Lucerne >> Organizers are pleased with the first quarterly “Rockin’ Dancin’ BBQ” held Friday at the Northshore Community Center / Lucerne Alpine Seniors, Inc.
First-set musicians Stonelion, with KPFZ programmer Scott Church, fired off a searing set of interpretative blues, according to event coordinator Peter Tibbetts. The master of ceremonies, David Howard, filled in with some guitar work while his new group, The Background Kings, were setting up for their set of pop, rock and original works.
Jeff Curtis, and eclectic acoustic guitarist and composer from New York, played two half-hour sets that featured his two-handed neck-string tapping style of playing.
“His performances, above all others, highlighted the outstanding acoustics of our Barnes Hall. Though just a boxy room with a high ceiling, Barnes Hall’s acoustic proportions are utterly magical,” Tibbetts said in a media release.
Kurt McKelvey, Kurt @Work, played his guitar and keyboard. And, being at work — he’s the secretary at the Northshore Community Center — McKelvey sat in on the drum kit for The Background Kings, Tibbetts said.
Hella Mella, featuring original dance jam material, Grateful Dead covers and KPFZ holistic programmer Lureen Lee on drums, played unheard original tunes.
“The absolute highlight of the afternoon and evening was the performance of Amadou Camara, Mariah Soumah and their very talented young student Mahdi,” Tibbetts said.
Camara, Soumah and Mahdi are from Guinea, West Africa, and perform using native Guinean instruments of percussion and woodwind, song and dance.
Local rockers Hearts & Bones and FOGG (Five Old Guys and One Great, Great Gal) rounded out the evening’s entertainment with their original rock ‘n’ roll, classic and dance rock.
Then there was the food, Tibbetts said. “Hippie” Joe Fernandez, of Upper Lake, who donates 400 dozen eggs to the center every month for its congregate Meals and Meal on Wheels, prepared and donated the tri-tip, carnitas, chili beans, tortillas and pico de gallo barbecue. For the herbivores, there a vegetarian lasagna that sold out.
The Northshore Community Center plans to do this again, “with better planning and earlier promotion, and whatever other additional efforts we can pour into the project to make it a better event for all,” Tibbetts said.
All proceeds from this event benefit the Northshore Community Center / Lucerne Alpine Seniors, Inc., located at 3985 Country Club Drive in Lucerne. Call (707) 274-8779 for information.
