Setlist
The Trip By Andy Powell
thesetlist@northcoastjournal.com
S
ome of my luckier friends informed me how awesome this recent Desert Trip Festival was down in the hotlands of California. They shared because they know I’m a music fan and this festival had some of my all time favorites (Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, The Who and Roger Waters) but mostly they were just rubbing it in my face that I missed this event of a lifetime. To be honest, I’m not much of a music festival guy — assuming I can afford tickets in the first place — as they tend to be too crowded, sometimes too hot and often too douchey, thanks to, you know, people. But this did get me thinking about what else I could have asked for in a festival lineup. A day or so later, I was at the bank and struck up a conversation about said festival with an employee. We eventually got to speaking about how she was actually on her way down to Sacramento with her 20-something year old daughter to see a concert that weekend. She wasn’t particularly enthused about the headline, but was glad to get to spend time with her daughter. I started to wonder what concerts my daughter would want to see — she’s barely a teenager — when she’s a year or two older, and if she would want her parents to come with her (doubtful). I then started to even wonder if she would even want to see a live concert. I don’t mean to generalize and sound like an old man here — I do — but she and much of her generation interact with music as a digital and oftentimes disposable product (they’re not the first). Music exists now almost exclusively in the realm of YouTube and Spotify for many. Songs and artists provide short-term enjoyment which then disappear after a shelf life of about two weeks to be replaced by the next hit song. I don’t mean to sound too pessimistic about all of this — I do — and I realize these are ageold observations one generation makes about the next, but if one doesn’t build long-term relationships with musicians, songwriters and bands, why would one travel anywhere to hear them play live? Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe she and her friends will get the bug and get into live music the way many of their parents have. Sure, they may not follow a band around Grateful Dead style but maybe they’ll
get hooked on feeling the air vibrate the way their ancestors did. I hope so. And I know when they’re ready, Keith Richards will be ready for them.
Thursday Up in sunny Blue Lake — even through it rains occasionally — you’ll find one of Humboldt’s longer-running bluegrass bands The Compost Mountain Boys plucking away at the Mad River Brewery Tasting room around 6 Real Vocal String Quartet plays Friday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 22 at the Arcata Playhouse at 8 p.m. Photo courtesy of the artists p.m. The show is free, but the beer is not. That’s still not a bad deal. In Arcata, a band hailing from Europe (East Bohemia? Prague? I’m by the North Coast Repertory Theater and if you’ve seen Melvin and JGB before, not totally clear) will stop by Humboldt tonight with his trio at 8 p.m. With a vast you know you should probably snatch up a Brews to play some tunes and plant some knowledge of Mississippi Delta blues, trad $30 ticket before this one sells out. trees. With the fitting name Please the jazz, and some hints of rock ’n’ roll, LWK Trees, these folks will no doubt be blown (as the press release abbreviates) is out Did you miss the Real Vocal String away by the ancient beauties we take on the road supporting his recent release Quartet at The Arcata Playhouse last for granted on a daily basis. Supporting of I’m Glad Trouble Don’t Last Always. night? Did you miss Melvin Seals and JGB Robert Plant last year (Plant + Trees?), PTT Sounds a bit bluesy, don’t it? $15 will get at Humboldt Brews? Good news is both will be doing a bit more than just jamming you in to this one. Also at 8 p.m., the Real groups are playing again tonight. Same in Arcata. In each city it plays, the group Vocal String Quartet will be playing two Humboldt time, same Humboldt venue, plants a tree and records the photographic nights at the Arcata Playhouse. A Bay Area and same Humboldt price (see above). evidence on Facebook. The challenge may based quartet — as the name implies — Oyster Bay, New York, groove-jammers be finding space to plant a tree here. PTT that counts classical, jazz, and rock as influTAUK are in town tonight and I’ve been will be supported by Annie Girl and the ences, will be performing songs from its hearing some buzz about the band from Flight around 9:30 p.m. for this $10 show. newest release, Slacker Ridge. The quartet some of my friends in that scene. It’s will also be sneaking in a few Led Zeppelin instrumental rock-fusion of sorts sneaking and Pixies covers, so that should be a real As any of us with kids know, Hallowin some ambient, hip hop and progressive treat from members who have recorded een, ahem, Samhain is right around the rock into the sound. My pal Tomek of with and played with Ella Fitzgerald, Ray corner. Helping us celebrate this old Celtic Helekinetic, who is opening up the show, Charles, Frank Sinatra, Smokey Robinson, end-of-summer holiday are the Crested tells me (if memory serves correct) that Dave Grisman, Billy Joel, Wilco and DonoHens, who will be playing Celtic tunes and TAUK is “kind of a softer STS9 with some van. $18 ticket prices, and if you can’t catch Celtic-inspired originals at Gallagher’s Irish funky shit and jazz touches a la Steely ’em tonight, you’ve got another chance Pub in Eureka at 5:30 p.m. for free. Music Dan.” Sounds cool to me. Doors open Saturday. The Jam in Arcata hosts Life from what we may call the Western Edge at 9 p.m. and $20 will get you in for this During Wartime, which should give you of Western Music will be performed at groovefest at the Arcata Theatre Lounge. Heads fans a tip off. Based out of PortThe Old Steeple in Ferndale tonight at 7:30 land — from what I can tell — this Talking p.m. Led Kaapana and Da Ukelele Boyz Full show listings in the Journal’s Music Heads tribute band is heavily influenced by bring us some feel-good-sand-betweenand More grid, the Calendar and online. Stop Making Sense and occasionally covthe-toes tunes from the Hawaiian islands. Bands and promoters, send your gig info, ers that live album. Will it do so tonight? A master of the slack key guitar, Led has preferably with a high-res photo or two, There’s only one way to find out. Show four Grammy nominations under his belt to music@northcoastjournal.com. time’s around 9 p.m. and cover charge is and will be bringing us some musical sunTBA. Another band pulling a two-night shine this evening. Order a Mai Tai at The Andy Powell is a congenital music lover residency here in Humboldt and smartly Palace before (or after) the show for the and hosts The Night Show on KWPT 100.3 so, may I add, are favorites Melvin Seals full experience. A $30 ticket price for this FM weeknights at 6 p.m. He’s never been and JGB who will be at Humboldt Brews one. Local musical jack-of-all-trades Chris to a proper music festival. around 9:30 p.m. Anyone from the extendParreira tells me that New Orleans-based ed Dead family is always wise to make a musician Luke Winslow-King is stopping l trip through Humboldt when on the road,
Saturday
Friday
28 NORTH COAST JOURNAL • Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016 • northcoastjournal.com