Area 51

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Description:

Sound description: Santa Barbara's Area 51 has been the most popular club and party band in the area since they formed in 1996. The band's energy and charisma are scintillating. If you seek a band to sit and watch, seek elsewhere - if Area 51 is playing, people are DANCING!

Area 51 has built a strong and varied play list of the now popular "old-school" funk, as well as the best Soul, R&B, Motown, and Disco selections from the 70's, 80's, and 90's. Their eight piece lineup includes bass, drums, keyboard, guitar, a horn section to delight and amaze you, and three versatile and charismatic vocalists blending harmonies and leading the front line's choreographed dance moves.

Members of Area 51 are also some of the finest Jazz and classical musicians in the area, which allows them to offer the best musical services for your ceremonies, cocktail, and dining sets before the dancing begins.

By day, Andrews, Mari Martin, Maitland Ward, Steevy Weevy, Steve Fortner, Brad Sherman, Ron McCarley, and Steve Stassi's alter egos include a restaurant manager, a librarian, and a Raytheon employee, but the band said its collective purpose is to "make you forget your troubles, revel in the sound and the music, and serve the community by inspiring a celebration of life." That's the way, uh huh uh huh, I like it. -The Indy

History
Twelve years ago, Michael Andrews placed an ad in the Indy calling for like-minded musicians to recall the Funky Town tunes of his youth. What Andrews found were seven "soul" mates eager to boogie along with his fun-loving approach to the '70s music revival. They compiled a list of party favorites spanning old-school soul, Motown, R&B, funk, and disco from the '70s onward, and started making musical love.

When Area 51 jammed onstage at 1996's Solstice Celebration in Alameda Park and thousands of listeners danced along to the throwback tunes, the band immediately became a Santa Barbara party favorite. Andrews and Co. started bringing the groove to corporate funktions and lining up crowds at regular SOhO gigs.


Formed
1996, Santa Barbara, CA