SUMMER OF '09 ARCHIVES: Love Comes to Town

First of all, yes I did come up with that headline. I generally don't consider myself very good at coming up with those, but sometimes I get lucky, and I consider that to be one of my better ones. It's actually a reference to the U2/BB King collaboration from Rattle and Hum, but I'm not sure how many people picked up on it.

This was one where I had most of the story written but didn't publish it right away because I was still waiting to hear back from Edna Love. I finally did early in the morning on a weekend, but I was still willing to get that interview done, and I was quite happy with it. I always like writing stories about music, and this was no exception.

Peppino D'Agostino returns to Benicia Historical Museum

(Originally published in the 4/24/16 edition)

   Internationally renowned guitarist Peppino D’Agostino will make his return to the Benicia Historical Museum on Saturday. Fresh off the release of his newest album “Penumbra,” the Sicilian-born musician is coming off more than three decades as an acclaimed acoustic guitar player. He has performed in 26 countries, worked with other greats like Tommy Emmanuel and Leo Kottke and was even named Best Acoustic Guitarist by readers of Guitar Player magazine in 2007.

   Before moving to Benicia in the ‘80s, D’Agostino grew up in Torino, Italy where he was drawn to music by his cousin.

   “I began playing guitar at the age of 10 when I heard my cousin Peppino (yes, same name) playing in a church,” he said. “I got a few lessons from him, and then I embarked on a journey of self-study and further exploration on the guitar and in music that continues today. ”

   Early on, D’Agostino was influenced by The Beatles and Italian pop songs and later by electric guitarists like Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin. 

   “After that first phase I discovered the acoustic guitar by listening to musicians such as Leo Kottke and John Renbourn,” he said. “Then I fell in love with Brazilian music, classical music (and) improvised music. Now I listen to everything from Bach, Mozart, Piazzolla and even some pop artists.” 

   D’Agostino believes that music can be a force for good and appreciates the stripped-down nature of the acoustic guitar.

   “Music helps us feel human again and lift all of us to a better state of mind and open our hearts to beauty and emotions,” he said. “Making music on an acoustic guitar is special because the sounds is essentially produced by your fingers in contact with the fretboard and then amplified by a wooden sound box without any special effects or pedals. It's real, beautiful and captivating. ”

   Since living in Benicia, D’Agostino has gotten to know a wide variety of talented local musicians, including Stef Burns, an electric guitarist who has worked with Alice Cooper and Huey Lewis and the News; Jeff Campitelli, a drummer for guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani; Annabelle Marie, the director of the choir group VOENA; and many more.

   “It's amazing to have so many people involved in music in a relatively small town,” D’Agostino said. “The Dunlop Company, one of the most well-known music accessories factories in the world is in town,  as is Masaki Liu at Onewaystudio who's one of the best sound engineer that I ever met, and AnneMarie Martins who's one of the best booking agents in the business.”

   He has also said that whether playing in a small town in America or a larger venue in Italy, he feels the warmth of the audience.

   “In both countries I have family, friends and fans that makes me feel at home when I perform,” he said. 

   D’Agostino has recorded several albums and toured extensively for the past few decades while still finding room for other projects. He recently completed the score for a documentary titled “Journey to Baja: A Tale of Three Travelers,” about gray whales, elephant seals and brown pelicans. The documentary will be shown at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

   “It was a wonderful experience to support with my music such a great American institution that works to protect ocean life for future generations,” he said.

   D’Agostino is thrilled to be playing at the museum again, and he hinted that there may be surprise guests. One of the confirmed collaborators for a few songs will be D’Agostino’s friend Steve Olsen.

   “He plays pedal steel guitar and violin beautifully,” he said. 

   The concert will be held at 8 p.m., Saturday, April 30 in Stone Hall at the Benicia Historical Museum, located at 2060 Camel Road. Doors open at 7 p.m., and there will be a ho-host bar. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online at BrownPaperTickets.com or at the museum gift shop, Wednesdays through Sundays, 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, call (707) 745-5435. 

Black Irish Band to bring Gold Rush-era sound to Benicia Historical Museum

(Originally published in the 2/11/16 edition. An update was made because Rick Restivo was initially- and rather inexplicably- unmentioned.)

   The Benicia Historical Museum loves its Celtic folk bands, and next weekend, one of Northern California’s most popular Celtic bands will be playing.

   The Black Irish Band, based out of Sonora in Tuolumne County, will be performing at the Museum to celebrate more than 25 years of playing together as a band. Lead singer Patrick Karnahan and guitarist Rick Restivo met in 1989 on the set of the Western-themed “Back to the Future Part III,” where they played members of the Hill Valley Brass Band. Another bandmate, Steve McArthur, also had a speaking role in the film, and the three would talk about the idea of starting a traditional Irish folk band that crossed cultural barriers. 

   Shortly thereafter, The Black Irish Band was born, eventually recruiting Jim Nelson to play long-neck banjo and provide vocals. The group blends its Celtic folk stylings with Italian and Spanish genres, and their songs are laced with a heavy nostalgia for the Old West. Since the members all hail from areas that were the centers of the California Gold Rush, many of their songs are inspired by that era. 

   According to Benicia Historical Museum Curator Beverly Phelan, The Black Irish Band have been playing the museum since 2000.

   “Our president at the time came up with the idea of having these Irish concerts and that we needed to find a variety,” she said. “The Black Irish were very different than the other groups we were getting. They didn’t sing only the traditional Irish ballads and jigs, but they did the Gold Rush and railroad folk songs.” 

   Phelan also described the band as very instrumental and having a variety of vocalists, including one member who yodels. 

   Additonally, Phelan says the band is well-liked in Benicia, and the group helps make the show interactive. 

   “They include the audience in some of their songs,” she said. “They just love to work with the audience.”

   The band will be promoting their newest album, “Give Us All Yer Whiskey: Songs of Hard-Rock Miners & Hard Luck Sailors,” released in November. The album includes a variety of originals and traditional folk songs, including “Oh! Susanna” and “Buffalo Gals.” The album is available to purchase on CDBaby.com and will be available at the show during intermission. 

   Overall, Phelan believes The Black Irish Band will continue to do what they do best: provide an upbeat, foot-stomping show packed with great Celtic music. 

   “They will give you a two-hour show that you will thoroughly enjoy,” she said.

   The Black Irish Band will perform from 8 to 10 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Benicia Historical Museum’s Stone Hall, located at 2060 Camel Road. The doors will open at 7 p.m., and there will also be a no-host bar. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at BrownpaperTickets.com, the museum’s gift shop and at Bookshop Benicia, located at 636 First St. For more information, contact the museum at 745-5435. 

   

   

   

   

Golden Bough to bring Celtic sound to Benicia Historical Museum again

(Originally published in the 1/6/16 edition)

   For the past 36 years, Modesto-based Celtic folk band Golden Bough have toured the globe, playing haunting melodies reminiscent of traditional Irish folk songs and have gained fans in several corners of the world.

   One of those places happens to be Benicia, where the trio will play at the Historical Museum, Jan. 16.

   Golden Bough- fronted by husband and wife Paul Espinoza and Margie Butler and rounded out by Kathy Sierra- formed in January of 1980 with the goal of combining the traditional music of the six Celtic nations- Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, The Isle of Man and Brittany- with their own contemporary songwriting. The group utilizes several diverse instruments, including a Celtic harp, mandolin, accordion, violin and penny whistle, and their harmonizing has become a hallmark of their music. 

   Golden Bough have performed all over the world, including in countries like Holland, Germany and Ireland. In just a week, they will bring their traditional Celtic sound to Benicia.

   According to museum curator Beverly Phelan, the trio first performed at the venue in 1998.

   “It was the first time we had a Celtic concert,” she said. “They were very well-received.”

   The museum has since had several Celtic bands play, including The Black Irish Band and Men of Worth. Phelan says Golden Bough stand out for their strong instrumental abilities. 

   “They’re the only group who plays the Celtic harp,” she said. “And their violinist (Sierra) is one of the best that I’ve heard.”

   With their performances at the museum, Golden Bough have gained a bit of a following in Benicia.

   “Last year when we had them here was a sellout,” Phelan said. “They’re very popular, and the reason we have Celtic groups is because they are popular. They have a following that goes up the Gold Country.”

   Having toured for 36 years, the band has amassed a large amount of stories that they like to share at performances.

   “Margie’s father was an Irish tenor, and she tells lovely stories about her father and his experiences singing all over California and the United States,” Elizabeth D’Huart, executive director of the Benicia Historical Museum, said. 

   D’Huart also praised Golden Bough for their authentic sound.

   “A lot of the songs that they sing are familiar to the folks who came to work on the railroad in California,” she said. “A lot of the songs have a historical tie-in to the area because of that.” 

   Phelan believes that even those who are not fans of Celtic folk music will come away with an appreciation of the genre, and those who already enjoy it will have fun as well.

   “People get what they expect, and that is quality Celtic music,” she said.

  The concert will take place in Stone Hall at the Benicia Historical Museum is located at 2060 Camel Road. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and the concert will run from 8 to 10. There will also be a no-host bar with beer, wine, coffee and water, and attendees will be allowed to explore the museum during intermission. Tickets are $20 for general admission and are available at the museum. They can also be picked up at Bookshop Benicia, located at 636 First St. or online at BrownPaperTickets.com. For more information, call 745-5435. 

Author to discuss role of women in World War II

(Originally published in the 11/15/15 edition)

   World War II marked a turning point in the role of women in the workforce. While their husbands were off fighting in the war, women took on the industrial labor and other jobs typically viewed as men’s work.

   They also took roles in the war effort, and it is this part of history that author Jeane Slone has chosen to document in her historical fiction trilogy consisting of the novels “She was an American Spy During World War II,” “She Built Ships During World War II” and “She Flew Bombers from the Factories to the Bases During World War II.” Slone will be doing a presentation on the latter at the Benicia Historical Museum today at 1.

   “She Flew Bombers” tells the story of Violet Willey, a young woman who had aspired to be a pilot since her youth. Willey takes a job as a Woman Airforce Service Pilot during World War II against the urges of her traditional mother. The book details the bravery and hardships of the over 1,000 women who learned to fly over 77 varieties of military aircrafts across America to deliver them to army bases for men to fly into combat.

   The novel is based on Slone’s interviews with six former WASPs and weaves in historical photographs and research narratives. The book received the 2012 Indie Book Award.

   Slone will be presenting as part of the museum’s ongoing exhibit “A Call to Arms: The Benicia Arsenal- World War II." Executive Director Elizabeth d’Huart says this will be a good opportunity for Beniciains to learn about a less-explored part of history.

   “As somebody who works at a local history museum that is housed in buildings that were from the original Arsenal, I know an awful lot about the role of men,” she said. “I like the fact that I learn more about the woman’s role. This is an important period in history for America.”

   “It’s the advent of women emerging out into the workforce during World War II that changed the course of relationships between men and women in the United States,” she added.

   D’Huart also believes that Slone’s expertise will provide a lot of education on the subject.

   “(Slone) is an author who specializes in the period of World War II, particularly focusing on the role of women,” she said. “She does very meticulous historical research. She crafts novels that are basically expositions of the very specific duties of women in helping the military during the war effort.”

   During the war, many women were working the assembly lines in Benicia, d’Huart said. The presentation will let viewers know what that was like. 

   “It gives one a better perspective on their mindset and the kind of challenges that they faced in their day-to-day lives in terms of working in the Arsenal and the additional challenges that they had in working within the constraints of coupon rationing and their husbands, sons or brothers being off at war,” she said. “Combining all those things is an interesting mix.”

   Overall, d’Huart feels the presentation will be an interesting window to the past and how it relates to today.

   “It’s always interesting to be able to connect the dots between what each of us as individuals are experiencing today and what our mothers, fathers or grandparents were experiencing during those same time periods in their own lives,” she said. 

   Slone will be delivering her presentation through a Power Point and will read passages while acting them out in character. A question and answer session and book signing will follow, and attendees are encouraged to go upstairs and view the rest of the exhibit afterwards.

   The presentation will begin at 1 p.m. today at the Benicia Historical Museum, located on 2060 Camel Road. The event is free, and refreshments will be served.