Sometimes, when I feel overwhelmed, I’ll go stand inside the pantry closet. I’ll open the door from the hallway in the middle of our house, turn on the light, step in and quietly scan the […]
Arts DEVO is not a religious man nor a philosopher, but he is devoted to the songs. It’s in the lyrics of my favorites where I often get confirmation of the few truths that guide […]
Tonight, go Back to the Grotto Chico’s favorite sons are turning 30 this year. The Mother Hips, naturally, had wanted to celebrate in the way that they do best—with epic live shows throughout 2021—but those […]
It’s been nearly a month since Arts DEVO has written this column. That’s the longest break I’ve taken from it since the debut in August of 2006. The bulk of the break was spent on […]
Just play me another song Should there be any awards shows for this year? With so many canceled/postponed tours, albums, films, etc., the entertainment machine should just skip 2020 like the 13th floor and move […]
Over the 15-plus years Arts DEVO has had this column space to write about whatever he wants, the “whatever” has most often been music. I’ve said here many times that my life revolves around it, […]
I’m sure most everyone who reads this column is not a fan of Donald Trump, so since I’m speaking to the choir at this moment when most major outlets have announced Joe Biden as winning […]
Return to the Ridge In a couple of weeks, two years will have passed since the Camp Fire started in Butte County. As the CN&R editorial team has discussed the anniversary, it’s hit me that […]
The old normal? A weekend of local theater? Music at Laxson Auditorium on a Friday night? A new Jed Speer mural? What year is this?! It can’t be 2020. Looking at the calendar right now, […]
Everything old-school is new With the lockdown-triggered closures of some of the cornerstones of the local cultural scene—e.g., Blue Room Theatre, Blackbird—Arts DEVO worries about what Chico will look like at the end of the […]
Labor Day to Krampusnacht The only way Arts DEVO is going to make it to the other side of this shelter-in-place (-inside, -in-smoke, insane) with his health intact is to check his consumption—of nightly beers […]
“That’s the beauty of music. They can’t get that from you. … There’s something inside that they can’t get to, that they can’t touch. That’s yours.”—Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), The Shawshank Redemption Jenise Coon was […]
We live in this naturally beautiful place where creative exploration and having a good time can become a way of life. The Butcher Shop, for me, is the ultimate celebration of that, where Chico’s extended […]
And then the smoke rolled in. Is it possible to add the wildfire and presidential election seasons to the flaming pile of 2020 and still come out on the other end sane? I feel like […]
Is Chico on pause? It might feel like nothing is happening, and that there’s nothing new to report beyond infection rates (1,321 confirmed coronavirus cases in Butte County as of Aug. 14) and the tally […]
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