Last year I did a column where I took reader suggestions for what kind of music they were looking for, and did my best to connect them with local artists they would enjoy. It was so much fun, I thought I’d bring it back this year.
I solicited requests on Facebook and Reddit, but if you have things you’re looking for, you can feel free to email me at jsbhammusic@gmail.com and I’ll see what I can do.
There’s a great trio in the Skagit Valley called The Artful Dodgers who ought to scratch that itch, though their shows are pretty sporadic.
The Janette West Group seem to play at The Rockfish in Anacortes every couple months and they’ve got a show coming up Wednesday, April 23. In Bellingham, the singer Anissa works in this vein and might be a good one to check out. She’s at Skylark’s on Saturday, April 26.
There are some great cover bands in various genres, but these days there aren’t actually a lot of straight-up tribute bands (i.e. playing tribute to just one artist) around here. The exception, of course, is Grateful Dead tributes, which seem to be proliferating rapidly. There’s also a group called Danned If I Do, who started as a Steely Dan tribute but also do other songs from that ‘70s jazz/rock scene.
I agree! I would go so far as to say this may be the biggest market failure in the current scene. Other than the Yogoman Burning Band’s annual summer migration to the area, there’s a void here. If any musicians reading this are into reggae, you should probably start a band. Many gigs and fans are out there waiting for you.
I can’t guarantee they’ll be hippies but the third Friday showcase at Stone’s Throw is a good place to start looking for singer/songwriters. My favorite singer/songwriter album of the year so far is “Anything” by the Jenner Fox Band.
As far as bluegrass, try Tuesdays at Ramble Tamble, last Thursdays at Honey Moon or first Thursdays at Stones Throw. Go to any one of these and ask the musicians there where else they are playing, and I bet you can get plugged into the bluegrass scene pretty quick.
Two strong picks in this category would be Hopnotic, who play out quite a bit, and the BJ Block Trio, who are at Aslan Depot on the first Friday of every month. This is another style like bluegrass where you frequently see the same musicians forming new combinations under different names that may or may not turn into long-term bands, so make sure to ask any musicians you like where else they are playing. Fridays at Aslan Depot often feature stuff along these lines, and you should also check the schedule at Ramble Tamble.
Two good venues to keep an eye on are going to be the FireHouse Arts and Events Center in Fairhaven, and the Odd Fellows Temple Room at the Orion. For a piano trio specifically, I saw the Blake Angelos trio at the Odd Fellows a few months ago and they were superb.
These are not scenes that I have a lot of familiarity with, so I want to put in a plug here instead for Bandcamp’s search function, which actually works really well for requests like this.
A search on Bandcamp using the tags “Bellingham,” “experimental” and “electronic” brings back a whole bunch of good results you can check out. This is also a reminder to musicians: If you put your stuff on Bandcamp, give it all the appropriate tags you can think of so people can find you.
I had multiple requests for some variation of “klezmer punk” or “folk punk polka.” If you want stomping 2/4 rhythms, minor key fiddle or accordion and gruff vocals, the band you are looking for is Three for Silver. They tour Central and Eastern Europe a couple times a year and draw big crowds there, but aren’t as well known here in their hometown. It would be cool if we could fix that. I should mention that we do also have a straight-ahead klezmer ensemble, Millie and the Mentshn, though I’m not sure they’re playing all that often these days.
After a few years of steady growth with mostly local acts featured, the Fourth Corner Punk Fest is jumping up a couple levels this year. They’ve booked a couple big-name headliners, Face to Face and Strung Out, and they’re moving it down outside of Evil Bikes in Fairhaven. That’s going down on July 26.
Jesse Stanton’s music column, The Beat Goes On, appears weekly. Reach him at jsbhammusic@gmail.com; @JSBhamMusic. Check with individual venues to make sure events are still taking place as scheduled. Live music events in Whatcom County: http://www.cascadiadaily.com/category/living/arts-and-entertainment/music/music-calendar
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