upcoming

Third Annual String Thing

What:

Third Annual String Thing with The Absynth Quintet, The Bucky Walters, Water Tower Bucket Boys, Random Canyon Growlers, Bon Swing, Lyndsey Battle, Trillium, Rorey Carroll w/ Zebulon Bowels and Striped Pig Stringband Friday, October 7, at Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St in Arcata. Doors open at 7 p.m. Cost is $15 at the door, $12 advanced at Wildwood Music in Arcata and the ATL Box Office, is 21 and over and sponsored by KHUM, Humboldt Folklife Society, Wildwood Music and Redwood Curtain Brewing.

http://absynthquintet.com/
“It’s not a leap to suggest that the Absynth Quintet will be a big deal on the west coast string band circuit in short order.” – The Metro, Santa Cruz. A bionic string band? Fire breathing traveling gypsy circus indie grass? Acoustic, with benefits? The Absynth Quintet is a group of pickers purveying a truly unique brand of high energy acoustic music. The band’s sound, born and cultured in the fertile hills of Humboldt county, California melds a reverent treatment of time-honored american music, with a reckless, virtuosic and often zany approach to innovation. There’s something Django-esque, something distinctly eastern European that saturates many of the songs, but always present is the foot-stomping influence of the bluegrass roots. The year 2008 saw the Absynth Quintet break onto the national scene with the release of Indigo Shoes, their stellar full-length studio album. Indigo Shoes was recorded in Humboldt county at the band’s studio, The Sonic Dimple over the course of 3 wet winter months. Jazzmando.com calls the album “fierce acoustic energy that never betrays a carefully crafted sophistication.” And Gratefulweb.net immediately placed the group in their Band of the Month slot after hearing only a few tracks. While Indigo Shoes showcases the band’s chops in a studio environment, their 2007 live release Kevlar Mariachi Pants offers aglimpse into the honed improvisational skills the group has cultivated over 4 years of touring. Kevlar primarily consists of originals, but also includes a firey treatment of John Coltrane’s “Mr. PC”. The Arcata Eye said “…listening to Kevlar Mariachi Pants is akin to being served an exotic meal (or mind altering beverage) one could never hope to replicate at home. You have to go out for this kind of stuff. Delicious”. The Absynth Quintet celebrates the release of IOTA, their fourth album this fall.

http://www.thebuckywalters.com/
The Bucky Walters trace the roots of their frenetic, foot stomping music to the wilds of Humboldt County, California where the group has been enthralling and exhausting its audiences since the fifth year of this millennium. Travel-tested and well worn through six groove-thirsty years of grit, sweat and string-lust, this young acoustic ensemble’s music has evolved into a bold and eclectic Americana meltdown. Their bluegrass-based escapades hold fast to the traditional instrumentation of guitar, mandolin, banjo, dobro, fiddle, upright bass and harmonica while seeming to effortlessly journey into some not-so-traditional musical territory. The additional use of electric instruments such as lap and pedal steels contributes to the face-melting audacity of their performances. Raw energy and musical passion permeate every note of the music that pours forth from these 6 young musicians who call themselves The Bucky Walters. As they would say in the “Boont,” “The Bucky Walters is bahl hornin’!” The Bucky Walters will be releasing their third studio album, “In Our Hands” on September 29th in Arcata, CA at their unofficial CD release party at Humboldt Brews.  Recorded in The Bucky Walters band house, “In Our Hands” has a personal feel and an intimate family dynamic throughout the songs. After an incredibly successful summer tour across California, Oregon and Colorado, The Bucky boys and girl rev up for a fall tour taking them into some new territory: the state of Washington. All new gigs will be posted right here on their web page and we hope to see some of you out there this fall!  Please stay tuned for our next news letter. Playing together for the past six years, The Bucky Walters have seen their share of the Pacific Northwest bluegrass scene and participated in some of the most prominent bluegrass festivals around, including The North West String Summit in Oregon and DelFest in Maryland. The core of the group met in their first year of college and have been playing music and growing together ever since. Members include Bryan Osper on guitar, Niko Daoussis on the upright bass, Kaleb Duncan on the dobro, fiddle, lap and pedal steels, Rich Kearns on mandolin, Joey Goforth on banjo and Kat Fountain on harmonica. Each member also shares lead and vocal harmonies. Crowds from past shows have “jumped, pulsed, stomped, swung and swayed to the foot-tappin’ rhythms created by the six members of The Bucky Walters, ” as stated by Adrian Emery of The Lumberjack Newspaper of Arcata, CA. Now touring nationally, The Bucky Walters continue to impress audiences wherever they go, bringing with them a taste of what music from the hills of California sounds like, while pushing the envelope in a musical style that many find hard to define.

http://www.watertowerbucketboys.com/
After 5 years on the road, 4 albums under their belt and multiple international tours, the Water Tower Bucket Boys have been brewing up a storm in the folk music world.  The boys have collaborated live with members of bands like Frank Turner, Kitty Daisy and Lewis, the Red Stick Ramblers, and the Foghorn Stringband and shared the stage with acts like Old Crow Medicine Show, Mumford and Sons, Wilco, Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three, and Woody Pines.  They have toured extensively in both the USA and abroad, and performed live on the BBC, NPR, and RTE.  Their all original sound is infectious and has spread far and wide to audiences of all ages and walks of life.  Based in Portland, Oregon these young gents got their start busking on street corners playing traditional old time and bluegrass, eventually honing their sound as a solid dance band playing square dances and bluegrass festivals up and down the west coast. However, the boys wanted to take the music further and thus, their new sound was born.  Loosely based in the traditions of  bluegrass, punk rock, blues, cajun, folk and country their sonic creations transcend all musical boundaries.  Their songs feature tight 3 part harmonies and powerful instrumentals.  This combined with the lightning energy of their stage performances has made them a favorite amongst music connoisseurs throughout the US and Europe alike.  Their latest record, “Sole Kitchen” (Self-Released 2010) features 13 original works with song contributions from each member of the band.  The album was recorded by punk rocker Mike Herrera of MXPX and Tumbledown at his Monkey Trench Studios in Bremerton, WA.

http://www.myspace.com/randomcanyongrowlers
Hard driving bluegrass & old time music boosted by lazer beam harmonies.  That’s the most fitting description of Random Canyon Growlers.  This group of ruffians formed in the Tetons a few years back and have accrued a very talented group of musicians from all over the Northern Rockies that they call upon to maintain their sound and vision. Three members (David McMeekin, Jamie Drysdale, and Justin Moore) grew up together in the green rolling hills of Randolph, Vermont completely saturated by music.  Heavily involved with both playing and singing, they formed a bond that has persisted through the years. Their harmonies are second to none and they now focus on the genres of bluegrass & old time. After naturally parting ways to foster new experiences, Drysdale & McMeekin came back together in the Tetons where they met bassist Matt Donovan at the legendary Jackson Hole Hootenanny. The cohesive energy was immediate.  After building a following and dialing in original material and arrangements, The Growlers sound echoed across the region.  They have released one full-length studio album, Dickey Ain’t Got All Day and have plans to release a live album before the year’s end. Random Canyon Growlers have played in many venues from bars to historic music halls to festival stages, but they continue to have a love of busking, or street performances.  They identify with this environment as one that draws from traditional roots. Singing songs that promote following life’s driving forces without rhyme or reason, busking is an ideal representation of the band’s intent.  This atmosphere allows passersby to display their appreciation on a level of personal value. Jaws have been dropped in many states to their fresh take on a highly traditional form of Americana culture.  Random Canyon Growlers are progressing quickly, pursuing new territories in the interest of nurturing their project.  They’re highly aware of their potential and the sky seems to be the limit for this crew of enthusiastic musicians.

http://www.myspace.com/lyndseybattle
Lyndsey Battle’s first album, The Prototype, was recorded with Col. Bruce Hampton’s rhythm section. (He was immortalized in white blues chick Susan Tedeschi’s song Hamptonized a few years back.) She is currently putting the finishing touches on a new disc, a “mellow and jazzy” set with her current band. “It’s a combination of new songs and older songs I never put down. It’s different, full of rhythmic explorations.” Her music is “kinda like Ani DiFranco meets Joni Mitchell with a little less anger.” It’s a triumphant mixture of blues, jazz, and folk with just the right amount of funk touches. Battle is an interesting vocalist, effortlessly singing songs of love gone bad and other assorted pain. Her forays in and out of high singing are amazing and strike me as completely unforced. “I really do like Bill Frisell,” she tells me when I point out one of the many influences listed on her Internet site, lyndseybattle.com. I had been listening to Frisell’s double live album of jazz guitar East/West a lot recently, and this seemed like a good way for us to bond. “A lot of the local musicians have really inspired me, too,” she says, giving special mention to Pensacola’s Damien Louviere. “I steal things from him all the time,” Battle laughs. Future plans include a tour in May. “I’m going to Colorado, Oregon, Washington, looking for a different scene. I feel I’ve reached my limit as to what I can do in Pensacola.” Not that playing in Destin has not been rewarding. “People really listen here, but in Pensacola, there’s maybe a core group of 20 musicians who play there. There are musicians that play every week, but they’ve got about five different projects going on. There’s a ‘rock’ scene, but it’s hard to push your original songs. They don’t like change much.”

http://roreycarroll.com/index.html
Rorey Carroll is a singer songwriter sitting pretty between her Americana folk and alternative country/bluegrass influences.  “Roadside Lullabies”, her first album, was recorded with Eric Willson and was released at the end of September, 2010. Rorey Carroll’s fiercely independent spirit is reflected in her songwriting, while her sweet voice resonates her soulful energy.  From her life experiences on foot, through the window of her car, to the bed of a freight train, Carroll has learned to use her guitar as a vehicle to tell a story.  She began wandering at an early age, ending up in Leadville, CO where she learned how to live out of her car and backpack.  Inspired by her new life, she picked up her guitar and started putting her poetry into music.  From her first three chords, she wrote her first songs. At 20, she decided to walk the Appalachian Trail, from northern Georgia to Maine, with a good friend, a mean dog and a backpack friendly guitar. She fell in love with the older mountains and culture of Appalachia and settled into Asheville, NC after the trail. Immersing herself into an area of the country thick with amazing songwriters, musicians and inspiration, Carroll learned more about the art of songwriting and composition.  She delved deeper into herself to create songs with love, tension and emotion. She is now located in Lyons, Colorado.

http://www.stripedpigstringband.com/
Striped Pig Stringband hails from Humboldt County, on the northern coast of California, behind the “redwood curtain.” The band says, “our favorite gig is a dance, and a hot, sweaty hall is a great thing!” We love where we live, Humboldt county is a special place for sure, all of the band has past the ‘local’ marker, none being natives. The north coast of California and the NorthWest for that matter offers an isolation for individual sounds to come through, and a great place to have a vibrant dance community. All of the band coming to oldtime music via various routes, all of which led to the oldtime stringband, played other instruments in previous incarnations of music from country to rock and roll, punk, to jazz, celtic, bluegrass, but no classical. The band has come together through various musical routes, and has been playing that old-time string band sound for local and regional dances for almost a decade. We play traditional fiddle/banjo tunes made for dancing! We love to play dances and have a caller to teach them.  Come and check out one of our monthly barn dances at the Arcata Vet’s Hall sponsored by the Humboldt Folklife Society and hire us for your next event. More info and contact info. at http://stripedpigstringband.com and monthly dance info is available at http://www.humboldtfolklife.org.

http://www.myspace.com/tomtooheytrio
Bon Swing is back again for another evening of jazz manouche, swing, and latin music. This performance will feature arcata phenominon Rose Armin-Hoiland to set the interesting and intimate mood of serious jazz and expression. Tom Toohey on guitar, Shao Way Wu on bass, and Mike Lebohl on drums are garunteed to create something really meaningful. “Fresh songs with fresh arrangments always inspires us to take more risks and find new places with our playing,” says Toohey. “Working with this ensemble has been something really unique and expanding for us.”

http://www.facebook.com/trilliummusic

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