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A Music Crawl featuring 40 Bands
Sunday, June 5th Noon to 6 p.m.
Talk about fun – Downtown Napa’s newest event is a music crawl that features forty bands at thirty different venues, offering everything from Blues to bluegrass, rock and roll to reggae, and funk to fiddles. Check out Ashton Craig on steel drums at Sidestreet Cigars in the Riverfront Building, then listen to Thomas Shoebotham, noted pianist/cellist and Palo Alto Philharmonic conductor, perform at Quent Cordair Fine Arts on First Street. Hear Full Chizel, a guitar/violin bongo trio that could play just about anything, at the Opera House Plaza. You want blues? Johnny Smith will be in Dwight Murray Plaza. If you prefer bluegrass, the Howell Mountain Boys will follow Johnny.
Oh, and there’s rock and roll and rhythm and blues as well. Give a listen to The Mystics and C4 Inc in Veterans Park. Go acoustic with Trio Solea on the patio at Oxbow Public Market, followed by Sun Room Special. Best part about it? It’s all free, and it’s all local bands. There’s no other way to say it - this event is going to be off the hook.
Credit for booking the acts goes to Thea Witsil, owner of Wildcat clothing now at 1125 Lincoln Avenue, and the woman responsible for booking music for Porchfest. “There are so many good musicians right here in our own backyard,” she said. “Everybody is jazzed about this event and the chance to play.”
The inspiration for Napa Live came from a changing downtown. The busier it is here, the harder it is to close streets, as it can mean a slow day for some businesses, and inconveniences for Napans who are just trying to get from point A to point B. Downtown has been known as a haven for entertainment for over twenty-five years now, and the board members of the Downtown Association were challenged to keep the music going, and the streets open, at the same time. Finally, someone hit on this idea, and an event was born.
“Change is hard, but this event is a classic case of making lemonade out of lemons,” said Tom Finch, the association’s president and owner of Filippi’s Pizza Grotto on First Street. “This way we’ll have a ton more bands than we could have before, and people can self select who they want to hear.” Filippi’s will feature The Smart Fellas, a longtime Napa favorite, from 1 to 4 p.m.
“We are really looking forward to this,” said Becky Berger, owner of Yo Belle Yogurt, where attendees can listen to The Core from 1 to 4 p.m. “The last time we had music inside Yo Belle, it was a blast, and The owners of the newly opened Whirlwind Blow Dry Lounge, located in the Opera House Plaza, are using Napa Live as a chance to meet new people. “We’ll have the doors open so people can come in and enjoy the retro vibe of Whirlwind,” said co-owner Shannon Hunsaker. Otis and the Smokestack will be playing there from Noon to 3 p.m., followed by Full Chizel from 3 to 6 p.m. Bounty Hunter will serve their amazing ribs, and there will be plenty of ice cold beer to enjoy with them.
Sponsored by Blue Moon and Lagunitas, Team Superstores, Bank of Napa, Napa Valley Marketplace, The Napa Valley Register, and KVON/KVYN. Without their generous support, the event would not be possible. Visit DoNapa.com for full details and a printable map showing all the locations and bands.