There’s a little something for everybody this weekend in Sonoma County, classic rock and blues, along with a tribute to one of the great songwriters of our time, Tom Petty. Step back into time with the Four Freshmen or bang your head to a Bay Area original and others. There’s even something for the folks that like both kinds of music; country AND western, with a country music icon taking the stage. Have a peek and get out there and enjoy some live music.
Friday, Oct. 19 – Petty Theft
If you’re a Tom Petty fan, even a little, this will be the place for you to be. This regional Tom Petty tribute act is one of the finest around, and this night, they will be playing the “Damn the Torpedoes” album in its entirety, as well as screening the documentary that covers the recording of the album. This was a time in Petty’s career that he was suing his record company for the right to his own songs; a fight that he eventually won. Some say the emotion that the band had while making this album made it one of the best Petty albums to date. The band will play an additional set of various Tom Petty tunes after the full album set.
Venue – Mystic Theatre – Petaluma 707-765-2121
Friday, Oct. 19 – Alameda All-Stars
This well established rock and blues act has been playing the North Bay and beyond since 1979, and the truth is, you never know who is going to show up in the act. Over the years, players like Brad Gillis from Night ranger, Mark McGee from Vicious Rumors, Danny Chauncey from 38 Special and more have all been members of the band. For several years, the band was the “Friends” in Gregg Allman and Friends. The band never disappoints and the venue is a classic roadhouse.
Venue – Tradewinds – Cotati – 707-795-7878
Friday, Oct. 19 – Sonny Landreth
Saturday, Oct. 20, – Death Angel, Potential Threat and more
Sonny Landreth is a seasoned veteran and to be able to check him out in a room this small, will really be a treat. With 11 discs to his name, he has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the industry, like Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Robben Ford, Eric Johnson Joe Satriani and Vince Gill. He has done blues albums, instrumental albums and experimental albums, and you really never know what mood he’ll be in. Landreth says about his latest album, “From day one on the guitar, many genres of music have had an impact on me. For these recordings, I drew from some of those influences that I hadn’t gone to on previous albums with my vocals. Trading off the lyrics this time, I focused solely on the instrumental side and all this music poured out. Then I asked some extraordinary musicians to help me layer the tracks in hopes of inspiring a lot of imagery for the listeners.”
If 1980s metal is your style, then Saturday night is for you. Remember Death Angel? Sure you do, well, they’re still at it. Among the youngest bands ever to storm the metal genre, Death Angel has come to be known as one of the most influential bands to emerge from the thriving Bay Area thrash metal scene. The band has been touring the world in support of their latest disc “Relentless Retribution” and is headlining their first tour since 2001.
Venue – Last Day Saloon – Santa Rosa – 707-545-5876
Sunday, Oct. 21 – Four Freshmen
Monday, Oct. 22 – Loretta Lynn
One of the top vocal groups of the ‘50s and today, the unmistakable sound of the Four Freshmen continues to thrill audiences all over the world. The sound that began in 1948 by founding member brothers Don and Ross Barbour, their cousin, Bob Flanigan and Hal Kratsch continues today with Brian Eichenberger, Curtis Calderon, Vince Johnson and Bob Ferreira. This incarnation of the group has been together since 2001. In more than 100 concerts a year you can hear the freshmen perform the group’s blockbuster hits, such as “It’s a Blue World,” “Mood Indigo,” “Day By Day,” “Graduation Day” and many more.
What can you say about Loretta Lynn that hasn’t already been said? For fifty years now, Lynn has fashioned a body of work as artistically and commercially successful and as culturally significant as any female performer you’d care to name. Her music has confronted many of the major social issues of her time, and her life story is a rags-to-riches tale familiar to pop, rock and country fans alike. The Coal Miner’s Daughter; the tag refers to a hit single, an album, a best-selling autobiography, an Oscar-winning film, and to Lynn herself and has journeyed her from the poverty of the Kentucky hills to Nashville superstardom to her current status as an honest-to-goodness American icon.
Venue – Wells Fargo Center – Santa Rosa – 707-546-3600