The Chico scene: 2010-2019

As 2009 came to a close, I sat at my desk at the CN&R and tried to wrap my head around Chico’s music scene of the first decade of the century. Listing 10 bands that I thought represented Chico at that time, I wrote that, much like our digitally integrated lives, things were kind of all over the place. It was good and bad: lots of (amazing) choices, but little cohesion.

In the 10 years since, the world has become more fragmented, but musically, on the local scene at least, it feels like we’ve come together a bit. Maybe the same internet that’s divided us has increasingly become a platform for local exposure and connection as well? There’s no question that Chico has welcomed more open-minded producers with an eye toward community.

Venues like Naked Lounge, Argus, Lost on Main and, especially, The Maltese have settled into eclectic programs of live music, with the latter featuring a near-constant rotation of performances on its vibrant calendar. And though it’s been open for just two years, the Blackbird bookstore/cafe/performance space has become known for its egalitarian approach to programming. Chico Area Punks continued to bring local and touring acts of all flavors together. And to toot our own horn for a minute, through this newspaper’s CAMMIES promotions, the CN&R has brought together the breadth of the music community on stage and in print every year of the decade.

Even the Chico Breaks the Record music-marathon world-record attempt at the Tackle Box successfully rallied virtually all the local troops under one roof—though the second attempt proved more divisive than cohesive to the scene.

The most impressive community-building over the last decade has been by the Uncle Dad’s Art Collective. The cooperative of local performers has been one of the most active producers in town, and much of what the group has done has included an impressive range of musicians from across the genre and age spectra. Each of its large-scale productions at Laxson Auditorium (for musical tributes to the likes of Queen and Madonna) included as many as 60 local performers, and the annual Small Town Big Town concerts at the Sierra Nevada Big Room each highlighted 15 different local songwriters of all stripes and supported them with the 10- to 20-strong Uncle Dad’s Orchestra.

No one entity has done as much to cross pollinate the local scene over the last 10 years (and counting—on Feb. 29, Uncle Dad’s will gather the local troops for a “best of” show at Sierra Nevada featuring favorite arrangements from its previous tribute nights).

It’s refreshing to have more to talk about now, but lists are fun, too. With apologies to the dozens of Chico bands that mattered just as much, here are 10 acts (11 actually) that together represent one picture of Chico’s music scene in the past decade.

Big Mo & the Full Moon Band: German-born bandleader Maurice “Big Mo” Huffman and his huge band packed dance floors with a tight and soulful blues/Southern rock sound that’s made them probably the most popular act in town.

Bogg: Brought jazz out of the corner and onto the stage.

Bunnymilk: Lisa Marie and Kelly Brown’s hip dark-folk duo was the seed for many more hip acts: Skin Peaks, WRVNG, et al.

Cold Blue Mountain: In a decade that belonged to metal and its many offshoots (see Amarok, Aberrance, Teeeph, La Fin du Monde, etc.), this powerhouse brought all the heavy pieces together.

Michelin Embers: Guitar + ukulele + lap steel + gut bucket = a Chico hootenanny.

Pat Hull: Behind those engaging vocals is the most prolific songwriter in Chico.

Severance Package: Sneering punks rule the scene with riff-happy garage rock.

The Shimmies: Three songwriting brothers make cinematic indie rock.

Surrogate: Better lyrics and better rock than most bands in any town.

Swamp Zen and Black Fong: The kings of the jam and funk scenes, respectively, rule the decade and give birth to a butt-shaking renaissance (see: Smokey the Groove, Lo & Behold).