Gigi and her Atomic Hipsters Variety Band from Los Angeles, CA

Gigi and Her Atomic Hipsters is the newest and coolest band to invade the hi-fi soundscape! The band features the exotic Gigi on accordion and steel drums, the lush sounds of Craig Fundyga on vibraphone, the ethereal guitar rhythms by Chuck Alvarez, the solid bass stylings of Benj Clarke, bongos and birdcalls by percussionist Bobby Easton, and the earthbound beats of Simon Carroll. Whether it is on the festival concert stage or your special intimate event, Gigi and Her Atomic Hipsters are sure to be a hit. Gigi and her Atomic Hipsters was formed in 2012 as the result of Gigi being a special guest performer at the Grand Performances summer concert series. The concert program was called "The San Pedro Squeeze," which showcased performers and music that represented the ethnic communities of San Pedro, California. Four accordionists from the United States and Canada were chosen to perform; Gigi was one of them and knew it would be the perfect opportunity to bring to fruition a band project that she had in mind for several years. Influenced by jazz accordionists the late Art Van Damme and her teacher, the late Frank Marocco, Gigi had wanted to form a group that would maintain a similar musical ambience to that of these jazz accordionists but also be reminiscent of bands popular to the "space age bachelor pad" scene of the 1950s-1960s. Having worked steel drum gigs with her longtime musical partner, vibraphonist Craig Fundyga, she knew that the exotica sound of vibes would play an important role in the band. The original 4-piece acoustic band also included members Ruben "Gitano" Ramos (acoustic bass and guitar) and Chris Ross (drums and percussion). After another hiatus while all the members were working on other projects, Gigi decided to go a slightly different musical direction with changes that included writing more quirky original songs. Influenced by the 1960s jazz, boogaloo, and go-go music, especially from Europe and abroad, the quartet became a sextet that incorporated electric guitar or keyboard, steel drum, and an additional percussionist. Finally Gigi found the eclectic sound she was looking for with her Atomic Hipsters.