Category Archives: April Foolery

April Foolery 2023 Was a Sold-out Success!

Posted on by Posted in April Foolery

This year’s fundraiser was so much fun, and we have so many people to thank for its unparalleled success. 

April Foolery at The California with Foxes in the Henhouse

Hip Hip Huzzah to all of you!

  • To everyone who supported us with your presence and your donations
  • To our awesome volunteers, for so graciously helping at the door
  • To The California staff, volunteers, and Chief Eternal Optimist Argo Thompson for being so welcoming, accommodating, and great to work with
  • To Alex Shapiro for being stagehand extraordinaire
  • To Scott Gilroy for keeping it live and sounding awesome, recording the show
  • To the Foxes in the Henhouse for starting things off in style
  • To The Pulsators for being your rockin’, joyful selves
  • To juggler Antonio Foggetti for keeping so many balls in the air between bands
  • To Thea Daniels for presiding over the costume contest as the Queen of Fools
  • To Jason Baldwin for photography and video during the event
  • To our amazing corporate sponsors EBA Engineering, West County Net, and Oliver’s Market, and many more (full list here) 
  • And this just in . . . This event is funded, in part, by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. Thank you supervisors! 
  • Thank you, Kristen Madsen of Creative Sonoma for letting us know about the grant Community Investment Fund grant, and for Sonoma County Supervisor Chris Coursey for recommending Sonoma County Dance Beat’s to the board.
  • Last, but not least, to Kevin Hutchinson (from Ann), for keeping the calendar populated and doing the other stuff I couldn’t do while fundraising and publicizing the event.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

April Foolery at The California with The Pulsators for dancers
View the April Foolery photos and videos by Jason Baldwin

We rely on your support 

If you couldn’t get tickets, or couldn’t come, but would like to help keep the calendar going, please consider a donation. We count on community support to keep the calendar free for everyone it serves.

Donate to help keep the calendar free

April Foolery Tickets On Sale (and Line-up Change)

Posted on by Posted in April Foolery

Tickets are now on sale for your favorite fundraising dance party! This is our first fundraiser since the 2020 party that the pandemic thwarted. To celebrate the return of live music, and the fact that we can celebrate on our birthday, April Fools, we’re pulling out all the stops! We’re bringing back the costume contest and door prizes, and adding a juggler.

The Pulsators

Glen Sullivan blowing on his trumpet, Johnny Campbell tossing a drumstick up in the air, Rick Clifford blowing his sax, and three more The Pulsators members seated in front.

The Pulsators have been playing together for decades, tearing the house down with their spicy mix of hard driving rockin’ R&B, New Orleans style funk and rock steady reggae, with a steady dose of blues. Sonoma County dancers love to Pulsate! The Pulsators are: Johnny Campbell on Lead Vocals and Drums, Doug McKenzie on Guitar, Mick Whittington on Bass, Rick Clifford on Saxophone, Glenn Sullivan on Trumpet and John Farey on Keyboards. Learn more at pulsators.com.

Foxes in the Henhouse

If you haven’t heard the Foxes in the Henhouse, you are in for a treat! Get to the dance party early, so you can get those dances shoes on and hit the floor for the most danceable blue grass band in the North Bay.

Foxes In The HenHouse is five audacious women with stunning three-part harmonies and mad instrumental skills. From a bluegrass Bob Marley tune to a swinging Jimmie Rodgers number. It’s the lovechild of Doc Watson and Mavis Staples—a soulful quartet at the intersection of Americana, country, blues, jazz, gospel, bluegrass, cowboy, and swing.

Band members, as seen above, left to right, are: Andrea Ringlein (guitar and vocals), Pamela Joyce (bandleader and multi-instrumentalist and vocals), Kathie Rothkop (drums), Dorian Bartley (upright bass and vocals), and Alice Fitzwater (fiddle and vocals). Wait till you see Kathie come out with her stumpfiddle! 

Buy Tickets Now through The California