Some of the Bay Area’s top cover bands will transform downtown Mountain View into the Bay Area’s hottest music venue and dance party during the Mountain View Art & Wine Festival, September 12-13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Castro Street. Enjoy a diverse musical menu featuring the classic hits of Motown, R&B, soul, swing, disco, classic rock and roll, Latin jazz, rumba flamenco, heartfelt Italian mandolin and Celtic folk all weekend long.
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The CoverGrrlz
Livewire
The Megatones
MamaLuke!
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The CoverGrrlz are five rockin’ women dedicated to delivering your favorite “rock hits with glitz.” Lead singer and “vocal goddess” Kat Velour can belt out all the classics of rock, from Heart and Pat Benatar to Ozzy Osbourne and AC/DC. She is backed by a bevy of rock and roll babes, namely Miss Trixie Deelight and the World Famous Melne on guitar, Tymber on drums, and Win the Bass Maiden. Fleetwood Mac, Blue Oyster Cult, the Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath –– these gals cover all the legends of rock, with plenty of sparkle on the side.
Livewire is an in-demand six-piece dance cover band based in the Bay Area. With over 15 years of performance experience in the music industry, Livewire’s band members have played top Bay Area venues such as Slim's, the Paradise Lounge, and the Fox Theatre. Performing for companies such as Apple and Disney, these professionals have completed national tours, opened for top artists, and played with multi-platinum Grammy Award-winning recording artists. The two amazing female vocalists as well as two male vocalists fill the set with lush vocal harmonies and the song selection can’t be beat. Showcasing an eclectic mix of the best danceable tunes from Kool and the Gang to Lenny Kravitz, Livewire has what it takes to get every crowd on their feet and groovin’ on the dance floor.
Vocals, guitars, keyboard, bass and drums –– The Megatones aren’t complicated, just five excellent musicians who love to play and have gotten damn good at it. For almost 20 years now, The Megatones have delivered their unique dance medleys of contemporary rock classics to audiences throughout Northern California. Their tight four-part vocal harmonies, ripping guitar solos and compelling rhythms electrify crowds wherever they go. With a diverse range that includes rock, blues, reggae, modern, house and R&B, you never know what they’ll play next, only that their groovin’ energy will get your toes tapping and booty moving. Come out and see for yourself why the Megatones were overwhelmingly voted the Bay Area’s best cover band this year.
If you love classic rock and roll, you won’t want to miss MamaLuke! These five guys have rock music running though their veins, and it shows with every fun, high energy performance. Three of the band members, singer Kenny Byars, guitarists Ron Cataldo and Chris Rossi, started playing together in high school, where their garage band turned super-group, Trinity, played at venues all over the Bay Area. Bass guitarist and Beatles fanatic David Kanel and drummer Greg Zierott complete the band. You’ll be sure to hear tunes from your favorite legends of rock, like AC/DC, Def Leppard, Elvis Costello, Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, Pink Floyd, and ZZ Top, to name a few.
The Cool Jerks
Jersey Foreman
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The Cool Jerks are guaranteed to bring down the house as this year’s festival finale. These nine veteran musicians have it all, from the blazing hot horns to the cool, smooth rhythms. Add in two dynamic vocalists busting with dance moves, and you’ve got yourself a party that can’t be beat. If you love it, the Cool Jerks can play it. From Frank Sinatra to James Brown, this band delivers the classic hits of Motown, R&B, soul, swing and disco.
Veteran drummer Jersey Foreman has been on the Bay Area music scene for more than 30 years and brings his own style of classic pop, R&B and jazz to the festival. Born in Trenton, New Jersey (hence the nickname), Jersey is well-versed in many musical genres. Be it swing, funk, blues or Latin, Jersey is the driving force behind his band. Festivalgoers are likely to hear favorite tunes from the greats like James Brown, Sam Cooke and Michael Jackson, each with a unique twist. “You can hear my style, as well as a taste of Michael’s,” said the artist of his Jackson covers. “Then I might throw in ‘It’s a Wonderful World’ and sing it like Louis Armstrong. I try to stay in unique veins that people will recognize.”
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Emerson
Dreamroad
Aryeh Frankfurter
HeartStrings Music
Kaweh
Ancient Winds
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The fabulous music lineup is not limited to the stage. Enjoy some of the Bay Area’s top street musicians as you browse the art booths, like the original jazz and blues tunes from The Emerson Growiser Band. Emerson is a natural, self-taught musician and a San Francisco gem. His unique sound comes from exposure to both Caribbean and European music genres, as well as American soul music, producing what some have called “Moody Blues with heart and soul.” His rich voice and masterful keyboard playing is a real treat for music lovers. Add a little cool saxophone and solid rhythm for a complete sound.
The original compositions of classical and soft jazz from Dreamroad, made up of wind player Laura Bryant and keyboardist Max Gutierrez are sure to warm your heart. Their beautiful compositions are melodic and spiritual with a rhythmic world-beat sensibility, reflecting a diverse cultural heritage.
Since 1994, Aryeh Frankfurter has been delighting audiences around the globe with his passionate, enduring and evocative music. His uncommon approach to the Celtic harp and folk harp repertoire, his multi-instrumentalist abilities and his numerous critically and commercially successful albums have earned him credit as a musician, recording and performance artist of extraordinary talents and abilities. Al Fabrizio and his partner Hugo Wainzinger of Heartstrings Music are sure to touch hearts with their beautiful string ensemble, featuring Fabrizio’s expressive “tremolo” style on the Neapolitan mandolin. Kaweh will be bringing his own eclectic version of world music to the festival. Lead guitarist, vocalist and composer Kaweh and his group of talented international musicians weave a rich tapestry of sound, with influences from Latin jazz, rumba flamenco, Brazil, the Mediterranean and Middle East. Whether playing their original upbeat rhythms and romantic ballads or popular covers from groups like the Gypsy Kings, Kaweh connects with the audience in a special way. Richmond musician Jose Cabezas of Ancient Winds brings to the festival his beautiful music of the Andes, from traditional Ecuadorian folk music to his own original compositions. Cabezas plays these haunting yet uplifting melodies on guitars and his own handcrafted flutes.
