[image-1] It takes a certain audacity for a young Brit named Declan Patrick MacManus to take on the name of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll at the start of a music career, but Elvis Costello did just that. His audacious 1977 debut on Stiff Records, My Aim Is True, lived up to the name. […]
Bob Doran
Freelance photographer and writer, Arts and Entertainment editor from 1997 to 2013.
Posted inBest Of Humboldt
Best Grocery Store
Once again, this category drew a large number of votes with loyalties split among Wildberries, Eureka Natural Foods, Murphy’s, WinCo, Safeway and Grocery Outlet, among others (no votes for Wal-Mart). But the clear winner (again) was North Coast Co-op. Note that we lumped together votes for Arcata Co-op, Eureka Co-op, The Co-op, The Coop, and […]
Posted inMusic
Best Modern Jazz Series in Humboldt
Humboldt’s keepers of the modern jazz flame are a small circle of jazz aficionados who put together a nonprofit arts organization called the Redwood Jazz Alliance. The dedicated crew has been bringing some of the best young players and veteran jazzers to Humboldt since 2006. As the RJA explains in its mission statement, “We envision […]
Posted inBest Of Humboldt
Best Food on Wheels
As anyone who’s been to Portland can tell you, the mobile food phenomenon that’s sweeping urban areas has not quite caught on in Humboldt. As the voting here shows, we’re still dominated by family operated Mexican food trucks serving tacos and burritos. The closest we have to a food cart pod is a section of […]
Posted inBest Of Humboldt
Best Asian Restaurant
Another hard fought battle with pretty much every Chinese, Japanese and Southeast Asian place in the county showing up as someone’s favorite (along with a bunch of inexplicable votes for the band Blood Gnome). While Kyoto was a strong contender, Pho Thien Long once again took first place. As the name implies, the classic North […]
Posted inBest Of Humboldt
Best Dinner
Years ago, before artisan bakeries really caught on in Humboldt, a young couple installed a beautiful brick oven in a Eureka storefront and opened White Cat Bakery. Their business is long gone, but that brick oven remains — it now serves as the centerpiece to the appropriately named F Street bistro Brick & Fire, winner […]
Posted inBest Of Humboldt
Best Weatherman — Ever
Last Tuesday’s KIEM-TV news was a sad day for Humboldt as weatherman Jim Bernard gave his last weather report. Bernard is what you’d have to call a North Coast institution. He’s been informing local “weather fans” about our weather patterns and helping us plan out weekends for more than two decades. Bernard provided solid […]
Posted inMusic
Stranger Weather
Returned from vacation in time for another over-full week of music in Humboldt — one with too many choices. We’ll start with the icons. Coming to the Mateel Saturday, outlaw country legend Merle Haggard with his band, The Strangers. Born in Oildale, near Bakersfield, Haggard has led a hard-knock life: In and out of […]
Posted inMusic
Lyrical Tapestries
Stashed under the dash is a ragged map. Preset three is the secret frequency. The dot-dash code tells what back road. Come forthright at dawn in one month with white scarf on. … Six-oh-three, the city is asleep and these streets will greave a million Mardi Gras beads when dawn comes, each one glistening like […]
Posted inMusic
Get Schooled
It’s official: College is back in session. Are all of you new students ready to party? Better get ready, because the HSU campus music machine has a full slate of shows for you (and the “community”) as the new CenterArts season gets rolling with a couple of shows next week, and Associated Students Presents throws […]
Posted inArts + Scene
One Funny Weekend
As the big kahuna at the local comedy magazine, Savage Henry Independent Times, Chris Durant is supposed to be funny, or at least know funny. He’s also one of the main organizers for this weekend’s standup-apalooza Savage Henry Independent Times and Giggles Comedy Festival, aka SHITS and Giggles. But he readily admits that he’s not […]
Posted inMusic
… And the Livin’ Is Easy
It’s an odd time of year. On the one hand, the sunflowers are blooming and the sunshine seems to be telling us summer is here — finally. Then there are the returning (and new) college students, back for school. (Welcome!) That tells us — sigh — summer is over. Confusing. At any rate, there’s […]