the hum / By Bob Doran

Song of the Lark

When I was working on last week’s story about troubles at KHSU, I had occasion to visit the campus office for HSU Advancement. Greeting me from behind a desk was Travis Williams, who asked, “Do you remember me?” “Of course,” I replied. When my son was playing percussion in the ArMack Orchestra, Travis was the other percussionist. Now that’s he’s all grown up, he does database management for Advancement, and he also plays drums for a local band called Hey Eleanor, led by his wife, Samantha. Their band is part of a three-band lineup at the Jambalaya Saturday with Double Threat and Oh Foot, a folk/pop duo consisting of Zac Bauman and Maddy Shernock (aka The Beat Nun). Early posters for the Jam show listed former locals The Ian Fays as part of the bill, which is not surprising when you hear the songs on Hey Eleanor’s MySpace — The Fays would seem to be an influence on many young local alt. pop singers. (The Fays have delayed their trip back to Humboldt.) BTW, checking Oh Foot’s MySpace I learned that Zac and Maddy are both about to move away to the Davis/Sacto area, presumably for college. I also discovered that Oh Foot is playing Friday at Mosgo’s with Matt Engel. Bouncing over to the Beat Nun Recordings MySpace, I learned that Beat Nun and Oh Foot will be playing live on The Buck Calhoun Show! on KHSU next Wednesday, Aug. 13. Tune in at around 10 p.m.

Elsewhere in Arcata the same Saturday night as the Hey/Oh show, The Bump Foundation is once again laying down the funk at Humboldt Brewery.

Earlier Saturday, around 11:30 a.m., you can hear Portland’s No Go Know live in the KSLG studio on Monica Topping’s show. I know very little about No Go except that they describe themselves as a “tropical/concrete/zouk” band on MySpace, where their songs either are not posted or don’t work. They’re in town to fulfill our weekly Portland quota with a show Friday night at the Lil’ Red Lion with Pipe(s) Of the Doctor of Witchcraft. It’s the first of four shows this week at the hip Eureka nightspot, a space that’s been tipping the alt. music scales away from Arcata to Eureka. (See this week’s cover story.)

Got a call last week from jazz drummer Michael Curran telling me about the merging of his old Redway business Pomegranate Video with his wife Holly’s Persimmon’s Garden Gallery. A new wine tasting room replaces the former video store. “We’ll have our grand opening Saturday, Aug. 9,” he said, “with the Michael Curran Trio featuring Mary Jo Casasanta — just me and [guitarist] Jim Wilde backing her.” The tasting room features wine from SoHum vintners: Briceland Vineyards, Elk Prairie Vineyard and Whitethorn Winery. “And we’ll have little plates of food — my wife Holly is a great cook and she also makes these wild herbal infusion drinks,” said Michael. The plan is to have music two weekends a month. Next Friday, Aug. 15, Curran assembles another trio with electric bassist Ken Lawrence. Incidentally, you can also hear Curran play with Humboldt Time this Friday Aug. 8, at Cecil’s where the jazz band plays once a month.

While looking for horserace post time for the Humboldt County Fair, I came across the listings for the Midway Stage, the one just out the gate from the track. Jimi Jeff and the Gypsy Band play there Thursday, Aug. 7, 5-8 p.m. Then on Friday and Saturday (same time) it’s Ferndale resident Elaine “Spanky” McFarlane of Spanky and Our Gang fame. (Remember “Sunday Will Never Be The Same”?) Sunday through Tuesday they have High Pilots, who seem to play nowhere but county fairs. Then on Wednesday and Thursday ex-Weary Boy Mario Matteoli and friends take the stage. Racetrack admission is free Wednesday, so that might be a good day to hit the Fair.

As you know, Reggae Rising was last weekend, and you’d think the major blast of Jah music might slow things, but the reggae shows continue to flow. Humboldt Brews has Woven Roots Thursday followed by a big Friday show with the classic Jamaican harmony trio The Mighty Diamonds. Formed in Trenchtown, Kingston in 1969, the Diamonds are unusual in that the original trio lineup — Donald “Tabby” Shaw, Fitzroy “Bunny” Simpson and Lloyd “Judge” Ferguson — is still together after all these years.

Then, coming to the Red Fox Tavern on Tuesday, Aug. 12, the “More Knowledge Tour,” with British reggae toaster Macka B, drummer Wadi Gad, Italian MC International DJ SupaMario and The Roots Ragga Band.

And yes, I was at Reggae Rising — had a blast. Expect a review next week when I’m fully recovered.

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