Pumpkin Festival Features
a Smashing Entertainment Lineup
NOTE: Content below is from 2009 event. Check back 3-4 weeks before the event for updated information.
Get ready for Half Moon Bay’s world-famous Pumpkin-flavored Party Gras. Three stages of smashing entertainment featuring some of the biggest names on the Bay Area music scene make Half Moon Bay the place to be for its massive autumn bash –– the Art & Pumpkin Festival, October 16-17. With an eclectic mix of world beat, classic rock, country, blues, reggae, classic Latin rock, folk and zydeco, there’s something for every musical taste.
John Nemeth
California Cowboys
Mestizo
The Unauthorized Rolling Stones
Tall Shadows
Frankie's Dream
Big Crawdaddy
HeartStrings Music
Stevan Pasero
|
Mystic Man
Terry Hanck
Jim Stevens
Emerson
Bob Culbertson
FatChanceBellyDance |
Main Stage/IDES Grounds
Lakay & Mystic Man is one of the Bay Area’s most popular groups in the world-music genre, headlining at hip clubs such as Ashkenaz, the Boom Boom Room, and the Agenda Lounge. The 9-piece band was founded by Haitian-born Mystic Man –– the lead singer, composer and arranger of the group’s music –– and plays a variety of world beat, including reggae, calypso, Latin, and more.
John Nemeth is a rising blues star –– a singer steeped in the tradition and reminiscent of B.B. King, Ray Charles and Junior Parker, and a harmonica player of riveting intensity and virtuosity. His decade long career has found him opening for Robert Cray, Keb Mo’, and Earl Thomas.
R. W. Smith and the California Cowboys deliver classic country with crisp musicianship and obvious charisma. Lead singer and song-writer, Smith is the polished showman, dancing and joking with the audience while delivering top billing entertainment. The guitar interplay is masterful, the rhythm section, solid. With a signature style that evokes just a hint of rootsy rock & roll, the Cowboys are guaranteed to fill the seats with cheering fans.
Mestizo has that "classic Latin rock" sound that is instantly recognizable. The thirteen piece band from San Francisco pays tribute the music of Santana, Malo, El Chicano, War, Sapo, and Azteca. The spicy horns, tight rhythm section, and infectious energy will get the audience on their feet and shaking their booties.
The Unauthorized Rolling Stones have become something of an institution on the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. Each band member has made it his mission to study not only the music of the Stones, but every nuance of the look, clothing, movement and style of the original band, delivering an authentic performance of the rock and roll idols.
Terry Hanck is well known for his hard blowing sax, incredible range and gusty vocals. Playing a signature mix of New Orleans Gumbo, West Coast Jump and East Bay Funk, all delivered with a heavy dose of blues and soul, he draws on a vast repertoire of songs, including many originals, and his energetic performances spotlight an artist at the peak of his craft.
If you like rock and roll cover music, you’ll love Tall Shadows. This seasoned group of San Francisco musicians delivers a steady diet of classic rock and modern hits from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and today, including hits from the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, ZZ Top, the Who, the Beastie Boys, Green Day, and more of the legends of rock.
With his rich, mellow baritone and fluid acoustic guitar playing, folk singer Jim Stevens has been a Pumpkin Festival favorite for more than 20 years. Stevens plays a range of popular covers as well as original tunes, several inspired by pumpkins and the city of Half Moon Bay.
South Stage at the Gazebo
Formed in early 2009, the Mike Rossi Band has cultivated a devoted fan base with their eclectic repertoire of traditional blues and Rossi’s blues based original compositions. World-class guitarist, singer/songwriter and blues historian, Rossi grew up in the Bay Area peforming with the likes of Jerry Garcia and Jorma Kaukonen.
Bluestate infuses jumpin' blues from Louis Jordan and B.B. King, soul from King Curtis and Delbert McClinton, contemporary blues/rock from Coco Montoya and ZZ Top, and jazz/blues from The Crusaders and Robben Ford with energy, spontaneity and always, an irreverent sense of humor. The band is tight, jumping and very fun to listen to.
Frankie’s Dream is a true reflection of the Bay Area’s colorful musical history. Fronted by Frank Ellis, formerly of the Mad Brothers, the band members combine to create a familiar style that invites you in with its warm and appealing sound. Their songs integrate views on current events with respect for those who paved the winding road before them.
Big Crawdaddy serves up the soulful sounds of Ray Charles, Buckwheat Zydeco, Louis Prima, Van Morrison and Carlos Santana and much more. You can almost smell the garlic and taste the red wine when you hear them play.
Street Performers
Emerson is a self-taught musician who combines influences of Caribbean, European and American soul music into a style all his own. His keyboards and vocals are rounded out by a saxophone and bass for an R&B sound with a splash of soft jazz and the occasional ripple of country.
Bob Culbertson creates his music on the Chapman stick, a guitar-like stringed instrument designed to be tapped, not strummed or plucked. Culbertson has mastered the acoustic version of this instrument, displaying ferocious technique with the command of a virtuoso and capturing the rich warm sound of the instrument.
The gentlemen behind HeartStrings Music are “your passport to romantic world music.” On mandolin, Al Fabrizio brings back memories of growing up in an Italian New York neighborhood. He plays his Neapolitan instrument tremolo style, just the way his ancestors did. Argentine-born Hugo Wainzinger had a music-filled childhood as well, with a mother who was a passionate bolero singer. His guitar reflects that same old-world quality, which he expresses in the hundreds of songs he has composed and arranged.
Stevan Pasero is known worldwide as one of the most influential and versatile guitarists/composers of the past decade. Guitar aficionados love him, fans around the world are loyal to his music, critics praise his musicianship, while his recordings have sold over 15 million CDs. Mr. Pasero is featured on numerous recordings, has transcribed over 30 major symphonic works, produced more than 250 studio recordings & has composed well over 1000 pieces for solo and ensemble.
Recognized internationally as the creator of American Tribal Style Belly Dance, San Francisco-based Carolena Nericcio gracefully merges collaborative movement, alternative living and fearless entrepreneurship. American Tribal Style speaks to the collaborative nature of Carolena’s improvisational choreography, allowing each dancer to take their turn as the leader. What evolves is a movement vocabulary built on unspoken communication. Her dance troupe, FatChanceBellyDance, embodies this cooperation and trust. The dancers emphasize their connection on and off the stage by adorning themselves in costumes, jewelry and tattoos that identify them as a tribe. |
