Discover Worlds of Wonder

A A A Comments By Hiya Swanhuyser Wednesday, Sep 8 2010

The best concert ever took place on Seabright Beach near Santa Cruz in the late 1990s. The lineup was Little Wings, Phil Elverum (who back then was not called Mount Eerie but the Microphones), and Karl Blau. Having set up sturdy windbreaks of thick driftwood and hippie blankets, the trio lit roaring pit fires and proceeded to kill, in the sweet, rough way that K Records cult figures have. Karl Blau brought oysters to roast; "I'm from an oyster family," he bragged adorably. At some point, Little Wings' Kyle Field had lain on his back on the sand, losing no musical intensity while the perhaps 10-strong audience huddled around; the sea was behind him. Phil Elverum, who back then spelled his name Elvrum, became infused with spirit, grabbed Field's feet, and dragged him toward the surf. The audience listened carefully as the sound of his song got quieter and then started to get louder again. When Field was returned to the enclosure, his hair was wet — he'd been dragged to the water and had never stopped singing.

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Honeycomb and Michael Musika join Little Wings.
Thu., Sept. 9, 9 p.m., 2010

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What's happening in town? From underground club nights to the biggest outdoor festivals, our top picks for the week's best events will always keep you in on the action.