The Enthusiasts are a six-piece band out of Anacortes who have won over audiences around the region with their high-energy folk-rock.
The songwriters in the band are siblings Sommer Velin Carter and Andrew Velin. After making music together for years, they were trying to get some musicians together for a recording project in 2018. First to come aboard was bassist Doug Cassidy, followed in short order by Mariah Barrett on accordion and keys, Rob Carter on mandolin, and drummer Andy Brown.
Over the course of the next three years, they developed and expanded their sound, and began playing live shows. Their album “Old Home New Home” came out in 2021, with 10 strong songs that live up to the band’s name, overflowing with enthusiasm and joy.
I haven’t had a chance to see them in person myself yet, but from all the available video they appear to be shaping up into an absolute powerhouse of a live act. It’s the kind of music that will go perfectly with outdoor summer shows here in the Pacific Northwest, but there’s enough depth to the songwriting that you can enjoy it just as well listening to their album on a rainy day.
This Friday, March 17, they are playing at the Brown Lantern in Anacortes. Sommer and Bob will also be opening the show with their other project, the acoustic trio The Longhaulers. Expect lots of energy, dancing, cheering and fun.
The Mount Baker Rhythm and Blues Festival may have been canceled, but there are plans afoot for a smaller event this summer featuring some of the same acts which have played there in the past. I’ll keep you posted once we get more details on that.
Speaking of retrospective festivals, kudos to everyone involved in making the What’s Up! going-away party so amazing. It was great to see some of those groups back onstage, and to celebrate the legacy of the iconic music magazine.
A reminder to all the musicians out there: send me links to your stuff! I do my best to keep track but there’s a lot going on these days.
Three notable new singles out recently. Kissing Thieves released “Hands Together,” a haunting confession of lost faith that starts out stark and builds to a big crescendo. Rich Arithmetic dropped “Bend The Arc,” which blends their familiar power-pop sound with some intricate political lyrics. Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Sam Vogt has a couple fantastic new tracks of Irish penny whistle/guitar duets.
Finally, it’s not exactly new, but local acoustic guitar master John Miller recently uploaded a whole bunch of albums from his back catalog to Bandcamp. Check that out for some adventurous takes on everything from fiddle tunes to jazz to tangos.
Live music listings
Tuesday, March 14
Archer: 7 p.m., The Piper’s Despair (Irish folk)
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
Ranch Room: 9 p.m., Michael Dayvid (acoustic covers)
Wednesday, March 15
Boundary: 6 p.m., Aaron Guest on piano
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Open Mic
New Prospect Theatre: 6 p.m., Open Mic
Rockfish: 6 p.m., Dr. Sweets and Ireland Woods
Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Andrew Victor (folk)
Thursday, March 16
Blue Room: 6 p.m., Open Mic; 8 p.m., Jam:30 (open jam)
Brown Lantern: 8:30 p.m., Open Mic
Guemes Island General Store 5:30 p.m., 7:20 String Band (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: 8:30 p.m., Eclectrick, Whalien, Lazy Acres (rock)
Zeeks: 7 p.m., The Devillies (Irish folk)
Friday, March 17
Aslan: 8 p.m., Christian Cassolary Quartet (jazz)
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Hookmeyer (jazz/blues)
Boundary: starting at noon in the Taproom, Rosin & Reed, The Devillies, Lindsay Street, The Moving Hats, Maguire’s Kick; 5–8 p.m., in the beer garden, Robert Sarazin Blake
Blue Room: 7 p.m., College Radio, Mudbath, Beatroots (rock)
Brown Lantern: 9 p.m., The Enthusiasts, The Long Haulers (folk/rock)
Conway Muse: 7 p.m., The Whateverly Brothers (folk sing-along)
Fireside: 7 p.m., Free Harmony (classic folk/rock)
Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., Open Irish session
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., The Wandering Seas (instrumental folk)
Jansen Art Center: 11 a.m., Schmid and Guest
Karate Church: 7 p.m., Anna Arvan, Lady Queen Paradise, Ruune, Heaven’s Stone Lanterns (indie/folk)
Kulshan: 6 p.m., Calaskan (Celtic)
Make.Shift: 8 p.m., Hibernium (avant-garde/improv)
Main Street: 8 p.m., Little Big Band (classic rock)
McIntyre Hall: 7:30 p.m., The Jeremiahs (Celtic)
Old Edison 7 p.m., Cory Vincent (acoustic rock)
Skagit Cellars: 6 p.m., Jolene Gayle (blues/ rock)
Skylark’s: 8 p.m., The Penny Stinkers (acoustic covers)
Temperate Habits: 5 p.m., The Devillies (Irish folk)
Thirsty Badger: 8 p.m., Michael Dayvid
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., So Tuff So Cute (electronic)
Saturday, March 18
Anchor Inn: 9 p.m., Pretty Much Nothing (rock)
Beach Cat: 6 p.m., Michael Dayvid
Bellingham Elks: 7 p.m., Stacy Jones Band (blues)
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Marcia Kester
Blue Room: 7 p.m., Neffy3600, Dank Zavala, more (hip-hop)
Conway Muse 8 p.m., Lloyd Jones Band (blues)
Eagle Haven: 6 p.m., Enchantrix
FireHouse: 7 p.m., Gallowglass, Schmid and Guest
Fireside 4 p.m., Singers’ Saturday
Glyn’s Shamrock: 7 p.m., The Moving Hats
Greene’s Corner: 5 p.m., Simon Evans (folk)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Cat Positive, Boris Budd (singer-songwriters)
Make.Shift: 8 p.m., Ceras, Myonia, Terminally Dumb (rock)
Main Street: 8 p.m., Arcade Cowboys (rock covers)
Mount Baker Theatre: 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m., Matt Dusk sings Sinatra
Rockfish: 7:30 p.m., Cozmic Sauce (R&B/funk)
Shakedown: 9 p.m., Aardvarticus Zeus, Dead End Rhythm Section, Spin Factory (rock)
Skylark’s: 8 p.m., Mike Faast and the StringCats (jazz/country)
Stone’s Throw: 6 p.m., Badd Dogg Blues
Wild Buffalo: 8 p.m., Jai Wolf (DJ set)
Sunday, March 19
Kulshan: 5 p.m., Katie and Kevin (folk)
Main Street: 6 p.m., Open Mic
Old Edison: 5:30 p.m., Rod Cook & Toast
Monday, March 20
Blue Room: 6:30 p.m., Dry Martini (jazz)
FireHouse: 3:30 p.m., Tenderpile’s Smile Aisle
Kulshan: 6 p.m., Natalie Paige (folk)
Tuesday, March 21
Archer: 7 p.m., The Piper’s Despair (Irish folk)
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 p.m., Open Mic
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.
