The Musical Market makes its second appearance at the Moose

Prezident Brown

The Musical Market, an all-day event that is taking place at the Moose Lodge on Saturday, Aug. 25, has announced additional hours, more activities and lower ticket prices, based on the popularity of the last event. With the slogan of “Bringing the “Unity” Back in the Community,” the festival combines national and international touring acts, artisan food, drinks, shopping, yoga, local crafters, and local farmers. There is an amazing line-up of musicians that will feature Prezident Brown, Brandy Robinson, the Jolly Llamas, the Heaters, Traffic Jam, Cosmos Percussion Orchestra, Irie Sounds Intl., Superior Sound, Sleep Dank, DJ Evan Dixxon, and surprise acts. The day kicks off at noon and goes until midnight, with different levels of ticket prices for daytime and evening hours. Tickets will be available at the door, and for more info, point your browser to www.themusicalmarket.com.

The Moose Lodge is jumping tonight, Aug. 24, as well, with bluegrass from the David Thom Band, that kicks off at 8:30 p.m. Dinner is served at 6 p.m. for those interested.

The Jack London State Historic Park welcomes the Transcendence Theater back for two nights of music and performance, tonight – Sunday, Aug. 24 – 26, for a show called “What a Wonderful World” kicking off at 8 p.m. in the winery ruins at the park in Glen Ellen. Scheduled to perform are Brooke Tansley, who starred as “Belle” in “Beauty and the Beast” and was in the original Broadway cast of “Hairspray,” Peter Porte, who recently starred as “Ricky Williams” on “The Young and the Restless” and J. Austin Eyer, who was on Broadway in “How to Succeed.” For tickets and more info, point your browser to www.transcendencetheatre.org/tickets.

Music Nomad

Local independent music supporter, Rand Rognlien, “the Music Nomad,” has announced a sweeping overhaul of his website musicnomad.com. The site is a place where independent musicians can get literally thousands of free resources, from finding a rehearsal studio to learning how to copyright their music. One of the big new features is called “Tour Manager” which allows you to set up your entire tour dates and store, manage and share all important info like venue contact info, show time, hotel and more with all band members and whoever else needs to know. There is a place to track how much merchandise was sold at each venue, contacts for local music writers, radio stations and other media, and utilizes Google Maps for all directions to shows and venues. I guess the bass player is out of excuses when they show up late for a show now. Rognlien has also been instrumental in supporting local music by co-sponsoring the Songwriters in Sonoma series and some of the indie-music shows at Gundlach Bundschu. To check out the site and give it a test drive, point your browser to www.musicnomad.com.

B. R. Cohn Charity Concert

Bruce Cohn has announced a special price for both days of the annual Charity Fall Music Festival, coming up on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 6 – 7. For one ticket price of $150, you can see the Doobie Brothers, Buddy Guy, War, the Turtles, Kenny Loggins, Dave Mason, Zen Road Pilots, Tyrone Wells, Lara Johnston, Scars on 45, Pat Simmons Jr. and more. Beneficiaries of the proceeds from this years shows include The Sonoma Valley Education Foundation, Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, Redwood Empire Food Bank, The Guardsmen, Operation Homefront, and American Legion Post 489. For tickets and more info, point your browser to www.brcohn.com, or just stop by the winery in Glen Ellen. Tickets are going fast and both days are expected to sell out.

Steiners Tavern has Kingsborough tonight, Aug. 24, for a 10 p.m. show. The band combines a mix of blues, rock and funk. Started by singer-songwriter Billy Kingsborough and guitarist Alex Leach, the band has played shows throughout California, on the street corners of Argentina, performed for sports stars such as Joe Montana and shared the stage with well-known artists such as the Fogerty family and country music star Clay Walker. There is no cover for the show.

Sebastiani Winery and Vineyards has the Rolling Blackouts tonight, Aug. 24, kicking off at 6 p.m. in the tasting room. There will be wine specials and food available. The band plays classic rock and blues, and the venue is family and dog-friendly. There is no cover for the event and picnic s are welcome, though no outside alcohol may be taken onto the grounds.

Midnight Sun Massive

Murphy’s Irish Pub presents Midnight Sun Massive tonight, Aug. 24, for an 8 p.m. show. The band plays reggae music in the style of Bob Marley. Saturday, Aug. 15, it’s High Country for an evening of bluegrass, also kicking off at 8 p.m. There is no cover either night. Sunday, Aug. 26, there is Dinner Theatre presented by the Duffy’s Tavern Players. Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m.

The Plaza Bistro welcomes the John Kaleen Trio for an evening of jazz tonight, Aug. 24, for a 7 p.m. show. Saturday, Aug. 25, is a special show, which kicks off at 8 p.m. featuring Second Cut. The act features local Jodi Stevens on vocals and the band plays classic rock and dance songs. There is no cover either night.

The Ledson Lounge welcomes William Russell tonight Aug. 24, for a 6 p.m. show. Saturday, Aug. 25, it’s Dan Daniels and Nicky De Paola, kicking off at 7 p.m. There is no cover either night.

Shiso Sushi Bar in the Maxwell Village Center has music from Tony Gibson on Saturday, Aug. 25, kicking off at 8:30 p.m.

The Malevolent Mischief of Admiral Squeesh will be at the Sebastiani Theatre on Monday, Aug. 27, kicking off at 7 p.m. The variety show is the brainchild of former local Spencer Rank and includes Rank himself, along with a number of other local aspiring artists, including Sarah Summers, Nathalie Tedrick, musicians and multi-talented artists Nick Pimentel, Ryan Neilan, Delaney Brumme, and Evan Kottle. The show is, according to Rank, “…a strategy to minimize spiraling tuition costs at the elite Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre in Humboldt County.” Tickets will be available at the Sebastiani box office or at the door.

The Blue Moon Saloon has Karaoke on Saturday, Aug. 25, starting at 9 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26, it’s the blues jam, starting at 10.p.m.

The Hellhounds are at Uva Trattoria in Napa on Saturday, Aug. 25, kicking off at 8:30 p.m.

Jason Bodlovich is at the Lagunitas Taproom in Petaluma today, Aug. 24, at 4:20 p.m.

The Don Trotta Band will be in Cotati at Spancky’s tonight, Aug. 24, for a 9:30 p.m. show.

Points North will be in Concord at Vinnie’s Bar and Grill tonight, Aug. 24, and Eric Barnett, guitarist for the band will also be performing in the act Fred Barchetta, a Rush tribute act. The show kicks off at 9 p.m.

Natasha James will be doing her first show in 10 months tonight, Aug. 24, appearing at Friday Night Live in Cloverdale, starting at 7 p.m.

Hot 45s – Shows within a 45 minute drive from the Island

Volker-Strifler – Friday, Aug. 24
HopMonk Tavern – Sebastopol
829-7300

Frobeck – Saturday, Aug. 25
HopMonk Tavern – Sebastopol
829-7300

Fishbone – Sunday, Aug. 26
HopMonk Tavern – Sebastopol
829-7300

George Benson – Friday, Aug. 24
Napa Valley Opera House
226-7372

Pop Fiction – Metal Shop – Friday, Aug. 24
Mystic Theatre – Petaluma
765-2121

Roseanne Cash – Saturday, Aug. 25
Uptown Theater – Napa
259-0123

Pete Escovido – Saturday, Aug. 25
George’s Nightclub – San Rafael
415-226-0262

Asleep at the Wheel – Saturday – Sunday, Aug 25 – 26.
Rancho Nicasio – Nicasio
415-662-2219

Shana Morrison – Friday Aug. 24
Sweetwater Music Hall – Mill Valley
415-388-3850

Points North celebrates their CD release

Points North

He’s been here long enough to call him local, although the genre of music he plays doesn’t lend itself to many Sonoma Valley venues. Guitarist Eric Barnett arrived on the scene in 2004 after a fairly successful career as a working studio musician from the East Coast. Moving the family west, he thought he’d settle down into a different lifestyle, but like he said in a radio interview from 2006, “it never really goes away.” He saw an ad on Craigslist for an instrumental guitarist for jams and maybe more, so he answered the ad. For the next couple years, the trio jammed semi-regularly and then it turned into gigs, demos, and even appearances. Barnett was one of the finalists in Guitar Player magazines “Guitar Superstar” competition, where he was able to rub elbows with the likes of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. One thing led to another, with gigs around the North Bay with local metal acts. The quality of the music was not going unnoticed, and as an instrumental act, the band started to stand out. The deciding moment came recently when the band was signed to a record deal with Magna Carta Records, home of such artists as Steve Stevens and Steve Morse. The band, which includes Kevin Aiello on drums and Uriah Duffy on bass, whose credentials include Whitesnake and Christina Aguilar, will be having a CD release show tonight, March 9, at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. “The title, “Road Less Traveled,” felt like a description to us,” said Barnett. “In this day and age of pop music, being in an instrumental band is, in itself, a statement.” Tickets will be available at the door for the 8 p.m. show, where the band will also be shooting a video. For more about the band, point your browser to www.pointsnorthband.com.

Sarah Summers

We were lucky enough to get invited to a singer-songwriter showcase this week at the home of the Music Nomad, Rand Rognlien, where he and Jeff Bundschu had six Indie rock and local acts playing a couple of tunes each. Local Sarah Summers was one of the acts, and my friends, you need to see this young woman perform before she runs off to college. Telling original stories far beyond her years on this earth mixed with excellent finger-picking guitar, if she wasn’t going to college, she’d be ready for a record deal. The evening was topped off by an amazing performance from Kelly McFarland, who with only a banjo and her voice had the small crowd mesmerized. Judging from her comments about Sonoma, she’ll be back soon. Music Nomad provides free online resources for all independent musicians on their website at www.musicnomad.com.

The Joe Chaplain Band presents “Way Out West” at the Sonoma Community Center on Saturday, March 10, kicking off at 7 p.m. In addition to his regular band, the night will feature local Diva Sheila Whitney and Monica McKey. For tickets and more info, call 938-4626.

Ramekins Event Center welcomes Manual Barrueco for one night only on Saturday, March 10, for a 7 p.m. show. The evening also includes a meet and greet with the artist after the show. Barrueco typically performs at such venues as New York’s Lincoln Center, the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and internationally at the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, so this is a unique opportunity to see an intimate performance. For tickets and more info, call 933-0450.

Adam Traum will be at HopMonk Sonoma on Saturday, March 10, for a 9 p.m. show.

Murphy’s Irish Pub presents Dinner Theater with a presentation of Moll tonight, March 9, presented by Kate Kennedy. The show includes dinner, which starts at 5:30 p.m. For tickets and more info, contact the pub at 935-0660. Saturday, March 10, the pub has Dan Martin for an 8 p.m. show. Sunday, March 11, it’s Sean Carscadden and Marty O’Reilly for an early show, kicking off at 6:30 p.m.

Sonoma Springs Brewery welcomes the all-original music of Calvin Ross on Saturday, March 10, for a 7 p.m. show. There is no cover.

The Plaza Bistro has John Stowell and Mike Zilber tonight, March 9, for a 7 p.m. show. Saturday, March 10, it’s the Jazz Komradz for one night only, also for a 7 p.m. show. The band features Graham Bruce on trumpet and flugelhorn, Tim Campbell on keyboards, Andy Dillard on drums and percussion and Bryan Girard on alto and tenor saxophones. Four long-time friends and instrumentalists comprise a formidable array of compositional and improvisational talent. There is no cover for any of the shows at the bistro.

The Whiskey Thieves will be at Quincy’s Pub in Rohnert Park tonight, March 9, for a 9 p.m. show.

The Jason Bodlovich Group will be at the Lagunitas Tap Room today, March 9, at 4:20 p.m.

The Jami Jamison Band is at Papas Taverna in Petaluma on Saturday, March 10, for a 7 p.m. show.

The Hellhounds will be in Petaluma at the First Edition Saturday, March 10, for a 9:30 p.m. show.

Mad and Eddie Duran are at the historic Cliff House in San Francisco tonight, March 9, for a 7 p.m. show.

Hot 45s – Shows within a 45 minute drive from the Island

Jackie Greene – Friday -Saturday, March 9 – 10.
Mystic Theatre – Petaluma
765-2121

Frobeck- Saturday, March 10.
Last Day Saloon – Santa Rosa
545-2343

Dumpstaphunk – Sunday, March 11.
HopMonk Tavern – Sebastopol
829-7300

Foreverland – Friday, March 9.
Bimbo’s 365 Club – San Francisco
415-474-0365

John Lee Hooker Jr. – Friday, March 9.
Biscuits & Blues – San Francisco
415-292-2583

Harvey Mandel – Saturday, March 10.
George’s Nightclub – San Rafael
415-226-0262

Petty Theft- Friday, March 9.
Sweetwater Music Hall – Mill Valley
415-388-3850

Pegi Young – Tuesday, March 13.
Sweetwater Music Hall – Mill Valley
415-388-3850