TICKETS are $20 General/$10 Student.

Please buy online in advance, as we may sell out. Seating is first come first serve. Doors open at 6:30 pm. We will NOT be offering alcoholic beverages at this event. No BYOB. You are welcome to bring in food however.

Internationally acclaimed Occidental Gypsy plays an exhilarating blend of gypsy, jazz and folk music that enraptures the listener with a complex acoustic sound, burnished by smooth vocals reminiscent of the first era of swing. Their pioneering approach to Gypsy music pays homage to Django Reinhardt and expands the genre to include elements of western (Occidental) sounds and rhythms, including blues, Klezmer and Latin. Their original songs are deeply complex and challenging to execute, and are often considered a “natural evolution” of Reinhardt’s sounds were he still alive today. 

Their energetic shows have garnered them fans among the most discerning musicians, and new gypsy lovers alike.  Occidental Gypsy will perform new original pieces and classic covers from their latest CD "44070," including two historically-based human rights songs, which feel relevant today. 44070/Song for Vrba is a tribute and musical illustration of the escape of Rudof Vrba and Alfred Wetzler from the Auschwitz concentration camp during WWII. Subsequent to the escape, the two men compiled a report describing the mass executions occurring at the camp and therefore was able to halt deportations from Budapest saving upwards of 100,000 people.  

Jeremy Frantz - Hailing from Pittsburgh, Jeremy  earned his Masters of Music in Guitar Performance in Spring 2015 from Duquesne University, where he studied extensively with legendary jazz guitarist Joe Negri. His background and performance history includes powerful jazz guitar with sultry and smooth vocals reminiscent of the bygone era of swing. Jeremy is the most recent addition to the band, and brings a straight-ahead jazz sensibility and tight playing that serves as a fantastic counterpoint to the wildly driving gypsy rhythms. 

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Brett Feldman - ‘Mr. Feldman began to reveal his mastery on the guitar, cajoling and coaxing a symphony of sound from the instrument he so clearly held jurisdiction over.’ – Concert Review by Near North  Feldman is one of the founding members of Occidental Gypsy, and plays and learns music in the true gypsy tradition: by ear. When Feldman first heard Django Reinhardt’s Hot Club Jazz, a passionate love affair with this spirited music (and it can be argued, the gypsy lifestyle) began. Within the band, his talent for composing and arranging this complex music is showcased in a number of original works. In a recent concert review, N. North writes: “One of the many highlights came before a song when Mr. Feldman spoke of a number he had written and dedicated to the memory of Rudolf Vrda an Auschwitz escapee whose reporting of the atrocities occurring in the camp led to an end to Hungarian deportation of Jews to Germany saving some 200,000 lives.  The tune was rather remarkable with a performance that wove it seamlessly into the story and Mr. Feldman’s intro also led this listener to a little research on the man who inspired the effort, a man deserving of innumerable accolades for his courage and fortitude.” 

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Eli Bishop - Eli Bishop is an American violinist, composer, and arranger who is recognized for his virtuosity and versatility across multiple genres of music. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Eli began playing the Suzuki method of violin at the age of 3 under the tutelage of his mother, going on to study jazz and fiddle styles in his teenage years.  Eli has performed with artists including Wynton Marsalis, Lee Ann Womack, Asleep at the Wheel, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, The Video Game Orchestra, and as a member of the Grand Ole Opry’s house band. Eli has also worked as an arranger for Grammy-nominated video game composer Austin Wintory (composer of Journey , Assassin's Creed: Syndicate ), and has recorded with Dolly Parton for Dollywood.  In addition to his recording work with musical artists, Eli has recorded for corporate commercials for Samsung. His musical work spans many mediums of the entertainment industry, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s movie, Don Jon, as well as the recent Billy Crystal movie, Here Today. Minecraft: Pirates of the Caribbean features Eli’s solo violin work with orchestra. The Chicago Tribune has praised Eli’s “silken legato phrases, impeccable pitch and seemingly effortless technique in fast-moving passages...”  Eli set the Guinness World Record in 2014 for “Most Claps in a Minute” at a staggering 1,020 claps in 60 seconds , and has demonstrated his skill on a high speed camera with viral sensation, “ The Slow Mo Guys ” (Youtube subscription: 13,500,00). Eli has appeared on national TV shows such as Rob Dyrdek’s: “Amazingness,” as well as international appearances in Hong Kong and on China’s wildly popular TV show “Happy Camp,” with a regular viewership in the tens of millions. In 2018 Eli broke the record once more by clapping 1,103 times in one minute.