Pick of the week – Mudhoney and Fuzz – Gundlach Bundschu Winery
The “Grunge Era” may have been 25 years ago, but for some acts, that era never left. Mudhoney is one of those acts, and even with the changes in music, the act has stuck to it’s guns of playing “Garage Rock” infused by punk angst, heavy guitar riffs and pounding drums. The act looks older and wiser now, but on stage you can close your eyes and be taken back to the time when Nirvana and Soundgarden ruled the charts. The act never gained the commercial success like the big names of the genre, but most grunge acts will name Mudhoney as one of their primary influences.
The acts career has gleaned 10 album releases, mostly true to the grunge roots, but they have even fused heavy blues with punk to come up with yet another unique vibe. The act has had the same four members since 1999, Mark Arm, Steve Turner Dan Peters and Guy Maddison with founding member Matt Lukin leaving the band after one year.
Fuzz is a group of relative newcomers to the music scene as an act, but not as individuals, and lays down a decidedly heavy groove. The California-based trio has been together since 2011 as a collaboration between Ty Segall and Charlie Moothart, but it’s only within the last year that the pair had sufficient time to guide the band out of side-project limbo and into a recording studio. Since then, Fuzz has released two singles with bass player Chad Ubovich joining the act at that time.
Once again, Jeff Bundschu has managed a coup and will present Mudhoney and opening act Fuzz at the winery for a show tonight, Oct. 16, with doors at 6:30 p.m. There will be food and beverages available and free parking for wine club members and those that carpool with three or more people. Tickets will be available at the door.
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Local Musician Spotlight –Dale Geist
Dale Geist was born in Germany, son of a serviceman, and floated around as the lifestyle lends itself to, and finally landed in upstate New York, but that didn’t stop him from traveling to the mid-west, the south and even making his way out west before finally settling in Northern California.
Obsessed with Top-40 as a preteen in the early ‘70s, then album rock in the late ‘70s followed by art-rock in college, it’s the American roots music scene that drives him these days, writing Americana in the classic style, with hints of soul, dashes of folk and a bit of country. You can catch him tonight, Oct. 16, as the Barking Dog Roasters in Boyes Hot Springs kicks off it’s music series at 5 p.m. Lets get to know him a little.
1) Many musicians in our generation cite the Beatles on Ed Sullivan as that moment when they knew music was what they wanted to do. When and what was it that made you realize you wanted to be a musician?
DG> Wasn’t the Beatles for me, probably Bob Dylan was the one. I think somehow Dylan was playing in the background for years. When I was 13 my sister got Dylan’s Greatest hits and I realized that you didn’t have to look or sing pretty to write great songs.
2) That first instrument you owned. What was it and do you still have it?
DG> No, I don’t have it any longer but it was a Besson trumpet. I got it second hand from my aunt and played it in the band at school. It was fine for an orchestra, but not for writing songs. I actually didn’t get my first guitar until I was about 18 and in college, even thought I had been writing songs for about five years at that point. When I was in college my roommate and I had been thinking about getting guitars and we saw an ad for cheap guitars in the local paper. We took a bus out about as far as the Chicago suburbs would take us and there was a lady selling Japanese copies of American guitars out of her garage. I think I paid $50 for mine.
3) Who are you’re primary influences in your music?
DG> Well, Dylan primarily. To me, he’s like Mt. Everest when it comes to songwriting. After that it’s cats like Steve Earle, Springsteen, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Kris Kristofferson.
4) What CD or playlist is in your car or your iPod?
DG> Jason Isbell and his latest “Something More than Free.” I’d heard of him for years and this is the first disc of his I’ve picked up and I’m really digging it.
5) Tell us about your current acts.
DG> Mainly me as a solo act playing my songs that I’ve written, but occasionally get together with a friend out of Napa, Lauren Holt, who plays kind of in the vein of John Prine and we’ve been doing some nice duets.
6) If you could have written one song, which one would it be and why?
DG> Wow.. tough, but it’s “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” by Bob Dylan. It kind of sums up life as we know it in 4 or so minutes.
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Rundown – The Set List
The Sonoma Speakeasy and American Music Hall
452 First St. E. ste. G. Sonoma – 996-1364.
Tonight, Oct. 16, S. E. Willis, Bobby Cochran and Ruth Davies – 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17, Full Circle – 4:30 p.m. – Ed Earley and Friends – 8 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 18, Mark Dennis – 3:30 p.m. – Diva Singer Night and Community Jam with Dallis Craft and Karla Downey – 7:30 p.m.
Annex Wine Bar
865 W. Napa St. Sonoma – 938-7779
Tonight, Oct. 16, Don Trotta – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17, Westside Ramblers – 2:30 p.m.
Murphy’s Irish Pub
464 First St. E. Sonoma – 935-0660.
Friday, Oct. 16, Mike Mullen – 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17, the Perfect Crime – 8 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 18, McCoy – Tyler Band – 7 p.m
Rossi’s 1906 Dancehall
401 Grove St. El Verano – 343-0044
Tonight, Oct. 16, Bee Bop Hop – 9 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 17, 3 on a Match – 5 p.m.
HopMonk Tavern
691 Broadway Sonoma – 935-9100
Tonight, Oct. 16, Clay Bell – 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17, City Walls Autumn Falls – 1 p.m. the No Buenos – 8 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 18, Vintage Grass – 1 p.m.
B&V Whiskey Bar and Grille
400 First St. E. Sonoma – 938-7110
Tonight, Oct. 16, Tilted Halos – 10 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17, DJ Cal – 10 p.m.
Plaza Bistro
420 First St E. Sonoma – 996-4466
Tonight, Oct. 16, Mad and Eddie Duran – 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17, Glenn Carter – 6 p.m.
Gundlach Bundschu Winery
2000 Denmark St. Sonoma
Today, Oct. 16, Mudhoney with Fuzz – 6 p.m.
Schelville Grill
22900 Broadway, Sonoma – 996-5151
Saturday, Oct. 17, Butch Engle – 12:45 p.m.
The Lodge at Sonoma
1325 Broadway, Sonoma – 935-6600
Saturday, Oct. 17, the Cork Pullers – 4:30 p.m.
Barking Dog Roasters
18133 Sonoma Hwy. Sonoma – 939-1905
Tonight, Oct. 16, Dale Geist – 5 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17, David Bingham – 5 p.m.
Olde Sonoma Public House
18615 Sonoma Hwy. Boyes Hot Springs – 938-7587
Sunday, Oct. 18, Karaoke – 7:30 p.m.
Blue Moon Saloon
19380 Sonoma Hwy. Sonoma – 996-3055
Saturday, Oct. 17, Karaoke – 9 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 18, Blues Jam – all welcome – 10 p.m.