Spotlight on Joao Erbetta and Crazy Joe Tritschler

Producer, label owner and electric guitar wizard Joao Erbetta plays instrumental surf music, but with a twist—his variety of surf includes country, jazz, traditional Brazilian folk, pop, Latin, rock, Hawaiian and more, with wide-ranging influences including the Ventures, Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Al Caiola and Deke Dickerson. Based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Erbetta has played in the power trio Los Pirata and in Forro in the Dark and has recorded four albums. Appearing with Erbetta at the Cityfolk Festival are guitarist Crazy Joe Tritschler, leader of Crazy Joe and the Mad River Outlaws, the Dayton area’s premier rockabilly-country-blues-surf band, and the Cincinnati-based rhythm section of Brian Aylor (drums) and Chris Douglas (bass).

Tritschler says, "Joao and I met at Deke Dickerson's Guitar Geek Festival in Anaheim, California several years ago and we immediately took a liking to each others' sound and style. He asked me how I got such a lush, twangy sound out of my custom-made guitar; I told him he reminded me of a surf-y Les Paul, as if Les had been born 15 years later in Brazil.  I've followed Joao's career and catalog through the years and simply can't wait to share the stage with him at the Cityfolk Festival."

 These clips give you an idea of how they sound on their own (the first two are of Joao, the last of Joe). Hear the magic they create together on Saturday in the intimate setting of the Material Culture Stage and on the Main Stage on Sunday.