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Lost Weekend
Saturday, September 20, 2008
classic western swing outfit
Door 7:30 P.M., Music 8:00 P.M. | Purchase advance tickets: $20.50

It's time to dig out those spurs and hightail it on over to the Freight—Lost Weekend is back! An absolutely irresistible evening of fun is in store for all as guitarist and singer Don Burnham and his mighty 11-piece all-star Western swing band bring the house down. Longtime Freight favorites, this truly unstoppable ensemble has been keeping the flame of "cowboy jazz" burning brightly on the West Coast for over two decades with their great tunes, world-class ensemble playing and soloing, spine-chilling vocals, and pulsing tempos.

Popularized in the country dance halls of Texas and Oklahoma in the 1930s and '40s, Western swing music is an infectious combination of old-time country fiddle and cowboy music blended with the rhythmic intensity and improvisational feel of big band swing jazz. This country cousin of the big band music that was being performed in urban ballrooms was brought to the fore by famed bandleaders like Bob Wills and Milton Brown, along with West Coast practitioners of the art from Tex Williams and Spade Cooley to Asleep at the Wheel and the Bay Area's own Lost Weekend.

Bandleader Don—a member of Western Swing Halls of Fame from Texas to Sacramento—founded the band with Steel Guitar Hall-of-Famer Bobby Black, reedmeister Jim Rothermel on clarinet and sax, and bassist Bing Nathan. Joining this awe-inspiring foursome in the band's current lineup are Bob Schulz on cornet, Kevin Porter on trombone, fiddle ace Paul Anastasio, Mark Holzinger on guitar, vocalist Pam Brandon, piano titan Shota Osabe, and veteran swing drummer Rick Alegria.

Still more good news: Don and the gang will have the band's hot new live CD, Swingin' Out West, in their saddlebags tonight. Don't miss this chance to enjoy an evening with one of Western music's truly great swing bands!

Visit Lost Weekend's website



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