Robin Henkel
The day started out to be an unusually sleepy, dark and dreary day on the San Diego harbor, but the Kenneth Rexrode Production’s annual Mardi Gras Cruise was determined to be a spirited, shining light on the water. If it’s in San Diego and produced by Kenneth Rexrode and the Six String Society, you already know it’s going to be extraordinary and some rare southern California rain was not going to change that! VIP party goers boarded the charming, sternwheeler, William D. Evans, while moored alongside the landmark, Bahia Hotel, at dusk, for a leisurely two-hour buffet and cocktails all laced by local San Diego musicians and singer/songwriters. Outside on the main deck, braving the mist, as guests walked along the dock to the entrance, they were entertained by the music and sounds of the Euphoria Brass Band. Established in 2011, Euphoria’s seven-piece brass band, serves up a large variety of high energy, contemporary meets old school New Orleans style music that will keep your dancing shoes in motion all night
Fuzzy and the Blues Band
long.
Throughout the, preliminary, two-hour VIP event, the main deck was filled with occasional tables, while the second deck was decked out with a beautiful seemingly mile long buffet set with gorgeous foods and desserts. Guests and entertainers, dressed in Mardi Gras finery, who kept the amazing face painting artist busy, wandered from one deck, enjoying the music of Robin Henkel to the other where, Nathan James, were warming up the chilly evening. Native San Diegan, Robin Henkel, is a spectacular jazz and blues musician that has shared the stage with a plethora of national touring acts, but us locals are lucky enough to find him playing throughout San Diego County and it is a double whammy when he shares the stage with our very own, Whitney Shay, of whom, closed the event with a crowd of festive party-goers taking up all the real estate on the dance floor! Nathan James, also a native San Diegan, is a blues musician, who has also toured both nationally and internationally and can be found at many of the amazing blues festivals that commence annually both here in the states and in Europe. Nathan’s infectious sound and energy instantly wakes up his environment and sets the tone for any event.
At 7 pm, the buffet cleared to make room for a second dance floor, and the boat readied itself for its trip around the harbor. Reopening the “plank” and welcomed the rest of the guests who eagerly filled the vessel for another three hours of fun and made memories. The of the first things I noticed once the passageway was closed and we started to leave port, was the crowd was balanced in capacity. It was neither undersold nor oversold. People were able to easily move from one deck to the other, even head up top to watch the clearing skies, with ease. Belly up to the bar and order a drink without a long wait, use the restroom without completely bonding with the person in front of you or behind you in a long line of impatience. This planning on top of an “A” list of entertainers, was a recipe of perfection.
Rebecca Leak & Michele Lumdeen
With the boat underway, I spent the next three hours, hopping from one deck to the other, in an attempt to miss nothing. It was one of those events, where I had wished the cloning process had been perfected. Between the happy, costumed guests, and the overwhelming amount of musical talent, it was almost impossible to take it all in. For several hours, San Diegans, were treated to an evening of dancing, celebration, phenomenal musicians and vocalists. Two stages and two dance floors were alive with laughter and song as we were wowed by San Diego’s finest in entertainment.
Whether we spent our time on one deck or the other, we spent time with the likes of, not only the Euphoria Brass Band, Nathan James and Robin Henkel, we had the honor of dancing and celebrating with Fuzzy and The Blues Band, Whitney Shay and the Hustle, The Casey Hensley Band, Michele Lundeen, Gregory Page, Sharifah Muhammad and Ben Powell. Each and everyone of these artists and supporting members have a long, faithful following in the San Diego area and can be found out an about on a regular basis, not to mention touring beyond our borders. Most of these talented individuals have graced the pages of BackStage360 in the past and we are dedicated to their success and their passion for their art in the future.
This event was nothing less than a beautiful, pageantry of the finest blues, jazz and cross-over entertainment in southern California, set on the waters that San Diego is so famous for. If you missed the event this year, no worries, Kenneth Rexrode and the Six String Society, make this an annual event. Hop onboard in 2019!
All of these artists can be found all over the interwebs and social media. Simply search by their name or band and you can find their websites, social media profiles, You Tube channels and their music can be found on most reputable music services sites. You can also type their names into the search bar of the magazine home page and you will find historic feature articles and information.
Looking forward to the repeat performance in 2019!
A SLIDESHOW OF IMAGES FROM THE EVENT