While his creative output is not limited to music, having had films in both the first and 21st Nevada City Film Festival, Adam Kline considers himself a musician first and foremost. “I make songs with my friends. Whenever possible, we endeavor to make sure those songs are good songs, but, you know, sometimes life throws a curveball.”

His first band, Badical Turbo Radness, started in high school. A student at Nevada Union, Adam Kline was inspired by his friends to pick up the guitar. “That’s when I first discovered that it’s very, very fun to make music with friends,” he shared with us. “I’ve spoken to very successful musicians who aren’t proper friends with their bandmates, and that seems miserable to me.” As the band prepares for the upcoming Golden Shoulders performance he reflected on his experiences as a touring musician. “There are few things more invigorating than playing a big, fun show with your pals, and few things funnier than playing an absolute dud of a show with those same pals.”

When asked what he’s proud of, Kline gave a list of his best songs, with the caveat “If you haven’t heard Golden Shoulders before, try these, and you’ll know very quickly if we’re your cup of tea.” He recommends taking a listen to Golden States, Setting Sun, I Will Light You On Fire, Darling, and the Honey, the Power, the Light. When asked where his songs come from, he replied, “there's no consistent, surefire process of songwriting for me; sometimes it starts with a chord progression, sometimes it starts with a title, sometimes it starts with a melody, sometimes it starts with a particularly potent rhyme, and frequently it doesn't start at all.”

We appreciate his tenacity when it comes to writing songs, as someone who’s toured across the states ten times, sometimes showing up is the best you can do for your craft. “I'll typically hammer away at the thing until I've got a chord progression, words that aren't too embarrassing, melodies for a chorus, a verse and a bridge, and then I'll deliver that concoction to my friends. They're proper musicians, so from there we'll arrange the song together and figure out what sounds nice and feels fun to play. And then there's a new song in the world that didn't exist before that, and that's magic, right?”

As he and various bandmates rehearse in the coming weeks for their post-Thanksgiving show, we wanted to know what he loves about our creative community and those whose works he admires here at home. “Anybody making music in Nevada County knows there's a high bar for quality; if your tiny town has produced the likes of Joanna Newsom, you've got to try your best to make good stuff.” One such musician he enjoys collaborating with is Davia, who “in a wild coincidence” will be opening for Golden Shoulders on the 24th. “Musically, I'm in awe of Davia, whose songs are perfect and could have only been written by her. Her singing voice is an entirely unique instrument and her gift for harmony is otherworldly. She has new music coming soon, and I couldn't be more excited about that.”

We asked What’s Next for Golden Shoulders and they couldn’t be more excited. “People should expect a very special night. Thanksgiving weekend shows are always fun, with everyone in town to see family, so we try to pull out all the stops. Hopefully we'll have some new songs out sometime next year, too.”

Golden Shoulders

with Davia Opening

Friday, November 24, 2023

Doors: 7:00pm | Show: 8:00pm

The Center for the Arts
314 W. Main Street, Grass Valley

Proudly based out of Nevada City, California, Golden Shoulders has featured a constantly changing lineup of musicians performing songs written by bandleader/mascot Adam Kline since late 2001. They’ve embarked on many tours of the United States, playing with a reduced lineup of either two or three people (however many can fit comfortably in Adam’s car), while playing larger shows with a whole mess of musicians onstage when closer to home. Their songs have been described as "excellent" by people who like these kinds of songs.

Tickets: General Admission

Dance Because

Friday, December 1, 7:00pm
Saturday, December 2, 7:00pm

Oddfellows Lodge
212 Spring Street, Nevada City

Our little town sure has a lotta dance!

Two evenings of dance to highlight our local dance community. It's going to be a heartfelt show where movement is the medium that tells the story of what our local choreographers want to express or have been going through this last year. The dances are here to provide an outlet, to be seen, to be let out and to unite us.

On Friday night, there will be a dance party after the performance, to help us to express and let go and have fun. A little bit of funk, some hip hop, a sprinkle of eighties, maybe the Dirty Dancing theme song. You know, the fun stuff.

The Choreographers and Artists Include (in alphabetical order):

Rebecca Bone, Shari Brookler, Cullen Brown, Parker Brown, Lovie Bucknell, Kevin Dockery, Jacaranda, Azriel LaMarca, Juliet Lin, Mary McDonell, Delana Motter, Rachel Grivas, Jess Riegel, Raina Satori, Trina Spiller, Sedona Swan Soulfire, Briana Steel

Price$22
Kids are free as long as they are ok with sitting on the floor in the front row.

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