ELEVEN YEARS ARE up, and now we start on year 12 of Keeping Live Music Alive!
That first column was fewer than 500 words, and I dare say I haven’t been below 1,500 words since.
Of course, when I didn’t write a column, there weren’t any words.
I’ll do my best not to have anymore columns like that.
Both you and the venues/musicians deserve my full attention, and the venues/musicians deserve yours in order to Keep Live Music Alive.
Port Angeles
■ Today at the Junction Roadhouse, 242701 U.S. Highway 101, Chesnut Junction with Ches Ferguson, guitar; Kevin Briggs, guitar; Ron Daylo, flute; Paul Eyestone, bass; and percussionist Zubrie Kamau will get you grooving from 8 p.m. to midnight.
On Friday, dance to the Southern rock of Testify from 8 p.m. to midnight. $5 cover.
All Points Charters & Tours can get you there and back free of charge. Phone 360-775-9128 for a ride.
On Sunday, Rachael, Mick and Barry play classic rock, country and folk from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
■ Today at Castaways Restaurant and Night Club, 1213 Marine Drive, Jerry’s Country Jam hosted by High Country with Rusty and Duke will have you moving to a country groove from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
On Saturday, the Jimmy Hoffman Band plays country rock and classic rock dance tunes from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
■ On Saturday at Wine on the Waterfront, 115 E. Railroad Ave., RowanTree, composed of Mary Tulin and Mike Saunders, plays Celtic roots on fiddle, guitars and bouzouki from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
■ On Friday at Barhop Brewing, 124 W. Railroad Ave., a mix of Haywire and Soulshakers — Hayshakers — with a unique flavor of country, classic rock and blues percolates from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
■ On Saturday, hard rock comes to the R Bar, 132 W. First St., in the form of three bands, Mechanism, Distinction and Inside Defiance, at 8 p.m. $3 cover.
■ On Friday at Next Door Gastropub, 113 W. First St., Port Angeles’ super rock band SuperTrees rocks at 10 p.m.
On Sunday, Howly Slim picks and grins from 4 p.m.
■ On Friday at the Fairmount Restaurant, 1127 W. U.S. Highway 101, Dave and Rosalie Secord and the Luck of the Draw Band have invited Brian “Buck” Ellard, with a new CD release, to join in the fun from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
On Sunday, join the country jam from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
■ On Tuesday at the Port Angeles Senior Center, 328 E. Seventh St., the Port Angeles Senior Swingers present Wally’s Boys playing ballroom dance favorites from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. $5 cover; first-timers free.
Sequim and Blyn
■ On Friday at The Oasis Bar & Grill, 301 E. Washington St., the Old Sidekicks will keep your feet a-dancing and your toes a-tapping to country classics from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
On Saturday, the Night Beats play 1950s and ’60s rock ’n’ roll from 8 p.m. to midnight.
On Wednesday, the Blue Hole Quintet plays light jazz for your listening and dancing enjoyment from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
■ Today at Wind Rose Cellars, 143 W. Washington St., Cort Armstrong performs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
On Friday, The Lonely Hearts Club Band plays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Neil Usselman plays blues and rock from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
■ On Friday at Nourish Restaurant, 1345 S. Sequim Ave., Steve Grandinetti performs at 6 p.m.
On Wednesday, Victor Reventlow hosts an open mic from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with sign-ups at 6 p.m.
■ On Friday at Stymie’s Bar & Grill at Cedars at Dungeness, 1965 Woodcock Road, R&B (Rachael and Barry) play mostly acoustic rock and Motown from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
■ On Friday in Club Seven lounge at 7 Cedars Casino, Blyn, dance for the first time to Sin City, a new Top 40 dance band, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
On Saturday, country up to the mechanical bull from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. and dance to Denny Secord Jr. and Haywire from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., followed by Country Rock Association from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
On Friday in the Rainforest Bar, Joey James Dean goes solo from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
On Saturday, Locos Only play from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Port Townsend
■ On Friday at Sirens, 823 Water St., Sol Tribe from San Antonio and Tobago fuse blues, hip-hop and rock with reggae at 9 p.m. $5 cover.
■ On Friday at the Port Townsend Brewing Co., 330 Tenth St., the Dirty Beat Duo (db2) (Pete Lack and Jesse Watson) play house trance and funky dance music from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
On Sunday, Shady Grove plays the final summer gig at PT Brewing from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
■ On Saturday at the Pourhouse, 2231 Washington St., Groove Merchants play in the beer garden from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
■ Today at the Uptown Pub, 1016 Lawrence St., singer/songwriter Bill Price performs folk and blues from 9 p.m.
On Friday, Pies on the Run play Western swing, bluegrass and country from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., Todd Fisher and Friends play reggae, blues and rock ’n’ roll.
■ Today, Steve Grandinetti plays guitar at the Owl Sprit Cafe, 218 Polk St., from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
■ On Monday, Chuck Easton plays guitar at Alchemy, 842 Washington St., from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
High notes
■ On Friday, singer Sylvia Herold will thump her mighty archtop guitar as she presents vintage songs from America’s Golden Era of Music in a concert at Key City Playhouse, 419 Washington St., Port Townsend, at 8 p.m.
Herold will be joined by double bassist Chuck Ervin, and local favorite John Morton will sit in on clarinet for this sixth performance in the Summer Cabaret Series presented by Key City Public Theatre and George Rezendes/Toolshed Soundlab. Tickets are $15 at www.keycitypublictheater.org and at the door as available.
■ On Saturday, Olympic Community Action Programs presents Freddy Pink in a benefit concert at the Guy Cole Convention Center, 202 N Blake Ave., Sequim, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The $60 ticket includes the show, drinks and appetizers. For details, phone 360-385-2571.
■ On Sunday, the Stardust Big Band will perform at the Sequim Prairie Grange, 290 Macleay Road, for your listening and dancing pleasure at 5:30 p.m. Cover is $5 single, $8 couple, students free with ID.
■ On Saturday, Cowboy Country Western Apparel & Tack, 923 E. First St., Port Angeles, celebrates its 20th anniversary, and Dave and Rosalie Secord will be strolling the aisles playing favorite folk and country tunes from noon to 2 p.m.
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John Nelson is a self-styled music lover and compulsive night owl who believes in “KLMA — Keep Live Music Alive” on the North Olympic Peninsula. His column, Live Music, appears every Thursday.
Are you performing in or promoting a live music gig? Contact John by phoning 360-565-1139 or emailing news@peninsuladailynews.com, with John Nelson in the subject line. And note: Nelson’s deadline is Monday at 5 p.m. preceding Thursday’s column.
Also, check out “Nightlife,” a listing of entertainment at nightspots across the Peninsula, in Friday’s Peninsula Spotlight magazine.