LIVE MUSIC

Mountain View Ready to Rock and Roll
at A La Carte & Art

The Bell Brothers The Shanks The Cover Grrlz

Two days of stellar music for fans of all musical styles headline this year’s A La Carte & Art, May 15-16 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Castro Street in downtown Mountain View. Best of all, you can’t beat the price ... it’s free. Music lovers will sway to the wide-ranging sounds of twelve big-name bands playing a diverse musical menu ranging from calypso steel drum, romantic Italian mandolin music and classic rock-and-roll cover bands to high energy dance music, original rhythm and blues and good ‘ol country rock.

Since forming in 2005, The Bell Brothers have climbed to the top of California’s Country Music Scene, building a solid reputation as one of the area’s most in-demand live acts. With their contagious, high-energy performances, tight harmonies, strong original scores and crossover appeal, Russ and Scott Bell are cultivating a loyal and rapidly expanding fan base. If you’re a classic rock fan, then you will love The Shanks. This local group plays your favorite tunes from Van Halen, Pat Benetar, Foreigner, ZZ Top, Heart, Santana, Bad Company, The Pretenders, Queen, Journey, The Rolling Stones, Clapton, and Elvis (both of them!), just to name a few. Why should the boys have all the fun? The Cover Grrlz are five rockin’ women dedicated to delivering your favorite “rock hits with glitz.” Lead singer and “vocal goddess” Kat Velour belts out all the classics of rock as she is backed by a bevy of rock and roll babes. 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.

Six String Soul Intention The Department of Rock

Inspired by some of the greatest rock songs ever written, Six String unleashes their passion for music with soaring vocals, tasteful harmonies, a thumping rhythm section, melodic guitars, and classic keyboards. Their high energy performance will have the crowd singing and dancing all afternoon. Since 1997, Soul Intention has been blending the classic with the current to create a hip new flavor of funk, rock and soul. The San Jose band has a full horn section and loves to flaunt it, showcasing tunes from groups like Tower of Power and Earth, Wind and Fire. The Department Of Rock is a secret organization that monitors, supports, and defends your right to party. These five secret agents exhibit extraordinary “Rock Hero” abilities to deliver the best rock music of the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and beyond exactly as you remember them, with hits from Journey, Foreigner, Led Zeppelin, Ratt, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty,  Alice In Chains, and many, many more.

 Enjoy some of the Bay Area’s top street musicians, like self-taught musician and San Francisco gem Emerson. Solid keyboard playing and a voice somewhere between Sam Cook and David Bowie gives Emerson’s special blend of soft jazz, blues and funk its unique sound, what some have called “Moody Blues with heart and soul.” Kaweh’s upbeat, original tunes combine world music, jazz, and Nuevo flamenco, adding a touch of Latin, Brazilian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influence.

You can't keep still when you hear the Caribbean calypso steel drum music of Harry Best and Shabang! One verse of the uplifting rhythms fills the dance floor with people moving the beat of Calypso, Reggae, Zouk, and Soca. Jose Cabezas of Ancient Winds plays a wide range of Native American flutes, which he handcrafts individually from the finest woods.

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. Bob Culbertson is one of the original pioneers of the Chapman Stick, a guitar-like stringed instrument designed to be tapped, not strummed or plucked, and delivers a pure and exhilarating listening experience to his audience with this unique instrument.

Emerson & The Growiser Band	Kaweh	Shabang!
Ancient Winds	HeartStrings Music	Bob Culbertson