Rock out with top ukulele players at Santa Rosa festival

SMALL BUT MIGHTY: The ukulele is a fairly compact instrument, but boy, can it be powerful. In recent years, it’s become a staple in all sorts of different subgenres of music. Folk, rock, pop - you name it.

The instrument can be found on alternative albums like “I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life” by the Tune-Yards and Youtube sensations such as Jake Shimabukuro have viral ukulele covers ranging from Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” to Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.”

All and all, the tiny guitar-like instrument has become a beloved part of mainstream culture.

Highlighting the four-string instrument, the third annual North Bay Ukulele Festival brings you a day of free live music over two stages and offers more than 15 acts.

Among the must-sees is The Betty Blues (aka Kristen Pearce). The folk-rock queen blends powerful pipes with insightful lyrics that draw you in with songs such as “Freckles.”

Another great act to catch is Hawaiian artist Faith Thompson Ako, with joyful upbeat songs that take you on a mental trip to Hawaii and leave a smile on your lips for the remainder of the day.

If pop tune covers like Shimabukuro’s are more your speed, The Aly Rose Trio plays soulful jazz-inspired covers of radio hits such as “Alaska” by Maggie Rogers and “Put Me Thru” by Anderson Paak.

Beyond watching, the festival also offers interactive classes with expert ukulele players that both new and longtime uke enthusiasts can enjoy. The classes range from a crash course with Scott Gifford to a genre-hopping and essential technique class with Holden Rivera.

The event is free to attend, there will be food and beverages available for purchase, and the fest benefits the Arlene Francis Center.

Details: 2 p.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, Arlene Francis Center, 99 Sixth St., Santa Rosa. Free. Northbayukulelefestival.com

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THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM: As co-frontman of The Head and the Heart, Josiah Johnson gained a large fanbase after the band started playing major music festivals and earned a regular radio rotation.

Hearing Johnson’s vocals on Head and the Heart classics such as “Rivers and Roads” made it bittersweet when he announced a hiatus from the band to focus on his health and sobriety in 2016.

Luckily, Johnson moved to the Bay Area and has played a number of intimate solo shows during the break, featuring delicate songs that remind you why you fell in love in the first place with his indie folk tunes.

If you missed Johnson’s set at this year’s Noise Pop music and art festival or couldn’t get tickets to his show in Oakland on Nov. 9, fear not. You can still pick up tickets to see his set at HopMonk Tavern in Novato for less than $20 including service fees.

Remember to bring your ID because the show is 21 and older only.

Details: 8 p.m. Oct. 24, HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato. $15. HopMonk.com

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COUNTRY AND COSTUMES: The Easy Leaves can’t just throw one party to celebrate Halloween. Instead, the Sonoma County duo decided to throw an entire Halloween tour to honor all Hallows’ Eve. Offering a night of costumes and country music, the “Haunted Honky Tonk Tour” is a six-stop adventure hitting major cities including Oakland, San Jose and of course, Sonoma County.

Catch the Americana pair play songs off their latest release “The Wheels” and sing along to old favorites like “Purgatory” or “Crack Another Bottle.” The lineup also includes multi-instrumentalist Karl Blau, harmonica songstress Hannah Jern-Miller, Seattle act Gus Clark And The Least of His Problems, and a solo performance from Ben Morrison of The Brothers Comatose.

Details: 2 p.m.-9 p.m. Oct. 27, Rio Nido Roadhouse, 14540, Canyon Two Road, Rio Nido. $20. Theeasyleaves.com

Help us keep the beat. Write Estefany at nightbeats@pressdemocrat.com