{"id":1636,"date":"2012-05-02T00:51:06","date_gmt":"2012-05-02T07:51:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/?p=1636"},"modified":"2015-01-12T09:31:50","modified_gmt":"2015-01-12T17:31:50","slug":"photos-a-town-festival-at-verdi-club-in-san-francisco-04-29-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/billchapin.net\/allthecitylights\/2012\/05\/photos-a-town-festival-at-verdi-club-in-san-francisco-04-29-12\/","title":{"rendered":"PHOTOS: A-Town Festival at Verdi Club in San Francisco, 04.29.12"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Slim Jenkins at Verdi Club, San Francisco, 04.29.11.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Golly. I haven’t seen so many flying skirts since the aviatrix convention! *rim shot* Hey-o! But seriously, folks, this Sunday event was more than a 12-hour music festival, it was one heckuva swinging dance party. The Verdi Club<\/a>‘s dance floor, though sizable, was mostly packed with couples in knee-length vintage dresses or embroidered shirts flinging each other around. When I applauded between songs, I felt like I was clapping for the dancers at least as much as for the bands. You should have seen all the hot tamales.<\/p>\n

Literally. There were literally a bunch of tamales available for $3 each or $6 with beans and rice.<\/p>\n

This was the inaugural A-Town Festival, an event organized by A-Town Booking Agency & Events<\/a> of Alameda, which specializes in swinging retro roots music and has a weekly Tuesday Night Jump!<\/a> dance party at the Verdi Club. The music at Sunday’s shindig\u2014which also served as A-Town honcho\u00a0Tanoa Stewart’s birthday celebration, complete with a girl jumping out of cake\u2014was right in line with the agency’s roster: western swing, jump blues and honky-tonk, with choruses that involved shouting things like, “BLACK CAT BOOGIE!” and “Diddly diddly diddly BOP!” There was a whole corner devoted to storing pedal-steel guitars and stand-up basses.<\/p>\n

I managed to catch four bands, including San Francisco’s The B Stars<\/a>, which was my inspiration for attending. I interviewed<\/a> Greg Yanito of the country combo almost exactly a year ago and have continued to enjoy its 2010 album, Behind the Barn with The B-Stars<\/a>,<\/em> but I’d never seen the group live. Sunday’s gig was the band’s first time playing with a full six-person lineup that includes steel guitar, electric guitar and fiddle. The band is also gearing up for a record release party<\/a> from 6 to 9 p.m. May 12 at Amnesia<\/a>, 853 Valencia St., San Francisco, with Jenny Lynn & Her Real Gone Daddies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In addition, I saw Reno band Golden West Trio<\/a> (which actually had four people with the addition of Miss Kay Marie) along with local groups Slim Jenkins<\/a> (featuring two<\/em> saxophones!) and West Coast Ramblers<\/a>. All were just as impressively, impossibly talented, tight and classy as the next.<\/p>\n

Here is photographic evidence of the festivities:<\/p>\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n

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\n \n\"A-Town\n<\/a> \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \n \n
A-Town Fest 11<\/h5>\n

Larry Chung of The B-Stars at Verdi Club, San Francisco, 04.29.11. <\/p>\n<\/span> \n\r\n

\n \n\"A-Town\n<\/a> \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \n \n
A-Town Fest 10<\/h5>\n

The B-Stars at Verdi Club, San Francisco, 04.29.11. <\/p>\n<\/span> \n\r\n

\n \n\"A-Town\n<\/a> \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \n \n
A-Town Fest 9<\/h5>\n

The B-Stars at Verdi Club, San Francisco, 04.29.11. <\/p>\n<\/span> \n\r\n

\n \n\"A-Town\n<\/a> \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \n \n
A-Town Fest 8<\/h5>\n

Lee Jeffriess and Nick Rossi of West Coast Ramblers at Verdi Club, San Francisco, 04.29.11. <\/p>\n<\/span> \n\r\n

\n \n\"A-Town\n<\/a> \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \n \n
A-Town Fest 7<\/h5>\n

West Coast Ramblers at Verdi Club, San Francisco, 04.29.11. <\/p>\n<\/span> \n\r\n

\n \n\"A-Town\n<\/a> \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \n \n
A-Town Fest 6<\/h5>\n

Slim Jenkins at Verdi Club, San Francisco, 04.29.11. <\/p>\n<\/span> \n\r\n

\n \n\"A-Town\n<\/a> \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \n \n
A-Town Fest 5<\/h5>\n

Slim Jenkins at Verdi Club, San Francisco, 04.29.11. <\/p>\n<\/span> \n\r\n

\n \n\"A-Town\n<\/a> \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \n \n
A-Town Fest 4<\/h5>\n

Slim Jenkins at Verdi Club, San Francisco, 04.29.11. <\/p>\n<\/span> \n\r\n

\n \n\"A-Town\n<\/a> \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \n \n
A-Town Fest 3<\/h5>\n

Slim Jenkins at Verdi Club, San Francisco, 04.29.11. <\/p>\n<\/span> \n\r\n

\n \n\"A-Town\n<\/a> \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \n \n
A-Town Fest 2<\/h5>\n

Golden West Trio featuring Miss Kay Marie at Verdi Club, San Francisco, 04.29.11. <\/p>\n<\/span> \n\r\n

\n \n\"A-Town\n<\/a> \r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n \n \n
A-Town Fest 1<\/h5>\n

Sibling team of Aaron Acquafondata and Kay Marie from Golden West Trio at Verdi Club, San Francisco, 04.29.11. <\/p>\n<\/span> \n\r\n <\/div> \r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n