When Janis Ian wrote her seminal song “At Seventeen,” she started with the perfect stanza about tragic, trapped, popular and doomed teenage girls who peaked too soon: “I learned the truth at 17/ That love was meant for beauty queens/ And high school girls with clear-skinned smiles/ Who married young and then retired.” She goes […]
The Setlist
Our picks for the week’s best live music plus interviews and music news.
Posted inMusic
Cold, Comfort
It’s cold and wet. I know I mentioned the weather in my last column but that was mostly an attempt to inure myself against the inevitable. It didn’t really work and now the weather is tormenting us like a crazy lover with days of sun and freezing rain with no obvious pattern behind it all […]
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Keeping the Gray at Bay
As November descends and the days turn grayer and shorter, our sweet Humboldt County begins to resemble the Asphodel Meadows of Homer’s underworld or the garden of virtuous pagans in the first circle of Dante’s Inferno. Limbo, in other words — everything around here can start to resemble a wet, green-gray limbo. Which leads us […]
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Trick or Treat Yourself
I don’t like Halloween. I have fallen asleep in a graveyard on two non-consecutive Halloweens. I once coated myself in homemade corn-syrup blood to the point where my own friends didn’t recognize me and I had to explain why my face was stained pink to my coworkers for a week. I have sat through the […]
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Welcome to the Party
I suppose the best way to start this off is by introducing myself. My name is Collin Yeo, I am 35 years old, unmarried, no kids, a native son of Humboldt and I love live music. I spent my 20s in New Orleans, where I worked as (among a whole lotta other things) a musician. […]
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We’ll Meet Again
There’s an old saying that goes, “Always leave ’em wanting more.” I say, “When they don’t want any more, always leave.” Well folks, after two years, it’s time for me to let the door hit me in the ass, so to speak. It’s not you, it’s me. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed my […]
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Welcome Back, Buffy
Thursday Folky fiddle tunes are the fare this evening courtesy of local band Fingal. The band is stopping by the Mad River Brewery Tap Room at 6 p.m. to play as you sip on your tasty beer and slam those tots. It’s a free show, but feel free to leave a tip if you enjoyed […]
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Less In, Less Out
Thursday Local musical man of mystery Chris Parreira tipped me off to an interesting show this evening in a rare venue — at M. Walker Guitars at 550 South G St., Unit #9 — with Anna Tivel. She’s a touring singer/songwriter and has recently been a winner at the Telluride Troubadour Contest and the Kerrville […]
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Blues, Loops, Peyote Rock and Soulgrass
Thursday Bluegrass returns to the menu at the Mad River Brewery Tap Room this evening around 6 p.m. courtesy of the Compost Mountain Boys. As usual, this is a free show, but that doesn’t mean you can’t throw a few shekels toward the band. The Old Steeple in Ferndale is starting off its season with […]
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Beast, Please!
Thursday We should be having some relatively warm — yet sane — weather here on the coast this weekend, which is good for any of you festival goers, but if that’s not enough for you, head over to Blue Lake, where it will be a few degrees warmer. Local blues band the Lost Dogs are […]
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Hit the Lawn
Thursday Cruzin’ Eureka‘s Poker Run meets up this evening at Vista Del Mar in Eureka at 6 p.m. and there’s local music to welcome the cruisers. You’ll find well-dialed blues-rock band Cold Blue Water in the parking lot, jamming away along with Ghost Train in front of some pretty fine looking classic cars. Check it […]
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Beer, Barbecue and Blues
Thursday If you decide to call in sick to work tomorrow and make it a four-day weekend, start off at the Mad River Brewery Tap Room around 6 p.m. where you’ll hear some jazz tunes from Fred & Jr. (no relation) for free. Enjoy some tasty local beers and if you have too many, you […]