Not everyone has a rip-away gold lamé suit on display at the Smithsonian. But when you’re legendary Chicano Elvis impersonator El Vez, it just stands to reason. For 25 years, the Elvis translator has elucidated Chicano history by highlighting the musical connections between classic pop, rock and punk songs as filtered through Mexican and Afro-Caribbean […]
Jennifer Savage
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From the Hum: Friday the 13th, some history and a sizzling bunch of shows
A historical note re: Friday the 13th According to National Geographic, Friday the 13th is rooted in ancient, separate bad-luck associations with the number 13 and the day Friday. Take, for example, the Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla. In walked the uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous Loki. Once there, […]
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From the Hum: Traffic’s Dave Mason, Funky and Uplifting Basslines at ATL
Hall-of-Famer Dave Mason, co-founder of seminal rock group Traffic, appears with his band at the Garberville Theater tonight. After two albums with Traffic, Mason struck out on a solo career, recording the rock classic Alone Together and going platinum with 1977’s Let It Flow — you may know the hit single “We Just Disagree.” The […]
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There Will Be A Light
Despite the cold and the dark, mid-December’s a great time of year to go out. In addition to the usual fun, festivities around this time tend to glow a little brighter. Something about all the giving, the traditions, the friends and family, the love, causes people to radiate that certain holiday joy. Unless you’re in […]
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From the Hum: Tonight! Steve Poltz, legendary music, all-round cool guy
And here’s yet another excellent show brought to us by the indefatigable Chris Parreira. This time it’s Southern California’s Steve Poltz, long beloved as both a solo artist and with cult legends the Rugburns, playing with the one, the only, John Ludington, perhaps Humboldt County’s most unique songwriter and always endearing performer. (Also in Absynth […]
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From the Hum: Your Sunday, Monday fun days guide
Tonight, Portland’s “little orchestra” Pink Martini returns with what bandleader Thomas Lauderdale calls another “rollicking around-the-world musical adventure.” The multilingual über-hip ensemble is part romantic Hollywood film, part musical archeologist and part red-hot samba parade, wildly diverse yet magically exhilarating. Tickets are $55 general and $25 HSU students. The whole shebang gets going at the […]
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From the Hum: Mike Dillon frees minds at the Jam, other fun stuff!
Tonight offers a show sure to please fans of good music and excellent entertainment when Mike Dillon brings his high-octane performance and unorthodox percussion rig to the Jambalaya. After emerging in the late 1980s as the first vibraphonist and vocalist to lead a rock/funk band, Dillon went on to work with artists as diverse as […]
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From the Hum: Blackberry Birthday Jam
Tofu! If you’re looking for something free and fun tonight, you’re in luck, because The Hip Joint and The Blackberry Bushes are celebrating Humboldt County soundman extraordinaire and erstwhile Absynth Quintet drummer Tofu Mike’s birthday at the Logger Bar. The Blackberry Bushes are an alt-folk string band out of the Pacific Northwest and bring forth […]
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From the Hum: Tonight’s Tall Cool Drink of Loopy Juice
As mentioned last week — did you get your tickets yet? — Keller Williams returns to Humboldt with a show tonight at the Arcata Theatre Lounge. Musically, Williams is best known for what he calls “the looping thing.” Machines that are essentially delay units enable Williams to step on a button and sing or play […]
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Early Christmas
Hope you enjoyed last week’s bit of a break, dear readers, because we’re barreling down full bore into the holidays now and your things-to-do-places-to-go-people-to-see list isn’t getting any shorter. The good news is there’s a lot of good news, at least when the news is about the fine, fine selection of musical geniuses vying for […]
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From the Hum: Black Joe Lewis, tonight!
Whoa, it’s December! And tonight Black Joe Lewis returns to Humboldt Brews. Hot damn. The band’s latest album, Electric Slave (stream it here) was produced in large part by Grammy award winner Stuart Sikes (White Stripes, Cat Power, Modest Mouse) and recorded at Church House Studios in Austin. Three of the new tracks were recorded and produced […]
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From the Hum: For Your Saturday Pleasure
Back to the beat Whether leftover turkey or tension needs working off, tonight offers a fine selection starting with Butch Clancy at the Arcata Theatre Lounge. The Motown native is best known for street dancer Marquese Scott’s performance to his interpretation of Foster The People’s “Pumped Up Kicks” — 78 million YouTube views and counting. […]