The Sun Kings - What's New?

2004 - 2006 Archive

Wednesday November 29, 2006

Five years into a world without George and he is still missed very much around this locale. Rest in peace, Mr. Harrison. Still, Christmastime is here again, which means trotting out our handful of seasonal Beatles holiday classics to sprinkle like sugar plum fairy dust throughout our set list. The sprinkling will commence this Saturday night at the Kings Head in Campbell. Show starts at 9:30 PM and we hope you'll take a little break from the holiday crush to make it out there. We'll save you a space on the dance floor. Ciao!

Sunday November 19, 2006

How great it feels to be let loose onstage again and if the reception at last week's shows in Santa Cruz and San Francisco were any indication, the movement we need is still on our shoulders. Our first visit to the Catalyst was enthusiastically well received by a warm and friendly audience. The coincidental birthdays of two friends and family in attendance only added to the fun as the rock n' roll shook the leaves from the trees. Saturday's long overdue return to North Beach was a surge of crowd energy from the opening note all the way through the second encore. It was heartwarming to see so many familiar faces as well as the many kind comments from first timers. We hope you all enjoyed yourselves as much as we did. Earlier today, we gathered for a beautiful celebration in honor of Peter and Leslye's recent nuptials and threw in some Beatles songs as a gift. Heh, we made the groom work at his own party though he didn't seem to mind. The bride was most radiant when she took the mic and lent her own considerable vocal prowess to a few select numbers. Best wishes from us to you both and thanks for finding a way to get us in. Looking ahead to this Saturday Nov. 25, we have a return to the Uptown Club in Oakland for a cause. We're playing a benefit concert for musicians displaced by a five alarm fire last month on the edge of Alameda. Striking before dawn, without warning the blaze consumed their shared studio spaces, instruments and recordings, but not their spirit. Featuring three additional bands and special guests we hope you'll come out to lend a hand, a pair of legs and some sturdy dancing shoes. Thanks for such a fab welcome back and we'll see you this weekend.

Friday November 3, 2006

Happy Birthday Michael!!

The band continues our time off for a little while longer, although the collective feeling among the band to play again could well be described as ansty. Things begin to perk up the week after Veteran's Day, when we make our debut at the Catalyst Club in Santa Cruz on Thursday Nov. 16 at 9 PM. Following hot on its heels is our next debut of sorts at Maggie McGarrys in North Beach on Saturday Nov. 18. Also rumored is an Oakland show later in the month. We look forward to getting out there with you again and it won't be long. The sleeper begins to stir.

Tuesday October 17, 2006

Many congratulations to Peter and Leslye, who tied the knot over the weekend and are currently at honeymoon in a secret location. For the rest of us, vacation means catching up with life and chipping in on a gift. When we last wrote in September, we were ending our long summer's run and about to coast into autumn like a zephyr. Or so we thought. The adventure began soon after our last show at the Kings Head. After load out, the acoustic contingent headed to Santa Cruz for a few hours of shuteye before the 11 AM live radio broadcast at KPIG in Watsonville. Arriving at our hotel, we were informed that our carefully reserved room had been given away to someone waving a wad of cash. Apparently there was not a room to be had in the entire town, for a late round of motel roulette proved entirely unsuccessful. Options dwindling, we parked in an alley under some redwood trees and in the time honored rock 'n roll band tradition, slept in our cars. Three hours of low grade sleep was better than none, breakfast helped and by the time we rolled into the KPIG studios, we were looking and feeling like... well like we had slept in our cars. Luckily for us it was radio. We were told the performance was creditable, though it remains a blur. We took that blur right into the first week of October with our last public three day weekend of the year starting Friday night at the Main St. Brewery, where Roger helped tame the wild mixing board and our stage ensemble included a splash of red. The next evening's show at Don Quixote's was one of those nights that we'll remember for a long time. The room sounded great, the audience energy was electrifying and the dancing was unstoppable. Sunday evening found us back in San Francisco as part of an eclectic and talented lineup of musicians for Rudy Colombini's birthday party, attended by his closest friends and SF at large. We did a short, yet energetic set and had a great time just hanging out and meeting some of you. We wound up our season with a weeknight hook slide into Lafayette to visit the Roundup Saloon. Lots of friends came to wish us well before our holiday, as did many who had seen us a few weeks previous at the local Art & Wine. Thanks for remembering! In recent weeks we updated our long neglected photo gallery with some of this year's shots. You can check them out here. And now that we're caught up again, we'll slip away to enjoy some time off, though not before alerting you to our next public show in San Francisco on Saturday November 18. We'll be appearing at Maggie McGarry's in North Beach (formerly the Lost & Found) at 9:30 PM. We've been needing a little more face time with our city by the bay and look forward to kick starting the machine back up there in November. Ciao!

Monday September 18, 2006

Yesterday we closed out our summer on an east bay stage under a picture perfect blue sky day amidst a sea of smiles. What a way to wind up the season! With another sextet of shows passed in the two weeks since Millbrae, the little engine that could finally begins to throttle down to a manageable (mostly) weekend schedule prior to arrival at vacation station in mid-October. In the last fortnight, we've bounced between school, Stockton and Skippy, nicking Novato before landing in Lafayette. A back to high school visit to Bishop O'Dowd showed us that the 60's spirit transcends history textbooks and that Beatlemania screams are most authentically performed by teenagers. Among the highlights were the en masse cell phone wave during 'Hello Goodbye' and the 'John & Yoko' friends. Our first visit to Stockton the following night was a great time in a theatre setting with a friendly staff and an appreciative audience. We wouldn't mind a return visit in the least. Sue's birthday party in Novato was a breezy affair complete with dancing babies, great brownies and a hint of autumn and chardonnay in the air. Our hometown buddies were out in force for the Alameda Peanut Butter Jam last Saturday and we managed to sneak in a local evening show at the 400 Club just to keep things interesting. Which brings us back to yesterday, the Lafayette Art & Wine Fair and aformentioned smiles. A big thank you to all who offered encouraging words and to the repeat visitors from previous outings (of course we noticed you were there). After a week that includes a bit of equipment repair and preventitive maintenance we return to the great indoors with a south bay show at the Kings Head in Campbell this Saturday Sept. 23, followed by a live acoustic radio broadcast Sunday morning at 11:00 on KPIG 107.5 FM Santa Cruz and worldwide on the internet. See you soon.

Monday September 4, 2006

Another couple of weeks and another multitude of memorable shows. Where do we start? Beatles week in San Francisco seemed to go by in a flash of neon and fog with some very enjoyable shows at the Castro Theatre. After the Saturday matinee set we got to meet many of you and the kind words were inspiring. Most inspiring were the younger fans like Mike, Monica and Phoenix who remind us that love of Beatles music, like hope, springs eternal. The Hard Rock Cafe show brought out some dedicated anniversarists and a blurb on the local news. Last Friday's show at the Little Fox Theatre was easily one of our top five fave shows this year with an incredible audience energy that fed the performance from first note to last. A tip o' the cap to the party of desperate housewives who livened up the dance floor and all of you who stayed in town for the holiday and made it out there. Saturday's show on Mt. Diablo was perhaps the most breathtaking locale we've played with a spirted group braving the elements to twist and shout along with our last set. Many familiar faces were in the crowd at yesterday's Millbrae Art and Wine festival. Millbrae was in their own house for a change, Dave returned to the fold and the sunshine and vibes were near perfect. After our set, the spontaneous applause and positive comments as the band made their way out to see the fair was unexpected, touching and very much appreciated. Thanks to the many of you who made it out to multiple shows over the last month. Also a shout out to former Sun Kings drummer Scott Rabino who last month married his fair Victoria (their relationship and the band had very close startup dates) All our best to you both. This Saturday marks our Stockton debut when we perform at the Empire Theatre. NOT occuring is a Fremont show that apparently has been announcing our appearance for Sunday Sept. 10. This show was never confirmed and though the error is not ours, we regret any confusion surrounding the date. Our bay area return takes place in the old hometown when we hit the Peanut Butter Jam festival on Sat. Sept. 16. Tentatively being scheduled is a local nightclub appearance that evening. Stay tuned for details and we'll add them as they come in. See you soon!

Thursday August 17, 2006

It's only been two weeks, but with seven shows in the interim the highlights (and they were many) seem to fuse into a pulsating, multicolored blur which thanks to British Invasion Night #3 is tinged with the aroma of sandalwood and patchouli. This summer of loverish bent dovetails nicely into our return to San Francisco next week to mark the 40th anniversary of the Beatles last concert there. In addition to our appearances at the Castro Theatre over the last weekend of August, newly added is another show at SF's Hard Rock Cafe on Tuesday Aug. 29 at 9 PM. This one parallels the date of the Beatles show and we're thrilled to add another date in the city that knows how. We know it's been awhile so we're working our way up the peninsula and hope to see you again very soon.

Wednesday August 2, 2006

Happy Birthday Peter!!

We've said it before, and probably will again. There's just no place like Alameda for making this little hometown band feel welcome. It's always such a pleasure to play for so many of our friends and neighbors and this year it seemed as if the entire town turned out. We also saw many out of town friends who traveled from as far as Santa Cruz. The end of Sunday's show was a moment we shall long hold dear when the overwhelming response delayed the closing of the fair until that last encore had been wrung from us. We can't thank you enough! Coming up, after nearly 2 months away we return to the Kings Head in Campbell this Saturday, then it's time to hold onto our hats as we tear thru a super sized list of August shows. Stay tuned for some news regarding the last weekend in August, as we near the 40th anniversary of the Beatles final live concert. Something special is in the works.

Thursday July 27, 2006

We've been so busy with shows and such, we've barely had time to recollect, much less write. We do remember the paisley swirl of British Invasion Night at O'Kearneys, the heat of Suisun and the quick thinking that saved Steve and Peggy's wonderful party from a pantomime Sun Kings performance. With our coastal breezes back in place, the upcoming weekend shows in Alameda promise to be more sprint than marathon. Back for our fifth year at the Alameda Art & Wine Fair, we hope to see you on the street this Saturday and Sunday. In August we'll be just about everywhere, so please stay tuned.

Monday July 10, 2006

Happy Birthday Drew!!

And a good time was had by all in Gilroy last Saturday at the Bonfante Gardens show. By showtime, the heat of the day had given way to a balmy evening perfect for an outdoor show. Comedian Dave McRae opened for us and kept 'em laughing until we hit the stage. A full moon rose over the amphitheatre during our set, the audience danced their appreciation and the beat went on and on. In other news we've updated some more material on our Songs page, including a few studio cuts. Coming up this Saturday is another East Bay double header. We spend the early afternoon in Emeryville at the Bay Street Arts & Music Festival before running off to Walnut Creek for British Invasion Night #2 with the RaveUps and the Hoo. See you then!

Monday July 3, 2006

We hope everyone has a fab fourth tomorrow, we wish you all the best. The week ending last Saturday was scarcely believable to us for the sheer amount of highlights contained in those 7 days. It started the Saturday before in Alameda, where it's always good to play in the hometown, especially for a worthy cause. Thanks to NormaJean's tireless efforts, the American Cancer Society raised more research funds as we volunteered a little music to keep the walker/runners moving in the Relay 4 Life. A quick pack up and our own relay race took us out to Woodside for Doug and Christine's wedding in a meadow surrounded by redwood and pine. Many of the guests had musical contributions, but none more moving than Doug's own performance of 'The Blower's Daughter' (by Damien Rice) to his new bride. Heartfelt and accompanied by his nephew sharing vocals, our own Peter on bass and a cellist from the string quartet, there wasn't a dry eye in the pavilion when it was over. Oh, and we heard that the Beatles band was OK too. Sunday's visit to the Record Plant in Sausalito to complete unrecorded tracks from a previous live show was a dream come true and you can hear a sample in the form of Strawberry Fields on our songs page. By Monday, we were still charged enough to pay a morning visit to KFOX radio and the Greg Kihn show to play some music and help plug the Kihncert on the Green. Our four song limit stretched into seven and a good time was had by all. The broadcast Wednesday proved that underneath the music, we're basically a bunch of idiots who don't mind sharing that fact. Yet it was fun, relaxed and a pleasure to play an extended radio set. Wednesday night we said hello to Half Moon Bay for the first time and had a very pleasant stay. And then there was the Kihncert last Saturday. What can we say? So many of our friends and fans along with so many more on the green and a goose bump inducing lineup to share the stage with. It was enough to put stars in one's eyes and we would have loved to stay for it all, but had to keep moving for one more show to play that evening. Julia turned 21 for us and her family and friends came out to wish her well. After the bigness of the afternoon show, an intimate affair was just what we needed to provide a sense of balance to the day, which finally ended for us somewhere in the wee hours of Sunday. The special occasions of the week brought the debuts of three new songs, with still more to come. Thanks to everyone who helped make last week so special, and thanks especially for believing along with us that in spite of John's assertion, the dream isn't over yet.

Friday June 23, 2006

Just a quick update to let you know that suddenly, next Wednesday June 28 has turned into a busy little day for us. Tune in to Greg Kihn's morning show on KFOX 98.5 FM for an appearance by the band (yes, we do mean it will be broadcast on Wednesday). That evening we'll be chasing the sea breeze to the coast for a show at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Co. starting at 7 PM. The venue is small and intimate and perfect to warm up for our July 1 gig-o-rama with the big kids. Keep your ear to the radio and we'll see you very soon.

Monday June 19, 2006

Happy birthday (yesterday) Bob, and also one 64 year old Beatle for whom this number seems to hold some inexplicable significance with the media. Blame it on the sixties if you must. No one is to blame for the great time out last Saturday and we hope that everyone from the cute-as-a-button youngster who sang 'Yellow Submarine' with us at Kid's Day to all who made it to Oakland for the hometown bash had as fine a time as we did. It was so nice playing close to home last week that we'll linger a bit in Alameda this Saturday morning at 11 AM(!) to take part in the Relay for Life at Encinal High for the American Cancer Society. The following public appearance will be in San Jose at Kihncert on the Green with Greg Kihn, John Waite and Pat Travers on July 1. Let the summer begin!

Tuesday June 6, 2006

Thanks to all who attended last Saturday's sold out show at the Kings Head and hanging with us through 'The End'. It's always a great crowd there with some of the best na-na-na-nas in the bay area and we're happy you made the effort, especially you repeat offenders. We're off this weekend, which becomes a rare event over the next three months, getting our summer vacations in while we still can. On Fathers Day weekend we'll be playing our year's first double header. Saturday June 17, we start the afternoon at 1 PM in Marin for Kid's Day at Larkspur Landing. Back for our third year, this is always a fun show for us to play and a great afternoon out. That evening we take it to within twist and shouting distance of Alameda for Bob D's birthday bash at the 400 Club. The Bombay Crawlers open the show at 8:30 PM. The night promises to be long, loud, potentially lascivious and about 180 degrees removed from the prior show. See you on the dance floor!

Sunday May 21, 2006

We think we can safely say that last night's British Invasion Night #1 was a smashing success. Thanks to all who attended this sold out event and the many kind words we heard regarding the performance. Extra thumbs up and salutations to RaveUps drummer John Cuniberti, who fabulously conceived and organized the whole affair. Both the RaveUps and the Hoo put on outstanding shows and we'll be teaming up again soon. Just announced are British Invasion Nights 2 and 3 in July and August respectively. Check our calendar page for dates and venues. Sun Kings hugs and smooches to to Renee, Ana, Jeanne, Paul & the gang, Jamey and so many other old friends who took advantage of a local show to come out and have a rave with us. Ya made it feel like home. Also a birthday shout out to glo crew member Erich Eastwood. Thanks for carrying that weight and making our long and winding road a little easier. Ew, did we just write that out loud? No wonder Hallmark isn't calling. Back to music it is... this Friday we'll be in the Almaden area of San Jose to settle an old score at the Britannia Arms and Saturday we'll be rocking out the Main Street Brewery in Pleasanton. Look forward to seeing you there.

Monday May 1, 2006

We're slightly sorry to see April go so soon. Some mighty good times there. In addition to the Little Fox show, some standout moments were Randy & Jeanette's soiree with surprise nuptials, Peter's gleaming proposal at (but not to) Marilyn's, Kat and Donna's long distance recruiting for same, and Vinnie's birthday that got by quite nicely with a little help from his friends. Thanks for making it all feel like something special!
This merry month brings a return south to Campbell and Felton this weekend as we hit the King's Head on Friday and Don Quixote's warm, redwoody hall on Saturday. May also brings an invasion of the British variety, when we glide into Oakland's Uptown Club as part of British Invasion Night with the Hoo and the RaveUps, (covering the Who & the Yardbirds respectively), light shows, dancers and much more... Saturday May 20. Conceived as an homage to the thriving London club scene of the mid 1960's in sight and sound with the music that pulsed hardest through it, the band lineup features some serious musical talent--alumni of Eddie Money, Santana, The Rubinoos and Psychotic Pineapple. Don't miss this one. Lots of summer shows are in the works and just announced is our appearance at this year's Kihncert on Saturday July 1, on the bill with the Greg Kihn Band, John Waite and Pat Travers at Discovery Meadows in San Jose. Lots of choices, so we're bound to see you somewhere, someway, somehow. 'til then...

Saturday April 15, 2006

Happy Easter weekend to all and a special thanks to everyone who helped make last night's sold out show at the Little Fox Theatre an event to remember. From the theatre staff and crew to the guys in opening act Tin Man to an audience whose energy knew no bounds, it was a delight to spend time with you -- let's do it again soon. The wheel keeps turning when we hit Santa Rosa to team up with the URS at the Last Day Saloon this Thursday, April 20. Cheers!

Wednesday April 12, 2006

Just a quick note to mention that today's Sun Kings acoustic radio appearance on the Greg Kihn show (now fortified with Drew, Michael and Peter) was recorded this morning for later broadcast. The actual air date is tomorrow morning between 7:45 and 9 AM. Sorry for the confusion and late notice. Pretty sure we're still at the Little Fox, 8 PM this Friday and definite that it will be live. See you there.

Tuesday April 11, 2006

April kicked off for us last Saturday night at the Kings Head amidst the Campbell revelry. Tammy got at least a song and a tiara for her birthday, perhaps more. The dancing never abated, even on the mushy stuff and both sister Sue and Lady Z apparently approved. For the week ahead, tune in to the Greg Kihn show (KFOX 98.5 FM) tomorrow morning for an ad hoc appearance by Drew and Michael, acoustic guitars in tow for some musical mucking about. Chief chatter topic sure to include our upcoming show at the Little Fox Theatre this Friday, on a double bill with Tin Man. This is our first visit back to the peninsula this year and we're so delighted to return that we're going on the radio to tell everyone. We look forward to seeing you at the Little Fox. On the horizon for May is a local show as we take part in British Invasion Night at the Uptown Club in Oakland. And yes we hear you San Francisco. We're working on a return to your fair city and hope to see you again soon.

Sunday March 26, 2006

Last night's show in Antioch was an amazing cap to possibly the most interesting month of shows in the band's history. Since our last stop we've visited Santa Rosa, which we liked enough to book a repeat in April. The Stones rolled, Rose reappeared and John & Sandi stayed all night, much to their own surprise. Our Kings Head show the next night was its usual spirited eargasm and a ripping time. The Callahans brought us to San Ramon for an early St. Patrick fest with a 60's twist. The corned beef was especially groovy. Friday last brought us back to Sacramento and a return to Marilyn's. This time there was an advance guard as Drew and Michael made an acoustic appearance on KMAX-TV's 'Good Morning Sacramento' program to promote the Marilyn's show and perform a couple of songs. A video clip from the show is available here. Marilyn's was great fun and lived up to its reputation as our favorite Sacramento hang out. And then there was the El Campanil Theatre show last night. Great acoustics, a near sellout audience of warm friendly faces and Community Concerts usual care and attention to detail added up to one of the best shows we've ever had the pleasure to play. Thanks to everyone who had the kind words for us afterward and we look forward to returning to the area again soon. After a weekend off, we'll pick it back up at the King's Head in Campbell on Sat. April 8. See you then.

Monday March 6, 2006

After a January and February near vacation of up to 1 show a week, it was good to get back into the usual rhythm of things with a full weekend's worth again. Last Friday's show in Campbell brought out an assortment of our South bay regulars, some folks we hadn't seen in much too long and a few newcomers to the scene. Many bangers, mash and beverages were consumed, the dancing was non-stop and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Drew was praised for his singing and dissed for his gum chewing...by the same person. The trio from Alameda cheerleading from the dance floor was noted and appreciated. Saturday was Doug's happy birthday affair in one of the most unusual venues for us to date. Beatles on speed-- as in racetrack speed was the order of the day, and though the racing, dancing and cake proved enough for many, the few who made it to the finish line got to play request-o-rama with us as we broke from our chronological approach for a night. Good thing we got a weekend in, as this week brings 3 shows in a row, 2 of them public. Join us in Santa Rosa at the Last Day Saloon this Thursday with the URS and Friday at the King's Head in Campbell as the good times gather enough steam for a lengthy roll.

Wednesday March 1, 2006

March is here and this month's shows are multiplying like mushrooms after a rainstorm. We'd like to mention the fab time we had at last weekend's show in San Jose for Synplicity and thank Chris, Michele and rest of the gang who helped make it a such a fun night for all. This is a company that obviously treats its employees well, and last Saturday, us too. Extra kudos to the folks who stayed on the dance floor straight through to midnight! Coming up this weekend, we spend the first of two consecutive Fridays in Campbell when we appear at 'Beatles, Bangers and Mash' at the Lake Campbell Event Center. Admission is $15, which includes all three items, though only the last two are truly authentic. We hope our South bay contingent can make it out to this one to help banger and mash the night away. We'll be looking for you on the dance floor. Also of note, next week marks our debut in Santa Rosa as we hit the Last Day Saloon. Hear that, Kate? For a change we'll be in your neighborhood, though it took awhile. We'll be teaming up with the Unauthorized Rolling Stones for this one, so spread the word and we'll see you all soon.

Sunday February 12, 2006

Happy Birthday, Bill!!

We still have a little glow going over our reception back at the King's Head on Friday last. We've said it before, but nobody shows the love quite like a King's Head audience. The new songs were well received and the stage grew quite crowded in the moments before 'Birthday' as a cake was delivered to Bill and Steve and extended to a surprising number birthday participants, who were invited onstage to share. Best birthday wishes to Lydia, Chelsa, Denise and all the friends who came to help them celebrate. We'll be returning there next month, counting the days until then. Also a bulletin for our fans requesting a north bay show. It's on the way, details will follow soon, please stay tuned. The rest of our February consists of private shows, but in March the floodgates will open and we'll be back... backer than ever. See you then!

Tuesday February 7, 2006

It's been a busy couple of weeks offstage, but not long enough that we could forget to mention the great time we had at Marilyn's. Danny and staff were as kind as could be and we were happy to see a lot of Sacramento friends, and a surprise appearance from select members of the Alameda gang. Thanks to all for a warm welcome back and we hope you liked the new additions to the set list. One of our Sacramento friends has gone the extra mile and created an online fan club, which can be accessed from our links page and here. As lovely unsolicited gestures go we are left speechless, so we'll leave it to you to talk it up. This Friday brings us back to the warm environs of the King's Head in Campbell, missing a certain Sullivan anniversary by a day, but making up for it in spirit. We hope to find you there.

Monday January 23, 2006

Happy Birthday, Steve!!

Stirring from our winter slumber at the approach of our first 2006 show, we've managed to acquire a new song or three to bring to the new Marilyn's and hope you'll join us there this Saturday night. We've been looking forward to this one for quite awhile and with the club now open and likely to stay that way, let the countdown begin...

Tuesday January 10, 2006

A bit of news to pass on. Please join us in welcoming Bill Zupko into the band full time on lead guitar and vocals. Bill took over the lead guitar duties on stage last October as auditions were getting underway and held his own amidst some mighty talented players. Since then, we've heard many positive comments about the addition, the chime-y 12 string, swinging solos, etc. and we agree. That kind of playing doesn't just fall from a tree and San Francisco fans may remember Bill as a founding member of the popular Beatles cover band 'Ticket to Ride'. With a decade of experience playing the Fabs' music live, a case of guitars and another of Beatlemania, he fits right in. Our next stop is Sacramento on Saturday January 28, making good on a long delayed return to Marilyn's before it becomes an odyssey. See you there.

Monday January 2, 2006

Happy New Year one and all. For those of you who celebrated with us in Felton an extra special thanks for making the effort just getting there. We were all lucky enough to get a little break from the weather that evening and in addition to our redwood regulars folks converged from far and wide. Kathy and Donna won the most distance traveled award with extra points for navigating road closures. Fab energy filled the room, Leslye lent a larynx on 'Hey Jude' which segued straight into midnight revelry and 'Imagine'. For a moment we believed the world could live as one. All thru the night Peter and Steve's rhythm section rocked, Beethoven rolled, Bill provided the magic potion at just the right moment, Drew and Michael made sure there was more cowbell, the audience sparkled and we suspect a wonderful time was had by all. At month's end we head out to Marilyn's, new songs in tow, to kick in our 2006. We'll look for you there!

Monday December 19, 2005

Hello again. It's been a couple of weeks and we wanted to let you folks who came out to the Kings Head 2 weeks ago and Main Street last Saturday how much we enjoyed having you there. Pleasanton especially was overflowing with birthday celebrations and a sizeable Alameda contingent (in Debi's case, both) and we're glad you chose to spend your night with us. It was a sparkling evening, Drew chiming in with a heartfelt solo 'Imagine' and Michael quite literally rolling over to 'Roll Over Beethoven'. He may be a lover but he ain't no dancer. That's it for shows until New Year's Eve in Felton, and what a year this has been for us. We'll be taking a break from everything but the rehearsal hall for most of January while we learn some new material and resharpen our edges. From us to you, Drew, Michael, Peter, Steve, Bill and Bob wish you the happiest of holidays this year and we look forward to seeing you again next year (or the last of this one). Cheers, everyone!

Tuesday November 29, 2005

Four years on and you're still missed George. For those of us still on this mortal coil, we'll be hoisting one to George and John this Saturday at the Kings Head in Campbell. We hope you'll join us there for a dose of holiday cheer, as Beatles music has been clinically proven a key ingredient in fighting off winter's melancholy. At the very least, like chicken soup it couldn't hurt.

Wednesday November 23, 2005

In case you missed the announcement on our front page, this Saturday's show along with Marilyn's re-opening has been postponed due to a city inspection delay. Apparently, even though all code corrections had been completed yesterday, the inspectors cannot be bothered to make it out there until next Monday. We anticipate a big lump of coal filling some bureaucrat's holiday stocking this year. The staff at Marilyn's and ourselves are much disappointed and will reschedule a return as soon as possible for our Sacramento fans, whose saint like patience has been so sorely tested of late. We wish you a happy holiday weekend and hope to see you very soon. Oh and please don't mention the cancellation to Uncle Ernie, lest he stay the entire weekend.

Friday November 11, 2005

Happy Veterans Day! To veterans of all branches of the service, we owe you so much and are thinking of you today. A quick update that due to some last minute permit holdups, our show at Marilyn's has been moved back a week to Saturday Nov. 26. We know so many of you have been waiting most patiently for the club's grand re-opening. Danny (and ourselves) just want to be sure that there are shiny new restrooms for your convenience instead of the streets of Sacramento.

Monday November 7, 2005

An extra big Sun Kings thank you and hug to everyone who came out to our Kings Head show last Saturday to make merry, send birthday well wishes and put up with a couple of sick Kings (don't worry, we're almost certain it wasn't the bird flu). We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, hope you did too and we promise more new songs and holiday cheer when we return next month. Next up, the grand re-opening of Marilyn's in Sacramento on Sat. Nov. 19. A lot of folks (us included) have been waiting on this show for quite awhile. Tom Petty says the waiting is the hardest part and he's probably right, but the end is now in sight. See you there!

Thursday November 3, 2005

Happy Birthday, Michael!!

We're looking forward to Saturday's return to the Kings Head and perhaps a new song or two. Later in the month, the grand re-opening of Marilyn's in Sacramento brings Thanksgiving a week early to avoid the rush. Makes for a low profile November for us so we'll save the talkin' for the shows. See you soon!

Tuesday October 25, 2005

It's true we're no longer standing in KFOX's LBS contest, though after Friday's tumultuous reception at the Grant & Green it's difficult to think we've lost anything. Most gratifying were the people who told us they'd come out to see if this thing could still fly only to watch it soar. Thank you! San Franciscans possessed of sharp ear and eye noticed a new, yet familiar face peeking out over the Gretsch and Rickenbacker guitars. It was indeed Bill Zupko, formerly of 'Ticket to Ride' ably handling the lead guitar role. Bill will be joining us onstage while we hold formal auditions -- and just happens to be auditioning himself. We pause to thank Tim Alexander, our emergency services manager and Raul Quesada for their time with the band as we begin our next chapter. We've also put up a couple of small song clips from Friday night's show as a taste of what's coming next. Next for us is a visit to our south bay friends with an evening at the King's Head on Sat. November 5 at 9:30, $10 admission. We'll look for you there.

Tuesday October 18, 2005

Chalk up one more fast moving weekend reminiscent of summer's busiest, with 3 shows in under 24 hours. First up on Friday evening was a lovely San Jose wedding reception for Ona and John. Aside from the glowing couple, the highlight was when 87 year old father Vern took to the mic to front a surprisingly strong rendition of 'And I Love Her', dedicated to the kids. The next morning brought us out early only 4 blocks from last evening's show, out in the park for the 'America's Walk for Diabetes'. Skies were threatening until the music started, when our namesake poked through the clouds to see what was going on. A big cheer to all the walkers once again for the time and effort and the tireless volunteer staff who made everyone feel welcome and special. For us, we were off and running to Walnut Creek to make the next show. We got there in time to catch the end of a fine set of R&B with 'East Bay Mudd' and closed out a day of Harvest festivities in Beatley shades of autumn. And that was the weekend that was. Next up, another double header on Friday Oct. 21 as we perform live on KFOX for the semi finals, going head to head with 'Hot for Teacher' (whom we know and admire). Votes are tabbed that day only from 10 AM to 8 PM and we'd love to have yours. That evening, we bring it back to North Beach with a show at the Grant & Green. Kinda like old times.

Sunday October 9, 2005

Happy Birthday John Lennon, wherever you are! Back on Earth, we've had a varied run the last couple of weeks at venues new and old. From the elegant settings of San Ramon and Mill Valley to the rock n' roll environs of Pleasanton it's been a pleasure to meet some new and interesting folks and say hello again to old friends. On Friday, we got word of making the quarter finals for the KFOX 'Last Band Standing' competition. Finalists will be determined by online audience voting (oooh, just like American Idol... go easy on us Simon, we cry easily). We're up against some serious musical talent in our category and hoping for your support. You can listen to all the bands and vote for your favorite here. Naturally we hope your favorite might be the Beatles and by association -- us. Next Saturday Oct. 15 will bring a rare morning sighting of the band as we rally for a good cause at the America's Walk for Diabetes in San Jose. Compared to those 6 and 7 AM radio appearances earlier this summer, 10:30 should still feel like sleeping in. That same afternoon we'll make a joyful noise in downtown Walnut Creek for a free outdoor show at 4 PM. Lastly we make good on a long overdue evening return to the city by the bay as we hit the Grant & Green in San Francisco's North Beach on Friday Oct. 21 at 9:30 PM. More news soon, so please stay tuned.

Tuesday September 27, 2005

Thanks to the folks who helped make our last couple of shows at the Cannery and the Kings Head a great way to wind up the summer. It was a fab time. In other news, please join us in welcoming Tim Alexander to the band on lead guitar and vocals. Tim is a multi-instrumentalist from the South Bay who joins us for the near term. A Beatlemaniac since the beginning, Tim has been tapping into George's muse for years and we're excited to have him with us. Coming up next month, we participate in some rather interesting events. Saturday Oct. 1, we mix it up at the San Ramon Black and White Ball along with a host of attractions covering multiple stages. Our set begins at a fashionably late 10 PM. The following Friday Oct. 7, we'll set a 60's ambiance at the Mill Valley Film Festival's 'Music at the OAC'. Tickets are $10 and you may order them here. A return to Pleasanton and the Main St. Brewery happens on Saturday Oct. 8, and on Saturday Oct. 15, we get up early to help out America's Walk for Diabetes. We've also caught up on our summer backlog of photo contributions, which you can find on the Funstuff page. See you soon.

Wednesday September 14, 2005

Hey Alameda, we wanted to let you know what a great time we had (again) last Sunday at the PBJ festival. We arrived in time to catch the last few songs from Tempest, who were jaw-droppingly good. There were more old friends and family there than we could possibly remember and it was great to see you all. The weather was perfect all weekend, and the day before there was Capitola... ahh, Capitola. C'mon say it again with us. Capitola! One amazingly warm audience turnout, one unrivaled backdrop of the Pacific Ocean and one helluva good time. We also can safely mention our unannounced Sunday night stealth performance in Alameda for Cathi the birthday girl, who was sufficiently surprised. Hats off to daughter Summer for a great job pulling it together. Luv ya, Cathi! Just a couple of private shows this weekend, we'll take it up in public again at the Kings Head on Sat. Sept. 24, and hope you can take it with us.

Saturday September 10, 2005

Happy Birthday, Raul!!

Just a quick visit to mention our weekend shows, starting this afternoon in Capitola when we take the stage at 5 PM for the Art & Wine Fair (we're neither), and home again tomorrow afternoon in Alameda at the PBJ festival. We'll look for you there.

Monday August 29, 2005

Thirty nine years ago San Francisco was treated to the Beatles last public outing. We're still running into people who were there and always just a little envious as we wonder what it must've been like to be among them. More recently, our last weekend may well have been produced by Mark Burnett, for it was a weekend of extremes. Oh, it started off innocently enough in San Mateo with some typically gorgeous weather and an energetic audience that danced until dusk. We had a great time there and look forward to a return visit soon. Friday in Campbell was its usual frenzy, though not until after the lights went down. You think by now we'd have learned to pace ourselves for these 4 day weekends but nooooooo. By show's end, Michael's throat was on the casualty list and the 10 hours before the next one were just not enough to bring the little guy back. Cut to high noon the next day in Sacramento under a good day sunshine on steroids. Only the bravest of the brave were occupying the bench seats and lawn area as we gave it our 90 minute, 100 degree college try. It was a good preparation for Sunday's repeat performance, which was just as hot but better attended and far better rested. Peter pinch hit admirably for a still ailing non-comm by name of Pepper and dignity was left largely intact. The folks in Sacramento sitting, standing and especially dancing during those shows have our undying admiration. We dedicate the hit the Beatles threw away, 'How Do You Do It?' to all of you. OK, now how often does one get to say thank God it's Monday? Have a great extra long weekend everyone, and we'll see you the following one in Capitola and Alameda.

Monday August 15, 2005

And that was the week that was. A little song and dance on the radio (being radio you'll have to trust us on the dance part) and 5 incredibly satisfying shows in 4 nights. It was such an honor to share the stage with Pete Best and his bandmates, who are great guys to have a drink and a laugh with as well. Cheers, mates! Our show at 19 Broadway with Pete brought us to lovely Fairfax for the first time and we hope not the last. Fridays show at the Little Fox left us feeling glad all over at the amazing turnout and audience energy. Special kudos to Ralph for the intro and making sure we were comfortable, even on his own hard day's night. Redwood City rocks and we look forward to coming back soon. Our Saturday show in Concord was a breezy affair before sunset, with the wind whistling through the flanks of Mt. Diablo, but the sheer warmth of the audience made it feel like midsummers day. Our thanks to the 'Hey Jude Kid's Choir' for making it extra special. And then there was Sunday at the Kings Head with Pete Best and the special brand of love that only a Kings Head crowd can dish up. Don't think we weren't feeling it, we know that Pete and band felt it too. So many thanks to the many folks we met over this last long weekend who voiced their approval for our little hobby. It was truly a fab time. Give us a weekend off and we'll see you around San Mateo on August 25th.

Monday August 8, 2005

Just a quick note to let you know we'll be appearing on your radio again this Wednesday morning during Greg Kihn's show on KFOX 98.5 FM San Jose. Those of you out of radio range can hear a streamed internet broadcast here. There'll be some playing, singing and a bit o' blarney regarding certain upcoming shows that we hope you already know about. Rumour has it that we may be on as early as the 6 o'clock hour, so we hope you're an earlier weekday riser than we usually are. Tune in if only to hear what we're like before the caffeine kicks in. Straight or decaf, we are so looking forward to this week's worth of shows that you won't want to miss 'em. See you at 19 Broadway, the Little Fox and the Kings Head.

Friday August 5, 2005

Before we head off to another show this evening we can't let the great time we had last weekend pass without mention. Our return to Felton was a fabulous and fun Friday with a vocal audience and plenty of birthday dedications. Carolyn, Mary & Karen, thanks for spending your special day's night with us! Saturday and Sunday we stayed close to home at the Alameda Art & Wine fair where we always see the people that mean the most to us. Alameda, you were very boisterous and quite forgiving of our extended dance mixes. We can't wait for the next one, which happens to be across town on Sept. 11 at the Peanut Butter Jam. Afterward, most of the band adjourned to the nearby Lucky 13 where more festivities ensued. Francesca, Cathi, David, Susie, Jamey and Marcie proved they could hang as long as we could and the drinks and laughs were plentiful. Ah, good times. See you tonight in San Bruno and coming next week... Pete Best & The Sun Kings!

Tuesday August 2, 2005

Happy Birthday, Peter!!

Thursday July 28, 2005

We hope all of you that came out to the StudioZ show last Friday had as good a time as we did. Tom Jonesing and the URS brought the goods to the stage and we heard so many nice things regarding the band that memory and modesty must prevent us from mentioning them. Equally exciting was the sauna that was the Kings Head on Saturday and a more intimate performance for our favorite south bay fans. That was where the news began to leak and now... we have confirmation for a couple of Bay Area shows in August opening for Liverpool's own Pete Best. Pete will be appearing with his band in Fairfax and Campbell. Naturally, we're delighted to be sharing the stage with him. Any old stories you'd like us to ask him about? For more immediate gratification, tomorrow night we take it to Felton for a show at Don Quixotes with its warm and woody ambiance. We hope you can make it too. This weekend we hang around the hometown with shows at the Alameda Art & Wine Fair before heading into our next busy month. See you soon.

Wednesday July 20, 2005

Thanks to all of you who gave the collective 'thumbs up' to our radio appearance on KFRC yesterday, starting with Cammy and Dean. There are a couple of sound clips from the show up on our songs page. We hope to see a lot of you out at this Friday's show with the URS and Tom Jonesing and from the sound of things it appears we may. It's going to be a fab time so come out and help make a little history that we can write about. Not much else to report except for rumblings that the Sun Kings may be hooking up with a former Beatle in the vaguely near future. Stay tuned for details.

Sunday July 10, 2005

Happy Birthday, Drew!!

First, if you've tried recently to send a review to our site only to find the link was broken, it is now fixed. Thanks to Jim for flagging that. For us, the weeks just keep getting busier. Where to start? Our Kings Head show on July 2 was the usual riotously good time, a full house and dance floor and too many friends in attendance to name here. Thanks for helping to make Campbell feel like our own little Xanadu. Bright and early the next afternoon it was off to San Francisco for our 'Uncanned at the Cannery' show. The courtyard was full, the music constant and the compliments many. Always good to meet folks from so many different places and feel firsthand the global scope of the Beatles influence. Our fourth of July found us on Treasure Island for Chris and Anna's wedding/dual birthdays celebration. As the band and the SF fireworks show wound up day 4 of 'the bash that bordered on a bender', we were amazed at the unflagging energy of Chris, Anna and their many glittering guests. With that kind of stamina they'll easily make it to 100. Last Wednesday was a new experience for the band as we played our first live TV performance on the Bruce Latimer show in Pacifica. We played 5 songs and Drew was interviewed by Bruce, where there was a meeting of the minds that took place somewhere beyond Saturn. On Friday we found out that Redwood City is just as pleasant on the outside as it is inside the Little Fox Theatre when we debuted at the outdoor Summer Concert Series. We'll look for you again next month when we return to Little Fox. Yesterdays show at the Los Altos Art & Wine Fair was a warm and wonderful time that we thoroughly enjoyed. Next time we'll work more White Album and Abbey Road into those 90 minutes, we promise! And for the first time in 4 weeks, no Sunday shows. Man, do we feel like slackers. Come see us snap out of it at StudioZ on Friday July 22, when we'll have lots of help.

Tuesday June 28, 2005

Twas the busy weekend that last one. It started on Friday with our trek down to Monterey for the opening week of Monterey Live. We had a great time, met some new fans and immediately felt welcomed. At least one of us found that the journey (and continuance thereof) was its own reward. Bright and early on Saturday we were at Raul's alma mater, Encinal High School as part of the Relay for Life benefit for the American Cancer Society. Old friends were there, and the cheers were many but the kid's dance group was clearly the headliner, and deservedly so. After a quick cleanup it was off to bucolic Atherton and a Beatle-esque serenade to Jim and Judy's 45th wedding anniversary. We had an elegantly fab time that went well into the evening. We should have asked permission to camp the night, as Sunday brought us back to the same neck of the peninsula for the Belmont Summer Concert Series. The weather was perfect, the crowd abundant and the atmosphere definitely on the festive side. Great to meet all those new faces and we hope to see more of you soon. This Saturday we're back at our old stomping grounds in Campbell as we kick into the holiday weekend at the Kings Head. Sunday afternoon we're back at the Cannery and be sure to make plans now for our July 22 show in San Francisco with the Unauthorized Rolling Stones and Tom Jonesing at StudioZ. Have a great holiday!

Monday June 20, 2005

What could be better for a Sun King than spending a weekend in the sun? The weekend past brought us out of doors in Larkspur and San Francisco, a birthday to our own Bob David as well as one Paul McCartney and of course, a plethora of Beatles music. For the second year, we returned to play Kid's Day in Larkspur. Most of the kids listening were on the older side and some of the show was broadcast through the miracle of cellular technology all the way to Lima, Peru. Yesterday brought us back to the Cannery for the first time this year and apparently some folks had been waiting awhile for our return. It was a fun afternoon of musical musings and our thanks to the sizeable Sacramento contingent for making the trip. Great to see you again! This weekend brings a whirlwind of shows in Alameda, Belmont, and our first show south of Santa Cruz. Hopefully we'll see you at one of them. We're especially excited about this Friday's show as we end up (cue Eric Burdon) Dowwwn in Monterey (cue electric sitar). See you there!

Saturday June 4, 2005

From San Francisco to Alameda it's been quite the montage of shows, with more in store. Last weekend seems like ancient history now though the high points we recall were a smashing return to the Grant & Green that included surprise visits from old friends and lots of raw energy. Saturday night was spent entertaining some young Beatles scholars and Sunday's big blowout for Dominique's graduation in Daly City was some of the most pleasant merrymaking we've been acquainted with lately. That one was really two parties, as a driveway at the bottom of the hill a couple hundred yards distant filled with folks within viewing, listening and shouting range. Also deserving of mention was Charlie and Wendy's beautiful wedding in the Berkeley hills, with acoustic music provided by Drew and Michael, moonlighting from the Sun Kings to play strolling Beatle troubadors. After the ceremony itself, the standout memory was obliging an impromptu and rather interesting request for an acoustic 'Helter Skelter'. Best wishes to this happy and handsome young couple. Finally, last night's homecoming in Alameda brought out some of our dearest friends and a scattering of fans for a fun little show. It was almost like the old days again. Smiles were in abundance, except for the discovery that the touch of a velvet hand really WAS like a lizard on a windowpane. Ewwwwwwwwwww! Tonight takes us back to Campbell for a song and dance or two at ye olde Kings Head. We'll see you there!

Sunday May 22, 2005

A big thank you to our friends in Pleasanton who made for a loverly Saturday night out at the Main Street Brewery. The staff treated us well, we saw familiar faces from our previous visits and are glad you could make it out again. Family, faithful and friends were in attendance and the dance floor had an energy all its own. You felt it, right? This Friday, we'll be dropping in to our old SF stomping grounds at the Grant & Green, just to prove that we have something to prove. We start at 9:30 PM, though no cover charge and a small room may be incentive to get there a little early. The following week kicks off our long, hot summer with shows in Alameda, Campbell and Fisherman's Wharf. We hope one of them will be close enough to pique your interest. Until we see you in North Beach, Ciao!

Monday May 16, 2005

It was good to get out and play again last weekend, even though we're enjoying the breathing room between shows this month. We hit the raucous Britannia Arms in Almaden on Friday for a night of pub rock Beatles style. It was an interesting evening. Michael gives a special shout out to the couple having standup sex against the car next to his in the parking lot. He hopes they were able to complete coitus without further interruptus, and suggests that getting a room (or at least inside the car) may help prevent those potentially embarrassing impediments to the big O. We could chalk it up to the natural consequences of lit patrons and unlit parking lot, but it comforts our superstitious minds to know that people can get lucky even on Friday the 13th. Oh yeah, we played some music too. Next up is Saturday night in Pleasanton, where we hope you'll join us at the Main St. Brewery at 9 PM. See you then.

Friday May 6, 2005

Just a quick note to say we've put up a couple of the songs from our recent performance on KFRC on the Songs/MP3 page. We've also been working to streamline loading on some of our web pages (this one for example) and hope it's noticeable. With the Mother's Day weekend off, we'll have some steam built up for our next show a week from tonight at the Britannia Arms Almaden, beginning at 9 PM. Though May has but a handful of shows, we'll be making up for it come summer by working our way around to nearly every corner of the Bay Area. Check our calendar for show schedules and we'll see you next week.

Friday April 22, 2005

Few events in our band's time together have been as exciting or as nerve wracking as our live performance on KFRC this week. Exciting for the obvious reasons. Live musical performances used to be a staple of radio in the pre-TV days but have become increasingly rare in the modern world, so getting this chance was especially thrilling for us. For the same reasons it was nerve wracking. Live on the radio with no chance for retakes or do-overs does set the butterflies aflutter in the stomach. On top of that we had to curb the urge to curse like sailors while on the air. Thanks a lot, Janet Jackson. Still, we got through it to good reviews and Cammy and Dean could not have been nicer or more supportive. The morning went by in a blur and we can still hardly believe it. Next stop, the BBC! Special thanks to our sound man Bob, who did the mic'ing and mixing, and to Jen, Susan and KFRC traffic reporter Mark Nieto for the handclaps on 'Eight Days A Week'. Perhaps due to the hoopla, our show at Cobb's last night was surprisingly well attended for a weeknight. Our friends from the city turned out in force and we met a lot of new folks who had kind words for the band. Cobb's manager Tom got to rock like Ringo, taking the lead vocal on "With A Little Help from my Friends" and doing a fine job of it. Thanks to all for making it out there, we hope you had a splendid time. Next up is our show at the King's Head in Campbell a week from tomorrow on the 30th. We'll see you soon.

Tuesday April 19, 2005

Hold on San Francisco, we're coming back. Tomorrow morning, catch us on KFRC radio (99.7 FM, 610 AM) when we appear on the morning show to do a little playing, singing and plugging. Cammy and Dean will be hosting the show, and in between songs we'll be searching the building for the doughnut stash. We know it's there. Our mission--find it. We're also quite likely to mention our show at Cobb's this Thursday and that tickets can still be had at the Cobbs box office or Ticketweb.com. The show starts at 8 PM and we hope you can make it there too. After a rare weekend off, we're rarin' to go!

Saturday April 9, 2005

Better late than never, we have to mention the fun time we had at the Little Fox last Saturday night. Lotsa friends and fans, a warm reception and a night of our favorite music made it one to remember. Susan celebrated her birthday with a band's eye view, deux cakes and Bob & Connie recorded the entire affair. Our thanks to all who helped make it so much fun. Now, just when we thought a couple weeks of leisurely rehearsals were all we had ahead, a new show pops into view. Whataya know, it's tomorrow night! Yep, we'll be at the Saddle Rack in Fremont as part of their 2nd anniversary location celebration Sunday April 10. Show runs from 6 to 10:30 and we'll be closing, starting around 8:30. It's very short notice we know, but we hope you can make it anyway. Oh yeah, we've also got some new photos posted along with our appreciative thank-yous to Charlotte, Cindi and Chelsa for sending them.

Wednesday March 30, 2005

Last weekend was a blur of events reaching all the way back to Thursday when we visited Marilyn's for the last time at its 12th & K address. The size of the audience for a weeknight was gratifying and they kept us there for a sizeable chunk of said weeknight while we played an extra half hour just for the heck of it. We're already looking forward to a return at the new location. Friday night brought out a full brigade of friends at the King's Head along with some extraordinary moments that we couldn't attribute to the full moon alone. Glad you could be there to share it. On Saturday we played the Community Concert in Pleasant Hill and met a lot of fine folks who kept us convinced that we have a good thing going here. Thanks for all your kind words and a big hug to Jim and Kathy Ocean for having us. It's our pleasure. This Saturday April 2, we ramble on back to Redwood City for a show at the Little Fox. We had a fabgear time at our last show there and hope you can be there to help make it one of our regular stops. Further on down the April road is a long anticipated return to San Francisco when we play Cobb's on Thursday April 21. Look for some unexpected surprises as the date draws near, and with that we'll let Paul and Ahme have the last word... for now.

Sunday March 20, 2005

Hey Felton, we love your town and look forward to our next visit. Don Quixote's has a great sound system, and the staff and clientele alike were warm and outgoing. The show was well attended and we recognized quite a few of you from our previous Henfling's outings. Thanks for making the switch with us. Lake runs one of the cleanest stages we've had the pleasure to occupy. Patty won the award for most sustained energy on the dance floor, but our hearts were won by the little girl with the bunny ears, who danced herself into dreamland by the time the last set rolled around. Charlotte sent pictures of the show in record time, which we'll post when we can get our lazy as-- um, I mean overworked selves into gear. And let us not forget this week's hometown foray in Alameda, which was attended by some of our favorite people, our earliest supporters. You're right, we do need some more local shows. For us it was very reminiscent of Sun Kings shows circa 2001, intimate and uncrowded. Maybe we should try last minute dates more often. This week brings a springtime growth spurt to our calendar with shows in Sacramento, Campbell and Pleasant Hill to occupy our Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. We hope one of them is close enough for you to make it out. See you then.

Tuesday March 15, 2005

Alameda, we're back on for St. Paddy's Day! Tommy Rocko's is once again ready to roll and we're gonna roll with it. Yes, it's short notice but we'll trust in the luck of the Irish and a sizeable leprechaun turnout to carry us through. This Thursday finds us playing the weekday friendly hours of 8 - 11 PM. Cover is $10 and Tom and Rocko are offering specials designed to get you into the spirit of the day. So are we. In another calendar update, we're off to Sacramento next Thursday Mar. 24 to squeeze in a show during the last week at Marilyn's soon-to-be-ex location. They're moving to a larger space and we'll be back in Sac once the new, improved Marilyn's version 2.0 is up and running. Show time is 8-11 PM with an $8 cover. In between these two, we're back down Santa Cruz way with a show Sat. Mar. 19 at Don Quixote's in Felton. Show time there is a more weekendly 9 PM, and advance tickets are available by calling 831-335-2800. See you somewhere around Northern California soon.

Friday March 4, 2005

Just a quick note that our Saturday March 5 show at Tommy Rocko's in Alameda has been postponed. Yeah, we're not happy about it either, but Mother Nature gets the last word...this time. While we're here we should mention the great time we had last weekend at the King's Head. Having both Friday and Saturday let us stretch out and play nearly every song in our catalogue, some of which hadn't been heard in months. We hope we got to your favorite. Lots of good comments and repeat visitors for the weekend and we appreciated both. Next up is Felton, at Don Quixote's on Saturday March 19. We'll look for you there.

Tuesday February 22, 2005

What can we say, Bay area? Your hearts are certainly in the right place, as you showed Sunday night by donating generously to help the Asian/African tsunami victims, turning tragedy to hope. We were thrilled to be part of such a lineup, which included some heavy hitters like Tim Murphy, David Carradine, Greg Kihn, Dave Meniketti and even a reunited Y&T! We did a short set midway through, and then came back at the end of the evening to lead the finale as we launched into 'With a Little Help from My Friends', who were numerous. Segueing into 'The End' we were joined by some twenty of the other musicians to take a turn at the guitar and drum solos, followed by the most raucous version of 'Twist and Shout' you'd ever want to hear, with Drew and Dave M. swapping the lead vocal. A special tip o' the hat goes out to some of our regular show attendees (and you know who you are) who can see us just about anywhere, yet still ponied up the donations to help this event succeed. Thank you! Next up is our King's Head weekend, with shows this Friday and Saturday at the fabled venue. And our Alameda news is fit to print at last. Saturday March 5, we help debut a new club in Alameda. Long time friends of the band, Tom Brown and Rocko Rhodes have resurrected the old 'Ann's' nightclub (1231 Park St. Alameda) and are busily reinventing it as 'Tommy Rockos'. Our March 5 show starts at 9 PM, cover is $5 which will be donated entirely to the GI Bill of Rights hotline and Project Open Hand. We also want to help Tom and Rocko get their club going in a big way AND celebrate Fern's birthday, so you're all invited to help kick it off. Thanks again for a great week, everybody. We'll see you soon.

Friday February 18, 2005

Lots of news this week. First, we hope you can make it to the benefit show this Sunday at the Saddlerack and help out a great cause in the company of some first rate musicians and music. The show starts at 6 PM, and we take the stage around 8 for a short set of our very best, along with a surprise or two. Tickets for the event are available here. Second, due to popular demand, our show next Saturday at the King's Head now expands to include Friday. We add a special 'George Harrison's birthday show' on Friday Feb. 25, then come back the next evening to survey the damage and quite possibly create more. 9:30 start times for both shows. We've also added several new dates to the calendar and song clips from last Saturday's show at Marilyn's. So much for that idle February... See you soon! And to our Alameda fans, please keep Saturday March 5 for us. More news to follow.

Monday February 14, 2005

Happy Valentines to you all today. We had a couple of shows over the last 2 weeks that went quite well, and our thanks to our friends for converging for our Sacramento show at Marilyn's last Saturday. We had a great time and are looking forward to our next appearance at Marilyn's soon-to-be brand new venue. The big news this week was just confirmed. We'll be appearing this Sunday February 20 as part of a giant lineup to keep the aid flowing to the areas of Asia devastated by the December tsunami. You won't want to miss this one, as it's got something for everybody. More details on our front page, and we hope to see you there. Also, we've managed to put up a few more song clips from our last show at the Kings Head for your listening pleasure. Hope you like 'em, we'll keep making more.

Tuesday February 1, 2005

Was there a convention or something in Campbell last weekend? Gudgawdalmighty! For the second time this month, we were completely blown away by the number of people at one of our shows, this time at the King's Head. More than standing room only, it was a workout just to reach the stage and we hope the show gave you an opportunity to get a little closer to your fellow man...or woman. We heard that some folks were turned away from the door due to the crowding, for which we offer our apologies and a makeup invitation to this Friday's show at the Britannia Arms. It's week 2 of our south bay spree and we so need to spread a little Kings Head style love over there. Show starts at 9:30 PM and we hope you can make it...the earlier the better. On another note, due to the recent closing of Henfling's in Ben Lomond, our March 19 show has been relocated to Don Quixote's International Music Hall in Felton. For ticket reservations and info call 831-335-2800.

Sunday January 23, 2005

Happy Birthday, Steve!!

We're in the process of dusting off our rusty old music page and throwing some music clips up on the site recorded with the present lineup. You'll see them appearing over the next week or two, starting today. A tip o' the hat to the many friends who welcomed us back to the Grant & Green a couple weeks back and helped fill it to capacity. We thank you for showing and we wish we'd had more time to chat. Last night we were double billed with the "Yellow Submarine" movie to entertain the kids young in old out in Larkspur. The movie held their attention but they saved the dancing for us. The next couple of weekends will be spent in the south bay, as we hit the King's Head and Britannia Arms respectively. Come on out for a pint and a song or two and we'll see you there.

Sunday January 9, 2005

We're still feeling the good vibes from last night's show at the Little Fox Theatre. We were simply floored by the number of people who had braved the nasty stormy weather to come see the band. The Little Fox is a beautiful, intimate venue with an equally beautiful crowd and a staff who went out of their way to make us feel welcome. The dance floor was in motion all night. Some of you Little Foxers have incredible stamina! Old friends and relations were in attendance. We saw Pat and Julie at a show for the first time in ages. Tony and Margie of 'Deja Blue' came all the way out from Three Rivers (they deemed the show worth it) and a special thanks goes out to Mal and Jim C. for their invaluable help with the equipment. We had a wonderful time there and look forward to returning again soon. We hear the chances are good. This Friday we return to an old haunt that we haven't haunted for some time as we descend upon the Grant & Green in North Beach. Lastly, responding to some enquiring email from our Alameda friends and neighbors, we may be doing a local show sooner rather than later. Stay tuned for details.

Sunday January 2, 2005

Here's wishing you a happy 2005. We pleasantly closed out our old year in Pleasanton inside a warm room, thumbing our noses at the incessant rainfall outside and Ringo-ing in the new year with Steve now in the drum chair full time. The evening was long on glamour, short on glimmer. Glenna and Silvie came to see their boys, champagne was quaffed at midnight and everybody imagined no possessions. Drew's present from Raul didn't evoke Lovely Rita, though it made him look a little like a milit'ry man. The guitars were reported to have gently wept.
In other news, it's on to January and our debut at the Little Fox Theatre in Redwood City this Saturday, Jan. 8. Tickets are on sale now, and if you need an excuse, what better way to celebrate Elvis' birthday than with the music of his most creative disciples?
And...after much prodding, we've updated the shots in our photo section thanks to the contributions from Tricia, Debi, Carolyn and Charlotte. We appreciate the pics and encourage everyone to send more if you've got 'em, especially if they feature a certain new drummer. Also coming up in January is our long overdue return to the Grant & Green on Friday January 14. Get there early, cuz baby it's cold outside.

Tuesday December 21, 2004

Quite the week it was last week. Our Velvet Lounge show for Jennifer's birthday could be called a success, mainly because no one remembers how it ended. OK, the band does, but we promised not to tell. Suffice it to say, the dip in Bay Area labor production the following work day was measurable. Friday found us being treated very well indeed at the top of Nob Hill, where our performance at the Fairmont for Jann's company holiday party was quite well received by the nabobs. Polite society was heard to murmur that live Beatles music beats a DJ all to hell. We politely murmur our agreement. Last Saturday brought us back to Campbell and nobody shows the love like the good folks at the Kings Head. We loosened it up, kept mostly toward the rock n' roll end of things and played until we were shut down for the night. Coulda gone an extra hour easy if not for those stringent California liquor laws. Ah well, there's always January. Also, thanks to some industrious fans we'll have some new photos on our site by Christmas. Finally, the Sun Kings wish everyone the happiest of holidays this season and thank you again for all the support you've given us this year, our best so far. We'll be spending the holidays with family and friends, and will come together in time to ring in the new year down Pleasanton way. Hope to see you then!

Thursday December 9, 2004

The verdict is in and the Sun Kings would like to mention that Henflings rocks! Our show last Saturday night appeared to be a sold out affair, standing room only. Thanks to John and Kim Barrett for bringing a bunch of local friends to see brother's band play and to all the other folks who came to to rock n' roll in the redwoods. We had a wonderful time and will surely be back soon. Last night marked a somber anniversary for Beatles fans worldwide, and this morning's news from Ohio told of another senseless slaying of a talented musician to further bloody the date. On a less tragic note, yesterday also brought Drew down to the King's Head for a solo performance of originals, selected covers and lotsa Lennon songs to note the occasion. Toward the end of the evening, Drew was joined by surprise guests Michael and Peter for some acoustic (Sun Kings Lite) Beatles covers and despite the sad anniversary, a splendid time was had by all. Thank you for showing up to lend your support on a school night. The band is offstage this weekend, wood shedding in rehearsals and will be back next Wednesday and Saturday for shows at the Velvet Lounge in SF and the King's Head respectively. We would also like to thank the folks who sent us pictures after our last entreaty. We'll be posting some new pix in the next week or so, please keep 'em coming. We also neglected to say something in our last entry to remember George Harrison, now three years gone and still sorely missed. We feel bad about it and hope you'll forgive our oversight. We'll make up for it with an extra dollop of George's songs next week. See you then!

Monday November 29, 2004

OK, King's Head. We laid down the challenge a week ago and we've got to say you responded most admirably. We were amazed at the turnout and response from you all last Saturday night. We saw you dancing on chairs up on the second level and heard your tremendous noise all evening long. Your participation on 'Hey Jude' was nothing short of spectacular and you should all feel very proud. We'll be back for more in 3 weeks (Sat. Dec. 18) and hope you'll be back again. This weekend, we move south by southwest for a show at Henfling's Firehouse Tavern in Ben Lomond. Henfling's is a warm, great sounding room nestled in the heart of redwood country. We had a fab time playing there in August and hope to see you there to help us wake up the woods on Saturday.

On a final note, those of you who care may notice that the photo section of our web site is pitifully outdated. We know you're taking pictures out there, we can see the flashies. We would love to post them, so please send your digital photos of the band We'll credit your pics on our site and if they're especially good you'll also be rewarded with our undying gratitude and multiple toasts to your good name and health. Send 'em along and we'll see you this weekend...that is, if we can remain upright after all the toasting.

Monday November 22, 2004

We hope you're all looking forward to the long holiday weekend. We certainly are. We've had two shows now since we last checked in and have been working Steve into the set to hot reviews. Yes, we like him too. Our overdue return to San Francisco saw some of our equally overdue friends visiting once again. If we missed some of you at the Lost and Found, we can only plead blindness from the combination of high stage and bright lights, but appreciate your coming out to see us. We didn't miss spotting Jane, Ronni, Reesie and Leah among others. We managed to resurrect several songs from our list that hadn't been played in quite awhile and debuted some entirely new (to our set anyway) ones. Hope you liked 'em. Last weekend we took our show back out to Marliyns in Sacramento, who simply outdid themselves this time. We had a great evening out there, you were an amazing audience and we're eagerly awaiting our return engagement. Coming up this Saturday, it's back to the South Bay for a post Thanksgiving bacchanal at the King's Head. We love coming back there and always have a great time, but you Headers have your work cut out for you to match Sacramento's pure gusto. We have faith in you though, and trust you will prevail. Until then, here's wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving with dear friends and loved ones. Eat, drink and be merry and we'll see you very soon.

Sunday November 7, 2004

And yes there's news today, oh boy. In a world where the only constant is change, our longtime drummer, Scott Rabino retired from the band at the end of October. Scott plays in several bands, teaches drum students, etc. and he reluctantly decided that he had spread himself a little too thin. Though it's sad to lose an original Sun King (again), we wish Scott the very best and thank him with thunderous applause for the 3 1/2 years he's logged with us.

But wait--here's the good part. We would like to welcome a new member into our fold. Joining the Sun Kings on drums is Steve Scarpelli. You can read more about Steve on our bios page. A San Jose resident and lifelong Beatlemaniac, Steve came in to audition for us at the end of a long list of candidates and proceeded to drop our collective jaws during the course of the first two songs. Since then we've been busy rehearsing and can't wait for you to hear him play with us.

Fortunately, you won't have to wait very long. Hearing the hue and cry from our San Francisco fans regarding our neglect of their fair city, we have acted boldly and decisively and booked ourselves back into North Beach next weekend. Our first show of the month is Friday November 12, at the Lost and Found Saloon (1353 Grant Ave. SF) The show starts at 9:30 PM, cover is $5, and it will be Steve's Sun Kings debut. We look forward to our return to North Beach and hope to see you there.

Wednesday November 3, 2004

Happy Birthday, Michael!!

It's been a fun couple of weeks of shows for us, especially last Saturday, which took us from bucolic Woodside to raucous Richmond over the course of the day. Congrats to John & Erica for making us part of one of the best wedding receptions we've been invited to entertain. And in Richmond, you yachters really know how to party. We haven't forgotten the offer of the bay cruise either. In other news, for those of you who have been waiting since August for our next indoor San Francisco show, it may be coming up sooner than you think. Stay tuned for details and we will have a couple of announcements for you before the weekend is out.

Sunday October 17, 2004

Score one for Mother Nature as today's scheduled show at the Cannery was called on account of rain. For only three weeks it feels like so many shows since we've been here last, so let's take a deep breath, blow out the cobwebs and begin our recollections. First a thank you and a big Sun Kings hug to Leah and our friends who showed up for our Berkeley debut at Larry Blake's in early October. Also a well choreographed secret handshake goes out to the Tom Jonesing band for sharing the bill with us at Blake's. You guys were fun to watch. We played twice at the Cannery in one week, and both were fab shows with friendly audiences, especially the Fleet Week evening show! With the large Navy turnout we had the chance to thank some of the uniformed servicemen and women for the sacrifices they make on a daily basis to ensure our well being. Between those two dates, we debuted at the Britannia Arms out in Alamden, a well attended show of fans, friends and family, marred only by a reminder that bad people can lurk outside even in good neighborhoods.
On a brighter note, we were enticed back to Sacramento on Friday to perform for a convention center full of nurses gathered from every corner of the nation. Our job (as we understood it) was to properly focus them toward the weekend after days of seminars. If the 50 foot conga line and onstage 'Hey Jude' chorus were any indication, we may have succeeded. To the nurses, we thank you all for attending. As you might expect, we felt so much better after your visit. Finally last night was another incredible evening at the Kings Head. Our friends in the South Bay turned out en masse and helped rock it to the rafters. You folks are too much!! We finish out our October with a string of private engagements, and are next scheduled to surface publicly on Saturday Nov. 20 at Marilyns in Sacramento. We'll look for you there!

Sunday September 26, 2004

A day of rest feels well earned after this whirlwind weekend. On Friday we all took leave of our day jobs (and perhaps our senses) to attempt two shows on the same day, half a state apart without the aid of aircraft. Did we succeed? That depends on your interpretation. The big surprise came early in the day when the large cargo van we had reserved for the weekend was found to be unavailable. What was available was a much smaller van of the soccer mom variety. Combined with one of our own vehicles we managed to fit all our gear in. Barely. You might have seen us making our way up Interstate 80 with our rear seat passenger's heads pressed flat against the side windows, pinned firmly in place by guitar cases. Safely arriving at the Sacramento Convention Center, we helped celebrate the launch of 'Prosper' magazine with an outdoor show that had us playing until nearly sunset. Even though the audience was far better dressed than we were, we suspect a lovely time was had by all. Before the echo of the last chord had died away, we were attempting to break the land speed record for a gear tear down, load up, and drive to Campbell. Still ahead was the evening show at the King's Head. Arriving after 9 PM we were met in the parking lot by a group of concerned citizens that helped us whisk our gear into the club. (Thanks, everyone!) The house was full and anticipation was high, though great patience was shown by all and we started about 20 minutes later than scheduled. To the fantastic crowd, you were all so much fun and we hope no one felt shortchanged by our late start. The longest day finally ended somewhere in the wee morning hours of Saturday. That night, it was a relatively easy trip out to Pleasanton for our return to the Main St. Brewery. Again, the house was packed with a wonderful audience, the dance floor was full, and the Glimmers exhibited their flair for the grand entrance. We had a great time playing for you, Pleasanton. Next up on our calendar is our long awaited debut at Blake's on Telegraph in Berkeley. We'll be opening for Tom Jonesing, who we've been wanting to see for a long time. We hope you can make it there, it's going to be a most entertaining evening.

Saturday September 18, 2004

Once again we send our thanks to KFRC for hooking us up today as part of a fabulous musical lineup. We had a great time playing for a great bunch of people at Middle Harbor Park today, on the edge of the bay with a closeup SF skyline for a backdrop. Combined with last Saturdays well received debut in Lafayette and a fine reception on Sunday at our hometown jam in Alameda, it's been a good week all around. We had many words of encouragement and appreciate the good wishes of all the people we talked with at these shows. We love the music of the Beatles and are so grateful that our interpretation of it seems to resonate in some small way. So let's just keep a good thing going through next weekend, when we show our public faces at the King's Head in Campbell and Main St. Brewery in Pleasanton respectively. There's no cover charge at either show, so of course we'll see you there.

Friday September 10, 2004

Happy Birthday, Raul!!

This date marks the third year of our little column, where we've noted the band's doings and undoings, shows and no-shows, arrivals and departures. A lot has happened for us in these three years and the good news is that we don't anticipate an ending to the story anytime soon. The bad news is that you'll have to keep putting up with these doodlings. For matters musical, the weekend now upon us finds us sticking close to home. Tomorrow evening we'll take a short jaunt over the hill to Lafayette, where we debut at the Roundup Saloon. The show starts at 9 PM. Sunday Sept. 12 we'll be closing out the Alameda PBJ festival at Webster St. and Lincoln Ave. beginning at 5 PM. Next weekend our only public show will be at Oakland's Middle Harbor Park for KFRC's 'Saturday in the Park'. We're scheduled to hit the stage around 3:30 PM. We'll be looking for our East Bay fans at some of these shows and hope it makes up for our dearth of local appearances earlier in the year. Now get out there and have yourself a gear weekend.

Friday September 3, 2004

As summer slips into its final holiday weekend, we look fondly back at a fun pair of outdoor shows over the last week. Last Saturday's appearance at the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts closed out a hot day of fun and music. The people were fabulous and we particulary enjoyed the stage left dancing. We always have a great time in Palo Alto and look forward to a return visit soon. After that show, we zipped up to San Francisco to play at a new club in the Cannery, the Dirty Martini. It looked pretty clean to us. Susan's friends from Liverpool enjoyed the band as well as the city and it was good to be back in town. Finally yesterday, we had an incredible time in Concord playing for a beautiful crowd in Todos Santos Plaza. Thanks Jim, for having us back for the Music Market series and Concord--you can have us back anytime! It was a perfect late summer afternoon and our twilight show segued nicely into a screening of "Yellow Submarine". All in all a wonderful day. We've got a couple of private events to occupy our holiday weekend, but we'll be strictly East Bay the following weekend with shows in Lafayette and Alameda. See you then.

Tuesday August 24, 2004

Hello San Francisco, it was great to see you again! Our thanks go out to KFRC radio and StudioZ for helping to promote last week's Beatles anniversary show. We had a great time and hope you did too. The new songs came off alright and Peter made his Sun Kings debut on lead vocal for 'Boys'. And you thought he was just another pretty face. It was a fun night and the dining accomodations were the best in recent memory. On Saturday we went from city to country as we made our first appearance at Henfling's in beautiful Ben Lomond. Our reception in the redwoods was all we could have wished, with an enthusiasm that belies the laid back image of the area. With all the wood and people inside, it was a great sounding room. Old friends showed up and mingled with new ones and we look forward to returning again soon. Up this Saturday is a double header, with an appearance at the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts at 3:30 PM, followed by a return to San Francisco for a show at the Dirty Martini in the Cannery building near Fisherman's Wharf. Next Thursday we return to Concord to jump start Labor Day weekend at the Music and Market series concert in Todos Santos plaza, beginning at 6 PM. We hope to see you at one or more of the shows and thank you for helping to make it a great August.

Tuesday August 10, 2004

Summer weekends don't get much better than the last one. Sunny weather, Kingsy Head and a fair helping of hometown friends made it one to remember for us. Over the weekend in Alameda, we saw just about all of our old buddies out on Park St. with the rest of the bodies attending the Art & Wine Fair. Thanks for coming out and we hope we played all your favorites. Sandwiched in between was a trip to Campbell to spend Saturday evening with our friends at the Kings Head, who came through with the mic stands needed to avert disaster. Jeffrey provided guitar stands and a Vox amp and both were much appreciated. Next up, we bring it back to San Francisco for a 40th anniversary re-creation of the Beatles 1964 Cow Palace concert. The show takes place at StudioZ, where we will play songs you have not heard us do before to stay faithful to their 1964 set. We'll end the evening with a song for song rendition of the rooftop concert from 'Let it Be', and between the two, we'll be playing a lot of other Beatle songs that you know and love. Tickets are available for this show. We hope to see you there, and thank you all for your continued support!

Monday August 2, 2004

Happy Birthday, Peter!!

We had a fine weekend in Benicia sharing the stage once again with our play pals the Unauthorized Rolling Stones. Billy Steel from 107.7 'the Bone' gave us a rocking introduction on Friday and our short set was followed by a spectacular full moon rising from behind Mt. Diablo. No wonder people like to live there. Saturday's set came a little earlier in the day as we braved a breeze strong enought to dislodge instruments from their stands. The wind was high, but people were warm and wonderful. Kids danced, adults sang and everybody smiled. Peter's parents came out to make sure their boy hadn't fallen in with a bad crowd and 'Birthday' was duly dedicated to him - just to show we care. We're looking forward to this weekend's homecoming at the Alameda Art & Wine Fair, and hope to see you and lots of old friends out on Park St.

Monday July 26, 2004

It's good to be back, even in Sac. Our weekend appearance at the Bridge to Bridge festival was a hot and noisy affair, with lots of eventful moments. Sandwiched in between train tracks and the power boats on the water, our job was to provide the pleasant racket. Our thanks to the Unauthorized Rolling Stones who teamed up with us (and followed us each day) for some serious rock n' rolling on the river. Next week, the Sun Kings and Stones team up again as we wash up on the shores of the Carquinez Strait for Benicia's Waterfront Festival. We must also apologize for the lack of an update to our mailing list. We tried...honest we did, but there are now so many of you on our list that it's overwhelming our current web host's capacity to send them. We are looking for a solution to keep the news flowing. Two big items on our calendar are the hometown appearance at Alameda's Art & Wine Fair on Aug. 7-8, and the recreation of the Beatles first San Francisco concert on the 40th anniversary of said concert. This will take place at StudioZ on Thursday August 19 and marks our return to San Francisco. We'll have more to tell you soon, so please check back.

Saturday July 10, 2004

Happy Birthday, Drew!!

We'll be back in the saddle again in 2 weeks, but the big news to report is the introduction of the newest Sun King. Please join us in welcoming Peter LoMenzo on bass and vocals. Alan Lopez left the band in June, and we thank him for his 2 years in the band and wish him the very best in the future. What Peter brings to the band includes authentic instruments, a good set of pipes, and perhaps most importantly a collection of 'every Beatle bootleg on Earth'. You can find out more about him on our bio page, which has been long overdue for an update. We're very excited to have him aboard, and he'll be making his debut with us in Sacramento on July 24. We'll be making the local rounds with him shortly after. See you soon!

Wednesday June 23, 2004

And we can't run off on vacation without giving a hearty thank you to the friendly city of Palo Alto for giving us the chance to play in their park. We had a wonderful sound crew and the audience was warm and enthusiastic. The train kept a rollin' all day long and the kids danced, leapt and darted about like finches. A lot of big kids danced as well and it was a wonderful send off for our holiday. Stay tuned, as some new venues have turned up on the calendar for later this season. We'll see you again before too long. Thanks again, everyone!

Tuesday June 22, 2004

It's been an incredible two weeks of shows for as as we visited new places and met new faces around the bay. Two Sundays ago it was Novato in the afternoon and Pleasant Hill for sunset, both in the great outdoors of a sunny summer (almost) day. Last weekend kept us busy with 4 shows over the weekend. Pleasanton's Main St. Brewery show on Friday was as gratifying a debut as we've seen, and for those who've inquired we'll likely be back in September. Saturday afternoon was spent with the kids in Larkspur, and it tickled us to see the little tykes singing along. Parents, we approve! Saturday night at the Lost and Found could only be described as a sandy affair. Several tons of the stuff were trucked in to give the illusion of a beach party. It worked, as we all came home with sand in our clothes, hair, gear, cars, etc. and needed a shower. Sunday morning it was back to North Beach for the festival in Washington Square park, with grass instead of sand and the usual San Francisco breeze teasing the fog into submission. We shared the stage with Matt Vrba and Luce, both of who put on a fab show. Whew! With a day to breathe, we're ready for one more show tonight as we wind up our month at the Twilight Series concert in Palo Alto. When we return in July we'll have lots of news to share with you and many more shows to come.

Sunday June 6, 2004

We've added a few more pictures to our photos page from shows last April and May. Our thanks to Debi, Will, Enjel and Jeff for sending them our way. Photo contributions are always welcome, contact if you have a picture you think may look good plastered up on this site. Our busy June begins this Friday as we revisit Grant & Green, then jump around the Bay Area for the following two weeks. We'll be appearing in Novato, Pleasant Hill, Larkspur and Palo Alto as well as San Francisco. Check our calendar for details, as we hope we can say with some truth that we'll be in your county soon. Late June thru July the band will be on break, as Drew heads for the Czech Republic for his annual 'Primal Scream' solo tour. The band doesn't mind this side project, mostly because he brings back nice gifts. We also trust he has learned his lesson about renting body cavity space to strangers for border crossings. The point is--catch us in June, while we still know all the words.

Tuesday June 1, 2004

Hope your holiday weekend was grand. Our big weekend saw 3 hits and a miss out of our 4 scheduled shows. Last Friday, Grant & Green was its usual raucous pleasure. Saturday had us at 2 shows in one day. The Bay St. Festival in Emeryville was a great day out on a gorgeous afternoon, and that evening's show at the King's Head was a wonderful time. Don't think we didn't feel the love, and that's what makes going to Campbell so much fun for us. Unfortunately the shows took a toll, and by Sunday morning, when Drew's usual roar was reduced to a whisper, it was decided that to risk further injury playing for tips would be foolhardy at best. We heard we were missed at the Cannery on Sunday, and our apologies for the ridiculously short notice. Drag to be human sometimes. On another note, some of our more astute fans have noticed that Scott Rabino, our original drummer is back in the chair. Tony reluctantly chose to leave the band in April, and it was our good fortune that Scott was available to fill in. We will update our meet the band page as soon as Scott updates his bio (he's been busy since he last played with us y'know). Our next public show is Friday June 11 at the Grant & Green, and we hope to see you there.

Thursday May 20, 2004

Yes, we have heard the clamor. Apparently, some of you actually do read this section and have bemoaned the lack of news for over a month now. We promise to be more attentive and will have much more to report in the coming weeks. In the meantime, nine shows have slipped under our belt and from this distance, it's hard to remember the good from the bad from the ugly. We're sure there were bits of all three. Some of the high points that stick out are Mother's Day at the Cannery, where some of our mom fans were accompanied by the kids for a day out in the sunshine. Also of note was last Saturday's benefit show for the Midway Shelter in Alameda. It was a homecoming for a whole group of Alameda music scene veterans and raised nearly $4500 for a good cause. Thanks to all who participated. We have a weekend off before appearing all over the Bay Area during Memorial Day weekend. We hope you can spend a little of your holiday weekend with us in San Francisco, Emeryville or Campell. Next month holds another slew of shows for us at venues old and new. We appreciate your continuing support for the band. Thanks for reading!

Sunday April 11, 2004

Happy Easter, and here's hoping you don't find the coming week too taxing. This weekend was spent in San Francisco, driving across the Bay Bridge on Friday into a postcard perfect SF sunset and an evening at Grant & Green, where the joint was jumping all the way into the wee hours. Joining us for the weekend was our old friend David George on drums, filling in for a temporarily absent Tony, who returns this week. David did his usual standout job on short notice and our thanks are many. Last night we played Ireland's 32 amidst old friends, long distance birthday travelers, gyrating Sirens and lots of love. Alan notched a dance on the floor in addition to his usual dancing fingers on the fret board. 'Mean Mr. Mustard' drooled more than usual, and the encore gave hilarious new meaning to the term 'false start'. Best of all, Raul debuted the prized 12 string Rickenbacker guitar this weekend, which will be accompanying us for several shows courtesy of friend Tom Nevins. Michael is now relieved of playing cheesy 12 string keyboard patches, much to his own relief. All in all, a fine weekend. See you at the King's Head in a couple of weeks.

Monday April 5, 2004

April arrived with an endurance testing weekend, more due to the switch to daylight savings time than anything else. It was another fine Saturday night at the King's Head, with friends old and new to keep us company into the wee hours. After an all too brief sleep, it was time to inaugurate the outdoor show season at the Cannery. Thanks to the many folks there who expressed pleasure at our return. It was a fun afternoon with a good turnout, despite the uncooperative weather and the place has been spruced up quite nicely since our last visit. Up next is a San Francisco weekend with shows at the Grant & Green on Friday, and Ireland's 32 on Saturday. Also in the works for mid-May is our first East Bay show of the year, featuring several Alameda bands, including us. Stay tuned for details. Also, we're looking for some more clubs in the Oakland/Berkeley/Alameda area, but we've been running up against an unusual lack of response from club owners and are calling in our cavalry to help crack this tough nut. There's certainly no lack of San Francisco/South Bay shows in the near future and the Alameda outdoor events have been booked, but they're still several months off. In the meantime, all we can say to our steadfast East Bay friends (and you know who you are) is that we'll have more interesting news very soon.

Tuesday March 23, 2004

We're happy to report that the capital is still standing, and that the people of Sacramento are as warm as their weather. The staff at Marilyn's was wonderful, and the consensus was that our first trip inland was a success. Of course, it was helped in no small part by some of our San Francisco and South Bay fans who (to our great surprise) also made the trek. Thanks to Susan, Amy, Steve, Sarah and Melissa for making it feel a little more like home. This weekend finds us back home, on Friday at least--at the Grant & Green for our last public show this month. With spring upon us, that can only mean one thing...outdoor shows are back! The first weekend in April finds us at the King's Head on Saturday April 3, and we head outdoors to the Cannery on Fisherman's Wharf on Sunday April 4 from 2-5 PM. It's still too early to advise you whether to bring the suntan lotion or a sturdy coat. In either case, we'll be looking for you.

Monday March 8, 2004

The South Bay was a good place to be last Saturday. Teaming up with KFRC for the Children's Hospital Radiothon, we did our small part to help them meet their day's pledge goal by 6 PM that evening. Bobby Ocean was out at Westgate with us and had kind words, which we appreciate. Lovely Rita was there with Joan and Theresa for a small reunion. Jeffrey brought the family and Michael had a wardrobe malfunction. One borrowed pair of shoes later, it was off to the evening show at the King's Head. Lots of old and new friends. Susan and Jeanne made a night of it and Millbrae was in the house. So were the beautiful bride, groom and wedding party who started their honeymoon dancing to Beatles songs. More kind words from the Retro Rockets and Fire in the Hole's S&M. Red was well represented. Thanks to all for a great day and let's do it again soon. Soonest is this Friday at the Grant & Green at 9:30. See you there!

Thursday March 4, 2004

We had a smashing San Francisco weekend with shows at Grant & Green and Ireland's 32. Bob David, our sound engineer captured a few numbers from the Grant & Green show that have made their way to our songs page. Coming up, it's a South Bay Saturday, as we pack up the caravan and take it down San Jose way for two performances on March 6. The first is at Westgate Mall as we participate in KFRC's Radiothon to benefit Childrens Hospital in Oakland. We're on from 3-4 PM and of course, all ages are welcome. Chubby Checker is also on the bill, from Noon-1 PM if you'd like to make a day of it. We'll stick around to make a night of it at the King's Head in Campbell, taking the stage there at 9:30 PM, performing as long as allowed. The rest of March finds us back at Grant & Green on Fridays March 12 and 26, and we take our business to the capital on Saturday March 20, for a show at Marilyn's in Sacramento. We hope to do well there. Would it be capital punishment if we didn't get a recall?

Saturday February 28, 2004

Has it really been 3 weeks since we've been here? Sometimes it just gets a little too busy on us. February has been a fab month for us, buoyed as we were by our KFRC performance. Last week's show with the Unauthorized Rolling Stones was an intimate affair at a new venue, 12 Galaxies. The URS rocked and we look forward to more shows with them in the future. It seems like such a natural pairing, don't it? Our two Grant & Green shows this month were very well attended, as we mixed with old friends and met new ones. Millbrae was in the house. So was the Thelen Reid contingency. Our web site traffic has been unbelievable, with over 100,000 hits this month. Show offers are coming in from near and far and we'll have much more to post on the calendar in coming weeks. Tonight we close out the month at Ireland's 32, and hope to see you and your friends (especially that cute one) there to twist and shout along. Thanks to everyone for for the great support!

Sunday February 8, 2004

It's been an incredible few days for us, as you might guess. Our show atop the Tower Records store in San Francisco on Friday was a first for us in many ways. For instance, none of us had taken the stage via a cherry picker lift before. Our friendly crane operator Mike was kept busy ferrying sound equipment,