Mark your calendars now (or circle the event on the UnderCurrentEvents Calendar). On June 22 at 8pm, as part of the “Nights in the Plaza” series at Arte Americas, Patrick Contreras’s “American Gypsy” concert will feature his ten-member band as well as various guest musicians in an event you won’t want to miss.

Patrick explained that he wanted to put together an evening that wasn’t just another gig, but “a concert concert… the kind of thing you’d pay money to see in San Francisco or Los Angeles.” American Gypsy is a world class group with world-wide influences, and like gypsies, they roam around and don’t settle down on just one genre. Having versatile and versed musicians gives Patrick the opportunity to incorporate a mix of traditional sounds with a modern style. It’s a “melting pot sound… like Fresno,” Patrick added. His unique style of fusion first emerged following a concert during which he played songs from a wide variety of styles—then the styles started blending together within individual songs.

Fresno musician Patrick Contreras has been playing the violin for twenty years. He emphasizes the importance of the Fresno Unified School District’s music program in his own development as a musician and the importance of school music programs in general. He currently has one semester left at California State University-Fresno, but already Contreras will be doing lots of performing next year, both in California and during his travels to Chicago, Atlanta, Austin, and Mexico City.

I’m sure the people who see Contreras while on tour will be as amazed with him as I and other Fresnans have been. Not only is it immediately obvious that he’s an incredibly proficient violinist, he also plays the violin in ways you’ve never imagined possible. Couple that with the impressive lineup of performers in “American Gypsy,” and the result is certain to be amazing. The full band includes:
Patrick Contreras..1st violin
Jason Williams (of the Super Lucky Catz) - Drums
Bronson Garza (of 40 Watt Hype) - Bass
Aaron Wall (of 40 Watt Hype)
Danny Mendoza - Keyboards
Steve Ono - Guitar
Richard Juarez (of the Jay Rossette Project) -congas
Selin Eskendarian - 2nd violin
Teri Corales - Viola
Desiree Castro - Cello
Guest artists for the Arte Americas concert include:
Eva Scow - mandolin
Jay Rossette - guitarist
Cuadro Español Flamenco Dance troupe

Tickets for the concert are $10 in advance or $12 at the gate. You’ll also be able to check out “American Gypsy” on their forthcoming cd, which is expected to be available in August or September 2007 and will include 13 tracks