Unplugged View
By Aaron Rowan
When The Moon Hits Your Ear
A century ago, W. Somerset Maugham wrote ‘The Moon And Sixpence,’ a novel about a man who leaves his family to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. It was the perfect inspiration as I searched for a name for downtown Modesto’s newest live music venue, which has its grand opening this month. Moon & Sixpence Music And Art House is both a listening concert space and an art gallery, located next to El Sol restaurant in the Cooks Marketplace center at 500 9th St. With 50 or so theatre seats and a front lobby area for local art displays, this all-ages venue will be a home for Americana, bluegrass, indie rock, jazz, world music and more.
July features eight concerts, each with its own distinct flavor. Our grand opening Saturday 7/8 will have music by the Kaeli Earle Trio, featuring jazz bassist/singer Kaeli Earle visiting from Boston, where she studies at Berklee College of Music. Enjoy a high-energy mix of jazz, rock, pop and soul. 7:30pm, $10.
Wednesday 7/12: Hot Club Faux Gitane. Gypsy jazz/swing accented with mandolin, bassoon, clarinet, and the occasional melodica. Jazz standards, Latin tunes, and original compositions – all played in the gypsy jazz style. 7pm, $15.
Friday 7/14: Buttermilk Moon, a folkgrass trio sharing original songs as well as tunes by Townes van Zandt, Guy Clark, Waylon Jennings and more. 8pm, $10.
Sunday 7/16: AJ Lee, seven-time Best Female Vocalist at the Northern California Bluegrass Association Awards, will be joined by fellow songwriter, guitarist & vocalist Jesse Fichman for a vibrant afternoon of Americana, bluegrass and more. 3pm, $10.
Wednesday 7/19: Nadine The Band. Rock and roll with heavy and intricate drums, elaborate winding bass lines, and powerful in-your-face vocals and lyrics. 9pm, $8.
Friday 7/21: Chris Doud (of The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit) and his new trio act. Musical arrangements featuring acoustic guitars, subtle percussion, banjos, mandolins, and all manner of folk/Americana/rootsy sounds, accenting lyrics rife with vivid imagery. 8pm, $10.
Saturday 7/22: Cooking With Turf, boasting a repertoire of Celtic, Canadian, New England, Appalachian, British, Breton and Galician music. 7:30pm, $15.
Thursday 7/27: Dharma Latin Jazz Quintet, a slightly scaled-back configuration of Grammy-winning trombonist Jamie Dubberly’s award-winning Latin jazz/salsa group Orquesta Dharma. 8pm, $20.
Visit www.modestounplugged.com for more info on this exciting new listening venue, and have a sweet summer of music!
