House Party Breaks Out After The Connoisseurs' Marketplace

Partiers attempted to achieve a landmark event Saturday night as they formed what was intended to be the longest conga line in the history of Menlo Park.

Under the instruction of David Martin’s House Party Band, almost 75 people at the Connoisseurs’ Marketplace after party put their hands on their neighbor's shoulders and danced to the beat of "La Bamba."

Unfortunately for the revelers and participants, no authority was present to provide the historical perspective necessary to confirm whether they achieved their goal. Regardless, it was a valiant effort. And everyone had fun giving it a shot.

The band’s performance justified its namesake. Martin’s band truly is a vision of what a wild house party would be, if it could be embodied as a musical act. At any time during a point in a show, there could be more than 10 people on stage, including the band and their backup dancers.

Donning neon blue and green wigs with fake, inflatable guitars to match, two women danced, twisted and shouted while Martin wailed guitar solos and vocalist Christina Sabatelli belted out the lyrics to a wide-variety of many well known classic songs.

The band covered famous songs by Katy Perry, Journey, Michael Jackson and many, many others.

According to Martin, the band knows more than 600 songs that can be recalled and performed admirably on a moment’s notice. Most impressively perhaps is that the band is able to effortlessly transition from one song to the next without writing a set list prior to their shows.

“We act like a live DJ at our shows,” said Martin, as he donned a leather black jacket with a slicked back pompadour hairdo that made him resemble an Elvis Presley impersonator.

The Bay Area-based band thrives in a festival setting similar to the atmosphere at the Connoisseurs’ Marketplace. Some watching the show were in the perfect silly mind state after a day of drinking under the summer sun to truly enjoy the lighthearted performance.

During the conga line, Martin sported a safari hat that was placed on him by an enthusiastic fan.

“We love community events like this,” said Martin, who enjoyed the arts and vendors at the festival throughout the afternoon before going on stage in the evening.

Martin’s band includes Peninsula residents from surrounding cities such as San Carlos. So he said supporting local events such as the Connoisseurs’ Marketplace hit close to home.

And despite the animated participation by the adult fans in attendance, Martin said he gains the most enjoyment from seeing the younger members of the crowd have fun.

The band performs a show that is appropriate for all-ages, which appeals just as much to children as it does to their parents.

Martin said the band calculates this, as he understands that at any given time he may be performing the first show that a young member of the crowd has ever attended.

“At times I like to think of myself as the Johnny Appleseed of live music,” he said.

And it would only be appropriate that, as the conga line slowed to a halt, the band would begin singing the theme song to the happiest place on earth.

On the brink of ending a jovial attempt to make history, the band winded it down by singing the song that will forever be tied to Disneyland and everyone young at heart -- “It’s A Small World After All.”