"July is dressed up and playing her tune," is the relevant line from this week's headline song, a dark, soft rock masterpiece from way back when. The question is, are you listening and from where? For my own part, I am temporarily housebound, recovering from a wee medical thing from last week (I'm fine), and trying to teach myself how to appreciate downtime during a period that is traditionally very active. The heat wave helped and hurt: The desire to do the forbidden and swim in several different water spots drove me mildly insane, while lying in an oozing pile in the melting atmosphere did wonders for my healing process, my cells absorbing the ambient furnace and using its force to push everything along back to its right place and shape. Books helped, a friend had lent me a comic novella from last year, Monica by Daniel Clowes, which was a comet of a story burning through 20th century occultism into 21st century apocalypse. The only criticism I have is that it was done too soon. I'm also on the last book of James Ellroy's Underworld USA trilogy, a vicious and regressive firing-squad stare-down at the brutal button men behind our mafia-state's crimes of the century. Not for the light-hearted, these books are cruel and accelerate in atavistic violence until this third installment's heavy story of demented hatred, personified by the character of J. Edgar Hoover losing his mind while still pulling plot-strands on his shuddering cobweb of evil. Summer reading for those who have long ago traded patriotic illusions of national benevolence for a sober vision of history and current events.
I also plan to read Middlemarch soon. Anyway, the heat has broken on the coast, the breezes continue, colder than last week, and we move ourselves all together, one more square forward, on summer's boardwalk.
Thursday
Savage Henry Comedy Club is hosting a show at 9 p.m. featuring two comics from our neighbor state to the north. Nathan Hart and Bert Walpack are two comedians from the Eugene, Oregon, scene who are jamming down the coast to share their wares with the Humboldt audience ($10).
Friday
Fans of unusually structured pop with glowing variances of sonic fidelity, thematic purity and earnestness — another way of saying "DIY," "indie" or "lo-fi," along with many other genre descriptions that get tossed around a lot — should check out the Miniplex tonight at 8:30 p.m. because there is a stacked lineup. Samples, bedroom compositions, and revisitations of previous feelings rewired through several generations of electric soundware and scrolled into mutant player piano recitals of storytime are all possible tonight. Local acts Chini Coolers and Manic Moth provide a solid porchlight to coax out the fluttering tunes of touring pals Nesey Gallons & Carousel Museum, and Pure Mothman & Fly, Tanager! who are perhaps a little more folk punk than not, but it's tough to tell from online content only. The $10 cover is not much to find out for yourself.
Saturday
Two free gigs with very promising lineups for a July night of solid entertainment, perhaps rowdy, even. Only problem is both are at 9 p.m. and nowhere near each other, so you'll have to pick one. Over at the Shanty, The Pine Hill Haints are back in town and ready to slap the gutbucket and haunt the air with some hip shaking grooves from the Deadlands. Punk-brained bar rockers par excellence The Smashed Glass provide about the best local support available for this hootenanny.
Meanwhile, over at the Logger Bar, Barn Fire's Turtle Goodwater is playing a solo set along with Oaktop, another fine pairing for those lucky enough to attend. Decisions, decisions.
Sunday
Summer means a great many things around here. Chief among them is a certain clustering of musical events as the weather hits peak shine, and the population reflects stalwart locals anchored in place amid a steady motion of tourists and newcomers, filling in the void left by departed students. One such cluster is Annie and Mary Day, the beginning tone of the Humboldt Folklife Festival. This year's free fun at Perigot Park has many diversions but music's my beat, and starting at high noon, you can catch the line-up of All Wheel Drive, Bayou Swamis, Compost Mountain Boys and Dead On. Enjoy.
Monday
All this talk of live music brings me to an interesting installment for my ongoing dead-night encomiums for musicians who died in 2023. I say interesting because this gentleman was not only someone who played more live gigs than a great many out there in his 62 years, but never quite got his due for it, genius player that he was. Plus, I knew him a little, as we moved in some of the same circles between New Orleans and his native Texas. I even played a show many years ago with one of his wild trios The Dead Kenny G's. I am talking about bassist Brad Houser, whose phenomenal, groovy and tasteful playing held down the bass clef section of many righteous jams. One which the reader is probably familiar with is the hit single "What I Am" by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. Brad was a founding Bohemian, and played like hell on that incredible first record, and beyond. His years as a player in jazz and jam bands like Critters Buggin forged his legacy as a casually brilliant, pocket visionary of the best sort. Put that first New Bohemians record on and see for yourself. "Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars," indeed.
Tuesday
As I mentioned earlier, music gigs tend to cluster in the Humboldt midsummer, a situation I have adapted to in the past and will again, God willing I am still helming this column in the unforeseen. I have since childhood been around some version of the Humboldt Folklife Festival and am perfectly happy to endorse it on into that previously mentioned unforeseen. Tonight's 7 p.m. gig at the Carlo Theatre belongs to our local songwriters, with Melanie Barnett (from Wild Abandon), Jon Luddington (Absynth Quintet, Canary and the Vamp), Xeff Scolari (Red Hot Shame) and Sari Baker all set as the talent on tap ($7, $5 folklife members).
Wednesday
The Folklife show goes on Under the Stars in the amphitheater, where a somewhat bigger, full band affair is happening beginning at 6 p.m. ($15, $12 folklife members, $5 kids). Kray Van Kirk, Rise and Bloom and headliners Huckleberry Flint will be playing their sounds from the fade of day into the purple blush of evening's splendor.
Collin Yeo (he/him) notes that we do in fact exist in the context of all in which we live and what came before us. He lives in Arcata.