Music Tonight: Saturday, Jan. 25

By Collin Yeo on January 25, 2025 at 4:00AM

Trumpeter Nicholas Talvola and company return with a redux of their popular appreciation of the music of jazz and world genre bender and multi instrumentalist Yusef Lateef at the Arcata Playhouse tonight at 8 p.m. ($15).

Music Tonight: Friday, Jan. 24

By Collin Yeo on January 24, 2025 at 9:59AM

Wednesday’s queer dance party at the Miniplex, Big Mood, is back, and has now moved to the fourth Friday of every month. Tonight’s return will be celebrated by regular DJ Pandemonium Jones, along with guest spinner DJ Satanica and hosted by local diva of drag Val De Flores.

2025 NCJ Pet Photo Contest

Winners announced Feb. 20 in print and online

on January 23, 2025 at 2:34PM

SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS! Go to petphotos.northcoastjournal.com and submit you photos from Monday Jan. 27 through Wednesday, Feb. 5.

Music Tonight: Thursday, Jan. 23

By Collin Yeo on January 23, 2025 at 11:47AM

Swing by the Basement tonight at 8 p.m. for a free celebration of the music — and birthdays — of Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt, the pioneering jazz violinist and guitarist, respectively, who changed the world of music forever beginning in the 1930s with their group the Quintette du Hot Club de France, ground zero for the genre of music now known as jazz manouche, ever since a certain “g” word has been deemed a slur. Tonight’s show features an all-star ensemble of local musicians, Rob Diggins and Jolianne Einem on violin, John Ludington on bass, Ryan Roberts on guitar, Amanda Malachesky on mandolin and Beverly Twist performing guitar and vocal duties.

Music Tonight: Wednesday, Jan. 22

By Collin Yeo on January 22, 2025 at 4:00AM

Tonight is the first of a two-night residency at the Arcata Playhouse for the Jamie Baum Quartet. Headed by the namesake flautist, this is modern jazz played about as good as it gets, as the CVs of each member is a who’s who of the big players out there making and defining the genre in the post-Miles era.

Music Tonight: Tuesday, Jan. 21

By Collin Yeo on January 21, 2025 at 4:00AM

Asbury Park, New Jersey, is considered a working class, garage rock mecca, despite over a half a century of time passing since The E Street Band and all of its satellite musicians and bands formed into concrete reality and moved on up into the land of rock ‘n’ roll mythology. However, the town still seems to be minting new musicians, including rising jam band Dogs In A Pile, who will be gracing the stage at the Arcata Theatre Lounge at 8 p.m.

Music Today: Sunday, Jan. 19

By Collin Yeo on January 19, 2025 at 4:00AM

If you missed yesterday’s performance at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Eureka, fear not, you need only head over to the Arcata Lutheran Church to enjoy a 3 p.m. matinee performance of chamber music courtesy of the Borromeo String Quartet. Expect a casual atmosphere for this gig, as the music of Finland’s national composer Jean Sibelius will be punctuated by opportunities for open-air chit chat between the players and the listeners, which sounds just lovely for a Sunday afternoon in midwinter ($20, $5 students). 

Music Tonight: Saturday, Jan. 18

By Collin Yeo on January 18, 2025 at 4:00AM

The Arcata vintage shop Redwood Retro is an interesting up and coming venue, filling a much-needed spot on the scene with an emphasis on the DIY, casual nature of a town whose offbeat charm and mushy beauty seems on the verge of evaporating in the face of high rents, poor management and lowering imaginations. The best things in life are free, or at least very close to it, and tonight’s show at 7 p.m. is a prime example.

Music Tonight: Friday, Jan. 17

By Collin Yeo on January 17, 2025 at 4:00AM

The Basement is the place to be tonight for a sultry ride on the jazz train from downtown to the up-tempo neighborhood with stops all along Funk Street. Swizlo’s Mystery Lounge is the name of this joint, which will be helmed by the eponymous key-master from Object Heavy and beyond.

Music Tonight: Thursday, Jan. 16

By Collin Yeo on January 16, 2025 at 11:46AM

Greensky Bluegrass is a quintet from Kalamazoo, Michigan who have, for the last quarter century, been building a large following through constant touring and high-profile appearances on the festival and jam band circuit. As the name suggests, the group uses a bluegrass format from which it deviates into the light show theatrics and noodling passages more familiar to fans of Phish and the Grateful Dead.