>>FALLARTSPREVIEW

Hallo Mr. Thornton,

My name is Gunther Schmidt, and I produce a German public access show about music venues in American towns and cities called Das Felsenerscheinen (The Rock Show). Our segment on the vibrant polka music scene in Winnebago City, Minnesota won our crew a Golden Trout, our country’s version of your Purple Heart Award.

Since your area was home to the Monterey Pop Festival and is the birthplace of über rocker Sammy Hagar, we want to put together a show about your town’s music scene. Could you tell me a schmidgen about some of the main music venues in the region? Also, could you highlight upcoming performances by local and national acts? I will be in your area during the fall months.

Danke,

Gunther Schmidt

Dear Mr. Schmidt,

Your show sounds fascinating. I would love to see the segment on polka music. Anyway, I have a few suggestions of venues you should feature in the Monterey area. And here’s a heads up about local and national acts to watch for:

SUNSET CENTER—The Sunset Center is a superb venue located in Carmel that feels like a miniature opera house. Though the shows are expensive, it’s easy to get a great view of the stage from anywhere in the house and the place is a marvel of acoustics. There are lots of big name American performers coming there in the next few months, including bluesman BO DIDDLEY, the legend responsible for the classic “Who Do You Love?,” on Sept. 27, virtuoso acoustic guitarist LEO KOTTKE on Nov. 3 and Grammy winning country and pop vocalist K.D. LANG on Nov. 8. (By the way, you guys are gonna love Carmel; it is like a little European village.

SLY MCFLY’S—This would be a great place to go if you want to get footage of people dancing. Look out for bands like SAGE and BUSTAGROOVE; they tend to get people out there doing explosive American dance moves. On Oct. 10, the venue is going to have a special concert featuring JAMES LEE STANLEY AND PETER TORK. Tork was one of the members of that famous ‘60s rock band The Monkees, who, like you, had their own television show. Also, you could probably get some wild, costumed dancing folks on film by attending the percussion-heavy SAMBADA HALLOWEEN PARTY on Oct. 28.

MONTEREY LIVE—Monterey Live is an intimate downtown theater. Known for its superb sound, the venue’s schedule features an eclectic mix of touring acts, plus local bands like THE SUBORBITALS and DOWNTOWN JAMES BROWN. If you want to get a feel for the ’80s Monterey rock scene, check out the reunion of the LANGFORD ZOBLER BAND on Sept. 21. If you want to film something both bizarre and magical, check out the VERMILLION LIES VARIETY SHOW going down on Sept. 29 and 30. Vermillion Lies are a highly creative group that makes music on things like typewriters and grills. As for out of towners, I’d suggest catching the old timey acoustic act CROOKED JADES on Sept. 23 or DANIEL HO, a musician known for melding jazz with Hawaiian music.

GOLDEN STATE THEATRE—On most evenings, the Golden State screens classic films like Psycho and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but if your crew is lucky, they will be here for one of the theatre’s concerts. On Sept. 22, JOHN SEBASTIAN of the ‘60s band the Lovin’ Spoonful will play on the ornate stage.

Two weeks later, on Oct. 8, the SMOTHERS BROTHERS will bring their comedy routine to the Golden State. These are the guys that wear sweaters and play with yo-yos and guitars.

LAVA LOUNGE—This is a good place to go if you want to film a gritty local metal or punk band. I’d suggest bringing in some extra lighting for this little bar. Probably the best time to film would be on any Friday night between Sept. 29 and Nov. 3—that’s when local groups are going to put on their best performances as they try to win YOUR MUSIC MAGAZINE’S BATTLE OF THE BANDS.

FERNWOOD—Believe it or not, this redwood biker bar in Big Sur is getting the sort of big independent music acts that you might expect in a city like Berlin. This Sept. 16, quirky songwriter VICTORIA WILLIAMS will be dropping in for a show. At the end of October, Oct. 27 to be exact, BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY takes the small stage of the bar following a performance by the folky SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE. You guys are going to love Billy—his lyrics are as strange as a Gunter Grass novel. Also, a big music weekend takes place there in November when alt country group THE COURT & SPARK plays on the 17th and the superb psychedelic country rock band VETIVER heads to the Sur on the 18th.

OCEAN THUNDER—If you want to film an American biker bar in Monterey, this is the place. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights expect local rock and blues acts like A BAND OF NINJAS.

CLUB OCTANE—Club Octane is a great place to get shots of girls with midriff-baring shirts dancing to the latest hip-hop and house music in elevated cages.

PLANET GEMINI—Head over by Cannery Row to get shots of comedians doing their routines or clips of dancers gyrating wildly to DJ music.

DOC RICKETT’S LAB—This is another venue that offers comedy on Fridays and Saturdays and a robust dance floor most every night of the week.

PENNY FARTHING TAVERN—Despite a plethora of great local music—RUM & REBELLION, THE ACHIEVEMENT, CALI NATION, DUBWIZE—there are not many venues for Salinas bands to play in their hometown. Sometimes, on Saturday nights, the Penny Farthing clears out their weekly DJ and karaoke night for live bands.

CHERRY BEAN COFFEEHOUSE—Occasionally, bands like country punkers RUM & REBELLION and female punk metal quartet THIRD ECLIPSE perform at this Oldtown coffee shop.

Anyway, hope this helps. I look forward to seeing you in the states. Contact me and we will get a beer and a bratwurst.

Good luck with your travels,

Stuart Thornton