Bob Doran Mad River Union ARCATA – Last Saturday, while driving up U.S. Highway 101 to attend a friend’s memorial at Moonstone Beach, soundman extraordinaire Russ Cole felt a strange pain under his arms, something he’s experienced a couple of times the day before. He sensed he had to do something about it ASAP and…
The HUM: Out Front with Front Country
What’s in a name? As a band name, Front Country was supposed to offer an alternative to “back country” to indicate their roots in the more or less urban San Francisco Bay Area where they got their start. But after moving to Nashville, it perhaps changed its meaning. “We do have ‘Country’ in the name,…
The HUM: Fall colors
It’s early October, the time of year where leaves turn fall colors and you can find Halloween costumes on the same aisle as early Xmas decorations in holiday-conscious stores. Since we’re in Humboldt County, the first weekend of this month means at least a couple of things. First, it’s time for Pastels on the Plaza.…
The HUM: Continuous, and as eclectic as possible
The Hum — it’s a low, continuous sound, the sound of activity. In this case it’s the activity in the entertainment world of Humboldt County: music, art, drama, film — all the things that help us escape from the day to day grind and keep us sane in an increasingly insane world. If you’re among…
The HUM: Turn turn turning into fall and the fair
The Earth keeps turning. One season follows another, turn, turn, turn, and the days go from getting longer to getting shorter. When they’re about equal, per tradition, we call it the Autumnal Equinox. This year Fall officially starts at 12:50 a.m. (Pacific Time) on Monday, Sept. 23. People who live to the rhythm of the…
The HUM: #Humboldt?
A few years ago I began a podcast project I titled: #Humboldt? For reasons I won’t go into now, it never really went anywhere, but I interviewed a lot of people about what they think about Humboldt, and also what they know about Alexander von Humboldt, the man our home county is named after. The nature…
The HUM: Of Bret and The Basement
A long, long time ago, a young writer named Francis Brett Hart, better known as Bret Harte, was early in his career, working for the Northern Californian, a newspaper in Arcata, then known as Uniontown. As the story goes, Bret was run out of town, perhaps on a rail, for writing an editorial decrying the wanton…
The HUM: Let’s get political
A few years ago I went with my wife and my dear old mom on a trip to Europe. We started in Paris, went down to the French Riviera, then through Italy, essentially following what the Brits used to call “the Grand Tour.” Shopping in a Paris flea market, I scored some cool 45s for my…
The HUM: Taj Mahal show moved to Arkley Center
“There’s just no percentage in remembering the past, it’s time you learned to live again at last. Come with me, leave yesterday behind, and take a giant step outside your mind.” – from Take a Giant Step by Goffin and King There’s some irony, since there’s nostalgia involved and “Take a Giant Step” is about…
The HUM: Buddy’s blues will cure your blues
“Sometimes I wonder what I’m a-gonna do, there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues.” – Eddie Cochran Something got you down? There’s a cure: Find something to do. For example, Saturday, Aug. 3, we have the umpteenth annual Buddy Brown Blues Festival in Perigot Park (in sunny Blue Lake), dedicated to the memory of…