San Francisco-based L’Avventura is a seven-piece ensemble that started as two subway buskers in London. A few years, a couple hundred demos and five members later, they’ve released a debut record and are building a reputation in their new hometown.

2009’s Your Star Was Shining combines disparate influences (T-Rex, Nick Drake, Stereolab, Roxy Music to name a few) generating praise from local and national blogs (and inclusion in our Best of the Bay Area mix series).

L’Avventura continue their weekly residency at 33 Revolutions in El Cerrito/Berkeley tonight. East Bay readers are recommended to check it out.

We subjected Jeff Davis (vocals/guitar) and Fergus Griffin (guitar/vocals) to the Stranger Dance questionnaire and learned about Jeff’s love of reggae and skid row literature and Fergus’ apparent obsession with all things ZZ Top.

1. Who’s your favorite fictional character?
   Jeff Davis: Henry Chinaski
   Fergus Griffin: Billy Gibbons
2. If you had a time machine, when and where would you go?
   JD: Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Black Ark Studio, 1972, Kingston, Jamaica W8
   FG: Moving Sidewalks gig, O.b. Ballroom, Houston, TX, 1967
3. What’s your favorite venue to play at? / What’s your ideal venue?
   JD: 33 Revolutions, El Cerrito/ 33 Revolutions, El Cerrito
   FG: Anywhere in Texas / Good monitors
4. What three albums have had the biggest influence on your music?
   JD:
   1. Beatles – Rubber Soul
   2. Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks
   3. The Clash – Sandinista

   FG:

   1. Beach Boys – Today
   2. Beatles – Revolver
   3. ZZ Top – Fandango
5. What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
   JD: Jonathan Richman, Gang of Four, The Roches, The Minutemen, The Clash, X, Sparks, Bob Marley(!) Talking Heads (@ the ACTUAL Stop Making Sense show at the Pantages in L.A.!!!)
   FG: ZZ Top
6. What do you think your music would taste like?
   JD: Red Wine
   FG: Red Wine
7. What song do you want played at your funeral?
   JD: John Lee Gravedigger “Cremation Blues”
   FG: ZZ Top “Legs”
8. What’s your favorite local place for cheap eats?
   JD: My kitchen.
   FG: TV dinners on the patio.
9. What’s the last album you bought?
   JD: James Brown – There It Is
   FG: ZZ Top – Rio Grande Mud
10. What next?
    JD: Touring Japan.
    FG: Touring Texas and working on the new L’Avventura LP

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