No Pardon plays the first of a long weekend of shows in celebration of today's release of its new record Whisper. In addition to a Saturday show at the Westhaven Center for the Arts and a gig on Sunday with Lyndsey Battle and Cory Goldman, the trio is playing a brief in-store set at The Works today at 4:45 p.m. The gig-let will be followed up by a listening party of the new album (free).
Chicano Batman, the super fun Tropicália-infused soul and pop quartet from Los Angeles, is back for what is sure to be a great show at the Kate Buchanan Room. I would expect this one to reach capacity, which is good, as this group thrives off of a lot of dancing bodies in the room. Brainstory opens at 8 p.m. ($25, $20 students).
Portland electronic funk dance trio Yak Attack is playing Humbrews this near-first moon night at 9 p.m. Known for fun and danceable shows full of solid musicianship and improvisation, this is the sort of show that attracts the happy-go-lucky college crowd and beyond. As of press time, I haven't located a price for the event but this reporter figures it won't be much over $20 and likely under. It's pure speculation but I'd take those odds.
It's a quiet Tuesday so why not go and give The Logger Bar some love? At 8 p.m. the regular old time music session will be crackin' off. How's about you bring your favorite wireless — unless that wire is of the piano variety — instrument to the sawblade embedded floors of Blue Lake's other social hub and have some free fun.
Anvil is a Canadian metal band that almost made it big but never quite did. The Canadian trio — whose sound nests somewhere between hard rock, power metal and early thrash — was the subject of an acclaimed documentary a decade ago about the barnacle-like resilience of the group and its multi-decade career. Though it might not be a household name, Anvil is a world-class group. Which makes it extra special that the band will be playing the Jam tonight. ($15). Along for the ride are VH1 metal comedian Don Jamieson, Santa Cruz metal act Archer Nation, and local bangers Dullahan. The whole thing kicks off at 6:30 p.m. and to paraphrase Deaner from the Canadian metalhead mockumentary FUBAR, this night is the soundtrack to givin' er.
The Classic Film Series at the Humboldt County Library presents the films of Elia Kazan in a swaggering set of flicks that feature crude, brooding dudes. Kazan, a Turkish-born Greek immigrant, directed films that depicted important social and political issues. Antithetically, in a decision that cost him his reputation and respect, Kazan "named names" before the House Un-American Activities Committee, much like a character from one of his biggest hits, On the Waterfront, a film many believed Kazan later used to justify his testimony.
Regardless of Kazan's controversiality, one thing is certain: The films at the library on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. (free) this month are all powerhouses that launched their lead actors into stardom. See why Kazan was known as the "actor's director" as he pulls powerful portrayals from his leading men in these four classic films.
"Stelllllaaaaa!" Who bellowed it better? Benes or Brando? Well, the Academy sure liked Brando, nominating him for Best Actor for his portrayal of brutish, virile Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). The Journal's Jennifer Fumiko Cahill takes you through all the drama on April 9.
Next up, Field Notes columnist Barry Evans hosts On the Waterfront (1954) on April 16. Also starring Brando, this one took it all Oscar night, garnering eight Academy Awards, including Best Director for Kazan and Best Actor for Brando.
Andy Griffith is Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes in A Face in the Crowd (1957) showing April 23. Watch Rhodes' unprecedented rise from a mediocre man to a position of great power and influence who gets there through folksy populist appeals and falsities ... oh, dear god, too real. Hosted by Bob Doran.
Finally, the film that introduced the world to James Dean, East of Eden (1955) plays April 30. Loosely based on the John Steinbeck novel, the film sees young Dean in a Cain and Abel-esque war with his "favored" brother, vying for dad's (and brother's girlfriend's) attention. With Julie Harris. Hosted by Art Beat columnist Gabrielle Gopinath.
— Kali Cozyris
Santa Barbara Math Rock trio Pookie makes the trip north to rattle the decor off the walls of the Outer Space tonight at 7 p.m. ($5-$20 sliding scale). Arcata prog outfit Farmhouse Odyssey will play a set while local singer, songwriter and bookseller Gabe Lubowe squeezes onto the bill, as well.
Speaking of squeezing and books, this gig will be bookended on either side of the hour by two performances at Fulkerson Hall by Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra. The two shows, at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., will feature the trombonist son and brother of one of New Orleans' royal families heading up a 16-piece jazz orchestra staffed with world class players ($66).
Local hero Nicholas Dominic Talvola will be blowing his trumpet up at the Westhaven Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. Nick's traveling to Japan for a spell soon so consider this a temporary swan song to tide the public over before he returns from across the Pacific Ocean. Joining him for the evening will be RLA Trio doing what it does best ($10-$20 sliding scale).
Two hours later at Humbrews, Vancouver's own electro-dance pop global ravers Delhi 2 Dublin will bring its warehouse and festival show to the stage. Expect an intersection between tablas and sequencers ($15).