NORTH BAY BOHEMIAN | JULY 25–31, 2012 | BOHEMIAN.COM
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Crush CULTURE
The week’s events: a selective guide
P E TA L U M A
Mothers’ Mother
Who’s more original than Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention? Probably nobody, but the Grandmothers of Invention sure come close. The Grandmothers—Napoleon Murphy Brock, Tom Fowler, Don Preston, Miroslav Tadic and Christopher Garcia—formed in 2002 when four alumni from Zappa’s band were invited to perform classic Zappa material. Since, they’ve been living, breathing and truly reincarnating Zappa’s eclectic and tricky musical scores, and doing more than just playing the same notes all over again. Help them keep Zappa’s music alive Friday, July 27, at the Mystic Theatre. 23 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma. 8:30pm. $22–$25. 707.765.2121.
N A PA
Flamenco Renaissance As if the energetic staccato rhythms of flamenco didn’t already have the power to drag you into dance, “nuevo flamenco” transforms the traditional music and fuses it with hints of jazz, rumba and salsa to produce a contemporary derivative. Displaced in its homeland of Spain by rock-’n’-roll in the ’60s, the “new” flamenco is made possible by five-time Grammy nominee and Zen monk Ottmar Liebert. Meditate on the strums of his acoustic guitar on Wednesday, Aug. 1, at the Napa Valley Opera House. 1030 Main St., Napa. 8pm. $30-$35. 707.226.7372.
SA N R A FA E L
Pickin’ First: George Cole, the guitarist who’s performed with jazz legend Keely Smith and was guitar instructor to Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong. Second: Mathias Minquet, the multiinstrumentalist who’s performed with Enrique Iglesias, Laura Pausini and the Pussycat Dolls. Add Echae Kang, Korean star violinist at Berklee College of Music, and Kaeli Earle, a rising star from Washington playing piano, cello and acoustic bass, and what’s the sum of this fateful grouping? The math isn’t hard to do: George Cole and Eurocana bring out a celebration of American classics with Gypsy-fueled jazz on Saturday, July 28, at Studio 55 Marin. 1455 East Francisco Blvd., San Rafael. 8pm. $13–$15. 415.453.3161.
S A N TA R O S A
Fair Game Ahoy, matey! All aboard for the 2012 Sonoma County Fair. Fairgoers will be met with a mass of fried and sugared foods, wild carnival rides and games, horse races for those jonesin’ for gambling and the ever crowdpleasing Grace Pavilion “Hall of Crap,” as my dad eloquently calls it. This year’s theme is “Ports of Call,” and depending on the day of your “cruise,” you may be able to catch one or some of the headlining acts for this year. Martina McBride, Third Eye Blind and Miranda Cosgrove are a few of this year’s attractions, but don’t forget these performances require special tickets. The fair runs almost three weeks, so there’s no excuse for missing this sailing-good time from July 25 through Aug. 12 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. $5–$10. 707.545.4200.
—Holly Abrahams and Catherine Zaw
SHARP DRESSED MAN John Pizzarelli exemplifies jazz elegance on the guitar at the Napa Valley Opera House July 27. See Concerts, p37.