ChickenJam West presents Pacific Northwest genre-benders Sol Seed at the Filling Station on Thursday, September 5th at 8:30pm. Tickets to this 21+ show are $7 in advance and $10 at the door. Doors at 7:30pm.
Born of the woods, rivers and waterfalls of Oregon, reggae-fusion group Sol Seed sports diverse vocal styles, an eclectic sonic playbook and ethereal world music influences. Sporting a spectrum of musical tastes, Sol Seed flips between genre influences such as rock, soul and hip-hop over a solid reggae backbone. Committing themselves to tending a fellowship between performer and listener, the audience becomes a part of the music, creating a unique and unforgettable live experience, centered in a space of the heart. The Spark, their latest full-length, and new single “Shades of Green” are available now.
Acclaimed songstress Eilen Jewell follows on Friday, September 6th at 8pm. Tickets to this 21+ show are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Doors at 7pm.
As the reigning Queen of the Minor Key, Jewell leads a tight quartet that blends influences of surf-noir, early blues, classic country, folk, and 1960s-era rock n’ roll. For well over a decade, they’ve toured relentlessly for legions of fans from Boston to Boise and Madrid to Melbourne, playing large festivals, theaters, rock clubs, and coffeehouses. The group has shared stages with the likes of Lucinda Williams, Loretta Lynn, Mavis Staples, Wanda Jackson, George Jones, Emmylou Harris, and Blind Boys of Alabama. Eilen’s fans have marveled at her warmth and onstage humor alongside her beautiful songs and fiery performances. In addition to six of her own full-length albums, Jewell has released two albums with her country-gospel side project, the Sacred Shakers; a tribute album to Loretta Lynn titled Butcher Holler; and a recent album of rare blues covers, Down Hearted Blues. Her brand new release, Gypsy, is available now.
Experience Pato Banton on Monday, September 9th at 8pm. Tickets to this 21+ show are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Doors at 7pm.
Positive vibrations abound with a beat to keep you on your dancing feet, while Pato delivers a message that’s food for the mind and soul. Many have considered his charismatic performance as live theatre with no show alike and the audience serving as participants in the experience. Pato dialogues with the crowd on a range of topics including current day events and spiritual freedom while keeping the vibes upbeat and fun. The direction of the concert is totally based on the feedback Pato receives from the audience, as there is no fixed set list. Many have said that the positivity generated from the stage has changed their lives.
Bozeman’s Lazy Owl String Band teams up with the Bay Area-based Dusty Green Bones Band on Wednesday, September 11th at 8pm. Tickets to this 21+ show are $7 in advance and $10 at the door. Doors at 7pm.
A diverse group of musicians, the Lazy Owls’ influences range from jazz and blues to punk rock. However varied their influences, they’re undeniably steeped in an old-timey traditional style. The group encapsulates an ethic of hard driving, whiskey drinking, boot-stomping music with infectious energy that’s sure to get you moving. The band’s repertoire is heavily rooted in original material that pays homage to the tradition from which it was begotten.
A five-piece electric newgrass group, Dusty Green Bones take musical styles from a wide variety of genres and mix them with the high energy of hard-driving bluegrass, creating a purely organic sound. Their music aims to expand the authentic complexity of traditional bluegrass by layering ancient tones with improvisation and rock n’ roll.
Looking ahead, singer/songwriters Martha Scanlan and Jon Neufeld bring a show on Friday, September 20th at 8pm. Tickets to this 21+ show are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Doors at 7pm.
Anyone familiar with Scanlan and frequent collaborator Jon Neufeld’s unique alchemy on stage will not be surprised by the sense of being taken into the moment – their shows are in themselves a journey of improvisation; the way Neufeld’s brilliant innovative guitar playing weaves effortlessly around Scanlan’s timeless songwriting is simply magical. This magical alchemy is at play throughout The River and the Light, released last fall. The album presents some of her finest writing yet, and what has earned her the loyal cult following that seems to be steadily growing in spite of, or perhaps because of, her tendency to spend time off the grid rather than on it.
Neufeld’s production on the album, his ability to add layers and depth while maintaining the raw vulnerability of everything happening in the moment, is masterful. The addition of haunting old time fiddles and Cajun accordion of celebrated roots musician Dirk Powell and Black Prairie’s Annalisa Tornfelt seem to invoke something ancient, something deep in the American psyche in songs that are already layered with the complexity of belonging; this is not only a journey of the soul but a journey of the times we are living in.
Advance tickets for these Filling Station and other upcoming shows are available in-store at Cactus Records and www.cactusrecords.net. For more information, visit www.chickenjamwest.com. •