JESSE’S PICKS
Bellingham Folk Festival
Various venues, Jan. 23–26
The Bellingham Folk Festival is entering a new era this year, with original organizer Cayley Schmid handing over the reins to an ad hoc committee of volunteers. The new open-source format seems to have worked out. Although the event doesn’t have quite as many upper-echelon touring acts, they’ve more than made up for that with a wider range and greater number of local and regional performers. There’s no pass to buy or anything like that, just an incredible variety of shows happening at venues all over town from Thursday, Jan. 23 to Sunday, Jan. 26.
Highlights include: an experimental folk guitar showcase Thursday at the Honey Moon, a square dance at the Orion on Friday, an array of Central and South American folk styles all day Saturday at COF&, a singer-songwriter showcase the same day at Ramble Tamble, and the return of The Wandering Seas on Sunday at Welcome Road Winery. In addition to the concerts, check their website (thebellinghamfolkfestival.com) for details of all the workshops, dances, jam sessions, pub sings and other events.
Brian Kirk Sextet
6:30–8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, FireHouse Arts and Events Center, 1314 Harris Ave.
Brian Kirk is a Seattle-based drummer, percussionist and educator. He’s doing a Jazz Center of Bellingham show at the FireHouse on Wednesday, Jan. 22, with a percussion-heavy sextet. He’ll be playing vibraphone in a tribute to the great Cal Tjader, backed by piano, bass, drums and two percussionists, cooking up a dense rhythmic stew.
10th Annual Bellingham Band Lottery
8:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, Wild Buffalo, 208 W. Holly St.
The Bellingham Band Lottery is a fun tradition that’s been around for a while now. Earlier this month, 30-plus musicians signed up to have their names put in hand, and then those names were pulled out into small groups, which became impromptu bands. They’ve all been working all month to write songs, and on Sunday, Jan. 26, they’ll all be taking the stage at the Wild Buffalo to show off what they’ve come up with. It sounds like quite a few heavy hitters in the local scene are taking part this year. Even better, all the proceeds from the night benefit Make.Shift!
LIVE MUSIC LISTINGS
🎻Part of the Bellingham Folk Festival
Friday, Jan. 17
- Aslan Depot: 8 p.m., Low Lonesome Sound
- Conway Muse: 8 p.m., Jammin After Noon
- Guemes Island General Store: 5:30 p.m., Chad Henry & The Setbacks duo
- Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Lucy London, Buddy Mac
- Make.Shift: 8 p.m., The Floral Shirts, Malaise, Bastard Tag (rock)
- Mount Baker Theatre: 7:30 p.m., The Rumba Kings (Mediterranean instrumental pop/jazz)
- Odd Fellows at the Orion: 8 p.m., Pine and Shake (blues/jazz/ragtime)
- Ramble Tamble: 8 p.m., Sweetheart of the Rodeo (classic country)
- Skagit Casino: 8 p.m., Danny Seraphine and the Chicago Experience (Chicago tribute)
- Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Neighborhood Songwriters Showcase ft. Brandon Myers, Shannon Patiño, Sophia Shoshana, RJ Rex
- Sugar & Co.: 7 p.m., BJ Block Duo
Saturday, Jan. 18
- Conway Muse: 8 p.m., Petunia & The Vipers
- Farmstrong Brewing Co.: 6 p.m., Songwriters Showcase ft. Savanna Woods, Benny Sidelinger, Sommer Carter, Stewart Woods, Dr. Sweets, Nick Clack
- Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Steeplechase (Celtic)
- Make.Shift: 8 p.m., Mom Sport, Sere, Slowfall
- Odd Fellows at the Orion: 8 p.m., Julian MacDonough’s Message Received (jazz tribute to Art Blakey)
- Ramble Tamble: 8 p.m., Toadmortons, Vibacious (rock)
- Rockfish: 7:30 p.m., John Stephan Band
- The Shakedown: 9 p.m., Ideism, Slap Serif, Ca$h McClane (hip hop)
- Skagit Casino: 8 p.m., Danny Seraphine and the Chicago Experience (Chicago tribute)
- Skylark’s: 8 p.m., The Penny Stinkers
- Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Racyne Parker
- Sugar & Co.: 7 p.m., Wild Applause
- That’s What I Like! Island Grill: 6 p.m., Michael Dayvid
Sunday, Jan. 19
- Boundary Bay Brewery: 6 p.m., Jazz Jam ft. Scot Ranney and Friends
- Conway Muse: 3 p.m., Duffy Bishop Band
- Old Edison: 5:30 p.m., The Bow Diddlers
- Ramble Tamble: 7 p.m., Open Mic
- The Shakedown: 8 p.m., Orator, Progenitor, With Abandon (death metal)
Monday, Jan. 20
- Bella Ciao: 7 p.m., Open Mic
- Corner Taphouse: 6 p.m, Open Mic
Tuesday, Jan. 21
- The Admiralty Lounge: 7 p.m., Emily Freudenberger (folk)
- Aslan Depot: 8 p.m., Jazz Night
- Menace: 7 p.m., Invitational Blues Jam
- ‘Ono Kitchen and Bar: 7 p.m., Open Mic ft. Veronica West
- The Shakedown: 8 p.m., Damien Jurado & Gathered In Song, Byland
- Zeeks Pizza: 6 p.m., The Other Thing (jazz)
Wednesday, Jan. 22
- FireHouse Arts and Events Center: 6:30 p.m., Brian Kirk Sextet (jazz)
- Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Open Mic
- Rockfish: 6 p.m., Fidalgo Swing (jazz)
- Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Lucy London (folk)
Thursday, Jan. 23
- 🎻Blue Room: 6 p.m., Garden Street Boys, Emily Freudenberger
- Brown Lantern: 8:30 p.m., Open Mic
- Farmstrong: 6 p.m., Joshua Red Uttech (acoustic covers)
- Fire and Story Festival, Song Stage: 6 p.m., Ledford, McLaughlin & Co., 7 p.m., Robert Sarazin Blake, 8 p.m., The Librarians
- 🎻Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Elise Poirier, John Swanke, Sean Curtis Patrick
- 🎻Ramble Tamble: 7 p.m., Quickdraw String Band (folk)
- The Shakedown: 8 p.m, Cinder Well, Drowse (country/folk)
- Sugar & Co.: 7 p.m., Saltwater Cowboys
- Thirsty Badger: 7 p.m., Open Mic
- That’s What I Like: 6 p.m, JP Falcon and Friends (folk/rock)
- Wild Buffalo: 8 p.m., Shook Twins, Glitterfox
- Zeeks Pizza: 7 p.m., Michael Dayvid
Friday , Jan. 24
- Aslan Depot: 8 p.m., Anna Smyrk (folk)
- Bar Two Eleven: 9 p.m., Little Big Band, The Groove Tones (classic rock)
- Beach at Birch Bay: 6 p.m., Billy Appleton & Richard Williams
- 🎻Blue Room: 6 p.m., Old Growth Graveyard, Bronwyn McKasson (folk)
- 🎻Boundary Bay Brewery: 4 p.m., The Dream Goats (folk)
- Corner Taphouse: 7 p.m., Shady Groove
- Fire and Story Festival, Song Stage: 6 p.m., Earth Practice, 7 p.m., Jet Black Pearl, 8 p.m., Devo The Third
- 🎻Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., Doug Allen with Jan Peters (folk)
- Main Street: 8 p.m., Dial-Up (alt rock covers), Urban Cowboy & D-Nice (country/rock covers)
- Mount Baker Theatre: 7:30 p.m., Gregory Alan Isakov (sold out)
- Odd Fellows at the Orion: 8 p.m., Square Dance with Dear Crow
- 🎻Ramble Tamble: 7 p.m., Kian Dye and Friends, 9 p.m., Mount Baker String Band (bluegrass)
- Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Cardova
- 🎻The Shakedown: 9 p.m., Sweater Weather String Band, Lucy London (folk)
- Sugar & Co.: 7 p.m., Margaret Wilder
- 🎻Welcome Road: 7 p.m., The Living Arrows
Saturday, Jan. 25
- Bar Two Eleven: 9 p.m., Shannanagins (classic rock)
- Beach at Birch Bay: 4 p.m., The Preacher & The Freight Train
- Birdsview Brewing: 6 p.m., Jack Parker
- Conway Muse: 8 p.m., Steve Ailment and Annie O’Neill, American Flats
- 🎻Cof&: 11:30 a.m., Primo Lara w/ Jan Peters and Steve Jones (Mexican folk), 1 p.m., Shannon Patiño, 4:45 p.m., Marco de Carvalho, 8:30 p.m., Yambambo
- Fire and Story Festival, Song Stage: 6 p.m., Gentri Watson, 7 p.m., Three for Silver, 8 p.m., Energy Pyramid
- 🎻Honey Moon: 5:30 p.m., Mira, Elise and Patrick (Scandinavian folk) 8 p.m., Steeplechase
- Larrabee Lager: 5 p.m., S.O.L.2
- Lincoln Theatre: 8 p.m., The Accused AD, Potbelly, Stagnant Water, Entrails (punk)
- Odd Fellows at the Orion: 8 p.m., House Kat (jazz)
- Old Edison: 8 p.m., Nurhachi (rock)
- 🎻Ramble Tamble: 1 p.m., Ted O’Connell, 2 p.m., Misty Flowers, 3 p.m., Matney Cook, 4 p.m., Sarah Goodin, 5 p.m., Steve Webb, 7 p.m., Ledford, McLaughlin, and Company, 8 p.m., Dear Crow, 9 p.m., Box Set
- Rockfish: 7:30 p.m., Randy Weeks & The Silent Treatment
- Skylark’s: 8 p.m., The D’vas
- Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Alger Rhythms
- The Shakedown: 9 p.m., Chad Henry & The Setbacks, guests (roots rock)
- Sugar & Co.: 7 p.m., Anissa Capriani
- 🎻That’s What I Like! Island Grill: 6 p.m., Andy “Badd Dogg” Koch (blues)
- 🎻Welcome Road: 11:30 a.m., Sean Connors & Sam Vogt
Sunday, Jan. 26
- 🎻Blue Room: 10:30 a.m., Beverly Hoback, 2 p.m., Serafima & The Shakedowns, Schmid & Guest, Ivy Ficarra (folk)
- Kulshan: 5 p.m., Pinto Pals (country)
- FireHouse Arts and Events Center: 4 p.m., KJS Trio (jazz)
- Mount Baker Theatre: 3 p.m., Bellingham Symphony Orchestra
- Old Edison: 5:30 p.m., Ron Bailey & The Tangents
- Ramble Tamble: 7 p.m., Open Mic
- Shakedown: 8 p.m., Yell Echo, Blablotz, Camp Meeting (experimental/ambient/electronic)
- 🎻Welcome Road: 12:30 p.m., The Wandering Seas, 3 p.m., Devin Champlin, Tom Bourne, Steve Itterly, 6 p.m., Primo Lara w/ Jan Peters and Steve Jones
- Wild Buffalo: 8 p.m., Bellingham Band Lottery
Jesse Stanton's music column, The Beat Goes On, appears weekly. Reach him at jsbhammusic@gmail.com; @JSBhamMusic. Check with individual venues to make sure events are still taking place as scheduled. Live music events in Whatcom County: http://www.cascadiadaily.com/category/living/arts-and-entertainment/music/music-calendar