In our local scene for improvised and experimental music, Ruth Davidson and Steven Arbuckle are a consistent force bringing musicians and listeners together for unique, never-to-be-repeated experiences. As musicians, curators and hosts, they have created a production project called Method, which specializes in bringing together lineups of talented improvisers to see what happens.
When the weather is good, they host an ongoing monthly series in their backyard called Noise Revival, which combines performances by featured artists with open improvisations by anyone in attendance (plus a potluck). This winter, they’ve been invited to move that series inside at Make.Shift Art Space for a monthly event they are calling Hibernium.
The next edition is Friday, Feb. 17, and will feature Marie Songer & The Problem Child, Hovering Dark, and Sasha Petrenko as featured performers. Once they are done, audience members will be invited to take part in some collective improvisations, so feel free to bring an (un-amplified) instrument along.
In addition to their work with Method, Davidson and Arbuckle play in a bunch of different musical groups, including the experimental rock group Worldwide Levitation, and the improv group Rendition. Davidson also plays cello in the Seattle-based “genre-bending sextet” Moraine, which they are hoping to bring to Bellingham this spring.
If you’re interested in checking out some more adventurous sounds, follow Method @askhowitsdone on Instagram, or just come out to the show.
Once again this week, we’ve got a ton of new local recordings to talk about. Fans of elegant but gritty folk should check out “Little Prayer” by Simon Evans, from the album “Something Real,” which is coming out at the end of the month.
Phantom Headlights’ new EP “Red 1” and Girls Know’s new single “Desire” are both quality blasts of catchy alternative rock with some classic goth influences. For electronic pop, Lonely Together have a new single, “The Otherside,” with a super-cool video filmed at the fairgrounds in Lynden. Finally, on the hip-hop tip, the new full-length by Estimate and OG Neeks is out now.
The New Prospect Theatre is starting up an open mic. It will be the first and third Wednesdays of each month, kicking off at 6 p.m., with signups starting at 5:30 p.m. Traesti and Alexandra of the group Traesti Darling are the hosts.
Unfortunately, it can’t all be good news, and the bad news this week is the Summer Meltdown festival is taking this summer off. After moving into a new location last year, it became clear to the organizers they are going to need to do some work to make that location a sustainable home for the event. Here’s hoping they’ll be back even stronger in 2024!
A local group is going to have the chance to strut their stuff onstage at the Mount Baker Theatre. Petty or Not will be on the main stage with their Petty/Fleetwood Mac tribute tunes on Saturday, Feb. 11. (Photo courtesy of Jimmy Smithson)
Live music listings
Tuesday, Feb. 7
Aslan: 8 p.m., Jazz Night
Boundary: 6 p.m., Paul Klein on piano
Culture Cafe: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Greene’s Corner: 6:30 p.m., Open Mic
Menace: 7 p.m., Invitational Blues Jam
Wednesday, Feb. 8
Boundary: 6 p.m., Aaron Guest on piano
Firehouse: 7 p.m., Benjamin Hunter Quintet (jazz/blues)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Open Mic
Mount Baker Theatre: 7 p.m., Derina Harvey Band (Celtic rock)
Rockfish: 6 p.m., The Colonel (flamenco)
Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Tom Sandblom and Friends (acoustic covers)
Underground Coffeehouse: 7 p.m., Sounds of the Underground Part 2 (battle of the bands)
Thursday, Feb. 9
Blue Room: 6 p.m., Open Mic; 8 p.m., Jam:30 (open jam)
Brown Lantern: 8:30 p.m., Open Mic
Farmstrong: 6 p.m., Savanna Woods (folk)
Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., Yankee Drivers (bluegrass)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Casey Connor (accordion folk)
Thirsty Badger: 7 p.m., Open Mic
That’s What I Like: 6 p.m., J.P. Falcon and Friends (folk/rock)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Kitchen Dwellers, guests (bluegrass)
Zeeks: 7 p.m., Free Harmony (classic folk/rock)
Friday, Feb. 10
Aslan: 8 p.m., Mindset Concept (jazz fusion)
Beach at Birch Bay: 6 p.m., Wicked Timing (acoustic covers)
Blue Room: 9 p.m., Peaceful Pinder, Moondrop, CA$H McCLANE, Lil Jim (hip-hop)
Big Stick: 5:30 p.m., Michael Dayvid
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Brittany Collins (singer-songwriter)
Eagle Haven: 6 p.m., Wes Jones (country/folk/rock)
Fireside: 7 p.m., Tom Sandblom (acoustic covers)
Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., Kowski (live looping and covers)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Cat Positive, Cumulus (singer-songwriters)
Main Street: 8 p.m., Collins Beach, guests (rock)
Make.Shift: 8 p.m., Bad Optics, The Hobby, Pig Earth (punk)
Shakedown: 9 p.m., Fog Bodies, Splendor, Girls Know (rock)
Skylark’s: 8 p.m., Kazmyn (singer-songwriter)
Vault: 7 p.m., Trio Sueno (jazz/ flamenco)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., CupcakKe, TeZATalks, DJ Bumlord
Saturday, Feb. 11
Beach at Birch Bay: 4 p.m., Arcade Cowboys (classic rock) Blue Room; 9 p.m., Aardvarticus Zeus, Dead End Rhythm Section (rock)
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Sandy Rowe (folk)
Conway Muse: 8 p.m., Deal (Grateful Dead tribute)
Fireside 4 p.m., Singers’ Saturday
Gateway1890: 7 p.m., Thomas Sandblom and Mark Williams (acoustic covers)
Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., Mighty Bayou Opossums (New Orleans jazz)
Guemes Island General Store: 6:30 p.m., Cardova (funk/R&B)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Tad Kroenig (Valentine’s songs)
Make.Shift: 8 p.m., Open Mic
Main Street: 8:30 p.m., Sunset Superman (rock covers)
Menace: 3 p.m., Folk Second Saturday featuring Octavia McAloo; 6 p.m., Michael Dayvid
Mount Baker Theatre: 7:30 p.m., Petty or Not, Sylvi Does Neil Young
Rockfish: 7:30 p.m., Red House (blues)Skylark’s: 8 p.m., JP Falcon Grady (acoustic covers)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Effin, Pathos, Makro, Vyrul (electronic)
Sunday, Feb. 12
Kulshan: 5 p.m., Cardova
Main Street: 6 p.m., Open Mic
Old Edison: 5:30 p.m., Randy Weeks & The Silent Treatments
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Beats Antique DJ set, guests
Monday, Feb. 13
Blue Room: 7 p.m., Jazz Jam Session ft. Gary Stivers
FireHouse: 6:30 p.m., Jeffrey Elvis (Elvis tribute) Jenn Ryan (Celine Dion tribute)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Mick Flannery and Tianna Esperanza (folk)
Tuesday, Feb. 14
Aslan: 8 p.m., Jazz Night
Boundary: 6 p.m., Paul Klein on piano
Culture Cafe: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Greene’s Corner: 6:30 p.m., Old Time Fiddle Jam
Menace: 7 p.m., Invitational Blues Jam
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.
