"We love this place" -- Cyprian's At Night, the new venue on Turk & Lyon
Nell Robinson w/John Reischman & the Jaybirds
Hard to keep the cam steady w all the foot-stompin -- The Nashvillains pack the house
Bill Evans banjo-riffs the Beatles with the Nashvillains
Opening Night Smash: SF Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival packs the house. Top talent drew nearly 200 curious, excited, and deeply-pleased neighbors, friends, and visitors from further away to Cyprian's last Friday and Saturday nights. From a banjo riff of Beatles tunes by virtuoso Bill Evans to a heart-stopping, hold-your-breath Nine Inch Nails cover by Nell Robinson, Friday was a stellar opening. And who knew clucking like chickens and telling the tales of a 1930s yodeling duo could transport an audience to new feathered heights? Songbirds Cary Sheldon and Nell Robinson, of course, and then everyone else too.
Does bluegrass picking and old-time wailing work in a church sanctuary like Cyprian's? With no prompting, really, performers and members of the audience gave the thumbs-up: "We love this place!" "The sound is amazing," "This is sweet." One neighbor summed it up, "This is a great space. It has everything good about a church -- the acoustics, the warmth, the community feel -- but nothing too religious for a general audience."
The festival launch coincides with the 30th year anniversary for SF Live Arts (formerly the Noe Valley Music Series) and the 50th anniversary of St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church.
Thanks to everyone in the community for making the concert so successful. We're thrilled to be the new venue for SF Live Arts.
