HOPMONK PRESENTS
The Americana Dance Party!
The Occasionals + The Aux Cajunals
HopMonk Sebastopol - The Abbey
MOSTLY STANDING | 21+ ONLY
ABOUT:
The Aux Cajunals, featuring the fiddle and vocals of Suzy Thompson, are a 6 piece band that mixes old-fashioned Cajun and Creole dancehall music with a bit of old-style blues (a la Memphis Minnie or Freddie King) for a down-home Southern style roadhouse sound. Suzy (who apprenticed with Cajun master fiddler Dewey Balfa) rocks the fiddle with a blues-drenched sound, whether it’s on a Cajun two-step or a blues, and she brings the Cajun-Creole and classic blues to life with her powerful vocals. Eric Thompson's lead guitar evokes a steel guitar on the Cajun songs and Freddie King on the R&B numbers. Agi Ban’s fiddle duets with Suzy are a hallmark of the Aux Cajunals, and she switches to froittoir (vest rubboard) for the blues and zydeco numbers. Allegra Thompson (daughter of Eric and Suzy) adds her strong lead singing and solid upright bass playing to anchor the sound of the band. Karen Celia Heil's powerful rhythm guitar and Michaelle Goerlitz's drumming combine to underpin the groove, and sometimes Karen adds a third fiddle to the mix when the band performs 150-year-old archaic tunes learned from Dennis McGee.
The Occasionals This band plays great urban blues, swing jazz, classic country, pop, rock and gypsy jazz. This is a congregation of top shelf talent. Made of players from many well know north bay bands, including The Familiar Strangers, Back Porchestra, The Gypsy Trio, Shana Morrison, Jesse DeNatale and more! Considered by many to be America’s Jukebox given the wide breadth of material they cover.
The band creates performances that touch your heart and get’s you up dancing! Enjoyed by fans and fellow musicians, this group is considered to be the Musicians Musicians!
Fasten your seat belts!
Dallis Craft - vocals & piano
Paul Olguin - bass & vocals
Loralee Christensen - vocals
Brent Rampone - drums
Emily Froberg - guitar
Kevin Russell - guitar
And very special guest Candy Girard - fiddle & violin, vocal
