Charm World
El Sobrante
Rock
3
Guitar, Bass, Drums, 2 vovals
Charm World is a San Francisco Bay area based power trio headed by Bruce Rayburn on lead vocals and guitar with Cynthia Louise on backgrounds and bass, with Troy Norman on drums.
Previously described as jangle core, Charm World stems from Bruce Rayburn's many years in the SF Bay area music scene.
His bands, Xmas Eve, Yo, Wicked Skipper, El Sob and Swerve span the decades since the early 80's.
Strong song writing, crunchy guitar, and Rayburn's uniquely ardent vocals characterize his efforts.
Joined now on bass and spooky backgrounds is Cynthia Louise, aka CL, whose main claim is background vocals on bay area icon Chris Isaak's Wicked Game, which Charm World occasionally covers.
Wildman extraordinaire, Troy Norman on drums.
CODIGO V
Richmond Ca
Latin
5
Acordeón , bass, 12 string bajo quinto, drums and percussions
Have been in continuous business since 2010 in the Bay Area, Fresno , Paso Robles , San Jose, Los Angeles Oxnard
Playing in private events, night clubs , festivals, non profit events,concerts.
Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band
Alameda
Bluegrass
4
Fiddle, Mandolin, Guitar, Bass
Widely recognized as one of the most exciting young bands in acoustic music, Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band plays a unique mix of bluegrass, Dawg (David Grisman music), jazz, and modern originals. Brothers Miles and Teo Quale are joined by bassist Andrew Osborn and 2023 National Flat Pick Guitar Champion Ian Ly, all outstanding musicians of the vibrant California bluegrass scene. Founded in 2016 as a Duo band, Miles and Teo formed the bluegrass band in 2017 and since then, they have continued to make waves in the world of bluegrass and acoustic music. In 2024, the bluegrass band celebrated their debut at the Grand Ole Opry; and in 2023, they received the International Bluegrass Music Association's Momentum Band of the Year award. The band was also honored to perform for the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame’s induction of their hero, David Grisman.
Based in Northern California, Crying Uncle Bluegrass has opened for prestigious bands, including Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives and David Grisman Bluegrass Experience. The band has played at major festivals such as IBMA’s World of Bluegrass Festival, CBA’s Father's Day Bluegrass Festival, Strawberry Music Festival, SF’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Delfest, Wintergrass Festival, and Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival. Internationally, the band has toured in Japan, Korea, and Finland. They have performed at Bluegrass in La Roche, France and at Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, Finland. The band has also performed on TEDTalk twice. In 2022, Miles was also a proud recipient of the Whippoorwill Arts Fellowship.
The band released their eponymous album, Crying Uncle, in 2018. And in 2020, they released their sophomore album, Monroe Bridge, which features guest artists, fiddler Chad Manning and mandolinist Sharon Gilchrist and produced by banjoist Keith Little. In 2021, the bluegrass band came out with an EP of mostly self-written tunes, Till I Dance Again with You, inspired by a year of “isolating” during the pandemic. In 2022, they released their album, The Thing of Dreams, which highlights their originals. In the summer of 2024, they signed with Engelhardt Music Group and released their newest album, I still Remember June. Crying Uncle Bluegrass is proud to be a Fishman artist and an Ear Trumpet Labs artist.
Danilo y Grupo Universal
Berkeley
Latin
4
Depends on band size: guitar or piano, percussion, horn, bass, vocals; we go from duo to 10 piece band depending on budget
Danilo Paiz is a composer, lyricist, vocalist, percussionist, and guitarist who has performed, recorded, and toured the world with legends such as Ray Barretto, Dizzy Gillespie, Ruben Blades, Celia Cruz, and many others. He began releasing his own original material in the 1990s. He has been performing with his Salsa orchestra, as well as smaller music groups, around the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond for several decades, playing a range of genres, such as Salsa, Latin Jazz, Merengue, Cumbia, Reggaeton, Cha Cha, Cuban Son, as well as R&B, Swing, and Blues.
Debra Knox All Star Band
Richmond Ca
Rock
4
2 Guitars, Piano, Bass Drums
The Debra Knox All Star Band is comprised of seasoned Bay Area players, featuring Larry Lynch from The Greg Kihn Band on drums and vocals, Robbie Dunbar from Earth Quake on guitar and vocals, Al Chan from The Rubinoos on bass and vocals and award winning writer, film maker, actress and musician Debra Knox on guitar, piano and vocals. With original and tasty covers seasoned into the mix, the band offers a melodic, energetic and always heartfelt performance for all ages.
Deer in the Headlights
Oakland
American Roots
4
Bass, guitar, keyboards, drums 3 vox
Oakland’s hardest working band, Deer in the Headlights, is a four-piece powerhouse that seamlessly blends the evocative songwriting of Waylon Jennings, and the musical sensibility of the Grateful Dead. Formed in the vibrant heart of the Bay Area, this skate rock Americana ensemble has carved out a unique sound that resonates with fans across genres.
With a commitment to authenticity and a relentless work ethic, Deer in the Headlights draws inspiration from their diverse musical backgrounds. Their dynamic performances are marked by engaging melodies, thought-provoking lyrics, and an infectious stage presence that keeps audiences coming back for more. Each member brings their own flair, creating a rich tapestry of sound that reflects the spirit of their hometown.
As they continue to push the boundaries of their genre, Deer in the Headlights invites listeners on a journey through their heartfelt stories and high-energy riffs, proving that they are not just a band, but a movement in the ever-evolving landscape of modern music. Whether jamming in a local dive bar or playing festivals, they are dedicated to bringing their unique brand of skate rock Americana to the world. Get ready to experience the electrifying sound of Deer in the Headlights!
Delta Wires
East Bay
Blues
7
Hamonica/vocal, guitar, bass, drums, sax, trumpet, trombone
DELTA WIRES is a rockin’, high-energy harmonica and horns band from the San Francisco Bay Area, dedicated to modern blues, while paying tribute to the blues origins of the Mississippi Delta. Inductees to the California Blues Hall of fame, they have performed at the San Francisco Blues Festival, Russian River Blues Festival, and many others, as well as the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy (most recently in July, 2025). They will headline the inaugural Montone Blues Festival in Umbria, Italy in June 2026. They were Finalists in the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge in Memphis TN, and were voted “BEST LIVE BAND” by Oakland Magazine and the East Bay Express. “You guys are incredible! What a tight band! What energy! I want to know what brand of vitamins you take... Absolutely smokin’!” - Kathleen Lawton, Host, Crazy ‘Bout the Blues, KCSM-FM, 91.1 FM, San Mateo CA
Dennis Johnson & The Revelators
San Francisco
Blues
4
Guitar, Drums, Bass, Keyboard, Vocals
"SLIDE GUITAR MASTER"
GUITAR WORLD
Slide guitar virtuoso Dennis Johnson and his band deliver a high-octane live show packed with dancing grooves, foot-stomping rhythms, and searing solos that energize audiences. Johnson’s soulful vocals and blistering technique have earned him a spot at the forefront of modern roots and blues.
With chart-topping albums and global critical acclaim, Dennis Johnson & The Revelators deliver a dynamic, electrified journey through timeless American sound. Whether you're a blues fan, rock enthusiast, or love a night of amazing live music, this is one show you don’t want to miss.
Derek Irving's Little Big Band
North Bay
Rock
4
Vocals, Guitar, Saxaphone, Upright Bass, Drums
Derek Irving’s Little Big Band delivers high-energy 1950s–60s rock ’n’ roll, jump blues, early R&B, and a touch of surf—tight, danceable, and rooted in authentic vintage tone. Fronted by guitarist/singer Derek Irving with sax-driven punch and a rock-solid rhythm section, the band brings a classic, feel-good show that keeps crowds moving.
Dirty Cello
Novato, CA
Rock
5
Cello/vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keys
From Iceland to Italy, and all over the U.S., San Francisco-based band Dirty Cello brings the world a high energy and unique spin on blues, rock, and Americana. With wild vocals, and world class cello playing, the group is led by vivacious cross-over cellist, Rebecca Roudman. Dirty Cello is cello like you’ve never heard before. From down home blues and rock with a wailing cello to virtuosic stompin’ Americana, Dirty Cello is a band that gets your heart thumping and your toes tapping!
"Dirty Cello’s music is all over the map: funky, carnival, romantic, sexy, tangled, electric, fiercely rhythmic, and textured, and only occasionally classical." Oakland Magazine
District 8
San Francisco
Rock
5
Drums, bass, two guitars, vocals
District 8 is an original 5-piece, alt rock/power pop band that’s built a local following over the past 16 years. We've honed our craft at music venues, bars, parties, and local festivals. Along the way we’ve released two albums, with a new one on the way for 2026. We put on a great show and we’re ready to bring it to Point Richmond. Thank you for supporting local original music!
Dos Bandoleros
Oakland
Latin
4
Cajon, Guitars, Bass, Kazoo and vocals
Feel the heat with this Spanish duo as they bring back their fiery flamenco rumba sounds, infused with a latin twist. It's an authentic, pulse-pounding performance that redefines traditional rhythms.
Note:
We usually play as a duo but on bigger stages we play as a trio or quartet!!
DWEdwards & Lighting Up The Soul Band
Fairfield Ca.
Funk
7
Keyboards, Sax, Lead Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums, Percussions
DW EDWARDS & “Lighting Up The Soul” stacks up with the finest entertainers around the Bay Area and offer cutting edge full stage enjoyment.To hire Darrell Edwards & LUTS is to hire world class entertainment. Couple this with Darrell’s fire and passion, outstanding performance technique and an unstoppable, fun personality and you have a sure-fire winner each and every time.
Eat Bay Soup Kitchen
Concord Ca
Funk
6
Female fronted lead singer, two guitars, trumpet, bass, sax, drums
East Bay Soup Kitchen is a high energy fun dance band that puts on a show. Dressed like Chefs, serving soup, and prize giveaways make them one of the more interactive and fun shows around.
Original and refried tunes served for your dancing pleasure reminiscent of Sly and the Family, the Soup Opera is coming to life.
Edú Bega
Petaluma
Pop
4
Vocals, Drums, Bass, Guitar
Edú Bega is a Bay Area–based reggae pop project rooted in groove, melody, and feel. The music draws from Caribbean rhythms, pop, and soul, with songs that move naturally between languages when the story calls for it. The band delivers warm, danceable live sets that feel intimate and relaxed, whether on outdoor stages or in close listening spaces.
More info here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iFZqL0HNBsefb99rxoDfpJc4LezIzfIS/view
El 7 Quartet
Vallejo
Funk
4
Voice, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Conga
El 7 is a bilingual (english and spanish) guitarist, singer and rapper. Accompanied by Bass, Drums and Congas, El 7’s compositions explore the connections between Hip Hop, Jazz, Funk and Rock as well as the music of his cultural heritage, Salsa and music from the Spanish speaking world.
The El 7 Quartet has forged a diverse musical palette that expresses and honors these diverse influences in an accessible package; a music that is at once new and familiar.
Elise and Steve
Oakland/San Leandro
American Roots
2
Two acoustic guitars and one electric bass are the primary go-tos. One mandolin on a few songs.
Elise Brown and Steve Witt are American Singer-Songwriters with direct, honest stories, painful, whimsical and sometimes tinged with optimism. Jazzy folky goodness, and satisfying harmonies are the sound. Electic and original in lyrics and sound.
Elise and Steve both grew up in California, with shared mid-Western and Southern roots. Steve has played for years in rock, folk and indie bands in the Northern California Bay Area. Elise grew up with a passion for song-writing, surrounded by the sounds of primarily classical, jazz and latin music. They came together in 2017 to start their musical journey as Elise and Steve.
Elixir
Richmond, CA
Pop
5
Drums, bass,guitar, keyboards and vocals
The band’s captivating, strong live performances transport audiences in a place without time as Elixir blends musicianship, creativity and tradition in a unique style
ELIXIR started in an San Francisco East Bay garage by Jorge Pont in vocals and Juan Tapia in keyboards and vocals playing Argentinean covers from the 80 and 90 and later composing songs with roots on pop-rock music. Always focusing on sounding better live than any studio recording they were having fun exploring music.
Guido Caldart in drums, Armen (Armando) Vardanian in guitar and finally Alejandro “Gato” Ospina in bass brought backgrounds melting in an original style that completed an independent band which emanates authentic love for music.
This is a band that knows how to entertain. Audience members have described ELIXIR as “excellent performance combined with high energy,” “upbeat music with catchy lyrics that make people to sing along,” and “lots of good-natured fun.”
Essie Thomas
Oakland
Rhythm & Blues
5
Guitar (acoustic), Vocals, Electric guitar, bass, drums, mandolin, keys
Essie Thomas is a powerhouse in contemporary folk, with a sound often compared to legends like The Waifs, Janis Joplin, and Melissa Etheridge. Their distinctive style blends soulful vocals and captivating guitar work, evoking an era rich in musical tradition. Whether performing solo, as part of the Essie Thomas Trio, or with a full band, she infuses roots, blues, and bohemian jazz into every note. Described by Blank Magazine as “a songwriter who doesn’t mess with her words,” Essie has been a fixture on Australian festival stages since the early 2000s, touring extensively across Australia and Canada.
FAVES / LARRY LYNCH
EL CERRITO
Rock
4
Lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, rhythm guitar
Larry Lynch is a seasoned musician with deep roots in rock and roll history. As the drummer for the legendary Greg Kihn Band, Larry laid down the iconic beats behind the smash hits "Jeopardy" "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write "Em), and "Remember" - songs that helped define a generation and still resonate today.
With experience performing in front of massive concert audiences, Larry brings undeniable energy, precision, and soul to every performance. Now fronting his current band "FAVES", he continues to push creative boundaries - writing and recording original music with his musical partner, Robbie Dunbar (Earthquake) on guitar. Together they blend the punch of rock, blended with the polish of pop into a sound that's timeless and always evolving.
FivePlay Jazz Quintet
Berkeley
Jazz
5
Sax, piano, guitar, bass, drums
The Bay Area-based FivePlay Jazz Quintet would love to be part of your music lineup! FivePlay performs all original music, ranging from driving modal jazz to cooking Brazilian and Latin grooves to atmospheric misterioso. We have released four CDs, all of which have gotten national and international promotion and airplay. We’ve appeared at numerous Northern California venues, including Yoshi's Oakland, the JazzSchool, Bird and Beckett, Piedmont Piano, Rossmoor, San Ramon Jazz Series, Vallejo Jazz, Calliope, and the Red Poppy Art House. We were featured on KCSM's "In The Moment" show, and broadcast live on KPFA-FM!
Forest Sun Band
Bay Area
American Roots
5
vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboard, bass and drums
Forest Sun Band plays original heartfelt, soulful, feel good, uplifting, Folk, Americana, Bluegrass and Reggae music,
With over 100 million plays on Pandora, troubadour and award-winning songwriter, Forest Sun, enlivens audiences around the globe with his wealth of songs and stories, all sung and told in a laid-back California style. Sun's soulful music draws on a deep well of Americana and is compared to everyone from Jack Johnson and The Avett Brothers to Van Morrison and Bob Dylan. He’s played festivals from California (Strawberry Music Festival, American River Music Festival) to Europe (Belladrum in Scottland, Fiesta City in Belgium),opened for such luminaries as Lyle Lovett, Bonnie Rait, Steve Earle, Keb Mo, and toured with folks like Brett Dennen, Mason Jennings and the Beach Boys (Forest met famed Beach Boys producer Van Dyke Parks at a festival porch jam and later swapped songs on his piano at his house in LA). Musical collaborations on his records include members of Bob Dylans band, members of Calexico/Iron and Wine, Heather Massse(The Wailin' Jennys, Prairie Home Companion) Jolie Holland (The Be Good Tanyas), JT Nero(of Birds of Chicago), Sean Hayes, jam band ALO, and bluegrass band Hot Buttered Rum.
Forest’s songs mine his deep folk roots and embrace his love of gospel, soul, reggae, and country.
The band and features Gawain Mathews (Mickey Hart Band) on Guitar, Uriah Duffy on Bass (Taj Mahal, Prince, Sly and the Family Stone), Rob Hooper on Drums (Seth Walker, Hot Buttered Rum) and Dan Zemelman on Keyboards (Marcus Shelby, John Lee Hooker, Jazz Mafia).
Frog Face Band
San Rafael, CA
Americana
5
Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Mandolin, Dobro, Upright Bass
Frog Face is a five-piece band based in San Rafael, California that plays bluegrass and American roots music. The band’s repertoire consists mainly of original compositions with a sprinkling of traditional tunes and reimaginings of obscure gems. Each member brings years of musical experience from bands and songwriting: Joe Ridout on lead guitar and vocals, Aaron Balano on dobro, Nate Alavi on mandolin and vocals, Greg Dunn on bass, and Kat Quigley on rhythm guitar and vocals.
Frog Face strives for a full textured sound with sets that balance heartfelt ballads and high-energy numbers. Their style of playing and originals are influenced by bluegrass, old-time, country, rock, folk and singer-songwriter music. They alternate between three lead singers and two and three part harmony stacks. They aim to bring each song to life - allowing the song to be what it wants to be - while bringing their own unique take. Between Joe’s fiery flatpicking, Aaron’s delightful dobro, Nate’s melodic mandolin, Greg’s booming bass, and Kat’s righteous rhythm, Frog Face keeps each set dynamic, unorthodox and full of rustic color. They channel the vibes of a Saturday night jam while serving up soulful sets that keep the energy flowing!
Groove Alchemy
Berkeley CA
Rock
4
Bass/Vocals, Sax/Vocals,Guitar/Vocals, Drums/Percussion
Groove Alchemy plays what we call Rock/Ska/Funk with a side of Jazz. We try to be accurate but like a lot of bands, we love styles from around the world so describing us would be a paragraph of its own. We also improvise together as well as solo, so what do you call new music that you invent which changes every night? (Groove Alchemy)
Musicians in the band have deep experience playing in local tribute bands - the bassist played in Who Too (The Who) and our sax player still plays in Slinky Thing( Steely Dan). We have also all played in original and cover bands from a wide range of styles from New Orleans Funk to Blues to Jazz and what people call Latin but we all have Rock in common. At times we develop a huge sound for just four players, other times dropping it down to more subtle, nuanced playing but we always keep the focus on dance music. The bassist got a book published: The Bassist's Bible: How to Play Every Bass Style from Afro-Cuban to Zydeco which took the better part of a decade to complete. Before writing this book he could probably play 4 styles well and fake perhaps another 4. After completing the book he realized that he could incorporate his knowledge and love of many styles into his compositions accurately or hybridize them a bit to make them fit within the compositions. Playing such varied music in a primarily dance oriented format helps us create our own sound.
Groovy Judy
Rio Vista
Rock
4
Guitar, bass, drums, keys
Fun, rocking and funky! Guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Groovy Judy has become one of the Bay Area’s most recognizable musicians. Inspired by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, & Sly &The Family Stone, Groovy Judy’s classic riffs and warm personality have endeared her to fans everywhere.
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