Reap the Wild Wind 

Well, April is here, "breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with spring rain," according to the poet T.S. Eliot in one of his most famous works. A popular interpretation of his provocation of calling this "the cruellest month" is the notion that new life coming out of the frozen bed of winter brings pain for those still grieving the dying losses of the previous year's decline. "Life goes on" can be just as much a curse as an encouragement, per John Cougar Mellencamp, a musician I don't usually endorse and who went to lunch forever with that general sentiment in the mega-hit "Jack & Diane." The world keeps turning and churning, even if the thrill is gone for some of its long-term residents. The forces of depression can cause an amnesiac effect, where memories fade and the immediate surroundings are your only attachments. This seems both bluntly harsh and yet merciful, in the sense that simple pleasures — like spring flowers — might compound into rich, passing flavors once free of the background noise of longer memories. I don't know. I often encounter this month as disorienting, a feeling of being pushed through a process whether I like it or not. And I'm not sure I am too giddy about rebirth, to be honest. I think the first one was hard enough. This is all just piss in the wind though — a nice blustery spring wind, to be precise — because none of us have a choice in this pathway. It's happening, might as well find a way to enjoy it.

On that note, have a nice week

Thursday

The Alley Cats, also known as the Opera Alley Cats when they play the Speakeasy on that street, are a fine jazz group of varying size depending on who is up for the gig. However large or small, these cats know their stuff, and provide an excellent cool jazz atmosphere for the lucky folks in the venue. Tonight's roost is the Basement, where, at 8 p.m. you can hear the cat's meow (free).

Friday

We all love a good local band showcase, don't we, folks? Tonight's line-up spans the rock-to-punk pipeline, with a quartet of groups who all have names that sound like minor Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle villains: Pit Junkies, Marvin the Fly, Something Wicked and The Goons. The action happens at the Siren's Song Tavern after 7 p.m., with a $5-$10 sliding scale.

Saturday

The Sanctuary presents "Ladies Sing for Lady Day," an appreciation of Billie Holiday, whose birth happened 109 years ago on Sunday. Musicians James Zeller, Danny Gaon and James Forrest will back up local singers Lorenza Simmons, Paula Jones, Claire Bent and Katie Belnap as they roll through our lady's songbook. Doors are at 7 p.m., music starts a half hour later, and the evening's price tag is $15-$30, sliding scale. Come one, come all.

Sunday

Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka lends its church organ to the talents of Hungarian organist Sándor Balatoni, who will be joined by Hungarian American violinist Philip Ficsor, to play a series of solo and duet pieces, including works by their homeland hero Béla Bartok, along with French composer Jules Massenet and Josef Rheinberger from the 19th century courts of Liechtenstein. This looks like a great program and a lot of talent in exactly the right venue, so consider my endorsement made in full. The suggested donation is $20 and the music begins at 4 p.m.

Monday

Well, it's another total eclipse day, though essentially just a partial at best for those of us on the West Coast and therefore outside of the path of totality. Not sure how you want to celebrate, I will probably lean into my own personal tradition of forgetting that it was going to happen at all and spending a few moments wondering why the sky looks weird. For those of you looking for some kind of event, the Circus Italia that has been set up at the Bayshore Mall is giving its final performance at 7:30 p.m., with tickets starting at $20. Called Paranormal Cirque, I was intrigued enough to watch the YouTube trailer on the circus website before deciding even though this isn't really for me, it looks like a good mix of horror ambience with carny vibrations, so there's probably truth in advertising that this is an adult's event (unless accompanied by a guardian) and I respect the hustle.

Tuesday

Another quiet night on the coast, so how about some soul, disco and pop? Last year we lost the musical titans Tina Turner and Anita Pointer (who technically passed on New Year's Eve 2022 but that still counts) — leaving her sister Ruth as the only surviving original member of the Pointer Sisters. Both Turner and the Pointer Sisters had long careers, spanning the early days of soul, through the glitter buzzed '70s and onto the age of the mega-pop stars of the 1980s, so you have a lot to choose from if you feel like thumbing through either one's extensive discography. Given my personal tastes, I'd start with the songs the artists covered by the late, great New Orleans master Allen Toussaint. In Turner's case that would be "Viva La Money" from the end of the disco era, while the Pointers had an early-career hit with an R&B cover of the funkified tune "Yes We Can," with Anita taking command of the lead vocals with an impossibly smooth bravado that is the essence of youthful strut with none of the uncertainty.

Wednesday

Regular readers know all about the beloved Metal Mondays at Savage Henry Comedy Club — and now the venue is expanding that general concept with Music Wednesday. Today's offering is advertised as a post-industrial gig, with Mnemonic Pulse (and others) providing the tunes. As with the Monday slot, music starts at 7 p.m., and it's a sliding scale $5-$10 to get inside.

Collin Yeo (he/him) lives in April in Arcata.