Arts Devo

Video Chico, part one Ever wished you could be one of those happy revelers the camera pans to during a live taping of a concert, showing how much fun the crowd is having? Here's your chance. The Music Gone Public live-music documentary series produced by local videographer/musician Peter Berkow, and now showing on PBS stations across the country, is gearing up to create season two, and episode No. 1 will be filmed at the Sierra Nevada Big Room. On Monday, Nov. 30, Berkow and his crew of local pros—including sound man Dale Price, plus fellow videographers Dan Carter, Jim Miller, Tricia Berkow and Mike Hoopingarner—will set up at their local stomping grounds to capture sets by visiting American roots crew the Nell Robinson and Jim Nunally Band, as well as local trio MaMuse. Berkow says the Chico band will be the first local act to be featured in the PBS series. He couldn't have made a more appropriate choice than the dynamic and emotionally resonant music of the local favorites. Go cheer them on and be a part of public television in the making!

Video Chico, part two Chico's music-video scene is blowing up! In addition to MaMuse's music going public—not to mention Bill DeBlonk's locally produced Banana Grape Stomp live-music series coming to PBS in January and the variety of performing-arts programming coming to the new Bcac.tv community-access channel (also in January)—our local KCHO public radio station has started uploading its own music videos online in a new series called Songs From Studio C. Fashioned after the popular NPR online music show, Tiny Desk Concerts, the new program was spearheaded by local musician/KCHO music director Nolan Ford, who has been producing the shows with videographer Sky Scholfield. An audio version will air on KCHO, 91.7 FM and www.mynspr.org every other Monday at 6:44 p.m., with the videos being published on the website simultaneously. They have many episodes in the can and so far have uploaded three songs: one each by locals Garrett Gray and Sylvia Bowersox, and one by Olympia, Wash., duo The Lowest Pair. Visit www.mynspr.org/topic/songs-studio-c, and find the archive on YouTube by searching: “North State Public Radio.”

DEVOtions: Bidwell book: Here is the perfect Christmas gift for local kids, John and Annie Bidwell: The Long and the Short of It, a biographical picture book about our city's founding couple. It's written by local author/historian Nancy Leek (whose work includes the Bidwell bio John Bidwell: The Adventurous Life of a California Pioneer) and illustrated by legendary local artist Steve Ferchaud. Pick it up at Made in Chico, the Bidwell Mansion gift shop or online at www.goldfieldbooks.com.

• Skin Peaks CD-release: Get all your scene-cred points for the year in one night: cassette-release party for local hip/moody garage-rockers Skin Peaks this Friday, Nov. 20, 9:30 p.m., at Duffy's Tavern, with support from garage-mates Bran Crown and the mesmerizing atmospherics of Donald Beaman and the Spirit Molecules.