In a 1996 documentary about their music, lead singer Nicolas Reyes said the Gipsy Kings switched to their signature rumba sound because they “liked to watch pretty girls dance”. Personally I think they’re on the right track. Since their 1988 arrival, they’ve been allergic to writing boring music. Most people may not realize how many Gipsy King songs they already know—their tasteful guitar licks have spread via features in film and famous covers across decades. With no new record to tour, these veteran shredders are playing nothing but back to back hits at Mountain Winery Saturday night.

Gipsy Kings
Sat, 7:30pm, $120+
Mountain Winery, Saratoga

Though the leaves are turning and the weather is getting a little chillier, summer vibes still abound across the Bay. This Saturday, two-time Grammy Award-winning singer Colbie Caillat brings her light and summery touch to the Mountain Winery. The concert will be a great opportunity for listeners of all ages to indulge in Caillet’s dulcet songs, from her 2007 breakthrough hit “Bubbly” to the movie-soundtrack favorite “Brighter Than the Sun.” It’s a perfect night for the whole family, with wine pairings offered for the over-21 crowd and free admissions for children under 3.

Colbie Caillat
Sat, 7:30pm, $49.50+
Mountain Winery, Saratoga

Though rooted in acoustic flamenco guitar, the music of Mexico City-based duo Rodrigo y Gabriela is open to—and draws from—the entirety of popular and traditional music. 

Across more than two decades, six studio albums, three live releases, three EPs and countless live dates across the globe, Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero have bent the music of other artists into what some have called their “acoustic speed metal” style. 

While they primarily play original music, the duo’s choice of covers provide a window into their all-encompassing musical worldview. Bay Area metal heroes Metallica were one of the first to get the Rod y Gab treatment, their classic anti-war single “One” appearing on the duo’s major label debut, 2002’s Re-Foc. 

Alongside metal, the musical omnivores have recast plenty of other styles in their own inimitable sound, including Paul Desmond (“Take Five”), Led Zeppelin (“Stairway to Heaven”) and Pink Floyd, whose early, epic-length masterwork “Echoes” received a mesmerizing acoustic reading complete with the song’s signature ping tones at start and finish.

In 2019, the duo earned a Grammy for their album Mettavolution (Best Contemporary Instrumental Album), and embarked on a widely-acclaimed tour in support. When their 2020 tour was sidelined by the pandemic, the pair released Mettavolution Live, an album which clearly captures the excitement of a Rod y Gab concert.

“On the best nights,” Sánchez says, “the audience is part of the band. It’s the energy we draw from the fans, I think, that makes the difference.”

Live albums are sometimes stopgap projects—something for the fans when there’s no new music ready for release—but that’s not the case for Sánchez and Quintero. Far from idle since their tour was interrupted, recent months have also seen the release of two new thematic EPs, Jazz and Mettal.

“Anyone who knows us will understand that we both listen to lots of different kinds of music,” explains Sánchez. “We are long time fans of Astor Piazzolla. We used to play his ‘Libertango’ a lot in the early days.” 

Jazz also features reinventions of contemporary phenoms like Kamasi Washington (“Street Fighter Mas”) and Snarky Puppy (“Lingus”). 

“We are fans, first and foremost,” he says. “The challenge—and the fun—is taking those songs and arranging them for two guitars.”

Before teaming up in 2000, Rod y Gab both played electric guitar in metal bands. The Mettal EP revisits those roots. Another Metallica tune, “Battery,” is joined by interpretations of songs by both Megadeth and Slayer that, in the duo’s hands, display a melodic depth equal to their formidable power. 

“That generation of thrash-metal bands are absolutely integral to the history of Rodrigo y Gabriela,” Sánchez says. “We knew it had to be 100% sincere and respectful as a tribute.”

The duo also recently launched a Patreon platform, Music From the Field. “It has been an outlet for all different kinds of musical experimentation,” Sánchez says, “from covering Dua Lipa and taking on Nina Rota’s music from The Godfather.” 

That eclectic approach is likely to continue for him and his musical partner. 

“I wouldn’t rule out future genre-based EPs,” he says. “We are both endlessly curious about music.”

And while Covid-19 may have interfered with the duo’s plans, Rodrigo Sánchez makes it clear that they have maintained plenty of momentum.

“When the pandemic happened, we moved to doing sessions online to reach the fans,” he says. 

In addition to those sessions—broadcast from “The Spaceship,” the duo’s purpose-built studio in Ixtapa—plus the live album and the pair of EPs, they’ve released yet another recent recording. Rod y Gab’s latest single is a sublime version of “Te Extraño,” written by acclaimed Mexican composer Armando Manzanero.

“His music was a constant on radio and TV at home when we were kids,” Sanchez says.

The current limited run of live performances is part of the duo’s continued forward motion.

“Building The Spaceship and doing online sessions every week kept us sharp,” Sanchez says. “But we’re excited to be back out on tour, and we’re feeling very positive about the future of our music.”

Rodrigo y Gabriela
Sun, 7:30pm, $49+
The Mountain Winery, Saratoga

Guess who’s back in the atmosphere? Since nearly the dawn of the millennium, San Francisco alt rock chameleons Train have been pumping out poppy hits like “Drops of Jupiter,” “Hey, Soul Sister” and “If It’s Love,” but their career has also had some surprising turns. In 2010, the band’s piano-shuffle hit “Calling All Angels” became an unofficial anthem for the Los Angeles Angels, and in 2016 they released a rough and ready, full album cover of Led Zeppelin II. Most recently, the band got back to pop, sipping “Mai Tais” in a breezy 2019 single featuring singer Skylar Grey.

Train
Tue, 7:30pm, $79+
Mountain Winery, Saratoga

The mood has been dour but there’s no need to cower, because now is the hour for Tower of Power. One of funk’s most storied acts, the Oakland-natives bring their legendary horn ensemble and inspired bass playing to Mountain Winery this Friday. They’ve been in the game for five decades, and though the line up has changed often, they stick to their guns when it comes to delivering the hits. Plus, science says that it is physically impossible to refrain from dancing once these guys get going. This is a show best enjoyed with a glass of wine and good company.

Tower of Power
Fri, 7:30pm, $44
Mountain Winery, Saratoga

Gogol Bordello have a reputation for their live shows, creating a sense that the audience is watching a real family for whom life is a party every single night. This Tuesday, the party comes to Saratoga as frontman Eugene Hutz and his Avengers-sized ensemble of musicians and dancers bring their circus bravado, endless energy and unmatched rock violin chops to the Mountain Winery—the perfect venue match up for this worldly group of art-punks. Wanderlust has always been their brand, and there’s no doubt these guys will return to touring life with a vengeance. One can only guess what they’ll have in store.

Gogol Bordello
Tue, 7:30pm, $39+
Mountain Winery, Saratoga

Two of the funniest amigos in comedy are together again. This Monday, Steve Martin and Martin Short bring their newest tour, “Now You See Them, Soon You Won’t,” to the idyllic Mountain Winery, where they’re sure to sing, laugh, riff and improvise about their years of friendship and endless well of comedic work. The two-man show is entirely new material, but will likely harken back to their partnership over the last fifty years, from Saturday Night Live, through Father of the Bride and many more beloved comedic works. Pack a vaccine card, hand sanitizer and some tissue for the tears from hearty laughter!

Steve Martin + Martin Short
Mon, 7:30pm, $69+
The Mountain Winery, Saratoga

When God decided humanity deserved an even gayer Simon & Garfunkel, She gave us the Indigo Girls. Three decades and fifteen studio albums later, Amy Ray and Emily Sailers are icons of LGBT music history. Last year’s release Look Long had the folk-rock royals invoking Americana imagery for a tense and troubled gaze at today’s U.S. of A., grounded by a deep and nostalgic love: “I’m just a gay kid in a small town who loves country radio,” Ray and Sailers harmonize. Supported on this leg of the tour by husband-and-wife gospel duo The War and Treaty, hearts will swell on this soulful evening.

Indigo Girls
Thu, 7:30pm, $39
Mountain Winery, Saratoga

The Mountain Winery kicks off its 2021 Concert Series with a visit from Nashville country pop vocal group Little Big Town. Originally formed back in the mid-90s when singers Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman reunited after harmonizing together in college, since the mid-2000s, they’ve gone on to win the Grammy’s Best Duo/Group Country Performance no less than three times. With them in Saratoga is recent ANTI- signee Madi Diaz, a talented singer/songwriter with just enough twang to slip onto the bill without seeming out of place. Catch her before the release of History of a Feeling this August.

Little Big Town
Sat, 7:30pm, $79+
The Mountain Winery, Saratoga

Fresh off the release of his latest standup special, comedian Bill Burr brings his outrage to Silicon Valley. The hour-long Paper Tiger, released on Netflix in September, takes aim at political correctness. “Everything has become absolutes,” Burr says, railing against what he perceives to be wrongheaded stances on both the left and the right. He questions the wisdom of the #MeToo slogan, “believe women” (“What about the psychos?!”), and blasts conservatives for blasting Colin Kaepernick. It’s a difficult needle to thread, especially for someone as white and loud as Burr. Then again, the Boston comedian has never shied away from controversy.

Bill Burr
Fri, 7:30pm, $115+
Mountain Winery, Saratoga