Elana James and Hot Friends

 

The Cactus Cafe has long been one of the great American listening rooms — a small stage where the room leans in and the music does the talking. But that doesn't mean anyone's sitting still: it's the kind of room where you can tap your feet or let loose right along with the band.
Elana James co-founded Hot Club of Cowtown and has gone on to become one of the world's premier ambassadors of Western swing, earning induction into both the International Western Music Association's Hall of Fame and the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame. She also became the first dedicated female instrumentalist in Bob Dylan's touring band in more than thirty years, later returning to tour with him again. Fresh off the road with Hot Club — including a run at Birdland in New York City — Elana brings that same fire home for an intimate evening steeped in the crossroads of country, swing, and jazz that has defined her music for decades.
For this special night, she'll be joined by veterans of the Austin swing scene, bringing decades of shared history and musical chemistry to a room built for exactly this kind of evening.
Whether you're there for the fireworks or ready to Stay All Night, this crowd won't want the evening to end.