Artist Feature – BEN FLAX is Back

Ben Flax is BACK! and ready to move crowds with a premiere performance of an all original set of new music, featuring some memorable tunes from his time with Lord Loves a Working Man, as well as a gritty and hopeful foray into new territory. Ben was inspired and encouraged to start this project by the brothers King, John and Paris, his childhood friends and superlative musicians themselves. This set has deep roots in classic soul, gospel, and Jazz; but with eyes towards future shapes of music. The patron saints of the evening, sly, curtis, albert and shuggie, will have their most contemporary echoes honored, bumped and ground.
 
When a wee 9 year old Ben first dug up Albert King’s “The Pinch” from a dusty box, he knew something was changing for him permanently – and it wasn’t just the big satin booty on the cover. He quickly fell in love with the dirty blues. Since then, he’s performed internationally, co-founding Rococo Risque, touring with Lord Loves a Working Man, and appearing at venues from the Odeon and Amnesia to YBCA and the Lang Kwai Fong Amphitheater in Hong Kong. Winner of the SFWeekly Music awards Best Soul act of SF ’08!

 

Con Brio and The Songbird Festival Present:

Music to Freak to A Monthly Saturday Night Soulstice

Amnesia
853 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 970-0012
www.amnesiathebar.com

21 and Over

Event - 8 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

$7-10 sliding scale
www.songbirdfestival.org
www.thebandconbrio.com

Saturday, Feb 26, 8PM
Kelly McFarling
Con Brio
Ben Flax

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The Citrus Report Talks to Con Brio

Con Brio has been one of the staples of the San Francisco scene recently. Take a walk through the Mission and you’re sure to see a poster or two announcing some upcoming show. It’s true that God loves a workin’ band, and now they’re taking their funky (yet tight), soulful (yet playful) sound on the road. We caught up with them to chat before they jam down the 101 to spread the word to the rest of California. Well, maybe they took the 5. We didn’t really talk about the route of travel, but you can check out the destinations on their Facebook page.

In your own words, what is brio? Which member has the most brio?

Brio is Spirit, Vigor, and just general zest for life. Also a combination of cheese and bro. It’s bro-cheese. Which sounds dirty. Micah is full of it…spirit I mean.

In a bizarro world is there a band called Sin Brio? If so what would they sound like?

Yes. They are our alter egos and they sound like a combination of GWAR and James Brown. And yes you wish you had their CD.

How would you characterize the current San Francisco music scene? Is this a good place to be? Favorite venue in the City?

Hell yes it’s a fantastic place to be! So much support from other musicians. We feel lucky to be apart of it. Favorite places include: Boom Boom Room, Bottom of the Hill, Amnesia, and for a more intimate feel, Viracocha.

How do you think doing live shows helps your band grow?

Is there a difference between practicing, and performing in front of a live audience in terms of the direction your music is headed? Do you feel like you write music to be played live, or heard on record? Or both? Or is there any difference?

Doing live shows helps us remember that music is for sharing. Art doesn’t really mean anything if it’s kept inside forever. You have to let it loose and let it affect people, and then it becomes meaningful. And when we see how people react, we gain a deeper understanding of our own music. We definitely write music to be played (live or on record) whilst people are gettin’ it on.

Remember when the U.S. Postal Service threatened to sue Postal Service the band? And then as part of their settlement they agreed to play the U.S.P.S. annual convention? The reason I ask this is to see if you were aware that there was a Vino Con Brio winery in Lodi, Ca, and if so, do you think joining together could bring you the positives of brand synergy or would you reject being beholden to the Big Wine Industry?

We are aware they exist and in fact we’ve met a few of the owners. They were fantastic people. On a side note, any winery, brewery, cannabis club, whiskey distillery, bakery, pizza factory or cream corn cannery that wants to sponsor us is welcome to contact us directly at info@thebandconbrio.com for immediate approval.

You have a song called You Fuckers. Without trying to get you in trouble, is this song about anyone in particular?

This song is about everyone in particular.

Again, not trying to get anyone in trouble, but Xandra, in one of your songs you shoot a dog just because you don’t like the look of him. I’m not asking if you’ve ever killed a dog (cough twice if the answer is yes) but how autobiographical is your songwriting?

A lot of my lyrics are very autobiographical. And for those that aren’t, I simply picture myself as someone else and it becomes autobiographical. Ahhh imagination…you’re the best.

What’s the best thing you heard in 2010?

Q: How many hipsters does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

A: Some obscure number, you’ve probably never heard of it.
(Our favorite version of this joke has “just one at first, then the whole neighborhood changed” as the punchline- TCR)

What are you most looking forward to in 2011, musically or otherwise?

Touring and playing as much music as possible. We are eager to improve our game and let our voices be heard. Also we are really excited about the musical community we are becoming a part of, and reveling in the lovely, funky musical world we are all jivin’ in. Rock on.
What advice do you have for our readers?

Buy our album! Also, just listen to more music in general. It will make you live longer and improve your sex life.

Con Brio and The Songbird Festival Present:

Music to Freak to A Monthly Saturday Night Soulstice

Amnesia
853 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 970-0012
www.amnesiathebar.com

21 and Over

Event - 8 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

$7-10 sliding scale
www.songbirdfestival.org
www.thebandconbrio.com

Saturday, Feb 26, 8PM
Kelly McFarling
Con Brio
Ben Flax

Interview from The Citrus Report

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Artist Feature – Kelly McFarling – Kickstarter Campaign and Show at Amnesia

 

Homegrown and haunting, Kelly McFarling’s voice spirals powerfully over a bed of oldtimey instrumentation. She is from Atlanta GA, where she learned to sing in church choirs and baseball stadiums, and she learned to write from the stories of Flannery O’ Conner and Toni Morrison. She has since wandered out to the West coast where she can be found in the back rooms of San Francisco bars Banjo plucking and singing Siren songs dubbed ‘original rhythm and bluegrass.’ Her music is inspired by hard truths and transitions with bold honest lyrics and sophisticated melodies that remain with you long after the song if over.  Mcfarling’s outgoing and adventurous spirit comes through in her lyrics, her live performances, and in the music’s indulgence in elements outside its clear influences of country, oldtime, folk and blues.  Using a melodic and percussive clawhammer banjo to accompany her rich powerful vocals, she pays homage to her southern roots while giving them a new home in her original sound. Her live shows are versatile and have earned her a loyal and rapidly growing fan base in the San Francisco Bay Area.  She performs in intimate solo house concerts, and fills rock clubs with the big sound of her four -piece band, featuring rich upright bass, soulful sliding guitar and perfectly placed percussion.  Songs to be taken whole heartedly, preferably outside of the shirt on sleeves The grass is blue, the moon is shiny. Drink up Darlin, its homebrew.–


 www.kellymcfarling.com
www.myspace.com/kellymcfarling   
♫ http://chasingthemoon.pdcst.com/2010/02/kellymcfarling/

 Also check out and support Kelly McFarling’s Kickstarter Campaign:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1925776804/kelly-mcfarling-us-tour

Con Brio and The Songbird Festival Present:

Music to Freak to A Monthly Saturday Night Soulstice

Amnesia
853 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 970-0012
www.amnesiathebar.com

21 and Over

Event - 8 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

$7-10 sliding scale
www.songbirdfestival.org
www.thebandconbrio.com

Saturday, Feb 26, 8PM
Kelly McFarling
Con Brio
Ben Flax

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Local Slice Recommendation On Valentine’s Day, SeaweedSway Presents:Monday, February 14th, 2011

On Valentine’s Day, SeaweedSway Presents:

Honeycomb (headlining!!)
http://www.myspace.com/honeycombmusic
http://chasingthemoon.pdcst.com/2010/04/honeycomb

Chloe Makes Music (Album Release Show!!! New cd produced by Chris Chu of the Morning Benders, new lineup, new songs!)
http://www.myspace.com/chloemakesmusic

Magic Leaves
http://www.myspace.com/magicleaves

Come spend Valentine’s Day with us. Kissing booth at the merch table! Valentine’s card-making station! If you don’t arrive with a date, we’ll make sure you leave with one!

Monday, February 14th, 2011
8pm (sharp!)

Café Du Nord
2170 Market St.

$10
21+
tix: http://cafedunord.com/

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Local Slice Recommendation – Electronic Sound Scapes and Sonic Soul Food – Wednesday, January 12, 2011

LIVE MUSIC SHOWCASE: Loe & the Nastys & FUZZPOD

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Madrone Art Bar – 500 Divisadero at Fell, SF, CA

8-9 p.m. – Loe and The Nasty’s – Sonic Soul Food

10 – 11 p.m. Fuzzpod –  Electronic Sound Scapes

$5 Cover, after 9 p.m.

10:30  – Fuzzpod

They will be playing songs from their latest release, The Garden of Fuzzy Delights and earlier Fuzzpod music. Check out their hybrid sound comprised of the playfulness of Deee-Lite, the lyrical insight and pop elements of Pet Shop Boys, but fueled with a soulful twist akin to that of The Supreme Beings of Leisure. They’ve been compared to Cocteau Twins, Morcheeba, Autechre, Tricky, and Depeche Mode.
The evening is sure to be a blend of musical spices”

8-9 
 Loe & the Nastys’ original music fuses the improvisation of jazz, the structure of popular music, and group interplay. They draw their influence from Roy Hargrove, Thelonious Monk, Gretchen Parlato, and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Loe & the Nastys’ deal in music that isn’t popular with young folks anymore; equal parts jazz, Jobim-influenced Latin music, and even a little Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, this quartet has a smokey sound that evokes a feeling as cool as the other side of the bed.”

– 2008, Vintage Guitar Magazine

Check Madrone’s Current Exhibition:

Madrone Art Bar presents:On the main wall:December 9th, 2010 – February 28th, 2011Cliff Hengst

Madrone Art Bar in San Francisco is pleased to announce a wall painting by long time Bay Area Artist Cliff Hengst.

CLIFF HENGST is an artist based in San Francisco, California. His wall drawings, paintings and performances have been included in numerous exhibition including Marella Arte in Milan, Gallerie Uta Pardun in Berlin Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Gallery 16, Ratio 3, Jack Hanley, Berkeley Art Museum and SFMOMA. He has worked collaboratively with Larry Rinder at Testsite in Austin Texas and with Scott Hewicker on Good Times: Bad Trips, a book dedicated to the phenomena of the bad drug trip. Over 50 contributors—including noted artists Devendra Banhart, Tony Labat and Chris Johanson—recount their bad trips, and their stories are paired with photographs, paintings and collages by Hewicker and Hengst.

For this show at Madrone Art Bar, Hengst will use quotes from women as a text mural. Artists, actors, musicians, poets, and muses will be providing the inspiration for this wall work.

AND In the Window:

Shawna Peterson

Front: “Black & White” Neon tubing with neon gas, and found sign

Shawna Peterson has been a commercial neon tubebender for over 20 years. Currently she creates artwork using old sign panels, found and re-used objects, and new neon. At one time the old signage and objects performed a function, and had a clear meaning or purpose. Shawna enjoys re-animating the found objects by changing their use, deconstructing the forms that were once alphabet, or in the case of the piece “Sorry”, adding words to an everyday object.

Shawna Peterson has been bending neon tubing since 1987. She began her neon career with fabrication, pattern-making, and design work. This eventually led to an apprenticeship with the neon tube-bender, R.J. Wells.

While working for a nationwide sign company, she worked extensively in the commercial neon field, producing signs for companies like The Gap, Safeway, Starbucks, Payless Shoe Source, Miller Brewing, and Hollywood Video.

Shawna has also done neon work for numerous other Bay Area projects, like the Yahoo! sign, the San Francisco Symphony Black and White Ball, Citizen Cake, Luna Park, The Last Supper Club, Andalu, Frisson, and Bongsu to name a few.

Currently, Shawna still bends commercial neon projects, but she also creates neon art both independently and for other artists. She designs and produces her own neon sculpture and furniture. She is interested in using old signage in her artwork, transforming found metal cabinets and plastic faces into new, original pieces. Shawna bends new neon to work with her sculptures that incorporate the old sign fragments. In addition, she enjoys working with artists to create the neon they envision for their own art. Artists that she has worked with include Sarkis at the San Francisco Art Institute, Bill Kane, Mike Krouse, Jan Zivic, SFMOMA, and others.

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Artists Features – Mark-Allen-Piccolo, Jayme Arredondo, Daniel Riera and Vic Wong of The Congress

Hailing from the salty depths of Oakland, California, representative Allen-Piccolo provides that popcorn bass. His message is one of solidarity: “don’t give me no trash”. Whether Democrat, Republican, Party of Tea, or Party of Green, he’ll have Capitol Hill, the judiciary branch, and the liberal mass media do the filibuster all night long.

Yes we can.

“my name is Mark Allen-Piccolo and I approve this add” MAP for Bass, 2011

Jayme Arredondo – is an incredible diverse hip-hop and reggae drummer from the bay area. He has toured the word to play with big international reggae stars such as Don Carlos and Uroy. Locally he has played with The Soul Captives and Soul Majestic, amongst many others. Some people say he puts drum machines out of business.

 

Daniel Riera is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, award-winning (ASCAP)
composer, and arranger hailing from San Francisco. He is an active member of the Congress on flute and wind synthesizer as well as the folk-rock group Blind Willies on bass

Vic Wong – A dynamic guitarist based in San francisco. Vic has played with reggae, gypsy jazz, and soul music artist such as the Soul Captives, Gaucho, Panique, and Lord loves a working man band . Vic continues to perform regularly in San Francisco’s thriving jazz scene

SeaweedSway & Songbird Winter Festival Present:

The Congress
Conspiracy of Venus (co-headlining)
Mindi Hadan

Cafe Du Nord

2170 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94114-1319
(415) 861-5016

$10 tickets

doors 7:30, show at 8:30

Buy Tickets

Buy Tickets

RSVP for this Event

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Artist Feature – Valerie Trout from The Congress

Valerie Troutt, a remarkable singer-songwriter, fuses R&B, soul, funk and jungle in her unique approach to Jazz and original compositions. Her ability as a Jazz vocalist and soul composer has inspired the hearts of many listeners. Valerie’s accomplishments include a year long run as an artist-in-residents at the Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco and performing on the Jazz stage for the Best of East Bay Express party 2009.

On numerous occasions, Valerie has sung back-ups for singers Tiombe Lockhart of Cubic zirconium, Les Nubians, Crystal Monee Hall, Sabina Sciubba of Brazilian Girls, and performed with singer songwriters Jennifer Johns, Maria Muldaur, Kimiko Joy, Sista Monica Parker and Mala Waldron daughter of the late jazz pianist Mal Waldron. Valerie has performed and recorded with modern composers, Emanuel Ruffler, Howard Willey and drummer- producer Jaz Sawyer of Pursuance records. In the summer of 2008 Valerie became the youngest member of the Grammy nominated Oakland based a cappella ensemble Linda Tillery Cultural Heritage Choir and is featured on their latest album “still we rise, still we sing”.

Ms. Troutt has performed in New York for the Israeli Consulate honoring Bobby McFerrin. She has written and arranged music for the Oakland Youth Chorus, The Con-gress, See.Think.Dance as a part of the Museum of African Diaspora SF, Higher Ground Neighborhood Corp. Oakland, California and The Embodiment Project Nicole Klaymoon San Francisco.

Valerie has served as an ambassador of the United States to the International Association of Jazz Schools in Santiago De Compo Stella, Spain and has also sung aboard the QE2 Transatlantic Cruise Line as a part of pianist Junior Mance’s showcase.

In 2009 and 2010 Valerie participated as a principle singer in La Peña – Ayer, Hoy y Pa’lante, an original suite of music by three time Grammy nominee, Wayne Wallace with libretto by Aya de Leon. Currently Valerie is the director of “The Shepeople’s” all female artists showcase. She is also a member of “The Congress” Neo Soul Orchestra lead by Trumpeter Marcus Cohen.

Valerie has graced the stages of many venues and festivals including Yoshi’s Jazz Club San Francisco (SF), The Knitting Factory New York (NY), Art n’ Soul Festival Oakland, CODA Jazz Supper Club SF, The Shattuck Downlow Berkeley California, Maxwell’s Oakland, The Uptown Oakland, Somar Bar Oakland, The Laurel Street Fair Oakland, Slims SF, The women of color conference 2010 UC Berkeley, Theaterhaus Germany and The Makor NY.

This Oakland girl has established herself as a consummate composer with soul tinged songs that are dynamic and note worthy. Valerie’s music is energetic yet heartfelt offering a taste of expression and freedom crossing many musical genres. Her ability to create an astonishing repertoire of diverse songs will make her one of the important singer-songwriters of the 21st century.

Dianne Reeves, commenting on her first musical encounter of Valerie states, “She is energetic, spontaneous and ready.” Valerie Troutt is certainly a fearless force to watch for in the years to come.

SeaweedSway & Songbird Winter Festival Present:

The Congress
Conspiracy of Venus (co-headlining)
Mindi Hadan

Cafe Du Nord

2170 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94114-1319
(415) 861-5016

$10 tickets

doors 7:30, show at 8:30

Buy Tickets

Buy Tickets

RSVP for this Event

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Artist Feature – Marcus McCauley from The Congress

Marcus McCauley was blessed with the gift of playing the piano at the early
age of six. He was banging away on his grandmother piano when she
stopped him and told him that he had a gift of music. She enrolled him in
piano lessons the next day.

From that day forward, the Oakland, California native became a serious
musician. He won awards for best classical piano performance during his
grade and middle school years. He played at many churches in the bay area
and was recognized for his piano performance.

McCauley only applied to one school to further his studies in music. He was
accepted to Berklee College of Music in the spring of 2004 and graduated
with a B.A in Contemporary Writing and Music Production and Music Business
and Management in the spring 0f 2009.

At the age of twenty-four, McCauley has shared the stage and worked with
notable people in the music industry such as Shelia E., Burt Bacharach, Carl
Wheeler, John Beasley and many others. As of now McCauley is a working
composer, arranger, musician, producer, and constantly striving to be
innovative in everything he does.

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Local Slice Recommendation The Titan Ups – Article from Ian S. Port of SF Weekly

By Ian S. Port,

Titan Ups Launch a Rocksteady Dance Party at Cafe Du Nord

 Better than: What the uninitiated think reggae sounds like.

There are times when musical innovation is the last thing needed, and last night at Cafe Du Nord — the first Thursday of 2011 — was one of them. Headlining were Titan Ups, a local rocksteady ensemble obsessed with maintaining absolute allegiance to Jamaica-descended music of the 1970s, from Toots and the Maytals to the Kingstonians to the Specials, through both covers and original songs. But unlike so many wannabe reggae bands, Titan Ups weren’t an utter embarrassment. In fact, it’s hard to see how their show last night was anything other than a total, terrifically fun success. With original-issue songs and a casual, funny demeanor, the seven-piece outfit stroked a medium-weight Cafe Du Nord crowd into the kind of joyful, freewheeling dance party you rarely see anymore.

​What made this fun, thrilling, and not at all embarrassing was largely the chops with which this all-white ensemble played, and the attention its members paid to the subtle inflections of their elders. Early reggae and rocksteady are pretty basic styles of music on the surface, but start paying attention to the details of a great band like Toots and the Maytals, and you realize there’s a lot more to it than just a couple of up-strummed chords. You could even go so far as to say that reggae and its related styles, all of which use the basic offbeat rhythm, depend on the subtle inflections of players to emphasize changes in the music. (The singer has a lot to do with it, too, but we’ll get to that later). Titan Ups showed an incredible grasp of these details last night. Every cowbell roll, guitar pluck, and piano chord change was handled with the lazy precision of an authentic rocksteady band. Instrumentally, their set sounded like a Trojan Records compilation. The band didn’t try to add a new-age twist or otherwise shift the attitude of the songs, leaving them exactly as they should have been.

Then there was Titan Ups frontman Bob Reed, a gray-bearded S.F. music vet of massive proportions blessed with a thick, soulful voice eerily well-suited to this type of music. Unlike pretty much every other person in the room, Reed didn’t sway to the band’s seductive beats. He rarely ever looked at the crowd. Instead, he just stood at the front of the stage, dressed in a plain white T-shirt and jeans, and belted out hits like “54-46 Was My Number,” “Bla Bla Bla,” and the band’s originals, which also sound like authentic rocksteady hits. No fakeish Jamaican inflection/imitation, just a throaty, warm voice. Like the rest of Titan Ups, Reed demonstrated that sometimes, putting musical authenticity over originality is the only way to go.

Critic’s Notebook

Reality check: About the only thing you can complain about at a show like this is that every song pretty much sounds the same — the only variation is tempo and key. Titan Ups played a sweet take on Dennis Brown’s slow, minor-key “Let Me Down Easy,” early on that provided about as much sonic variation as we got through the whole 70-minute set. But despite the sameness, Titan Ups kept the crowd swaying gleefully the whole time.

The crowd: Honestly, I forgot that there are still kids rockin’ the skinhead look, but it made me really happy to remember. Oh, and dude with a tri-hawk wearing a suit and tie, you rule. It was these young’ns doing the ska up front, and a mixed crowd of posh-looking ladies, established over-30 dudes, and even a few random hipsters in back.

The opener: Missed Franco Nero, so please tell us how they were in the comments. Caught Wicked Mercies, a massive soul/funk revival outfit that elicited almost as much dancing as Titan Ups. The highlight of their set — by far — was when guest singer Marvin Holland came up to sing the old Rodger Collins funk number “Foxy Girls in Oakland,” a standout on the (freaking essential) Bay Area Funk compilation.

Shameless request: I would kill to see Reed and Titan Ups do “Singer Man,” a stunning Kingstonians number I didn’t hear last night. (Maybe the spectacularly awful UB40 cover ruined it for everyone, but I hope not.)

Come and Rocksteady at Con Brio and Songbird Festival Presents – Music to Freak to Series – A Monthly Saturday Night Soulstice

Amnesia
853 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 970-0012
www.amnesiathebar.com

21 and Over

Event – 8 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

$8-10 sliding scale
www.songbirdfestival.org
www.thebandconbrio.com

Saturday, Jan 22, 8PM
Justin Ancheta
Con Brio
Titan Ups

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Artist Feature – Mindi Hadan

Mindi Hadan


MINDI HADAN, a rising star on the San Francisco music scene, has been playing to Standing Room Only audiences at the popular nightclub, “Jazz At Pearl’s” with her unique blend of R & B influenced, country flavored, jazz standards.

Born in Nebraska and raised in Texas, Mindi had a true musical education from the Heartland. The youngest of eight children, Mindi grew up singing in the church choir. She spent every Sunday night watching Lawrence Welk, which lead to forming an Acapella four part harmony singing group with her sisters. During these formative years, Mindi’s mother introduced her to Big Band music, Polkas and Yodeling.

A turning point of “living in the sticks” was when Mindi discovered the discount cassette bin at the local gas station with $1.99 collections of Patsy Cline, Connie Francis, Judy Garland, and surprisingly, Marilyn Monroe. This eclectic treasure chest was the beginning of Mindi’s musical alchemy of combining styles and bringing new interpretations to vintage classics.
http://www.mindihadan.com

SeaweedSway & Songbird Winter Festival Present:

The Congress
Conspiracy of Venus (co-headlining)
Mindi Hadan

Cafe Du Nord

2170 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94114-1319
(415) 861-5016

$10 tickets

doors 7:30, show at 8:30

Buy Tickets

Buy Tickets

RSVP for this Event

Posted in Jazz, SeaweedSway, Songbird Winter Festival | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment