Squeezing Beasts

Volpi's Ristorante, in the heart of Petaluma and therefore a farmers' joint, has a small, taxidermy-filled back room. The walls are both greasy and fuzzy, and the color scheme is somewhere between fish tank and meat locker. This haven is also a well-known accordion bar, where grandmotherly women and silver-haired gents pour their hearts out in songs of the old country, whether that be Germany or Italy. It’s a quaint tableau, a fine example of the more composed side of the accordion scene in the Bay Area, which begs the question: Is there a freaky side? You bet your squeezebox there is, especially tonight, when local accordion heartthrob (yes, such a thing exists) Mark Growden joins Seattle’s Jason Webley on his Monsters of Accordion tour, which trades the classics for dirty klezmer, Dead Kennedys covers, and glam rock. The lineup also features Oakland’s Duckmandu and Kimric Smythe, as well as New York’s Corn Mo, Vancouver’s Geoff Berner, and Portland’s Eric Stern.
Fri., Aug. 24, 9 p.m.