Lots of fun news for you this week including some intriguing videos, another summer series announcement and an unusual new album. Exciting live music choices abound in all sorts of styles, so get out there and check something out!
News
I’m a big fan of the idea of residencies and ongoing gigs, and we’ve got two cool new ones starting up. Gallowglass will be playing every Friday in May at the Honey Moon, and the BJ Block Trio will be at Aslan on the first Friday of every month.
If you want to start dreaming about sunny summer evenings dancing by the water, the lineup for Hotel Bellwether’s popular Blues, Brews and BBQ series has been announced.
Separatr are leaving town to chase their dreams and hit the road full time. Before they go they’re leaving us a short movie they made including brand-new live performances.
While you’re checking out videos, the new MAKESHIFTV episode is out, featuring Echo Sector! Make.Shift is also hosting its first concert of the year, an outdoor multi-genre affair on Saturday, May 7.
Multi-instrumental wizard Casey Connor, known for his work with Wandering Seas and Rattletrap Ruckus, has a new album out. “Reliquary” is packed with his unique genre-bending instrumentals, with a couple vocal numbers scattered in the mix.
The Bellingham Bells are going to have live music before Friday home games this summer. If your band wants to entertain some baseball fans, apply in advance.
The Lip Sync Battle is back! Every Friday in May, head to the Wild Buffalo to show off your moves and maybe win some cash.
Picks
Pi’erre Bourne has worked as a producer with some of the top names in hip hop and now he’s making a name for himself as a rapper as well. He’ll be at the Wild Buffalo on Wednesday, May 4.
Also on Wednesday, Pike vs. The Automaton comes to the Shakedown. This is a partially acoustic side project for Matthew Pike of High on Fire.
Synergy Trio will bring a wide-ranging instrumental sound to the Trackside stage on Thursday, May 5. Moon Hooch put out an incredible amount of sound for two saxophonists and a drummer. For an entirely acoustic group, they take a surprising amount of influence from contemporary electronic music. They’re at the Buffalo on Thursday.
The Rhetorician celebrates the release of his fantastic new album with an all-ages show at Black Noise records on Friday, May 6. At the Lincoln Theatre, you can check out a showcase for the MVHS Mariachi program.
The Halluci Nation (formerly known as A Tribe Called Red) will mix electronic beats with traditional Indigenous rhythms, melodies and dances at the Buffalo on Saturday, May 7.
The Halluci Nation (formerly known as A Tribe Called Red) will mix electronic beats with traditional Indigenous rhythms, melodies, and dances at the Wild Buffalo on Saturday, May 7. (Photo by Remi Theriault Creative Inc.)
Live music calendar
Wednesday, May 4
Boundary: 6 p.m., Aaron Guest on piano
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Open Mic
Rockfish: 6 p.m., Conrad Gruener (country/ rock)
Shakedown: 8 p.m., Pike vs. The Automaton, Old Iron, Melancholia (metal)
Thirsty Badger: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Underground Coffeehouse: 7 p.m., Stillvettas, DRAYTON (rock)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Pi’erre Bourne, Digital Ghost (hip-hop)
Thursday, May 5
Blue Room: 6 p.m., Open Mic
Boundary: 8 p.m., Tall Poppy Stringband, Virginia Rail (bluegrass/ folk)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Jazz Jam
Kulshan Trackside: 6 p.m., Synergy Trio (instrumental rock)
Menace: 6:30 p.m., Alger Rhythms (rock covers)
Twin Sisters: 6 p.m., Tea Seas Trio (funk/ jazz/ surf)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Moon Hooch, Willdabeast, Nagini
Friday, May 6
Aslan: 8 p.m., BJ Block Trio (jazz/ funk)
Beach at Birch Bay: 6 p.m., Leo Boots Trio (blues/ rock)
Black Noise: 6 p.m., Rhetorician & Slap Serif, CHVRNS, Ca$h Mclane (hip hop)
Blue Room: 8 p.m., Aardvarticus Zeus, Orange Comfort Band, Vendovi (rock)
Big Rock Woolley Market: 7 p.m., The Enthusiasts (rock and roll)
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Chill DeVille (classic rock)
Boundary: 6 p.m., Foxy Apollo, Forest Ray (R&B/ rock)
Brown Lantern: 9 p.m., Min Far
Eagle Haven: 7 p.m., Olson Brothers Band (country/ rock)
Fireside: 7 p.m., The Divas (classic pop)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Gallowglass (Celtic folk)
Kulshan: 6 p.m., Starboard Moon (folk/ blues)
Lincoln Theatre: 7 p.m., MVHS Mariachi and Folklorico
Paws for A Beer: 6 p.m., The Dream Goats (folk)
Shakedown: 9 p.m., Tuesday’s Refuge, Mattlock and the Keys, Sunflower
Skylark’s: 7 p.m., East Coast Dave and the Midwest Swingers (acoustic Americana)
Stone’s Throw: 6 p.m., High Mountain String Band (bluegrass)
Uisce: 7 p.m., Nuages (gypsy jazz)
Wink Wink: 7 p.m., No-Fi Soul Rebellion, Sprig (rock)
Vault: 7 p.m., Song Wranglers (acoustic Americana)
Saturday, May 7
Beach at Birch Bay: 4 p.m., Arcade Cowboys
Blue Room: 9 p.m., Dank Zavala, Ray-D-Ology, more (hip hop)
Big Rock Woolley Market: 7 p.m., Raveis Kole (folk/ blues)
Boundary: 1 p.m., CraigO’s Planet Groove (psychedelic rock)
Chair 9: 8 p.m., Trabin (jammy rock)
Fireside: 3:30 p.m., Singers’ Saturday
Lighthouse: 7:30 p.m., TBA
Make.Shift: 5:30 p.m., The Sheen, Glitchlette, Anna Arvan, Soft Teeth
Main Street: 8 p.m., 4TENS (classic rock)
Rockfish: 7:30 p.m., The Atlantics (classic rock and roll)
Shakedown: 9 p.m., Careen, Ceras, Spurr (rock)
Skylark’s: 7 p.m., Jed Crisologo (Americana/ soul)
Squalicum Harbor: 1 p.m., Chill DeVille (classic rock)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., The Halluci Nation, Creeasian, Big Rez (electronic)
Sunday, May 8
Culture Cafe: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Kulshan: 5 p.m., The Harris Twins
Old Edison: 5:30 p.m., The Davanos (classic rock)
Monday, May 9
Boundary: 6 p.m., Miles Harris and Ebony Justine
Firehouse: 3:30 p.m., Marvin Johnson
Kulshan: 6 p.m., Rebekah Hood (cello with looping)
Tuesday, May 10
Aslan: 8 p.m., Jazz Night
Beach at Birch Bay: 6:30 p.m., Open Mic
Boundary: 6 p.m., Paul Klein on piano
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
A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to the date of The Atlantics concert at the Rockfish Grill as Friday, May 6. The event takes place Saturday, May 7. The story was updated to reflect this change on May 5, 2022 at 5:06 p.m. The Cascadia Daily News regrets the error.
