Festivus!

Arcata Winterfest, plus Inner Circle, Tarrus Riley and CB3

(Feb. 25, 2010) Scott Carlson had an idea. He wanted to bring the local music community together for an all-day festival showcasing the wide range of great bands playing here. His plan was to have bands playing all day in various Arcata venues with attendees able to wander from place to place, all as a benefit for some good cause. He already had Humboldt Brews signed up (he works there) and Jambalaya was willing. He buttonholed me one night to talk about bands that might play and about who might get the money; I offered a bit of advice (give the proceeds to some school music program) and promised to help put the word out when the time came.

Well, the time has come: Arcata Winterfest takes place Saturday, Feb. 27. “One wristband, 13 bands,” as the poster puts it. (And, I should note, the Journal is one of the sponsors.) Most of the action will be at the Jam and HumBrews, but the Alibi is also aboard and there’s a special “V.I.P. Room” at the old surf shop (on the corner of 9th and I streets) for important peeps who throw down 50 bucks for the cause. (The Bad Lilas will be there 6-8-ish to entertain you.)

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Fest doors open at 2 p.m. Saturday. First band up is The NPK, the “high energy dance band” originally from SoHum, who kick things off at 2:30 at HumBrews.

The red-hot country honky tonk band Rooster McClintock gets things going at the Jambalaya at 2:45. The Jam then shifts into jazz/jam mode with Mike Kapitan‘s Miles Ahead project (at 5:15), mostly based on the music of Miles Davis. The Miracle Show follows with their Dead tribute (7:15); then it’s reggae and more reggae with Synrgy (9:55) and Woven Roots (11:55) until closing.

The parallel party at Humboldt Brews continues post-NPK with “groovin’ rock ’n’ roll” jams by The Fickle Hill Billies (4:30), string jams by The Bucky Walters (7 p.m.), rock jams by The Nucleus (9:30) and electrofunk dance grooves by Moo-Got-2 (11:30 until closing).

Music starts late at the Alibi, but they’ll have “special discounts” all day. As you might expect, the music there will be on the heavy side with local headbangers Fall the Giants and semi-Celtic punks The Smashed Glass. Bands start at 10:15, and if you’ve skipped the rest of Winterfest, it’s just $5.

Regular price for an all-venue festivus wristband is $20, $17 in advance (available at all three locations). Single-venue bands for HumBrews and the Jam are $15. Events proceeds go to support the music program at Coastal Grove Charter School.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Arcata, there’s another benefit, for another charter school. The Spanish-immersion Fuente Nueva Charter School is throwing its gala Rio Carnaval Samba Ball at Portuguese Hall. They’ll have a Brazilian-themed dinner catered by Folie Douce and an international music spread including Andean music by Huayllipacha, worldly “organic percussive music” by WoMama and Brazilian-style dancing by Samba Na Chuva, plus the obligatory silent auction and raffle. Note: dinner is optional; you can just come for the music (and pay less).

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