Archive for March, 2010

Live local music in April

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Musician/artist Horst Wolf will perform twice this month during Wine Wednesday at the Brian Scott Gallery.

Get your fix of local music with the following events happening in the Brookings-Harbor area.
(The following information was provided by Perry Devine)

Wednesday, April 7
5-8 p.m.: Brian Scott Gallery – “Giraffes on a Raft,” (John Boye, Shirley Hyatt and Jan Kaplan) guitar vocals, fiddle and bass, acoustic swing and more. In the future, the “Giraffes” will be playing the first and third Wednesdays of each month, and keyboardist Horst Wolf and others will be playing on the second and fourth Wednesday. Hors d’oeuvres, wine tasting, art exhibits and more! At 515 Chetco Ave.

Friday, April 9
1-2:30 p.m.: Chetco Activity Center, 550 Chetco Lane, downstairs. Old Time Music Jam. An old-time musical opportunity for all ages on acoustic instruments. The public is invited. For more info contact Carl Rovainen at 541-469-6787.

Saturday, April 10
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Celebration at the Port – featuring  Matt Harrison and friends, Mariah Leanne, Perry Devine and Friends, Marshall Thompson and friends, Lon and Aura – specific times to be announced. On the Boardwalk at the Port of Brookings Harbor.

4 to 7 p.m.: Art Walk – Various musicians at various venues – See www.wildriverscoastart.com for full details. Billie Ruth Furuichi and Toni Land will be at Centre Stage.

8 p.m.: Pistol River Concerts - Chris Kokesh and Jonathan Byrd - Contemporary Folk / Americana – This is another “not to be missed” concert. Chris and Jonathan are both excellent beyond words. Tickets are $15 – More info at www.pistolriver.com

Sunday, April 11
3 p.m.: Calvary Assembly of God Church, 518 Fir St., Brookings. Friends of Music concert series – The Cypress String Quartet.

5 p.m.:  Fox’s Den -   Jam with Juwat – Open Jam Session.

Wednesday, April 14
5 to 8 p.m.: Brian Scott Gallery,  515 Chetco Ave.  - Horst Wolf on Keyboards - Going forward The “Giraffes” will be playing the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays and Horst Wolf and others will be playing on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday. Hors d’oeuvres, wine tasting, art exhibits and more!

Musicians and Venues: Please send info about your shows for the week by noon on Mondays to be included in that week’s announcements. Send them to perry@perrydevine.com

No fooling! Free country music preview concert Thursday (April 1)

Monday, March 29th, 2010

Sweet Town Little

Scott Perry and the band “Sweet Town Little” will perform a preview concert at Centre Stage, Thursday, April 1 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
There is no cover charge, but donations will be accepted for the nonprofit Stagelights Musical Arts Community, as will tips for the band.
“This is an opportunity for all to see what this talented up-and-coming country band will be offering us in the near future,” said Kim Banfield, owner of Centre Stage, located in the Central Building Mall, 703 Chetco Ave., Brookings.
The band features:
Scott Perry (lead vocals, keys, guitar); Paul Lopez (lead guitar); Mike Tyce (bass); and David Amato (drums).
Banfield said singer/songwriter Scott Perry has been performing locally since he was 12 years old. He has won and done well in many competitions including Southern Oregon Idol and Colgate Country Showdown. He has also opened for rising acts such as country music artist Jake Owen, and American Idol Top 10 finalist Kristy Lee Cook, from Selma.
Paul Lopez, a guitar player from the young age of eight, is a jack-of-all genres, is rooted in progressive rock, blues and acoustic originals, Banfield said.
“Paul now tries his hand at country for the first time and he’s loving it. He says, ‘it doesn’t matter what you play as long as you have fun doin it.’” Banfield said.
Drummer David Amato started playing drums at the age of 10 in Grants Pass. He has played in various rock bands throughout the years, including American Standard, Tongue of Razors, 3DM, and End of Never. David has now discovered his talent in country music with Sweet Town Little.
Mike Tyce has been involved in music since he was 5 years old. He started out playing various instruments but eventually settled on bass guitar. After 30 years of playing in several bands – blues, rock, country and bluegrass – he now enjoys playing and writing music with Sweet Town Little.

Bonus podcast!

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Jan. 2010 benefit performance at the Redwood Theater, Brookings.

The Stagelights House Band, a group of volunteer musicians that promotes the nonprofit “Stagelights Musical Arts Community” in Curry County, performed a benefit concert January, 2010, at the Redwood Theater in Brookings. This is the first time the band performed for the public, playing a 35-minute concert of covers and originals prior to the screening of the hit music documentary “Playing for Change.” The band includes Perry Devine (guitar/vocals), Kim Banfield (vocals), James Anderson (vocals), Jef Hatch (harmonica/vocals), Tim Muller (electric guitar), Paul Lopez (bass), Scott Graves (congas/percussion) and Gordon Later (drums). This soundboard recording of the event includes: Make a change, River of Life, Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, Take Me To The River, Down By The Boardwalk, and Stand By Me.

For more information about the Stagelights House Band, click on the link above.

Coastal Grooves Podcast #2 now available

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

We start things off with two songs – “Roadmaps and Sneakers” and “Failure” – from Brookings singer/songwriter Mariah Leanne. She recently released an independent CD featuring a number of great songs. The CD is available for purchase at Earl E Books and the Backstage Cafe, both located at 703 Chetco Ave., Brookings. More information about Mariah Leanne and samples of her music can be found at: www.myspace.com/mariahleannemusic. Her music is also for sale through iTunes.

Next, we move into jam band terriorty (relax, all the songs clock in at 6 minutes or less). The third song is a live version of “Fearless,” recorded several years ago by one of my favorite current bands: Umphrey’s McGee (www.umphreys.com).

The fourth song is “Dusty’s Trumpet,” a live rock instrumental by up-and-comers Ultraviolet Hippopotamus. Yes, that’s the band’s real name. Check them out at www.uvhippomusic.com.

We wrap up this episode with “Desert Rat,” a song from the non-traditional string band Hot Buttered Rum (www.hotbutteredrum.net) .

I hope you enjoy this second podcast. I certainly enjoyed making it. Check back often for the latest information on the local music scene, as well as another music-filled podcast in April.

Begich performs contemporary folk March 13

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Alaskan singer and songwriter Tom Begich returns to Centre Stage for an evening of contemporary folk music at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 13.
An mp3 of his latest song can be found below.
The concert will be a fundraiser for Stagelights Musical Arts Community. Admission is $10 at the door or $8 in advance. Advanced tickets are available at Centre Stage or Earl E. Books. Both are located in the Central Building at 703 Chetco Ave in Brookings. Information about Begich and samples of his music are available at http://www.tombegich.com.
“Tom completely mesmerized the audience with his moving songs, rich vocals and awesome guitar playing when he was here in October,” said concert organizer Perry Devine, “This show is also sure to be a magical evening.”
Part of the Alaska music scene in the early 1980s, he dropped out and tuned in to the world of politics and business for a decade before finding his way back to local coffee shops, street corners, and music festivals.
Begich has released four CDs, “Such a World” in 1997, “Hotel Metropol” in 1999, “Albuquerque Road” in 2001, and “Cool Blue Light” in 2004-05. He is currently working on two new CD projects, “Fulton Street Rain” and an as yet untitled compilation of music and spoken word with poet Tim Mason as the Bone Collectors. Both are expected to be released in 2010. His first book of poetry, “Six Truths: 50 Sonnets” is set for publication at the same time.

Listen to “Cool Blue Light” by Tom Begich

Listen to “Fat Moon” by Tom Begich

Community variety show in the works!

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

One of the next “big events” being planned by the Stagelights Musical Arts Community non-profit is the “Stagelight’s Community Variety Show!” scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday, April 18, at the Harbor Performing Arts Center. The goal is to spotlight the many talented musicians and performers, particularly young people, in our area.

According to volunteer event organizer Gordon Later, the line up of musicians and performers includes established groups as well combinations of individuals who will merge their talents in song and musical instruments. The Stagelights House Band will perfoms it’s own songs and serve as the back up band for other musicians. The Stagelights Community Youth Choir will make it’s debut, with the talented young people singing selections from their upcoming choir concert. Also, there will be a father/daughter duet.

“We expect two-plus hours of some really great original and cover songs built around folk, folk-rock, classic rock and contemporary pop music,” Gordon said. “It will be an evening of family fun and inspiring talent.”

So mark your calendar for this wonderful event. It’s free, but donations are welcome, with all proceeds benefiting Stagelights and its programs. See you there!

Live Music in March!

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Spring is in the air along the Southern Oregon Coast, and so is the live music.
Here’s a breakdown on upcoming events you don’t want to miss this month. (Information courtesy of Kim Banfield and Perry Devine.)

SECOND SATURDAY ART WALK
Saturday, March 13, 4 to 7 p.m. Various local musicians and bands will perform at participating businesses in downtown Brookings.

TOM BEGICH CONCERT
Saturday, March 13, 8 to 10 p.m.
Stagelights presents Alaskan singer-songwriter Tom Begich in a return trip to Centre Stage.
Centre State owner Kim Banfield says, “If you were in attendance at his first show, you know that he is a mesmerizing performer. If you missed him during his last visit, now is your chance for a delightful top quality musical adventure!”
Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door, tickets available at Earl E. Books and The Backstage Café, both are located 703 Chetco Ave., in the Central Mall, downtown Brookings.

GIRAFFES ON A RAFT
Wednesday, March 17, 5 to 8 p.m., Giraffes on a Raft, featuring local musicians John Boye, Shirley Hyatt and Jan Kaplan, will play acoustic swing music using their voices, guitar, fiddle and bass. This is part of the weekly Wine Wednesdays at Brian Scott Gallery, 515 Chetco Ave.

JAZZ DUO
Thursday, March 18, 6 to 9 p.m., jazz with Jerry Moffit and Gary Lowden at One Love’s (restaurant), 623 Memory Lane, Brookings.

OPEN MIKE
Friday, March 19, 7 to 10 p.m.
An Open mike, hosted by Kim Banfield. This event is usually held on the fourth Friday of the month, but was changed to accommodate Eugene singer-songwriter Robert Meade. (See March 26).
The open mike is for anyone brave enough to come and entertain with 3 to 5 songs, depending on the number of musicians who sign up. This is a free event, with donations to Stagelights Musical Arts Community appreciated.

COMEDY NIGHT:
Saturday, March 20, 7 to 9 p.m. at Centre Stage.
All ages welcome. Categories include slapstick, poetry, musical humor, skits, stand-up and storytelling.
According to Kim, the rules are easy: no profanity, keep it clean and funny! Ten minutes or less for each set.
“If you know someone who keeps everyone laughing, let them know about this!” Kim’s said.
The show will include judges and anonymous audience scoring to select the best in the show. Cash prizes will be awarded, plus an opening spot on one of the next Centre Stage events for the first place winner. Contact Kim at 541-251-3952 or email centrestageor@yahoo.com.
Centre Stage is located 703 Chetco Ave., in the Central Mall, downtown Brookings. $10 per person $15 for two…bring a friend!

ACOUSTIC CONCERT
Friday, March 26, 7 to 9 p.m.
Robert Meade in a solo acoustic performance at Centre Stage.
According to his biography, Meade has been performing and writing music for 12 years. Introduced to music at the age of 16, Robert discovered the sights and sounds of the Rolling Stones, Beatles, Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited” and, most importantly, the Motown era.
Tickets are $10 at the door, $8 advance tickets at Earl E. Books or The Backstage Café.
Visit Robert at: www.RobertMeade.com and www.MySpace.com/CambioUSA

HAVRILLA PERFORMS
Saturday, March 27, 7 to 10 p.m.
Stagelights presents Christine Havrilla. Portland-based, Philadelphia native, Christine Havrilla, brings her “well-built, catchy, smart tunes” (Upstage Magazine) to audiences all over!”
Touring nationally in support of her latest project, “In My Chair,” Christine utilizes the soft gritty texture of her vocals to express warmth and honesty audiences quickly embrace. Named “One of the Top Ten Indie Artists” by The Advocate Magazine,

NOTE:
Musicians and Venues: Please send info about your upcoming shows by clicking the “Contact” link on the Coastal Grooves homepage.