The SeaDogs

The SeaDogs were formed in 1982 and have been performing nautical music & songs for over 44 years!

They are proud to be the longest continuously-running musical band at any renaissance faire in the world!

Entertaining USA West Coast audiences for over 4 decades with seafaring music, they fill the air with songs and shanties ranging from historical to modern, traditional to original, sailor-seducing mermaids, grog-guzzling pirates, salty seafarers, fishwives and more. The SeaDogs also host some of the longest running singalong shanty sessions and all-hands pub sings around.

Have a spot of rum, clap yer’ hooks, stomp yer’ pegs and sing along with the Sailors!

For those who want a little more “ancient history” (origins) of the SeaDogs:  1986 was the year the SeaDogs were officially recognized as their own guild at the original and first Renaissance Pleasure Faire. The SeaDogs *actually* started in 1982 as part of a booth (Drench a Wench / Soak a Bloke), and then under the umbrella of another guild before becoming an official “guild” in 1986.

The original founders of our group are Charles Taylor, Cat Taylor, Robin Driskill and Eric Lethe. Charles has since passed, but Eric, Cat & Robin are all alive and well and occasionally make appearances!

(Cat still plays with the SeaDogs on a regular basis).

Steve Benincasa-Morales became the music director in 1988, co-guildmaster in 1990, and has been the director from 1991 until this very day.

If you’ve never heard of the “Drench a Wench / Soak a Bloke” booth: It was one of the most popular game booths from the original renaissance faire and started in 1969. So the SeaDogs have grand and glorious roots stretching back to a time when there was only one renaissance faire in the world, and customers could slingshot wet sponges at each other! How far we’ve come!