Ventura Music Scene
So Very Ventura!
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com
It was incredible hearing Keb Mo up close and personal as he dropped in for a four-song set at Salzer’s Records on May 13. He hung around before and after signing memorabilia and CDs and chatting with fans for quite some time. One of my old school rock heroes, Vinny Appice, held a drum clinic for Pulse Drumming on Saturday, May 17; I swung by for the meet and greet but hung out for awhile as he started the clinic and Q&A. The best answer of the day was when he was asked by the mother of a drum student if it would be good for a beginning student to learn genres other than rock or metal, to which Appice replied, “There is no other genre.” It was loud to be sure, but oh so incredibly good! And of course, we had to catch Eric Burdon at the Libby Bowl in Ojai. Yes, he hadn’t been touring so much, and yes it was his 73rd birthday, but the man still has it! What a great night with such a rock and roll icon!
Ventura Music Week runs June 6th through the 15th with a special Kick-Off Party on Thursday, June 5 in Figueroa Plaza at the Knights of Columbus Hall, featuring local favorites Rey Fresco, Ragging Arb and the Redheads along with guest performances by many of the area’s top talent. It’s free and open to the public beginning at 7:00 pm. The next day begins ten days packed full of events including drum clinics at Pulse Drumming; an open house at Parsons Guitars; a June 9 screening of the Academy Award winning documentary, “20 Feet From Stardom” at the Century 10 Downtown theater; a tribute to those who capture music on film and video with a Visual Music event June 10 at Ventura City Hall; a wine and beer tasting fundraiser in the gardens at the historic Mission San Buenaventura; plus the Global Guitar Greats tour stops at the W Gallery on June7. Of course the big culminating event will be the Roadshow Revival: a Tribute to the Music of Johnny Cash on Saturday, June 14 with headliners Los Lobos.
And finally, we found yet another opportunity to help our local music scene here in Ventura with a VenturaRocks.com Local Music Listening Station at the brand new store called Very Ventura at 79 California Street. Michael Mendelson and Angela Rosales recently opened their doors offering local artists and vendors a place to showcase and sell their art, t-shirts, jewelry, knick knacks and now music! Currently you can listen then buy CD’s from Dirty Rice, Shaky Feelin’, Charles Law and Jagged, Donna Deussen and Paul Weitz Trio, 50 Sticks of Dynamite, The Rubberneck Lions, and the brand new one from Bloody Mary Morning.
Do you have any music related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing? Send all information short or long to Pam@VenturaRocks.com.