By John Pluntze
Presidents Day weekend tends to always be full of various activities -- and certainly on the music front here in the Wood River Valley, the next three days are going verrry full, indeed ... starting right this afternoon, as a matter of fact!
That extremely popular, Twin Falls-based blues-reggae sensation, Ethan Tucker ( http://www.myspace.com/etuckermusic ), will be performing at River Run Lodge (622-2145), both today and also on Sunday, from 2-5 p.m. there -- and tomorrow afternoon (Saturday) from 2-5 p.m. at Carol's Dollar Montain Lodge (622-2241).
Speaking of "extremely popular" musicians, you only have two chances left to see that legendary, Blood, Sweat & Tears trumpeter, Lew Soloff, who's currently performing alongside Paul Tillotson ( www.paultillotson.com ) and Tillotson's amazing jazz trio -- featuring Valley-based bass player Jeff Rew and visiting Manhattan-based drummer Ross Pederson ( http://www.myspace.com/rosspederson ) -- which is playing at Sun Valley Resort's Duchin Room (622-2145) both this evening and also tomorrow evening; 4:30-8:30 p.m. both nights.
I saw Soloff ( http://www.last.fm/music/Lou%20Soloff / http://lewsoloff.com ) at the Duchin again last night, along with the rest of that extremely accomplished jazz quartet of theirs, and they had a standing room-only crowd there before they were even 45 minutes into their first set!!! Verrrrrry easy to see why...
Also this evening, there's plenty of musical fun to be had in the SOUTH Valley as well -- with the high-energy Irish rock band, Swagger ( http://swaggertheband.com/http://www.myspace.com/swaggertheband ), performing at Hailey's Sun Valley Brewery (202 N. Main Street/788-0805), starting at 9 p.m. ($5 cover) ... and DJ Marlene (aka, Marlin Valdivia) returning for another vinyl-spin gig there at Bellevue's Silver Dollar Saloon (101 S. Main Street/788-2900), with music also slated to start at 9 p.m. there as well.
Btw, keep in mind that there's a taxi shuttle service currently being offered for those interested in traveling north to south, or south to north; free to and from Hailey and Bellevue, and only $10 (+ tip) for those traveling from Hailey or Bellevue to Ketchum. Call Scott (720-0332) for more info. Jointly sponsored by The Silver Dollar, Mahoney's and The BrickHouse.
And Ketchum isn't exactly short of stellar music offerings itself this weekend, both at The Roosevelt Tavern (Main Street & Sun Valley Road/ 726-0051) -- which'll have that Valley-based, 1980s and '90s rock- and heavy metal classics -cover band, Hoodwink ( http://www.myspace.com/hoodwinkrocks ) tonight (Friday) at 10 p.m., and also a special Sunday night "Reggae Hall" concert (also starting at 10 p.m.) featuring Lions Den International Sound System with DJ Vision -- as well as at Whiskey's this weekend( www.whiskeyjacques.com / 251 N. Main Street/ 726-5297), which'll have the San Francisco-based, rock 'n soul/R&B band, Tracorum ( http://www.myspace.com/tracorumtheband ) there tonight ... and also one of Whiskey's fave rock-cover bands, Marmalade Hill ( http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/marmalade_1_/artist.jhtml ) there on Saturday night. Music runs from 10 p.m. until around 1:45 or so both nights.
In some other big music news for the weekend, the Marley In the Mountains Festival ( www.marleyinthemountains.com ) returns this Presidents weekend as well, featuring a special outdoor concert across from Ketchum's post office (in the Simplot Lot) on Saturday evening -- with Ethan Tucker & his Grassroots All-Stars band taking the stage from 5-6:15 p.m. on Saturday, the Grammy Award-winning Carlos Jones & the Plus band ( http://www.myspace.com/carlosjones ) going from 6:30-8:15 ... and Swagger taking the stage from 8:30 until 10 p.m. or so. Tickets for the concert are $10 and are available from any of the three Atkinsons' Markets, or at the concert itself on Saturday.
And that's just some of the musical fun that awaits avid music lovers here in the Wood River Valley this weekend!!!
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Questions and/or comments regarding this "Harmonic Convergence" (local music scene-oriented) column can be sent to John at: WriteStuffIdaho@gmail.com . And to read any of John's previous "HC" columns - which include raves on local faves Paul Tillotson, Jeff Rew, DJ Marlene, Molly and Josiah Venter, Sheryll Mae "Gracie" Grace (who's still happily wowing appreciative audiences in Portland, Ore. each week), Gayle Chapman, Mitzi Mecham's "Music 'n Me music schools, and FOX's award-winning, music-filled series, "Glee" (a series, btw, that recently eclipsed James Brown, Elvis Presley and even The Beatles by having the most hits (a staggering 113 of them to date) on Billboard's Top 100 chart!!) -- simply type "Music Rules" (and also "John Pluntze") into the SVO search engine here.
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--John Pluntze
WriteStuffIdaho@gmail.com