We last heard of the adventures of Nico Georis and the Milky Way Sound Patrol in December when I announced the inaugural Milky Way Fridays event at Henry Miller Memorial Library. Coming right up again, Milky Way Fridays #2 will bring more of the same kind of dance party fun that the first brought and Georis is happy to recap all that went down then and what’s to come this Friday on 4/20.
“We had more people than we could admit at the first one, we had to turn people away,” Georis said in a phone interview from his Big Sur home. “It was pretty much all the young locals. When I mean young, I mean young spirited of all ages. There were a few tourists that stumbled in there accidentally and they were delighted. It felt really good to see our real community come out and shake their booty, and there was a lot of booty shaking going on. The vibes were very high, really beautiful, plenty of room. The capacity at the library makes for an atmosphere that is just full enough but also just spacious enough. We have to cap it at 120 people.”
If you’ve been to concerts at the library before, the layout is not the same. Instead of the main stage, the Wall of Sound (70s analog sound system with numerous big speakers) is set up on the library’s deck up against the front of the library, with the sound blasting off toward the highway and the coast beyond. There’s a mashup of live music and DJ sets curated from content that will constitute the upcoming online Milky Way Radio station.
There’s the funky double decker school bus “gone rogue” parked up against the deck which serves as the bar and lounge, and there’s a taco stand manned by Gabe Georis from Pescadero Restaurant in Carmel. A fire pit and heaters serve to warm against the night chill, that is if you’re not out on the dance floor working up a sweat. Lumiere Alchemical will present an old school psychedelic light show while at the same time there will be flood lights and lasers pointing up into the redwood trees and back into the redwood canyon. Georis describes it as a “kind of avatar forest disco party.” The musicians involved are Georis, Shaun Elley, Lindsay Napoli, Rushad Eggleston and assorted friends.
“It’s the same party as last time, but a bit more refined musically, with a little bit bigger sound system that we’ve dialed in even more,” he said about the upcoming second event. “It’s going to be about celebrating our local culture and music culture on a global scale. Pulling from all music genres with the common thread of dance music. It’s a dance party for its own sake. That’s really its purpose. I don’t need some huge cosmic reason. We’re bringing a wall of speakers down, there’s going to be lasers and lights through the forest, and tacos and booze, fresh cocktails made from local fruit. They’re making their own whisky sours from fruit they’re harvesting right now. It’s going to be the bomb. Vanessa Share, long time Post Ranch bartender, serves as the principal mixologist.”
The doors open at 6 p.m. and it’s a $15 entrance fee. Cocktails and tacos are extra. The all ages party is scheduled to go until 11 p.m. To reserve your tickets, visit www.henrymiller.org. For more info, call 831-667-2574.
Just a quick heads up for the return of Sky Country April 26 at The Lab at the Barnyard. This is the group Georis (guitar/keys/vocals) has been part of with Adam Zerbe (bass), Mikey Selbicky (guitar/vocals), and Will Condon (drums) for some time now. New members are Nick Leahy (pedal steel/vocals) and Jessica Swan (drums/vocals). Lumiere Alchemical will be providing liquid light visuals, and there will be all the usual trappings at the local small performing arts venue. Ticket price is $10, event is from 8-11 p.m.
More on the local scene from another group of fine musicians coming to the American Legion Hall in Carmel. Wild Card will be rocking the house with guest guitarist Tom Ayres joining for your listening and dancing pleasure Saturday night from 7-10 p.m., no cover. Wild Card is Jon Gorman (vocals), John Tindel (keys/vocals), Micahel Chatfield (bass), Michael Kobrinsky (drums/vocals) and Scott Dickson (guitarist). The Legion Hall is at the corner of Dolores Street and 7th Avenue in Carmel.
I had the pleasure of getting out to hear Tom Ayres shred on his guitar last week at Mortimer’s Rhythm & Brews in Marina. It was my first time walking into the fairly recently rewired location, having changed from the classic card room that was legend in this area for what seems like forever. It felt like a flashback nonetheless because it is outfitted like an old juke joint I’d expect to find up in the Sierra foothills back in the 50s. But that’s what makes it cool, you know, with pool tables and beer promotions and was there taxidermy on the wall, I don’t remember. But you’d expect it in that kind of atmosphere.
We were a little thrown at first when Ayres and the band played one tune and then walked off the stage declaring they weren’t going to play anymore. (Some kind of disagreement with house sound or management or something). Thankfully things got worked out and they played a couple sets of good ol’ rock ’n’ roll. I can see this club filling a void in that casual bar/dance hall kind of scene, but there seems to be a need for some fine tuning before one can expect consistency in its offerings.
At Barmel a couple weeks ago I joined with friends to hear the “Balkanouche” gypsy jazz sounds from Hét Hat Club. The Hungarian-based band drew a good crowd who looked to be really enjoying the quirky mix of instrumentation (saxophone, guitar & bass for this show, with some accordion, but they’re known to pull out a tuba on occasion as well). There’s no denying the urge to dance or just wiggle in your chair to their upbeat rhythmic gumbo. They’re playing again this week at Evolution Studio in Pacific Grove on Saturday, located at 125 Ocean View Blvd. on the lower floor in the back of the American Tin Cannery. The sit-down concert is from 7-10 p.m. For this show tickets are $20 advance/$25 door.
Have a local arts and entertainment event you want to tell us about? Contact Beth Peerless at beth@2bpeerless.com