(Editor’s Note—Marcos, who wrote his riveting column on the Super Bowl just day before yesterday, is back with a piece he recently contributed a piece to the popular Modesto View magazine on, what else, roots music. It’s a good ‘un.)
Long dirt roads connecting small towns; their main streets three blocks long; a mix of horse drawn wagons and Model A trucks creeping along the street leaving trails of low little clouds of throat clogging dust. That was the Central Valley in the Thirties and Forties. Add a moderate amount of pavement and takeaway a few horses, and the Valley was still much the same, it’s broiling summer climate in a pre-air conditioned era, with long dank winters fended all the most hardy of folk, or at least the most desperate. Taverns and road houses dotted the sparse country, providing Saturday night entertainment for the regions numerous ranch and farm hands.
String bands were the norm early in the twentieth century, and with the arrival of swing music. By the depression, destitute migrants, Okies and Arkies, were flooding into the state, bringing with them new fiddlers and singers who played the old music with upbeat tempos. Soon the honky-tonks were jumping to raucous bands like the Farmer Boys and the Maddox Brothers with Sister Rose, all pre-cursing rock-a-billy. The infectious, hard driving rhythm of these and like bands, and their later Bakersfield country kin, were a musical contagion, spreading across the continent.
That musical heritage is not relegated to the museum; it is alive and robust today. Home grown Valley bands, be they rockabilly, country or folk usually reflect the themes born by the people leading hard lives in a hard place. One such band is Red Dog Ash– a self professed bluegrass band, their lyrics evince comparisons to Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and the writings of John Muir. RDA has begun a concert series staged at the Westside Theatre in Newman, a beautifully restored art deco movie house with cabaret seating, a bar, colorful neon lights and a location that is reminiscent of a small Texas town in 1948! Every show opens with RDA and then a main act, usually a well known band from outside the Valley. This year’s series was kicked-off by Front Country, aa award winning band from San Francisco that has played at Rocky Grass and the Father’s Day Festival among their many appearances at prestigious national venues.
The next show on Saturday, February 14, will feature AJ Lee, a teenage sensation from the farthest northern reaches of our own Valley. At the age of 17, she has received recognition across the country and Mother Jones Magazine has posited that she may be the next Allison Krauss. Playing mandolin and guitar on stage with her band, she croons melodies and stories that belie her age. She eschews writing about trucks, beer and one night stands, choosing to compose about broad themes and conjuring ethereal images.
For further information about this show or the rest of the Bluegrass series, checkout www.reddogash.com or www.westsidetheatre.org. You can hear a live recording session with AJ and short interviews at www.aissalee.com.
There’s a lot more happening in the Modesto Merced corridor in the coming weeks:
Friday 2/6 – the first fundraising concert for the 2015 Northern California Women’s Music Festival (held in October) will feature sets by local players Francesca Bavaro, Randy Mandy, Bethany Joseph and others, as well as visual art and more. 5-10 PM at cafe Deva, 1202 J St. $10 admission.
Sunday 2/8 – Sunday Afternoons At CBS presents the fifth concert of its current season, featuring Grace Lieberman and friends. One of their most popular concerts each season, Grace guides and cajoles audiences with her infectious wit and charm through a landscape of romantic and unrequited love songs, an audience sing-a-long, and a surprise or two. 3 PM at Congregation Beth Shalom, 1705 Sherwood Ave. $20 adults, $15 seniors/students, $7 children.
Wednesday 2/11 – Modesto Unplugged presents a night of twangy Texas tunes with two great acts straight from the Lone Star State. Husband & wife songwriters Jason Eady and Courtney Patton (Fort Worth, TX) will share their solid Americana and country/rock sounds; and alt-indie-country outfit The Lonesome Heroes (Austin, TX) will also be with us to rock the house. 7 PM at Barkin’ Dog Grill, $10 cover.
Saturday 3/21- The Poor Valley Band shooting it up at the Hideout Saloon in Mariposa starting at 7pm. This band gets the saloon set fired up. Special guest fiddler, John Cooper! 5029 Hwy 140, Mariposa, CA 95338
Saturday 3/28 – Old Time Barn and Contra Dance in downtown Merced. The event features a live old time string band and caller. Leave those big foo-foo square dance dresses at home. This will be old school just like gramps used to do before electric guitars and indoor plumbing.
No host bar. Live music. Free. 7-9pm at Legion Hall, 939 W Main St., Merced. Contact valleybluegrass@gmail.com or 209-658-3852 for more information.
