A parade of news
The St. Patrick’s Day parade will be back this year, starting in downtown Bellingham at noon on Saturday, March 12. I’m sure a lot of folks will be excited about the explosion of live music associated with the event, from marching bands and musical groups in the procession itself to post-parade celebrations. Boundary Bay Brewery is planning to have music afterward from the Moving Hats, Bob’s Your Uncle and the Devillies. I’m sure others will follow suit.
If you haven’t seen “Summer of Soul (…Or, when the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” and are looking for a chance to catch it on the big screen, there will be two showings in Mount Vernon at the Lincoln Theatre Sunday, Feb. 27 and Monday, Feb. 28. The Oscar-nominated documentary directed by Questlove is about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, and is packed with incredible, previously unseen live performances by a huge cast of legendary musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, B.B. King and Mahalia Jackson (among others).
Bellinghome School of Music is throwing a five-year anniversary celebration. The party kicks off with an open mic at Zeeks Pizza on Tuesday, March 1, and will wrap up Friday, March 4 with a show by GrooveBot at the same location. Stop by and congratulate them!
Post-punk legend Bob Mould is coming to the Mount Baker Theatre’s Walton Theatre on Friday, April 15. I have to say, I’m impressed with some of the shows the MBT bookers are bringing in this year. It really feels like they’ve stepped up in terms of bringing in a wider variety of musicians.
Picks of the week
Relatively new local band Fossil Fire continues their rapid rise with their first headlining show at the Wild Buffalo Thursday, Feb. 24. Their album, Luna, was one of my local favorites of last year. That same night, touring “psychedelic pop odyssey” band Spaceface is doing a late show in the Boundary Bay taproom.
The big show Friday, Feb. 25 is Watchhouse at the Mount Baker Theatre. Formerly known as Mandolin Orange, this folk duo has been steadily increasing in renown over the last 10 years or so with a sweet blend of acoustic styles and gorgeous harmonies. Another big show Friday night, Sound Block 2022, takes place at Western Washington University’s Viking Union Multipurpose Room. The stellar Seattle rapper Chong the Nomad is topping the bill, with Instant Crush and The Hookups opening the free show. Intriguing local options that night include a punk show at The Shakedown, The Tango Cowboys at the Firehouse, and Cat Positive wrapping up a month-long residency at the Honey Moon.
One of the coolest shows of the week has to be Soul Rebels at the Wild Buffalo on Saturday, Feb. 26. They are one of the top modern brass bands out of New Orleans and have collaborated with everyone from Metallica to Katy Perry. Seriously, if you wanted to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, but with musicians, the Soul Rebels would probably be a good choice for the Kevin Bacon role. Plus it’s New Orleans brass band music, so it’s guaranteed to be a good time.
Live music listings Feb. 24–March 1
Thursday, Feb. 24
Free Harmony, 6 p.m., Twin Sisters: classic pop and rock
J.P. Falcon Grady, 6 p.m., That’s What I Like: blues/ folk/ rock
WWU Wind Symphony presents works of Omar Thomas, 7:30 p.m., WWU PAC
Bluegrass jam, 8 p.m., Honey Moon
Fossil Fire, Vendovi, Checker Bloom, 9 p.m., Wild Buffalo: rock
Spaceface, Reptaliens, 9 p.m., Boundary Bay Brewery: psychedelic pop
Mickey Avalon, 9 p.m., The Shakedown: hip-hop
Friday, Feb. 25
Tim Volpicella, 6 p.m., Lighthouse Bar and Grill: jazz
Hambone Wilson, 6 p.m., Greene’s Corner: blues
The Replayzmentz, 6 p.m., The Beach at Birch Bay: classic rock
Will Byrne, 7 p.m., Skylark’s: acoustic covers
Johnny and Rachel, 7 p.m., Fireside
Tango Cowboys, Steve Webb, 7 p.m., Firehouse PAC: tango/ folk
Flesh Seeker, 7 p.m., Flow Shala: experimental electronic
Chong the Nomad, Instant Crush, The Hookups, 7 p.m., VU Multipurpose Room
Carsie Blanton and Her Handsome Band, 7:30 p.m., Lincoln Theatre: folk/ rock
Cat Positive, Anna Arvan, 8 p.m., Honey Moon: indie singer-songwriter
Watchhouse, 8 p.m., Mount Baker Theatre: indie/ folk
Vincent, R-Squared, ceilla, winzlo, 9 p.m., Wild Buffalo: electronic
Potbelly, Dead Streets, Adventure Bits, 9 p.m., Shakedown: punk
Saturday, Feb. 26
Mutiny Bay, 4 p.m., The Beach at Birch Bay: classic rock
Blake Angelos, 6 p.m., Lighthouse Bar and Grill: jazz
The Dick and Jane Duo, 7 p.m. Skylark’s: acoustic covers
Sofie May, Caitlin Sherman, 8 p.m., Honey Moon
The Takers, 8 p.m., Main Street Bar and Grill: classic rock
The Soul Rebels, 9 p.m., Wild Buffalo: brass band
Sunday, Feb. 27
The Dream Goats, 5 p.m., Kulshan Brewing Co.: folk
Open Mic, 7 p.m., Culture Cafe
Monday, Feb. 28
Trace Rezideux, 6 p.m., Kulshan: country/ folk
Composers of Western, 7:30 p.m., WWU PAC
Tuesday, March 1
Open Mic, 6 p.m., Zeeks Pizza
John Whelan and Sean Cleland, 7 p.m., Littlefield Celtic Center: traditional Irish
