Alt-Rock Leaders "Deluna" Play Napa Porchfest

Full disclosure: I am a stone fan.

The Napa group’s predecessor, – alumnus Serafino “Serf” Barnabei singing with guitarist James Porter – was justly acclaimed.

But for my money, Deluna brings down the house with its multilayered, polyrhythmic sound projections made cinematic by Barnabei’s soaring vocals.

Over Porter’s steady acoustic guitar, joining a rhythm section including multi-instrumentalist Lalo Angel, the controlled passion in Barnabei’s singing takes wing: Just listen to the song “Blue,” one of their signature originals, in the video accompanying this story.

Not since the considerably-more-complicated Kip Hanrahan/Jack Bruce collaborations on the groundbreaking 1980s LPs “Desire Develops an Edge” and “Vertical’s Currency” have I heard a group that so compellingly blends its lyrical and musical elements.

But no need to take my wordy word for it: Barnabei tells me that Ray Manzarek of The Doors has described Deluna as "most unusual” with “great ideas” and lots of promise.”

And July 15, when Deluna played at Veterans Memorial Park, my Carmageddon-fleeing friends from Los Angeles said the group blew them away.

Deluna practices weekly at the home of Napan Cole Armstrong, and is hard at work completing its first album. 

The group appears at 3:30 p.m. July 31 on the porch at 2109 First St. during , a new, free festival presenting more than 120 musicians in 42 bands performing on porches in Napa’s historic neighborhoods from 2 to 5 p.m.

Following the festival, musicians and listeners alike are invited to the for a no-host after-party.

For an complete schedule and interactive map of the first Napa Porchfest, visit napaporchfest.org

You can also print out a schedule here.

For more Napa Porchfest band profiles and video links, click the Porchfest tag below or visit .

Napa Porchfest is also on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Get to know Deluna at facebook.com/delunaonline.

And I'll see you on First Street, Sunday afternoon.