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Filtering by Category: 2017lineup

Bonnie Prince Billy

Steven Stubblefield

this solo performance from songwriting legend Will Oldham is pretty much the exact reason why we love our amphitheater stage so much... it's as good as it gets for diving deep into an artist's expression... so before you get ready to dance to Soul Jelly late night... grab a friend, a lover, a partner... sit down, relax and enjoy the raw passion of this artist we call Bonnie Prince Billy. Stoked...!

listen at https://myspace.com/princebonniebilly/music/songs

https://myspace.com/princebonniebilly

The man who acts under the name Will Oldham and sings and composes under the name Bonnie "Prince" Billy has, over the past quarter-century, made an idiosyncratic journey through, and an indelible mark on, the worlds of indie rock and independent cinema. With his highly individualistic approach to music making and the music industry, one that cherishes intimacy, community, mystery, and spontaneity; his brilliance has captivated fans and made Bonny one of our most influential and beloved songsmiths. Recent projects in 2012 include Now Heres My Plan (EP), Will Oldham on Bonnie "Prince" Billy (An Autobiography edited by Alan Licht, published by Norton), as well as two singles; Billy F. Gibbons/ Matt Sweeney & Bonny Billy "Oh Well" b/w "Storms", and Dawn McCarthy & Bonny Billy "Christmas Eve Can Kill" b/w "Walkin the Dog". In 2013, Bonny released a new full length record of duets with Dawn McCarthy on Drag City.

Possessed by Paul James

Steven Stubblefield

it's been a long time coming to get PPJ out to DIO Fest, and now it's our lucky year... this guy is larger-than-life on the stage, and a heart of gold off of it... PPJ is a special needs educator from TX and has been filming a documentary project related to special needs the last few years while touring the country with his family... it was simply a no-brainer to get him out to Camp Krem and start building a relationship with the Music Enrichment Program that all of us at DIO have helped to support... so stoked to have him...

Possessed by Paul James is originally from Florida, and was born into a Mennonite family. He gives credit to his parents for instilling the value of service to others that is evidenced in his teaching of students with special needs and when Konrad Wert morphs into the performer Possessed by Paul James, the medium may change, but the desire to make a difference in people’s lives doesn’t. When Possessed by Paul James performs, his passion equals the passion he brings to his class Monday through Friday, with many witnesses to the Possessed By Paul James show referring to it as more of a life-altering experience than a simple one-man music show.

"If I were to make a list of the 20 most important singer/songwriters of our time, Konrad Wert/Possessed by Paul James, would undoubtedly be among those at the very top." - No Depression

www.ppjrecords.com

Y La Bamba

Steven Stubblefield

upon first listen to Y la Bamba it was all crystal clear... DIO had been missing something all along... Luz rivets audiences in an a way that will leave us breathless... and with a badass band that comes with her too... this one is not to be missed...

http://www.ylabamba.com/

It’s easy to talk about an artist’s growth as a series of musical decisions: an expanding sonic palette, a change in mood or tempo, an escape from the trappings of genre. It’s harder to talk about an artist’s personal—or even spiritual—growth, because that kind of progress is hard to track. Until, that is, an album like Y La Bamba’s Ojos Del Sol comes along and screams of radical transformation on every level. The Portland act’s fourth offering is a sweeping, playful and vulnerable collection that’s ripe with both musical and personal discovery. From the intimate, contemplative verses of the Spanish-language title track to the revelations delivered over the loping beats of “Ostrich,” this is an album that’s painstakingly produced while remaining emotionally raw.

Throughout the collection, Y La Bamba frontwoman Luz Elena Mendoza returns to themes of searching and metamorphosis. On one level, this is born from the Y La Bamba frontwoman’s continuing exploration of her identity as Mexican woman. Both of Mendoza’s parents grew up in Mexico—Luz was born in San Francisco, then brought up in a strict Catholic household in Southern Oregon. She spent her childhood summers playing in the orchards of California's San Joaquin Valley with her cousins, and it was there that she soaked up the melodies and stories that were being told through traditional folk songs with three-part harmonies. These are sounds that remain a vital building block of the songs on Ojos Del Sol, an album which she says represents “a celebration of family and community.”

But on another level, Ojos Del Sol is about Luz’s search for shared humanity outside of her own community, and for a faith that is greater than just religion. These are themes that run throughout Y La Bamba’s body of work work—with roots in a 2003 journey to India, which found Mendoza falling ill and trading her Christianity for something broader—but there’s a maturity to Ojos Del Sol that speaks to true, lasting transformation. You can hear this on the lush “Kali,” where she sings—with wonderment rather than fear—that “to know yourself is to lose everything.” And you can hear it on the album’s epic closer, “Ulysses,” where Mendoza sings that her life is “written in sand and ash and stone.”

These are songs built to soundtrack coming to grips not just with one’s own mortality, but with the fragility of the world. This is heady, emotional fare, and “this record is about being a mother to these emotions,” Mendoza says.

Her clarity of voice is intimately tied to a renewed musical approach, which Luz attributes to a greater self-awareness that developed through recent collaborations with singer-songwriters Edna Vazquez and Lila Downs, as well as an exploration of mariachi, cumbia, and Latin pop with Calexico’s Sergio Mendoza—no relation—on a collaborative 2015 album released under the name Los Hijos De La Montaña.

Those collaborations helped Mendoza find her own voice as a more confident producer and songwriter on an album that is often a stripped-down affair. Mendoza plays guitar throughout Ojos Del Sol, and worked actively with composer Richie Greene to create a new sonic voice. Percussion from another regular Mendoza collaborator, Nick Delffs (Shaky Hands, Death Songs), is a welcome near-constant that adds depth and soul to the album. To that same end, Mendoza hand-cut stencil art pieces, which appear in Ojos Del Sol’s liner notes, to pair with each new song. All of this is presented as a cohesive offering, an entry in Y La Bamba’s ongoing musical conversation about community, about the self, and about survival.

“I am thankful for all of my hardships,” Mendoza says in the album’s liner notes. “They have guided me to find rest in my soul, time after time. Over and over again.”

Thomas Campbell

Steven Stubblefield

we are certain that T Campbell will bring the surfy vibes at dio fest this year to the next level. look for some live projections on the mainstage during Sandy's set 9-10pm saturday night. stoked to have his creativity around... we are pleased to feature Thomas Campbell's work this year... see his publishing company below Um Yeah Arts. photo: Devon Howard

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Rushadicus

Steven Stubblefield

rushad has become a staple of the DIO scene at this point.. although we're not sure if Rushad and staple should ever be used in the same sentence... you'll likely find him in his usual Saturday afternoon amphitheater spot... but who knows what he'll be up to this year... we hear he's been fooling around with a looping pedal... watch out! The goblin king returns...

rushad.net

Rushad Eggleston (“Rushadicus”) is a revolutionary cellist, composer, poet-philosopher, and entertainer whose unforgettable performances captivate and inspire all generations and types. With an intimate knowledge of classical music, jazz, and bluegrass under his fingers, coupled with an infamously infectious sense of rhythm, Rushad is a whole futuristic wonder-band expressed through just one person. Using his cello (and occasionally a guitar) as the steering wheel, Rushadicus will take you on a rocket-fueled melodic journey through space and time, and from the ridiculous to the sublime. Hopping nimbly around the stage with his cello strapped to his body while passionately singing songs that range from stuck-in-your-head-for-weeks to elaborate yet compelling miniature operas in his own language of Sneth, Eggleston is an incomparable soulful jester of modern times. A fearless improviser, Eggleston spontaneously navigates through his seemingly endless repertoire of instrumentals and vocals, only pausing briefly to set the stage for a battle between him and Bach, or rattling off with incredible speed a 3 page poem of self-fashioned words*.

If this sounds a bit far-fetched or incoherent, make no mistake: Rushad Eggleston is a world-class entertainer, with credentials. He won a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston and was nominated for a Grammy award while still studying there, a feat which no other member of its laundry list of legendary alumni have pulled off. Eggleston singlehandedly invented bluegrass cello and spawned a huge revival of cello in roots music. Now it seems every other band you see has some transformed cellist jamming along. In addition to acting in television commercials for the likes of Mazda, appearing on movie soundtracks and hundreds of studio recordings, Rushad was also a founding member of the popular alt-bluegrass outfit Crooked Still, legendary stringband Fiddlers 4, and explosive rock trio Tornado Rider. He has performed at renowned venues (including Carnegie Hall) in 45 states and 13 countries, and taught hundreds of youngsters worldwide how to let loose their musical imaginations and rock on the cello.

Soul Jelly (Royal J + Marty O)

Steven Stubblefield

two OG members of the DIO family (Marty O'Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra + Royal Jelly Jive) are coming together for a performance of the ages... seriously... when we realized the potential for this super-group we couldn't resist... closing things down on Saturday night in the Mess Hall... damn...

royaljellyjive.com

martyoreilly.com

This year we're bringing together two of the most talented founding crew groups into one all-star late night cast. Who knows what others will join? This is going to be epic. Royal Jelly Jive + Marty O'Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra = all-time vibes. Let's do it ourselves...

Sandy's

Steven Stubblefield

we've been hoping to get Sandy's down to DIO for some time now... representing all things great about the SF surfy-rocky-throwback vibes, Sandy's couldn't be a better fit to wrap up a Saturday evening... and you might even see a special guest friend of the DIO family come thru with some projections to boot... stay tuned..

http://www.sandysband.com/

On his new EP, Prom, songwriter Alexi Glickman (Sandy) wraps five melodic gems with layers of vintage tape echo and open ­tuned Stratocaster shimmer for a dreamy late­ summer slow dance. Recorded mostly live to a 1960s Scully 4-track in a house in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California, Prom centers around Sandy's guitar— an on old Fender, open tuned, echoplexed—reverberating in the wood panels of the forest dwelling ­turned recording studio.

 

Praise for Prom

“An intelligent, gently soothing piece of work, recalling the more blissed out, sunkissed moments of Big Star's catalogue” CLASH

“Imagine if The Beach Boys recorded Pet Sounds again after listening to the Polyvinyl back catalog and you get some idea of where this is rooted” New Noise Magazine

“A short, but sweet collection of five melodic gems” KCRW RADIO

Strike Iron

Steven Stubblefield

Strike Iron is the latest of afro-beat/funk super group coming out of the Bay Area... and every year we can't seem to resist bringing in one of 'em! Headlining Friday night, this ensemble is sure to bring the house down.. get ready to groove...

formerly known as Albino...

https://www.facebook.com/albinobandpage/

Strike Iron is an Oakland based, 13-piece juggernaut who's high-energy grooves and explosive stage show thick with hypnotic percussion, heavy horns, African dance, wild costumes and elaborate group choreography. Born out of the ashes of the international afrobeat act Albino, Strike Iron brings sexy, socially charged dance music into the 21st century.

Sacri Monti

Steven Stubblefield

every year we try to represent the SoCal psych-rock scene,,, and this year that scene will be represented in force by Sacri Monti... these dudes bring it heavy, bring it freaky, and always bring you home psyched... mainstage shredfest...

https://www.facebook.com/pg/sacrimontiband

Psych rock... In the thread of San Diego bands such as Earthless, Astra, Radio Moscow, Harsh Toke, Joy, Brian Ellis Group, Psicomagia, Artifact, Red Octopus, Loom, Kraut Diaper ... etc

Quiles and Cloud

Steven Stubblefield

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Quiles and Cloud will mess you up... seriously... in the best way... the vocal harmonies are haunting and musicianship matches too... can't wait to sit and listen to these superb expressionists in the amphitheater...

Quilesandcloud.com

When Maria Quiles (vocals and guitar) and Rory Cloud (vocals and guitar) met in 2011, both were adrift. Maria had quit her job, given up her San Francisco apartment, and moved in with her uncle in order to pursue music full-time. Rory had left behind a stable schedule of gigs and music lessons in Southern California to seek a new music community elsewhere. He eventually wound up living out of his Toyota Corolla in San Francisco, where he first heard Maria at an open mic. ”As a lead guitar player, I could immediately hear myself in her songs.” Rory remembers. 


They started playing together shortly thereafter, and it was an instant fit. As Rory puts it, “At the time, I had no commitments. I was living on food stamps and busking in Sausalito, and occasionally getting 50 dollars for gigs. It was a challenging transition in my life, but it was very intentional. I wanted the freedom to live a life with music that really spoke to me, and so did Maria. The beauty in that was being untethered to the point where, every single day, I could say the same thing to her: ‘Hey, do you want to do this again tomorrow?’ “

Rory and Maria dubbed their new project Quiles & Cloud. They played together nearly every day, and recorded their first album 5 months after they first met. They began touring almost immediately – often for months at a time. The duo’s experiences on the road caused them to open themselves up even further - both to one another, and to the people they met along the way - becoming more receptive to the kinds of connections that they could create through music.

“It was really exciting,” Maria remembers. “We threw ourselves on the mercy of this traveling life. We relied on a lot of people, and it really opened my heart. There are so many amazing, connectable people in the world. When you put yourself out there and travel to new places, life becomes sort of technicolor. We were having very intense experiences, and wanted to put them in the music.” 

Several years of touring and spending nearly every day together allowed Quiles & Cloud to develop a unique sound - one that is characterized by soulful melodies, close harmonies, and interweaving guitar lines that owe as much to jazz and classical music as to folk and bluegrass. The addition of Oscar Westesson (upright bass) in 2013 pushed them even further as songwriters, resulting in darker, more complex, and more dissonant arrangements.

Their sound has struck a chord with audiences all over the country. Quiles & Cloud have now played hundreds of shows, won the 2014 FreshGrass Duo Award, and caught the attention of Grammy Award-winning banjo player Alison Brown - who produced their third album Shake Me Now, which comes out on Compass Records on March 17th, 2017. The trio will spend 2017 touring extensively in support of the new record. 

Shake Me Now is stripped-down, yet dense. There are musical and lyrical traces of the blues, bluegrass, folk, rock, soul, and classical music. In addition to their original songs, there are reinterpreted versions of the traditional blues number “Deep Ellum Blues”, the traditional folk tune “Worried Man Blues”, and Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”. One gets the feeling of being on a widescreen road trip through America’s past and present, with multiple eras and traditions folding in upon each other. The result sounds familiar and roadworn, yet completely new - a quality that Quiles & Cloud share with some of American music’s greatest innovators.

Quiles & Cloud have already traveled far. As they see it, though, this is only the beginning of a lifelong journey – one of exploring connection, deepening their partnership, and examining the threads that tie us all together.

Harry & the Hitmen

Steven Stubblefield

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the hitmen are Santa Cruz institution... playing an annual sell-out new years eve show at the Crepe every year... and featuring some of our favorite DIO friends and family musicians... they bring us back to the warm, nostalgic sounds of motown, funk and soul... psyched to have them warming up the mainstage on Friday evening....

harryandthehitmen.com

Harry and the Hitmen serve up classic Motown and Soul with jovial professionalism. But don't let the "suits" fool you, the band comes from an improvised rock tradition, and has years of experimentation behind their tight arrangements. Unearthing nuggets from the golden years of Motown and Stax records, the group also writes original “New Soul Classics”®. Because all six members are multi-instrumentalists and avid improvisers, their concerts continue to evolve nightly. Perfectly suited for everything from stately weddings to far-out festivals, Harry and the Hitmen delivers a one-of-a-kind dance party wherever needed!

Kendra McKinley (Solo)

Steven Stubblefield

Kendra McKinley helped found DIO back in 2013... and we're stoked to have her with us every chance we get. Launching a music career in SF, we don't always see her around Santa Cruz much anymore, but when we do... it's always good. The voice of an angel, the strength of the sea, the prowess of a legend... 

kendramckinley.com

Kendra McKinley is a troubadour for the new millennium. Combining the sophistication of Tin Pan Alley melodies, the harmonic sensibility of 1960s chamber pop, and the seductive calm of Bossa Nova, McKinley creates intoxicating compositions that can bring even the rowdiest crowd to a standstill.

Dan Juan

Steven Stubblefield

Dan Juan is comprised of members of the DIO Fest founding family - Jeff Wilson, Alex Bice, Dan Juan, Tyler Larson.... this band is a culmination of all the rock n roll groups that these dudes have worked on over the past ten years... and it shows... Dan Juan's sound is refined and tasteful... sounds that rock you... songs that move you... scope it!

Dan Juan’s playful name embodies the band’s lighthearted approach—they set out to have fun, and it shows onstage. That’s why you won’t find any trace of them online; foregoing self-promotion was an intentional move.

“We’re not trying to market ourselves,” says guitarist and vocalist Dan Talamantes. “The object is not to make money, but to have as much fun as possible. We want our enjoyment of it to translate to the audience’s enjoyment of it.”

The lineup features Talamantes on guitar and lead vocals, Tyler Larson on lead guitar, Jeff Wilson on bass, and Alex Bice on drums—four friends in their mid-20s who are taking time out from more ambitious projects to “make the band we’ve always wanted.” The resulting sound is a mix of alt-country with indie-rock. Influences include Wilco, Neil Young, Dr. Dog, and Gram Parsons. They’re not attempting country revival, per se; according to Talamantes, the country aspect is “more of a texture than a template.”

The members of Dan Juan are active contributors to Santa Cruz’s creative community. When they’re not organizing Boulder Creek’s annual Do-It-Ourselves Festival, the four multi-instrumentalists are involved in various local pursuits, including Steep Ravine, Dos Osos, and the North Pacific String Band, to name a few. Dan Juan is a more of a hobby project, an intentionally stress-free creative outlet.

The band name is a cheeky reference to the literary Don Juan, inspired by a nickname for Talamantes, who moonlights as a journalist and a private investigator. “Dan’s kinda like this aging hipster type of dude,” Wilson explained. “We’re all getting older, but we’re still in the prime of our youth, so it was just a funny play on that mystique.”

MAJK

Steven Stubblefield

MAJK is what one might call a DIO supergroup... born from some of the core homies that comprise the original do it ourselves community, this band is seriously moving. Make sure to bring a hankerchief or at least a friends shoulder to cry on... Kelly's vocals combined with the aesthetic brought by the rest of the band is sure to f--k you up, in such a good way.

https://www.facebook.com/MAJKmusic/

MAJK is Kelly Koval, Mathew Harmon, Alexis Hawks, & Jeff Kissell.  Hailing from Santa Cruz, CA, they made their DIO debut last year and are excited to be part of the 2017 lineup again! 

Retired Arann Harris

Steven Stubblefield

Look for Arann Harris & The Farm Band performing at the 2011 Outside Lands Music Festival. To find out more about The Farm Band, visit: www.TheStrongSauce.com

Arann Harris is nearly a caricature of himself... this dude's energy is out of control... and full of soul... and he always has a shredding band to back him up.. look for him late night in the Amphitheater and on Sunday to help us close things down.. psyched...

arannharris.com

Born in Oakland, California, Arann was raised on a steady diet of backyard chickens and rabbits with plenty of Run DMC, Too Short and The Beastie Boys.
A country boy a heart, his exuberance, and permanent "outside voice" were not suited for the indoor life of city- living. Arann found the open space of country life perfect for his large frame and big energy. Leaving Oakland to find what was right, Arann traveled the world farming, rafting, skiing and teaching only to settle in his father's home town of rural Petaluma. He settled on his family farm where he raised sheep for wool to sell at local farmer’s markets, spending most of his nights in a converted barn, playing guitar and writing music.

Arann’s distinctive voice comes from playing at countless campfires, hole-in-the-wall bars and coffee houses around the country. The themes of Arann’s lyrics could read like a journal of his travels: farming, animals, food, friends and “dirt-bag, wine-country livin’.” Yet traces of Arann’s urban upbringing can always be found in his music, providing kids raised on hip hop and other modern genres a bridge to the rich history of American folk.

Sky Country

Steven Stubblefield

Sky Country are at the core of the do it ourselves spirit. Representing the DIO crew out of Big Sur, these dudes represent all the brainwaves you might feel when cruzing a sun-swept Pacific highway... 

Sky Country offers up warm, hazy sun-soaked Rock n Roll inspired by the coasts and deserts of the western frontier - a genuine California sound born and bred from the lineages of renegade surf culture and ramblers of the lost nowhere lands to the east. The songs amble down the bleached highways and byways of windswept americana where guitars can still sound like bones, drums still barrel down the tracks, and poets still wink and grumble at the human heart.

Hank and Ella and the Fine Country Band

Steven Stubblefield

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Bringing Country to DIO like never before... Hank and Ella are the sweetest, nicest pair of Santa Cruz musicians you'll ever meet,, and they're stinkin' good. After years of bluegrass and string music, these two have transitioned to a full electric country band sound with Tele riffs and harmonies toooo.... gonna be a boot-rocker...

Ella & Henry Warde and Their Fine Country Band bring back the golden era of country music. Hailing from Santa Cruz California, husband and wife duet, Henry and Ella sing the classic songs of Hank Williams, Skeeter Davis, Skeets McDonald, Jean Shepard, as well as many other pioneers. Henry also contributes his original material to the group. Backed by Roger "Wheat Chex" on drums, Curtis Leslie on lead Guitar, Meghan Leslie on bass and vocals, and Dave Magram on Pedal steel. This band is sure to get you moving on the dance floor! And maybe shedding a tear in your beer when you hear those lonesome George Jones songs.

McCoy Tyler

Steven Stubblefield

mccoy has been a close member of the DIO family since our vagabonding days playing in string bands in our early 20's. These days he's getting back to his roots: straight up rock 'n' roll. This year he'll be joined by other DIO favorites like Jeff Wilson and Alex Bice to rock socks. Don't miss it...

mccoytylermusic.com

McCoy Tyler is a songwriter and guitarist whose musical backstory is one of unbridled change and expansion. Having performed in styles ranging from power metal to bluegrass, his skills as a lyricist and instrumentalist are reflective of an early immersion into music and live performance and a constant curiosity and willingness to learn. Having had little formal training, his stylings as a guitarist are entirely his own and while songwriting is his core focus, he maintains that his guitar playing is the driving force behind what he creates. Hailing from the coast of Northern California and rooted deep in the customs of American music, McCoy Tyler is simply one of the most intriguing songwriters in the bay area and beyond.