The City is very proud to announce the first in our series of live events, to be held at Tupelo in San Francisco on February 27. The party features live performances by local bands Rio Rio, Bonnie & The Bang Bang, and ShantyTown and is hosted by Marcus Osborne of Alice Radio 97.3.
San Francisco quintet Rio Rio (Eric Collopy, Josh Wallace, Sean Corcran, Todd Hueguenor, and Ian de Borja) offers a fun hybrid of indie rock and dance music, plucking out a propulsive sound that's instantly self-assured from the infectious opening single "Gorilla Gorilla." The group is currently courting labels and exploring the idea of starting to do some DJ sets.
Oakland's Bonnie & The Bang Bang debuted last Valentine's Day with a dark folk pop EP called "Ode to Darkness" and spent much of 2012 on the road doing shows. Originally a trio, the band is (like Rio Rio) now a quintet. Singer Patrick James Stiles, multi-instrumentalist Jake Dineen, guitarist Joe Warren, bassist Robby Cronholm, and keyboardist Jonathan Kepke are currently gearing up to drop an album called The Dark Dream this summer.
Fronted by Teague Kernan, S.F.'s ShantyTown dubs its blues-laden music "soul and roll," utilizing such foundational sounds as a Hammond B3 organ, harp, and horn section. The band's live shows incorporate a large discography of original recordings and a dash of funk, blues, rock, and soul covers. ShantyTown has performed with such legends as the late James Brown, Booker T, and Dr. John.
This free event is open to adults aged 21 and over and includes a hosted happy hour and appetizers for the first hour starting at 7 p.m. Simply RSVP via The City Facebook page for free VIP entry and a chance to win an Epiphone Les Paul Special Guitar and Gig Bag at the party.
