Posted on 08/20/2022 6:26:53 PM PDT by nickcarraway
As Forth Worth-based Ginny Mac squeezed out a bluesy tune on her accordion Saturday afternoon, Faith Davis stood in the crowd of the Cotati Accordion Festival, recalling how she once hated the reedy, organ-like sound of the instrument.
Davis, who lives in the coastal mountains west of Willits in Mendocino County, explained the first time she attended the festival was several years ago when she was still married and her spouse was just learning to play the instrument.
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“I had to listen to him practice,” she said, adding that she took him to the event “thinking maybe he’ll get some idea of how to play it.”
She instantly became a fan.
On Saturday, the first day of the festival that continues Sunday, Davis was one of thousands in attendance, enjoying an eclectic array of accordion music styles, including klezmer, zydeco, polka, Mexican conjunto, blues and rock.
With close several thousands expected to attend the weekend event, the venerable festival — 31 years running — appears to have vigorously rebounded from a pandemic-era lull, said festival producer Scott Goree.
“It was easy to get quality performers because everybody was eager to get back on stage,” Goree said.
The in-person festival was canceled during the first year of the pandemic in 2020, though a virtual gathering was held. It came back the following year with fewer people attending and 50% fewer vendors, Goree said.
He said last year’s festival “kept it alive” and set the stage for an even bigger comeback this year.
“All those things we took a hit on last year came back to normal, maybe even better,” Goree said.
On Saturday, hundreds of people took shelter from the sun under the shade of the large sycamore and oak trees at La Plaza Park in downtown Cotati. Large tents were set up for dancing, musician jam sessions and a host of vendors selling clothes, hats, handmade baskets, jewelry and artwork.
Food trucks served up a wide array of cuisine, including Mexican, Greek, Chinese, Indian and Caribbean, along with the usual burgers and corn dogs. Wine and beer vendors provided refreshments to endure Saturday’s mid-90s temperatures in Cotati.
Accordion musician Alex Meixner, this year’s honorary director of the festival, commented on the “cool weather” in Cotati, adding that recent shows in Texas saw temperatures 16 degrees warmer.
Later, Meixner broke into a rendition of AC/DC’s rock anthem “Thunderstruck” before playing a traditional polka tune. Goree said the festival lineup even offered accordion punk rock music.
For Ginny Mac, the 37-year-old accordion musician from Fort Worth, the in-person, well-attended event Saturday was a welcome return to normalcy. Mac said she’s been playing the accordion since she was seven years old and played Cotati festival in 2010.
Mac’s music blended a variety of styles, including country and western swing, folk, traditional jazz, with some elements of World music. She also plays the piano, but the accordion is her favorite instrument.
“The thing I love about the accordion is it’s up against my body. It feels like another appendage,” she said. “My heart beats with it.”
The festival continues Sunday. Tickets are $23 for adults at the gate; $21 for seniors. Kids 15 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult.
You can still get online advanced tickets at $17 for seniors and $19 for adults.
I saw a bumper sticker once with a small accordion picture on it.
I Support Accordion Music—and I Vote.
Mama’s got a squeeze box.
Daddy never sleeps at night.
They sell, “Use an accordion, go to jail” tee shirts at my local music store.
I was in Two Rock California back in 76, Cotati was a small crossroads over by Rohnert Park. Cotati had a gigantic Quonset Hut (The Inn of the Beginning?) and they used to have music in there, I saw JJ Cale there and reportedly some of the Grateful Dead used to show up and jam a bit.
Across the street was a place called the Tale of the Whale and they served a yuppie kind of chow even for ‘76 and there seemed to be a good classical guitarist in there for your listening enjoyment. The Elephant Malts were a taste of home for me...
That was a cool place, Cotati... just a little Crossroads on the middle of nowhere at that point in time.
In hindsight, I was glad I was in the Bay Area California in the mid ‘70s. It was a good solid decade before it turned itself into what eventually would become the “hole” it is today.
Problem with this festival is you have to go to Cotati. :)
Welcome to Heaven, here’s your harp.
Welcome to hell, here’s your accordion.
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