The Coloma/Lotus area in El Dorado County approximately 36 miles northeast of Sacramento is strangely connected to the river. In 1848 James W. Marshall first discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, leading to the California Gold Rush. Over 160 years later, the South Fork of the American River still breathes life into the area’s few, lucky residents, as well as countless tourists seeking adventure on the water.

“The river, without it, this would be just another one of those oddly dry foothill spots,” says Matt Semonsen, a longtime resident of Lotus, Calif. “But because it’s such a gorgeous natural resource, most people are completely connected to the river in one form or another.”

Semonsen was a river guide in the late ‘70s, and he points out that there are a ton of people that live in the Coloma/Lotus area that are also ex-river guides, or current ones.

“It’s a really amazing small-time community that way,” he said. “If you aren’t connected with moving water somewhere, you are somewhat out of place.”

Being a huge fan of live music, Semonsen founded the American River Music Festival six years ago to connect the small river community with musicians and concertgoers from all over. This year the festival will take place from Sept. 14—16, 2012 and will feature dozens of performances from top-notch musicians handpicked by Semonsen as well as three campsites for attendees to choose from, a 14-mile whitewater rafting trip that includes a secluded riverside acoustic concert halfway through the float, a hike along the river that includes a tribal percussion jam circle, live art, food and so much more.

“Part of our identity is bringing national talent to this region that normally never makes it here,” Semonsen said. “We have a little bit of blues, we have a little bit of singer/songwriter, we have a little bit of jam, we have a little bit of rock.”

This year’s main stage performers include eight-time Grammy nominee and world renowned slide guitarist Roy Rogers (with his band the Delta Rhythm Kings); South Carolina-based roots rock group Dangermuffin, whose newest album Olly Oxen Free recently topped the Homegrown Music Network radio charts; the Tony Furtado Band; Poor Man’s Whiskey; Wheeler Brothers; The Joe Craven Trio; Birds of Chicago; and many more. For Semonsen, building the lineup is fun, albeit rather stressful.

“We’re broadcast live by KVMR out of Nevada City,” he says, noting that because the station generously allots so much of its airtime to the festival, it adds extra pressure when choosing which acts will perform. But Semonsen finds ways to have fun with it, too, by challenging himself.

“One of the guys who heads up the collaboration between the fest and KVMR is a guy named Wesley Robertson, that guy’s been on the air for 20 years,” Semonsen said. “The guy knows his music up, down and sideways. I always pride myself on bringing somebody that he’s never heard before.” This year Dangermuffin and Wheeler Brothers were the two acts that Semonsen stumped Robertson with.

“I think those bands are both really, really fine,” he said.

Whether you hit up the American River Music Fest for just one afternoon or you decide to do the whole shebang and camp out for the weekend, you’re sure to discover some great new music and make some new friends, all while enjoying the beautiful scenery. Disconnect from your computers, iPhones and Androids and head up to the Coloma/Lotus area to experience something different. You’ll witness a small river community being transformed into a music mecca.

“The festival kind of immerses the community in music throughout that whole weekend,” Semonsen said. “Everybody always has a lot of fun. It’s really dialed.”

To learn more about American River Music Festival and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.americanrivermusic.org/. There is also a “Fest Best” giveaway that you can enter until Aug. 15, 2012 where two people will win all access passes worth over $500 that includes riverfront camping, entry to all concerts, access to the whitewater rafting trip, free meals and more.

Minus the Bear, Annuals

Harlow’s – Sacramento, California
Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008

Having perfected the art of showing up fashionably late, I arrived at Harlow’s just after Helms Alee finishes playing. With Harlow’s this is usually the best option if you want to avoid the arrival crowd—the early birds were lined up outside at least 20 minutes before the doors even opened.

Harlow’s was dimly lit with inviting shades of blue and green, creating an inviting atmosphere. I snagged one of the tables scattered near the bar—having been a long-time fan of Minus the Bear, I was prepared for a mellow evening. As the curtain unfolded for a surprisingly dramatic entrance, Annuals arrived onstage.

“Check, check”¦check”¦.more?”

“Yeah, we’re okay.”

While I laughed at the seemingly excessive sound checks at the beginning of the show, it turned out that the band wasn’t just obsessive-compulsive about the show sounding perfect—there were some serious technical problems during their set. I scoffed at the earplugs being sold at the entrance, but it turned out that the reverberating noise within the small venue was just too loud, especially with the singer. More cow bell, less vocals?

Annuals lived up to their reputation as an indie-rock band, with poignant, throaty vocals screamed out by the endearingly earnest singer. Some of their songs were a little too mellow for my tastes—I believe those were mostly from their earlier releases. But toward the end, the band played a couple of upbeat gems that brought up the energy of the room, and had fans clapping along. Overall, the Annuals put their heart and soul into the show and surpassed their label of “opening band.”

“There are no ghosts, watching through your walls”¦“ began lead singer Jake Snider of Minus the Bear, opening with the song “Lotus” from their most recent album, Planet of Ice. Having memorized just about every one of the band’s songs, I noticed that their live performance was quite a bit faster than the studio releases. The songs blended seamlessly into one another, often without any pauses or transitions.

While in some bands it seems like the singer is perpetually in the limelight, each member of Minus the Bear seemed equally involved, swaying and bobbing to the music throughout the show. It actually seemed to take the singer a couple of songs to really get into the music—but soon he was tossing his long, well-conditioned mane around just like the others.

Minus the Bear isn’t a chatty band, and with the exception of a quick shout-out to Obama, they didn’t use the stage as a soapbox to discuss their political views. This show was all about the music.

Their generously long set, complete with an encore, even included some acoustic performances. The set list did seem to favor their new songs; they played most of Planet of Ice and passed over some of my favorites from their older albums. But I forgave them when they wrapped up the encore with the song, “Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse.”

Minus the Bear never fails to disappoint, blending edgy guitar riffs with unique and deceivingly upbeat instrumentals. The sound is almost hypnotic as their surprisingly dark lyrics paint pictures about flawed relationships, altered states of mind and what it’s like to be human. If you haven’t checked this band out, maybe it’s time you did.