David Wagner is a musician and writer from Ohio who currently divides his time between Oakland and Istanbul.  Known on the folk circuit as “The Hobo Professor,” he sings sardonic originals with a philosophical outlook:  “You get out of bed / just looking for a reason / to crawl back into bed.”  Joining David will be his longtime collaborators, The Trickle Downers, featuring Joe Rosatto Jr. on bass, Ethan Byxbe on guitar, Jay Doane on fiddle, and the three-part vocal harmonies of Alanna Taylor Tobin, Jessie Potter, and Isaac Frank.
 
The Drifter Sisters are Robin Fischer on fiddle, Allegra Thompson on vocals, guitar, and standup bass, and Hailey Pexton on vocals, guitar, and mandolin.  The trio gravitates toward the songs of George Jones, Buck Owens, Rose Maddox, and Hazel Dickens, especially the ones with rhythm-driven melodies and off-color lyrics, as well as old time fiddle tunes and bluegrass classics.  Genre-bending in the California style, these Bay Area natives have cherry-picked music that appeals to their blend of faux-intellectualism and deep love of silliness.
 
The Get Happy String Band features Meredith Axelrod from Chicago and Darcy Noonan from Berkeley singing and playing guitar, fiddle, jug, and kazoo.  Brought together by a love of old 78s by such masters as the Mississippi Sheiks, the East Texas Serenaders, and the Memphis Jug Band, the duo plays rags and breakdowns with an old timey sound straight out of 1933.
 
In the lobby before the show, enjoy The Honey Belles – Alanna Taylor Tobin, her sister Jessie Potter, her niece Cierra Potter, Jay Doane, and Julie Antti – playing sassy, ukulele swing, with harmonies reminiscent of the Andrews Sisters, updated for the 21st century.

Visit David Wagner's website

Visit the Drifter Sisters' website

Visit the Get Happy String Band's website

Listen to tracks from David Wagner:

Listen to a track from the Get Happy String Band:

David Wagner photo by Chris McMurray

Drifter Sisters photo by Alan M. Bond