7/14/2005: Feelin' groovy? Me too.

Believe me, I TRY to get the Showy out early in the
week. I really do! C'mon, what comes first to mind
when you think Davin?

PUNCTUAL. Yep, that's me all the way.

Anyhoo, this edition brings us some really interesting
gigs: Tonight my favorite new-grass string band is
going to rip it up at the Sweetwater in Mill Valley.
I'd like to go so lemme know if you're up for gettin'
down. Friday & Saturday the Red Devil Lounge is
hosting the original Jerry Garcia Band (sans the big
guy of course) and supposedly they sound excellent in
the tradition of the best band Jerry ever played with.
Funky AfroCubanJazzers the Motet are in town Friday,
the Garaj Mahal cats are playing an indoor/outdoor
venue on Saturday along with a FREE Shotgun Wedding
show up in North Beach. Stern Grove will rock with
traditional African sounds on Sunday, and Beck swings
through on Monday night.

Sheeesh. Decisions decisions... Oh yeah, dig the
upcoming section too. There are even more tough
choices looming on the horizon...

|||||| THURSDAY 7/14 ||||||

Hot Buttered Rum String Band @ Sweetwater (Mill
Valley) $14
Showy’s favorite young bluegrass jammers are coming to
one of their favorite venues tonight! These guys just
tear it up every time with authenticity, soul, and
amazing musicianship. I wanna go. Do you?
http://www.hotbutteredrum.net/

Dan Bern | Garrin Benfield @ 12 Galaxies $10
Thursday night residency all this month. Not being in
the know, I have to take several people’s word that
Dan Bern is a guy that’s not to be missed. He’s a
singer/songwriter that is described as being
everything from wistful to joyously obscene. And
Garrin Benfield is one of my local heros, also a
singer/songwriter (and sometimes a live-looper) whose
authenticity really works.
http://www.danbern.com/

|||||| FRIDAY 7/15 ||||||

the Motet @ Boom Boom Room $12
These versatile Colorado cats are always great to see.
Their sound is a tasty groovin’ blend of Afro-beat,
Afro-Cuban, Latin, funk, and jazz. Yummers.
http://themotet.net/

Jerry Garcia Band | Will Bernard & Motherbug @ Red
Devil Lounge $20
Friday & Saturday shows. If you’ve heard ‘em, you know
how good the JGB is (MUCH better than the Dead, most
of the time, in my humble opinion). Melvin Seals (on
the Fender Rhodes) leads the original members and some
new cats that are completely dedicated to the original
gospel/bluegrass/jam-rock sound that made the JGB
great. Funky guitarist Will Bernard opens up. This
should be a really cool show.
http://jgbband.com/

|||||| SATURDAY 7/16 ||||||

Geo Trio | Home at Last @ Jelly’s $10
This trio is basically Garaj Mahal without Fareed
Haque, giving us the amazing musicianship of Kai
Eckhardt (bass), Eric Levy (keys), and Alan Hertz
(drums). All three of these cats are just stellar
jam/jazz players and never disappoint with their
skills and intensity. A great up-and-coming jamband in
Home at Last is the opener. Jelly’s apparently is
right across the canal from SBC park in Mission Bay
and has both indoor and outdoor areas to get yer
groove on. Address is 295 Terry Francois, who’s up for
it?
http://www.garajmahal.net/

Jerry Garcia Band | Will Bernard & Motherbug @ Red
Devil Lounge $20
Friday & Saturday shows. See above.
http://jgbband.com/

Shotgun Wedding Quintet @ Grant & Green $FREE
Jazz Mafia's tight and funky hip hop ensemble gives
you the beat with no cover up in North Beach. These
cats are stellar inventive musicians and there is no
one quite like them in this here town.
http://myspace.com/jazzmafia

Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals @ the Warfield $35
I have to admit I haven’t heard singer/guitarist Ben
Harper in quite a while. The man is definitely a force
though, combining guitar blues with soulful vocals,
funky grooves, and a bit of folk ‘realness’. Whatever
he’s into right now, it will probably be a lot of fun
to see.
http://benharper.net/

Devil Makes Three | Dead Hensons @ Independent $12
I’m takin’ a chance here to say that this trio
(guitar/guitar/upright bass) should be pretty unique.
They’re described as a mix of punk, ragtime, rock n’
roll, and country roots. Three part harmonies, a girl
playing the stand-up bass, and the whacky
Muppet/Sesame St. parody band Dead Hensons makes me
want catch this gig.
http://www.thedevilmakesthree.com/

|||||| SUNDAY 7/17 ||||||

Ladysmith Black Mambazo @ Stern Grove $FREE
What better place to spend the afternoon than at new
improved Stern Grove. Ladysmith (none of whom is
actually a lady) is a huge ensemble that performs
traditional South African music with all the intricate
rhythms, harmonies, and authenticity of the genre.
http://www.mambazo.com/

|||||| MONDAY 7/18 ||||||

Beck | Le Tigre @ Bill Graham Civic Center $35
Jeez, how the hell do you describe Beck? Weird?
Brilliant? All over the freakin’ map is probably
accurate. I guess it comes down to a matter of
opinion. Whatever it is, the one thing you can’t say
is that the guy’s not talented…
http://beck.com/index.php

Halfrodesia & more @ Café du Nord $7
CC’s Underground Music Showcase is hosting this gig
with half of our local kick-ass Afro-beat band
Aphrodesia. It will be mostly acoustic and promises to
be a great night with four other acts on the bill.
http://www.aphrodesia.org/