Mission Mission

If you were in high school band, you know that a “Coda” refers to the musical passage that brings a song to it’s conclusion. Now it looks like the Mission jazz venue Coda Supper Club will come to it’s own conclusion on January 1st, unless they get some miraculous financial help.

There were some truly epic moments there, including the night Stevie Wonder sat in with the band in September of last year and the Nico tribute show, featuring Liz Phair. One thing about Coda that I appreciated over Yoshi’s (which receives city tax subsidies to stay afloat, by the way) is that they predominantly featured local musicians.

Local venue closings are always a bummer. Drop them a line if you’re an angel investor willing to help, or stop by in the next couple of weeks to enjoy the club before it’s gone.

Tomorrow night, Friday 9/24, at Coda on Mission and Duboce, a 14-piece supergroup of San Francisco bay area musicians are getting together for a some sets of good old Ray Charles music. The arrangements were done by guitarist Mike Irwin Johnson, of the local bebop group 8 Legged Monster. The band will be called, simply, RAY BAND.

I’m told that every female singer in town was interested in one of the three coveted Raelettes pantomiming backup singer spots. And who who wouldn’t be? They ended up with Allegra Bandy, Rashida Clendening, and Karen Fremont, who all look great in long gloves.

So who plays the part of Ray Charles? Well if you were to ask me to choose someone, I’d say the soul-dripping Lech Wierzynski from the California Honeydrops. Turns out I’m not alone. I don’t know how far Lech is going to take this role. Will he be wearing dark sunglasses and jerking spastically to the music? Will he stumble around after the show and feel up ladies wrists to determine whether or not they are hot enough to shack up with later? (It’s in the movie Ray, dude. Netflix it.)

The show starts at 10pm and costs 10 bucks. Tickets and more info here.

Update! Mike informs us that Lech isn’t Ray tonight. Instead, Dylan Germick of PLANET BOOTY will be filling the chair!