Newsletter: Lazy Days out, lots of Americana, Sonoma Punk legends and more this week!
Sonoma County friends, What do you do on your days off? What cafes and places do you like to work from? Where do you just like to hang out?
I'm writing this intro from Brew, on the outskirts of downtown Santa Rosa. Normally, I work from my small cramped apartment, but I started this project as a way to get to know more about my local community. So I've been working to get out of the apartment more and explore on my own.
I took the day off from work yesterday. I didn't open my computer once. I forced myself up off the couch and into the sunshine. I went to the library downtown to return some items and as I walked back to my car I felt the pangs of hunger and a thirst for beer deep in my belly. So I popped into Russian River for a beer (or two) and a slice.
When I'm craving pizza by the slice I usually pop into NY Pie on Brookwood and 4th, but after yesterday- if I can get their early enough to beat the crowds, Russian River might be my new favorite slice spot.
After shoveling the pizza down my gullet I went wandering around downtown, just exploring. That's when I saw the above Fishbone graffiti on a shop that's under construction. It brought a big smile to my face while I wandered on down the street with no agenda. It was a nice, lazy afternoon.
Inspired by yesterday's lazy adventures, I decided to venture out of the apartment and work in the community and here I am at Brew.
I really dig Brew. They've got some solid AF coffee. The breakfast burrito I just devoured was pretty good. Most importantly, I always feel at home when I'm here. I love the Do It Yourself vibes. This isn't a corporate coffee chain. It's a local hangout and institution.
Also, I love running into Matt working behind the counter. We always have GREAT conversations about whatever dumb punk band t-shirt I'm wearing. Matt was formerly in the mathcore band Suplex and is currently in a new project called Harsh Joy that is currently recording.
I'll be honest, when I was getting dressed this morning, I chose a shirt that I thought would elicit a great chat. I was sad to see him training someone today and we didn't get a chance for our usual banter. Sigh.
My only real complaint at Brew is that they charge full price for coffee refills. I know, it's a tough world isn't it? So I doubt I'll work here too often in the future, but I do like that when I'm done writing all this rambling nonsense I can grab a nice cold beer to come down from this coffee high. (I'm zooming off two cups, so maybe it's a good thing they charge full price for refills...)
So Sonoma County friends?! Where do you like to go on your days off? What cafes and spots do you like to people watch and/or work at? I live in Santa Rosa, but work in Petaluma and Sebastopol. I'm looking to visit any and everywhere. So hit me up with your recommendations in the comments! (Especially if they have cheap/free black coffee refills!)
We've got lots and lots of stuff happening this week, so let's get to this week's recommended events!
Local music news:
Please submit any local music news to smartmouth707@gmail.com
Car Crash at HopMonk Novato:
Monday July 13 at 9:30 a.m., a car drove through the wall of the Hopmonk Novato restaurant and music venue. Fortunately no one was hurt in the crash.
The restaurant, Beer Garden and all outdoor events are still happening including this week's sold out concerts with Molly Tuttle and Cracker.
However, the indoor music venue known as the Session Room, will remain closed until they can repair the wall. Fortunately there have not been any concert events booked for the Session Room for the next few months. So this should not effect many of the cookout concerts they are known for.
Looking to support the venue? Cracker and Molly Tuttle have sold out Cookout shows this weekend! There are still tickets left to see Grammy-nominated country music sensation Sierra Hull on Friday July 17 and there are still limited tickets available to see Cracker's second cookout show of the weekend on Sunday July 18th.
Here is an excellent video from local concert promoter extraordinaire, KC Turner from the venue with details about the accident and upcoming events:
Dave Eggers Meet & Greet Tour:
Last week I shared news that one of my favorite Bay Area authors, Dave Eggers, would be making a short appearance at the Bookmine in Napa! A few days later it was announced that Eggers would be doing a quicky North Bay Meet & Greet tour! One hour signings/meetings at a number of your favorite bookstores all around the Bay Area!
While I won't be able to make this upcoming Bay Area Meet & Greet tour,I wanted to make sure these fun events were on your calendar! (Overcaffeinated idea: Should we start a SmartMouth book club?)
THIS WEEKEND'S RECOMMENDED EVENTS:
I've been building a curated calendar of local events happening in and around the North Bay that I feel should be on your radar. Check out that work in progress at smartmouthcalendar.com.
Please submit any upcoming events for consideration at: https://smartmouthcalendar.com/submissions/
Thursday July 16: Westerly with The New Westerns - Sweetwater Music Hall, Mill Valley - $26.28
I debated sharing this one, as it's just a bit out of the area, but I love the Sweetwater Music Hall! It's a 45 minute drive from my apartment. They book a ton of amazing events. So I'll cover the venue on special occasions like this one!
Why is this one special? I've recently become friends with New Westerns frontman Travis Hayes, as well as drummer Matt Dixon (who also plays in Redwood Chrome). They're damned good folks.
The band do not have any recorded materials available, but if it's anything like Hayes previously released solo material, expect a great set of damned solid in the vein of Dave Hause, Lucero & other punk rock/emo kids gone singer-songwriter.
Westerly is a six piece powerhouse Americana meets Rock N Fucking Roll band! They have a huge bombastic sound that reminds me of a cross between The Hold Steady, My Morning Jacket, & Frightened Rabbit. But there's more to this band than that. It's a melting pot of ideas and sounds. They manage to take all their musical ingredients and cook something that feels both new and familiar.
Really cool stuff. They've been making a solid reputation for themselves all across the Bay Area. I booked Westerly to play in Napa a few years back, but the show fell through when the music venue I was running caught on fire. Doh! I can't make this show, but I'm glad they have popped back onto my radar and I can't wait to see them, and New Westerns in the near future.
Thursday July 16: Vacant Cage, Laguna Screech, Defective Children & Rip Off - Taqueria Mila, Santa Rosa - $12 Cover
I was about to hit send on this week's email list when my ADHD took over and I started farting around on Instagram and stumbled upon this show. I rarely ever know what's happening at Taqueria Mila, and maybe that's because I'm nearly 45 years old and I'm not the target audience any longer, (insert crying laugh emoji here) or because the shows there are primarily promoted on Instagram and instagram actively throttles promotion style posts. Who knows, but I'm glad I stumbled upon it today! (Also, please submit your DIY shows to our Calendar!)
Cool All Ages punk show at a tiny taco shop. What's not to love?
Defective Children are on tour from SoCal and remind me of Dead Milkmen and Violent Femmes.
Laguna Screech from San Rafael play really damned solid skate-punk meets The Minutemen.
Vacant Cage have a real cool throwback Black Flag/Circle Jerks sound.
Rip Off from Sebastopol are young kids that play young, hungry and dirty straight up '80s punk hardcore. Really cool stuff from what appears to be very young kids. Hell yeah.
I'm bummed as hell that I'm stuck working a closing night bartending shift, or I would absolutely go check this one out.
Friday July 17: Willie Nelson & Family - Blue Note Summer Session at The Meritage Resort and Spa, Napa. Tickets Range: $161 - $228
The Man. The Myth. The Legend. Dare I say more?
I recently caught Willie at the Greek in Berkeley and it was a damned fine night. The ticket prices at the Meritage are a lot more expensive than my tickets to the Greek, but the Meritage is a much smaller venue, which will provide a much more intimate experience. How many more chances are you going to get to see Willie Nelson live?
This show is SOLD THE F OUT! But I wanted to mention it, as I'm going review this show for the newsletter. ;)
Friday July 17th: Comedian Hal Sparks (Talk Soup/ Spider-Man 2) - Barrel Proof Lounge, Santa Rosa. Tickets: $28.45
Hal Sparks is a name I have not thought of in AGES! He's a stand-up comedian, commentator and actor. I know him from his short time as a host of Talk Soup on the E! Entertainment network back in the late '90s.
It's the same show that helped break other comedic actors such as Greg Kinnear, Aisha Tyler and Joel McHale. I loved the smartass humor of the show and would often watch after school. Sparks was also in a memorable elevator scene in 2004's Spider-Man 2!
While he didn't reach the heights as his other Talk Soup hosts once they left the show, he's steadily been working as a stand-up and political commentator. I'm not sure what his current stand-up shows are like, but if I were free this evening I would love to see him in this small, intimate setting of the Barrel Proof Lounge.
Saturday July 18: Punk University: Making Careers Out Of Chaos Panel talk with Kat Sirdofsky (Rebel Records), Ruben Hickman (XCNTRCX) and Adam Carson (AFI). Hosted by KQED Arts & Culture Senior Editor & Sonoma County Punk Historian Gabe Meline.
I've written a lot about the Disturbing the Peace exhibit and for good reason. Gabe Meline has put together something very special. Even for a newcomer to the area such as myself, I found such huge inspiration from the exhibit on my two visits.
This special talk is sure to be even MORE special and INSPIRATIONAL as the curator of the exhibit, Gabe Meline will host a panel with Kat Sirdofsky (Rebel Records), Ruben Hickman (XCNTRCX) and Adam Carson (AFI) about their time in the Sonoma County punk scene and how those experiences helped them become the successful artists they are today.
Ugh! I hate that I'm missing this! I have to work. (Sad trombone) When I was 17 years old, I ran into Adam Carson the drummer of AFI on the streets of Dallas, Texas after their show opening for Sick of It All and playing with Hot Water Music. Carson was gracious enough to let me pester him with my tape recorder for about ten minutes.
In those ten minutes, I asked one of the worst questions ever: "What are your influences?" He rambled off a few things such as Peet's Coffee and The Phoenix in Petaluma. It was my first introduction to the legendary venue, many many many years ago. I'd love to thank him for taking the time to talk to four obnoxious teenagers in a chat that was just one stepping stone to where I am today. So please go in my steed!
Saturday July 18th: Bitter End Booking presents: Coffin Hunters 'Cosmic Dawn' album release show with Glowing Brain & Soft Curse - Arlene Francis Center, Santa Rosa. Cover: $20 Door
"A chill, fist-bangin’ time will be had by all, as Cosmic Dawn skilfully blends 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s influence into a sleek heavy metal/hard rock hybrid. The biggest musical references are Blue Öyster Cult, Uriah Heep, Manilla Road, Angel Witch, Tank, and a helpful dose of Death for good measure.” – @decibelmagazine
I'm not really a metalhead at all, but holy shit! I hit play on the singles for Coffin Hunters' newest album 'Cosmic Dawn' on Bandcamp. Maybe it was the solid dose of THC combined with a healthy helping of IPAs flowing through my system when I first listened, but I had an absolute blast listening to these guys! Damned cool stuff that reminds me of Iron Maiden, Dio and Red Fang.
This is cool as hell. Do I like metal now? I don't know, but I sure as fuck like Coffin Hunters!
LOOKING FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS?
WHO EVER SAYS NOTHING HAPPENS IN SONOMA 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!