Have a Harp: While Roy Rogers took a break and disappeared for parts unknown, Norton Buffalo brought hometown harp upstart Junior Boogie onstage for a harmonica throwdown that shook the Attic's rafters last week. Explaining that they had first jammed together when Junior was just a kid, Buffalo proceeded to exhibit his characteristic generosity by giving the younger player the lion's share of the soloing. Junior Boogie (born Jeremy Heinemann) rose to the occasion, as one might expect from the Santa Cruz stalwart who leads the veritable house band for Moe's Alley (where he'll be playing On March 6 and 11; Junior will also return to the Attic stage on Feb. 20 to open for Antony Gomes). Meanwhile, Buffalo just keeps getting better through the years, and cohort Rogers (who actually opened for Buffalo and his band way back in the '70s) definitely brings out the best in him. Especially memorable were Buffalo originals like Tremble (which would be perfect for Aaron Neville to cover), a transcendent duet on Robert Johnson's Terraplane Blues (which Rogers once recorded with John Lee Hooker on vocals) and the recounting of a Chinese tour in which an announcer introduced the duo's rendition of Shake Your Money Maker as Wave Your Money-Making Machine.

Yeehaw: Portland junkyard blues duo Hillstomp bring their homemade instruments and inbred raveups to town Feb. 11, stopping by KPIG for a live performance on Sleepy John's Please Stand By show Sunday morning, followed that evening by a headlining gig at the Blue Lagoon. Also on the bill are Devil Makes Three's Pete Bernhard and Mule Train singer/Punk Planet scribe Paul Davis, who also penned the Taj Mahal article in this very issue. Showtime is 9pm.

Be Fruitful and Multiply: Sesnon Gallery manager Leslie Fellows wrote in to tell us that our recent essay by writer Tara Bahrampour (Seeds of Addiction, Jan. 10) proved "immensely helpful in under-standing the symbolic and cultural significance" of the pomegranate, which happens to be the key ingredient in local photographer/performance artist Erin V. Sotak's new installation called Squeeze. On Feb. 7, an opening reception will be held from 5 to 7pm featuring a performance by the artist.

Nothing Says Love Like Cavorting Sea Otters: If you ask me, the common sea otters, that lovable whiskery pup of the Pacific, are as cool as they are smart. According to Paul Chanin's The Natural History of Otters, sea otters in Monterey Bay have learned to pry open rusty beer cans in order to get at the tiny octopi who take up residence in them. How cute is that? If you want to catch the frisky critters as they cavort in Elkhorn Slough Nature Reserve, a series of two-hour Valentine's Day Otter Tours will be departing from Moss Landing Feb. 9-12 and again on Feb. 14 itself. For information and reservations, call 831.633.5555.

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