Friday, Oct. 19

REGGAE groundation, winston jarrett and his righteous flames

Over the last few years soul infused reggae — common to rocksteady, lovers rock, and roots reggae — has slowly made its way to becoming the music du jour. Alongside soul, reggae has raced its way out of the confines of nouveau-hippies and into the loving embrace of the discerning hipster. Rocksteady through roots era reggae singles, once plentiful on the second hand market, have become scarcer and have enjoyed an exponential growth in value. A few short years ago you could land a good, smooth jam for around three dollars, today expect to pay three digits for a rare track.



While the record market doesn’t exactly direct the live music market, cooler-than-thou taste makers are listening to reggae more and more. In a genre that prides itself in revamping old numbers and redefining the game, it is ironic that, to a certain extent, it also fetishizes its earlier methods, or its roots. This is where Groundation comes in.

Groundation is the Sonoma, Calif., roots reggae band that has gained an international following since forming in 1998. Their homage to roots reggae, blended with dub and jazz, has gained them respect outside the “trust-afarian” world, and has allowed them to play with dozens of the genre’s pioneers.



Friday in Olympia will not be an exception. Joining Groundation at the Capitol Theater will be reggae legend Winston Jarrett backed by his Righteous Flames. The Studio One pioneer took the helm of the flames following Alton Ellis’ departure from the group in the mid-’60s. The “Ease Up” author is just one of the many Jamaican ex-pats calling Seattle home, and will be playing his first show in Olympia.



On a personal note, I have met Winston Jarrett, and have seen him perform a few times, this is not to be missed, he is truly a reggae great. — Timothy Radar



[Capitol Theater, 7:30 p.m., all ages, 21+ for the balcony beer garden, $12-$15 tickets available at Rainy Day Music and Buyolympia.com, 206 Fifth Ave. S.E., Olympia, 360.754.5378]

Friday, Oct. 19

ROCK Schoolyard Heroes

There’s been a lot of speculation, so I thought I’d cut straight to the chase.

The Schoolyard Heroes are Satanists. They worship the freakin’ devil, yo! They probably drink goat’s blood and cut off puppy dog paws for fun. They’re a Seattle “horror/rock” band set on spreading Satan’s message and converting as many of our youth as possible into Jesus loathing followers of Lucifer.



Facts are facts. Look at the band’s catalog. Songs like “Serial Killers Know How to Party,” “Funeral Parlor Tricks,” and “Nothing Cleanses Quite Like Fire” are all the evidence you should need.



But there’s more. Don’t think just because Schoolyard Heroes recently toured with Sum 41 they’re not evil. They most certainly are. In fact, there hasn’t been a band this evil since Ozzy’s heyday. Don’t believe me? It’s on the World-wide Interweb. There are no lies on the Interweb.



Check out www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopschoolyardheroes:



“We are a group of upset parents who are trying to stop a tragedy before it begins, and that tragedy is Schoolyard Heroes.



“It has been brought to our attention that there is a cult of young children, ONLY 13 YEARS OLD in some cases, following this band around and running away from home. This must be stopped.



“They are evil! They want to corrupt our children and drive them to murder with their fascination with the dark and evil world of Satan.”



The Schoolyard Heroes play Hell’s Kitchen this Friday, Oct. 19. Now that you know they’re Satanists, I assume you’ll do the right thing — and show up in hordes. The Schoolyard Heroes fucking rock. If the band wants us to run away and sacrifice a few farm animals, it seems like a small price to pay. I, for one, love the taste of goat’s blood. — Matt Driscoll



[Hell’s Kitchen, with Don’t Even Know and Knives In The Attic, Friday, Oct. 19, 6 p.m., all ages, $10, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 235.759.6003]

Saturday, Oct. 20

ADULT ALTERNATIVE damon castello

It is easy to write a sappy love song, but the ability to pen a smart one eludes most contemporary pop artists these days. While I adore Rob Thomas’ writing, his lyrics aren’t very deep and his topics haven’t changed for 11 years — love, lost love, love — whereas John Mayer has continually evolved his song craft.



Newcomer Damon Castello, possesses a similar vibe to Mayer with the ability to construct lines that are intellectually driven but accessible at the same time. Uniting shades of blues, soul, folk and rock like so many in the new singer/songwriter movement, Castello will most certainly fall into the predictable slot of adult alternative and be played on 103.7FM the Mountain. He debuted in 2005 with a five-song EP entitled Revolving Door where he showcased his California pop style, and yet the tracks vary in style — from the soul-drenched “Weird World” to the West Coast acoustic flavored title track. “Annie Hall” is a metaphoric take on the Woody Allen film that is a fine example of Castello’s ability as a lyricist. He flirts ever so slightly with hip-hop and dub with “Get Out of My Way” and “All I Really Want,” which shows his incredible diversity. Watch this artist. — Tony Engelhart



[Jazzbones, 9 p.m., all ages, $8-$10, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169]

Tuesday, Oct. 23

BLUES mark dufresne, brian feist

Two Northwest blues men will combine forces and tear up the Red Wing Casino Tuesday. Mark Dufresne and Brian Feist are celebrated blues artists in their own right.

Dufresne is a seasoned harp player and vocalist who has been a part of the Northwest blues scene since the 1980s and shows no signs of slowing down. With a controlled mastery of the harmonica, he has been a welcomed guest on many West Coast artists’ recordings. His own disc, There’s a Song in There, was proof positive he was a true bluesman. And when the legendary Roomful of Blues was looking to return to a traditional blues format, they called upon the bug man to fill the bill.



Feist is just a babe on the blues block but is already causing quite a stir. The Olympia-based guitar player is one of the few axe men who have an open invitation to play with Little Bill and the Blue Notes. Yes, he’s that good. Whether playing jazz, funk or blues, Feist can cut the mustard with style. It is no wonder trombone extraordinaire Randy Oxford just put Feist on his payroll. — TE



[Red Wing Casino, 7 p.m., no cover, 12819 Yelm Highway S.E., Olympia, 360.412.5000]