Jenny and The Bets is a local jazz quartet led by the swinging and talented vocalist Jenny O’ Leary. Jenny sings standards, blues, and bossa novas while accompanied by guitar, bass and drums.
The BACK PORCH BOYS dig into the glorious roots of American music from the Delta blues in Mississippi to New Orleans up to Memphis over to Austin and jumpin’ to Chicago. Singer-guitarist RICH COWAN and harmonica enthusiast VIRGIL THRASHER put their combined 90 odd years of playing music on display. You will hear the likes of Tampa Red, Mississippi John Hurt, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Fats Domino among other icons from the early days.
Trianna Feruza is a singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist out of Santa Cruz, CA givin’ a new school twist on Pop-Funk fusion with an R&B twist. Imagine Erykah Badu and Amy Winehouse’s lovechild. Coming from a family embedded in the Folk-World Music scene, Trianna has a diverse musical background, setting the stage for her unique sound and engaging performance.
Acoustic rock trio, ranging from The Beatles to Chuck Berry to very catchy originals. You may find yourself wanting to get off your bar stool and dance.
Stormin Norman is long time lead singer for Stormin Norman & the Cyclones. Ken Kraft is lead player and singer for the Cyclones, plays with the White Album Ensemble and was formerly with the legendary Snail band. Jo Jo Fox is bass player and singer for the Cyclones and also with Karen Phoenix Band.
The Trolley Drops play songs from the good-time, prohibition-era folk jazz genre known as Jug Band music, which blends the call and response of gospel with the drive of the delta blues and the ruckus sounds of New Orleans Jazz.
An offshoot of Santa Cruz’s iconic rock band Snail, the Messiahs’ original melodies, hot guitar riffs & killer vocals will transport you to rock nirvana. Featuring Bobby O’Neill, Ken Kraft & Craig Owens.
Arindam Krishna Das has been active in the local music scene since arriving in Santa Cruz’s mystical mountains in the early 90s. The Jamissaries are Arindam on guitar and vocals, Jonathan Kessler on bass, and John Burton on drum kit, featuring Arindam’s original tunes and sharing music they love. This includes songs by The Beatles, Yes, Led Zepplin, The Doobie Brothers, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Tenacious D and more. Join them on their musical odyssey.
International guitarist/singer /songwriter Brad “Guitar” Wilson has a soulful contemporary sound, tapping into all his sources of inspiration. His performances have made him a stand-out hit at countless shows. Considered more than a talented guitarist by his audience, Brad is an exciting entertainer.
As a charismatic guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, Brad has become known as a modern hot guitar player who can entertain the house with the best of them. His show features his songwriting and great renditions of dance cover songs. Brad’s live show is presented with spirit and class.
Jazz On Tap plays jazz standards from The Great American Song Book. Featuring crooner Rocky Pase on vocals, Richard Robinson (sax, clarinet), Preston Brahm (piano) Thom Nold (Bass) and Bruce handloff (drums). Come out, enjoy a beer and swing with us!
Local contemporary folk artist Lucas Lawson teams up with songwriter, entertainer, multi-instrumentalist Dan Frechette for an evening of unforgettable tunes.
About Lucas Lawson:
Lucas Lawson is a young contemporary folk artist who grew up on a farm just north of Santa Cruz, California. In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, while spending time alone on the farm, Lucas developed the 5 songs that make up his debut EP, Revisited Harbor. This isolation encouraged him to complete the process of recording Revisited Harbor by himself. Once finalized on October 23rd of 2020, Revisited Harbor came to the ears of Lucas’s growing community.
Lucas’s upbringing on an organic farm exposed him to the balance and harmonies that all living things have to offer. At a young age, Lucas began attending bluegrass barn dances on the farm, where he first learned to play the guitar alongside local group, the County Line Pickers. When those sadly came to a halt in March of 2020, Lucas found himself writing songs more than ever.
Cement Ship was launched on January 1st, 2017 in Santa Cruz, California by singer/songwriter Tim Brady, just three weeks before the SS Palo Alto (the band’s namesake) was torn apart by heavy storm waves.
The music is inspired by the sea and it’s dynamic nature. The acoustic guitar style and singing tone from Tim can fit a wide array of genres, but maintains a natural and stripped down approach for the sound. Honest and raw, sweet and smoky. It has been described as ‘Americana Soul’ and ‘Beach Folk’.
Less then two years after playing it’s first show, Cement Ship won 2019 NEXTies ‘Band of the Year’ for Event Santa Cruz, and in 2020 was voted ‘Santa Cruz County Runner-Up Best Local Band’ for the Good Times Magazine best of 2020. They have played shows in various states in the USA as well as a 10 show tour of the U.K. in July 2019.
The song and music video for ‘Let’s Break Apart Together’, filmed live on Seacliff Beach in front of the actual Cement Ship, received a great deal of positive feedback from the local community and lead to the band playing the 100th year celebration of it’s own namesake.
The name comes from a Monterey Bay landmark, the SS Palo Alto. Built too late to be used in WW1, the 100 year old ship was grounded at Seacliff State Beach in Aptos and now serves as an artificial reef for marine life, including great white sharks.
Ezzie DeGiovanni was born into music, with two musician parents and a house full of guitars, accordions, fiddles, drums, and horns. Joel Murach has spent the last 30 or so years in the SF Bay Area music scene playing in bands such as Paddlefoot, 86, and the Low Rollers. Together, the multi-generational duo of Ezzie and Joel bring timeless songs, sweet harmonies, and sublime acoustic guitar interplay for your listening enjoyment.
“A true gem of the Coastside.” – Half Moon Bay Review
Slack Tide Currents is a four-piece acoustic rock band that brings good vibes, good times, and all original music to every show they play. Their grooves will get you moving and their lyrics will stick with you long after the lights come up.
Seven Shades of Grey is a South Bay band playing upbeat, party-oriented classic rock, R&B and soul covers. The proceeds from all of their gigs are donated to UCSF Cancer Research.
San Francisco Indie Folk Rock Singer/Songwriter blending 90’s alternative rock and contemporary folk/americana.
Anthony Presti was born in Menlo Park, California and moved to Seattle in the 90’s during a thriving grunge scene. After a brief stint in Arizona, he made his way back to California, settling in Sonoma County as a teenager where he called home for over twenty years before moving to San Francisco.
The influence of Presti’s vagabond life is evident in his musical style. He flirts with multiple genres tied together by thoughtful lyrics and catchy hooks and draws inspiration from the places he’s been in his life. Some of his current influences include Damien Rice, Ryan Adams, The Avett Brothers, Stick Figure and Tom Petty.
Presti has opened for Grammy nominated singer Gretchen Peters and national acts The Deer and Little Tybee, has gone on several west coast tours and headlined Santa Rosa’s Live at Julliard Park Festival Series. He’s released three studio albums including his latest, Different Places, recorded at San Francisco’s legendary Hyde Street Studios (Green Day, Train, Grateful Dead, Cake).
dandeline, the duo of Sheila Schat and Dan Olmsted, fashions an engaging blend of original and traditional songs, combining elements from Americana to country to blues and hot-club jazz and klezmer music, played with guitar, violin, cello, and lots of harmony singing.
Sheila and Dan are musical veterans of local and Bay Area acts that include Tiny, Loretta Lynch, Liar, The New EZ Devils, The Violets, Carmaig de Forest and Mushroom. Dandeline has shared the bill with acts including Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Camper Van Chadbourne, Penelope Houston and many more.
The Crate Diggers band unearths trendsetting tunes from a variety of genres, then turns up the dial with funky, gritty, soulful grooves — both timeless and new. The instrumental powerhouse features keyboardist Josh Salesin (Funk Ur Soul, Plan B), guitarist Mike Johnson (Kava Jah & the Remedy, Brotherhood of Freaks), bassist Pete Novembre (Om Trio, Quasimodal) and drummer Kevin DiNoto (Aza).
Crate Diggers Band is based in Santa Cruz, CA. For upcoming shows and additional details, visit: cratediggersband.com
Power Strip is a project since September 2010 with Noise Clinic and Junk Sick Dawn founder Tait Reed (after returning from Japan in 2008), and internationally touring artist and musician Sayaka Yabuki.
Power Strip was the featured band at the 2012 Santa Cruz Nexties awards. At the 2011 Calamari Fest at India Joze, Power Strip played their opus “The Call Of Cthulhu” operetta based on the science fiction horror story by HP Lovecraft. They have opened for Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s awesome side project band Elettrodomestico at The Catalyst and played in the Catalyst atrium the same night that blues legend BB King played the main stage.
Power Strip is known for playing bent, stripped down covers of songs they like – anything from The Cure to The Germs, to Roy Orbison to Ennio Morricone, to Bernard Hermann to Julee Cruise. Sometimes they have guest players add to the mix, but for their performance at Discretion, Power Strip will be at its most stripped down: guitar, violin, synth, voice, and a headful of wild ideas.
As the lead guitarist for the China Cats and Painted Mandolin, Matt Hartle has established himself as the preeminent jam band guitarist for Santa Cruz and the Bay Area. You can also find him hosting a weekly deep dead jam, where he welcomes Bay Area players for Grateful Sunday shenanigans. Matt’s unique voice and intricate playing style always gets the audience on their feet and feeling their groove. You’ll be dancing to songs from legends like Jerry Garcia, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, as well as rock, blues, jazz, americana, and of course some Matt Hartle originals. Stop by for a “Friday after work” brew and some hot hartle licks when Matt returns to Discretion Brewing on 12/16!
Santa Cruz based Americana band Flypaper Blues is straight out of your grandfather’s rifle barrel. A little whiskey, coffee grinds, 2-in-1 oil and whole lot of fiddle. Driving drums, bass rhythms. This 100% homegrown, local band brings influences from traditional bluegrass, post punk, ragtime, to alt-county genres. Songwriting is personal, comedic, and inspired by the existential need to transcend the hazards and pitfalls of modern life with soul nourishing music.
Moonshine Crossroads plays Rollicking Americana Music – everything from jazz standards and doo-wop classics to outlaw country and classic rock. With strong vocal harmonies and vibrant electric guitar and kanzoo solos, their eclectic repertoire is sure to include a song that is “your” song and will get your toes tapping.
Chiseled is three pretty cool guys from San Jose who play original music with some stylized covers. Call them indie folk, but you’ll also hear straight folk, country, and indie rock out of them.
The Dirt Rakers (acoustic trio) are an Americana band featuring Erik Rozite (guitar and vocals), Jayne Williams (mandolin and vocals), and Sean Woodward (lead guitar), a home-brewed group out of the redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains, blending a high octane / cask-fermented feel, purdy harmonies, and a deep love of all rootsy genres of music. Rock, country, bluegrass, and folk all swirl together in their magical musical brew.
7th Wave is a very musical, acoustic band with three lead singers, three guitars, flute and percussion. Each member is vocally featured and beautifully blended to create stunning three part harmonies backed with finely executed instrumentation. 7th Wave’s song choices span the spectrum of many decades from the 60’s to present. Together the three musicians create a synergy of harmony, charisma and fun in their performances.
Fan-coined “Americana-meets-Vaudeville” singer-songwriter trio
Original story-songs, dramedy, stellar vocals, sweet harmonies, great entertainment!
Bonny June & Bonfire are an original music trio that sing together like birds on a wire. Their entertainment style has been coined by fans as “Americana meets Vaudeville”. Bonny’s wild storytelling blends sweet & saucy, drama & comedy with fantastical characters such as cowgirls & pirates, heroes & villains, lovers & monsters. Beloved local guitarist/singer/producer Ken Kraft established popular bands Snail & The White Album Ensemble. Excellent bassist/singer Craig Owens’ varied history includes The Messiahs & Lacy J Dalton. With stellar vocals, beautiful harmonies and seasoned players, a Bonfire show is sure to have you listening & laughing, crying & drinking, singing & swaying and fully entertained!
Catchy, original Pub Rock to enhance your drinking experience.
The Rumpus Room, AKA TRR, is a 5 piece band based in San Jose, CA
We’ve been writing original Pub Rock and Alternative Rock tunes since 2013, and performing at venues including The Caravan Lounge, The Art Boutiki, The New Jersey’s, C&J’s Sports Bar, and Steel Bonnet Brewing Company.
We can’t wait to come party with you!
