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Millbrae Art & Wine Festival

MUSIC LINEUP ROCKS

Millbrae Art & Wine Festival

David Martin’s House Party,
The House Rockers, Livewire and
Big Bang Beat Headline

KFOX Hosts Classic Rock Stage at Millbrae’s Totally Rockin’ Festival

*Please note this information is from the 2011 event. Please return 3-4 weeks prior to the event when we post information for the 2012 event.

Every Labor Day weekend, downtown Millbrae is transformed into THE Bay Area’s entertainment hot spot during the city’s mother of all shindigs — the Art & Wine Festival. The beat goes on at this year’s festival, September 1-2, with a wide-ranging musical mix—70’s disco, hip-hop, 80’s pop classics, 90’s party music, R&B, soul, funk, classic rock and roll, Latin rock, reggae, swing and jazz—performed on stage and street by nine big-name bands.

Big Bang Beat
Big Bang Beat

The Pulsators
The Pulsators (photo by Drew Sherman)

Livewire
Livewire

Not called the Ultimate Party Machine for nothing, Big Bang Beat is a dynamite, 12-piece extravaganza featuring four knockout female singers, a driving rhythm section, blazing horns, guitar and keyboard. These guys work from a huge repertoire built on the greatest dance and party hits of every era, from the big band to today, and their non-stop stage show will have everyone on their feet.

Rooted in the fertile musical soil of the Sonoma County wine country, The Pulsators are a five-piece band that projects an easy groove and good-time feeling to audiences throughout the Bay Area. Their music has been defined as a spicy blend of driving blues, funky New Orleans R&B, rock steady reggae and classic rock-and-roll.

It’s a guaranteed party when Livewire gets on stage. This high-energy dance band can jump from 70s classics like ABBA and the Bee Gees to modern groove from the Black Eyed Peas and Kelly Clarkson with ease, all with a professional showmanship that will get everyone out of their seat and onto the dance floor.

KFOX 98.5 FM/102.1 FM

David Martin's House Party
David Martin's House Party

House Rockers
House Rockers

La Ventana
La Ventana

In a new twist, the Bay Area’s legendary classic rock station, KFOX 98.5 FM/102.1 FM, hosts the Classic Rock Stage on Sunday. One of the station’s popular deejays—Greg Kihn, Tim Jeffreys, Big Rick Stuart or Laurie Roberts—will make a surprise guest appearance to host the stage. The lineup for Sunday’s KFOX Classic Rock Stage will knock your socks off with La Ventana, The House Rockers and David Martin’s House Party on the bill.

David Martin’s House Party gets down like it’s nobody’s business. This super-popular, high energy dance band features nine outstanding musicians, proprietary character dancers, a set list of more than 500 songs, and enough costumes and charisma to get any party pumping. Band leader David Martin is not only a talented guitarist, vocalist and lyricist, but also a world-class showman. With years of film, television and theatrical acting, he is the master of improvisation, spontaneously tailoring song lyrics for his audiences and delivering a fresh show to every performance.

With a wailing five-piece horn section and rock solid rhythm section of two guitars, bass, drums and keys, the House Rockers bring the timeless classics to life. Each show brings together elements of big band swing, blues, 60's soul and R&B, and rock-and-roll. Every song is performed with the passion and power of the original, with the spirit of Elvis, The Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Credence, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Van Morrison present at each performance.

San Francisco-based La Ventana delivers a Spanish-flavored mix of R&B, soul and rock, all layered over a rich percussion section of timbales, traps and congas. La Ventana was voted the Hottest Latin Rock Band in the Bay Area by “Voices of Latin Rock” and has opened for greats like Malo, Tierra, War and Santana.

Then get ready for the Mills Pep Band. When this group of Mills High School's finest musicians take the stage, they’ll blow away the audience with their arrangements, instrumentation, and spirited music.

Beyond the main stage, enjoy the sounds of street musicians throughout the festival, like the original jazz and blues tunes from the Emerson Growiser Band. Emerson is a natural, self-taught musician and a San Francisco gem. His unique sound comes from exposure to both Caribbean and European music genres, as well as American soul music, producing what some have called “Moody Blues with heart and soul.”

New age pianist and recording artist Jeffrey Michael describes his music as “Cinematic Piano,” reminiscent of a romantic movie score. His melodies are inspiring, powerful, and enchanting and will create musical portraits in your mind.

Take a musical journey to old Italy with Heartstrings Music, featuring Al Fabrizio on mandolin and Hugo Wainzinger on guitar. The pair plays romantic, easy listening, Italian melodies including tarantellas, polkas and traditional ethnic heartfelt ballads.

Emerson
Emerson
  Mills Pep Band
Mills Pep Band
  Heartstrings Music
Heartstrings Music
  Jeffrey Michael
Jeffrey Michael

MILLBRAE ART & WINE FESTIVAL
ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE

 WELLS FARGO MUSIC STAGE
Saturday, September 1
11 a.m. — Mills Pep Band
12 p.m. — The Pulsators
1:45 p.m. — Livewire
3:30 p.m. — Big Bang Beat

Sunday, September 2
12 p.m. — La Ventana
1:45 p.m. — The House Rockers
3:30 p.m. — David Martin’s House Party

Street Performers (All Weekend)
Emerson & The Growiser Band (Victoria/Broadway)
Jeffrey Michael (La Cruz/Broadway)
HeartStrings Music (Taylor/Broadway)