Welcome Party Square Dance!

The welcome party for the one and only Berkeley Old Time Music Convention! Berkeley Old Time Music Convention features five days of old time music and dance! Concerts, workshops, jamming, dances, and more! On the Wednesday of the festivities, we host a welcome party and dance on the dance floor of Ashkenaz. This year we will open up the caller's microphone for a Round Robin of square dance calling! Two great bands: Forty Drop Few (Portland OR) and The Canote Brothers (Seattle WA) . Beginners welcome, no partner necessary, all dances will be taught. Hosted jamming in the back studio! Hosts TBA Find out more information about Berkeley Old Time Music Convention here: berkeleyoldtimemusic.org/ BAND BIOS Forty Drop Few The "Forty Drop Few" are a trio originally from the southwest that play popular music of the early 1900s. They perform in various styles from the era as a string band and are influenced by nothing other than the old 78 records that they love so well. Their main influences include New Orleans jazz, southwestern fiddle music, classic banjo rags, black string band music, hillbilly harmonies and unique vocals. The trio consists of Ethan Francis, Candra Edwards and Elliot Kennedy who all currently reside in Portland Oregon. The couple, also known as "Stone and Sue" have been playing music together for a decade and met Kennedy who joined them 5 years ago. The three are inseparable and spend all of their time picking apart old tunes, listening to 78s, throwing shows in Portland and traveling around the country together. Canote Brothers Greg and Jere Canote are identical twins who have been playing music together for most of their 70-plus years. And not just any old music, but simply amazing, genetically-matched singing and musicianship. They quickly bring to mind the rich tradition of singing brother duets, evoking such seminal duos as the Blue Sky Boys, the Delmore Brothers, and the Everly Brothers. And they take it up a notch, because they’re not merely brothers, but identical twins. And as one reviewer observed, “They’re really ‘twinny’ twins.” Their delightful repertoire spans Americana and includes early country music, quirky novelty songs, swing classics, and rare fiddle tunes, all uniquely interpreted through their positive world view. They’ve shared their music for more than half a century, teaching and performing at countless festivals and workshops, and on radio and television.