Ukiah

From WikiMusician

Ukiah is in Mendocino County, California USA. The city's population is 15,500, plus there are about 15,000 others living in the rural Ukiah Valley area. The sparse population supports a limited music scene in Ukiah proper, so this article also includes the rest of Mendocino County and western Lake County.

Contents 1 Performance Venues 2 Music Stores 3 Luthiers 4 Music Instructors 5 Studios 6 Professional Musicians and Bands 7 Semi-Professional, Hobby Musicians and Bands

Performance Venues

• Al's Redwood Room, (707) 459-2444, 207 S. Main, Willits, CA
• Arena Theatre, (707) 882-3456, 214 Main, Point Arena, CA 95468
• Blue Wing Saloon, (707) 275-2233, 9520 Main Street, Upper Lake, CA 95485.
  

  

  Blue Wing Saloon, Upper Lake
  Blue Wing offers blues every Monday night from 7:00 to 9:00pm. Tables are cleared from the back corner (see photo)
  

  

  Blue Wing Saloon, Interior view; tables are cleared in back for band
  as a stage area; the band must supply its own P.A. system. The first set must be on the quiet side to allow diners who were not expecting music to eat and get used to the idea. You can turn it up for dancing on the second set. Blue Wing is a small venue accomodating 60 people, but it may be one of the classiest places to play in the Ukiah area and will remind you of tonier bars in San Francisco. Food is excellent. It first opened in the 1880s when Upper Lake was a stage coach stop. It was a popular watering hole until prohibition struck in 1920. The new owner completely rennovated it along with the Tallman Hotel next door. The Hotel offers its own "Concerts With Conversation" dinner-event series in the Spring with five chamber-style classical music events. It also sponsors a four-night blues festival in August, with music from 5:30 - 9:00pm played outside to a venue of 150. Band bookings for Blue Wing and Tallman Hotel are by Bernard Butcher, bb@tallmanhotel.com. Compensation: $100 for the band, plus tips and a free meal; alcohol is not included.
• Caspar Inn, (707) 964-5565, Caspar Rd., Caspar, CA.
  

  

  Caspar Inn, One of the oldest road houses in California
  The Caspar Inn is 100 years old -- one of the oldest road houses in California and the main venue for live music on the Mendocino coast. The venue offers live music on Wednesday - Sunday nights; shows are from 9:30pm to 1:30am. Load in is at 7:00pm and sound check at 7:30. Music includes the blues, rock and roll, reggae and bluegrass. Singer-songwriters are usually booked on Wednesday nights. There is a DJ on Tuesday nights and an open mic on Sunday nights if a touring act is not booked. The open mic starts at 9:00 and Caspar Inn provides a backline and instruments so there's no excuse for not playing. "We're very musician friendly and work hard to get a good, organic sound in the room," says Jai Vatuk, manager of music at Caspar Inn. Jai characterizes the venue as being "somwhere between a nightclub and a music venue." It holds 220 people and has a 16' x 14' stage raised 10 inches off the floor. The house sound engineer (Tej) or Jai will mix your sound through the venue's 24-channel Mackie mixer, two 15-inch main speakers, two 18-inch subwoofers, and four floor monitors. Local bands usually play three sets while national acts play two extended sets. Compensation is based on the draw, which is usually 85% after paying the box office and sound staff. The venue may guarantee payment if a band has a track record. Door fees range from $5 to $35, so compensation may vary between $0 and $5,000. Caspar Inn has eight rooms and compensation usually includes overnight accomodations for the band. Email Jai at jai@mcn.org or call (707) 964-565 to book your band at Caspar Inn.
• Carlos & Vinny's, (707) 263-6493, 370 S. Main St., Lakeport, CA. This is a family-style casual dining establishment offering live music events on an ad hoc basis, perhaps four times a year. Dining and bar are in front; a back room offers a nice area to play with large raised stage and pool table. There is no P.A. system. The venue used to offer live music every Friday and Saturday but the owner says the bar tab rarely cleared the $500 band fee. Consequently, if a band can convince Vincent to let it play there, the band must bring its own crowd and expect nothing more than the door cover charge (usually $10 max) and tips. The owner says live music there may have caused bad publicity by attracting a couple of fights outside by rowdy locals, so bands that play with amps turned to 11 with wild hell-raisin' fans will be unwelcome at Carlos & Vinny's.
• Club 7-11, (707) 462-7111, 711 S. State St., Ukiah, CA 95482.
  

  

  Club 7-11 stage and dance area
  Open Mic Night every Monday from 9:00pm until midnight or 1:00am. Sometimes bands show up and occasionally let other players sit in. Call "Jammin' Gino" at (707) 462-4161 to register or get more information. He provides a minimal P.A. system, but your band will need to bring its own if sound requirements are sophisticated. The venue's ambience will remind you of places where you earned your stripes as a performer. You're likely to bump into veterans of the Ukiah music scene as they hang out and play pool at Club 7-11. "We provide Open Mic Night as a way to give something back to the community," says Angela, a co-owner of Club 7-11.
• Headlands Coffee House, (707) 964-1987, 120 E. Laurel, Ft. Bragg, CA. Acoustic performances include jazz and singer-songwriter.
• Himalayan Cafe, (707) 467-9900, 1639 S. State St., Ukiah, CA 95482
  

  

  Himalayan Cafe raised stage is at far end of photo
  The Himalayan Cafe has live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Acceptable music styles include jazz, singer-songwriter, reggae, and other world music - pretty much any low-volume style that does not disturb diners, according to owner Makar Rai. The venue has a raised stage in an intimate, exotic setting that seats 45 people, so a performer or band is truly at the center of attention while patrons dine on Nepalese and Indian cuisine. Setup is at 5:00pm and music is from 6:30 to 9:00pm. Bring your own P.A. system if amplifcation is required. Call Paula Samonte at (707) 468-8910 to book your band at Himalayan Cafe. Compensation is $50 to $100 plus tips, and includes a meal and drinks.
• Hopland Sho Ka Wah Casino, (707) 744-1395, 13101 Nokomis Rd., Hopland, CA
• House of Pizza, (707) 459-2017, 1611 S. Main St., Willits, CA
• Konocti Vista Casino & Resort, (707) 262-1900, 2755 Mission Rancheria Rd., Lakeport, CA
• Potter Valley Cafe, (707) 743-2848, 10761 Main St., Potter Valley, CA.
  

  

  Potter Valley Cafe stage area is in front of the window at the end of the bar
  Live music occurs every Saturday night, and some patrons come expressly to hear the music. In the winter, music is from 6:30 to 10:30pm. In the summer, music is from 7:30 to 10:00pm. Acoustic music compatible with dining is preferred, such as jazz or singer-songwriter. Electric bands are more likely to play during the summer when the music is played outside on the patio. Setup should be done by 6:00pm. When playing inside, the band sets up between the bar and restaurant section (see photo). Leave a message for Kimber to book your band at Potter Valley Cafe. Will Siegel & Friends always play once a month, and Kristen the owner has a few other favorites so competition to perform here is keen. Compensation is a meal and two drinks.
• Robinson Rancheria Resort & Casino, (707) 262-4000, 1545 E. Hwy 20, Upper Lake, CA
• Ukiah Brewing Company & Restaurant, (707) 468-5898, 102 S. State St., Ukiah, CA 95482.
  

  

  Ukiah Brewing Co. at State St. & Perkins
  This is the main venue for pop music performance in Ukiah. Live music is on Wednesday through Saturday nights with an occasional cover charge of $5 to $10. Wed. is an acoustic open mic hosted by Jim from Jitterbox Music. The other nights feature live blues, reggae, rock, singer-songwriter, and occasional jazz or classical music from local and touring bands. Music is usually from about 9:30pm 'till 1:30am. Quiet live dinner music may occur occasionally on Thursdays. Bands must complete setup and sound check by 5:00pm to avoid disturbing early diners.
  

  

  New stage at Ukiah Brewing Co.
  Check the Ukiah Brewing web site for a current calendar of performances. "We're serious about providing the local community with a quality venue for live music," says Bill Thornsby, events coordinator at Ukiah Brewing. The owner just built a raised stage next to the front door for performances. House P.A. includes a 24-channel mixer, 2 top loudspeakers, 2 subwoofers, 4 monitors, 5 mic stands and a few microphones. Bands are urged to bring their own mics and cables to ensure their sound. The venue can accomodate up to 220 people for special music events that include dancing. For band bookings, contact Billy via email at events@ubcr.com and include a link to your music, or drop off a CD so he can preview your songs. Ukiah Brewing is celebrated locally for its all-organic microbrew beer and offering of organic menu items. Compensation: Meals and drinks are provided for all musicians. Other compensation is negotiated, and may include a percentage of the cover charge or ticket sales for bigger shows. Most of the shows with guaranteed payment are national acts that are brought in and backed by outside promoters.

Music Stores

• Bandbox Music, (707) 263-4747, 1041 11th St., Lakeport CA
• Dig Music, (707) 463-8444, 362 N State St., Ukiah, CA 95482
• Frank Shorts Music & Recording, (707) 462-5386, 537 S Main St., Ukiah CA 95482
• Greco's Guitars & String Instruments, (707) 884-9665, 39140 S. Highway 1, Gualala, CA
• Jitterbox Music, (707) 462-4311, 200 S. State St., Ukiah CA 95482
• Mendocino Music, (707) 495-3738, Boonville(?), CA
• Strings & Things, (707) 262-0622, 901 N. Main St., Lakeport CA
• Ukiah Music Center, (707) 462-8863, 745 N. State St., Ukiah CA 95482

Luthiers

• Allan Droyan, (707) 964-2130 or allan@stringbassshop.com in Ft. Bragg, CA. Droyan is a master luthier specializing in upright bass repair work. He was the main luthier for San Francisco Bay area classical and jazz bassists before relocating to Ft. Bragg. He also repairs violins, violas, cellos and other hollow-body wood instruments.

Music Instructors

• Barry Marloff Guitar Instruction Studio, (707) 964-1564, 110 E. Laurel, Ft. Bragg, CA
• Coast Music, (707) 962-9150, 210 E. Redwood Ave., Ft. Bragg, CA
• Kathy Byrne Piano Studio, (707) 263-7095
• Maggie Graham Music, (707) 459-3466, 234 S. Main, Willits, CA
• Margie Salcedo Rice Violin & Vocal Studio, (707) 468-8011, Ukiah, CA
• Marks Mountain Music, (707) 928-0482, 16360 Highway 175, Cobb Mountain, CA
• Matt Cameron Music Instruction (guitar, bass, banjo), (707) 367-3038, Ukiah, CA
• Skelton's Music (fiddle, violin), (707) 279-4336, Kelseyville, CA
• SPACE School of Performing Arts & Cultural Education, (707) 462-4094, 145 E. Church, Ukiah CA 95482
• Ukiah School of Music, (707) 462-4094, 294 W. Smith, Ukiah, CA 95482

Studios

• City of Light Recording & Sound, (707) 263-3038, P.O. Box 460, Lakeport, CA
• Laughing Coyote Productions, (707) 485-0621, P.O. Box 420, Redwood Valley, CA 95470
• R Studio & Workshop, (707) 462-4162, 120 Feedlot Lane, Ukiah, CA 95482
• Russian River Studio, (707) 468-0282, 6401 Old River Road, Ukiah, CA 95482

Professional Musicians and Bands

• II Big, "Brand New Classic Rock" since 1994
• After-Ours Productions, (707) 961-1472, Ft. Bragg CA and (707) 884-4805 in Gualala, CA
• Bagpipes By Peter Kapp, (707) 895-3406
• Brewer, Spencer, (707) 485-7664, Redwood Valley, CA
• Goodpeople Productions
• Moody's Music, (707) 964-4701, P.O. Box 2418, Ft. Bragg, CA
• Samonte, Paula (keyboard, vocals), (707) 468-8910

Semi-Professional, Hobby Musicians and Bands

• All Teeth, hardcore, punk.
• Blackhorse Blues Band, SRV-ish blues originals and covers since 1995.
• Chon Travis, acoustic, new wave, rock.
• Definition Unknown, string metal.
• Memphis Exchange, classic rock since 1994.
• Robertson, Andrew, original music.
• Rootstock, rock reggae since 1983.
• Self Fulfilling Prophecies, rock, reggae.
• Top Shelf, fusion of modern rock and reggae.

Contributors to this page

DaveB, Nat