Me and my big mouth! I had to mention in last week’s guide to all the folks “leaving town ‘n’ goin’ campin’” that it was gonna rain, and guess what? My band, Dr Groove got caught in the middle of an unexpected deluge, something electrical shorted out and we were left without power. We tried doing the Woodstock anti-rain dance song, but to no avail. Dang! And were having so much fun! Oh, well… That was last weekend, and this is this week! It’s June, and I now want to remind you all of the upcoming concerts and other celebratory events happening during the month starting next week, (that’s the week after this coming Sunday, Mojo!). I’ll give you the breakdown sans details:
ART AND LIT
Holy Toledo, Andy! It’s Memorial Weekend and it’s on! Good thing I woke up early this morning, there’s a lot to cover – starting with Bottlerock 2023 in Napa County. Among the artists in the line-up are Duran Duran, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lil NAS X, Smashing Pumpkins and Moonalice, (more on Moonalice later…). Locally you’re gonna find Lower Lake Daze, a great fun family event showcasing the Southeast County. Of course, if you plan on going camping it’s probably gonna rain on us all, so I suggest you all stay home and enjoy all the bounty of live music this county has to offer this week. Hoowee! Here’s the music schedule for the week of 5/23 to 5/29…
It seems appropriate as I open a fine bottle of 2 Buck Chuck Cab Sauv to remind you that this weekend, both Saturday and Sunday, the Lake County Winery Association will sponsor its annual Lake County Wine Adventures. Never heard of it? It’s only one of the biggest and most fun events in The LC, dudes! It’s sorta like a pub crawl or a bar hop, only it’s hosted by many of our local wineries. There are charter buses, limousines and other modes of transport available for the revelers, and many of these wineries have live music! WOOHOO!! Simply look up Wine Adventure 2023, then click “Visit Website” to get a list of participating wineries – then get on the horn and ask your listed favorite if someone’s playing there. How cool is that?!? In the meantime, here’s the live music schedule for the week of 5/16 through 5/22…
Okay, I mean it this time – break out the tanning butter, stow away the thermals, extra blankets and put on the shorts and tank tops, it’s finally Spring and it’s gonna get progressively hotter this week, offering a really nice weekend to get the boat out on the lake, ride a bike or take a nice hike somewhere. There’s also lots of musical events happenin’ this week so here goes – this is the live music schedule for the week of 5/9 through 5/15…
Talk about news in briefs! I believe this recent period of Spring will go down in history as the briefest on record. After packing away all my thermals, removing that extra quilt from my bed, shaving off my winter beard, and turning off the heater, it all goes sub-zero again. (I know, you’ve told me a billion times not to exaggerate… Sheesh!). But there’s always a silver lining. There’s so much live music going on this week I’m compelled to offer my used ACME Clone-a-Matic once again for sale. Cheap! (Needs work). But think about it! For the rest of your life, you can attend every musical event you want to just by simply cloning yourself. It’s really that easy! Did I mention cheap? Anyways, here’s the live music schedule for the week of 5/2 to 5/8…
Cheryl is a whippersnapper with prose and humor. She’s tough and loving, and takes no shit. And she can tell a story that won’t make you want to close the book. “Idleness is not the root of all evil, as the Jones would have you think. It is the fertilizer, which is required, if you wish to Grow Damn It!”
I joined a group of actors and crew members at their storage facility in Lakeport the other day. They were there to build set pieces, paint flats, and try on costumes for the latest comedic endeavor from the Lake County Theatre Company, Fishwrap, by Ben Bromley. They were meeting on a Saturday morning after working all week at their day jobs and rehearsing nights. Yet, the mood was energetic. People were talking, joking, and getting the work done.
Only One Ice Cream Can Describe Me – Nonfiction by India Akua Mendonça
In a record-breaking snowstorm for Lake County, the yearly Poetry Out Loud event still happened. On Sunday, February 26th, 2023. Jordan O’Halloran, the coordinator for the event, was on her way to the event from Kelseyville Rivera when she got a text that changed everything. Mike Adams, the manager of the Soper Reese, stated the power had gone out.
Seems there’s a National Day for just about everything. Case in point, just yesterday, March 27th was declared National Quirky Country Song’s Title Day. I mean, how goofy is that? RIGHT?!? Well, this upcoming Saturday has been declared “National Haiku Day”, a day when everybody is supposed to come up with a Haiku poem. For the uninitiated, Haiku is a poetry style from Japan that involves three lines; the first has five syllables, the second has seven and the third has five. For example, here’s one I just came up with –
Lake County Music
Is a privilege indeed
It’s good for the soul.
Now, how poetic is that? So, you all have until Saturday to come up with your own Haiku. In the meantime, here’s the local live music guide for the week of 3/28 through 4/3…
The Middletown Middle School (MMS) is putting on their Spring play. This year, it’s The Rules of Comedy, by Peter Bloedel. I had never heard of this show, but since my son is doing the sound, I was able to read the script. And, boy is it a good one! The MMS students and director, Joleen Jessen, have some great material to work with. . The show runs Friday, March 17th and Saturday, March 18th in the cafeteria of the MMS campus.
Tuesday afternoon in Kelseyville, August. Mike Guarniero and Danny Prather perch on barstools next to the front window, half-full beer glasses on the floor next to them. Danny’s taken the lead on a Neil Young tune he’s finishing, and odds are they’ll switch it around on the next song. Between the two of them, they could play all day and never repeat a tune. Danny gives a hearty strum on his guitar as the song ends, then grins as he leans over and takes a sip of his beer. Caroline Chavez, co-owner of Kelsey Creek, sees his glass empty and quickly brings over two full ones. “Now everybody,” she says, walking the smooth walk of a skilled bartender, “You all need to pitch in. I’m the only one buying them beer right now.” Mike and Danny happily grab their full brewskis, sip off the foam, and start a new song.
