Not the craziest Monday night ever. But, considering that it's Christmas week, there's still a nice selection of musical options this evening -- including a cool touring duo and four dependable local acts.
11th Annual Toy Drive at The Libertine
A whole bunch of performers will be at this one: Ryan Thomas Becker of RTB2, John Pedigo of The O's and Boys Named Sue, Frankie Campagna of Spector 45, Madison King, Camille Cortinas Neal, Aaron Burton, Trey Johnson, Ishi (who'll perform acoustically) and Brent Best are just some of the names stopping by to perform a song or two. To enter, all you need to do is bring an unwrapped toy. A fair price to pay, for sure.
KC Turner and Matt Langlois at Opening Bell Coffee
Hailing from San Francisco, KC Turner is as much a musical activist
as he is a talented singer-songwriter. The guy hosts three open mics in Northern California,
heads a songwriters club, represents and promotes other artists and
still finds time for his own shows. Plus, Turner makes great music. His
brand of folk is forlorn without being depressing. Turner's touring
buddy is Matt Langlois, another talented troubadour who sometimes goes
by the humorous moniker Welcome Matt.
Dave Semans Combo at Lakewood Bar and Grill
Local jazz guy Dave Semans performs most every Monday at this
particular venue, but that shouldn't stop anyone from heading down
tonight and taking in this guy's talent. Semans' jazz is usually of the
ultra-smooth variety, but he can occasionally get far gone into some of
the genre's more wild offshoots as well. Anyhow, how long has it been
since you've listened to "The Girl from Ipanema"? Pretty long, I bet.
Owen Obel at the Absinthe Lounge
Local singer-songwriter Owen Obel sometimes goes by only his first
name, but don't get this Owen confused with the Chicago
singer-songwriter who also uses that handle. Our Owen is originally from
South Africa and is a bit more post-modern and rocking than his
Midwestern counterpart. Obel's 2007 effort, In A Neon Dawn, was produced
by Salim Nourallah and is well worth a listen or two.