Lolo’s Lounge 2024!

Lolo’s Lounge Series will be back once again for 2024 with 3 different Cabaret shows at the Center for the Arts In Grass Valley, Ca. Produced & hosted by Lorraine Gervais, each show features conversations and great performances with other locally known professional singers from different musical backgrounds, including Soul, Blues, American Roots, Jazz and beyond. For Lorraine and her guests it’s a great opportunity to have fun onstage performing some new and different material than they might normally play in their regular gigs. All shows are backed by Lolo’s Lounge All Star players— Ray Sayre, Matt Langley, Tim Bulkley, Charlie Faber, and Chris and Jon Kelly. Other featured band guests to be announced.

All photos: Kim Sayre Photography

Mar 15th, 2024
Special Guest: Elena rayo

Now in her third year of hosting Lolo’s Lounge with local guest artists, Lorraine Gervais is very happy to have Elena Rayo onstage with her, on March 15th, 2024. The two singers haven’t performed together onstage in many years and they’re looking forward to this fun and musical adventure! They’ve chosen an array of blues, soul, and jazz tunes from iconic and strong women singers; Bonnie Raitt, Annie Lennox, Dusty Springfield, Heart, Amy Winehouse and Wynonna Judd, to name a few. This show will backed by the highly talented group of Lolo’s Lounge players who continue to have fun with every new tune— every time!  Ray Sayre, Chris and Jon Kelly, Matt Langley, Tim Bulkley, and Charlie Faber. Lorraine is also excited to have singer/songwriter Michelle Amador joining the crew to sing backups and add some general badassery to the stage.

Elena says about the upcoming concert with Lolo’s Lounge: 

“I’m so over the moon about being able to perform with some of my favorite musical heroes! Lolo has come up with a beautiful concept for songs and styles I’e never really sung before. I can’t wait for this opportunity to dive deep into this material, and bring it to life with the help and collaboration of Lolo and her band. I’m also so excited to perform for my first time on the new stage in the refurbished Center for the Arts. I’ve seen a few shows there and just love the sound and visuals and seating. I hope to see so many of my favorite people there and meet some new friends!” 

Elena Rayo is a lifelong musician, with her roots in Wisconsin and over two decades living in Nevada City, California. She studied classical violin from the age of five, played in countless bands through college, and taught herself to play guitar before putting out 5 studio albums and touring the US for several years.  After joining forces with fellow musician, and late husband, the legendary Saul Rayo, they played shows worldwide, recorded 5 albums, and built a beautifully vibrant recording studio at their home in the Sierra Foothills called Ancient Wave Studios.

June 9th, 2024
Special Guest: Alvetta Newby-Jones
tribute to Queens of Soul & Funk

We’re all excited to have Alvetta Newby-Jones coming back to Grass Valley to share the stage once again with Lorraine— this time they’ll be taking on some of the most iconic women’s soul grooves thru the ages in their tribute to the Queens of Soul and Funk. Come out and share a great night with two old friends who love to sing together and who share a love of the positive power of music. Along with special guest, drummer Richard Jones— sharing percussion and drums with the regular Lolo’s Lounge All Star players; drummer Tim Bulkley, Michelle Amador on backing vocals, Chris and Jon Kelly on piano and horns, Matt Langley on sax, Ray Sayre on guitar and Charlie Faber on bass. A fun and funky get down night to be sure!

Oct 6th, 2024
Special Guest: Chris & Jon Kelly

Lolo’s Lounge 2023

Oct 8th, 2023
Special Guest: Jon and Chris Kelly
SOulful popish • rockish • Bluesy • Jazzy

The Center for the Arts, Grass Valley Ca.

Lolo’s Cabaret Lounge will be back in full force on October 8 (our seventh show in the series) with a couple of Lorraine’s all-time favorite musical partners in crime, Chris and Jon Kelly. Identical twins and all around bon vivants whose gifts include piano, guitar, trumpet, a love for strong three-part harmonies, and the tradition of a few whiskey nips for the band to keep rehearsals on the right track. All three singers enjoy way too many kinds of music, so they’re going for a wide range of cool soulful songs with interesting grooves, big vocals, and sensational storytelling, all played by a solid band and full horn section. They’ll be playing songs from Marc Broussard, George Michael, Andreas Aleman, Bobby Caldwell, OutKast, Tevin Campbell, Tina Turner, Mindi Abair, Peter Gabriel, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Brand New Heavies and yes — even a bit of Tom Jones and more!  Along with the usual lineup of Lolo’s stellar players: Ray Sayre, Tim Bulkley, Charlie Faber and Matt Langley, they’re also excited to have special guest keyboardist and old friend Bob Villwock flying in from Austin, Tony Unger on nylon-string guitar, and newcomer to the roster, Tyler Smith, on sax from Truckee rounding out the horn section. With this ten-piece band on stage, this evening is going to be one you really don’t want to miss. 

The twins have had the great pleasure of performing with Lorraine on several occasions, both as backup singers and as band mates (with plenty of buffoonery in-between).  They are thrilled and grateful for this opportunity to once again share the stage with the legendary Lolo as featured vocalists, and to bring you a collection of songs never before performed by the twins (or by anybody else on that stage for that matter).  Featuring the magic grooves of Lolo’s band and a dreamy horn section, it will be a night to remember with Lolo and the Brobros!    

Jon and Chris Kelly are twin brothers who grew up here in Grass Valley. Playing piano from a very early age, their musical interests continued to develop through multiple facets, including trumpet, french horn, percussion and choir.  After graduating from Nevada Union High School, their ongoing musical pursuits included both undergraduate studies in jazz and musical theatre, as well performance opportunities through west coast touring, cruise ship contracts and regional theatre contracts on the East Coast.  They now spend the majority of their time performing their “The Kelly Twins Dueling Pianos” show, which they have been bringing to Northern California audiences since 2008.

May 7th, 2023
Special Guest: Tamara Fouyer
Jazz & Pop

The Center for the Arts, Grass Valley Ca.

As official Groove Hostess, Lorraine Gervais continues to bring locally known guest performers onstage with her for the Lolo’s Lounge Cabaret Series. For May 7th’s show, she and her fellow bandmates are looking forward to bringing Tamara Fouyer onstage as the featured vocal guest along with Tamara’s long time pianist, Alan Feeny. One of Lorraine’s goals for each show has been to dive into some new musical territories for both musicians and audience. While Tamara is primarily known for being a jazz singer, she’s been very happy to go down some new musical paths for this show with some fun brainstorming between the two singers. The result is what they are calling a “Double Standards” kind of show—combining iconic pop and soul tunes into jazz arrangements and creating some new classics along the way. With a little something for everyone, the evening will include a dip into pure Ella Fitzgerald and Eartha Kitt, and on into some new jazzy and funky vibes from performers like Annie Lennox, Procol Harem, Lizzo, the Shirelles, Katrina and the Waves, Credence, Bill Withers, Amy Winehouse, and yes— even Rod Stewart! As usual Lorraine and her guests are backed by a group of stellar players who are well versed and very happy to play for these unique shows. They only happen once so get your tickets and meet up with some friends for a music filled night!

Tamara Fouyer is a longtime Nevada County resident who has followed her musical dreams of performing since childhood. With a love of music from classical opera, Broadway to jazz, she has performed in many shows including solo cabarets, accompanied by pianist Alan Feeney, at the Miners Foundry, The Center for the Arts and at Off Broadstreet Theater. Tamara has also performed with Cabernet Duo and Swingtime Jazz Combo at other various local venues. After studying classical voice and piano in her early years with Laura June Breen, who influenced her life and vocal style, she then attended college in Spain. Tamara continues to share her love of performing and incorporating Romance languages and enduring melodies with local audiences. She lives in Grass Valley with husband, Jason Fouyer, and their two children.

March 5th, 2023
Special Guest: Cassidy Joy
Rock Pop & Soul — Laura Nyro, Dionne Warwick, Carly Simon, Norah Jones, KD Lang, Christine McVie and many more.

The Center for the Arts, Grass Valley Ca.

Lolo’s Lounge Series is back for 2023! Now in her second year of hosting special guests who are locally known and performing in many different musical genres, Lorraine Gervais is happy to welcome Cassidy Joy to share the stage with her. As original members of the Velvet Foxes in early 2020 (along with Alvetta Newby-Jones), they’ve been looking forward to having an opportunity to sing together again— and here it is! With this show they’ll be performing the music of some of their favorite women singers of rock, soul and pop, starting back in the 1960’s with Laura Nyro, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Other music legends include Dionne Warwick, Carly Simon, Norah Jones, KD Lang, Christine McVie and many more. As always, the band onstage behind them is comprised of a core group of stellar players (Ray Sayre, Tim Bulkley and Charlie Faber), with very talented guests Chris and Jon Kelly on guitar, trumpet, piano, and backup harmonies. A show that just shouldn’t to be missed!

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Cassidy Joy is a multi-genre vocalist, instrumentalist and songwriter, with roots spanning from Celtic & Folk music to Classic Rock, Country, Pop and beyond. 

Most prominently known for being 1/2 of the local female folk duo Sugar Mountain (with Karen Woerner), Joy has also made a name for herself as a successful solo artist and band leader, and has contributed vocals throughout the years to Cousin Cricket, The Rayos, Objects In The Mirror, Achilles Wheel, The Velvet Foxes, and more. 

In 2019, Joy was chosen to record vocals on a Peter Blachley album alongside Folk legends David Mansfield and Henry Diltz, and in 2021, Sugar Mountain was the opening group for international guitar icon Tommy Emmanuel. Under her own direction, she has also lead bands both large and small to festival stages, and produced & starred in an endearing Linda Ronstadt Tribute concert in 2016 with a 13-piece band. 

While her solo material consists of some original songs, Joy identifies most as an Interpretive singer, finding inspiration in music from decades & centuries before, and in breathing new life into old melodies. 

Dec 4th, 2022
Special Guest Jamal Walker
All things Heart and Soul

The Center for the Arts, Grass Valley Ca.

Jamal Walker joins Lorraine as her special guest for a final Lolo’s Lounge Cabaret Show for 2022. The two friends have sung together many times through the years and share a love of all things with heart and soul and a bluesy R&B groove. Backed by Lorraine’s all star band, they’ll be singing well loved classics from Donny Hathaway to Nat King Cole, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra, Van Morrison, Nina Simone to Joni Mitchell, and more. Along with a couple of holiday tunes thrown in for some seasonal cheer, Lorraine and Jamal are looking forward to singing up a fun party to lift everyone’s spirits onstage and off.

A local favorite for 30 years, Jamal is a blues and soul singer with the band Elevation, a DJ at My Way Productions Entertainment, and a professional chef and baker. He’s also co-founder of Creating Communities Beyond Bias, along with his role as Community Relations Coordinator with the Grass Valley Police Department and the City of Grass Valley.

Oct 2nd, 2022

guest singers: Jenn Knapp + China Kopp
The Soul of Country

The Center for the Arts, Grass Valley Ca.

Lorraine and her very special guest Jenn Knapp are excited to sing together again, this time kicking up their heels with “The Soul of Country”, looking back to the beginnings of Black Blues and Country in the early 1900’s and how it influenced the path of modern Country music. From pioneer musicians like Blind Willie Johnson and Memphis Minnie, to Hank Williams and Kitty Wells, Dolly Parton, Ray Charles, Patsy Cline to Beyonce and more, Lorraine and Jenn will be sharing the stories of life, love, and hardships of traditional American Roots music. Jenn’s daughter, China Kopp, will be joining them for the first time onstage to add her singing talents and perspective to this timeless music as well. The band is a great combination of players from both Jenn’s band, Buckstar and from Lorraine’s regular band members.

Lorraine & Jenn have sung together through the years at the Center for the Arts in various tribute shows to Aretha, Fleetwood Mac, Lou Reed and more. As assistant vocal coach in the long running weekly Community Music Jam (funded by the Irvine Foundation to the Center), Jenn helped Lorraine direct the 30 singers who were a regular part of the larger 60 piece community members band who came to experience playing music together with the help of professional musicians. They’ve always had a great time singing together in whatever band or venue or style of music!

Jenn Knapp is true local. Born and raised in Alleghany, she inherited her grandfather’s 67’ Martin guitar and has been making music with it ever since. As front woman and songwriter to rock bands the “Cheatin Buzzies” and “BuckStar”, she has released 6 albums, played hundreds of shows and inspired audiences throughout the region. Music and its power to tell a story and invoke true connection is her passion. After watching the Ken Burns documentary “Country Music”, Jenn was inspired to dig into the roots of American Music, thus creating a new dimension of her career to share with audiences.