Crush S A N TA R O S A
Harmonic Convergence
In recent years, thanks to excellent lineups and more community involvement than ever, the teeming Harmony Festival has been vastly more populated than just about any other event at the fairgrounds—including the fair itself. This year should continue the trend, with headliners the Flaming Lips, Primus (below), Michael Franti, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Ghostland Observatory and others. A skateboard zone returns, and artists from the Handcar Regatta add a new feature this year with the “Steampunk Garage.” Be there Friday–Saturday, June 10–12, at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. $45 per day or night; multi-day passes available. www.harmonyfestival.com.
N A PA
HEALDSBURG
CORTE MADERA
Rough Diamond
Jazz Ascension
Kiss the Cooke
In the years since John Prine inadvertently defined Americana in 1974 with his debut album, which showcased insightful, poetic storytelling in songs like “Sam Stone” and “Hello in There,” his stature has only risen. Like Dylan’s, even Prine’s minor albums harbor worthwhile chestnuts, but lately they’ve been all gold. Fair & Square, his last of original songs, won a Grammy, an award everyone knew was partially retroactive for his heavily influential back catalogue. Live, Prine plays with only a bassist and guitarist, and his stunning poetry and wry demeanor turn the hardest hearts into lifelong fans. He plays Wednesday, June 8, at the Uptown Theatre. 1350 Third St., Napa. 7:30pm. $55–$65. 707.259.0333.
Truly one of the great cultural treasures in the region, the Healdsburg Jazz Festival continues this year with a stellar lineup for its second weekend. Just as the absurd firing of founder Jessica Felix and a proposed change in direction by the festival’s former board of directors last year couldn’t take hold—the community reacted with understandable ire, Felix was reinstated, the board resigned and jazz won—the festival persevered against last weekend’s rain by moving outdoor events inside. This weekend sees Charles Lloyd, Charlie Haden, Bobby Hutcherson, Geri Allen, George Cables, Denny Zeitlin and many others. The festival runs through June 12; its full schedule is easily found at www.healdsburgjazzfestival.org.
As an O. Henry Award winner in 1997 and ’98, and with work anthologized in Best American Short Stories, Carolyn Cooke might be content to rest on her laurels. But the Point Arena author has hit another one out of the park with Daughters of the Revolution, the short-story writer’s first novel. Using the backdrop of a New England prep school in the throes of the social, political and sexual upheaval of the 1960s, Cooke demonstrates that the skill behind her first collection, The Bostons, is still in fine health in the long form. Cooke reads from Daughters of the Revolution on Sunday, June 12, at Book Passage. 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera. 7pm. Free. 415.927.0960.
Gabe Meline
NO RTH BAY BO H E M I AN | JUNE 8-14, 20 1 1 | BOH E MI A N.COM
CULTURE
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The week’s events: a selective guide