I am posting this edition of the Setlist from the road, having joined up with the herds of holiday travelers to celebrate the end of summer by driving for a ghastly amount of time to a faraway place. And while I am not towing a boat or driving an absurdly sized RV, I am nonetheless enjoying a small piece of America. Specifically Missoula, Montana, where it's dry and hot during the day, the water is clear and the nights are not friendly toward T-shirts and bare feet. It's a beautiful place, though — it had better be after driving for what seemed like the better part of a decade when we were crawling through the treeless dustbowl of eastern Oregon and Washington — and the people are friendly. So while I explore the nightlife of this remote college town in the wilderness, I invite you to do the same in the lovely outpost you call home.

Have a great week.

Thursday

In the interest of bringing you different options for your evenings, I feel compelled to inform you that there's a new, informal house venue show series near downtown Arcata called Concerts at the Crib. Tonight at 8 p.m. you can catch award-winning Nashville-based Americana and folk duo Mare Wakefield and Nomad as they come through town in support of their newest record Time to Fly. For venue address and information, call Gregg at 499-8516 or send an email to crib1251@gmail.com. The suggested donation for the show has a sliding scale of $10-$25.

Friday

Outstanding Italian psychedelic duo Father Murphy is on its last tour ever so there is a once-in-a-lifetime show going down at the Miniplex tonight at 9 p.m., when that tour touches down in fair Arcata. The group has earned raving rants of acclaim from past tour coevals like Jarboe and Xiu Xiu. If you like those outer limits luminaries, you will love this group, too. The always great CV opens the night's action ($10).

Saturday

Pin Ups on Tour is a traveling burlesque variety show that recreates a 1940's- style USO show, complete with vintage costumes, dancing and music. Its aim is to raise money for wounded veterans and performers will be shaking a leg at the Arcata Vet's Hall at 6 p.m. tonight. There is a dinner at 6 p.m. for $10, the show is over 18 only (price TBA), period attire is encouraged, and veterans and active duty service members get in for free with an RSVP to doright@dorightind.com.

Returning native trumpeter Nicholas Talvola has toured extensively throughout Europe on the professional jazz circuit. Tonight at 8 p.m. he teams up with more rooted local jazzbos, including Tim Randles, Ken Lawrence and Tommy Fitzmaurice for a tribute to Miles Davis at the Arcata Playhouse. Having heard Mr. Talvola play a few times in the past year, I can tell you this will likely be a great show ($12, $10 students and Playhouse members).

OG Rasta vocal harmonizers Israel Vibration are putting on a big one at the Eureka Municipal Auditorium tonight at 9 p.m. ($25, $20 advance). With a career spanning five decades, these Jamaican polio survivors and reggae monks are always known to put on a good show when they visit the Emerald Triangle. DJ Dub Cowboy opens the show.

Sunday

The Jam continues its Sundaze electronic dance music series with a curation by Moontribe Collective's own eminent DJ Ben Annand. Providing local color on the 1s and 2s will be Marjo Lak and Derek Watts. The fun starts at 9 p.m. and the door price is $5 until 10 p.m., when it bumps up to $8, so get down early and stay late.

Monday

Blues-tinged surf rockers from the cold Oregon coast Pigasus Trio return to the Siren's Song tonight at 8 p.m. to team up with local indie R&B act James F and the Blackbirds for a night of analog fun. It's Monday night in early September and the cover's only $5. What do you have to lose?

Tuesday

Native Nashvillian-cum-denizen-of-Franklin, Kentucky, Rayland Baxter — who, rumor has it, writes tunes in an old rubber band factory — plays a sort of strutting and soulful rock 'n' roll that comes across like a smoothie of equal parts Yardbirds, Replacements and Big Star. He can be found with his band tonight around 8:30 p.m. at Humbrews, where he will be dropping some science about songwriting, I have no doubt ($15, $12 advance).

Wednesday

Peace-seeking, world touring, fiddle playin' Phoebe Hunt brings her country-smoked (with incense) group Phoebe Hunt and the Gatherers to Ferndale this evening to perform songs from her latest release Shanti's Shadow. Consisting of songs about redemption through suffering and meditation and the release of pain, her set will appropriately be going down in the cemetery adjacent converted sanctuary of The Old Steeple. Come release the ghosts with some pretty acoustic music at 7:30 p.m. ($25).

Full show listings in the Journal's Music and More grid, the Calendar and online. Bands and promoters, send your gig info, preferably with a high-res photo or two, to music@northcoastjournal.com.

Collin Yeo is recreating the Oregon Trail in a Subaru with less river fording, better food and substantially less dysentery (hopefully). If he decides to return from the magical mountains of Montana, he will continue living in Arcata.