Swing by the Basement tonight at 8 p.m. for a free celebration of the music — and birthdays — of Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt, the pioneering jazz violinist and guitarist, respectively, who changed the world of music forever beginning in the 1930s with their group the Quintette du Hot Club de France, ground zero […]
Beverly Twist
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In Heaven Everything is Fine
Every so often in the course of my time manning the nightlife section in this paper, I find myself in the unenviable position of having to note the passing of an artist, whether local or more famous. It’s never a fun thing, but I consider it an essential aspect of the job, as “all hands […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Music Tonight: Thursday, March 14
Sansfu is a portmanteau word for sans Tofu, which isn’t a menu option, but rather a reference to the members of Absynth Quartet when they are performing without the drummer (his nickname is Tofu, you see). However, the plot thickens tonight at the Basement because the group is working with some additions: new mandolin player […]
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When the Springtime Comes Again
Spring is coming back, which means we’ve pushed through two human-made hurdles in which I have little interest: the Oscars and Daylight Savings time. To the latter I say pick one and stick with it, a sentiment shared by a majority of my fellow Californians, and, like many such things, an issue hopelessly tied up […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Music Tonight: Saturday, Feb. 24
The New Pelicans are somewhat of a phoenix-like group, having risen from the ashes of our late local folk country band The Handshakers with four of its members in the lineup, including guitarists and singer/songwriters Mike Bynum and Michael Walker, the latter a master luthier as well. The sound hits all the beloved notes of […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Music Tonight: Saturday, Nov. 19
The rest of the week is a wee bit barren (as so often happens this time of year), so I’m going to stack today as a means of balance. Here are three shows to brighten your time. First up, as alluded to before, local world-traveling folkster Oryan Peterson-Jones is playing a free matinee birthday gig […]
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All Cats Are Gray
I’d like to think that I have my cats fairly well trained. They are scared of birds and the road, two fears I have worked hard to instill in them since they were little kittens because a) I won’t be allowing bird murder in my home and b) they are asphalt-colored and if one of […]
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Get to the Show and the Voting Booth
This has been an ugly and busy week. White terrorism has been in the news and in our own community someone was stabbed to death in Arcata in what I am sure was a tragically pointless dispute. Two lives are now ruined: the victim’s and the alleged attacker’s. This isn’t a crime to put on […]