Watermelon Music

In this cabaret performance at the Melon Ball, Django Nachmanoff pushes back against musical theatre typecasting, playing against body type and character type simultaneously. Accompanied by his father, Dave Nachmanoff, he promises an entertaining evening of humor and song. Born and raised in Davis, Django is currently working on a BFA in Theatre Education and Performance at Emerson College in Boston.

$10 General Admission
Doors open at 7:00pm

The Willow Snags (Sacramento, CA) are a rock band rooted in the blues and psychedelia of the 1960s. Typically found performing 2 - 3 hour sets in local haunts and dive bars in the Sacramento area, The Willow Snags had the honor of opening up for the legendary 4 Non Blondes at the Great American Music Hall on 12/17/2025.

Featuring the talents of UC Davis alumni Mia Mercado on electric organ/vocals, UC Davis alumni Diego Martinez-Campos on percussion, Joshua Williams on lead guitar, Marisol Werner on rhythm guitar, and Johnny Mercado on vocals.

Alaskan Bull Worm - Video
Sister - Video

Instagram
Spotify
Apple Music

$15 General Admission
Doors open at 7:30pm
This is a BYOB Event!

Are you a guitarist who's always wanted to be in a band but never had the chance or thought you could be? Or are you already in a band and want more strategies and techniques to take your musicianship to the next level? Whatever your musical background, this workshop is for you! As an experienced master class instructor, Richard knows how to bring folks of varying levels of experience together so newer players never feel left out or confused, and more advanced guitarists are never bored or restrained to slow down for the beginner. Under Richard’s direction, we will ‘create a band’ on the spot with a combination of rhythms, fingerpicking, and a touch of music theory. You’ll learn how to: join and exit the group, listen to yourself and each other, vary your dynamic attack, play with your eyes closed, follow your breath, and release body tension. He’ll also experiment with different instrumental voicings with the use of a capo to create a layered, symphonic sound. You’ll leave the workshop knowing you gained valuable new skills and contributed to making some beautiful noise with others who love the guitar too.

Skills Needed: Some experience with a few basic chords and strumming. Barre chords and fingerpicking are helpful but not required.

What to Bring: A guitar. Optional but helpful: tuner, capo, pencil, and paper. Handout materials will be provided.

Teacher: Never one to settle for the boring or mundane, Richard Gilewitz surprises audiences with his hilariously eccentric vision of the world and its inhabitants alongside breathtaking fingerstyle artistry on the 6- and 12-string guitar. Named one of the top fingerstyle guitarists of all time, Richard invariably captivates listeners with uniquely emotional interpretations of romping knuckle busters and contemplative classical tunes reimagined for steel strings. He credits his ability to pull the deepest breath out of a tune to having studied for decades with a classical guitarist, who was himself taught by a violinist who played alongside Albert Einstein. That is Richard in a nutshell…unusual, unique, surprising, and a master of fingerstyle guitar.