Newsletter: Punk Parties in the USA.
Hello friends and Happy Fourth Of July Holidays to those who celebrate.
I learned a very painful lesson this week, industrial dishwashing detergent does not belong in your right eye.
Instead of working on this email newsletter yesterday, I spent the day laying on my couch in between bouts of rinsing my eye with bottled water. Freak accidents will happen, but damn... I do not recommend this experience!
My eye still hurts, but I'm going to hammer out a short little email blast to you all! I'm working on building up my writing muscles and really working to build a routine to help me get my shit on track and I don't want to miss a week! So let's get to it!
No SmartMouth long-reads this week (unless you count this way too long email).
Last week, I teased I had TWO pieces coming out in the Napa Valley Register! Both of those are out NOW! These posts are hidden behind a paywall, but I've used the site Archive.Ph to archive these as online pdfs for you to view.
Last week I had my monthly Word Of Mouth column hit the paper about the new Napa Music Hall, which took the place of the Blue Note as the resident of the Napa Valley Opera House.
The piece is about my experience at the soft opening and I write about my hopes for the space and their promotions. I also wrote about a number of shows that should be on the radar of those locals, but the piece got cut from 6 shows to two. Sigh. Cut from the article were small pieces about my old pal Willy Tea Taylor (who's show was cancelled), Cowboy Mouth and the AWESOMENESS of Mexico City's Cumbia Punk band: Son Rompe Pera!
Hitting the front page of the Cafe section in the Register is my piece about thirdspace! The new restaurant and community space from the former kitchen staff at the Blue Note! This piece is a little biased, as I absolutely adore the folks behind thirdspace! They were my favorite co-workers from my time at the Blue Note.
When they lost their jobs at the Blue Note, they didn't wallow in despair. They got up off their butts and made their own destiny. They've created a chill, cool environment for hanging out, building community and friendships. Oh and they have great food as well! Read all about it above and go check out thirdspace!
I'm going to try to start adding more music news and release info to these emails, so lets start that right now, shall we?
New Releases:
Change! Pop - Announce new EP, release new video
Our good buddies in the Napa based art band, Change! Pop released a new video last week for "Analog Boyfriend," their debut single and first track from their upcoming Future Creatures EP.
The music video was filmed at a house party where the band performed live! They invited a group of friends [I would like to add I was NOT invited! How rude! ;) ] and even the cops showed up.
In the past I've described Change! Pop as an Psychedelic Art Punk band in the vein of Talking Heads, Devo or Flaming Lips, but that's not quite right. They're a group of eclectic musicians and unique individuals and with this band, their allowed to let their freak flag fly. They combine indie pop with wood hammered dulcimer and creative storytelling to create something wholly original. There's nothing quite like them anywhere in the world.
Watch the video below:
Mel Ford Band - New EP release.
Mel Ford is a damned solid singer-songwriter based out of Napa by way of South Louisiana. Damned good Americana/Alt-Country in the vein of Wilco, Justin Townes Earle & Jason Isbell. With the Napa Music Hall booking more and more touring Americana/Alt-country artists, I hope this gives Ford more opportunities for his original music. Damned solid stuff. He's hosting a release party at Barnhouse in Napa on July 23rd with my pals Cosmo & Leslie.
Give it a listen below:
Gill Brothers Band - The Hollow Mountain
Gill Brothers just released their new record at Taqueria Mila in Santa Rosa on Saturday June 27th. This one wasn't on my radar until my co-worker at Crooked Goat, Will from Ulyssescfm turned me onto them while working together.
More damned good indie infused Americana/Alt-Country from Cobb, California. 70's Rock N Roll inspired country music for kids who grew up on '90s alternative before playing in punk bands. Immediately it reminds me of Fleetwood Mac meets Wilco with a taste for R.E.M.
I can't wait to check these guys out in a few weeks. Keep an eye out for them at HopMonk Sebastopol on 8/6. Listen to the record at Bandcamp now! Or listen via Spotify below:
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 July 2nd - James Kelly (of Redwood Chrome) & Juke Tannins - Lost Church: Santa Rosa - $15
This one is TONIGHT and spoiler alert, I'm working at the Lost Church and I'm working this event!
James Kelly from Redwood Chrome, along with his drummer Matt, have become friends of mine since landing in Santa Rosa. Damned good men and even better musicians.
With Redwood Chrome, James reminds me of the ferocity of Bob Log III's one man band antics. I'm excited to see him solo and what that brings out of him.
The website describes Kelly's set as: An intimate set of astral infused folk. If Townes Van Zandt vacationed on Mars, it may have ended up sounding a bit like James Kelly on his days off from the raucous sets of Redwood Chrome. A night of introspection and sonic exploration await.
All Ages punk rock riot grrl show featuring all femme fronted bands! $15.49 via Eventbrite. Show start at 8pm.
From the website: While attending high school in the mid-'90s, the ladies who make up the punk-pop sound of the Applicators weren't exactly concerned with going to the prom or dating the star quarterback. Instead, the Applicators -now- Sabrina (vocals), Erica (guitar), EFlo (guitar) Kristina (bass), and Katie (drums) – played instruments and worshiped the likes of the Cramps, Motörhead, the Breeders, and the Jam. Each had saved every penny to buy her own equipment, but it wasn't until early 1999 that the OG Fearsome Foursome( Sabrina, Erica, Kristina and Stephanie) would connect for the Applicators in their native Austin, TX. Over the next few years, the Applicators honed a wicked pop sound, sharing dates with the Teen Idols, Fear, and their heroes, Bad Religion. Bad Religion/Circle Jerks guitarist Greg Hetson caught one of these shows and liked the band's raw appeal. He went on to produce the Applicators' debut album, What's Your Excuse, which appeared in summer 2002. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, Rovi
Friday July 3rd: Orion Rush & Mel Baker (Samvega) - Lost Church: Santa Rosa - $15
I sat back and watched a few videos of Orion Rush on instagram and was captivated by the raw deep dark gothic style vibes. It reminds of a more modern day Nick Cave.
Then it dawns on me, we actually booked Orion Rush at the Napa Valley Distillery a few years back (and before the space caught on fire in 2024). I remember him being a damned good performer and a super nice guy. I'm excited for him to be back on my radar once again!
From the Lost Church Website: Orion Rush is a multi instrumentalist singer-songwriter blending hard hitting acoustic songs that hold listeners in suspended moments of time with captivating live looping that fuses dance, goth, indie, and experimental textures. Moving between intimacy and chaos, Orion Rush creates immersive performances that can leave audiences both on the edge of their seat and on their feet. This show marks the debut of a new evolving live experience.
Mel Baker provides vocals, lapsteel, electric mandolin and gitar for the Psych Rock band SAMVEGA, a "Band of artists, painters, builders, music makers, merriment creators, travelers, animal lovers, urban vacationers, beach combers, rust farmers, star gazers, book readers and barn dwellers..." She is a founding member of the art collective The Ehlers Society with her sister Mercedes and fellow band members.
I worked a New Years Eve show with Les Claypool and he was a damned gem to work with. If I was still 16 years old, I'd be freaking out about this show, but I remember that NYE show boring the shit out of me. haha. Still, I think this is a super cool show by a local Sebastopol resident, and someone who taught me a lot about how different music could be in the '90s. I still regularly think of "Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver," with a smile at just how much we loved that track as kids.
Tickets are either $88.70 for Silver section or $136.60 for Gold.
Sunday July 5: Turnover, Narrow Head, She’s Green @ Phoenix Theater: Petaluma
Turnover from Virginia Beach, Virginia perform damned good Dreamy-Shoegaze emo-pop. For fans of Title Fight, Sunny Day Real Estate and American Football.
As I've gotten older and more into SSRI's and weed gummies, I have been really enjoying these indie rock/emo/shoegaze bands. Turnover is one of the larger bands in that ever morphing genre of sound. I am bartending at Crooked Goat in Petaluma that day and debating on heading over after I'm off work. Who wants to meet up with me?
$40 cover is probably a little steep for the normal crowd at the Phoenix, but this being the band's only Bay Area show other than San Jose means it will more than likely bring a solid enough crowd to Downtown Petaluma.
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!