J.C. RICO & ZULU DRAGON

Blues mainstay from Eugene brings on the soul and blues

For the past 15 years or so J.C. Rico has been tearing it up in Eugene, playing all the major clubs, working solo and with others, sticking to the true music of his soul. In July he finally made the trek over the mountains to the Landmark and he liked what he saw and heard and felt. The voice is extraordinary, so we are glad he's coming back again. Consistently in the Top Three of the blues bands rated by readers of the Eugene Weekly, any outfit this talented cat is fronting should not be missed. He getting a nice groove on the coast, connecting to the crowd and getting down to the beach.

T. RAY & THE SHADES

Rock and blues from a band with roots on the Oregon coast and New York

T. Ray and the Shades got a great shot in the arm last year with the addition of Matt Zekala, a guitar player from New York who learned his licks in the heady 1990s eastern jam atmosphere sparked by Blues Traveler. He provides a great counter-point to former South County resident T. Ray, the singer and shaker on the stage. And there is also Scott Johnston on the sax, transplanted from San Francisco. And pulling it all together is drummer Matt Murray, who grew up in Waldport.

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Special National Attraction!
MEM SHANNON 
& THE MEMBERSHIP

One of New Orleans' hottest performers, funk dug from deep in the French Quarter

If you've missed Mem when he's been in Yachats before, here's another chance to see one the best players in the country. For 15 years, Mem Shannon drove a cab in the French Quarter of New Orleans. In 1995 he turned the experiences into "A Cab Driver's Blues," a record that launched a career. Shannon has put out four more albums and solidified a place in the top strata of the New Orleans scene. The Washington Post called him "the blues field's finest social commentator." He had a hit record with "S.U.V." in 2002, earning Living Blues Magazine's Critics Poll Best Song of the Year. He has expanded the definition of the blues with performances at the King Biscuit Blues Festival and the Montreal Jazz Festival. He's shared the Kennedy Center stage with Gregg Allman, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor and John Hiatt. He's performed with Robert Cray, Karl Denson, Taj Mahal, Toots & The Maytals, and RL Burnside. And for 14 years in a row he has performed at the invitation-only New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

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Special National Attraction!
L'IL DAVE THOMPSON

From deep in the Delta, the blues redefined

A native of Greenville, Mississippi, Thompson has kept in touch with the Delta through good times and bad. He had a fast start and was nominated in 1996 at the WC Handy Blues Music Awards for "Best New Blues Artist" and "Contemporary Blues Album" with a Fat Possum Record release. His career has taken several twists and turns since then and he finds himself 10 years later on the road, backing up a brand new CD on Electrofi Records that reestablished his soul blues guitar mastery and maturity as a songwriter and performer. When he was here last year, he knocked out the crowd with a combination if sizzling blues and charisma.

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JOHN SHIPE

Alt rock and folk from a solid singer whose songs never stop developing

Shipe has a 200-plus original song repertoire, a decade of touring, radio airplay, and nine recording projects -- 27 Shipe tunes have played on 100 independent and commercial radio stations, without the support of a major record label. He does bands and he does solo. He does duo and he has reunions with his old touring band The Renagade Saints. We'll let you know if they reunite at the Landmark. For this gig the plan is to do the duo with Jerry Groove, but you really never know until he rolls into town and takes off his shoes.

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PHAMOUS PHACES

Legendary Eugene band reunites to play some alt pop ala the late Beatles

Here is a band with a long story. Originally from different rock bands in Eugene the group started playing together in 1993, writing songs, making CDs and getting along in the local club scene. The brand of music was Beatlesque with the emphasis on the rocking power pop side, leading to a stint in Europe in 1998, then an appearance at the second annual International Pop Overthrow (IPO) festival in Los Angeles. At this festival, there were over 100 bands from around the world playing pop music! Phamous Phaces found a warm and accepting audience there and proceeded to play the 3nd IPO in 1999, leading to several more trips to another trip to Europe. In 2005 in Liverpool, England, Phaces played an impressive four shows at The Cavern Club, The Cavern Pub, Lennon's Bar & Flannagan's Apple. After the event, Creative Flair UK conducted a poll that named Phamous Phaces the best band out of 120 groups that participated at the week long festival!! Back in Oregon, the band has gone through changes and will play the Landmark with its original members, including Roger McConnell, back at the stand.

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High-energy blues from Muddy award nominee

Selfe, who last year moved to Portland from his base in Roanoke, Va., has played over 1,500 gigs in 15 states over the past 10 years, conquering a wide circle of East Coast venues. But his new start in the Northwest has given him a fresh outlook. He is starting to get some recognition in Portland, with two Muddy nominations from the Cascade Blues Association.

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Funk, psychedelic and reggae from Portland

Formed in the summer of 2005, Sauce Policy has been gaining steam in the west coast music scene with addictive high-energy live shows. At its heart it's really rock n roll, but the music weaves its way in and out of many styles reflecting the different musical backgrounds of the band's members. The roster includes Yarley Nystrom, guitar and lead vocals; Karl Gottfried, guitar and vocals; Evan Malfer, bass and vocals; and Mike Apodaca, drums.

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From Austin, Texas, high octane folk rock from a veteran songwriter

Here comes Marvin Gershowitz, a 20-year veteran of the Austin, Texas, music scene, and his new Portland band, another transplant hopping aboard the Northwest musical bandwagon. Marvin played the major venues in Austin, grabbing his share of the alt country spotlight in one of the nation's hottest scenes. He brought the act to Portland in 2004 and has continued his 200 gigs a year pace, playing solo and with his band.  A reviewer from a British magazine called him "one helluva songwriter, arranger, player ... why it's as if R.L. Burnside mixed some genes with Eric Clapton and Otis Redding, who then mixed more genes with Patti Smith and Tamra Spivey and you were born." It will be his first time here.

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Funk and rock from veterans of the Northwest scene

Soulicious is a recent arrival on the West Coast. Made up of seasoned performers, but promising a fresh sound to old school funk and R&B. This is a dance band, a band that looks for a groove that gets people up and moving. The members of this ensemble bring years of experience in various Northwest bands and a wide range of individual styles blended together to create a feel the band calls "Rock Mo Funk." A featured band in last year's GRRRLZ rock in Eugene.

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T-BONE STONE BAND

Eugene veteran of the blues brings his band to the coast

T-Bone Stone has been playing music since he was 8, starting with the sax and moving to guitar and vocals. He has played blues fests all around the country including Chicago, Monterey, Sacramento, and the Mississippi Valley Fest. He has also appeared at Buddy Guy's in Chicago and B.B. King's in Los Angeles.

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