On April 17th we traveled to the remote island Yonia; a post-Amazonian neo-pagan gynocracy where trees do not grow but bushes thrive. Our emcee Johnny Meshugenah, who was shipwrecked there, found that the islanders were a particularly talented bunch. Check out the run-down of the show below!
Set 1:
Alex Mandel: 
Alex won best intro of the night by getting us all to delve deep into our 50 Shades of Grey fantasies. An inventive songwriter and performer, Alex wowed us with his original tune about taking it slow. He is best known for the songs he wrote for the Pixar movie Brave but is gearing up to release his first solo album! More about Alex HERE
Alyssa Body of Sound: Alyssa describes her performance practice as an improvised combination of body percussion, vocal toning, tap dance, yoga and ecstatic dance. She performed a really interesting improvised piece to a track that she had pre-recorded. It was very engaging and unexpected with primal and feminine undertones. She teaches workshops and leads retreats in Body of Sound aimed at exploring creativity, improvisation and teamwork. Check out her upcoming schedule and more about her craft HERE
The Minnesota Child and Hanni Hanson: A variety show first, Ethan (The Minnesota Child) and Hanni sang in perfect harmony. The duo, accompanied by Ethan’s unique percussive guitar playing, performed a couple of original tunes blending genres from indie-folk to pop to blues. It was mesmerizing. Check out more of The Minnesota Child HERE
Devon and Nadja: 
We met Devon a couple weeks ago performing in UnderCover Presents Bob Marley’s Exodus. Devon was performing with the group Shake Your Peace. We asked her and her sister Nadja to perform together at this show never having heard them sing together. Their performance of an Amy Winehouse/John Legend medley was incredible. Both sisters sang with such soul and precision and their blend was incredible. This was certainly a highlight of the night!
Horseshoe Hillbillies (Amanda Ross-Mann with Sadie and Bella): We first met Amanda at a Hardly Strictly Bluegrass after-party and have since gotten to know her and her wonderful family. This was the first time we got to see her perform with her two girls Sadie and Bella. The trio had such great energy and won the crowd over with their sweetness, sincerity and clever songs. The girls harmonized beautifully and they made everyone smile.
Ramsey Tietjen: 
Ramsey (a.k.a. Pa) impressed the crowd with one of his original tunes “Running For My Life”. His bluesy guitar playing and soulful singing always brings down the house and this performance was no exception. Pa, who get’s his nickname from being the father of the T Sisters, is a variety show regular so check out some more of his material at the next show!
Rogue Mama (+ Samara Atkins): Rogue Mama lazily strutted onstage with their Big Gulp cups but they quickly turned up the heat at the whistle blow of their drill sergeant/choreographer Samara Atkins. What ensued was a high energy hip-hop number to Missy Elliot’s ‘Lose Control’ that had the audience hooting and hollering! Rogue Mama, whose members include Terry Smith, Amy Draizen and Toni Silver (the mother of the T Sisters) can be seen performing at the variety show semi-regularly; Samara performs with Mix’d Ingrdnts, an all female dance collective based in Oakland.
Set 2:
Karri Mae Becker: Karri was the first pole dancer that has performed at the variety show. A veteran of the craft, Karri has been teaching and performing for 10 years. She choreographed a Romeo-and-Juliet- inspired piece that was both physically impressive and theatrical. She managed to showcase her skill on the pole and tell a tragic story with her dance.
Leah Dobson: Although one can’t help but mention that Leah is just in high school, she is at such a professional level as a jazz singer. Leah performed two classic jazz standards accompanied by Michael on piano. Leah is a joy to listen to and watch and she is definitely going to go far with her incredible talent!
Darcy Noonan and Richard Mandel: Both fixtures of the Bay Area Irish music scene, Darcy (fiddle) and Richard (guitar) transported us to another time and place. This moment of traditional instrumental music was a wonderful grounding moment in the show. Darcy and Richard play regularly at the Plough and Stars in San Francisco so check them out! Their next show is May 10th. Details HERE
Kiva: 
Kiva stayed up way past his bedtime to amaze us all in the second half of the show. This was Kiva’s second time performing at the variety show, the first time winning our hearts with a very charming version of and Elvis tune. Kiva showed a new level of depth and maturity with his rendering of Sam Smith’s tune, “I’m Not the Only One”. He sat down at the piano and introduced himself, “I’m Kiva and I’m 10 years old” and what followed blew us all away.
Emily Day:
Emily, accompanied by Steve Height (bass) and Andy Allen-Fahlander (guitar), performed a Sippie Wallace tune, “Women Be Wise”. Emily is such a skilled singer and really owns any jazz standard thrown her way. While she channels some of the great women in jazz, her voice is so her own that she breathes new life into these American classics. Check out her and Steve’s band the Cosmo Alleycats every Wednesday at Le Colonial in SF and every other Thursday at Blondie’s Bar in the Mission. Check them out HERE. Andy and Steve are members of the T Sisters (aren’t we lucky!) so you can also see them at one of our shows.
Ms. Pussy Cat and Señor Puppy Dog (Denielle Basom and T Minus): Variety show virgins Ms. Pussy Cat and Senor Puppy Dog entertained the audience with a unique combination of ukelele and drums and charmed us with their playful and sexy stage banter and tunes. We met this pair out on the Playa and were so glad to reconnect musically.
T Sisters: Your hostesses! Thanks for coming to the show and letting us get a little weird with you. It is such an honor to host all of these amazing performers and expand our creative community. Check out our upcoming shows HERE and don’t miss the next variety show on May 9th! Get your tickets HERE
Thanks to our amazing emcee Johnny Meshugenah (John Friedland)
Special Thanks: Lia Gartner, Kristine Christobal, Ernie Williams, Rylan Ortiz, Pete Corkey, Ellen Schwartz
