There’s a lot that makes Humboldt stand out among the other 57 rather bleh counties in our great state. (OK, Mendocino is pretty cool. And Trinity has the Trinity River, so that’s awesome.) I don’t want to make this a long list of what Humboldt has going for it, but rather to point out one […]
Mateel Community Center
Posted inMusic
4 + 20 More
Humboldt has its own complicated and multifaceted relationship with its best-known cash crop. Whether you are hip enough to call it cannabis or still call it “the dope,” it’s tough to fully appreciate the extent of its influence on our county. I don’t have the space/time/patience to go into depth here in this column but […]
Posted inMusic
Music in the Time of Crisis
Every year it’s harder to tell the next generation borrowing money for college is a good idea. Tuitions are on the rise — imagine them ever going down! — and student loans linger longer and longer. However, one tremendous benefit of college remains: being surrounded by peers who share the sensitivities to the overwhelming and […]
Posted inMusic
The Rebel Incubator
June 12, 2003 should be a local holiday. On this day, a raucous and deafening cultural event took place, the immediate effects of which have been overshadowed by the sonic mushroom cloud that continues to unfold to this day. The site of this Manhattan Project was The Alibi. The elements fused together were local bands […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Reggae Colors
By now, everybody who was grooving to irie sounds at French’s Camp last weekend during Reggae on the River has packed away their tents, shaken off the dust and returned to solid cell service. If you missed it or just miss it already, photographer Erica Botkin was right in the middle of the colorful four-day […]
Posted inNews
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’: Sizzla Speaks at Reggae on the River
Reggae dancehall artist Sizzla Kalonji has given few interviews in recent years. So it was sort of a big deal when Kalonji’s camp confirmed at the last minute that the artist would be talking to the press at Reggae on the River immediately after his headlining show Saturday night. The interview appeared to be part […]
Posted inNews
UPDATED: Reggae Ready to ‘Pull the Plug’ on Sizzla if Assurances not Met
UPDATE: Humboldt Pride has called on Reggae on the River to cancel Sizzla’s performance and issue a public apology to the Humboldt queer community. If Reggae organizers do not comply, Pride will call for ticket holders to boycott the performance. “It’s a slap in the face to the LGBT Community,” said Zakkary Zoah, Board Member […]
Posted inNews
Reggae Headliner Re-stokes Murder Music Outcry
Reggae on the River kicks off this weekend but the festival’s choice of headliner has some local LGBTQ groups wondering if “Murder Music on the River” might be a more fitting moniker. In its 32nd year, the four-day summer music festival put on by the Mateel Community Center has confirmed Jamaican reggae artist Sizzla Kalonji […]