One year ago, Bara Waters & Robert Cassard, along with their Soulfolk performing partner Paul Manfrini, had the honor of christening the newly updated 1400 Bara & Grill.  The 1400 occupies the historic space of the of Alameda's legendary Croll's restaurant, built in 1883.   Soulfolk was the first band to perform after the restaurant's grand opening.

Mike Cooper, co-owner of the 1400, and Hiroko Donovan, the venue's booker, became instant fans.  "Their sound was perfect for our space and what we were hoping…Read more

You may have thought Soulfolk was over, never to be heard from again.  With Soulfolk's original second guitarist and vocalist Paul Manfrini living some 400 miles south in Laguna Beach, Bara and Robert made the decision early this year to forge ahead with a duo format for most performances.


They've been working hard to create a new format and a new sound, adding a variety of vocal harmonizers, guitar effects, and fresh DJ backbeats to drive the rhythm.  The new sound is rich and full, combining the best…Read more

Thanks to booking agent Natasha Miller and her staff at Entire Productions, Soulfolk performed a free outdoor concert at Oakland's City Center this Wednesday.  Hundreds of people enjoyed this magical, musical "lunch-hour enhancement"!

Soulfolk regulars Robert Cassard, Bara Waters and Eli Cassard got the audience moving. Paul Manfrini made the trek from Laguna Beach to sing the high harmonies and add tasty guitar to the mix.  Soulfolk's harmony-heavy sounds were also graced with the supreme bass skills and…Read more

Soulfolk's summer is shaping up with some exciting developments, both in NorCal and SoCal.

Let's start with the "discovery" of Soulfolk by a wonderful San Francisco booking agency, Entire Productions.  This agency, run by Natasha Miller, represents some of the most talented and eclectic live performers in the Bay Area and beyond.  We are proud to be the newest addition to their talent roster.  We can thank Entire Productions for adding us to the lineup of the Oakland City Center Fall Concert Series, and we…Read more

The energy was really crackling as the full Soulfolk lineup launched into 3+ hours of favorite tunes on a beautiful Thursday night last week.



The Karousel Boutique is one of Alameda's newest art gallery-gatherings places—in the heart of historic Webster Street.  Guitarist/Vocalist Paul Manfrini traveled over 400 miles from Laguna Beach to share the stage with us, while Eli Cassard layed down a deep steady groove on drums.  Bara and I reveled in the fun and excitement of playing for a wonderfully…Read more

On Saturday, February 5, Soulfolk contributed music and mood-enhancement to a magical fundraising evening for Alameda's Franklin Elementary School.  The event took place at the "O Club"—the historic Officer's club on the Alameda Naval Air Station.

We were very impressed with the event committee's 60's-themed decorations, which included a large My-Generation's-Magical-Mystery-Tour bus, oversized Haight-Ashbury Street signs, massive floating flower-power symbols, and even a Peace Sign ice sculpture!…Read more

We kick off Soulfolk's blog with a brief tale about being open to change. 

Bara and I had been living in Southern California since 1991 and Laguna Beach since 1994.... We and our kids were deeply ensconced in the community, and from the outside looking in, we were alive and well and living in paradise. But, for us, there were subtle undercurrents we found unsettling...high cost of living, rapid cookie-cutter development encroaching, artists moving out of town—plus a long series of Kafka-esque personal…Read more