Photo by Chris Parreira, courtesy of the artists
Object Heavy plays Cannifest on Saturday, Sept. 9.
Well, I made it through the long weekend without calamity, as I hope many, if not all, of you did as well. I took some of the time to throw a surprise birthday party for my youngest brother, whose birthday in August was overshadowed by a death in the family. I had never thrown a surprise party before, and there are a lot of moving pieces, nearly all of them human, an unreliable and unpredictable species at best. Happily, I had help from his friends and my own, and the crowd we pulled worked in harmony to make sure that we didn't fuck up the one thing that you absolutely cannot fuck up regarding this kind of thing. You know, the surprise. Much thanks to everyone who was a part of that, you know who you are.
We are in what I think of as the Warm Shadows era of summer, where the heat is tinged with encroaching night and every living thing casts ever-longer shadows that will soon snuff out their summer blooms. I love that feeling, native in these regions to the beautiful month of September. Let's all go out and taste a bit of it, eh?
Thursday
Fans of goth, post-punk, darkwave and the more experimental side of sonic heaviness have some good news coming their way this evening at 7 p.m. The Siren's Song Tavern is putting on a show with exactly that kind of crew, headlined by Atlanta's Dead Register with Oakland to Arcata transplants Silence in the Snow, as well as local DJs DastBunny and Unseelie ($15).
Friday
Arcata has two groovy shows tonight at 9 p.m. for you to choose from, a choice that might prove difficult, as both look quite promising. Over at Humbrews, Fernstock 2023 alumni Caribbean Jazz Odyssey is set to share the stage with Samba Floresta, which guarantees a night of movement on the dancefloor ($10). Meanwhile at the Miniplex, there's a hip hop mini-fest of sorts, where under the title Live Wires, lots of talent will be on deck to perform, including Fresh Micks, 4drian, Emani, Rowdy, local heroes Reeph and S0ul, and, hailing from Redding, Davey Legend. Only $5 for this full crew.
Saturday
It's the beginning of the two-day smokestravaganza Cannifest at the lovely Halvorsen Park. Since there's a lot going on here, I'm just going to share a few basic details and leave it to you to work out the rest. Today's fest goes from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., while Sunday begins an hour later and ends at the same time. There are a lot of non-musical aspects to this whole thing that fall far outside of my beat but also quite a few musical acts that will be doing their thing on the four stages. So, rather than getting lost in the weeds regarding the technical stuff, I will instead say were I to go and had to pick only one day, I would go today, as legendary hip hop duo Dead Prez headlines the entertainment, and on a long list of formidable talent, local funk masters Object Heavy will also be plying its wares. Ticket pricing runs through a range of number and options, with single day advance passes going for $55, weekend passes starting at $82, and VIP weekend lanyards running you an oddly specific amount of $182.42. Enjoy!
Sunday
If you aren't out among the merry crowds and THC clouds on the Eureka waterfront today, I'm going to recommend a little mirthful brilliance from my childhood that's playing at the Arcata Theatre Lounge today at 6 p.m. I am, of course, talking about one of Tim Burton's best films and the only one starring the recently departed Paul Reubens: Pee Wee's Big Adventure. There are few films as perfect and one-of-a-kind as this one, just as there was, and will only ever be one Pee Wee Herman and his brilliant creator. In a world absolutely teeming with rich, thieving assholes like Francis Buxton, it feels right to take a break and root for the hero in the gray suit and bowtie. Entrance costs $8, $12 with a poster, which is often designed by a local artist. Viva Pee Wee.
Monday
Metal Monday at Savage Henry Comedy Club rolls on! This week's offering features Bay Area "brutal slam" band Lost to the Void, along with local warlords Malicious Algorithm and Sarcophilius Satanicus. Come get some, because this line-up is no joke and this will be a sick one. As usual, music starts at 7 p.m. in deference to the workers out there and the cover charge is a reasonable $5-$10. Be sure to bring an I.D. if you intend to drink a heavy bevvie.
Tuesday
Not much going on in the nightlife tonight beyond some recurring gigs I have highlighted before, so I will instead take a moment to note the 20th anniversary of the passing of one of the greatest American musicians and songwriters to ever strap on a guitar, step up to the microphone and introduce himself in one of the finest baritones known to humanity. I am talking about the Man in Black himself, Mr. Johnny Cash. I'm sure I speak for plenty out there when I say that we miss you, boss, and hope that wherever you are now, you can feel our eternal love and gratitude.
Wednesday
Two movie nights in a week? Sure, but I have a very compelling case for this one. La Planete Sauvage or, to English-speaking audiences, The Fantastic Planet is a 1973 dystopic animated science fiction flick that uses its alien subjects to underscore some of the less pleasant aspects of our own species' behaviors. But ignoring the plot, my main attraction to the film is that it contains one of the greatest soundtracks of all time, scored by French jazz great Alain Goraguer, who passed away in February of this year. It's a genius work of psychedelic jazz and rock that even sounds circus-like at times, with abstract, sighing vocalese meeting deeply effected electric guitar for a fantastic result. I've listened to it countless times. Check out the track "Les Fusées" for an excellent example of its general vibe. Anyway, the Arcata Theatre Lounge is the spot, the feature starts at 7:45 p.m., and $5 ($9 if you want a poster) is the price.
Collin Yeo (he/him) is an earthling and would like to remain so for the rest of his lifespan. He lives in Arcata, which is, happily, located on Earth.
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