Newsletter: Happy Surprises
Intro: Welcome to SmartMouth, a weekly punk zine in an email newsletter form.
It was founded by freelance music writer & concert promoter "Dammit Damian" Burford. to discover and share what's happening in the North Bay, while working to build community.
Every week we work to share with you news and upcoming show recommendations from the North Bay Alternative/Punk/Indie leaning community of events.
Adventures in the North Bay Column:
My life partner Claire woke me early on Thursday to kiss me goodbye before heading off to work for the day. Before she left, she asked me about the show I was working that night at the Lost Church. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and thought she must have been confused. I went to bed knowing I only worked one job on Thursday. I was looking forward to having a nice quiet evening after working so many damned jobs lately.
"The calendar says you're working tonight at 6:15!" she responded to my sleepy confusion.
Damn it. She was right and dog bless our living room calendar because I had completely forgotten that I had in fact signed up to work a songwriter circle. Lately, I've been super annoyed at what Past-Damian has signed up Future-Damian up for. Doesn't he know how much you've got on your plate? Doesn't he know you need rest? Dammit Damian!
But for once, I was grateful of my past self and his reckless stupidity.
After working a full day doing prep work in San Rafael for the Mill Valley Film Festival, (which kicks off next week on Thursday October 1st and runs till October 11th), I jumped in my car and fought the rush hour traffic up the 101 back to Santa Rosa. I got to the Lost Church with about 5 minutes to spare.
I chugged the rest of my hours old, room temperature coffee and got to work setting up the room for that night's songwriter's circle.
Something magical happened as I started to soundcheck the musicians and it wasn't just the caffeine kicking in...
Christina Lovett, Isaac Yates (aka Y8s) and the ringleader of the night's musical adventures Ross Barbieri took the stage in a round robin, songwriter's circle style showcase of their many talents. For the entire evening, I sat in disbelief. They weren't just good. They were DAMNED good.
As a drummer, Y8s was the most inexperienced of performers on the stage, but he brought this big goofy energy as he worked to help move the show along and keep it lively. He was an excellent MC.
Barbieri has this presence that bowled me over. There's a real magic about him that was infectious. He was able to tap into a deep musical well that just grabbed my spirit and brought the whole room to a standstill.
Lovett told stories about a temporary separation with her husband, dealings with cancer and other real heavy life stories and then would turn around and play for us these beautiful compositions that came straight from the heart. You could feel the healing power of her music flow through you.
And to think, I almost missed this. It wasn't on my radar. It was a happy little surprise that a foolish Past-Damian had gifted me. I make a lot of foolish decisions in my life (Hence why I'm working 3 jobs right now- on top of a bunch of writing deadlines. hahaha), but of those recent foolish decisions... This was one of my favorite moments.
I was reminded of the magic of music and discovery. I was reminded that there's so much amazing music and wonderful people here in my "new" home of Sonoma County. I was reminded just how damned important it is to put all my appointments in my damned calendar and then actually pay attention to it.
I write these rambling words to you today and I hope you decide to check out these very talented artists. I hope you get out and work to discover something new and to see what else is out there. There's so much under the surface just waiting to be discovered.
I hope you let your hands off the wheel and let a little magic into your life. There's a lot out there to discover. I'm so fortunate to have found these three on this faithful day. I woke up the next morning exhausted, but enthralled.
What are we going to discover next?
Readers, let me know you last great discovery or happy accident. I'd love to hear from you.
Until next time...
-Damian
CURATED EVENTS CALENDAR:
Looking for more Indie/Punk/Alternative leaning events? Make sure to check out our curated events calendar at smartmouthcalendar.com! It's an incomplete and always a work in progress. Please submit any upcoming events for consideration at: https://smartmouthcalendar.com/submissions/
Wednesday September 23rd:
Carsie Blanton + The Burning Hell – Mystic Theatre, Petaluma
This is TONIGHT! I work till about 8pm at Crooked Goat in Petaluma for Trivia night, then I'm going to run down the street to catch this most excellent concert! I've been writing about this show for weeks now! I even put in a handful of interview requests, but sadly never heard back. Sigh.
Blanton is a rising voice in the world of Leftist County/Americana/Folk. She has a Woody Guthrie meets Dolly Parton heart with a punk rock edge and Sesame Street whimsy. Her songs are about the current world we live in with and are about communism, her hatred of Elon Musk and how worthless the democrats in congress are- among many many other relevant and fun topics. But most of all, her music is fucking FUN.
Her Thursday night show at the Sweetwater in Mill Valley sold out instantly. It looks like folks finally caught on that she's playing in Petaluma as they have announced a low ticket alert. As of this writing there are still tickets left at $38 bucks. I can't recommend this show enough!!!! See you tonight? Stop by the Goat and say hello before you go, or I'll see you there!
Watch: Price of Eggs by Carsie Blanton and The Burning Hell
Thursday September 24th:
Stoneteenth & Lindsay Gang – Lost Church: Santa Rosa
This really is a small world.
I used to run a small punk club in Colorado Springs called the Triple Nickel Tavern, and one of the very first shows I booked there was with a band called The Jack Trades. Mike Clark from Stoneteenth was the front-man of The Jack Trades. They were one of the absolute biggest bands in the Springs. Clark would later join the immensely popular gothic folk outfit, The Haunted Windchimes and go on to play huge shows around the area, but the band rarely toured and didn't do much outside of Colorado.
With Stoneteeth, Clark is back to his Jack Trade roots, playing rough and rowdy blues based rock n roll. This is a show for fans of Scott H. Birham, Hillstomp and the almighty Reverend Deadeye. In a perfect world, these guys would be playing with our local favorites Redwood Chrome!
Watch: STONETEETH Just Say It live
Keeping with the small world-ness of it all, Opening this show is one of the greatest local area songbirds, Lindsay Gang. When I first moved to California in 2022, I caught Gang performing at a local vintage market. No one was paying attention, but me. I was enchanted by her performance that afternoon and I later booked her to perform at the Mill Valley Film Festival. When I started the concert series at the Napa Valley Distillery a few months later, she was the very first performer to take our makeshift stage.
Gang is a fantastic songwriter. Her music flows effortlessly. Listening to her play live feels like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. Gang is a classically trained musician who has honed her songwriting skills into something that's light and dreamy, invoking artists such as Joan Baez, Angel Olsen, Courtney Barnett & Gregory Alan Isakov.
Watch: Babe, Why'd You Go | Live at The Hotel Cafe | Lindsay Gang
Hemmed Up, Me, Grimlock!, Legal Disaster, Will You Won’t You - Big Easy, Petaluma
Friday September 25th:
Attack Dog, Rip Off, Strawberry Farm and Nuala Manousos - Arlene Francis, Santa Rosa
ATTACK DOG TOUR @thearlenefranciscenter 9/25 • Doors 7:30pm music 8pm • $15 NOTAFLOF ⛓️🐶
with…Rip Off @rip.awf, Attack Dog (on tour from Philly) @attackdogband, Strawberry Farm @strawberryfarm_band, Nuala Manousos @imglowing.andyourthereason. Poster • @tenacious_goo
come out listen to some music and bring your friends!!
@ithinkimcool.booking
Saturday September 26th
Chuck Prophet & His Cumbia Shoes – HopMonk Tavern Novato (Outdoor Venue)
California singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer Chuck Prophet’s new collaborative album with Cumbia group ¿Qiensave? – was released through Yep Roc Records. An extraordinary and unlikely pairing, Prophet and ¿Qiensave? blend seamlessly together as the collection dives headfirst into the world of Cumbia music, which consumed and comforted Prophet during a recent bout with stage four lymphoma and subsequent recovery. They also shared the album’s lead single and title track “Wake The Dead,” an anthem that reckons with forces beyond our control while learning to let go, a recurring theme at the core of the album.
Watch: Chuck Prophet And His Cumbia Shoes on World Cafe
Sunday September 27:
The Nick Lawrence Transgender Experience (Matinée) – Lost Church: Santa Rosa
I'm so damned mad that I can't make this matinee show, because I want to know what Nick Lawrence and his experience is all about. Below is a description from the Lost Church website, and this sounds so very absolutely intriguing. If I had more time, I would have worked to do a proper profile of Lawrence and this show. I hope I get another opportunity to redeem myself in the future.
Join singer-songwriter and storyteller Nick Lawrence for a bold, funny, heartfelt, and unforgettable evening of music, comedy, and candid conversation.
Blending songs from his album I Am a Man with personal stories, childhood photos, and stand-up-style humor, Nick takes the audience on a journey through gender, identity, family, resilience, and self-discovery. With honesty and wit, he reflects on a lifetime of being “misgendered” — only to realize he was actually being seen for who he truly was all along.
Nick’s eclectic musical style moves through rock, funk, calypso, country-western, blues, and poignant ballads. The show features songs ranging from the playful country tune “Stand to Pee,” to the deeply moving ballad “I’m Still Your Mother,” about losing connection with his daughter, to the outrageous and raunchy blues number “I Got My Dong Sewn On.”
The evening also includes a candid Q&A, where Nick invites open, respectful questions and answers them with warmth, humor, and refreshing honesty.
Come see Nick Lawrence and his band for a one-of-a-kind celebration of transgender visibility, authenticity, music, laughter, and truth.
LOOKING FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS?
WHO EVER SAYS NOTHING HAPPENS IN THE NORTH BAY IS FULL OF SHIT. There's all of this and MORE happening this very weekend and every single weekend!
Make sure you visit SmartMouthCalendar.com! It's an ongoing project to help promote up and coming events. I've been slacking on adding new stuff, so please 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!
