Friday, July 31, 2015
Meet Your Maker
Posted By Kali Cozyris on Fri, Jul 31, 2015 at 8:00 AM
Humboldt County's artists and artisans take to the streets for the Humboldt Makers Street Fair in Old Town on Aug. 1 from noon to 9 p.m. (free). Make it a full day of art, music and fun as the event blends into Eureka's Arts Alive! in the evening.
Peruse the wares of woodworkers, jewelers, pottery artists, clothing crafters and more. Stroll Second Street, shake a few artistic hands or try your own at a trade. Get a little glitter on your fingertips (and everywhere else) — or watch the pros do it themselves at any of the many demonstrations. Chances are you'll walk away from the day with inspiration as well as something pretty.
Entertaining you all day long are local musicians and street performers. Some spin sticks of fire, some belly dance. Bob your head to the beats of Lindsay Battle, Cliff Dallas and the Death Valley Troubadours, Companion Animal, Dogbone and the John David Young Conspiracy. Pachucos in Space opens the fair playing the gazebo at noon.
The handmade hoedown is a fundraiser for Crafty Kids Enrichment Program, providing scholarships for kids to attend crafting camps offered by Origin Design Lab (which, along with Eureka Main Street, puts on the fair each year).
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Reggae on the River 2015
Posted By Thadeus Greenson on Thu, Jul 30, 2015 at 3:30 PM
UPDATE: Well, apparently this staycation thing is a bit more difficult than we anticipated. Ordinary wifi signals are apparently no match for Reggae's irie vibes, leaving our poor freelancer Alexander Woodard frustrated with no way of uploading his photos. We'll keep trying but, in the meantime, at least there are the live audio and video streams...
PREVIOUSLY:Will you be sitting at home this weekend while your friends head to Reggae on the River? Maybe you couldn't afford a ticket? Or, maybe you're looking for all the Reggae vibes without all the sweat, crowds and hassle? Fear not, we've got you covered.
Local photographer Alexander Woodard is on scene, snapping away and posting to Instagram. We'll be curating his photos here, so you can enjoy the sights of the festival in near-real time. And kmud.org will be carrying live audio of the three-day festival. We've also embedded the live stream feed from the concert bowl below. So, fill up the kiddie pool, crank up the audio and use your mobile device to absorb all the sites via Woodard's lens. There you go: Reggae, staycation style.
Live streaming video by Ustream
Smoke on the Water
Posted By Kali Cozyris on Thu, Jul 30, 2015 at 8:00 AM
This time every year, the banks of the Eel River buzz to life with good vibes and skanking sounds as thousands of reggae-loving folk make their annual pilgrimage to French's Camp in Piercy to get together and feel all right.
Reggae on the River, running Thursday, July 30 through Sunday, Aug. 2, is the longest- running reggae/world music festival in the U.S. and the area's biggest event. This year, headliners Stephen "Ragga" Marley, Cham, Alborosie & the Shengen Clan, Collie Buddz, Tarrus Riley & Blak Soil, Ghetto Youths International and Protoje & the Indiggnation will have the masses groovin'. Of course, those acts are but a fraction of the four-day entertainment lineup. In addition to dozens more singers and bands, ROTR also features DJs and sound systems, KidLandia for the little raggamuffins and more than 60 vendors and nonprofits. While you're camping, dancing and recreating on the river, organizers encourage you to bring your own water in gallon containers (drought!), dress for the weather (HOT during the day, cool at night) and wear sunscreen. Take advantage of the inner festival shuttle, as well as pedicabs, which will roll you anywhere on site for a tip.
Want to raise your irie? Bring a tool to donate to the Tools For Change program, helping communities in rural West Africa. And keep in mind that Reggae is a nonprofit event with ticket money supporting programs and services of the Mateel Community Center.
So, go ahead and treat yourself. Jah knows you deserve it. Tickets range from $200 to $500 for the Ambassador Pass and $90 at the gate for single-day tickets (no camping) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Rolled, Rocked and Raised
Posted By Jennifer Savage and Linda Stansberry on Mon, Jul 27, 2015 at 12:46 PM
LS: Honeydew is the BEST! Reporting done. Everyone go home and donate some money to the HVFC!
JS: This year's Roll on the Mattole delivered an exceptionally fine combination of music, sun and fun, all to raise money for the Honeydew Volunteer Fire Company, whose crew is responsible for covering about 75 square miles of rural Humboldt. Last year's Roll, combined with community donations, brought in enough funds for a much-needed new fire truck. This year's fundraising surpassed even that.
UPDATE: Claire Trower emailed to clarify that the Roll's goal is to fund operating expenses for the year – which total about $20,000 for workers' comp insurance, liability/truck insurance, supplies, fuel, radio replacement, etc. – and while last year's Roll brought in enough to top off the new truck fund, a significant portion was raised through other events.
In addition to the logistics of getting to and from fires in this remote part of the county, firefighters face halting flames under daunting physical conditions. That makes training an exceptionally serious matter — but at the Roll, that seriousness is offset by an infusion of fun (at least for the spectators) when the top firefighters from the HVFC compete with those from the Petrolia, Whale Gulch and Telegraph Ridge fire departments in the Firefighters' Challenge. The challenge consists of multiple exercises involving equipment and simulated fires, worth varying points and scored by the pros from CalFire.
LS: Um, yeah. I decided to do my part by engaging in a little pre-competition smack talk, per tradition. Petrolia and Whale Gulch were suitably intimidated by my verbal prowess, but I'd completely forgotten that the CalFire guys were judging, not competing. It wasn't until after the trials started that I understood their blank looks. I asked them not to hold it against us, which they gallantly said they wouldn't. Not that they had a single opportunity to criticize, because HONEYDEW IS AMAZING!
JS: A family atmosphere prevails at the Roll — face-painted, music-loving kids abound.
LS: We love our little future firefighters! Honeydew!
JS: First District Supervisor Rex Bohn was on hand, grilling oysters through the day and bringing his mad live auction skillz — raising $3,600 in under three minutes — to the dance floor in the evening.
LS: The music and food were awesome, but when are we going to get to the story of Honeydew's inevitable triumph? Honeydew!
JS: Throughout the day, music, food, dance and good vibes emanated through the Roll.
JS: After the judges tallied the firefighters' teams scores, everyone gathered for the presentation of the trophy.
LS: Honeydew? Honeydew!
LS: Honeydew!
JS: Honeydew!
Friday, July 24, 2015
Roll With it, Baby
Posted By Kali Cozyris on Fri, Jul 24, 2015 at 9:00 AM
The party starts at noon and features a Wildland Firefighter Challenge in which geared-up firefighters from Honeydew, Petrolia, Whale Gulch and Telegraph Ridge run drills for a coveted trophy. Peruse local craft vendors, let the kids roam the kids zone, slurp down oysters and beer, mack on wood-fired pizza, barbecue and desserts. There's even a salad bar and Kombucha on tap from It's Alive. The celebration also offers tons of great tune-age courtesy of Delta Nove, Indubious, NPK, Cold Blue Water, Lost Coast Marimbas and DJ Marjo Lak.
And say hey to the Journal's contributing writer and this year's emcee Jennifer Savage while you're there.
Rumble in the Redwoods
Posted By Kali Cozyris on Fri, Jul 24, 2015 at 8:05 AM
It's summertime and the sun is shining on classic cars and tricked out trucks revving for the Fortuna Redwood AutoXpo (free).
Check out the Chevelle-load of Corvettes and Camaros at the judged show on Main Street (entrants are parked by class and further sorted by year), and openly ogle at the Show & Shine/Vintage & Exotic show at Fortuna High School. Both happen on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with trophies presented on Sunday at Rohner Park at 10 a.m.
Find a spot on the curb for Friday night's cruise through town from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (free), then twist at the Sock Hop at the River Lodge at 8 p.m. ($5).
Browse the Swap Meet & Car Corral and the Artisans Faire all day Friday through Sunday at Rohner Park. And go vintage at the Antique Show at the Veterans Hall on Friday and Saturday and at the Antique Tractor & Farm Equipment Show at Rohner on Saturday and Sunday. Inhale the smoking rubber at the Burn Out Contest on Sunday at 2 p.m. and catch a toned-down show of testosterone with the Antique Tractor Pulls on Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 2 p.m. at the Rodeo Grounds.
No wheels of your own? Take the free AutoXpo Rapid Transit around town on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
To the Buzzer
Posted By Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on Wed, Jul 22, 2015 at 6:09 PM
The 94th annual Fortuna Rodeo rode into the sunset on Sunday, July 19. Horses, firetrucks, bands and floats made their way down Main Street for the parade, and kids of all ages chanced the games and clanging rides at the carnival, while riders and ropers took on bulls and broncos in the rodeo arena in Rohner Park. Photographer Greg Rumney was there snapping photos of those riding tall in the saddle and tossed into the dirt.
Friday, July 17, 2015
Sewing the Seeds of Love
Posted By Kali Cozyris on Fri, Jul 17, 2015 at 8:00 AM
There are only a few things that embody the heart, comfort and beauty of a home more than a quilt. Those soft, fabric sandwiches of love stitched together with patience and pride, and employed to wrap babies, cover beds or hang on walls. They are treasured heirlooms passed down through generations, or given to someone in need to provide peace amid chaos. This weekend, the buildings of Redwood Acres Fairgrounds come alive with hundreds of quilts, quilted items and the people who love them, as the Redwood Empire Quilters Guild presents its biennial Heart of the Redwoods Quilt Show.
Stroll the marketplace, browse vendors and watch antique bed turnings. Check out "Brilliance," the guild's 2015 opportunity quilt, pieced together from fabric donated from the family of a guild member who recently passed away. With more than 300 quilts on display, there's something for each of the estimated 1,300 to 1,500 people who attend. One thing that sets the show apart from others is that it is not juried or judged. Cheryl Pekar, current webmaster and past president of the guild explains, "We want everyone, from beginner to experienced, at the show. We want to encourage everyone of all levels."
Attending is an opportunity to not only see incredible works of art and gather supplies to make your own, but also to support the guild's many community efforts. The group sews 600 to 1,000 quilts a year for local organizations, including the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Hospice of Humboldt. It also helps with the care and preservation of quilts at the Clark Memorial Museum.
So, stitch together a couple of days to see it all: Saturday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (a two-day pass is $8 for adults $6 for seniors, children under 12 are free).
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Play on Players
Posted By Kali Cozyris on Thu, Jul 16, 2015 at 8:00 AM
If opera al fresco on a temperate north coast night sounds like a slice of heaven to you, plan to be at Redwood Park this weekend for the next production of SkyClad Theater's Plays in the Park, where all of nature's the stage and the walls are merely transcendental.
The 2015 season started July 11 with the 24-Hour 10-Minute Play Festival, and continues this weekend with Il Matrimonio Segreto, an evening of opera featuring selections from La Boheme, the Marriage of Figaro and La Traviata. Catch the music at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 17 and Sunday, July 18 ($12, $10 students, seniors). The show continues through July 25.
Next up is a family show titled, The Unprincess, with lots of physical humor and colorful characters to keep the kiddos giggling. Perfectly timed matinees run Aug. 9 through Sept. 6 at 2 p.m. (Free). The final show of the season is Shakespeare's Twelfth Night — a tale of mistaken identity, love and mischief — one of the bard's most popular comedies. Performances run Aug. 7 through Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. ($12, $10 for students and seniors).
Going back to the Greeks, theatre has its roots in open-air ampitheatres. See it the way Dionysus intended. Do yourself a favor and appease the gods at the same time. It's a win-win.
Monday, July 13, 2015
(UPDATE: POSTPONED TILL TUESDAY) Monday Night Setlist: The Brilliant Kind of Odd
Posted By Jennifer Savage on Mon, Jul 13, 2015 at 9:38 AM
So, go on Tuesday, people. Everything else is the same.
ORIGINAL POST:
This show should be weird and heavy and good with the avant-indie, Boston-based Bent Knee, ambient jamminess of Hendo's Deep Dark Light, and The Fairy Rings, a bunch of dudes that don't own motorbikes and are all like 12 years old (maybe slightly older), but rock out like some kind of background band at a 1960s-version of Sons of Anarchy.
At the Siren's Song Tavern. All ages, 9 p.m., no cover as advertised, but bring some cash to throw in the hat.
