ALO

ALO stands for Animal Liberation Orchestra – because music liberates the inner animal, of course. As liberated as they come, Zach Gill, Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz, and Steve Adams have certainly been at this a long time, having connected through their love of music while still pre-teens in Saratoga, California. Twenty-five years in, Gill (keyboards/vocals), Lebo (guitar/vocals), Adams (bass, vocals) and newest addition, Bay Area drum legend-in-training Ezra Lipp (drums, vocals), have recorded their greatest work to date. These guys have played with everybody. From royalty like Phil Lesh and members of the Grateful Dead, to So Cal surf-troubadour Jack Johnson.

ALO call their music “jam-pop,” and the description is apt – meticulously-crafted/accessibly-hooky compositions laced with improvisational departures, in which the band melds into a single organism in voice and consciousness. They’re always exploring, but never wandering. There is always intention, momentum, and a patience and confidence that can only be wrought from a quarter century of collaboration and water under the bridge. The band’s new full-length album Silver Saturdays is a celebration of that crooked path, of having lived through a turbulent phase of human history, and of the winding road still to come.

Donavon Frankenreiter

For nearly four decades Donavon Frankenreiter has been traveling the globe, first as a professional surfer and now as a musician. Born in Southern California, Donavon spent most of his youth chasing waves, turning pro at the age of 16. These days instead of surf competitions, it’s concert halls that bring the artist to town, where he entertains audiences with his unique blend of laid-back grooves, philosophical lyrics, and soulful delivery. This year, Frankenreiter is releasing his first studio album in 9 years, out September 20, 2024. The album, entitled Get Outta Your Mind, marks the 20-year anniversary of his self-titled debut album.