Melodeon.net Forums
Discussions => News and Events => Topic started by: mwatersworld on August 06, 2015, 10:08:59 PM
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Is anyone planning on attending the Cotati Accordion Festival this year, Aug. 22, 23? I'm considering making the trek from Sacramento but from the website and the pictures I've been able to see it looks as though it's almost completely dominated by the piano accordion. Has anyone here ever been? Is it worth the trek for us button box players?
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I'm reviving this old thread to see if anyone is planning to go this year, in 2017? The marketing is calling it the Year of the Woman, and they've got beautiful artwork to match. I have a price alert set to see if flights go down - if they do, I'll probably go.
Has anyone been? Is there much button stuff going on there, or more of a PA festival?
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I'll probably go on Saturday this year, as I unfortunately am not making the trek to the UK this summer. Cotati is nearly all PA, although I have noted a couple of button box players on the program this year -- Squeezy Peezy on the main program and at least one other group with such on the Accordian Apocalypse page. Would be pleased to meet up if you plan to go. It looks like there may be several vendors with both sorts of instruments also.
I live in SF proper, fyi.
Joan
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Thanks, Joan! I'll let you know if I decide to come in for it.
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Decided to check out Cotati today. While the variety of accordion styles is large, it's mostly piano accordion as I thought, with a secondary emphasis on Cajun and Zydeco and some Nortena button box playing. There was a group opening that I sadly missed most of, which was more the sort of thing we discuss here -- put together especially for this gig with PA, melodeon and concertina. And I spoke with Jon Berger, their multi-instrumentalist who was a quite fine box player doing some English and Irish stuff. But otherwise, a nice day of music but basically I felt like a visitor to another country of sorts.
On the other positive fronts, it's basically a very lovely little festival. Nice people of all ages, a wide variety of music -- including some of the best PA players in the world (they had top musicians from Serbia and Finland, as well as the US) and a dance tent with polka during the day and Zydeco after 5 (the Bay Area is a hotbed of really top Zydeco players), and very good food choices (not just your usual festival food). Also a considerable number of instrument sellers -- including one with a selection of button boxes (just not in keys of interest to me. But saw the Baffetti equivalent to the Giordy which was slightly tempting).
And I met a few friendly like minded players, including someone from North Carolina who also lurks on these boards. (Waving at him across the internet).