to her legions of fans as the Queen of Boogie-woogie and the Goddess of Soul. Many, many greats have asked her to play for them on stage, in the recording studio and on tour. Her keyboard chops (she also plays drums), her energy, her voice and her songwriting have been recognized over and over as one of the best in the blues/ R&B and boogie world. She is so much in demand that on one of her European tours Van Morrison tracked her down at a train station getting ready to head to her next gig in the South of England and demanded that she stay in London that night and record with his band (she did). And the list goes on: Albert Lee, Roger Daltry, Elliot Randal of Steely Dan, Levon Helm, Shemekia Copeland, Jonnie Johnson and many others. Her credits include playing on movie soundtracks like ‘Norbit”, on albums by Dave Gross, Copeland, Arthur Neilson, Albert Lee, Larry Thurston and Laurie Marvan. Her own recordings are just as hot. Her latest album Soul Quest and the earlier Doña Oxford deliver the goods and then some. Her live album, Raw, was so good that Johnnie Johnson said listening to it was like listening to himself.

BOOGIE MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

SPOTLIGHT

It is her live shows that were the clincher for me. Whether it is a 3-song gig at a NAMM booth, or full-scale Boogie-woogie concert for an SRO crowd in major hall, every show she performs is a blowout with the audience standing and whistling and demanding more. She brings a level of talent and energy to the stage you find in a Trombone Shorty or an E-Street Band. The daughter of a trumpet-playing Episcopal priest and a cabaret singer, she was given a toy piano when she was not quite 2 years old, soon after her father died. He mom exposed her to many types of music, taking her to everything from punk rock at CBGB’s to Tom Jones at Lincoln Center. By age seven, Doña was performing publicly and started formal classical training, which she continued until she was sixteen. About that time, Doña fell in love with musical theater and began singing and acting in regional and OffBroadway plays and studying drama at the Tisch School. But she also began to explore the styles of jazz and pop vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Dinah Washington and Judy Garland while simultaneously gravitating toward the primal rock ‘n roll of Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. It was her friendship with Arthur Neilson, guitarist with Cyndi Lauper and Otis Rush, that led to forming a band and touring on her own and eventually recording. That attracted the attention of performers like Keith Richards, Buddy Guy, Levon Helm, Bob Weir, Lonnie Brooks, Shirley Dixon, Shemekia Copeland, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, and her idol, former Chuck Berry sideman Jonnie Johnson. She was hired for performances by major bands as a sideman (sidewoman?) and session player, touring the US and Europe. Along the way she developed a following of her own and her -Boogie-woogie has an energy – it is vibrant, it’s down key: in tough times it makes people happy and makes them want to dance.” Doña says about her music, “and because it is challenging for a piano player to play, I think audiences realize how difficult it is and admire the artist for being able to learn it and do it.” Boogie-woogie is especially hard to learn, she reminds us, “because it is two hands doing very separate things -- your mind is kind of split between the two and people admire that”. People do admire it and they especially admire the way Oxford does it with a theatricality born of her days on stage. Not content with just playing and singing, she often finishes her act with a signature Boogie-woogie song in which she plays with her hands behind her back, then with one hand at a time, and with a final flourish picks up one end of the keyboard and plays it and finishes with her foot on the keys, pounding out the final note. All the while she is giving a tutorial on what Boogiewoogie is, sometimes talking to individual people she has picked out of the audience. On the age-old question of electric keyboard vs. a real piano, she says: “for me it is either/or --I have learned to play on both. There are some players who refuse to play boogie on an electric keyboard because they say it is too lightweight. Because I have had to travel with a keyboard and few venues have a full real piano, so I have learned to adapt. But really, Boogie-woogie is best on a real piano – you have a wider range, better weight, better action bouncing under your fingers”. Oxford sings about love and loss and betrayal – classic blues themes. And like every good blues player, she draws from her own hardship. About half of her songs come from her life, “I have definitely known heartbreak she says, but I also love Albert King and Gladys Knight – all the real soul singers of that era and I think those themes speak to everybody…but I do mine my own life for my songs.” Oxford will be back on tour in the Spring, lighting up clubs and festivals in England, Germany, Switzerland and Scotland. Photos by Nick Abadilla

MORE ABOUT DOÑA boogiemagazine.com /musicians/donaoxford

BOOGIE MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

Lady Rogo

SPOTLIGHT

Lady Rogo (Sarah Rogo) is a vibrant performer, singer/ songwriter and multi-talented instrumentalist. Guitar in hand, she is a force on stage who’s music is powerful and thought-provoking. She embraces classic styles such as country blues and folk while baring her soul through her enchanting melodies and honest lyrics. She draws from her passion for activism and as eastern philosophies like Buddhism to create music that makes a difference. Critics say “She’s tradition with a twist” and her music has been compared to artists like Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, and Robert Johnson. She recently completed her debut album ‘I Will Give’ which is available worldwide. Sarah is also a Yoga teacher that is pursuing healing through sound, movement, and meditation. To Sarah, playing music and practicing Yoga go hand in hand. Not only has she taught “Yoga for Musicians” at Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory, she constantly rallies musicians and artists together to grow healthy, mindful life styles in the creative community.

WANT SOME MORE? boogiemagazine.com/ musicians/ladyrogo

BOOGIE MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

SPOTLIGHT

verything Undone is a fresh new band hitting the San Diego and Los Angeles scene with Tristan Brooks on guitar and vocals and his brother Jagger on drums. They are joined by bassist Jagger Mason and guitarist Eric Lawrence. During the last 6 months the band as a whole has been rehearsing to perfect their performance and prepare their stage show. “Disappear” the bands debut EP is now on iTunes for purchase. You can check out Everything Undone's music and current activity on their website or social media. Band leader Tristan is a singer, songwriter from San Diego with a passion for writing alternative style music with powerful social messages. Tristan started playing guitar at the age of 12 but quickly became a multiinstrumentalist picking up the bass, vocals, piano and drums. At 15 he auditioned and toured as a bassist for the Vans Warped Tour. Tristan has been writing and producing songs that seem to pour out of his psyche at an accelerated rate. Everything Undone’s sound has a wide variety of musical influences such as RadioHead, Linkin Park, Muse, and Depeche Mode.

boogiemagazine.com/ musicians/undone BOOGIE MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

SPOTLIGHT

Christine Gilardi

‘Mama Christy’

hristine Gilardi (aka Mama Christy) is a San Diego based rock/blues/pop original musician. She’s a powerhouse singer, guitarist, composer, vocal arranger, recording artist, and audio engineer. Her original music is infused with compellingly simple spiritual messages. Her passionate performances will bring you to your feet and to tears. In the mid-1990’s, Gilardi was the director of an original music summer camp called “SD Rock Music Day Camp,” under the National Guitar Workshop. Ric Lee, of the Bayou Brothers , volunteered each summer and was inspired by Gilardi’s camp to create a blues music summer camp… that we now know as the “Blues in the Schools.” Mary Lewis wrote about it in Boogie Issue 4! Gilardi gained national acclaim in the 2013 Posi-Fest Awards with Honorable Mention for “I Believe in Love,” a song that she wrote for Melissa Etheridge. Gilardi’s straight-ahead rock and blues arrangements, infused with positive messages, are common threads. She is an improvisational songwriter and a featured blues jam performer at Boogie Jams, SD JammingOut at the House of Blues, and other area venues. Christine has built her career as a solo artist, and loves collaborating with other artists and bands, both on stage and in the studio. In 2014, Gilardi teamed up with award winning singer-songwriter Lacy Younger and they performed at the Temecula International Film & Music Festival, as one of only 10 acts selected from thousands. Her badass backup vocals are featured on The Bones – Las Vegas album ‘What Would Ginger Do?’ and she performed at their “Dirty Pretty Things” CD Release party in November 2015. She was one of five finalists in the 2015 NM Music Awards in the vocal performance category for her hit single, “I Miss You,” produced by Grammy Award Winning Artist/Producer Larry Mitchell. Currently, Gilardi is building a new San Diego Chapter of the Women’s Global Leadership Alliance (WGLA) to unite female musicians, artists and entrepreneurs for leadership opportunities and local, regional, national, and international collaboration. She is a gifted intuitive coach and mentor, committed to help others achieve their dreams. After spending years healing and shedding over 130 pounds, Christine’s story has swept through the SD music scene, bringing love and inspiration to her peers and fans alike. An artist on Roni Lee’s Play Like A Girl Label, Christine Gilardi knows how to rock & roll! She truly Plays Like A Girl!!!! Photo by Julie Bergonz

MORE ABOUT MAMA CHRISTY

boogiemagazine.com/musicians/mamachristy

BOOGIE MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

SPOTLIGHT

ecently arrived from Canada, Daring Greatly is fronted by a powerful a three-part “blood harmony” provided by father, Dail Croome (bassist), and his sons, Patrick (acoustic guitar) and Liam Croome (keyboards). The combination of familiar voices, each with their own unique tone and melody, create a magical vocal tapestry, like no other. With controlled dynamics, perfectly inserted fills and emotional turns, rhythmic drummer Brayden “Rio” Tario brings the bands rhythm section to life. Brandon Haddow hoists the electric lead guitar and rips out killer solos, and then casually steps back, to provide soulful fills and rhythm. The group recorded their first EP at OCL Studios in August 2014, recording their 5 original songs “My Ecstasy,” “Sometimes,” “Find Your Serenity,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” and “I Was Mistaken.” My Ecstasy and Find Your Serenity were released as singles in October and November respectively. The 5 songs were released on iTunes as an EP-Album December 1st, 2014. Reviews of the album were positive and solid all the way through – garnering them some attention from Nashville producers and industry people later in the winter of 2015. On July 25, 2015 Daring Greatly hosted a sold-out farewell concert saying goodbye to the 185 in attendance at the Engineered Air Theatre in their hometown of Calgary. The sold-out show allowed them to keep visualizing their dream of being on the road and playing their music to as many people as possible. On that same night they released their first album self titled ‘Daring Greatly’ which included the five songs from the My Ecstasy EP, plus 6

other tracks including a cover of “Old Man” by Neil Young that the group has become locally known for. 100 of their CD’s were sold on July 25. On that same album, you will find 3 bonus tracks at the very end that are not listed which are Nashville produced renditions of “My Ecstasy,” “Find Your Serenity,” and “Don’t Let Me Down.” The chemistry in this band is incredible. There is so much love and respect for one another. Everyone has a genius and a passion that they bring, that everyone is contributing in such a profound way that one of them missing would change everything! Their shared passion for music has definitely brought them closer, but also, because they have played hockey all their lives, they know how to be part of a team, to trust each other, and that when every day isn’t their best, they need to pick each other up. The band’s philosophy is to remain relevant, connected, and creative, to be able to continue to write and perform music that allows people to celebrate life, that challenges people to be brave enough to be free and authentic, and creates a quiet and loving revolution that creates a shift in the way people live their lives, so that there is less focus on the empty materiality, and more focus on the things that we know truly provides fulfillment, such as deep connection, freedom, and a purpose greater than oneself. Photo by Greg Doherty

CHECKOUT PHOTOS & VIDEOS boogiemagazine.com/musicians/daringgreatly

BOOGIE MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

AROUND THE TOWN

6one9 Goes Out In Style SAN DIEGO (February 20) - 6ONE9 made their last appearance on the storied House of Blues main stage. Sadly, to those of us that have followed this amazing, talented band for more than a decade, Casey Mink and the rest of the guys in 6ONE9 are going their separate ways. Parting is such sweet sorrow! Luckily, their fans, this split is amicable. These are great guys and they all have amazing things happening for them in the future! Tonight is goodbye, but it’s also a celebration! Since their inception in March of 2000, 6ONE9 has been rockin’ the San Diego music scene. The band has toured Japan, Korea and Thailand, performed at Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego and has opened for numerous national artists over their lengthy career. For a couple of years, 6ONE9 has hosted shows featuring the hottest local cover and tribute bands at the House of Blues. The list of performing bands has included Hitman Honey, Arena, Dirty Birdz and the Hornstarz, Way Cool Jr., Madmen, and Faux Fighters. For their final show at House of Blues, 6ONE9 invited Relax Max and the CopyCat Killers to the party. Relax Max opened the show by blowing the roof off the place! They performed an eclectic mix of crowd favorites, playing everything from Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb”, Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit”, Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer to the Eurythmic’s “Sweet Dreams.” CopyCat Killers guitarist Gavin O’Hara joined Relax Max at the end of their set adding metal to the mix with Queensryche’s “Silent Lucidity” and Iron Maiden’s “Flight of Icarus” giving a little taste of legendary cover band Monsters of Rock. Relax Max is Sergio Estrada on guitar, and Rogelio Estrada on drums, Leah Macks Carantes Stephenson on acoustic guitar and vocals and the smokin’ hot Lauri Randall Vreeland on vocals. David Kendall filled in on bass for John Osmon This band was truly amazing from start to finish closing out their set with the classic Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”. Playing the House of Blues main stage for the first time,

Copycat Killers hit the stage after Relax Max. Tough act to follow, but they were up to the challenge! Lead vocalist Eric Koonze roared on to the stage with Guns N Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle”! Copycat’s set was full of hard rock classics following Jungle with Van Halen’s “Runnin’ With the Devil” and AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”, mixing in Judas Priest’s “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” and Dio’s “Rainbow in the Dark” finishing their set with the perfect sound for Eric’s voice, Drowning Pool’s “Bodies.” CopyCat’s current lineup is Brian Lathrem on bass, Gavin O’Hara on guitar, Jason Cooper on guitar, Jason Jackson on drums with hard hitting vocalist, Eric Koonze bringing it all together. Finally!! 6ONE9 hits the stage at full throttle with Bon Jovi’s “Lay Your Hands on Me.” The current incarnation of the band is Casey Mink on guitar and vocals, Greg Rupp on bass and vocals, Jef Poremba on guitar and Calvin Lakin on drums, sitting in for Jorge Palacios, currently touring with Rick Springfield. They performed a mix of crowd favorites from over the years including Quiet Riot’s “Metal Health” and Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher.” While saying their goodbyes, 6one9 treated the crowd to some of the old days. Casey, Jef and Greg played with former band members, Brett Lawrence and Carey Rothman on vocals, Steve Mummo on guitar and Jerry Fleury on drums, performing AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” and Godsmack’s “Whatever”. Closing out the final set, the show and the career of one of the most entertaining bands I’ve had the pleasure to know, playing with former band member Mike Griffin on vocals, Jason Cooper of CopyCat Killers on guitar and Sergio Estrada of Relax Max on guitar, they nailed AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds.” No, actually, they KILLED IT! One would have expected nothing less. 6ONE9, went out in style, rockin’ the House of Blues. Photos and story by Stephanie Pillar

MORE PHOTOS

boogiemagazine.com/2016/03/6one9-2

BOOGIE MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

AROUND THE TOWN

Lake Elsinore “Likes to Boogie” LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (February 28) - About eighty miles north of San Diego off of Highway 15, in a little bar on the north-west end of Lake Elsinore, an amazing event took place. The people asked for the Boogie, and the Boogie showed up. Lynette and Johnathan Giglio invited Boogie Magazine to come out to their Sunday Funday jam sessions at PK’s Roadhouse on Grand Avenue. Months had gone by until Mark Eppler set the date and phone calls were made. We knew not to come empty handed so we invited some close friends to join us on our journey. Nicolas Butterfield, and Chill Boy Raffesberger made the scene with us and were impressive while sitting in with the locals. Our new friends Daring Greatly made it out to help represent and brought the house down with their Canadian style and great original music (daring-greatly.com). More to come on them. We meet some new friends as well, Andrew Gonzales and Danny Doc Ryan led a set of hard rockin’ blues that had us dancing. The band on the cover of our current March issue, Trailerpark Rockstar, was there to sign autographs and even close out the jam with Mark Eppler and myself sitting in for a couple of songs. Thanks to Lynette and Johnathan and everyone else who showed up to jam with us tonight. We’ll be back. Photos by Eli Medellin

boogiemagazine.com /2016/02/7171

Revival of the Singer Songwriter Debuts at Belly Up

SOLANA BEACH, Calif, (February 16) - RexRode Production’s ‘Revival of the Singer-Songwriter’ made it’s debut at the Belly Up on Tuesday. It really was a magical evening by all accounts. Certainly an amazing testament to San Diego’s support of local live original music. More than two hundred and fifty patrons gathered to hear a collection of some of the best local musicians in the San Diego county. Renowned guitar player Greg Douglass was the star of the production storyline as a retired guitar player at “Shady Daze Retirement Home”. Enter Lacy Younger as the steamy hot nurse to bring Greg a refreshment as his friends and family begin to arrive to visit and perform a few songs. Musical guests included Ben Powell, Sherri Anne & Sister Speak, Casey Hensly & Laura Chavez, Daring Greatly, and Barnwell Shift. In the middle of the show, Greg Douglass took a moment and gave a stellar solo guitar performance and then was joined by Lacy and Daring Greatly performing an outstanding version of “Fooled Around and Fell in Love”. The Tuesday night event was a true testament to our amazing local music scene and a night to remember. Photos by John Hancock

MORE PHOTOS

boogiemagazine.com/2016/02/singer-songwriter

BOOGIE MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

NEWS

Country Rockin’ Rebels

To Release New Album In June - San Diego

abeza Records is proud to announce the release of the new album Ride Rebel Ride by San Diego country-rock band Country Rockin’ Rebels, in June 2016. The new album from Country Rockin’ Rebels, Ride Rebel Ride, is unabashedly a guitar album. From the opening notes of “Too Rock for Country,” to the closing cries of “Indian Wind,” the band weaves Hendrixian fuzz tones, gritty slide and Layla-esque pedal steel throughout as textures to further define lead-singer and writer Tristan Luhrs’ ‘hard luck rebel’ concept. This time, the Rebel hits the road. “Marie” is a 70’s style country rock love song with simple, honest lyrics and serious Stonesy swagger. Here eloquent acoustic strums by Tristan, slippery slide by Mark Eppler and even a “guitar-orchestra” by lead guitarist and album producer Michael Head, play against Ted Stern’s steady fiddle and pedal steel work. “Marie” doesn’t have a musical hook, it is a hook. “My greatest musical inspiration, my dad, always said that the Rolling Stones are the greatest ‘country rock’ band to ever play.” says Luhrs. “This album was undeniably inspired by those Stones records that were, all at once, ‘rock’ and ‘country’.” “Stomp” is a psychedelic, country rock hoe-down. It’s a Jack White meets Jimi Hendrix mash-up that features solo interplay by everyone in the band over a steady, danceable groove held down by drummer Steve Tahmahkera. “Summer Days” is

an ode to the beach, the West Coast, and to summers lost and found. The song was released as a single on Memorial Day 2015 and has an accompanying music video. The title track “Ride Rebel Ride” sets the tone for second half of the album. It features more band interplay as the slide and fiddle exchange the musical baton, and the fuzz guitar sings. Soaring pedal steel underlies beautiful lyrics like “your eyes they sparkle in my mind, like the stars above.” Turn it up a bit as you hit the highway and you’ll hear the story of “Scotty and the Texas Highway Patrol” a stoned-out train song about the modern commerce and judicial systems. That feel continues with “Workingman’s Honk”, an ode to West Coast honky-tonk and reflecting the plight of the struggling musician. “All I Want To Do” is simply a country rock symphony. It builds from a tiny Puebla to the final monster wall of sound where all of the guitars, slides, pedals and violins all meet in one final, glorious overture. “Indian Wind” is the bombastic, live-crowd pleaser, somehow studiocaptured in a 4-minute country-rock single. Ride Rebel Ride is the third album in a CD cycle, originally written by Luhrs, then brought to life by Head at his San Diego Cabeza Records studio. It has been a 10-year musical partnership for these two, and one we are glad to have in the Cabeza Records family. These road tested and fan approved tunes, like “Indian Wind” and “Stomp”, were mostly recorded full band in the studio, to intentionally have the same hair raising effect on album, as on the stage. Photo by Stephanie Pillar

Artist Title Label Producer Contact

Country Rockin’ Rebels Ride Rebel Ride Cabeza Records Michael Head cabezarecords@cox.net

Listen to “Stomp” & the rest of the album at countryrockinrebels.com

BOOGIE MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

NEWS The Johnny Vernazza Band hosting JammingOut The House of Blues March 16, 2016 Photo by Fran Miller-Del Santo

Puttin’ Blues in Dah “House” - San Diego

ammingOut the House Of Blues Pro Blues Jam celebrated their 3rd Jamaversay at the House Of Blues, San Diego on March 16. The very successful jam is organized and hosted by RosaLea Schiavone of Wicked Harem Booking & Productions and Doyle Thomas, the visionary and creator of San Diego’s jam session networking site JammingOut.net. Several phases of metamorphosis have occurred during the three year residency at HOB. The first change came after two and a half years of weekly Jams. The JammingOut Blues Band, consisting of Lafayette, Michael Minor and Kevin Cooper, was disbanded and replaced by having different bands host the jam every week. This was in keeping with Rosalea’s vision of bringing both the jamming and the working bands communities into the House Of Blues. Bands consisting of the creme de la crème of San Diego blues were brought in to front the jam events. Within a couple of months of this change, due to the holidays and Rosalea having surgery, the jam went on hiatus. During this hiatus, JammingOut.net Presents Wednesday Nights at the House of Blues was born. Blues bands from San Diego’s crème de la crème were hired to play full shows. Bands such as The Bayou Brothers, The Holla Point, Mercedes Moore Band, Len Raney and the Midnight Players, Casey Hensley Band, Will Lovalot Band, Chris Fast Band, Chet and the Committee, Blue Largo, Johnny Vernazza Band, Chicken Bone Slim and the Biscuits, The Little Kings, have fronted a jam, played a full show or both.

Word soon got around that good blues was to be had in the Salvation Alley Lounge at the House Of Blues on Wednesday nights. This brought in not only the dedicated fans of the bands themselves but also more tourists and locals. The format morphed once again in February when the jam hiatus was over. In keeping with the very best of the vision of keeping the blues alive for the fans, the jammers, and bands. JammingOut The House Of Blues Pro Blues Jam is no longer a weekly occurrence. It is now held on the 1st and 3rd week of every month from 7 till 11 pm (Some things never change and the 3 song 20 minute set is still in effect). The remaining weeks are full band shows. Look for these groups coming up in the month of April; The Back Water Blues Band, Taryn Donath Duo, Robin Henkel, Whitney Shay and Friends, The Fremonts and the Chris Fast Band. Nathan James and The Rhythm Scratchers in May and others TBA. On Tuesday nights you can find Robin Henkel In dah “House” from 7 til 9pm on the Salvation Alley stage sharing some history, tellin stories and playin the blues. Ear shows brought to you by Wicked Harem Booking & Productions Photos from JammingOut The House Of Blues Pro Blues Jam on March 16 taken by Fran Miller-Del Santo By CSW

LEARN MORE! jammingout.net

BOOGIE MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

Sue Palmer Hosts San Diego Sessions

an Diego boogie-woogie legend Sue Palmer is the host of a blues and jazz show on Jazz 88.3 called San Diego Sessions. Palmer has been making her mark for decades with her own high energy band, the Motel Swing Orchestra. She has performed with many of the legends of the boogie genre and has won many awards, including the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Her boogiewoogie piano style has proven irresistible to audiences worldwide. She’s a lifelong San Diegan with a love for jazz and blues and shares her deep knowledge of the local scene to the radio. The show airs every week on Sunday starting at 5:00 PM for 1 hour: San Diego Sessions Sue is always on the lookout for local musicians to play on her show. You can contact her at suep@jazz88.org WANT SOME MORE? SuePalmer.com

Six String Society Bringing Quality Live Music to the Masses Six String Society Bringing Quality Live Music to the Masses

Six String Society

Bringing Quality Live Music to the Masses SAN DIEGO -If you haven’t heard the name RexRode Productions yet, you’re hearing it now. Kenneth Rexrode has a gift for finding the most amazing, talented artists and producing shows that are beyond comparison. he doesn’t just put on a show, he creates a theatrical production complete with stage props and a storyline that attracts an elite audience. Rexrode is on a mission to bring live music to the masses. Six String Society is a one of a kind musical theater production created and produced by Rexrode. No two shows are ever cast the same. These productions have succeeded in packing venues such as Music Box and the Belly Up and have showcased such artists as Gregory Page, Chelsea Williams, Scott Gates, Peter Sprague, Leonard Patton, Buzz Campbell, Jonny Bowler, Robin Henkel, Thomas Leeb, Tim Walsh, Bob Ryan, Lee Koch, Michael Battista, Hovanes Hovanesian, Daniel Blank, Monette Marino, Don King, Caleb Fugatch, Joel Reese, Billy Watson, Ben Powell, Whitney Shay, David Maldonado, Erdis Mavhelaku, Nathan James, Nathan Rivera, Lola Demure, Missy Devine, Owen Burke, Eva Greenleaf, Tracy Black, Jessie Athan Smith, SherrI Anne, Tony Suraci, Jim Soldi, Jimmy Patton, Enrique Platas, Greg Douglass, Maritza Hasty, Casey Hensley, Laura Chaves, Evan Caleb Yearsley, Anthony Cullins, Jerod Dulaney, Jim Reeves, Bob Sale, Taimane Gardner, Jazzy, Kalei Gamiao & Dave Page. Go to the Six String Society Facebook Page and “Like” it. If we all support this effort we can work together let the world know that San Diego is a legitimate music hot spot. By Eli Medellin

BOOGIE MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK goo.gl/zrCdgf

NEWS

Gator by the Bay:

Boogie Like It’s Mardi Gras What’s your favorite boogie? Dance floors filled with dancing feet, twirling to Cajun waltzes, joyously twostepping to a lively creole zydeco beat, or swinging to blues and boogie woogie? How about the lilt of fiddles, the syncopation of rubboards, the trill of accordions filling the balmy air? Or maybe it’s all about the blues artist wailing away on a harp or coaxing soulful riffs from a guitar? All of the above? Well, you’ll find all that and more, at Gator By the Bay, happening May 5-8, 2016, at San Diego’s Spanish Landing Park. Now in its 15th year, Gator by the Bay began as a celebration of the upbeat, highly danceable, Cajun and zydeco music of Southwest Louisiana, bringing the top musical artists of the genre from the bayous and prairies of that region to San Diego. Maryann Blinkhorn, one of the festival’s original organizers, remembers, “Back in February of 1992, some dance-loving and newly passionate Cajon-o-philes threw a Sunday afternoon dance lesson party, and100 people showed up. The love spread, and the Bon Temps Social Club of San Diego was born. Nine years later, as the local demand for more and more Louisiana music grew, Gator By the Bay was launched.” Today, the event is still presented by the Bon Temps Social Club, and draws about 18,000 participants who will enjoy close to 100 musical acts on seven stages. Its musical focus has expanded to include blues, rockabilly and roots, salsa and Latin, and swing, while keeping the Mardi Gras spirit of Cajun, zydeco, Swamp Pop and New Orleans jazz at its heart. Gator By the Bay is considered such an authentic experience, that since 2012 it has been recognized by the State of Louisiana as an official ambassador. Gator By the Bay is more than just another music festival, however. Its multi-generational appeal is also about food, culture, and joie de vivre. Gator by the Bay organizer Peter Oliver explains, “While our main focus is on the highest quality music from many genres, we also create a Mardi Gras-style experience, which includes genuine Louisiana food, colorful ‘second line’ parades with New Orleans style brass bands, and educational workshops. There are dance lessons, cooking demos, activities for the kids, music workshops, and just lots of fun. Not to mention 10,000 lbs of crawfish, brought straight from Louisiana, ready to be boiled and devoured!” The festival kicks off on May 5 with an evening zydeco concert featuring Grammy-nominated C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band. C.J. is the son of the late great “King of Zydeco” Clifton Chenier, the father of modern zydeco and the first Grammy Award winning musician of the genre. Gator By the Bay continues May 6-8. Cajun and zydeco headliners from Louisiana include Jeffery Broussard and the Creole Cowboys, Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble, and Grammy nominees Bonsoir Catin. Some of the blues heavyweights include Roy Rogers, John Nèmeth, Curtis Salgado, Sugaray Rayford, and The 44s with Kid Ramos. Filling in the schedule is a full roster of local favorites, such as Johnny Vernazzi, Sue Palmer, The Bayou Brothers, and many, many more.

Lineup, schedule and tickets GatorByTheBay.com

By Wendy Lemlin Photo by McDonald Photographers

BOOGIE MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

NEWS

WGLA to Launch in San Diego

In April 2016, San Diego blues/rock/pop musician Christine Gilardi will be kicking off a new San Diego Chapter of the Women’s Global Leadership Alliance (WGLA). Christine is calling all women in SD (musicians, artists, healing facilitators, and independent business professionals) who would like to expand their leadership abilities to impact the local community and on an even larger scale. “I am building the new SD WGLA chapter to be wellknown for its musicians, artists, and consultants who are helping build leaders who are making a difference locally, nationally, and internationally,” says Gilardi. WGLA provides leadership, eLearning, certification, funding, collaboration, events and small group mentorship programs throughout the world. “Our Mission is to empower leadership in collaboration with accomplished 30

women, by sharing skills and experience to inspire successful careers and lives.” LuAn Mitchell, co-founder and CEO of WGLA says, “By developing a strong, supportive network of members and providing them with the right tools, WGLA is providing a platform for women to excel and reach their highest potential – in business, in careers, and in society.” Jayne Rios, Co-founder and COO of WGLA, adds, “Through our courses, leadership events, and access to the WGLA marketplace, we provide business development opportunities, offer creative solutions for entrepreneurs, and inspire action.” Join the Movement by visiting womensgla. com/?affiliates=29 Photography by Nick Abadilla

MORE PHOTOS

boogiemagazine.com /2016/03/wgla BOOGIE MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

Earl Thomas in

John Hancockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Musical Chairs

JOIN US FOR MORE

boogiemagazine.com/HancocksMusicalChairs

NO MORE LOST SETTINGs!

Keep your signature sound

Remove your existing knob, set your tone and screw on LOKNOB’s Fuggedaboudit Tour Cap It’s just that simple. Bang it, drop it, kick it, knock it...Your settings stay put, so you can just Fuggedaboudit until you reset and reuse for your next world tour!

Check out their full arsenal of problem-solving accessories at

loknob.com

The “Fuggedaboudit” Tour Cap

Gator By The Bay Festival May 5 - 8 2016

at San Diegoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spanish Landing Park Live music including: Cajun - Zydeco - Swamp Pop - New Orleans Jazz Blues - Rockabilly - Roots - Salsa - Latin - Swing

GET YOUR TICKETS! goo.gl/dC4JyC

Louisiana Food - 10,000lbs of Crawfish - Cooking Lessons Educational workshops - Dance Lessons - Lots more fun!