JESSE’S PICKS
The Motet
8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, Wild Buffalo, 208 W. Holly St.
The Motet are a funk sextet out of Denver (definitely not to be confused with the medieval vocal form). They’ll be at the Wild Buffalo on Thursday, Jan. 30, featuring soulful lead vocals and a wide array of vintage keyboard sounds. They tour a lot and are reliable party starters.
Devin Champlin + Hannah Wyatt + Jeff Mack
8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce St., Conway
For something a little calmer, the Conway Muse plays host to a great singer-songwriter triple bill that same night. Devin Champlin is well known for fronting the Sons of Rainier. Hannah Wyatt just released her album “Sunday Cowboy” at the end of last year, and produced the new album by the third performer, Jeff Mack. That new album is called “Alder & Wire,” and it’s a beautiful showcase of his carefully crafted folk songs with bits of blues and country, and sweet melodies balanced with just the right hint of gruffness. Her production adds a lot, and I’m assuming they’ll collaborate on stage at this show.
Ragefest
7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, The Blue Room, 202 E. Holly St. Unit 301
Western’s fashion magazine, The Rage, continues to host occasional live music events at the Blue Room with fantastic multi-genre lineups. The latest installment is Friday, Jan. 31 and features the truly unique pop/rock/rap fusion of Seattle’s TeZATalks and Actress’ twisty original rock. You can also expect DJs, fashion vendors and a generally wild scene.
Rock the Island
7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, Buxton’s, 1904 Commercial Ave., Anacortes
Rock The Island is an annual battle of the bands put on by the Anacortes Music Project, featuring a bunch of high school bands from the area. This year’s edition is on Friday, Jan. 31 at Buxton’s. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: We need one of these in Bellingham, too. Why are there so few high school bands active up here?
LIVE MUSIC LISTINGS
🎻Part of the Bellingham Folk Festival
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: 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
- The Vault: 7 p.m., Trio Sueño
- 🎻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
- Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., Wild Hearts
- 🎻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, Heels to the Hardwood, 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
- The 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
Monday, Jan. 27
- Bella Ciao: 7 p.m., open mic
- Corner Taphouse: 6 p.m., open mic
- FireHouse Arts and Events Center: 3:30 p.m., Simon Llewelyn Evans (folk)
Tuesday, Jan. 28
- The Admiralty Lounge: 7 p.m., Chandra Lyles (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. Phil Paige
- Zeeks Pizza: 6 p.m., The Other Thing (jazz)
Wednesday, Jan. 29
- Honey Moon: 8 p.m., open mic
- Rockfish: 6 p.m., Pension King and the Dependents
- Ramble Tamble: 7 p.m., Wild Geese of the West (Grateful Dead tribute)
- Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Saltwater Cowboys
Thursday, Jan. 30
- Blue Room: 7 p.m., Island Gigantism, Duos, Toler (rock)
- Brown Lantern: 8:30 p.m., open mic
- Conway Muse: 8 p.m., Devin Champlin, Hannah Wyatt, Jeff Mack (folk)
- Farmstrong Brewing Co.: 6 p.m., Haley Suiter
- Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Bluegrass Jam
- New Prospect Theatre: 7 p.m., Tracy Spring and Friends
- Shakedown: 9 p.m., Cold Sludge, Serious Talk, Cat Positive
- Sugar & Co.: 7 p.m., Saltwater Cowboys
- Thirsty Badger: 7 p.m., open mic
- That’s What I Like! Island Grill: 6 p.m., JP Falcon and Friends (folk/rock)
- Wild Buffalo: 8:30 p.m., The Motet
- Zeeks Pizza: 7 p.m., Zoo Patrol
Friday, Jan. 31
- Aslan Depot: 8 p.m. Aperatonic Trio (jazz/experimental)
- Beach at Birch Bay: 6 p.m., Vic Smith
- The Blue Room: 7 p.m., TEZATalks, Actress, DJ Tekhia
- Buxton’s: 7 p.m., Rock The Island (Battle of the Bands featuring 6 Anacortes-area high school bands)
- Corner Taphouse: 7 p.m., Saltwater Cowboys
- Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Lance Laconic, Hannah Wyatt
- Lincoln Theatre: 7:30 p.m., Epic Queen (Queen tribute)
- Make.Shift: 8 p.m., Roman Lee, Kam Lynn, Dreamcatchers
- Odd Fellows at the Orion: 8 p.m., Oracle Orchestra (live film score)
- Ramble Tamble: 8 p.m., Glitchlette, Sere, Fog Bodies
- Old Edison: 7:30 p.m., Wes Jones
- Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Tea Seas Trio
- Shakedown: 9 p.m., Elephant Stone, The Asteroid #4
- Sugar & Co.: 7 p.m., Ron Hardt & Jimmy Wright
- The Vault: 7 p.m., Earl on Earth
Saturday, Feb. 1
- Bar Two Eleven: 9 p.m., Hair Nation (hard rock covers)
- Birdsview Brewing: 6 p.m., Hailey Suiter
- Blue Room: 7 p.m., Waltzerr, Frog Rocket, Slowfall
- Conway Muse: 8 p.m., Joel Astley Band (blues)
- Graham’s: 8 p.m., Hopnotic (funk/jazz)
- Honey Moon: 8 p.m., TBA
- Larrabee Lager: 5 p.m., Tenderpile’s Smile Aisle (jazz)
- Odd Fellows at the Orion: 8 p.m., TBA (jazz)
- Old Edison: 8 p.m., The Problem (jazz/funk/pop)
- Ramble Tamble: 8 p.m., Stringlights, Arcana, Mom Sport (rock)
- Rockfish: 7:30 p.m., TBA
- The Shakedown: 9 p.m., Atomic Blondie, We Bite, Green Daze (tributes to Blondie, The Misfits, Green Day)
- Skagit Cellars: 6 p.m., Jan Peters
- Skylark’s: 8 p.m., Dry Martini (jazz)
- Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Carr/Parker Duo
Sunday, Feb. 2
- Kulshan: 5 p.m., TBA
- Old Edison: 5:30 p.m., The Davanos
- Sugar & Co: 7 p.m., Monk Slippers (jazz)
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