Hey! It's time once again for our corner of West Berkeley to liven things up with a daylong celebration of the vibrant cultures packed storefront-to-storefront in our neighborhood. Coinciding with the Berkeley International Food Festival, the Freight presents a free concert on Sunday afternoon showcasing musical genres from Cajun to funk to Hawaiian as well as some of the area's very finest singer-songwriters. Come check out this border-hopping extravaganza, the musical complement to the amazing array of wares and foods from around the world that can be found on the San Pablo corridor of West Berkeley.

The music starts at noon and runs until 5:00 P.M. Here's the line-up:

The Rocking Chairs are a world of their own, a conglomerate of musical characters whose divergent approaches to instruments & styles have garnered attempts at genre classification from "clout rock" to "avant chair." Their eclectic musical expression spans old and new originals, as well as a bi-lingual arsenal of choice covers, from Juan Luis Guerra's "Ojala Que Llueva Cafe" to Charlie Poole's "It's Moving Day". Founded as the duo of Matt Jaffe (cello) and Lewis Ames (guitar/trombone/charango), the ensemble has grown over the years to include the songwriting and stylings of Al Wollmer (piano, ukelele, electric mandocello & melodica), Dmitri Seals (violins), and Jimmy Rey Devera, the hottest percussionist on the block, so grab yourself a seat and be prepared to rock!

The veteran of many a great Freight evening, both as a solo performer and as a member of one of our favorite a cappella groups, the House Jacks, singer-songwriter Austin Willacy affirms life and inspires hope, even as he lays down an irresistible groove with his smart, muscular original folk rock songs.

The Fugitive Folk Jamboree, a song swap curated by Jonah Watchman of The Jonah Kit, showcases the prodigious talents of three unique performers. From Jonah's hard-bitten "folk music with blood in its veins" to the "straight up authentic unadulterated American music" of Bob Frank to Lynne "Clide" Holcombe's banjo-driven "children's music for adults," the Jamboree celebrates the diversity and vitality of this trio of fugitive folkies.

Famed local institution, the Royal Hawaiian Ukulele Band, ranges from march medleys to traditional Hawaiian fare. Led by Kem "Kanikapila" Loong, the lively group is composed of musicians and vocalists of all ages, united by their love of the ukulele.

Two of the Bay Area's most versatile American roots music virtuosos, Eric & Suzy Thompson present old-time American fiddle tunes, cinematic ballads, country blues, early Cajun music, and who knows what-all else, accompanying themselves on fiddle, mandolin, guitars, Cajun accordion, banjo, and the occasional odd instrument such as the 10-stringed cuatro.