MELLOW MUSIC? We crave it, now and then. We seek it out, when we want to chill out, and ride a calmer vibe, and maybe put our feet up, too. But when it comes to the passionate, emotion-packed, and super-thrilling sounds of the accordion, it isn't mellowness we want. We desire some stomp-worthy zydeco, the kind of big notes that will inspire us to clap and swing. We want polka with panache, the tunes that will have us oompah-ing out on the dance floor. And we want to feel those magnificent bellows working, with each and every note. But where to find such get-moving excitement over a single August weekend? Why Cotati, of course, the longtime home to one of the best-known accordion extravaganzas around. And the...
COTATI ACCORDION FESTIVAL... is bellowing back our way, on Aug. 17 and 18. Nope, you don't need to be a musician to enjoy the musical stylings of the two-day delight, which will include appearances by The Bellow Shakes, Golden State Accordion, The Great Morgani, and the Mad Maggies. But you will want to peruse the schedule, to see who'll be front-and-centered on the Accordion Apocalypse Stage, and over at the Polka/Zydeco Tent, and when the Future Accordion Stars'll be in the limelight. There's the Main Stage, too, which is where you can hear/watch/bask in one of the earworm-y staples of the celebration, the Lady-of-Spain-A-Ring on early Saturday afternoon. Whether you're a...
POLKA PERSON, a zydeco devotee, a scholar of classic café-style sounds, or just someone who loves a funky meet-up of great musicians in a great town almost matters not. What does matter? That this fab festival, which hits its three-decade mark in 2020, is still riding those bellows, and using a bit of breeze to make beautiful ballads of the frequently unmellow sort.
