This week we are looking back in history with an exhibit at the Whatcom Museum, and looking forward to a big new festival that represents an exciting step forward for our music scene! And, of course, all kinds of great music is going on right now.
News
The big music news is that Bellingham City Council voted to select a proposal and approve funds for a new music festival. Called Bellingham Exit, it will take place downtown next spring and have “national and international” headliners. The organizers include some fixtures of the local music business, and they appear to have high ambitions for the event. They cite Boise’s Treefort Festival as an example of what it might aspire to become.
The Whatcom Museum has a new exhibit opening this week called “The Scene: A Journey Through Bellingham’s Musical Past.” It will include photos, old concert posters, instruments and other items from the museum’s collection.
If you believe it’s not really summer until you are playing dominoes and listening to reggae 45s, I have some good news for you. Reggae Tuesdays with DJ Yogoman will be back at Boundary Bay Brewery in June.
Pace Rubadeau is putting together a bus trip to Seattle for his birthday, June 26, with live music on the bus provided by Devin Champlin, Andy Rick, and The Best Intentions. Get tickets at brownpapertickets.com (search “Pace pin”).
Picks
Portland-based singer-songwriter Haley Heynderickx brings her hauntingly beautiful songs to the Walton Theatre at Mount Baker Theatre Thursday, May 19 as part of the venue’s Lookout Sessions series.
On Friday, May 20, Instant Crush headlines a cool lineup at The Blue Room, and Whalien kick it with danceable extended jams in the Boundary Bay beer garden.
Beer Prom is a fundraiser for Lydia Place, featuring dance music by GrooveBot and specially-brewed beers Saturday, May 21 at the Hotel Leo. Also that night, Baauer (of “Harlem Shake”
fame) does EDM at the Wild Buffalo, and a Battle of the Bands happens at the Jansen Art Center.
Peter Ali is a fixture in the crowd at shows all over town and occasionally graces us with a performance of his beautiful flute playing. He has a rare full-length show Monday, May 23 at Kulshan.
Live music calendar
Wednesday, May 18
Boundary: 6 p.m., Aaron Guest on piano
Blue Room: 8 p.m., WWU Percussion Ensemble, Saxophone Ensemble, Bassoon Ensemble
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Open Mic
Rockfish: 6 p.m., The Colonel (flamenco)
Thirsty Badger: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Thursday, May 19
Blue Room: 6 p.m., Open Mic
Boundary: 3 p.m., Robert Sarazin Blake, 8 p.m., The Artful Dodgers, The Best Intentions
Firehouse: 7 p.m., Julian MacDonough’s Legacy Jazz Series
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Doug Allen
Jansen Arts Center: 7:30 p.m., Front Street Jazz
Kulshan Trackside: 6 p.m., Radio Ranch (Americana)
Mount Baker Theatre: 7 p.m., Haley Heynderickx (singer-songwriter)
Twin Sisters: 6 p.m., Diego Romero Band (funk/blues)
That’s What I Like: 6 p.m, J.P. Falcon and Friends (folk/rock)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Chromeo (DJ set)
WWU PAC: 7:30 p.m., WWU Wind Symphony
Friday, May 20
Aslan: 8 p.m., Terror/Cactus
Big Rock Woolley Market: 7 p.m., Chill Deville (classic rock)
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Pretty Much Nothing
Blue Room: 9 p.m., Instant Crush. i///u, Mr. Dinkles (rock)
Boundary: 6 p.m., Whalien
Culture Cafe: 6 p.m., Chuck Dingee (acoustic covers)
Firehouse: 6:30 p.m., Pacific Twang (country)
Fireside: 7 p.m., Bob Paltrow
Goods: 6 p.m., Odd Mood Jam Band
Greene’s Corner: 6:30 p.m., Michael Dayvid (acoustic covers)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Gallowglass, Calaskan (Celtic/folk)
Lighthouse: 7:30 p.m., Adrian Clark (jazz)
Shakedown: 9 p.m., Warren Dunes, Tomo Nakayama, Miles Harris
Skylark’s: 5 p.m., Badd Dog Blues Society
That’s What I Like: 6 p.m., J.P. Falcon, Leo Bootes, Andy Koch (blues)
Thirsty Badger: 8 p.m., Dan Gnabbit (classic rock)
Twin Sisters: 6 p.m., Aardvarticus Zeus (rock)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Free Funk Friday
Saturday, May 21
Beach at Birch Bay: 4 p.m., TBA
Big Rock Woolley Market: 7 p.m., Zach Michaud, Jack Mattingly
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Sandy Rowe
Blue Room: 8 p.m., Stillvettas, Devin Luna, WVNDR
Brown Lantern: 9 p.m., Cozmic Sauce (R&B)
Conway Muse: 8 p.m., Pacific Twang (country)
Fireside: 3:30 p.m., Singers’ Saturday
Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., Deep River Blues
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., The McHughs
Hotel Leo: 6 p.m., Beer Prom ft. GrooveBot
Jansen Arts Center: 7:30 p.m. Battle of the Bands
Lighthouse: 7:30 p.m., Michael Dayvid (acoustic covers)
Littlefield Celtic Center: 7 p.m., The Faux Paws
Main Street: 8 p.m., Little Big Band (classic/Southern rock)
Make.Shift: 5 p.m., The Phonebooks, Plastic Safari, ESO (rock)
Rockfish: 7:30 p.m., Joe T. Cook Blues Band
Shakedown: 9 p.m., Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel, Strange Cities
Skylark’s: 5 p.m., J.P. Falcon Grady (blues/folk/rock)
Thirsty Badger: 8 p.m., The Young Kidz (folk)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Baauer, Pacifix, R-Squared (electronic)
Sunday, May 22
Culture Cafe: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Firehouse: 4 p.m., Chick Corea tribute ft. Duende Libre, Jeffrey Gilliam (jazz)
Harriet Spanel Park: noon, Harbor Day, Rae du Soleil, Lily Potter, and Lucy Blue, more
Kulshan: 5 p.m., The Dream Goats (folk)
Old Edison: 5:30 p.m., The Bow Diddlers (country/rock)
Skylark’s: 1 p.m., Cheryl Hodge and Jan Peters (jazz/blues)
Monday, May 23
Firehouse: 3:30 p.m., Lorraine Earle
Kulshan: 6 p.m., Peter Ali (Native American flute)
Tuesday, May 24
Aslan: 8 p.m., Jazz Night
Beach at Birch Bay: 6:30 p.m., Open Mic
Boundary: 6 p.m., Paul Klein on piano
Farmstrong: 6:30 p.m., Chris Eger Band (blues/ rock)
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.
