The Whiskey Thieves

10.1.04 -- This is the weekend - the B.R. Cohn/VH1 Classic Celebrity Golf Tournament
Heading Saturday's concert are the Doobie Brothers. They will be joined by their longtime associate Michael McDonald; the Greg Rolie Band, which includes four original members of the first Santana Band; former Traffic singer Dave Mason; and the Ford Brothers with Robben Ford. Santa Cruz-based Rock Bottom Blues Band - comprised primarily of Sonoma Valley-grown talent - will be the opening act. - SIT

Newer than Buddy Guy but older than Jonny Lang, vocalist Codi Binkley delivers a swift sucker punch right off the bat with a big, sturdy, soulful voice that just shouldn't be coming out of the mouth of what appears to be your typical Santa Cruz Surfer kid--young, skinny and lilly white. Scientists would probably scoff at my preconceived notions of what should and should not be coming out of said mouth, saying that there are no physiological reasons why nearly any young, skinny and lilly white kid from Sonoma wouldn't be able to belt out gravelly blues laments, but until they can at least explain the mystery Spot, there's no reason to pay any attention to them. The fact of the matter is, these kids are doing more to make a beautiful art form palatable to a younger generation than cartoons do for symphonies. - Mike Connor

The Whiskey Thieves: Stealing Hearts in San Francisco
Published October 17, 2008 by Sandra , concert reviews , dance , genres , music
Tags: Almost Time, Pier 23, The Whiskey Thieves

Local favorites, The Whiskey Thieves, played a show at Pier 23 last night and completely rocked it. The Sonoma-born band is comprised of singer Codi Binkley, guitarist Gabe Brueske, bassist Zakk Murphy and drummer Thomas Bottari. For four such musically different dudes (each brings a totally different style and background to the table, according to Zakk), their collective sound is pretty damn hot. Listen here.
Hearing them live for the first time I see what he means. Trying to classify their sound is hard. I heard everything from hard rock and heavy smoky blues to funky, reggae-infused jams. Each member of the band has a maestro-like command of his instrument and the singer’s voice is mesmerizing. Codi’s vocals are, depending on the song and genre, reminiscent of many other greats. At our table we decided he was channeling each of the following at some point: Anthony Kiedis, Eddie Vedder, Jack Johnson, Jimi Hendrix (listen to #5 and you’ll see what I mean), and Brad Nowell. Oh, and even Matisyahu (check out #9, my favorite)!
The show consisted of both songs off their new album, Almost Time, and covers from the likes of Johnny Cash and Joe Cocker among others. A consistently high energy show kept the audience dancing and drinking. Their great stage presence plus their charming and self-deprecating vibe make The Whiskey Thieves both entertaining and approachable. Not surprisingly, the tagline on their MySpace page is “We’re like an alcoholic boy band that doesn’t suck”.
- Sandra, Concert Reviews

Harmony Festival and Eco Cup 2009
Author: spencer 26 views

19 May

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Celebrating its 31st anniversary, The Harmony Festival (and the adjoining Eco Cup environmentally conscious skate festival), will be taking place at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, CA, from June 12th - 14th. It’s set to be quite a shindig this year with musical headliners including Michael Franti & Spearhead, India.Arie, Matisyahu, CAKE, Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains, Pepper & Rebelution. From the Pro Skate world, Bob Burnquist and Danny Way, plus PLG, Jake Brown, Andy MacDonald and Buster Halterman will compete on the mini-MegaRamp (175-feet long, 30-foot drop, 25-feet gap, 18-foot quarter pipe), and skate legends Steve Caballero and Christian Hosoi will be on site for judging, demos and meet-and greets. Many speakers will also give the 411, and these include Julia Butterfly Hill, George Noory and Daniel Pinchbeck, among others. Plus, there’s plenty of camping for this all ages, family friendly event.

The Best Part: Synthesis is giving away two pairs of tickets for any day of the festival, and one grand prize winner receives a pair of tickets for the ENTIRE WEEKEND. Sign up at http://www.synthesis.net/sweepstakes/ and get yourself into the game!

For more information about Eco Cup and Harmony Festival please visit their web sites (here and here), or read the full press Release After the Jump:

The Harmony Festival has been going on for 31 years and they’ve added the Eco Cup presented by Rude Boyz and MegaRamp which has bands performing like Bad Brains, The Dead Kennedys and the Megaramp with pro skaters and a $40,000 prize. One of the main focuses with the Harmony Festival is to encapsulate community activism and being environmental responsible.

HARMONY FESTIVAL, RUDE BOYZ PRESENT, and MEGARAMP PRODUCTIONS
ANNOUNCE FIRST EVER ECO CUP SKATE COMPETITION
WITH MUSICAL LINE-UP AT 31ST ANNUAL HARMONY FESTIVAL
June 12-14 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, CA

April 29, 2009 (San Francisco North Bay, CA) — Celebrating 31 years of “Harmony From the Roots Up”—and continuing its focus on progressive ideals, community activism, and uplifting music—the producers of the Harmony Festival (www.harmonyfestival.com ) are pleased to announce new partnerships with action sports and music promoters Rude Boyz Present (www.RBPresent.com ) and MegaRamp Productions (www.MegaRamp.com ).

The three companies are collaborating on a world-class professional skate expo and competition dubbed the Eco Cup, featuring many of the biggest names in professional skating competing on the mini-MegaRamp, 175-feet long with a mind-blowing 30-foot drop (the equivalent of a three-story building) across a 25-feet gap, ending in a massive 18-foot quarter pipe. The event includes a full contest with the first-ever mini-Mega Ramp contest in America (over the gap and 20-feet airborne) with $40,000 in prize winnings.

The world’s top MegaRamp riders will be battling for the Eco Cup including Thrasher magazine skaters of the year and X-Games Gold medalist Bob Burnquist and Danny Way, as well as multiple medal winners PLG, Jake Brown, Andy MacDonald and Buster Halterman.

Also expected are Adam Taylor, Lincoln Ueda, Rob Loriface and Omar Hassan. Some of the world’s top skate legends including Steve Caballero and Christian Hosoi will be present for demos, judging, and Meet and Greets. The Eco Cup trophy will be created out of recycled and repurposed mixed media, and the steel and plywood-constructed Eco Cup skate zone will be reused, making this a truly eco-friendly attraction.

In addition to the mini-MegaRamp, the family-friendly Eco Cup skate zone will feature the public-access Consciousness in Motion Youth Zone, plus action sports and eco-conscious vendors and exhibitors, all surrounded by majestic redwoods and blue skies—right off the 101 freeway but feels a world away.

Adding to the excitement of the skating is the live music stage featuring action sports-friendly headline bands including performances by the legendary punk/reggae/activist bands Dead Kennedys and Bad Brains plus fast-rising new bands Pepper and Rebelution. Also performing over the weekend are Hightower, Tall Black Girls, Zepparella, Egypt Central, local bands The Whiskey Thieves and American Drag, and MC Radioactive. - Syn Magazine

September 25, 2008


September 25, 2008 | e-mail this story Whiskey Thieves thrive with new CD, local gigs Daedalus Howell | Sonoma Valley Sun The Whiskey Thieves will be performing on the main stage at the Vintage Festival. Photo by Doug Thompson. Smooth and smoky with a penchant for stealing hearts – such is the modus operandi of Sonoma-born band The Whiskey Thieves. A perennial at local taverns and festivals, the Whiskey Thieves are on the eve of launching the next phase of their collective careers, a notion hinged on the prospects of a new CD, appropriately titled “Almost Time.” “We spent two and a half years. We broke down each individual song to every note, every drum-fill, every word, every melody, and we all pitched in – each of us saying ‘This is what I like,’” said vocalist Codi Binkley, who fronts a tight garrison of accomplished musicians that features guitarist Gabe Brueske, bassist Zakk Murphy and drummer Thomas Bottari. The new album was produced by music industry veteran Jimmy Goings of Redwood City-based GFI Entertainment and recorded at Prairie Sun in Cotati. The creative process marked something of a turn for the band, which, according to Binkley, is currently putting its professional ambitions front and center. “Now we have presentable music – we can physically bring ours to any record company straight up,” explained Binkley, who, with the band, enlisted the aid of Los Angeles-based marketing firm Big Rig Media to create a polished Web site and MySpace page for the act. The investment is indicative of an act a long way from its days fooling around with, as Binkley tells it, the “random fun, pointless” name “Splash Guard.” The band’s new footing is also evident in “Whiskey and Women,” a soulfully rendered track in which the narrator reflects, “Whiskey and women all the time can’t be good for me.” For a band named for the titular beverage and lauded for its appeal to a certain demographic, the line surely has a personal resonance. The band kicks off its CD release this weekend with a gig at Steiner’s Tavern, followed by an appearance at the 111th Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival. In the meantime, a national tour is in the works to further promote the band’s music. “I just think it’s all about hoping somebody likes our song and it gets used in certain areas – I don’t care if it’s a Gap commercial. It’s just making people know – I want my music playing in stadiums. If we all go to a basketball game or a football game, and then all of a sudden you hear the tune,” said Binkley, letting the thought trail. “As long as you can keep your head on your shoulders and it’s directed in the right area and you don’t get screwed out of a situation, I think it could be positive.” The Whiskey Thieves celebrate the release of “Almost Time” with a performance at 10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26 at Steiner’s Tavern, 465 First St. W., Sonoma. The band also plays at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 28 at the Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival at the Plaza in downtown Sonoma. Visit www.thewhiskeythieves.com.
- Daedalus Howell from SS