Jordan Rain, aka Yogoman, has been a fixture of the Bellingham scene for something like 20 years now.
Despite packing up and moving with his family to Texas in 2017, you can still count on the Yogoman Burning Band (YBB) returning to the Pacific Northwest every summer with one overriding purpose: to get people up and dancing to their singular hybrid of Jamaican and New Orleans music. The latest version of YBB will be taking the stage at Downtown Sounds on Wednesday, July 20.
Those who’ve seen the Burning Band in the past will know members come and go, with Rain as the main fixture. A lot of great Bellingham musicians have worn the red and yellow at some point.
You may be surprised to hear the new version doesn’t include horns at all. It’s a stripped-down guitar/bass/drum percussion lineup with Rain’s wife, Jacqueline Rae, on bongos and their 8-year-old son, Buck Rain, adding harmonica, melodica and xylophone.
The sound leans more toward dub reggae, with more space, some longer instrumentals and prominent use of effects such as echo and delay. If you miss Yogoman and crew at Downtown Sounds, you have a couple other chances to catch them this summer, including Aug. 12 at the Wild Buffalo supporting the great Tuareg guitarist Bombino, and Aug. 19 at the Guemes Island General Store.
Looking forward, YBB is hoping to get some recording done soon and maybe shoot a new video (local videographers are encouraged to get in touch).
As they’ve been traveling around, Jordan Rain said he’s noticed some wide ranges in crowd attitudes since the pandemic. Some cities have picked right back up where they left off, he said, while others seem almost to have forgotten how to dance. Here’s hoping Bellingham will prove to be the former!
In other news, Checker Bloom dropped its first official single, “Page Me,” a paean to nostalgic technologies. Bird Senses Danger also have a new song out, a sweetly fractured pop confection called “Something Tasty.” Old Town Scouts will be celebrating the release of its new album “The Story So Far” at their show at the Shakedown on July 22. All of these should be available on all major streaming platforms.
Make.Shift has announced it is stepping back up with regular live music and other events. Its plan is to host four to six events per month. Email venue@makeshiftartspace.org with your show ideas.
The Blue Room has received a license to sell wine and beer. The venue will continue to be all-ages, with alcohol sales limited to a designated section. Hopefully, that contributes to the long-term financial viability of this vital venue.
Live Music Listings
Wednesday, July 20
Bar Cicotti: 6 p.m., Duncan Lang and Eirik Haugbro (jazz)
Big Stick BBQ: 5 p.m., Michael Dayvid (acoustic covers)
Blue Room: 9:30 p.m., Aardvarticus Zeus, Dry Martini (jazz)
Boundary: 6 p.m., Aaron Guest on piano
Downtown Sounds: 6 p.m., Outer Orbit, Yogoman Burning Band
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Open Mic
Juxt: 8:30 p.m., Invitational Open Mic
Rockfish: 6 p.m., Kalyna Rakel
Seafarers’ Memorial Park (Anacortes): SeaNotes Big Band
Shakedown: 8 p.m., Tylor and the Train Robbers, North Country Highway, guests
Thursday, July 21
Barkley Market: noon, Giant’s Causeway (Celtic)
Blue Room: 6 p.m., Open Mic
Boundary: 5 p.m., Glenville (Celtic), 8 p.m., Taarka, Virginia Rail (bluegrass)
Elizabeth Park: 6 p.m., The Unknowns
Honeymoon: 8 p.m., Marie (The Band) (folk)
Hotel Bellwether: 6 p.m., SpaceBand (R&B/hip-hop)
Kulshan Trackside: 7 p.m., Lazy Acres, Fossil Fire (rock)
Lincoln Theatre: 7:30 p.m., Asleep at the Wheel (Western swing)
Mount Vernon Riverwalk: 6 p.m., Chris Eger Band (blues/rock)
Shakedown: 8 p.m., Ceras, Anxiety Cat, Cat Positive (rock)
Thirsty Badger: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Twin Sisters: 6 p.m., Michael Dayvid
That’s What I Like: 6 p.m., J.P. Falcon and Friends (folk/rock)
Friday, July 22
Aslan: 8 p.m., Aardvarticus Zeus (jazz)
Beach at Birch Bay: 6 p.m., The 3 Radicals (classic rock)
Beach Store Cafe: 6 p.m., Groove Doctors (classic rock)
Bellewood Acres: Mark Wagner
Blue Room: 9 p.m., Where’s the Exit?, Meghan Hayes, Glitchette, Emma Ecstasy
Big Rock Woolley Market: 7 p.m., Odd Mood Jam Band
Boundary: 6 p.m., Cascadia Groove (jazz/funk/R&B)
Fireside: 7 p.m., Carr Parker
Greene’s Corner: 6:30 p.m., Hambone Wilson Band (blues)
Guemes Island General Store: 6 p.m., Aloha Danny (folk/rock)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Sarah Goodin (singer-songwriter)
Lighthouse: 7:30 p.m., TBA (jazz/lounge)
Menace: 6 p.m., Heroes (rock)
Pioneer Park (Ferndale): 6 p.m., Baby Cakes (pop/R&B)
Seafarers’ Memorial Park (Anacortes): Cherry Cherry (Neil Diamond tribute)
Semiahmoo: 6 p.m., The Moving Hats (Irish/folk)
Shakedown: 9 p.m., Old Town Scouts, Vendovi, Vance Latta
Skylark’s: 5 p.m., TBA
That’s What I Like: 7 p.m., Paige Woods
Thirsty Badger: 8 p.m., Conrad Gruener (acoustic country)
Vault: 7 p.m., Song Wranglers (acoustic Americana)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Free Funk Friday
Saturday, July 23
Beach at Birch Bay: 4 p.m., North Star
Blue Room: 9 p.m., Pure Halcyon, Magenta Wave, Not You (rock)
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Sarah Burton
Boundary: 1 p.m., TBA
Brown Lantern: 9 p.m., Lion of Judah Band (reggae)
Conway Muse: 8:30 p.m., Mojo Cannon and the 13th St. Horns (R&B)
Fireside: 3:30 p.m., Singers’ Saturday
Greene’s Corner: 6:30 p.m., Michael Dayvid (acoustic covers)
Heart of Anacortes: 6 p.m., Savage Blues Band
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Tad Kroenig
Kulshan Trackside: 2:30 p.m., Baby Cakes
Lighthouse: 7:30 p.m., TBA (jazz/lounge)
Make.Shift: 5 p.m., The Hookups, Bullets or Balloons, Duos, Drayton (rock)
Mount Baker Theatre: 7:30 p.m., Django Festival All Stars (gypsy jazz)
Rockfish: 7:30 p.m., Big Dog Revue (R&B/funk/rock)
Semiahmoo: 6 p.m., Raveis Kole (folk)
Shakedown: 9 p.m., Redshift, Basement Tuesdays, Muppet Fetish (punk)
Skylark’s: 5 p.m., CraigO’s Planet Groove (psychedelic rock)
Station 49: 5 p.m., Lost at Last (classic rock)
Thirsty Badger: 8 p.m., Jeff Pelus (acoustic covers)
Sunday, July 24
Beach at Birch Bay: 1 p.m., Shananigans (classic rock)
Culture Cafe: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Gilkey Square (La Conner): 1 p.m., Cascadia Groove
Kulshan Trackside: 3 p.m., Broken Bow Stringband (folk)
Kulshan Sunnyland: 5 p.m., The Devilies (Irish/folk)
Old Edison: 5:30 p.m., Ron Bailey and the Tangents
Sedro-Woolley Summer Concerts: 6 p.m., Lemon Creek (female-centric rock covers)
Semiahmoo: 4 p.m., Jordyn Johnson
Skylark’s: 1 p.m., Jed Crisologo (singer-songwriter)
Station 49: 2 p.m., Michael Dayvid
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Daikaiju, Monstress (rock)
Monday, July 25
Boundary: 6 p.m., Kalyna Rakel
Tuesday, July 26
Aslan: 8 p.m., Jazz Night
Beach at Birch Bay: 6:30 p.m., Open Mic
Boundary: 3 p.m., Out of the Ashes; 6 p.m., Paul Klein on piano (in the taproom); 6 p.m., Jimmy Lindquist’s Big Band
Farmstrong: 6:30 p.m., Leo Bootes (blues)
Before heading out to listen to live music, check with individual venues to make sure the event is still taking place as scheduled.
Jesse Stanton’s music column, The Beat Goes On, runs Wednesdays. Email: jsbhammusic@gmail.com or Twitter: @JSBhamMusic.
