September 2023

Nevada County’s annual Celtic festival returns for three days of music, dancing and mental escape Sept. 29 thru Oct. 1

Eddie September 25, 2023 No Comments

The Elders will be one of many musical acts performing at Nevada County’s Celtic Fair.

Now in its 25th year of bringing national and international acts to the Sierra foothills, the KVMR Celtic Festival is back for three fun-filled days to close-out late September.

Whether one’s a fan of music from Ireland and Scotland, this curated festival delivers something for everyone, featuring attractions that range from falconry to living story guilds. But, of course, the musical acts on this year’s docket are a mainstay and include Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas, Talisk, The Elders, The Jeremiahs, On the Lash, The Moxie Strings, Cassidy Joy, Eamonn Flynn & Dublinesque and San Miguel Fraser.

The non-musical experiences KVMR is providing bring attendees face to face with jugglers, story tellers and athletes competing in Highland Games. There will also be a plethora of Celtic food and craft vendors. This family-friendly event typically draws well over 5,000 each year who are connecting with their ancestry or getting a fresh taste of the shamrock culture. It has multiple demonstration stages, a youth arts program, open sessions, magic, art, dance and singing. Additionally, it is the largest fundraising event of the year for KVMR Community Radio which operates as a not-for-profit.

 Tune in to KVMR for updated schedules of live broadcasts at www.kvmr.org.

Friday’s activities feature a free Youth Arts program and, of course, camping is available all weekend long.

Tickets can be purchased at www.kvmrcelticfestival.org in advance or at the door for an extra charge. Single day options are available for both Saturday and Sunday. The 2023 KVMR Celtic Festival takes place at the Nevada County Fairgrounds and is located at 11228 McCourtney Road in Grass Valley.

(SN&R)

Jethro Tull brings ‘The Seven Decades’ tour to Lincoln on Sept. 29 

Eddie September 23, 2023 No Comments

Photograph by Assunta Opahle

Formed in England in 1967, Jethro Tull has since amassed an immense body of work that’s caused it to headline myriad festivals and play arenas and stadiums all over the world. Led by the boundless energy of Ian Anderson, the group released 11 Gold and 5 Platinum-plus records and also won a Grammy award for their 1987 opus, “Crest of A Knave.”

Tull’s ever-evolving sound, which blends blues, progressive rock, folk, jazz, classical and Celtic tones, has won fans over with its over-the-top arrangements that change with each successive album release. The band’s highly regarded 1972 outing, “Thick as A Brick,” featured only two tracks (divided into Part 1 and Part 2) clocking in at 22 minutes and 21 minutes, respectively.

“RökFlöte” is the group’s 23rd record. It just recently came out on progressive rock-leaning label, Inside Out Music. The album’s 12-tracks are based on Norse mythology and find Anderson further exploring the rock flute, a.k.a. the RökFlöte. The song collection comes on the heels of Tull’s 2022 release ‘The Zealot Gene.’

Today, bandleader Anderson is the only original member of Jethro Tull that’s left, but this is not necessarily a bad thing: The flute virtuoso will be joined by longtime bassist David Goodier, veteran pianist and organist John O’Hara, and new (er) additions drummer Scott Hammond and guitarist and mandolin player, Joe Parrish-James.

As luck would have it, Lincoln was included on the band’s limited-run US tour which started on August 18th in Highland Park, Ilinois and will inevitably wrap up on November 4 in Albany, NY. Tickets start at $54.95 and top out at $114.95 and can be purchased at www.thundervalleycasino.com. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts promptly at 8 p.m. This is a 21-and0over only performance. The Venue is located inside Thunder Valley Casino at 1200 Athens Avenue in Lincoln.

(SN&R)

Earth, Wind & Fire tribute group Kalimba plays Vino Godfather Winery

Eddie September 14, 2023 No Comments

For those Earth, Wind and Fire fans who missed their last area tour dates in June, the upcoming show with the Pacific Northwest’s greatest R&B export, Kalimba, should appease their fans and then some. 

Taking on the vocal styling of EWF singer Philip Bailey is no easy task, but the band plays their catalog like it’s their very own. And while tribute acts today may seem a dime-a-dozen, this collective provides a show worthy of any venue’s stage.   

Expect fan favorites such as “Reasons,” “Shining Star,” “September,” “After The Love Has Gone,” “Let’s Groove,” “Serpentine Fire,” and a handful of other dance-able EWF hits. For those still on the fence, visit Kalimba’s website to see and hear the band live in all its magical splendor. 

Kalimba already played a handful of shows in the area recently, including (but not limited to) Sacramento, El Dorado Hills, Ripon, and San Francisco, and play up and down the coast with semi-regularity. And while most folks need to work on buying tickets for winery shows of this ilk, it would be wise to reserve your spot before the tables are gone. 

Come hungry, as Fred’s Barbeque will be cooking up a storm. The day’s menu includes tri-tip sandwiches, BBQ Ribs, BBQ Chicken, hot links, hot dogs, tacos with beans & rice, chicken & shrimp pasta, and a handful of vegetarian options.

This “Fall Dance Party” lasts for three hours and will be a great way to burn off some calories you’ll rack up by eating the venue’s food fare beforehand. 

The show starts at 1 pm, Sunday, Sept. 17. And all ages are welcome (sorry, no babes in arms). Tickets are $40 in advance and can be purchased here. For those who wish to try their luck at the door, tickets will be $45 the day of the show. The Vino Godfather Winery is located at 1005 Walnut Ave. in Vallejo. 

(North Bay Bohemian)

Five-time Grammy award-winning Snarky Puppy returns to Mondavi Center on Sept. 21

Eddie September 13, 2023 No Comments

The music collective Snarky Puppy is knee-deep in its Fall tour to support a new record, ‘Empire Central.’

Led by bassist and bandleader, Michael League, the band’s mellifluous sound is something he describes as “a pop band that improvises a lot, without vocals.”

And while every night might reveal a handful of unexpected Easter eggs, the group never comes off as disjointed, or derivative of other like-minded jazz-influenced groups.

With a roster of rotating artists that numbers as high as 25 active members, the Snarky Puppy touring machine utilizes its players based on availability and the musical direction of its latest undertaking. What started in Texas 19 years ago with less than a dozen core members has now blossomed into something far beyond the ensemble and League’s expectations. Today, members can be found playing with other notable acts such as Erykah Badu, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and D’Angelo.

In addition to its touring feats, the band successfully launched its own GroundUP Music record label imprint. Now distributed by music giant Universal Music Group, the records are more easily found, including such disparate artists as Charlie Hunter, David Crosby, Bokanté, Mark Lettieri (solo) and  Breastfist.

New York’s own House of Water will open for Snarky Puppy when it plays the Mondavi Center in Davis on Sept. 21. Tickets start at just $12.50 and top out at $65, and can be purchased in advance at www.mondaviarts.org. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. All ages are welcome. Jackson Hall is located inside the Mondavi Center on the UC Davis campus at One Shields Avenue in Davis.

(SN&R)

Dire Straits Legacy hits Sacramento’s Crest Theatre for one night only on Sept. 16

Eddie September 8, 2023 No Comments

Courtesy photo

BY: SN&R STAFF SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

By Eddie Jorgensen

Grammy award-winning Dire Straits’ bandleader Mark Knopfler hasn’t toured under that moniker since the ‘On Every Street’ tour in 1992, and officially disbanded his famous group for good in 1995. Thankfully, for those fans still yearning to hear the band’s biggest hits, the Dire Straits Legacy collective fills that void and then some.

Its line-up features original Dire Straits band member Alan Clark on piano and keyboards, as well as Dire Straits musicians Danny Cummings on percussion, Mel Collins on saxophone and Phil Palmer on guitar.

Dire Straits Legacy is important because, outside of playing a few charity concerts, Knopfler has offered no talk of a new album or tour. Dire Straits rose to mega-stardom after their release of their “Brothers In Arms” record in 1985. The band would only make one more album, the less-received but equally compelling “On Every Street” in 1991. That song collection still went Platinum in a handful of countries. After only six records, the blues-rock band from England would cease to exist as Mark Knopfler took on a fruitful solo career.

Dire Straits Legacy, which will play The Crest in Downtown Sacramento on Sept. 16, also features musicians Marco Caviglia on vocals and guitar, Primiano Di Biase on keyboards and Cristiano Micalizzi on drums.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and the two-plus hour show starts promptly at 8 p.m. Tickets begin at $44.50 and go up to $66.50 and can be purchased at www.crestsacramento.com. The Crest Theatre is located at 1013 K Street.

(SN&R)

Pixies Are Back

Eddie September 7, 2023 No Comments

Pixies are back touring with a new album and renewed vigor. But don’t bother consulting Setlist.fm since the band plans to break out a few rare morsels at every tour stop. September 15. 

Doggerel is Pixies’ eighth and latest album, which came out last year in late September. And while Kim Deal is no longer with the band (she exited in 2013 and is currently touring with The Breeders), the album is proof that the band can produce a lively batch of new songs that stand up against their storied back catalog. 

From the opening salvo of the lead track, “Matterday,” which parlays nicely into the album’s lead single, “Vault Of Heaven,” it’s obvious that Black Francis and company came to their last recording session prepared. And while tracks like “There’s A Moon On” may seemingly get lost in the shuffle being placed mid-record, the album functions like a complete meal if consumed in one sitting. Other standout tracks like “Haunted House” and “Thunder And Lightning” demand your attention as much as they showcase a band unwilling to rest on their laurels.   

Expect to hear a couple of fan favorites, including (but certainly not limited to) “Where Is My Mind,” “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” “Here Comes Your Man,” “Hey,” “Bone Machine,” and “Wave of Mutilation” among other deeper cuts. 

There’s a reason for Pixies’ staying power even after elongated hiatuses and that’s most likely why one hears hints of their songwriting from artists as far-reaching as Radiohead, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam. Without a playbook, Pixies’ latest should fit in nicely live among their earliest late 80s output.  

At present, Pixies remain Black Francis (lead vocals and guitar), David Lovering (drums), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), and new (er) bassist Paz Lenchantin, who became a full-fledged Pixie in 2016. Known for their “loudquietloud” signature sound, the quartet is finally winding down their ambitious tour, which started in 2022. 

It’s been four years – five if you don’t count last year’s touring cycle – since Pixies last toured and, as luck would have it, Napa’s show in one of the last three dates of their US tour before heading overseas next March. 

Modest Mouse and Cat Power round out this completely stacked bill. 

Although the show is largely sold out, many resale tickets start at $148, top out at $450, and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 5 pm and the show starts promptly at 6 pm. All ages are welcome. The Oxbow RiverStage is located at 1268 McKinstry Street in Napa. It’s never too late to join the party.  

(North Bay Boehmian)