We have had to temporarily closed our caffe. We are working on box office ticket solutions. Currently you can order tickets on our website or at the theatre on the day of a show. We will be open by at least 5:00 pm on show dates for door sales of tickets. You can order tickets for any show at the door. We hope to have other options soon. Thank you for your patience.

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Patrick Ball is one of the premier celtic harp players in the world today and a captivating storyteller in the Celtic tradition, blending the glorious tones of the wire-strung harp and spoken-word magicianship into rich theatrical performance.

O'Carolan's Farewell to Music:

Ireland in the 17th and 18th centuries was a troubled, tumultuous place. The old Gaelic order had been shattered by the English, and the poets, the bards and the harp players were set walking the roads. Yet, this dark period of Irish history produced a Celtic harper and composer of such brilliance, grace and character that he is, to this day, regarded as his country's greatest and most beloved musician — Turlough O'Carolan.

O'Carolan's Farewell to Music, conceived and performed by Patrick Ball, and written by Patrick Ball and Peter Glazer, is a one-person musical theater piece which brings to the stage the legendary life,the turbulent times and the captivating music of this most celebrated Irish artist. Interspersed with performances of fourteen of Carolan's tunes played on the rare wire-strung harp, the play tells the harper's story through the character of poet and harper, Charles MacCabe, Carolan's life-long friend and traveling companion. Through MacCabe's eyes and Carolan's music, we are drawn into this storm-tossed chapter of Irish history. The play, enriched by Carolan's beautiful melodies and the crystalline sound of Patrick's harp, is charged with Irish wit and pathos, and demonstrates both the power of friendship and the vital role of the artist in troubled times.

“Hauntingly beautiful ballads and lilting storytelling...it might spring from the 17th century...but the play seems as current as the latest troubles in Belfast ... Patrick Ball's acting is fine, his musicianship outstanding...A small gem.”
Variety, New York

This is a unique musical theatre event. Don't miss this exclusive area performance!

Click on his website link above for video clips of this performance.

KARLING ABBEYGATE has taken the classic old-time Country Western sound and blended it with today's sensibilities, and in the process created something quite new and utterly stunning.

Karling inspires an audience to have a grand old time. She’s traditional yet very different. She gets your toes tapping and your fingers snapping, and just watch as she charms the crowd with her often-hysterical stage banter! But despite all the fun, the real magic is in her unique and breathtaking voice. She’s a nightingale reaching into your soul and touching on those tender points, but she’s also a thunderstorm rocking the room, growling out sheer power and fire. No wonder she’s likened to Patsy Cline and Janis Joplin all in the same breath! She’s exhilarating, exciting, unforgettable, and truly talented. She sings original music and classic favorites by such artists as Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and more.

Her debut album earned 3 Los Angeles Music Award: American Vocalist of the Year, Rockabilly Artist of the Year, and Rockabilly Album of the Year.

She’s a one-woman 1950s and 60s country music revival with a vocal style inspired by Cline, and a timbre like a higher-voiced Wanda Jackson.

Enjoy a Sunday afternoon of great folk music!

The Folk Collection could just as well be named “Your Favorite Songs of the 60s Folk Era” group. Tony Unger, Ed Labowitz and Mike Sirota, along with bass man Bob Packham, grew up in the 1960's, when they fell in love with the story songs and 3-part harmonies of that acoustic era. Ed and Tony have been a duo on and off since their days at Hollywood High School. Mike joined the group in 2003 and Bob in early 2005.

Much of their repertoire is familiar to audiences of all ages. With songs like “This Land is Your Land,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Where Have all the Flowers Gone?,” John Denver tunes, original compositions, and a medley of the great TV Western theme songs of the 50s (like “Rawhide” and “Bonanza”), The Folk Collection is reminiscent of such groups as The Kingston Trio, The Limeliters, The New Christy Minstrels, and The Brothers Four. But they have their own unique blend, sound – and humor.

These guys grew up loving folk music, and the turnouts at their shows confirms that there are many baby boomers, as well as older and younger folks, who really like listening to words and harmonies – and joining in when the mood and song fit. Their show is centered around folk music and good clean jokes. They are family friendly and their audiences are multi-generational -- from children, to parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents. Their show is a fun evening that should not be missed. You will leave singing, toe-tapping, and smiling.

Drew Harrison, the renowned "Lennon" vocalist of the San Francisco Bay Area's premiere Beatles tribute band, The Sun Kings, performs a very special show celebrating the life and music of John Lennon.

In the Spirit of Lennon is Drew’s tribute to John Lennon, and interpretation of his music. He goes beyond just sounding like him, but captures the intensity that Lennon brought to the Beatles music as well as his own. This intimate and emotional performance has been seen and heard nationwide, in South America and in Europe. Drew was invited to perform In the Spirit of Lennon at the Latin American Beatles Fest in Buenos Aires and in Louisville, KY where he performed at Abbey Road on the River. This year Drew has been invited to the coveted International Beatles Week in Liverpool, where he will perform his tribute to Lennon, as well as with The Sun Kings.

In the Spirit of Lennon is a must-not-miss for all Lennon, Beatles, and Sun Kings fans!

"From the first time I heard Rita sing, her voice gripped me and did not let go,"--Joe Craven.

Her voice, called a "soulful howl from the mountains" is calling attention around the country. "This California girl comes by her mountain-music sensibility with true authenticity, with original songs deeply rooted in her family's frontier experience," (Dan Ruby, FestivalPreview.com.) Rita will play with her band, Cousin Jack, composed of Sean Feder on banjo and dobro, Andy Lentz on fiddle, and Bill Dakin on upright bass and guitar. Their close harmonies and strong backup embrace and support a rich, acoustic folk-grass sound.

Rita’s accolades include Best Country Album nomination ("Come Sunrise") for the 2010 Independent Music Awards, Winner of the 2008 Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest at the Sisters Folk Festival in Oregon, and Finalist in the 2009 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Troubador Contest. "Come Sunrise," her third album, was recorded in Austin with producer and guitarist, Rich Brotherton (Robert Earl Keen, Caroline Herring.) "Superb country-folk from a brilliant singer-songwriter," (Americana UK.)

Kitchen tables, loggers, trailers, springs, loss, miners, culture clash, old folks, forest fires—Rita Hosking's show is about all that and more, and always fierce and lovely. Her delivery is, to put it simply, intense. "From the first time I heard Rita sing, her voice gripped me and did not let go" (Joe Craven.) Raised in eastern Shasta County, CA and descendant of Cornish miners that sang in the mines of Grass Valley, CA, Rita was raised with deep regard for folk music and the power of the voice. "This California girl comes by her mountain-music sensibility with true authenticity, with original songs deeply rooted in her family's frontier experience," (Dan Ruby, FestivalPreview.com.)
"Close harmonies and strong backup provided by [Rita’s] band, Cousin Jack, round out a sound rooted firmly in traditional music but distinct to an artist with a particular lyrical love for the mountains and the lives they envelop." (Eugene Weekly.)

Three great artists weaving their stories and songs together for a memorable concert.

Grammy winner Don Henry's songs have been recorded by Ray Charles, Patti Page, Conway Twitty, Kathy Mattea and dozens of others. One of Nashville's finest singer-songwriters, he's inspiring, entertaining and funny.

Sally Barris captivating bright spirit and high mountaon soprano are only part of the story. Her songs have been covered by Trisha Yearwood & Keith Urvban, Kathy Mattea, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, and many others.

Tom Kimmel is an award winning songwriter who's been covered by Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, Joe Cocker, and Randy Travis, and he's an established performing artist as well (7 albums).

Together, these Alternative Nashville singer-songwriters are The Waymores.

Tom Rigney, the fiery, electrifying violinist/composer, joins forces with some of the finest musicians on the San Francisco roots music scene to form Tom Rigney and Flambeau, a band that will tear the roof off of anyplace that has one and raise the spirits of everyone around. Rigney, after fifteen years at the helm of The Sundogs, has stepped out into the spotlight with a vengeance. Flambeau showcases his passionate, virtuoso fiddling, his commanding stage presence, his range, depth, and originality as a composer, and of course, those notorious red boots. His bandmates are veterans of the great bands of Charles Brown, Queen Ida, Roy Rogers, Clifton Chenier, and others, and together they generate enough heat and energy to ignite a dance floor or lift an audience to its feet.

Flambeau specializes in fiery Cajun and zydeco two-steps, low-down blues, funky New Orleans grooves, and heartbreakingly beautiful ballads and waltzes. Most of the repertoire is composed by Rigney, but they also mix in a few classics from the Cajun/zydeco/New Orleans songbook. And if, along the way, you pick up a trace of Rigney’s Irish roots or a little Swing and roots Rock and Roll, it just makes the musical gumbo that much tastier. In the past few year’s Rigney’s skills as a composer have broadened and deepened, and he is today writing some of the most evocative and uplifting music you will hear anywhere. And Rigney’s charismatic stage presence and high-energy delivery draw the audience into his performances and make them feel that they are an integral part of the music and the show.

The Stand Up Dads provide a multimedia comedy event about parenting - perfect for the Mother's Day weekend! Rated PG-13!

Get ready to hold your sides in laughter. The "Stand-Up Dads" are comedians Tim Bedore, Dan St. Paul and Milt Abel. They turn their with and nutty observations about life into show that keeps the audience laughing almost from beginning to end. Each comic performs a routine infused with good-spirited humor and yes, a little tenderness about parents, wives, and cherished but maddening children. St. Paul gets the show going with so many funny bits you have to make a choice: breathe or laugh? Bedore muses about getting too old to have more kids - "you could find yourself yelling "Hey you kids, get off my lawn" and they're your kids!" Abel spices his routine with so much physical humor about his relationship with his 14 year old daughter, just looking at his wild expressions makes you understand why she tells her father to "stay in the car" when he drops her off at school.

Forget your troubles and laugh at life.

Back by popular demand!! Their last concert with us blew the roof off! This is a wonderfully entertaining show, you'll want to stand up or dance the whole time. Don't miss this high energy show!

Los Pinguos came to the US from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a mixture of Latin rhythms, performed with Spanish guitars, a Cuban Tres, Peruvian cajon (box-drum) and harmonizing vocals. Vivacious and infectious, the sound of Los Pinguos has claimed fans worldwide, from their hometown to the streets of Los Angeles.

The story began in 1999 when Adrian Buono, Jose Agote, Juan Manzur and Juan Manuel Leguizama formed the band to play in clubs, bars, and private parties throughout Buenos Aires. Their exciting, passionate live shows garnered a devoted fan base, inspiring the talented ensemble to pursue global attention.

So they packed their bags and headed north to the Californian shores. Newly arrived to the City of Angels in early 2001, Los Pinguos began playing at local bars such as The Latin Lounge, The Knitting Factory, Key Club, Temple Bar & Little Temple. As their popularity grew, they were invited to perform at the end-of-season party for the hit FOX show‚ "Dharma & Greg".

It was when they started to perform for the crowds at Santa Monica‚€™s 3rd Street Promenade that the band realized their potential to reach a wide and diverse audience. While performing, they were spotted by a talent scout who urged them to audition for a new television show, "The Next Big Star," hosted and produced by Ed McMahon of "Star Search" fame. In spite of fierce competition from more seasoned groups, and being the only Latin band to perform, Los Pinguos won the audience vote and rightly claimed the Grand Prize.

Since then, they have signed a publishing deal with Latin music heavyweight Peermusic (Juanes, David Foster), recorded three new albums ‚€“"Camino Bueno" (2002), "Serenata" (2003) & "Live In Los Angeles" (2005) a live double CD on Kufala Records, and played with such acts as Ozomatli, Yerba Buena, Charlie Zaa & Pablo Montero at the Wiltern Theatre, Paul Anka & Placido Domingo at the Music Center of Los Angeles, Charly Garcia and famed Argentinean rockers Bersuit Vergarabat.

They appeared at the 2005 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL with female songstress Suzanne Vega. Los Pinguos' music has appeared in TV shows such as "The Shield", "The L Word", and is featured in the Antonio Banderas & Emma Thompson film "Imagining Argentina".

Did you see "The Ugly Truth" shot in Sacramento? Los Pinguos has 2 songs in that movie!

Chris “Hammer” Smith is a fixture on the Californian blues circuit. As singer/ guitarist/harpplayer he’s clearly in the George “Harmonica” Smith tradition and also a contemporary of L.A. artists like Hollywood Fats and Rod Piazza. His playing styles cover a wide stylistic range from late 50s jump blues to modern bluesrock all played with a passion and steeped in real life.

A high energy, yet authentic style of electric blues with jazz and rock influences, the Hammer Smith Band is an L.A. based Rockin' Blues band. The combined virtuosity of these musicians (harmonica, guitar, bass and drums) creates a fresh, explosive sound that has wide ranging appeal. HAMMER SMITH’s versatile, ingratiating blues harmonica style with his genuine rhythm and blues band makes it obvious that they were born with the blues running through their blood. This band is a real treat, red hot and rockin’ R&B music at its best by real musicians. There seems to be no dearth of harp players on the increasingly competitive blues circuit. But few anywhere have the world-class chops of harmonica wizard Chris "Hammer" Smith. And none can claim, as he can, to have recorded with Paul McCartney, Sammy Hagar, Smokey Robinson, Dolly Parton, Julio Iglesias, John Tesh, and Michael Jackson, and played on soundtracks for some of the biggest commercials and television shows ever aired.

Come here the Hammer Smith Band and enjoy high energy blues!

“Houston Jones. You might be thinking, "yet another singer/songwriter," but, boy, would you be wrong. In reality, it's a high-energy quintet of acoustic musicians from the San Francisco Bay area who play an original blend of folk, blues, bluegrass, and gospel. The name comes from members Glenn "Houston" Pomianek (lead guitar) and Travis Jones (lead vocals, guitar), who are joined by Chris Kee (acoustic bass), Peter Tucker (drums). Both Pomianek and Kee were founding members of the Waybacks, and Tucker also passed through the ranks of that group.

They incorporate so many different influences and make it seem so easy. The songs are powered along by the high-energy drumming of Tucker and supportive, full-bodied arrangements. Jones' lead vocals are one of the group's strong features, with everyone else chipping in backing vocals. What separates Houston Jones from similar bands, though, is the high quality of the songwriting, with great hooks, melodies, and compelling lyrics.

These guys are stone pros, pushing every boundary possible, and creating something that is wholly unique, with layers upon layers of subtleties. You can hear bluegrass, delta blues, western, gypsy, swamp, spanish, rock, jazz, celtic, and God knows what other influences. They are surpassingly good and fun to watch live. This is the kind of human artistic endeavor that gets you an all-access pass in St. Peter's office. Truly accessible, intricate, and engaging music.

"Three crow town" (2005) - "Very highly recommended!" Dirty Linen Magazine
"One of my favorite CDs" KFOG-FM, San Francisco

"Calico Heart" (2008) - "Wonderful original tunes" Billboard.com


JOE CRAVEN is a madman with anything that has strings attached; violin, mandolin, tin can, bedpan, cookie tin, tenor guitar, mouth bow, banjo, berimbau, balalaika, boot ‘n lace plus a world of percussion instruments including animal bones, squeeze toys, cake pans, waste cans, umbrella stands, martini shakers and...Himself. His stage setup more often resembles a yard sale. But there's more to Craven than meets the ear. Educator, visual artist, former museum curator, motivational speaker, actor/storyteller and festival emcee, Joe’s work is born out of respect and reverence and seeks to honor the creative energy in everyone. An advocate of the folk arts, Joe’s educational mission is to empower individuals to take possession of their own music and tell their stories by “demystifying” art through self-expression as a daily ritual.

For almost 17 years, Joe Craven was the highly respected multi-instrumentalist with the David Grisman Quintet... yeah, Joe was the guy with the Ralph Stanley autographed bongos and fiddle. Having played and/or recorded with Jerry Garcia, Stéphane Grappelli, Maria Muldaur, Vassar Clements, The Persuasions, Psychograss, The Alison Brown Quartet, Darol Anger, Rob Ickes, Bob Brozman, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, spoken word maven Ken Nordine and many others, Joe has performed music & sound effects on a wide variety of recordings including commercials, soundtracks, computer games and several Grammy nominated projects.

Hard to believe we can pack that much into one show, but we will!

Eclectic folk pop at its best - yes they're back! Blame Sally's most recent album has that amazing mix of melodies, harmonies, and innovation that makes them a true sensation.

Their music is emotionally charged, passionate, high melodic and compelling. An all-female quartet with a unique command over the song. The four accomplished instrumentalist/singers combine their strikingly different approaches to create a distinct and beautiful sound. Admirers of Dar Williams, Jonatha Brooke, Indigo Girls and intelligently emotional, intricately harmonized folk-pop in general will find much to appreciate in "Blame Sally."

" Dallas has its Dixie Chicks, and San Francisco has Blame Sally", the difference being, among other things, that Blame Sally's music is a little more indie, a little less country, a little more brainy. San Francisco's KFOG selected tracks from both previous Blame Sally CDs to appear on its 2003 and 2004 compilations alongside tracks by Paul Simon, Spearhead, Jackie Greene, The Waifs, Dar Williams, and more.

"An amazing collection of talented local musicians has banded together and released a stunning new CD. "Severland," the latest from San Francisco's Blame Sally, should bring this female foursome universal acclaim . Individually, Renee Harcourt, Monica Pasqual, Jeri Jones and Pam Delgado have long displayed stirring singer-songwriter gifts. Together they're a powerhouse unit, presenting outstanding lead vocals and harmonies. "Severland" carves out a strong identity on the indie-pop edges of Americana. Among the highlights (though there's not a weak track among the dozen here) are the riveting title tune, the piano-driven "Fillmore Street," the haunting "Devil to Pay" and the country-rocker "Trouble."" Paul Freeman, Palo Alto Daily News