Acoustic View By Aaron Rowan
Sweet Sassy Bluegrassy
Welcome to the new Acoustic View column. The San Joaquin Valley is an absolute goldmine of folk, roots, and country talent. I’ll highlight a different local gem or two every month.
Rainy Escobar is a modern day country crooner in the vein of old-time greats such as Patsy Cline. Rainy composes hilarious story songs drawn from her rich life experience, like ‘Nip It In The Bud,’ about the failure of a long-distance relationship; and ‘Don’t Call Me Darlin,’ aimed at those who use a certain term of affection on you when they don’t even know your name. And she also covers the great classics, including a rendition of ‘Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray’ that would make Patsy proud. Rainy also leads a round-robin acoustic jam session twice a month. If you find yourself in the mood to take part in or just enjoy the sounds of some good ol’ bluegrass or old-time tunes, drop by the Queen Bean Coffeehouse on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 7-9 PM. I’ve sat in on these sessions once or twice, and they are a great laid-back time.
Music In The Plaza is featuring some astounding local acts this month on Friday evenings: 7/12, Will Taylor & Chris Doud (songwriters behind the Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit); and 7/19, contemporary folk duo Mark Lemaire & Twilight. They’ll be giving sets from 7-9 PM in the 10th St. plaza, across from Brenden Theatres.
The open mic session Sunday nights at the Queen Bean is having a 4-week run of local acoustic artist features this month: July 7th, Dan Vallerand; 14th, Vicky & Jimbo; 21st, Mattea Overstreet; and 28th, Renato Doradea. Shows start at 6 PM (signups at 5:30 for anyone interested) with the half-hour feature section starting at 8.
The house concert series I host is going strong this month. These are small and intimate events in my cozy flat, which I call Hotel Euterpe (named for the Greek muse of music.) Artists from around the globe have been featured, usually paired with a local act.
This month’s roster: 7/7, nationally acclaimed songwriter Jane Ross Fallon; 7/23, folk/bossa nova fusion artist Avi Wisnia and award winner Steve Key; and 7/26, touring friends Michael Shoup and Josh Hoke. Check out our ‘Hotel Euterpe’ Facebook page for further info, and you can get ahold of me at crashdog3@yahoo.com/209-543-5306<mailto:crashdog3@yahoo.com/209-543-5306> to RSVP to events, which you will need to do as space is very limited.
Enjoy a great summer of local music!
