We live in a culture where apology, a change of temperament or evolving ideological alignment are considered signs of weakness. This seems like an intractable, complex problem, but it’s simple to sidestep when you remember everyone who runs things here is stupid as hell and arrogant to boot, and that you don’t have to be that way yourself. Case in point: I’m going to make an admission of wrongness in taste that was blessedly corrected for me last Friday on the solstice, and one for which I couldn’t be happier. For years I had it in my mind that I couldn’t stand the music of Jonathan Richman. Blame it on a surly teenager’s exposure to his balladeer character in the famous jizz-hairdo and male genitals in crotch zipper comedy There’s Something About Mary (1998) as the origin of the problem, but it evolved over the years as I came to regard his sound as ground-zero for the sad-boy, confessional lovesick songs from artists of my elder millennial youth to whom I reacted with fantasies of immolation and defenestration (in that order, set to a brutal soundtrack of distorted, psychotic pomp and victory).
Well, time goes by and the inscrutable forces of the world sometimes set unconscionable errors to right. With the aim to “take one for the team” and bring a special someone to see Richman live at the Arcata Playhouse to fulfill her delight at his music, I settled in for what turned out to be one of the greatest concerts of my life. The man is a master, an impressionist who takes cut-ups from his vast songbook and creates living collages of incredible humor and beauty with nothing more than his voice, a strapless nylon string guitar, and a longtime drummer who lives in seamless anticipation of his many zigs and zags. And not that this matters a fig in terms of his music, but the man is such a sweetheart and a delight who hung out with us to casually shoot the shit after most of the audience left. During that show, all the usual chairs below the tiered seats were gone, and the wooden floor became a sock hop dance land for anyone of any age who wanted to move in the style that they saw fit. It was completely unpretentious, exciting, brilliant and delightful from start to finish. Just a perfect gig. Check out the song I titled this column after and tell me it won’t lift you into a time and a place that doesn’t exist outside of a sparking collage of memories, without a single over-sweet tone to diminish its organic beauty. I was wrong, horribly wrong, and I am so happy to be turned the right way around and share it with you.
Have a wonderful week.
Thursday
Nashville’s Crys Matthews plays a right-handed acoustic guitar as a leftie, upside down to the casual viewer, with the tenor strings up top and the wrapped lower strings sitting on the bottom, a tradition which dates back to the pre-recording era of American blues music, and was the style in which Elizabeth “Libba” Cotton, the godmother of contrapuntal gospel folk blues, played her instrument. Matthews comes from another time and place, but her thumb-strummed sound is urgent and timeless, speaking the language of dispossessed with a new eloquence above an old style. You should check her out tonight at the Arcata Playhouse at 8 p.m. ($20).
Friday
There’s an outsider rock and psyche show at the Wild Hare Tavern at 7 p.m. New(ish) local bands The Mercury Suckers and Western Extra will join up with Los Angeles group Hooveriii for an evening of the good stuff. The Wild Hare is one of the best new venues out there, with an excellent sound system and good atmosphere ($10.)
Meanwhile, the Miniplex is hosting Big Mood, its monthly queer dance party, with a special crossover with Trinidaddies to celebrate the curtain call of Pride Month. The fun starts at 9 p.m. and along with regular DJ and producer Pandemonium Jones, there will be a full line-up of performers and DJs including DJ Rosé. Dahlia Vendetta, Gliterous Cliterous, Kata Dreamz, Kombouja, Kreepeeo and many more. The $5 early bird tickets are going really fast, but if you miss out, $10 will get you in the door on the night of.
The Hitch, one of Humboldt’s most original homespun creations, are playing a rare show at Savage Henry Comedy Club tonight at 9 p.m. Also on board are fantastic punkers Imperial Destructo and longtime vinyl assassin DJ Red, making this a trifecta of OG Humco treats. Tickets are available for $15 advance, $20 the night of at the door.
Saturday
The Creative Sanctuary presents another jazz show at the Arcata Playhouse tonight at 7 p.m., this one is a tribute to trumpeter and composer Kenny Dorham, a criminally underrated musician who died far too young and is perhaps most famous for his work with the early iteration of the Jazz Messengers. Co-producers James Zeller and Ramsey Isaacs — on trombone and drums respectively — will be joined by Danny Gaon, Mathew Seno and Tree. As with the previous gigs in this excellent live series, tickets are available for $15-$30, sliding scale.
Sunday
The Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka is yet again home to another excellent afternoon concert today at 4 p.m., where you will find the North Coast Choral Artists performing their program “The Promise of Living,” with works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Kenney Potter, Elizabeth Alexander — working with the words of the mystical poet Tagore — among many other diverse pieces. The program concludes with the title piece by American composer Aaron Copland and is developed by artistic director Rachel Samet. Tickets are $20 at the door, come feel the wonder.
Monday
It’s another Metal Monday at Savage Henry Comedy Club, and this line-up looks cool. San Diego’s black/doom group Woods Witch is joined by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s solo black metal violinist Joey Molinaro, along with excellent local acts Ultramafic and Psyop Victim. As ever, the show starts at 7 p.m., it’s a $5-$20 sliding scale, and while it is an all-ages gig, you’ll need an I.D. if you want to drink alcohol.
Tuesday
The Moss Oak Commons in Arcata is the new DIY venue on the scene, near Moon Cycles and Redwood Retro, and it will be hosting an interesting noise show tonight. New Arcata group Western Extra is at it again, along with former 707 citizen Phil Geraldi and Chini’s one-man sound act New Saturday Mourning Through a Window. The music begins at 7 p.m. and there is a $5 donation option at the door to support the musicians and venue.
Wednesday
The Mojo Rockers are hosting a free open mic blues jam at the Wave Lounge in the Blue Lake Casino this evening at 7 p.m. Show up with your instrument of choice and, if it happens to be anything other than your voice, make sure you check it in with security on the way through the door. Don’t forget to brush up on your pentatonic scales and passing notes.
Collin Yeo (he/him) is still correct about all that mean shit he said about the whiny sad boy musicians of his era and beyond, though.
This article appears in The Man Who Unsolved a Murder.