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:
MUSIC
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…
Robin Williams once said, “Spring is Nature’s way of saying ‘Let’s Party’!” True dat! And it seems to have finally joined us. Time to get out and see what it’s all about. Here’s the live music guide for the week of 4/25 to 5/2…
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…
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.
The good news: it’s gonna be a pretty busy week in terms of holidays and observances, where Hannukkah started two days ago on Sunday, Winter Solstice happens on Wednesday, Christmas is on Sunday and the doubleheader of Kwanzaa and Boxing Day occurs on Monday. The bad news: because Christmas eve is on Saturday and Christmas Day is on Sunday, many places will be closed for these observances. But despite those days being sans live music, there’s at least one joint each day from Tuesday through Saturday to go out and get your live music fix. WOOHOO!!! Here’s the schedule, plus an updated NYE rundown for the week of 12/20 through 12/26.
“Eenie weenie chili beanie, the spirits are about to speak!” Anybody out there remember where this famous quote came from? Here’s a hint… Boris Badenov referred to this dynamic duo as “Moose ‘n’ Squirrel.” Okay, times up! It’s a line from the Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, which aired from 1959 through 1964. Like most kids, I would watch cartoons, but this was pretty much the only one I really liked because it was silly in a Three Stooges sort of way – full of puns, sarcasm, self-referential dialog, and other socially unacceptable wordplays, especially so for impressionable children like I was. I would watch the show with friends, laughing hysterically – but they didn’t really get it. I could relate to the patience and empathy of Rocket J Squirrel, marveled at the perseverance of Bullwinkle J Moose, who never stopped trying despite his constant failures, and sneered at the comic depiction of Boris Badenov, Natasha Fatale, and Fearless Leader. This, to me, was cartooning at its comic best. Okay, maybe I’m entering into my second childhood, but I hope you don’t mind me including references to the show throughout this music schedule. Here’s the live music guide for the week of 12/13 through 12/19…
This week’s activities should run the gamut between Shredding and a Car Show, with lots of live music events scrunched up in between. With Friday, Saturday and Sunday predicting good weather, the outdoor events are stacking up, while the indoor ones are gonna be just as busy. Enough prattle – here’s the live music schedule for the week of May 12th through May 16th…
Technically, the First Sunday Jam is an open mic, but don’t for a second think it’s the kind with poorly played guitar riffs sung by tone-deaf singers. Nope. This jam is made for musicians. John wanted a chance to play more with his friends, so he decided to schedule it on Sunday, the one day of the week that hardly ever has music scheduled. And every musician in the county knows about it. In one night, the ever-changing band will play classic rock, blues, jazz, a bit of reggae, fusion, and original tunes. It’s like visiting every musical event in Lake County at once.
The sun’s setting behind the casino, leaving imprints of red and orange on Hogback Ridge across the lake. Kids swim in the pool, laughing and splashing each other. People spread across the grass, swaying to the music while on the stage, the Higher Logic Project, Lake County’s local reggae band, has just finished their set. Now it’s time for reggae legend Pato Banton. “We’re going to chill the vibe for a bit here. Antoinette ‘Roots Dawtah’ Hall kicks in on the keyboards. Sing with me,” Pato begins. “Life, oh life. Life is a miracle.” He stops for a second and holds the mic out to the audience. “Now you know the lyrics. It’s your turn.”
The sun’s still above Cobb, but it’s steadily easing behind it, stretching the light into the four-car garage, where, tucked in a corner and surrounded by sound-dampening cloth, Breaker One-9 finishes up a song. A few thumps and bass notes fiddle around, then quiet as the band takes a break from practicing their first set. In an empty bay of the garage, papers, a tablet, and Diet Coke spread across the pool table. Mike Mendenhall sits at its edge in a foldup chair, his knees pressed against the table.
While you may not know musician Mike Guarniero personally, odds are you’ve seen him play. For years he has been involved in the Lake County music scene and played with over twenty different bands. You might have heard him play with his band, Dr. Groove, which regularly has performed in the county. Or you might have caught his Lake County Music Guide, which posts on Facebook and in The Bloom (when there is live music).
Sitting in the courtyard of Pogo’s Pizza in Kelseyville earlier this week with Mike felt as if we were seated with a long-time friend we haven’t seen in a while. You might feel the same if you are a music lover in Lake County; Mike’s friendly personality makes conversation easy.
It’s nine in the evening at Robinson Rancheria. The Kentucky Jugglers have finished warming up and kick into their first song, “Keep on Rockin’ me, Baby.” On the left of the stage, Danny Hogan, a black cowboy hat on his head and cowboy boots on his feet, plucks away at his bass. It’s been a while since he’s played; over a year ago, he was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. But now he’s back, and stands tall, thumping away to the beat. Tonight is special, and not just for Danny. Once the band found out about Danny’s illness, instead of replacing him, they decided to stop their gigs and wait until he got better. Tonight, they are playing together for the first time in over a year.
Kim Rippy-Thomas sits at a picnic table on the deck of her house. Cobb Mountain…
It’s a bright blue spring morning. A hint of crisp floats in the air, but…
