Tahoe Onstage photos by Larry Sabo
After a lot of rock and roll last week — courtesy of the Scott Pemberton Band and The Connor Party — there’s a little bit of country this week at Live At Lakeview, South Lake Tahoe’s free weekly musical beach party each summer Thursday at Lakeview Commons.
Last week, Portland, Oregon’s Pemberton brought his timber rockin’ to lake after performances at High Sierra Music Festival and before a stop the next day at Reno’s Rollin’ on the River. Suffice to say that the crowd was dancing all night long. Lake Tahoe’s own fortunate sons, The Connor Party, opened the show with some appetizing rock of its own.
This week, another local artist — one-man band Patrick Walsh — opens the show for country’s Christie Huff.
Huff is a country singer songwriter who brings a pop touch to her soulful sound. She’s an L.A. girl now, but she attributes her country background to growing up in Arizona. Trips to Nashville several times a year to cowrite with other songwriters keep her ties to country strong. She recorded two CDs in Nashville. Starting out as a solo acoustic performer, Huff is well-known in Los Angeles and Orange County, and she now performs original songs both acoustically and with her band at venues including Hotel Café and The Viper Room.
She recently opened for Chris Bandi at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, and is excited to be opening for Jason Aldean at Country Fest in Wisconsin. Her single “The Way You Move” has been described as a “combination of the current pulse of Nashville, with elements of hip-hop, pop, and a sultry melody.”
Meanwhile, Walsh is a story-teller, producer and multi-instrumentalist who brings a fresh sound from the world of no genres. Born and raised in the gold rush towns of Northern California, he often incorporates local history and experiences into his songs. Introduced to music through the piano at age 6, he now plays and records with nearly 20 different instruments.
Walsh has been steadily performing his originals, live opening up for such acts as Hank Williams III and Wayne “The Train” Hancock. A firm believer in “if you want it done right, do it yourself” Walsh writes, plays all instruments, records, masters and even does most of the art work for his albums. Owner of Hangtown Studios in Placerville, he has also created his own record label, Lo Cal Music, along with his genre CaliCountry. With 45 previously released albums, he is now focusing on live shows.
Walsh takes the stage at 4:30 p.m.Thursday, with Huff set to take the mic about 6 p.m.
— Randy Hashagen
— Band profile: Scott Pemberton rolls on the river in Reno.
Larry Sabo / Tahoe Onstage
