Newsletter: A Night at the Phoenix + upcoming show recs
Hello friends, and welcome to Smart Mouth!
Smart Mouth is an email newsletter zine that I, "Dammit" Damian Burford aims to send out every week with local music news and event recommendations, with the occasional profile, interviews or other long reads about the local community. Smart Mouth is an extension of my "Word Of Mouth" column for the Napa Valley Register, with a focus on discovering our new home of Sonoma County.
I've been running a subscriber drive with Facebook & Instagram ads! Once I get 500 subscribers, I'm going to throw a free concert for those subscribers with some of my favorite North Bay artists discoveries!
Thank you to everyone who clicked the link and signed up! Sorry for repeating a lot of this information week after week as we build our subscriber base! My goal is to use this newsletter as a resource to learn more about my local community, as well as spread the word about what's happening in town!
OPENING RAMBLE:
Last Thursday I didn't want to get off the couch, but I somehow found the energy to go see Agent Orange & The Drowns at the legendary Phoenix Theater in Petaluma! Holy shit, I was so happy I went as the energy of the night completely recharged my depleted batteries and gave me a new hope for the next generation of punks.
I wasn't planning on writing about the show, but as I was looking through the photos this afternoon I once again found myself overcome with the spirit and spit out a few hundred words about my adventures that evening. You can read that and check out photos from the night in the post below:
Damian Burford
GOOD DEALS:
Sebastopol Center for the Arts has a screaming deal for their upcoming ART VINYL event on June 27th that I wanted to share with you!
From their website: Art Vinyl is a one-night-only exhibition and art sale where music and visual art collide. Original works—each created on a vinyl record—transform the familiar into the unexpected, with pieces by both established and emerging artists.
Spend the evening immersed in sound and atmosphere as Bay Area legend DJ Page Hodel keeps the dance floor alive, while you sip signature cocktails from Sonoma County's own Griffo Distillery, and enjoy curated bites.
The golden age of vinyl peaked in the year 1978, with more than $1.5B in sales in the US. To keep the love for vinyl alive leading up to Art Vinyl at the end of June, SebArts will be offering 78% off tickets next week during a limited time—78 hours, to be exact—flash sale.
The flash sale starts Monday, June 15th at 9am, and ends Thursday, June 18th, 3pm. Only 50 discounted tickets will be sold total, so don't wait to get yours! Enter discount code "1978" to secure your spot.
THIS WEEKEND'S RECOMMENDED EVENTS:
I've been actively building a curated calendar of local events happening in and around the North Bay, that I feel should be on your radar. It still needs some work, but you can check out that work in progress at smartmouthcalendar.com.
There are SO MANY PROMOTERS in the area and so little details about the events happening in town. Most promoters do not have websites and only sparsely promote on Instagram making it difficult to find out more information. If you'd like to submit an event please email me at smartmouth707@gmail.com
Thursday June 18: City Of Pieces, Inner Child Protective Services & Faethora @ Arlene Francis Center: Santa Rosa
City of Pieces, featuring the singer from Santa Rosa band Coffee & Donuts) with Inner Child Protective Services, featuring Larry from Victims Family on drums, and members of Fire Mission/Cast of Thousands and Mason Lane/American Drag. $15 Suggested Donation at the Door.
City Of Pieces will also be performing a special set at the Disturbing the Peace: Sonoma County’s Early Punk Underground exhibit at Museum of Sonoma County at 4pm.
Thursday June 18: Napa Pride 2026: Rocky Horror Live + Screening with San Francisco’s Bawdy Caste @ Uptown Theatre: Napa
Step into a night of cult classic chaos as the The Rocky Horror Picture Show comes alive —on the big screen and right before your eyes all to benefit Napa Pride!
For the first time ever in Napa, the Uptown Theatre is partnering with Napa Pride and San Francisco’s legendary Bawdy Caste to present a one-of-a-kind interactive screening experience. A staple of the Bay Area since 1995, Bawdy Caste is one of the longest-running Rocky Horror shadow casts, known for their high-energy, irreverent, and wildly entertaining live performances.
As the film plays, the cast performs every scene live in front of the screen—bringing beloved characters, iconic moments, and audience-favorite callbacks into a fully immersive celebration of individuality, camp, and community.
Whether you’re a longtime Rocky Horror fan or a first-timer ready to lose your innocence, this is your invitation to dress up, shout back, and be part of the show.
Tickets are $43.25 online. Ages 12+ are welcome.
Friday June 19th: Restless Sons, Legal Disaster & My Last Line @ Shady Oak Barrelhouse.
The Restless Son (California homegrown rock band), Legal Disaster (Sonoma County Ska-Core) & My Last Line (punk-rock) play a free show at the Shady Oak Barrelhouse! 7-10pm.
Friday June 19th: Ok Good Comedy Showcase @ Lost Church Santa Rosa
Pull up and tap in with a night of comedy in Santa Rosa with Ok Good Comedy Productions!
Featuring: Jeremy Talamantes, Loren Kraut, Jamar Pitts, Dorian Foster, Sarah Ellsworth, Emmanuel Higueros, Chantavy Tornado. Hosted by Abram Rabinowitz
$15 Cover at the door or purchase online for $17.23
Saturday June 20: ANVIL, Midnight Hellion, Coffin Hunters and Skitzo @ Arlene Francis Center
HOLY SHIT!!! ANVIL are coming to the Arlene Francis Center?!?! If you don't know, ANVIL were the stars of a GREAT rock documentary simply called Anvil! The Story of Anvil! The documentary was a cult classic hit, a real life Spinal Tap that tells the story of the band who would tour with acts such as Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth and so many other heavy hitters of the '80s thrash scene and how they DID NOT MAKE IT. Did they not have what it takes or was it something else? That's what the documentary explored while the band was in the middle of a disastrous Eurpoean tour!
The documentary was a hit, and thrust the band back into the spotlight for many years. The road dawgs never stopped and continued plugging away, long after the documentary's limelight faded. They're still at it and performing this Saturday at the Arlene Francis!
Tickets are $25 in advance via EventBrite, or $30 at the door.
LOOKING FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS?
Make sure you visit SmartMouthCalendar.com! Also, let me know what I'm missing! What shows and events are you looking forward to in the North Bay? Send them my way and let me know! SmartMouth707@gmail.com!
There is a TON of stuff happening in the area, and many venues, promoters and bands do not advertise much more than an instagram post or two. So there's so much happening off the radar. What cool shows are you planning on going to in the near future? Sound off in the comments!
Thanks to everyone who has been sending me leads! I'm discovering so much!
If you happen to stop by the Petaluma State Fair this weekend, find me at the Crooked Goat Brewing Tent! I'll be there most afternoons till 4pm! I also work 3-4 days a week at the Petaluma Crooked Goat Taproom! Come say hello!
Until next week...