BY RICK PENDER

Those Darn Accordions

This column often tells CityBeat readers about world-class ensembles about to perform here in town: That's what's on the docket this week, although they're famous for instruments you might not routinely associate with the Classical music scene. But THOSE DARN ACCORDIONS are virtuosos in their own realm: San Francisco's hip accordion band will perform two sets on Saturday evening (8 and 9:30 p.m. at Fountain Square) as the musical headliners for OKTOBERFEST-ZINZINNATI. The accordion-fueled Rock & Roll band pumps out original tunes that chronicle life in the weird lane. The five-piece group -- fronted by lead singer and squeezebox wizard Paul Rogers and bellows-pumping babes Patty Brady and Suzanne Garramone -- will give you a whole new appreciation of their instruments. They're joined by drummer Bill Schwartz and bass player Lewis Wallace for the sonic mayhem. They hit a variety of musical genres, and leave several of them in shambles. The Downtown Council has worked for five years to get this group here, so somebody clearly thinks this band will catch our attention. Given the quirky nature of Oktoberfest, it sounds like a perfect fit. Š

THE CINCINNATI CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (CCO) kicks off its 2002-2003 season with concerts on Sept. 29 (3 p.m. at Corbett Auditorium at UC) and Sept. 30 (7:30 p.m. at Greaves Concert Hall at NKU). Music Director MISCHA SANTORA is back for his third year with the CCO. A chamber orchestra is about half the size of a symphony, and it focuses on strings, so the music presented in concerts is different than what the big boys offer. It sounds different, too -- more intimate and emotional. Santora conducts chats before the concert so audiences have a better understanding of the music, and musicians are usually available to mingle with the audience, making for a more personal approach. The upcoming concerts feature virtuoso LAJOS LENCÉS on the oboe and the English horn in pieces by Francaix and Kodaly; the concerts open with Wagner's Siegfried Idyll and also include Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony. Info: 513-723-1182.

E-mail Rick Pender

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