Picks of the Week
The Wild Buffalo has a nonstop run of shows this week. Kicking it off on Friday, Feb. 18 is Queen Mother, a Seattle-based tribute to Queen. I have to admit, I was skeptical of this concept. The stylistic diversity and technical skill needed to perform Queen songs is rare enough, but then on top of that, you have to try to summon even a fraction of the stage presence of Freddy Mercury. I checked out this video of them live and I have to say, I think they might just pull it off.
If intense, high-speed bursts of metallic hardcore fury are more your thing, you could head to the Shakedown that same night for Filth is Eternal and Vacuum. Another intriguing show at the Wild Buffalo is the mariachi music of Flor De Toloache on Saturday, Feb. 19. The all-female mariachi band has been nominated for a Grammy, played the NPR Tiny Desk, and now they are bringing their blend of traditional and modern mariachi to Bellingham.
For fans of adventurous jazz, Ted Poor and Cuong Vu will be at the Sylvia Center on Wednesday, Feb. 23. The duo uses trumpet, drums and electronics to conjure up some highly distinctive soundscapes.
News
Applications for Downtown Sounds are now open! This is such a key part of the year around here and it’s a great opportunity for musicians to be heard by larger crowds. If you think you have what it takes to rock the biggest block party in town — which this summer will take place every Wednesday in July, and the first Wednesday in August — let the Downtown Bellingham Partnership know all about it.
The opening of the Blue Room is drawing closer. A new all-ages venue smack-dab in the middle of downtown Bellingham is something I hope we can all get behind. Their website is now live with tickets on sale for their first few weeks of shows.
Robert Sarazin Blake’s long-running Sunday evening live stream, “From The Kitchen Table,” is featuring some remarkably high-profile guests. It was Jolie Holland last week, and this week it’s Aoife O’Donovan. You can check those shows out as well as previous editions at facebook.com/robertsarazinblake/live.
Open mic is back at the Culture Cafe, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays, hosted by Chuck Dingée. A featured artist does a longer set each week around 8:30 p.m. Singers are encouraged to bring their own mics.
New Releases
John Swanke’s “From the Muddy Banks of the Nooksack” combines open-tuned acoustic guitar instrumentals with field recordings of local nature sounds to create relaxing atmospherics.
Hooves and Beak are a chamber-pop group led by Whitney Flinn (also of Cat Valley). They have a new EP called “Monster” with a gorgeous, unpredictable sound built around the harp and violin.
The Hobby, formerly a solo project, just released their first single with a full band lineup. It’s a sharp bash of pop-punk with layers of vocal harmony and an epic ending.
Swamp Lantern blends doom metal with goth and psychedelic influences to create an ominous atmosphere of creeping dread. Their new album “The Lord Is With Us” has five tracks and only one of them is under eight minutes, so there’s a lot of shifting and building going on within each song.
Live Music Calendar for Feb. 17–23
Thursday, Feb. 17
Mark Hunter Band, 6 p.m., Kulshan Brewing Co.: funky jazz
Cardova, 6 p.m., Twin Sisters: R&B/ soul
Kim Richey, 7 p.m., Walton Theater at MBT: country
Natalie Fedak, 8 p.m., Honey Moon: folk
SubDocta, SFAM, PANDAmonium, 9 p.m., Wild Buffalo: electronic
Triacs, Bennycamps and the Bastards, Laamb, 9 p.m., Shakedown: rock
Friday, Feb. 18
Blake Angelos, 6 p.m., Lighthouse Bar and Grill: jazz
Rick Allyn, 7 p.m., Skylark’s: blues/ rock
Penny Stinkers, 7 p.m. Fireside: classic rock
Cat Positive, 8 p.m., Honey Moon: indie singer-songwriter
Queen Mother, 9 p.m., Wild Buffalo: a tribute to Queen
Filth is Eternal, Vacuum, 9 p.m., Shakedown: metal
Saturday, Feb. 19
Corwin Zekely Duo, 5 p.m., Skylark’s: world/ roots
Adrian Clark, 6 p.m., Lighthouse Bar and Grill: jazz
Prozac Mountain Boys, 8 p.m., Conway Muse: bluegrass
Flor De Toloache, 9 p.m., Wild Buffalo: mariachi
Bluesjazzical Guitar, 7:30 p.m., Honey Moon
Manalac Piano Duo, 7:30 p.m. Jansen Art Center: classical
City of Pines, Lazy Acres, Celestial Navigation, 9 p.m., Shakedown: folk/rock
Sunday, Feb. 20
The Devilies, 5 p.m. Kulshan Brewing Co.: Irish/ folk
Open Mic featuring Hayley DeMarco, 7 p.m., Culture Cafe
California Guitar Trio and Montreal Guitar Trio, 7:30 p.m., Lincoln Theatre: jazz/ classical/ progressive
MadeInTYO, UnoTheActivist, BIGBABYGUCCI, 9 p.m., Wild Buffalo
Monday, Feb. 21
Cardova, 6 p.m., Kulshan Brewing Co.: R&B/ soul
Joshua Radin, 8 p.m., Wild Buffalo
Tuesday, Feb. 22
Briston Maroney, Genevieve Stokes, 9 p.m., Wild Buffalo
Wednesday, Feb. 23
Ted Poor and Cuong Vu Duo, 7 p.m., Sylvia Center: jazz
Open Mic, 8 p.m., Honey Moon
