Thelma Houston at the Black Cat Cabaret

Yep, you read it correctly, Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and actress Thelma Houston will be performing at this years benefit for Pets Lifeline, the Black Cat Cabaret, to be held tonight, Sept. 16 and Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Field of Dreams. Houston is no stranger to performance, touring for over 43 years and still doing over 200 shows a year. The musical director for this years “Cirque-like” performance is Robin Finck, who toured for years as guitar player for Guns and Roses and Nine Inch Nails and was a member of Cirque Du Soleil in 1996. The cast this year is also very musical, with Gabriel Harris on African drums, Ross Gualco on keyboards, Gabe Noel on bass, Zack Harmon on drums and Holiday Childress on vocals and guitar. There will be three shows, two are evening gala events to be held at 7 p.m. both days, and a special childrens show on Saturday, Sept 17, at 1 p.m. For more info, call 996-4475.

The Sonoma Valley Museum of Art opens a new music-related exhibit on Saturday, Sept. 17, titled “Sonido Pirata.” Sonido Pirata is an exhibition exploring sound, memory, and cultural history. Based on the phenomenon of pirated music and its methods of distribution as forms of cultural resistance, the artists in the exhibition make use of appropriated sounds and images.

Sonido Pirata refers to “knock-offs” in the same way that black-market luxury goods, such as Gucci and Prada handbags, are counterfeited in the fashion industry. Sonido Pirata can be thought of as pirating out of necessity, in order to allow direct access for consumers to acquire “name brands” at a reasonable price. The access is also a reference to music culture, such as in Latin America, where aspiring bands and musicians do not consider themselves to have “made it” until their music is pirated and sold by street vendors on the black market. The exhibit runs until Jan. 1, 2012. For more info, point your browser to www.svma.org.

The Grange Hall in Boyes Hot Springs will have the third in a series of community barn dances on Saturday, Sept. 17, kicking off at 8 p.m. and will feature Heartstrings, with Debra Tayleur on keyboard and two fiddles, playing Irish and bluegrass songs. The type of dancing is called “Contra” and has similar moves to square dancing but claims to be even easier. Stuart Moody teaches every dance before the music starts and then continues calling while the band plays.  No experience or partner is necessary. Cool clothing and comfortable shoes are suggested. For more info, call 939-9999.

JMB & the Big O

The Kathmandu Corner has the debut of JMB and the Big O tonight, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. Both are members of BackTrax and will be playing as an acoustic duo for the first time. Saturday, Sept. 17, the corner has Marty O’Reilly, also for an 8 p.m. show. Monday, Sept. 19, the corner welcomes Kathryn DelChairo and Jon Williams for a night of songs and theater at 6:30 p.m. There is no cover for any of the shows.

Norton & Friends

Murphy’s Irish Pub has the Two Rock Ramblers in the snug at 8 p.m. tonight, Sept. 16. Saturday, Sept. 17, the Perfect Crime returns for a night of folk, blues and ballads. Shows both nights start at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, is a special day at the pub, when the latest CD from Norton Buffalo and friends will be released, and many from his old band will perform. Buffalo passed away in 2009, but there is a lot of unreleased material stashed away. Many of his friends will be on hand for the debut. Showtime is 4 p.m.

The Plaza Bistro welcomes the Chris Amberger Trio tonight, Sept 16, for a 7 p.m. show. Saturday, Sept. 17, the bistro has the Amanda King Duo, also for a 7 p.m. shoe. There is no cover either night.

Sebastiani Winery and Vineyards welcomes 5 A.M. back to the tasting room tonight Sept. 16, for a 6:30 p.m. start.

The Swiss Hotel welcomes the Jami Jamison Band in for an early evening show on Sunday, Sept. 18, at 5 p.m. on the back patio. There is no cover.

Sean Carscadden

Sean Carscadden and his trio will be at Steiners Tavern tonight, Sept. 16, for a 10 p.m. show.

The lounge in the Carneros Bistro has a special show tonight, Sept. 16, when Jenny O makes an appearance for one-night only as part of their “Rlife LIVE” program. RLife LIVE showcases an eclectic fleet of emerging artists at various Renaissance Hotels throughout the world. Tonights show kicks off at 8 p.m.

Noche Tropical will be playing the celebration of Mexican Independence Day on Sunday, Sept. 18, behind City Hall. The show features Aztec dancers as well. The event starts at 2 p.m., with the band taking the stage at 6 p.m.

El Verano Inn welcomes back the Maldonado Brothers on Saturday, Sept. 17, for a show that goes off at 9 p.m. The Brothers have new material that will debut, and are looking forward to “delivering high energy jams and getting the crowd on their feet and dancing.” The band is comprised of several Sonoma Valley musicians, including Ralph Cetola Maldonado, Jeff Hunter Maldonado, Hugo Knef Maldonado and Randy Cook Maldonado. There is no cover.

Centre du vin in the Ledson Lounge has Amber Gougis on Saturday, Sept. 17, for a 7 p.m. show. Gougis combines down-home blues with French chanson to deliver a seductive and soulful performance. There is no cover for the show.

Landmark Winery and Vineyards welcomes Chi McClean to the patio of the tasting room on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 1 p.m. Many may remember McClean form his backstage performances at this years Sonoma International Film Festival.

The Studebaker Cheesecake Cafe, which replaced Fiorini on Napa St. has an open-mic Monday, Sept. 19, at 7:30 p.m. “Corner of the Sky,” The evening is modeled after the old Center of the Universe Cafe, previously held at the Sonoma Community Center. The evening will encourage spoken word as well as music performances. To reserve a spot or for more info, call Stephan at 503-564-4184.

Many locals are out of town this weekend, starting tonight, Sept. 16, when Stephanie Ozer heads to Healdsburg at the Healdsburg Hotel for a 7 p.m. show.

Showcase the Band will be in St. Helena in the St. Helena Plaza tonight, Sept. 16, for a 5 p.m. show.

The Jon Popenoe Blues Band is in Napa at Uva Trattoria tonight, Sept. 16, for an 8 p.m. start.

Crossfire will be at the Flamingo Lounge in Santa Rosa tonight, Sept. 16, for a 9 p.m. show.

The Hellhounds will be at Cuvee in Napa tonight, Sept. 16, for a 9:30 p.m. show. Tuesday, Sept. 20, the local bluesmen will be featured in a film documentary titled “Roots of Music Americana.” The documentary is part of the Luna Fest Film Festival in Santa Rosa. The film will air immediately after a performance by the band. For tickets and more info, point your browser to www.lunafest.org. Showtime is 6 p.m.

Mad and Eddie Duran will be in San Francisco at Rose Pistolas on Saturday, Sept. 17, kicking off at 7 p.m.

Tommy Thomsen has been invited to sit in on a birthday tribute to Hank Williams to be held on Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Club Deluxe in San Francisco. Thomsen and others will be backed by the New Drifting Cowboys.

Adam Traum will be playing a weather-permitting show in Stinson Beach at the Sand Dollar on Sunday, Sept. 18, kicking off at noon.

 

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

The Jamie Clark Band – Saturday, Sept. 17.
Peri’s – Fairfax
415-459-9910

Stompy Jones – Saturday, Sept. 17.
Rancho Nicasio – Nicasio
415-662-2219

The Ford Brothers – Friday, Sept. 16.
Last Day Saloon – Santa Rosa
545-2343

Herbie Hancock – Sunday, Sept. 18.
Wells Fargo Center – Santa Rosa
546-3600

Joan Osborne – Saturday, Sept. 17.
The Fillmore – San Francisco
415-346-6000

Joan Osborne – Friday, Sept. 16.
Napa Valley Opera House
226-7372

Lee Ritenhour – Saturday, Sept. 17.
Napa Valley Opera House
226-7372

Sonoma Valley Music Scene 10-7-10

This was a fun show to do.. really wish I had 2 hours.. lots of great music to play from the SVMS Music Library. Hopefully some live interviews from the Cohn shows this weekend but tonights show is all music….

Playlist:

Band        –     Album         –           Song

Dr. Joel Rudinow – Rude Notes Galore – Rock and Roll Doctor

ETA – Orange and Blue – Goodbye Shirt

Norton Buffalo – Lovin in the Valley of the Moon – Eighteen Wheels

Jeff Falconer – Complicated World – To Live Here

Rich Little – Band Blend – Roll Me Over

Gale Mead – Letters Home – Keep me in your Heart

Whitney Lockert – Demo – Rupert Murdoch

Hobo Jungle – Roundabout – In Between

Boyan Radoslavov – Demo – 2011/Symbiosis

Points North – Demo – Jubilee

Static People – Demo – Just Back Down

Tri Tip Trio – 3 of a Kind – Mojo Workin’

Wingin’ It – Attunement – The Crush is on

Spirit of the Buffalo back in the Valley of the Moon

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year since the Valley of the Moon lost one of its favorite sons, and folks have gotten together once again to make sure his legacy lives on and to help raise money for the music scholarship fund named after him. Norton Buffalo passed away last Oct. 30, after a short battle with cancer. Friends of the Buffalo are presenting a series of shows which will be held Saturday, Sept.18, and Sunday, Sept. 19, at the Sonoma Valley Veterans Memorial Building. The Saturday show, billed as the “Hometown Hoedown,” will feature local music acts, including Ten Foot Tone, the Whiskey Thieves, Junior Boogie, Sue Albano, Dollhouse and more. Tickets for the Saturday show, which kicks off at 7 p.m. can be purchased at the door. Sunday, Sept. 19, is being billed as the “The Norton Buffalo Memorial Harmonica and Music Festival,” and goes from noon to 8 p.m. and features some of the finest harmonica players around, all getting together for a “harmonica blowout.” On the bill are harmonica greats such as Dave Chavoya, Rick Hatfield, “Catfish” Jack, Sonny Lowe, Steve Judkins, Corey Jennings and many more. Musical acts include Carlos Reyes, Tudo Bem, the Knockouts, Tommy Thomsen and friends, the Michael Hinton Band and more, including a special appearance by Lisa Flores-Buffalo. Tickets for the event can be purchased in advance at Sonoma Valley Music or at the door.

The worst kept secret in local music was revealed this week, with the announcement that the Doobie Brothers are the special guest for the Saturday, Oct. 9, show at the B. R. Cohn Fall Music Festival to be held at the winery the weekend of Oct. 9 – 10.  Tickets for that day, which features Cheap Trick, War, Grand Funk Railroad and more, are essentially sold out with only a handful remaining. The Sunday, Oct. 10, show is also selling fast, which features Bay Area favorites Eddie Money, Night Ranger and Greg Kihn. Also on Sundays bill are the Turtles, Loverboy and the Eyewitness Blues Band. Tickets for both shows are available at the winery tasting room or at www.brcohn.com.

In town for the tribute to Norton Buffalo, Rick Hatfield is making a weekend of it, with a show at the Olde Sonoma Public House on Saturday, Sept. 18, with a trio of musicians for a 7 p.m. show.

It’s officially time for Sue Albano and Mark Dennis to come up with a name for their act, especially since it seems they’ve added Bob Edmondson on drums to the band. Edmondson is a monster on most every instrument he plays, and he plays most of them, and you can see for yourself tonight, Sept. 17, when they play the Sunflower Cafe for a 5 p.m. show in the back garden. There is no cover for the show.

The El Verano Inn has some local punk rock from Modern Action on Saturday, Sept. 18, for a 9:30 p.m. show.

The Quarryhill Botanical Gardens wraps up their summer music series on Saturday, Sept. 18, with an appearance by the Phat Barbies, playing classic rock. We’re conjuring up visions of Led Zeppelin tunes done by guys that look like the New York Dolls, but we could be way off. The gardens open at 4:30 p.m. and the show starts at 6 p.m. Call 996-3166 for more info.

Jess Petty and Ken Chambers will be at the Ledson Lounge on the Plaza tonight, Sept. 17, at 6 p.m.

Sebastiani Winery and Vineyards will have Michael Bryant tonight, Sept. 17, at 6:30 p.m.

The Lodge at Sonoma has Wayne De La Cruz in the piano lounge tonight, Sept. 17, for a 7 p.m. show. Saturday, Sept. 18, brings in Terry Disley and everything that comes with that, also for a 7 p.m. show. There is no cover for either show.

Mondo American Beer Garden will have the folk sounds of the Cork Pullers on Saturday, Sept. 18, for a 7 p.m. show.

Maya Restaurant will have the Sean Carscadden Trio on Saturday, Sept. 18, for a 10 p.m. show. Carscadden will have with him that night Andrew Emer on bass and J. B. Duff on drums. Showtime is 10 p.m.

Meritage Martini and Oyster Bar has the Joe Chaplain Band on Sunday, Sept. 19, for an afternoon show that kicks off at 4 p.m. There will be small plate and drink specials during the show. There is a cover.

Michael Muscardini and Ty Caton are celebrating their third year together in their tasting room in Kenwood, and are having a party with music that will feature Dan Martin playing “rocksteady reggae vibes” on Saturday, Sept. 18, kicking off at 5:30 p.m.

EZ Kewl is keeping its reputation as the hardest working band in the Valley with four shows this weekend, starting tonight, Sept. 17, at the Apple Box in Petaluma for a 5 p.m. show. Saturday, Sept. 18, the boys start off at Etude Winery in Carneros for an 11:30 a.m. show; then they pack up and head to the Schellville Grill for a dinner set that kicks off at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 19, they will take the early slot at Murphy’s Irish Pub for a 6 p.m. show.

Murphy’s Irish Pub will have music tonight, Sept. 17, with the Sonoma Mountain Band playing folk, country and bluegrass at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, the pub has the sounds of the Perfect Crime, also for an 8 p.m. show.

Landmark Winery and Vineyards has the jazz guitar sounds of Randy Vincent on Saturday, Sept. 18, for a 1 p.m. show.

Steiners Tavern has the Whiskey Thieves tonight, Sept. 17, for a 10 p.m. show. Saturday, Sept. 18, the tavern will be hosting a benefit for the Tierschau Group, an art collective and scholarship foundation. In addition to artists and several ex-NFL players roaming around, the event will have music starting at 5 p.m. with Amanda Gunnells; 6 p.m. brings in Ben Tedder; 7 p.m. has Mitch Thomas, featuring Ava Bernard and Karin Kascher, and at 8:30 p.m. it’s time for Crossfire, with Tony Menjivar from Malo and Victor Castro. DJ Dave will wrap up the night.

Showcase the Band will be playing an Oktoberfest at Lokal on Saturday, Sept. 18, kicking off at 4 p.m. If you miss the band that night, you can check them out at Little Switzerland on Sunday, Sept. 19, for a 5 p.m. show.

The Plaza Bistro will have Lloyd Gregory in the Plaza Wine Bar tonight, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m.

Stephanie Ozer takes her show on the road to the Hotel Healdsburg on Saturday, Sept. 18, for a 7:30 p.m. show.

The Jami Jamison band will be at the Rock & Blues Festival at the Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park on Sunday, Sept. 19, as part of an all day show that kicks off at noon. Jamison and her band take the stage at 1:05 p.m.

Points North guitarist Eric Barnett is appearing at another show being put on by Guitar Player Magazine on Saturday, Sept. 18, at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore at 4:30 p.m. The event is billed as Guitar Player Live, and features some of the players from the Guitar Superstar competition from last year. The daytime outdoor shows are free, with the evening shows featuring Montrose and Gary Hoey requiring tickets.

Adam Traum is on the road tonight, Sept. 17, for a show at the Wipeout Bar and Grill in Greenbrae that goes off at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 19, Traum is at the Sand Dollar in Stinson Beach for a noon show.