September Song
Indian Summer is here in all its glory. The weather is delightful this time of year and there is some awesome entertainment to be had during this period.
Sept. 5
Austin Quattlebaum returns for an evening at Cottonwood. Quattlebaum’s sound is tinged with Southern low country marshland blues. With a blend of gritty originals and tasteful covers, he weaves three-finger bluegrass banjo, claw hammer old-time banjo, mandolin, dobro and flat-picking guitar songs into his sets.
Sept. 6
Bison Bluegrass Band keeps it happening at Jason’s Sand Bar. They offer down-home, free-range organic bluegrass and American roots music. Their sound is similar in style to the Dead Winter Carpenters and Incredible String Dusters.
The angelic vocal tapestries of Emily Tessmer echo at Cottonwood for the night. Weaving pop melodies, world instrumentation and chanting from indigenous cultures, Tessmer creates a universe of emotion and feel while gently caressing the listener with her soothing voice. Spirituality has always been the backbone of Tessmer’s musical experience, expression and expansion.
Rubicon Pizza keeps it rocking with the Serina Dawn Band. They play a mix of blues-rock featuring the tunes of Susan Tedeschi, Grace Potter and Bonnie Raitt. Audiences will be in for some soulful, groove-filled music.
Dusty Miles and the Cryin’ Shame is in the house at the Pastime Club for the night. A band that draws on classic country and ol’ time rock ‘n’ roll they bring back American music to the roots that made it great.
Mama’s Cookin’ share the love at the Crystal Bay Club. Hip-hop beats and dirty Delta blues anchor their sound and the band creates music that could only come from the modern age. Also on the bill is Smoked Out Soul.
Geechy Guy returns for another two-night go at the Pioneer Underground. Guy’s one-liners and eclectic style quickly have the audience in the palm of his hand, plus there’s something down home about him, he’s not your average in-your-face type of comic. Goofy, yet engaging he delivers the laughs with style.
The Paisley Braincells keep it rocking at 3rd Street Blues. One of Reno’s finest and most established rock bands, they use a broad palette of musical styles, from rock and blues to country and funk. The band delivers high-energy performances always ending with their legendary late night sets. With a 200-plus song list consisting of original and covers, the band will surprise you with songs from The Grateful Dead, The Beatles, The Doors and Pink Floyd all the way to Johnny Cash, Santana and many others.
Sept. 7
Lady and the Tramps bring their classy sound to Jason’s Sand Bar. They will be seducing the audience with a smooth blend of jazz, Latin, blues and soul. The band features the powerful and sultry vocals of Emily Quinn, the sounds of soft jazz flute and effortless finger-picking of classical Latin guitar by Argentinean Lucas Arizu, tight grooves and melodic bass lines from acoustic upright bassist Steven LaBella, and the rock solid syncopated beats of Michael Adamo on drums.
Harrah’s Tahoe hosts The Zombies for the evening. Underpinned in the early days by the individual and collective brilliance of vocal craftsman Colin Blunstone and keyboard virtuoso Rod Argent, the Zombies are simultaneously celebrating the past and seizing the future. The combination of R&B, jazz and even classical undertones with Blunstone’s immediately distinctive, delicate vocals create a sound unlike any other.
Joe Craven performs at Tavern 6330’. Craven pays tribute to traditional American folk, blues, New Orleans, swing, funk, as well as the music of Brazil, Haiti, Ireland, Cuba and Puerto Rico. The music is crisp, tight and full of groove and also brings a remaking of popular songs of jazz, Americana, reggae, Latin and other roots music.
Comedian Ron “Tater Salad” White is best known as the cigar-smoking, scotch-drinking funnyman from the “Blue Collar Comedy” phenomenon. Silver Legacy welcomes him to the stage for two shows. White has always been a storyteller; relaying stories from the time he was a boy growing up in a small town in the middle of Texas oil country to selling windows for a living in Arlington to performing in sold-out theaters and arenas as a headlining comedian across the country.
Grand Sierra hits home with the double bill of One Republic and Sara Bareilles. One Republic has always delivered emotional vocals, smart lyrics and catchy choruses. From trendy pop songs to soul-infused rock it is not only an enjoyable listening experience, but it is music with heart. Bareilles’ smooth and raspy voice adds to the mix with songs that are always accompanied by a strong beat. There’s always a great variety in her tunes between upbeat and slower peaceful songs, with lyrics that carry meaningful messages.
Sept. 8
The final show at Commons Beach features North Tahoe High School Jazz Band and popular locals, The Beer Gardeners. Known for tying together random classic songs into long medleys, spontaneous wardrobe changes and ad-hoc, 10-minute tambourine and shaker solos, The Beer Gardeners deliver a slightly irreverent set of bluesy boogie rock originals and unauthorized B Side covers along with their peanuts party-band antics. They plan to continue pounding out their familiar mix of classic rock interpretations and well-worn originals for as long as they can stay awake.
JJ Cady and Friends close the season at Jason’s Sand Bar. Cady has been playing music for more than 20 years. His styles range from instrumental Brazilian Choras to bluegrass and jazz. While he incorporates many original songs in his sets, he also plays a wide variety of covers.
Sept. 9
Jane’s Addiction is in the house at the Grand Sierra. Great bands break rules, but legends write their own and this band has written the rulebook for alternative music and culture through a combination of genre-defying classic songs and a cinematic live experience.
Immortal Technique raps up a storm at Cargo. His aggressive style gained him instant notoriety as a battle rapper, and unwilling to change his message for mainsteam, he has remained completely independent. His subsequent projects have permanently found their way into the hearts and minds of truth seekers worldwide.
Sept. 10
Adam Ant takes the stage at the Grand Sierra for the night. One of the seminal figures of new wave, Adam Ant had several distinct phases to his career. Initially, he explored a jagged, guitar-oriented post-punk before giving way to a more pop-oriented, glam-tinged musical direction. Now an adult alternative artist, he has recorded several great pop singles and had a surprisingly large impact on alternative rock.
Sept. 11
Award-winning comedian Robert Hawkins heads in for the night at the Crystal Bay Club. Hawkins has always had a tremendous flair and a considerable gift for stand up comedy. One measure of this would be his results over the years in comedy competitions or similar enterprises. He delivers material that is thought provoking and highly original and he is an acute observer of human frailties and has opened for big gun comedians like Ron White.
This year continues to be legendary and the weather and the scene stay hot. Enjoy the heat and don’t forget to look up.
Joy Michiel, a.k.a. Big Joy, is a local singer and comedienne. For more information and to see her current performing schedule, visit her Web site at bigjoy.com. Got an entertainment listing? E-mail it to entertainment@tahoethisweek.com.
