Arts DEVO

Song birds take flight.It looks like The Birdhouse house concerts are back at the Forest Ranch home of David and Kerry Eldridge. On Saturday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m., Nevada City modern folksters Paul Kamm and Eleanore MacDonald will be on hand to entertain the couple’s guests. The Birdhouse had been on hold since Butte County, in response to neighbor complaints, shut down the popular venue at the end of a private road. Kerry said that in the wake of a county supervisors’ meeting on the issue, they met again with neighbors and officials and came up with a compromise of having only four concerts in the November-March season (future shows with Mumbo Gumbo’s Nina Gerber and Chris Webster as well as young blues-rocker David Jacobs Strain are already set), although they still don’t have 100 percent support from neighbors.

Butte County Development Services Director Tim Snellings said that after further consideration, his department decided that the house concerts are not something the county can regulate, adding that the Eldridges “just need to be good neighbors.” This new strategy will be put to supervisors during their Feb. 14 meeting, where the public will be able to weigh in on the matter.

Him and Him … and Him, too. Duffy’s Tavern is going to be the warm, cozy and hip center of the universe this Sunday night. Newly returned Chico music hero Kelly Bauman will be showing off his new band Miracle Mile—composed of a bunch of Nor Cal music studs (and all former Redding pals), including Bauman’s old Death Star mate Ken Lovgren on bass, guitarist Jason Willmon and former Knapsack drummer Colby Mancasola (For Pete’s Sake reunion?). But that’s not all—a couple of prestigious visitors will also be on hand for solo sets: S.F.’s Carlos Forster (formerly of For Stars) and Portland engineer Mike Coykendall. Among many other musical exploits, both musicians have recorded and performed with indie-folk superstar M. Ward, and Coykendall—who has recorded M. Ward, She & Him, Blizten Trapper, Bright Eyes and others at this Portland studio, Blue Rooms—also will be sticking around Chico for a few days after the show to record Miracle Mile at the Origami Recording Lounge.

Who’s the chick? I’m always surprised when a local band passes beneath my radar, especially if that band is a duo playing dirty indie-rock music and engaging in the kind of artsy shenanigans that make Arts DEVO’s energy dome tingle—such as dressing up a mannequin as a third member and including her in band photos and live shows. See what Voltare has up its sleeve during its CD-release show Friday, Jan. 27, 7 p.m., at Cafe Flo and visit the third member—Victoria Blair—and her 1,866 friends on her very own Facebook page.