Sagittarian Ball Doug Dirt 70th Birthday

Lineup

• More details about The Puffball Collective

  The Puffball Collective

  Based out of Santa Cruz, California, The Puffball Collective consistently performs extended musical journeys crafted to lift you up. We present this music to scintillate your souls, soar your spirits, groove your bodies, and bounce your booties, sending all to “Higher Ground”🎶 "We’ll take you there"🎶 by performing the kickin' music of The Allman Brothers, The new Mastersounds, The Grateful Dead, Peter Rowan, Puffball'ized Bob Dylan, Sly Stone, Billy Preston, The Band, & The Beatles! The Puffball Collective also features an amazing catalogue of original compositions ranging from acid jazz to freaky funk, Americana to bluegrass, rock~a~billy to sweet soul, and blues to psychedelic rockers”. Bass, vocals / Doug Dirt Guitar, vocals / Freddie Rodriguez Guitar, vocals / Marc Sveen Keys, vocals / Lachlann Kane Drums / Paul Garcia Percussion / Gary Kehoe Guest guitar, vocals / David Cameron Doug "Dirt" Greenfield: Bass, Vocals “Pufflovin” Doug “Dirt” Greenfield is an influential Santa Cruz-based bassist, vocalist, and educator who has spent over forty years using music to build community and inspire ecological stewardship. Best known for co-founding the internationally acclaimed Banana Slug String Band in 1985, his stage persona "Doug Dirt" has brought lively environmental education to millions of children across 40 states through standard-setting outdoor education programs and over a dozen award-winning albums. Concurrently, Greenfield is a celebrated pillar of Northern California's adult music scene, acting as the driving bassist and bandleader for the high-energy jam band The Puffball Collective and performing on premier regional stages like the Strawberry Music Festival. Combining radical positivity with a deep, improvisational musical groove, his enduring legacy bridges the gap between environmental activism, youth mentorship, and vibrant roots-rock performance. He is the heart and founder of the Puffball Collective. Freddie Rodriguez: Guitar, vocals "Sugar Puff" Freddie (Fred) Rodriguez is a widely respected guitarist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist who has been a mainstay of the Santa Cruz, California music scene for several decades. Known for his technical versatility and deeply expressive slide guitar work, Rodriguez operates primarily within the realms of classic rock, blues, folk, and improvisational jam band music. Rodriguez is highly regarded for his fluid transition between acoustic roots music and high-energy electric performance. He is particularly recognized for his soulful mastery of the slide guitar and his deep improvisational "musical vocabulary". His approach frequently infuses elements of traditional American roots music with the sweeping, jam-centric arrangements popularized by San Francisco Bay Area rock history. Rather than operating strictly as a solo artist, Rodriguez is a collaborative pillar in Santa Cruz, defining the sound of several notable local ensembles: The Puffball Collective, Rosebud, and Redwood Express. Lachlann Kane: Keyboards, Vocals. “Plaid-a-Puff” Lachlann Kane is an accomplished keyboardist, vocalist, and staple of the Santa Cruz, California live music circuit. Like his bandmates in The Puffball Collective, he is highly regarded for his ability to seamlessly weave between musical styles to create an infectious, danceable energy. Kane serves as the primary keyboard player and a prominent vocalist for this beloved Santa Cruz jam band. His intricate piano and organ work helps drive the group's "funky Americana dance jams". His contributions are central to the band's extensive live sets, which often blend acid jazz, psychedelic rock, freaky funk, and classic roots music. On stage, Kane's playing bridges melodic, pocket-groove rhythm with sprawling, exploratory solos. This versatility has made him a sought-after keyboardist for various local side projects, temporary ensembles, and live Grateful Dead/Americana revivals throughout Northern California. Within the Santa Cruz music community, Kane is known for channeling the classic "Bay Area jam sound." His vibrant organ sweeps and soulful vocal harmonies are key to TheThe Santa Cruz native plays with Jim Lewin’s Edge of the West, as well as Scott Cooper’s Barrelmakers and the DB Walker Blues Band. Marc Sveen: Guitar, Vocals "Sparkle Puff" Marc Sveen is an eclectic guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter rooted in the Santa Cruz, California music community. As a foundational member of The Puffball Collective, Sveen brings an incredibly diverse musical palette to the group’s signature high-energy dance grooves. Sveen’s unique approach to the guitar stems from a highly varied musical upbringing. His early sonic exploration began with a medley of punk rock, classical music, jazz, and classic rock. Over time, he seamlessly integrated these genres with the syncopated grooves of funk, the driving rhythms of bluegrass, and the fluid, improvisational landscapes of psychedelic jam band rock. Beyond the Collective, Sveen channels his multi-genre experimentation into his alternative musical project, Velour (represented online at Velourband.com), where he continues to write music that defies rigid categorization and blends soulful grooves with modern textures. Whether laying down rhythmic funk chops or soaring through an ethereal psychedelic guitar solo, Sveen’s philosophy aligns directly with the Puffball Collective's mission: using genre-bending, unconventional live music to shift spirits and get crowds dancing. Paul Garcia: Drums “Snap Crackle Puff” Paul Garcia is the primary powerhouse drummer for the Puffballs, and an accomplished, vibrant rhythm-keeper in the Santa Cruz, California live music scene. His steady, driving beat has propelled the group onto premier regional stages, such as the maIn stage of the Strawberry Music Festival. Hailing originally from the rich Southern California music circuit, Garcia’s early musical exploration tended toward fast, high-energy punk rock and surf rock. After moving to Monterey in 1997 Paul worked with the Santa Cruz based band Phicus for a number of years, and eventually settled near the beach in Santa Cruz. Over the decades, his expansive and diverse musical tastes allowed him to evolve into a highly versatile pocket-groove drummer, known for driving complex rhythm sections while keeping live sets firmly anchored and danceable. Paul turns up on the drum chair for such diverse bands as the Banana Slug String Band (doing kids 'edutainment' music), The Brotherhood of Freaks, (which celebrates the improvisational spirit of the Chris Robinson Brotherhood), and played straight-up Grateful Dead tunes with Slugs and Roses and Spirit of ‘76. Paul has also branched into the bluegrass-tinged hybrid styling of Groove Grass and the Intangibillies, and Americana with Amee Chapman & the Velvet Tumbleweeds, and West by Southwest. Paul is living his dream, performing behind his vintage Slingerland drum kit. and doing what he loves: simply making great music with great people. Gary Kehoe: Percussion "Gaia Puff" Gary Kehoe is a highly accomplished drummer and percussionist who has been at the forefront of the world beat, rock, and improvisational music scenes in Santa Cruz, California for more than 30 years. Originally from Minnesota, he studied music under the groundbreaking improvisational group Oregon at the Naropa Institute in the late 1970s before making Santa Cruz his permanent musical home. Known for his infectious rhythm and high-energy live performances, Kehoe has lent his rhythmic expertise to a massive roster of acclaimed Northern California acts, including prominent stints with the Afro-Brazilian roots band SambaDá; world beat mainstays Special Fun, Sol Circle, and Santa Cruz Steel; the California Honeydrops; Chi Mizu; and even master percussionist Babatunde Olatunji, to name a few (several). With The Puffball Collective, his dynamic rhythms continue to keep dance floors packed. Gary’s favorite color is blue and he feels that lasagna rules! David Cameron: Guitar, vocals "Magic Puff" David Hunt Cameron was an original member of the Puffballs and currently blesses the collective with guest appearances. He is a versatile acoustic and electric guitarist, composer, vocalist, and music educator based in Santa Cruz, California. Like Freddie Rodriguez and Doug Dirt Greenfield, he is a primary driver of the region's rich improvisational music culture. Cameron's artistry is defined by its wide breadth, seamlessly transitioning between delicate fingerstyle acoustic music and sinuous, funk- and jazz-infused electric lead lines. As a songwriter and composer, his lyricism bridges the minutely personal with universal themes. His compositional depth is backed by extensive study in jazz, folk, and rock, alongside a master’s degree in education focused on music creativity.

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• More details about Velour

  Velour

  Velour, A groove and funk band from Santa Cruz CA. Inspired by The Meters, Galactic, and Greyboy. Velour draws inspiration from the smokin’ grooves of supergroups like The Meters, Galactic, The Greyboy Allstars, and The New Mastersounds. With a blend of funk, jam, and acid jazz, Velour creates an exciting listening and dance experience. Sometimes in movements, their original pieces are as familiar as they are fresh. Velour's vibes find the perfect balance between the pocket groove and the art of spacious improvisation. Where funk meets acid jazz, Velour will meet you there. Covey Potter - Smiles, hugs, sticks, toms, snare, cymbals, bass drum, rugs, the other things in his drumset, velour track suit. Marc Sveen - Guitar(s), guitar pick(s), guitar strings, guitar cables, effects pedals, plenty of other effects pedals, attenuator, even more effects pedals, amplifier, speaker(s), velour track suit(s). Dave Berners - Bass guitar, groovemastery, hilarious one-liners, velour track suit. Patrick Blizinski - Keyboard(s), buttons on his keyboards, knobs on his keyboards, drawbars, inappropriate sarcasm, pedals, occasionally adventurous facial hair, velour track suit(s).

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  • Velour's website