If you are a music lover in San Diego, then you have probably heard of The Six String Society. Founded in the summer of 2014, this broad-ranging music theater production company is making waves all over the greater San Diego County area. Production creator, Kenneth Rexrode, goes beyond the norm when it comes to showcasing our local talent and entertaining their guests. Choosing various small premier venues throughout the county, The Six String Society’s productions, sell out again and again. Their “After Dark” series at Covo in La Jolla; “Fallbrook Live”, on the patio of the gorgeous Pala Mesa Golf Resort, and the infamous, “Belly-Up Tavern” in Solana Beach are just a sampling of the many venues The Six String Society frequent in Southern California, but my personal favorite, with a long line of agreements standing behind me, is their “SS Six String Society”, celebration themed harbor Cruises!
On what started out to be a dreary, drizzling kind of day, it turned into a stunning golden sunset bathed harbor, without a raindrop or an inkling of wind insight. This was The Six String Society’s third themed harbor cruise since Mardi Gras, 2017, and it was spectacular! The Sternwheeler, William D. Evans, belongs to the beautiful Bahia Hotel, situated on San Diego’s Mission Bay. This amazing, 600-person, vessel offers seasonal day and evening cruises to the public and can be rented for private events and weddings. Designed to emulate the 1860s era Mississippi river boats, the William D. Evans succeeds. From its clean white lines and black smoke stacks to its warm wood historic interiors and full length stunning stained-glass ceiling on the second floor, the moment you board, you feel like you have stepped from a time machine and landed on the Mississippi Delta.
This year’s “Haunted Halloween Cruise” was The Six String Society’s third time renting out the entire boat and organizing a very festive and themed event. In March of, 2017, their Mardi Gras cruise was such a big success that they repeated it in March 2018 (please see our archives for my review of the March 2018 cruise); the, 2018, Mardi Gras cruise, featured a what seemed like a mile long dinner buffet for VIP guests and a cast of four local bands entertaining party goers over the course of 6 hours; 2 hours docked for VIP attendees and another 4 hours cruising the bay once general admission guests had boarded at 7 pm. My entourage and I were granted permission to come aboard dressed as characters from the Disney movie, “Hocus-Pocus” and while my family and friends enjoyed a breathtaking sunset with perfect weather conditions, from the open deck at the top level of the SS Six String Society, I wandered from deck to deck watching the VIP experience unfold.
Each of the (two) enclosed salons are equipped with a large dance floor, seated tables and a beautiful bar area. VIP guests were treated to a delicious plated dinner with their choice of chicken or salmon with grilled veggies while cast members of The Six String Society entertained the crowd with live music in both the upstairs and downstairs salons. The top floor deck was a popular place to hang out for photo ops against the blazing sunset and calm winds and water. Although this was an almost sold out event, you could easily move from one deck to the other without feeling crowded, the bars were efficiently and kindly staffed so waits for a cocktail or a soft drink were minimum and aside from restrooms being a little on the narrow side, they were also easily accessible, so you could get in and out quickly and get back to the fun.
This was no cheap, at-the-last-minute, find a Halloween t-shirt and wig at Walmart event. Guests went full-tilt participation! Costumes were insanely creative and all so beautifully executed! Mid evening, during a break in the music, guests gathered on the second floor to participate in a costume contest…after a very tough decision awards went to a purrrr—fectly cosplayed Catwoman and Captain Hopper from the Hispanic television series, El Chapulin Colorado. Throughout the entire evening, guests were entertained by local musical artists in both the main and upstairs salons. In keeping with the theme of the event, Ken engaged notable if not completely unusual…
The Creepy Creeps, a band described as garage/surf punk. Performing in various garb and drag, they are accompanied with two go-go dancers and take direct aim at engaging and taunting their fans and friends to get audience reaction and participation. Even if surf punk is not your thing, they are still a super fun band to see, if just for the entertainment they evoke
Long time natives, The Sleepwalkers, came along for the ride. Performing live, on and off, since, 1992, these artists shake up the stage and the dance floor with Americana roots rock and blues and a bit of Latin cumbia sprinkled within. Since their inception, these award-winning artists have played alongside many mainstream musicians, but they continue to call San Diego their home and can be found crowding dance floors throughout the county.
The Farmers, known as The Beat Farmers, in their early years, have been a southern California institution since the mid-1990s. Originating in Imperial County, San Diego County neighbors just to the east, The Farmers, is the band you go to when you want to guarantee a crowd. Self-described as “Crunchy Roots Rock, The Farmers have their audiences and fans immediately up on their feet with a sound all their own. Fast picking, ultra-high energy, punchy and infectious, they keep us always coming back for more.
Multi-award winning, vocal powerhouse, Casey Hensley, completed the circle of entertainment for the evening. At this point, if you are a lover of San Diego music, there is not a chance that you have NOT heard of Casey Hensley. The always-in-demand, young artist, has so much stage presence and heat, she set the room on fire. San Diegans can only hope that once this young gun hits the national touring circuit, and she will, that she will also continue to call San Diego her home and continue to grace our local venues for many years to come.
The evening was a whirlwind of entertainment and laughter. It was a sad moment when the SS Six String Society returned to dock and the final curtain came down on a truly magical evening. The silver lining…the SS Six String Society will again set sail in March of, 2019, for its third Mardi Gras celebration. There is no doubt that The Six String Society will continue to grow and prosper. It has already spread its roots into the Laughlin, Nevada area and into some of the areas in Northern California. The A-list cast of characters, artists and performers are taking music theater to a whole new level of excitement. All the bands and musicians (and their music) that performed on the Haunted Halloween Cruise, can be found throughout cyberspace and social media by searching their band or personal names. If you would like to know more about The Six String Society, the cast, upcoming events and breaking news, information and calendars can be found on their website: www.thesixstringsociety.com and on their Facebook page. Creator extraordinaire, Kenneth Rexrode, can also be found on various social media outlets.
If you would like more information on the Sternwheeler, William D. Evans, upcoming events and its home, The Bahia Hotel, you can do so on their website: www.bahiahotel.com.
By: Siege / BackStage360
MORE IMAGES FROM: THE HAUNTED HALLOWEEN CRUISE
