Billy Joe and the Dusty 45s

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We now have photos and video up from Saturday’s Dusty 45s concert at the Yakima Sports Center.

For a while, the Dusty 45s could have applied for honorary Yakima citizenship.

Deemed Seattle’s top — if not most charismatic — rockabilly-roots band, the Dustys made regular stops on this side of the mountains at Grant’s Brewery Pub (Grant’s even got a shout-out in the linernotes of the band’s 2004 “Devil Takes His Turn” album) and the Yakima Folklife Festival.

Bringing with them an energetic blend of jump blues, jazz, old-school country and good old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll — not to mention a flaming trumpet finale — the Dustys have also headlined A Case of the Blues and All That Jazz, revved engines at the Vintiques Northwest Nationals Rod Run and even heated things up at White Pass’ Winter Carnival.

And following a Yakima gig, there was always a good chance you could find the band knocking back a few drinks at the Lotus Room.

“I think some people thought we were actually from Yakima,” jokes Billy Joe Huels, the Dusty 45s’ lanky frontman who sports a bobbing Bill Haley-meets-Brian Setzer pompadour.

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The eighth annual Whistlestop! Music Festival pulls into Toppenish Saturday.

The free daylong event is in Railroad Park next to the Toppenish Train Depot at Asotin and Toppenish avenues. From noon to 10 p.m. there’ll be live music, food booths — ranging from Miz Dee’s barbecue to old-fashioned ice cream sundaes — a beer garden and arts and crafts vendors.

Folks are invited to bring blankets or lawn chairs and settle in, or kick up their heels on the dance floor. Here are the groups taking the stage this year:
• noon-1:30 p.m. — Topp String (bluegrass).
• 2-3:30 p.m. — Coyote Ridge Bluegrass Wranglers (bluegrass).
• 4-5:30 p.m. — Boys of Greenwood Glen (Celtic bluegrass).
• 5:30-6 p.m. — Martin School of Dance (dance performance).
• 6-7:30 p.m. — Wide River (country).
• 8-10 p.m. — Full Throttle (contemporary country covers).

For more information, call the Toppenish Chamber of Commerce at 865-3262.

Today’s final Sunset Concert will feature four local teen bands: Slash Point, Static Say, Harsh Cows and Fire Team Bravo Bravo.

The free concert is from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in Franklin Park at 20th Avenue and Tieton Drive.

According to the Commercial Appeal newspaper in Memphis, Tenn., there was brief talk about renaming the Memphis International Airport in honor of late soul singer Isaac Hayes, who died Aug. 10.

Apparently U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen suggested the tribute at Hayes’ funeral, but airport officials weren’t so hot on the idea.

Seriously though, how cool would it be to have “Isaac Hayes Memphis International Airport” on your baggage claim stub — we could dig it.

Like that’s gonna happen

Originally uploaded by onmagazine

It’s always a loud, rowdy party — with plenty of Jäger shots — when Fresno, Calif., band Six Ounce Gloves plays the Yakima Sports Center.

The rising, and relentlessly touring, hard-rock band puts on one helluva headbanging show — so be careful not to spill your beer.

Six Ounce Gloves play at around 11 p.m. tonight at the Sports Center, 214 E. Yakima Ave.

Also on the double-sided bill is indie-folk singer-songwriter Chris Koza who goes on at 9 p.m.

Cover is $5.

If you’re like those of us at ON, you’ve been missing Sports Center bartender Robbie “Dobbs” Kallenburger (especially his cute giggle and those killer mojitos he makes). Dobbs left town several weeks back to go on tour as a drum tech with the punk-rock percussion group Street Drum Corps. (The band is part of Linkin Park’s Projekt Revolution 2008 tour.)

But Dobbs isn’t just behind the scenes. Here’s a video of him banging away with the Street Drum Corps. on Aug. 9 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif.

Maybe because it’s late at night, but I thought this posting by Lower Valley/Seattle band Fever Club (formerly The Look) was totally funny.

Next week, the notoriously laid-back college town of Missoula, Mont., will be besieged by all brands of punk, metal, garage and stoner-rock, not to mention some insurgent alt-country thrown in for good measure.

Hailing from Portland to Bellingham and San Francisco to the Brooklyn boroughs, these independent bands — about 40 of ’em — will be traversing I-90 on their way to Total Fest, the growing DIY music festival founded by Yakima native Josh Vanek.

You can read the whole story HERE.

I know, I know, it’s virtually impossible to get that “I Kissed A Girl” song out of your head.

It’s everywhere.

Including the Vans Warped Tour.

Yup, remember to pack your cherry ChapStick because cutie pop sensation Katy Perry is part of this year’s traveling punk-o-rama which pulls into the Gorge Amphitheatre this Saturday.

Also on the bill are more recognizable Warped acts such as Anberlin, Angels and Airwaves, Gym Class Heroes, Horrorpops, Norma Jean, Reel Big Fish, Relient K, Rise Against, Street Dogs and The Vandals, among many others.

The gates open at 11 a.m. Tickets cost $29.05 and are available through Ticketmaster, call 453-7139, or visit www.ticketmaster.com.