Pacific Grove native Dave Holodiloff gets around. During his decade-long tenure on the Monterey music scene he has played weddings, private parties, festivals and numerous pubs, gliding from genre to genre on the jetstream of a uniquely eclectic sound.
His consistency inspired Weekly music writer Adam Joseph to dub Holodiloff “the hardest-working musician in Monterey.”
Effort doesn’t equal entertainment, but his tunes always sound good, whether live or through headphones, driving demand for shows like his next at Cannery Row Brewing Company Friday, Aug. 19.
“Rattle Snake,” from his self-titled 2016 album, is a frenetic Celtic melody that liberates an inner child who runs through a meadow, grabbing handfuls of rich-smelling grass and soil.
“London Bridge” is a sexy Middle Eastern interpretation of the classic. It begs the listener to watch a circle of belly dancers sway through hookah smoke.
Come Aug. 26, Holodiloff and his band play all original songs that span bluegrass, reggae, funk, Latin and more. “This is the biggest show I’ve ever done,” Holodiloff says. “We’re not going to be a band to listen to while you drink at a bar. People will attend to watch us.”
Back at Cannery Row Brewing Company, Eve of Eden plays Saturday, Aug. 20. Lead singer Aliza Hava’s voice is pure and hits crystal notes, but she sings in a lower, smokier register on a verse from the title song of her 2016 album Natural State: “Take me to a place/ where living in a dream/ is a natural state of grace.”
The charismatic singer began her career in New York City where she played at the legendary punk nightclub CBGB. She has performed with Dr. John, and has opened for Jefferson Starship and Richie Haven.
Before moving to Santa Cruz and forming Eve of Eden last year, she cut solo albums with multi-platinum producer Toby Wright (Heart, The Wallflowers, Alice in Chains), and Stephen George (Paul Simon, Sting, Mary J. Blige).
Hava is a human rights activist, and she shares her beliefs through what she calls her most personal song, “Rise,” from her 2006 album of the same name.
“My brother has been shot down/ My sister has been battered and bruised… We will stand upright/ We will burn like candles in the night/ We will to sing/ Not to fight.”
DAVE HOLODILOFF 9pm-midnight Friday, Aug. 19. Cannery Row Brewing Company, 95 Prescott Ave., Monterey. No cover. 643-2722, www.canneryrowbrewingcompany.com.
EVE OF EDEN 9pm-midnight, Saturday, Aug. 20. Cannery Row Brewing Company. No cover.
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