There are a lot of good things happening this week, with just a little downtime, which is rather impressive for this time of year. There are some truly fantastic shows on tap, particularly in the first section of the Setlist, so I won’t waste your time with an overlong introduction. Go out and have fun; we can talk politics and culture and current events later. Just focus on the next few days and keep your stick on the ice. Cheerio.
Thursday
Jon Spencer, the maestro behind Gen X powerhouse bands Pussy Galore, Boss Hog and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, is playing a solo show at the Miniplex at 7 p.m. This is about as good as it gets around here on a Thursday in late autumn, so roll through if you want to be revived a little before the true darkness sets in ($25).
Friday
It’s the final Friday the 13th of 2026, and you will not see another until August of 2027. Which should only influence your evening if you choose to lean into the positive direction of fate, because the Arcata Playhouse has a real fantastic show on tap at 8 p.m. Joel Harrison is an avant jazz guitarist, composer and bandleader who is returning to Humboldt with an ambitious project which he is uniquely able to helm. Tonight’s show is a re-imagining of Miles Davis’ 1969 electric jazz milestone In a Silent Way, a record that served as a blueprint for most jazz fusion projects in the following decades. I’m listening to a recording of Harrison’s vision while I write this and all I can really say is, this magnificent mess should be heard and felt and critiqued live. I can’t wait to hear him and his cohorts rip up and rebuild something I love so dearly. Thankfully, you also have the opportunity to do that tonight at 8 p.m. ($25).
Saturday
Here are two shows for you to choose from, both going down at 9 p.m. and with no cover at the door. Over in Blue Lake, the Logger Bar is hosting Portland-based indie folk singer/songwriter Elliot OK, along with local music machine Daniel Nickerson from the Cowtown Serenaders and Makenu.
Meanwhile, at the Shanty, there’s some punk rock transpiring in the Swan Room, with locals Psyop Victim, Lxs Perdidxs and Berk and the Jerx teaming up with Dumpster Puppies. Roll the dice and take your pick.
Sunday
Clan Dyken is back in town with the 35th iteration of their Beauty Way tour, an annual fundraiser for the native people of Big Mountain, Arizona, who are engaged in an ongoing resistance movement against the American government over extractive mining exploitation on their land. The door price is a suggested $10-$20, and material supplies such as tools and non-perishable food items are also accepted. There will be a mini potluck at 6:30 p.m., with the show happening an hour later. Guests include activist Darryl Cherney and musical act Elk Thunder Drum.
Eureka has something entirely different tonight at Savage Henry Comedy Club, where you will find Bakersfield sludge metal band Parasite Caste sharing the stage with local acts Witch Finger, Ultramafic, Eye4Eye and Psyop Victim,who are pulling a bang-bang double show this weekend. Tickets are a sliding scale $10-$20 at the door, and bring an ID if you are over 21 and intend to drink.
Monday
It’s quiet tonight, but it’s entirely up to you if you wish to keep it that way, just leave me out of it.
Tuesday
Once more, with passion this time. Nicholas Talvola, Russ Thallheimer, Shane Fox, Ian Taylor and Alex Espe are Strange Meeting, a group that plays avant jazz, experimental ambient comfort music and improvisational collaborations every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Basement. There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door, a steal for anyone interested in good music.
Wednesday
It’s not a concert, but tonight’s sci-fi night offering at the Arcata Theatre Lounge does have two of the more famous musical segments from 1970s cinema. One is a pastiche of famous classical music themes playing over the final scene with actor Edward G. Robinson in both this film and his career, and the other is an intro created by filmmaker Charles Braverman featuring a timeline of America falling into a Malthusian trap of overpopulation by the faraway, futuristic year of 2022. I am of course talking about 1973’s dystopian thriller Soylent Green. If you don’t know anything about this movie going in, keep it that way. If you do, keep it to yourself. It’s the same deal as ever: The pre-show starts at 6 p.m., the film begins around 7 p.m., and it’s $6 for a ticket at the door, $10 if you want to leave with a poster.
Collin Yeo (he/him) is just some guy.
This article appears in El Niño is Here.