That cool breeze is hitting us full force again: the “holidays” are here, when “good cheer” is mandatory, and the materialism that comes with “gift giving” makes us wonder, why? Well, because merchants and others depend on this holiday push at the end of the year, and why not help out, if we can. We’ll…
The HUM: Up for a Grammy
Forgive me if I veer away from Humboldt for a moment and tell you a local-boy-makes-good story. The message from my son, Spencer Doran, was short and to the point. “Hey I got nominated for a Grammy!” he wrote, adding a happy smile emoji with sunglasses, meaning I suppose, this is so cool. What could…
The HUM: Ch-ch-changes, here and there…
Ch-ch-changes, oh, look out, you rock ‘n’ rollers. Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes, turn and face the strange. Ch-ch-changes, pretty soon now you’re gonna get older… – from Changes by David Bowie In part in the wake of the recent successful tribute to Joni Mitchell, my friend Lyndsey Battle is planning a multi-vocalist tribute to the late great David…
The HUM: Trippin’ with Seabury ‘and more’
The Hum never ends, it just keeps humming along. This week I picked up a last-minute item Friday night. After making the rounds at Arts! Arcata, hearing a touch of Striped Pig, then Jon Humboldt Gates’ intense reading at Northtown Book, and closing down the Arcata Exchange (with the CR Big Band), “and more,”…
The HUM: Joni time again, plus Robert Cray & a Firestorm
It’s that time again. Not that time between Halloween and Thanksgiving where the full pre-Xmas rush hits you like a bitter wind on a crisp pre-winter morning. “But it don’t snow here. It stays pretty green,” Joni Mitchell laments, “Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on.” It’s actually time for…
The HUM: Day of the Dead, the night before and after
If you read last week’s Halloweek Hum you may remember that some things continued through the real Halloween, Thursday, Oct. 31. For example, the Haunted Kinetic Lab of Horrors, with “scares & thrills for ages 13 & up, at the Lab, 8th & N sts. Arcata, 7 p.m. until midnight. Then there’s that other Lab,…
The HUM: Halloweek is upon us
You probably don’t think of Halloween as a religious holiday, but officially it’s the night before All Hallows’ Day, aka All Saints’ Day, when Christians commemorate all the saints who’ve gone to heaven. Nowadays it’s all about black cats, jack-o’-lanterns, skulls and costumes of sexy this-and-that, as well as the new beginning of the dreadfully…
Popular Arcata sound engineer Russ Cole suffers heart attack; fundraising planned
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.…