Hot Neo-Balkan Latin Jazz Gypsy Funky Hootenanny at Amnesia

May 3, 11:03 PMSF Unconventional Artists ExaminerKristina Cañizares

Previous

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the SF Unconventional Artists Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Looking to be transported? Hungry for a world of dimly lit faces tilted ecstatically into a cascade of music? Want to dance your ass off, packed in close enough to smell the wine and joy of your sexy-hip neighbor, whose hips gyrate, eyes closed, smiling, lost in the moment?

Then let it be yours…

This Thursday two bands will be taking over the intimate, red-lit cabaret bar called Amnesia, one of my favorite spots along Valencia in the Mission. The curtained walls, the complete absence of neon, the dangerously tasty sangria and absinthe cocktails, all combine to make Amnesia one of the hippest little spots in San Francisco.

Amnesia also hosts the greatest in gypsy-punk-jazz entertainment. From belly dance to Balkan brass, the best in San Francisco’s thriving Eastern European-styled underground play here.

And this week are two amazing bands. I saw the Fishtank Ensemble a few years ago when their latest cd, Samurai over Serbia, was just out. I couldn’t stop moving. Singer Ursula Knudson is intoxicating and the upright bass player, Djordje Stijepovic from Serbia, makes slap bass so funky you’ll feel it in your… well you know where you’ll feel it.

I admit I haven’t seen Diego’s Umbrella, but Mexicali Gypsy Pirate Polka is my favorite, even though that bin always seems to be underfilled at the record store.

Here are the deets:

The Fishtank Ensemble:
"The LA Weekly calls them “cross pollinated gypsy music….one of the most thrilling young acts on the planet.” Formed in 2005 and playing everywhere from the hippest LA clubs to festivals, cultural centers, museums, parades, and even on the street, the band includes two explosive violins, the world's best slap bass player, musical saw, flamenco and gypsy jazz guitar, trombone, opera, jazz and gypsy vocals, accordion and one little banjolele."

Diego's Umbrella:
"Spanish Surf? Mexicali Gypsy Pirate Polka?"The show starts at 9pm, and admission is a paltry $8-10 sliding scale.

Amnesia is located at 853 Valencia Street, SF

Damn, wish I could make this one. Go, dance your ass off for me. Please.