Harmonica man Bob Beach, left, will have a cross-country musical conversation with David Jacobs-Strain on Friday. The duo, seen here at the 2015 Juan de Fuca Festival in Port Angeles, will do a free online concert. (Diane Urbani de la Paz/for Peninsula Daily News)

Harmonica man Bob Beach, left, will have a cross-country musical conversation with David Jacobs-Strain on Friday. The duo, seen here at the 2015 Juan de Fuca Festival in Port Angeles, will do a free online concert. (Diane Urbani de la Paz/for Peninsula Daily News)

Blues, rock ‘In Your Living Room’

Juan de Fuca Foundation to host online concert

PORT ANGELES — The Juan de Fuca Foundation for the Arts will host its first “In Your Living Room” live-streamed concert — free to the public — at 6 p.m. Friday.

The performers, slide-guitarist and singer David Jacobs-Strain and his longtime partner, harmonica man Bob Beach, hail from Portland, Ore., and Philadelphia, respectively.

The Juan de Fuca Foundation’s YouTube channel is the place for the hour-long concert, accessible from JFFA.org/calendar, or by subscribing to JFFA’s YouTube channel. The stream will start at 5:30 p.m. and the concert promptly at 6 p.m.

From their home studios, the pair will put on an all-out show, Jacobs-Strain promised in a phone interview. The experience is teaching him how to orchestrate sound, lighting and his signature fury.

Jacobs-Strain and Beach are beloved around here, said Kayla Oakes, executive director of the Juan de Fuca Foundation. Jacobs-Strain has been appearing at the Memorial Day weekend Juan de Fuca Festival since 2012, bringing his style of Pacific Northwest-roots music to Port Angeles.

Beach and Jacobs-Strain were among nearly 75 acts set to play the 2020 festival before it was canceled. Oakes said she can hardly wait to see the duo again for a live show.

“They do funny, subversive blues and soulful ballads, and then they swing back to swampy rock ’n’ roll,” she promised.

Jacobs-Strain did quite a few online concerts last spring, and then he took a summer break since he wanted to get outdoors while the weather was good.

Now it’s time to reconnect, he said.

“There’s this other kind of intimacy on Zoom,” Jacobs-Strain believes. “I just have to play and create my own mojo. People can share their stories, and say, ‘Hey, we’re sitting on our porch, we just poured a microbrew; we’re having our Saturday night concert.’ ”

In this case, it’s a Friday evening show, with no tickets needed. Donations are welcome and will be shared between the nonprofit Juan de Fuca Foundation and the artists.

Zoom has improved its sound in recent weeks, Jacobs-Strain said.

“You can now broadcast in stereo. That opens up the possibility of a more immersive sound — a lot better than your average conference call,” he said.

The musician has been “holed up in Portland,” working on an album with Christopher Worth, another performer who had been scheduled to play at the Juan de Fuca Festival.

Despite the fact he can’t go on tour and play gigs and festivals as he loves to do, “I’m feeling hopeful right now,” Jacobs-Strain said.

He and Worth wrote a song Friday morning that he’s in love with; he revels in the feeling of cooking up something out of nothing.

“I’m feeling creatively excited,” said the artist, who has nearly a dozen albums to his credit, including “Terraplane Angel,” “Ocean or a Teardrop” and “Live from the Left Coast.”

Samples of his and Beach’s music can be found at DavidJacobs-strain.com.

This Friday, he and Beach will engage in a slide guitar-harmonica conversation, mix in some resonator-guitar groove and add some stories.

“Everyone can sing along,” Jacobs-Strain quipped, “in any key they want to.”

________

Diane Urbani de la Paz, a former features editor for the Peninsula Daily News, is a freelance writer living in Port Townsend.

More in Entertainment

The Fractal Phase from Wintertide 2022 offers a taste of the 2023 Light Art Experience that will be available during the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center’s third annual Wintertide Festival of Lights. (Cascadia Films)
Third annual Wintertide Festival of Lights set for Saturday

Light installations, market among outdoor attractions

Cast members outside of the recent Jane Austen Tea. Pictured from left to right, back row: Wesley Vollmer, Olivia Wray, Cecie Gonzales McClelland and Sunshine Pederson. Front row: Poet XIX and Belle Robinson.
Port Angeles Community Players to present ‘Christmas at Pemberly’

The Port Angeles Community Players will present “Christmas at… Continue reading

Guitarist Colin Davin, left, stands beside Port Angeles Symphony conductor Jonathan Pasternack, after stepping in at the last minute to perform with the orchestra in December 2021. Davin will rejoin the symphony for its Holiday Concert this Saturday. (Diane Urbani de la Paz/for Peninsula Daily News)
Symphony, guitarist to play holiday music from around the globe

“When it’s good,” he said, “it’s like flying.” Guitarist… Continue reading

Director Sarah Moran rehearses the Community Chorus for a pair of holiday concerts in Port Townsend and Chimacum on Friday and Saturday. (Lynn Nowak)
Port Townsend chorus to sing in ‘Magnificat’ concerts

When contemporary British composer John Rutter set out to… Continue reading

Peninsula College to host ‘Cascadian Zen’ anthology event

Peninsula College’s Studium Generale and the Foothills Writers Series… Continue reading

Drink Draw event set Thursday at Studio Bob

Santa Lucia, Santa Claus and Krampus will be guest… Continue reading

Peninsula College students’ original plays to be read Wednesday

The Peninsula College film and digital media department will… Continue reading

Peninsula College Jazz Ensemble concert scheduled for Tuesday

PORT ANGELES – Peninsula College Jazz Ensemble invites community members of all… Continue reading

Auditions next week for The Lion in Winter

Auditions for the Port Angeles Community Players’winter offering, The… Continue reading

Varied entertainment offered this weekend

A variety of entertainment is planned this weekend on the North Olympic… Continue reading

Santa coming to town, trees to be lighted

Tree-lighting events are planned in Port Townsend, Sequim and Forks this weekend.… Continue reading