Cupid’s big day is coming up, and hearts will be fluttering all week in the North Bay, where a plethora of Valentine’s Day events dominate the calendars through Thursday, Feb. 14.
While candlelit dinners and heart-shaped boxes get some folks in the mood, others prefer to put on their dancing shoes and party for Valentine’s Day, and there are several local concerts in the coming days that are sure to conjure up some close encounters of the romantic kind.
The music gets started this weekend, Saturday, Feb. 9, in Petaluma, where the Mystic Theatre hosts “Whole Lotta Love,” a Led Zeppelin–themed night of rock-‘n’-roll burlesque. Set to classic Zep songs performed live by Scarlett Siren & the Howlin’ Tramps, the show boasts several risqué performers from the Bay Area and beyond, such as Sebastopol’s Bella Dukess, Oakland’s Bunny Pistol and Portland, Ore.–based Eva D’Luscious. No tips are collected at this production, but the show will support the Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence with an awesome raffle.
On Valentine’s Eve, Feb. 13, Sebastopol’s HopMonk Tavern turns into a classic nightclub perfect for old-school sweethearts, when Los Angeles vocalist Ned Rifken returns to the North Bay for the annual Sinatra Valentine’s Special. This throwback performance also features guest singer Ariana LaMark and the locally sourced 17-piece Wednesday Night Big Band, whose members share a vast history of music, including performing with nationally renowned jazz artists and stars like Michael Jackson and even Old Blue Eyes himself. Dance the night away while indulging on wines and gourmet brews, and free chocolate for all.
On Feb. 14, things get funky at the Redwood Cafe in Cotati, with Project 4 Band’s special Valentine’s concert. Led by multifaceted entertainer Gerald Glasper, whose vocal impersonations range from James Brown to Tom Jones, this eclectic party band is known for its high-energy grooves.
In Napa Valley, local songwriter Zak Fennie is transforming his singer-in-the-round music series, the Valley Mavericks, into a romantic live music offering, the Valentine’s Mavericks, on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at the Blue Note Jazz Club in Napa.
Joining Fennie onstage will be songwriters Tabitha Jade, Owen Ridings and Grace Coyne to perform music with themes of love, heartbreak and everything in between. The “Locals Night” event means Napa County residents with ID get in free.
On Feb. 14, five-man a cappella sensation Rockapella light up the Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center for an evening of doo-wop, pop and R&B created without instruments or backing tracks, but with plenty of heart and harmony.
For more info on these and other shows, see music calendar, pTK.
