The live music lineup at the 2018 Sonoma farmers market

The Valley of the Moon Certified Farmers Market, aka the Tuesday night farmers market, returns Tuesday, May 1.

Launched in the mid 1980s, the market has grown into “the place to be” for hundreds of locals and, yes, tourists alike. Given the wonderful weather in Sonoma, the lovely setting of the Plaza, and the picturesque backdrop that City Hall provides, it’s no wonder the farmers market is a welcome weekly destination for so many.

Many go for the delicious food offered by vendors, or the farm-fresh produce trucked in from local farms. But the big draw for others is the live music.

This season, over the course of ?21 Tuesdays, attendees will hear from ?18 local bands, who typically open their set at around 6 p.m. and finish up by ?8 p.m.

Interspersed in the program are four performances courtesy of the Sonoma Valley Jazz Society. These concerts, held in the amphitheater, are also free and start at 6 p.m. (On these dates, the shows on the lawn will be acoustic.) The jazz series kicks off on June 12 with Jamie Dubberly and Orquestra Dharma.

Gerard and Mary Serafini are in their second season as the music coordinators of the Tuesday night market. They have secured a strong lineup of local bands for this year’s listening pleasures. Gerard says they have made an effort to “present local bands who have made contributions to the local community” over the years. They contacted most of the same bands from last year, and all accepted with excitement, he says. One or two new bands will be presented, again rewarding that same commitment to local music.

In addition to doing the booking, Gerard will be setting up and mixing the sound, assisted by his son Max, whose back is a bit stronger than his own. (Those sub-woofers are heavy.)

Given the size of the crowd, the farmers market is one of the biggest and most important gigs of the season for most bands. Perhaps not the best-paying, at around $200 plus tips, but it’s a big deal.

Chris Welsh, manager of the market, estimates that between 1,500 and 2,000 people might be listening on any given evening.

The crowd is also attentive, and impressions can be made. Therefore, many bands choose to augment their personnel, or perhaps switch instrumentation, for a bigger sound.

The first band to perform this season has done just that. The Straw Wattles have become the Electric Wattles. They are a four piece band, featuring Adam Traum, Jack Hines, Josh Yenne and, for this gig, Mickey Lee Cannon. Straw becomes Electric because of the added Fender Telecaster played by Yenne. Stylistically, Traum calls them “country folk.” They will perform mostly original songs, but are sure to add a few “good time” songs.

Of the four members of the Electric Wattles, two are full-time musicians, one is a mostly a full-time musician, and one is a local teacher. Look forward to them playing primarily acoustic instruments, save the hot licks of Yenne on the Tele’.

On June 5, the Scarlett Letters will be the musical focus. The band is lead by Sue Albano on vocals and bass; Chris Caselli, guitar and vocals; Nick Cordellos on drums; and Mark Costanzo has been brought in on saxophone.

Albano describes her influences as, “my girls: Stevie Nicks and Carole King.” As a kid, she says her older siblings dosed her on Southern rock and Creedence Clearwater Revival, still staples in her musical mix tape. When they play at the market, expect a few originals by Albano, as well as tunes by Norah Jones, the Rolling Stones, 4 Non Blondes, Radiohead and, as Albano says, “songs you know.”

She says that she loves playing the market. “It feels like a mini ‘Day on the Green,’ Sonoma style,” says Albano

The members of Scarlett Letters all have other sources of income, and the music is what keeps them all sane. Albano is multi-faceted, spending time as a yoga instructor and artist. Cordellos is a house painter, and Caselli has worked at the SDC for 30 years.

Serafini will also be playing with his band, Peace of G, at the market on June 26. He has a long history of playing in local bands, going back to 1999 with Driven. This offering will be a double bill, with Peace of G and Ten Foot Tone.

Both bands have shared members over the years, with Gerard having played in both. Jon Williams fronts the Ten Foot Tone group; Michael Noel is in both bands; Dave McKee plays the drums in Tone; and Meghan Peddicord sits in on viola. It will be two sets of largely original material, most written by Williams and Serafini.

The 2018 Tuesday night farmers market is setting up very nicely musically, this was only three of the 18 bands featured this season – so get out to the Plaza and have some fun! Throw the dancing shoes in the bag, too.