Bryn Loosley & Nick Bearden  (of Buffalo Creek)

Bryn Loosley's "The Wrecker" CD Release Celebration

BRYN LOOSLEY misspent much of his youth as frontman for raucous roots rockers Buffalo Creek. But after seven years of playing dives all over Northern California, selling their three albums out of his sweet brown van, Bryn left town. He sold the van and moved to Portland, Ore. to write and perform on his own.

BRYN'S FIRST ALBUM, The Wrecker, will be availble March 21 and features performances by Jackie Greene, Tim Bluhm, Shannon Curtis, Nick Bearden and Audley Freed among others. (But Bryn still plays with Buffalo Creek and wishes he still had that van.)

Buffalo Creek performs live at LaSalles on Friday March 21st with Ol' Yeller, then the proper CD release "party" will take place Saturday March 22nd, when Bryn performs with longtime musical partner Nick Bearden at Cafe Coda.  Joining Bryn and Nick are some of their old friends from Chico in a night of unplugged performances.

www.brynloosley.com

www.myspace.com/brynloosley

Nick Bearden

I play drums, guitar, bass, sing, write songs, record my stuff, help other people record their stuff, perform in big, medium and small places. However, over all of that, I enjoy playing in living rooms and back / front porches the most. I have been doing it since I was 7, which means that I have been doing it for 20 years, which is kind of weird if you think about it.

I am always searching for new music where the instant I hear it, I say "where the hell has this music been all my life, and why didn't anyone tell me about this sooner???".

You may have seen me play with a band, or you may have seen me play with just my guitar, but either way I hope you enjoyed what you saw, and even if you didn't, I would like like to hear about it either way.

www.myspace.com/nickbearden

Mark Gonzalez (of Chingus)

Lead guitarist of longtime Chico jam band Chingus, Mark "Gonzo" Gonzalez will be opening up the show with a solo acoustic set.  Gonzo is very experienced and passionate about a great number of musical styles, so all we can say about this performance is "expect the unexpected".

www.myspace.com/chingus

Marquesa Versola Trio

Marquesa, Josh Graves, Marcus Schmidt

Hawaiian-born turned Northern California native, Marquesa Kilikina Versola (you can just call her Kes), has become the darling of her hometown. Recently she was crowned Chico Idol, but many locals know her as the soulful front-woman for Funk Frequency and Loose Booty, the country co-crooner of Gallica Rose, first-call session vocalist and backup singer, sultry jazz lounger, voice teacher, and coffeeshop troubador. But it’s not her versatility, her commanding stage presence, or numerous accolades that make first time listeners raise their brows incredulously and ask, “Who Is this?” Her voice is unmistakable. With a haunting purity akin to Alison Krauss, the melismatic flexibility of Ella Fitzgerald, and a range of expression that draws few comparisons, perhaps Joni Mitchell, Kes only has to open her mouth to seduce an audience to pin-drop silence. Colorful finger-picked guitar chords and image-invoking poeticism are the canvas on which she paints melodic landscapes in self-penned songs such as Complication and Shadow Room. This Folk-meets-Funk songwriter is armed with searing vocals, a few albums worth of praiseworthy songs, and a huge local fanbase to boot. It won’t be long before Versola rises to the top of radio station playlists and headlines sold-out shows across the country.

www.myspace.com/marquesaversola

3/22/08 - Cafe Coda - all ages - 8pm - donations appreciated