One of the many things in life that make me feel overwhelming guilt is the fact that I don’t make it out to many shows these days. (I won’t spend the time here blaming our children for robbing me of almost every free moment of life and making my body shut down at 8:30 p.m. […]
Arcata Playhouse
Posted inStories
Theater Kids
Arcata Playhouse founders Jackie Dandeneau and David Ferney met as young actors touring the Canadian Fringe Circuit in the summer of 1995. The story goes that her sketch comedy troupe crashed his comic acrobatic troupe’s show in Edmonton. After that first encounter, “I chased her around the world. Literally,” says Ferney. They eventually moved to […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Tonight’s Setlist: Strings sublime
That genre of music popularized by the great Django Reinhart has been the subject of some debate over how it’s commonly referenced. Is “gypsy jazz” a racial pejorative? My brief research yielded neither a clear answer nor cause to stop use of the phrase, so I’ll go with it for now. Self-described “Americana meets gypsy […]
Posted inArts + Scene
From the Hum: You Thought You Were Staying Home Tonight? Think Again
Tuesday. Yes, Tuesday You’ve got two, count ’em, two gigs to chose from on a Tuesday night. Go figure. First, Wil Blades, San Francisco Bay Area’s first call organist, debuts his new trio at the Jambalaya. Blades has been named in the Downbeat critics poll under “Rising Star” for organ every year since 2006, keeping the […]
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From the Hum: Fulks is a gas, girls are badass, a little sweet bluegrass
Singer-songwriter delight Chicago singer-songwriter Robbie Fulks makes a rare West Coast appearance at the Arcata Playhouse. Intimate, yet roomy; sophisticated, yet never uptight; with great sound and wonderful people, the Playhouse is one of Humboldt’s top venues. And Fulks is a fascinating performer, with live performances that feature improvised rearrangements of his original songs, off-the-cuff […]
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From the Hum: Your Sunday, Monday fun days guide
Tonight, Portland’s “little orchestra” Pink Martini returns with what bandleader Thomas Lauderdale calls another “rollicking around-the-world musical adventure.” The multilingual über-hip ensemble is part romantic Hollywood film, part musical archeologist and part red-hot samba parade, wildly diverse yet magically exhilarating. Tickets are $55 general and $25 HSU students. The whole shebang gets going at the […]
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From the Hum: Tonights’s Soul and Funny Folk
The Soul Spectacular Tour, in which Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe presents a Ray Charles Boogaloo Dance Party with special guest Zach Deputy and The Cosmic Horns, erupts at the Arcata Theatre Lounge. Quick history: Denson first came to prominence as a member of Lenny Kravitz’s band, then, in 1993, joined DJ Greyboy in creating Greyboy […]
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From the Hum: Saturday stoner rock, singers and songwriters
Tonight, Flagstaff’s Greco provide the Euro-pop and Seattle’s Ancient Warlocks (!!!) bring the stoner rock to the Alibi for another $5, 21-and-over show that’ll keep you up late as the music doesn’t start till 11 p.m. or so. Fans of Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age should make a point to get out to this […]
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From the Hum: Tonight! Decisions, decisions… (VIDEOS)
You might want to sit down if you’re not already. Do you need a cup of coffee or a sandwich? Because for some reason, Thursday is nuts with shows. Okay. Ready? You’ve got your known quantities — Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell at the Van Duzer, Leftover Salmon at the ATL — and then three […]
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From the Hum: Jazz-Folk-Amazing Meklit Hadero
Tonight at the Arcata Playhouse, a run of high quality shows continues with Bay Area jazz/folk singer and guitar player Meklit Hadero. The Ethiopian-born Hadero grew up in the U.S., attended Yale, then became a musical sensation with the release of her 2010 debut On a Day Like. Meklit has served as an artist-in-residence at […]
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From the Hum: The Bills you’re happy to see
Hope you’re ready for some midweek action because The Bills play the Arcata Playhouse tonight and tomorrow. This brilliant quintet hails from the West Coast of Canada, where they’ve won multiple music awards and fans devoted to what’s described as “innovative interpretations of traditional tunes.” Think instrumental expertise, opulent vocal arrangements, boisterous live performances and […]
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From the Hum: Shoes and shows
If you read The Hum in print or online this week, you know it’s all about the shoes. We had to have some way to help you choose your Saturday night… Post-apocalpytic folk genius Boots caked with farm dirt? Then it’s John Craigie at the Arcata Playhouse for you. Excellent choice. Craigie has shared various […]