New Year's Eve Concert Raised Funds for the Corralitos Cultural Center

It may not have been a crowded Dick Clark Times Square party in New York City, but the people at Watsonville's celebrated the final day of 2011 on a high note of their own. 

Dayan Kai’s “End-of-the-Year” Jam was a fundraiser for the Corralitos Cultural Center, and it proved you don’t need loud and high energetic rock or pop music to bring welcome a New Year.  Kai, along with Friends and fellow local musicans Steve Uccello, Michael Gather and his wife Cyndy put together a night of relaxing music complete with two bands, Three Time Loser Band and the Steven Graves Band, and 6 solo acts: Nancy Cassidy, Russell Brutsche, Steve Uccello, Michael Gaither, Mike McKinley, and Dayan Kai. Around 40 guests also enjoyed scrumptious appetizers with their music.

“I wanted people to have something to do that was mellow, that they could get to easily.  That was not going to be real loud but that was going to be some nice music and a chance for people to share food and talk,” said Kai, who also wanted to spice up the night with various different musical sounds, rather than one long concert of just one band's sounds.

“I tried to provide a sort of a different mix, different stuff,” said Kai.

The mini concert provided a variety of sounds, including the Three Time Loser Band in their song “Whisky is Her Name,” with a rapid style of Mountain Music, and Russell Brutsche’s quirky folk songs that had a touch of Bob Dylan.

Nancy Cassidy sang and played her heart out in “Want to be With You”, a song dedicated to her friend who fought a recent illness.  There were also unlisted special appearances by the Steven Graves Band and mandolin player Mike McKinley from the band Harmony Grits which then added even more fantastic music to the year’s end.

Steve Uccello stayed on the upright bass and Kai brought other musical elements to the stage, with a violin, guitar, and piano. Uccello also showed off his solo music skills on the upright bass as he performed a method which is called “Live Looping.” He created a simple bass loop as he performed live. (Rather than a studio loop where one can take the sweet time to create a perfect sound.)  Uccello then played his own lead over the continuos loop with his upright bass. The sound was marvelous.

Gaither also performed with some songs off of his new album that is due to come out sometime in March.  In his title track “Starlight Drive-In Saturday Night” Gaither reminisced about the good times at the old Starlight Drive-In which once stood over what is now Starlight Elementary school. 

The concert is one of many other small fundraisers Gaither has put together in the last 18 months. The funds helps keep the Corralitos Cultural Center open for activities like art classes or local gatherings such as the Boy Scouts do every week.

Thanks to Gaither, Kai and Uccello, the Watsonville community can look forward to having a space for beautiful art, live music, and important meetings to take place in.