Among the few American songwriters who have profoundly impacted the American Songbook as I hazily define it, most would agree Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan are somewhere toward the top of the list. I wouldn’t be alone in putting Paul Simon way up there, too. With his early songwriting career rooted in folk music and […]
The Setlist
Our picks for the week’s best live music plus interviews and music news.
Posted inMusic
4 + 20 More
Humboldt has its own complicated and multifaceted relationship with its best-known cash crop. Whether you are hip enough to call it cannabis or still call it “the dope,” it’s tough to fully appreciate the extent of its influence on our county. I don’t have the space/time/patience to go into depth here in this column but […]
Posted inMusic
There and Back Again, a Musician’s Tale
We here in Humboldt are lucky. It’s easy to forget but deep down we know that. We live in a rural part of the state that’s hard to get to and have a low average median income for a family of four compared to much of the rest of California, if my memory is correct. […]
Posted inMusic
Parties, Pre-Parties and Celebrations
Thursday Get your string thing on tonight — sounds dirtier than I planned it — down at The Jam in Arcata where local string bands Thursday Night Bluegrass and The Gatehouse Well take the stage around 9 p.m. for a $5 show. Be prepared to cut a rug. At the famous Logger Bar in Blue […]
Posted inMusic
The Godfather
Just like many of you, I can remember exactly where I was when I first heard James Brown. I was a kid riding along in my mother’s car in the morning with the radio on. Her favorite station would play what they called “golden oldies,” which didn’t mean much to me as an 8-year old. […]
Posted inMusic
Music in the Time of Crisis
Every year it’s harder to tell the next generation borrowing money for college is a good idea. Tuitions are on the rise — imagine them ever going down! — and student loans linger longer and longer. However, one tremendous benefit of college remains: being surrounded by peers who share the sensitivities to the overwhelming and […]
Posted inMusic
Don’t Let Me Fall
It’s one of those great weekends where we have a chance to hear one of our hardworking local bands draw a line in the musical sand and commit its work into a recorded snapshot of time. All that’s a silly way of saying, Wild Otis is releasing its debut album called Don’t Let Me Fall […]
Posted inMusic
The Substitute
One of the many things in life that make me feel overwhelming guilt is the fact that I don’t make it out to many shows these days. (I won’t spend the time here blaming our children for robbing me of almost every free moment of life and making my body shut down at 8:30 p.m. […]
Posted inMusic
The Rebel Incubator
June 12, 2003 should be a local holiday. On this day, a raucous and deafening cultural event took place, the immediate effects of which have been overshadowed by the sonic mushroom cloud that continues to unfold to this day. The site of this Manhattan Project was The Alibi. The elements fused together were local bands […]
Posted inMusic
The Youngest
As an independant musician (i.e. poor) I’m always rooting for the underdog. The unknown songwriter struggling to afford coffee in the morning. The musician who has fully let down their parents. The goals of fame and stardom are for narcissists who spend more on haircuts than gear or practicing. The tangible goals for independent musicians […]
Posted inMusic
Balance in the Force
Beatles or Stones? It’s a silly question that’s at least 50 years old. My wife answered “The Beatles” without hesitating. Yet it’s one that haunts many of us music lovers who hold cherished spots for both in our hearts. Would modern music exist as anything even close to resembling itself had John and Paul never […]
Posted inMusic
Arts! Arcata and Beyond
Friday Arts! Arcata gets us into our weekend and although I’m checking out the weather forecast here more than 20 minutes in advance, it looks like we should have a rather sunny weekend. Starting tomorrow that is. Brave the rain and wind — or whatever we get — to circle around the greater Arcata Plaza […]