3rd Annual SLV Soccer Fundraiser Concert

On Friday December 21st we will be performing our third San Lorenzo Valley High-School Soccer Fundraiser Concert. Given that this is our third year in a row doing this, you probably know the backstory by now, but in case you don’t, here’s the abridged version. Jamie, Kyle, and myself all played soccer for San Lorenzo Valley High-School for four years. After graduating from SLV, I coached the Boy’s Junior Varsity team for four years before taking over the Girl’s Varsity team three years ago. For the past two seasons Jamie has been my assistant coach and we’ve had a blast doing it. Being the head coach of a Varsity Soccer team and being in a traveling band has certainly been a bit of a juggling act but we’ve always been able to pull it off. Sometimes it involves sprinting out of a practice to a gig and changing out of soccer shorts into jeans at the venue but it’s always worth it.

These fundraiser concerts have not only been a good way of raising money for the girl’s but also a fun way to show the team what Jamie and I are up to when we’re not on a soccer field. If you find yourself free on Friday December 21st we hope you come out to San Lorenzo Valley High School and check out their new Performing Arts Center where we will be performing. Our good friend, and SLV Alum, Henry Chadwick will be opening the show. Here’s some pictures of the girl’s soccer players that will be benefitting from you attending this show. They’re awesome kids. Show them support this Friday night.

San Lorenzo Valley High School Performing Arts Center, Felton December 21st Doors 7pm Show 7:30pm Henry Chadwick opens $20 https://slvsoccerconcert.brownpapertickets.com/

10/20, Moe’s Alley, & TP

On October 20th we return to Moe’s Alley in our hometown of Santa Cruz. Of course, we’re really excited to be back playing at Moe’s especially given that this is our first club date in Santa Cruz since May, so it feels long overdue. In addition to the normal excitement of playing a local show, October 20th is a date that’s marked on the Coffis calendar every year but has even a little extra significance this year.

Earlier this month marked the year anniversary of Tom Petty’s passing and October 20th would be Tom’s 68th Birthday. In the year since, we’ve started to play his songs on stage pretty regularly which is not something we did as much of before, oddly enough. I think we were playing You Wreck Me but that was about it. I’m not sure really why that was, but probably sort of out of respect to those songs or something. And like so many others, we’re still just as sad about Tom’s passing as we were a year ago, but throughout this year we’ve had a lot of fun playing his songs and the opportunities to play them continue to pop up. There was our show October 6th at Sutter Creek Provisions where there was so much Tom Petty memorabilia in the venue that it only felt right to play a half dozen Petty tunes, or earlier this Summer when John Craigie asked us to back him up on a set of Petty tunes at the Kate Wolf Music Festival, which still feels like one of the highlight sets of our year. But even aside from the real heavy Petty nights, we’ve been playing a song or two most nights seemingly. We played It’s Good To Be King at the Strawberry Music Festival, Love Is A Long Road on the Stompin’ Grounds Stage at the Whale Rock Music Festival, we encored our set at the Redwood Mountain Faire with Runnin’ Down a Dream and You Wreck Me, which featured a very surprised McCoy Tyler on lead guitar, and even made a video of Rebels at a distillery in Templeton (https://youtu.be/F7ye51l1rmE). Some nights they might feel really emotional and it can be difficult to get through, and other nights they’re just fun and sort of healing.

Tom Petty set at Kate Wolf with John Craigie

It turns out that we weren’t the only who had Tom’s Birthday on the calendar because we’ve noticed a lot of Tom Petty tribute shows going on that night which is really cool to see. Our show at Moe’s Alley will not be one of those Tom Petty Tribute Shows, but it was no accident that we chose this date to play in Santa Cruz. Whether we’re conscious of it or not, everything we do is in some way a tribute to Tom, and October 20th at Moe’s Alley will be no exception to that. If there’s one thing that might stand above everything else that Tom taught us, it was the importance of a song. So yeah, we’re going to play mostly Coffis Brothers songs that night. I think in some ways that’s as much of a tribute to Tom as anything we can do. With that said, if you think we’re going to play a show on Tom Petty’s Birthday in our hometown and not play at least a few Tom Petty songs then you don’t know us very well. And we can get pretty liberal with “a few” when it comes to Tom Petty songs. Tom Petty’s songs are our very favorite songs in the world and we want them to continue to be heard and played so we’re going to do our small part to make sure they always are.

Castoro Cellars in Templeton playing “It’s Good To Be King”

We look forward to seeing lots of friends, family, and fans at this show. We’re really excited to have our good friend, Taylor Rae who will be bringing her band with her to open the show. If you live in Santa Cruz then I’m sure you’re already familiar with Taylor, but if you aren’t then I’d really recommend you make a point to see her. You’ll love her.

The Coffis Brothers & the Mountain Men at Moe’s Alley

Saturday October 20th 8pm Doors 9pm Show with Taylor Rae Tickets- http://www.moesalley.com/artist.php?id=2811&artist=THE_COFFIS_BROTHERS_+_Taylor_Rae_Band

Lying on the stage at Moe’s Alley during “You Wreck Me” on October 13th, 2017

Sneak Peak Into Whale Rock Music & Arts 2018 With Luke Udsen

A little over a year ago we got an email from a guy named Luke to play at a festival called Whale Rock Music & Arts Festival. We weren’t very familiar with the festival as it was the first year under its new name (formerly Beaverstock,) we hadn’t met Luke before, but we pretty quickly agreed to play the festival. Soon after, Luke offered to shoot some live performance videos for us, so he and his three person video crew drove up to Ben Lomond from Paso Robles on a weekday and shot some videos on our parent’s back deck, and the videos turned out great. Check them out. (You And Me, Bad Luck Thing Called Love) A few months later we spent three days at Castoro Cellars in Templeton during Whale Rock and had a blast. We played two sets at the festival, we were treated really well by everyone, and we met a bunch of good people.

In the last year we’ve made several stops back at Castoro Cellars including playing a couple of shows at their tasting room, and each time we come we’re treated like family. We even shot a few more videos. (Whiskey Song, Rebels (Tom Petty) We’re really excited to be returning to Whale Rock this year (September 15 & 16) and we’d love to let more people know about the fine work they’re doing down in Templeton at Castoro Cellars during these two days at Whale Rock. We had the pleasure of talking with that guy I was telling you about, Luke Udsen just days before the sixth Whale Rock Music Festival. Here’s our conversation.

Kellen Coffis: Thanks for joining us, Luke, how’s it going?

Luke Udsen: It’s going great, man! Getting everything ready for the fun to come.

KC: What’s your involvement with this festival, Luke? Should we call you the CEO? General Manager? Producer? Editor-in-chief? What is it you say you do there at the Whale Rock headquarters.

LU: I definitely wear a lot of hats, but primarily I would say I’m the promoter. I handle all of the booking for Whale Rock and most of the marketing, promoting, etc. It’s definitely a group effort but that’s sort of my realm in a nutshell. 

KC: Interesting. So help me out here. I’m familiar with many different genres of music and rock like hard rock, alternative rock, folk rock, even yacht rock, but I’ve never heard of whale rock. Can you tell me what whale rock is and do all of these bands at the festival only play whale rock? I’m a big yacht rock fan. I’d imagine yacht rock and whale rock go together well.

LU: Oh for sure, that’s written into every band’s contract. Whale sounds, long, short, subtle, must be incorporated in some way throughout the set. In all seriousness, Whale Rock is the name of the vineyard the festival takes place in and the name comes from the petrified whale bones we find all throughout the vineyard.

KC: Okay. That makes sense. So the festival takes place on a winery. Castoro Cellars, right? Will you be serving some of this wine at the festival? Or do you just keep it for yourself?

LU: Oh, we serve plenty of wine at the festival, but if you want the really good stuff, you gotta find me and I’ll pour it from my bota bag.

KC:Great. I love wine from a bag. That’s the best stuff. So I know this is a music festival and that it’s on a winery, but what if I hate music and don’t drink wine? Got anything for me to do there?

LU:Oh yeah. We’ve got all kinds of stuff, for instance, craft beer, cider, kombucha (it’s all the rage these days), yoga, arts & crafts, silent disco, even a tea garden this year! If you’re a kid you’re in even more luck with free face painting, a musical petting zoo and natural fallen oak playground.

KC: Looks like you’ve done your homework. But what if I don’t like music, can’t, draw, don’t have kids, am allergic to fur, am more of a cross fitter than a yogi, and only drink coors light. Got anything for me now, wise guy?

LU: Absolutely. We’ve got an exit, unless you’re into BBQ, then we’ve got you covered.

KC: Well, I do love BBQ. Okay, I’m back in. Let’s talk music now. Looks like you’ve had a pretty wide range of bands come through the vineyard over the years. How’s the lineup looking this year?

LU: Yeah for sure we’ve had so many amazing artists over the years and this year is no different. There are touring bands coming from all over the country playing all kinds of music and most importantly they all play really good music. Good music that people can easily connect with. At least that’s the goal.

KC:That sounds great. I love good music. It’s my favorite. I’m also really into five piece bands rock bands. You know like, two guitars, bass, drums, keys, and maybe one’s with brothers. Got anything like that?

LU: Bummer, I didn’t book any of those this year. I did book this band called the Mountain Men. They shred

KC: Yeah, I think I know those guys.

LU :Yeah, their drummer, Sam is a real hard ass dude.

KC: Never mind. Must be a different band.  So you’ve got some great national touring acts but can I give you a tip? There’s a ton of great bands in the San Luis Obispo area. You ever think to have any of them at Whale Rock?

LU: For sure, we’ve actually got a nice mix of those suckers: Miss Leo & Her Bluegrass Boys, Nicole Stromose, B & The Hive, Mannequins By Day, Samba Loca, Arthur Watership, and Jade Jackson. 

KC: Good call. And again I think a five piece rock band from a beach town could really pull this whole festival together. Just a thought. This sounds like a great festival though and you’re starting to sell me on this, but I’m not quite sold. Is there anything else you can tell me to suede me into coming? I mean you seem like a nice guy and all but I don’t really know if I want to give you money to buy more of those hats you seem to wear so many of.

LU: Well, you my friend are in luck! Just by attending Whale Rock you are directly benefiting the Templeton High School music program. You buy a hat, a kid gets a trumpet or something along those lines…maybe a clarinet. Its totally worth it, even if you bought a ticket and decided to stay home and crossfit with your bros instead.

KC: Yeah, I’ve gotta get my pump on so we’ll see if I make it, but that’s good to know. I know there’s been a name change with the festival but by my count, 2018 makes this the sixth year of the festival. Is that correct?

LU: Yes sir, number six it is, kinda crazy for us. Seems like only yesterday she was born and finding her way. Now she’s all grown up.

KC: While we’re on the topic of being born yesterday and finding her way. I understand you’ve had some rather important changes to your life since Whale Rock number five.

LU: Indeed I have! My wife and I welcomed our daughter Ella into our lives in April, and she has been the boss ever since. She was actually at Whale Rock last year but was probably only the size of a kidney bean.

KC: Congratulations. Will Ella be making an appearance at the festival? Any bands she’s looking forward to seeing?

LU: Oh yeah, she’ll be there for sure. She’s super into all kinds of music but she definitely likes that band that sings “You And Me” and “Bad Luck.” I’m spacing on their name, but she loves their stuff.

KC: Sounds like a bright kid. I think we’ll get along really well. Alright, so this is what I’m hearing: There’s good live music, a variety of alcohols, dancing, exercising, animals, food, and were raising money for a high-school music program. Sounds like you’ve covered it all. Well done. Anything I’m missing? Any last messages you’d like to tell the people.

LU: There are two types of people. Those who Whale Rock and those who sit at home and watch everyone’s instagram stories….who do you want to be? I’ll take the whale any day.

KC: And remind me where and when this is happening, and if tickets are still available.

LU: It all goes down in the Whale Rock Vineyard at Castoro Cellars Winery September 15th & 16th and tickets are currently still available at www.whalerockmusicfestival.com

KC: Sounds like a good time. I think I’ll go. Why don’t you throw me on the guest list and I’ll see you there on September 15th.

LU: You got it!