The Setlist

Oh, Valentine’s Day. On one hand, an opportunity to offend your partner by not celebrating with enough enthusiasm; on the other, a reason to feel shut out by society for not having a partner to “celebrate” with. But let’s find a happier path, shall we? Let’s start with those of you waking up next to […]

For those who missed the news, please note the passing of former Blue Lake resident and beloved musician Kyle Scott, who died in a car crash Saturday in Alabama (see Blogjammin on Page 8). He was 42. Long time Humboldt music scene aficionados will remember him as frontman of the Jade Stems, as a friend, […]

When The Devil Makes Three first played in Humboldt County a decade ago, not many bands were doing what it did. We had our string bands, sure, both bluegrass and old-timey, and we had a bit of a punk scene, but the line between, say, the Humboldt Folklife Society and The Placebo was distinct. The […]

What’s that sound? Ah, yes. The melodies and beats announcing we’ve transitioned from the early January doldrums to the more thunderous drums of live music giddiness. Thursday — Rock ‘n’ roll 1, band 0 Some day we will understand the impetus behind Roland Rock, but for now let us just enjoy knowing that Arcata boasts […]

First, congrats to Adam Pokorski and Matt Jackson for reopening their record store, Missing Link. Second, extra high fives for opening it inside a tavern — genius. Third, apologies to Dead Reckoning tavern master Theo Brown for confusing him with the other bearded guy in Arcata who wears a kilt. Who’d’ve thunk? For the uninitiated, […]

Sure, sure, we’ve got some bands playing as the year’s momentum picks up, but what about you? What about your chance to shine? Let’s take a second to look at where and when you can go and place yourself on stage in front of an audience ready to adore you. (We can’t promise that last […]

The old year may have exited with a bang, but this new one arrives with the whimper not atypical for this desolate time of year. The students are gone, those people with means have fled for warmer climes, those without are huddled under blankets debating whether or not to keep watching Black Mirror on Netflix. […]

Dear Esteemed Readers, We’re often warned about assumption. Fair enough — not everything is as it appears. But you often can judge a book by its cover and your instincts exist for a reason. Also, I need a hook upon which to hang this column, so let us postulate for this week are that you, like […]

Let me share with you a heartwarming tale of the season. A couple Mondays ago, three bands were scheduled to play at the Jambalaya. All the bands were there, ready and waiting. A sizeable crowd had turned up. The only problem (as the story was relayed to me) was that something was wrong with the […]

Before we get into this week’s quiz, let’s take a moment to consider People Who Do Good. One such person is the indefatigable Julie Ryan. I first met Julie a million years ago when she was volunteering with Placebo, an organization dedicated to providing safe, all-ages music shows and more. “Volunteering” is an understatement, truly […]

Hello, dear readers! How are you feeling? Perhaps you, too, are struggling to adjust to the early darkness, thinking it must be about time to crawl into bed and then realizing it’s only 7 o’clock. Maybe the lethargy is compounded by the fact that we’re reaching the end of the semester and that people who […]