Due to the increasingly absurd seriousness of the world married to an also increasingly evil and clownish state of domestic affairs, plus my previous underestimation of how painfully literal some people take in information in this column and beyond, I have learned not to engage in April Fool’s gags in print anymore. So I am […]
Arcata Playhouse
Posted inArts + Scene
Music Tonight: Tuesday, March 11
The Tiptons Saxophone Quartet — and drums — are an interesting group, as are most of the musical caravans who drift through the oasis of the Arcata Playhouse. Named in homage to the late, pioneering, transgender saxophonist Billy Tipton, this all-female sax quartet — again, with drums added — has a wide range of styles […]
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Burn, Baby, Burn
When Mavis Muller found herself in Arcata last year, she knew she had landed somewhere special. A renowned basket weaver, storyteller and installation artist — as well as a self-described “migratory artist” — Muller leaves her Alaskan nest during the fall and travels south for several months. While on the road, she exhibits her work […]
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Theater Tonight: Monday, March 3
Πr2 is a multi-media performance of dance — aerial and otherwise — and theater performed solely by women, a trio of international performers, Catalina Nicoletti, Pia Nicoletti and Borja Caraval, all of whom have been crafting their art for most of their lifetimes. It certainly looks like an interesting event, and 8 p.m. isn’t too […]
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Theater Tonight: Sunday, March 2
In deference to different voices and live theatre, I will mention two gigs happening today, Terry Baum’s Lesbo Solo: A Gay History Play at the EXIT Theatre at 3 p.m., and Rebecca McGlynn’s Asexuality: The Musical at the Arcata Playhouse at 7 p.m. Both shows are $20, and might provide a nice counterpoint to the […]
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Music Tonight: Monday, Feb. 17
Up in the Canadian side of the Rocky Mountains you will find the home-turf stamping grounds of The Wardens, a ground of Canuck songsters named after their chosen profession of national park wardens. Expect harmony-laden tales of the wilds of the backcountry and the experiences of the people who oversee its vast wilderness. I think […]
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Music Tonight: Friday, Jan. 31
Master violinist Andrew Finn Magill has taken the time he lived and played in Brazil and created Canto, Violino!, a trio which slithers and pulses between the funnels of choro music, the early fusion ancestor of samba, jazz, and bossa nova. The rest of the group are world class musicians, with Brazilian percussionist Clarice Cast […]
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Music Tonight: Wednesday, Jan. 22
Tonight is the first of a two-night residency at the Arcata Playhouse for the Jamie Baum Quartet. Headed by the namesake flautist, this is modern jazz played about as good as it gets, as the CVs of each member is a who’s who of the big players out there making and defining the genre in […]
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Music Tonight: Saturday, Dec. 21
Here’s a trio of ways to celebrate the longest night of the year, laid out in chronological form for your discernment. At the Arcata Playhouse at 7 p.m., singer and trombonist James Zeller presents the music of Chet Baker (and other Capricorns). He will be joined by his usual cadre of talented cats, Gabe Lubowe, […]
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The Valiant Red Rooster Crows
By reimagining the classic folk tale of The Valiant Red Rooster for the annual holiday musical pantomime at the Arcata Playhouse, director Evan Grande offers this year’s post-earthquake, holiday spirits-boosting entertainment enjoyable for all ages. Backed by the equivalent of a Greek chorus (the talented and funny Blue Lake Choir in chicken costumes) that witnesses […]
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Music Tonight: Saturday, Nov. 23
Speaking of the Sanctuary, James Zeller and friends will be putting on a special seasonal jazz show over at the Arcata Playhouse this evening at 6:20 p.m. called Leaves and Sleeves: Songs of Autumn. There will be two sets, the first being the thematic one and a second running after a short break with a […]
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Music Tonight: Sunday, Nov. 10
Again, speaking of things which started in 2017, Orphic Percussion is a quartet of off-roading, free-ranging mallet-wielders whose sonic palette includes traditional chromatic instruments like marimbas and vibraphones, along with drums of various descriptions, and found items from the metallic world. Contrapuntal coordination galore is at work in this act’s sets and worth your time […]