Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze 7/31 – 8/13

Ventura MusVentura Breeze logoic Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com

Finally! It’s time for live music and entertainment, carnival rides, the rodeo, exhibits, farm animals, food, and more. Yep! It’s the Ventura County Fair which runs July 31 – August 11 at Seaside Park. This year’s theme is “A Country Fair with Ocean Air” and the music, as always, is included in the price of admission. Personally, I can’t wait to catch a number of the acts and I’m super jazzed to be able to photograph several including X Ambassadors, Melissa Etheridge and Collective Soul. Photo galleries will be found on VenturaRocks.com soon after the shows. By the way, I highly recommend taking one of the many free shuttles around town.

The Music Under the Stars series continues on Saturday nights at Olivas Adobe with Four Lads from Liverpool on August 3, and Identity Theft on August 10; unfortunately, all remaining shows are sold out. You really have to plan early to catch these shows the past few years.

Be sure to put the Topa Mountain Music fest “Finding a Cure” Cancer benefit on your calendar. I’m very honored to have been asked to emcee this year’s concert with Marc Broussard, Brett Dennen, The Mother Hips, Chris Pierce, Bryan Titus Trio, Tim Curran and more amazing artists. For information about this one taking place at Libbey Bowl in Ojai on Saturday, September 21, go to TopaMountainMusicFest.org.

Quick Notes: Reggae continues on Sunday afternoons in the Treehouse Lounge at Café Fiore as well as at The Star Lounge on Main and every now and then at Discovery; 54 Reasons out of Houston play The Garage on Friday, August 2; Club Fallout’s Tech 805 returns to the Hong Kong Inn on Friday, August 2; there’s a Humane Society fundraiser at the Ventura Theater on Saturday, August 3, with Astreyas, Cool Arrows, Cruda and DNA; Old Blood (Los Angeles) plays Heavy Wednesday at The Tavern on August 7; Word of Mouth and The Swinging Nixons out of Bakersfield play San Souci on Friday, August 9; Second Sunday Supper at Plan B has Ignition rocking the house on August 11; and Salzer’s Records has Pepper performing an acoustic set on Sunday, August 11 (2 pm).

And finally, if you haven’t yet tuned in for an episode of The Pam Baumgardner Music Hour, please do so! I play music from artists out of the 805 as well as artists who come here to play, and every now and then an Indie nugget or two I think you would enjoy. The show airs on CAPS Media’s KPPQ-LP radio at 104.1 FM on Tuesdays and Fridays at 5 pm, and Sundays at noon. You can also listen in with the MyTuner radio app, or online at CapsMedia.org/radio. In the immortal words of Charles Osgood, “See you on the radio!”

Do you have any music-related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing? Please send all information short or long to Pam@VenturaRocks.com. For updated music listings daily, go to www.VenturaRocks.com.

The Ventura Fair open

Ventura Music Photos – July 2019

Winchesters – July 20, 2019
The Swillys with special guests Taras Prodaniuk and Doug Pettibone


Surf Rodeo – July 14, 2019
Highway Starr – (photo credit: Cliff Montgomery)


Surf Rodeo – July 14, 2019
Stoneflys – (photo credit: Cliff Montgomery)


Surf Rodeo – July 14, 2019
Noble Grizwald


Surf Rodeo – July 14, 2019
Shaky Feelin’


Surf Rodeo – July 13, 2019
Raging Arb and the Redheads


Surf Rodeo – July 13, 2019
The Zeppheads

Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze 7/17 – 7/30

Ventura MusVentura Breeze logoic Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com

The Ventura Music Festival’s annual free concert will be held once again at Mission Park with Incendio (high octane Latin guitar) on Thursday, July 18, show starts at 5:30 pm. The festival’s final performances will be held at the Ventura College Performing Arts Center with Joey Alexander Trio on July 19; Ranky Tanky on July 20 and Rastrelli Cello quartet on July 21.

The Ventura Fair opens August 2; this is just a reminder, if you want to take in more than 4 concerts (which are included in the price of admission), you should consider getting a WOW pass before the fair opens which gets you entry everyday saving you beaucoup bucks. See full lineup and ticket information at VenturaCountyFair.org.

Just a head’s up, Spencer Makenzie’s Annual End of Summer Block Party falls over the weekend of August 23 – 25. Don’t miss their free concert which will fall on Saturday with Johnny and the Love Handles, Dave Rae and Mandex.

I am loving all the local punk bands supporting T.S.O.L. at the Ventura Theater on Friday, July 26; just a few of the bands include Stalag 13, Ill Repute, The Grim, and The Robot Uprising.

Tequila and Taco Music Festival returns to town over the weekend of July 20 and 21 at Plaza Park with Bruno and the Hooligans, a tribute to Bruno Mars, along with Instone, Sambada, Adelaide and Upstream. Find out more at TequilaAndTacoMusicFestival.com.

Music Under the Stars series continues on Saturday nights at Olivas Adobe with Sound Effect (sold out) on July 20 and Rodeo Drive on July 27. Know this, all final shows for the rest of the summer are sold out.

Quick Notes: Munch at the Museum this month features Sandi Ellen Anderson on Thursday, July 18 (11:30 am – 1:30 pm); Pyrate Punx has a show at Hong Kong Inn with False Confession, 3 Day Holocaust, Civil Conflict and Trash on Thursday, July 18; Alpine Camp Band plays Leashless Brewing’s Vtown Get Down Festival on Saturday, July 20; Bad Religion sold out for their show at Ventura Theater on Friday, July 19; Ventura’s Psychedelic Summer debuts at Oak and Main on Friday, July 19 (dress up!); Jen Staves returns to Ventura with her Bluzfish Trio on Sunday, July 21 at Plan B Wine Cellers; Actor Jeff Bridges performs his music at Discovery on Wednesday, July 24; The Garage welcomes Tanglers out of Vancouver on Friday, July 26; And the Caverns return to town with a show at Saloon on Friday, July 26.

Many thanks to JD Drury and his crew for pulling off another amazing Surf Rodeo. Of course, I miss them at Pierpont Beach where I could park at home and walk over, but I’m loving the vibe at the Pier.

Do you have any music-related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing? Please send all information short or long to Pam@VenturaRocks.com. For updated music listings daily, go to www.VenturaRocks.com.

Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze 7/3 – 7/16

Ventura MusVentura Breeze logoic Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com

The summer event of the year is finally upon us with Surf Rodeo taking over the beach on the southside of the Ventura Pier. The weekend of July 13 and 14 will be chock-full of music both days on two stages with The Expendables headlining on Saturday, and Hepcat on Sunday. For a full rundown of over 30 bands and to secure your tickets, go to SurfRodeo.org.

Congratulations to Leashless Brewing as they celebrate their 2nd anniversary on Saturday, July 6 with live music from Bombafiya at 3 pm followed by Shaky Feelin’ at 6. Be sure to stop in for a cool one, especially if you’ve never tried their beer which is certified organic.

The band, Psychedelic Summer, will make their Woodstock-era tribute debut at Oak and Main on Friday, July 19. You’re invited to dress up in your best 60s garb (yes there will be costume contest) while listening to Joplin, Hendrix, The Doors, Sly Stone and more!

The 4th of July Street Fair will offer live music with the Colette Lovejoy Band, Midnight Ride and Rhythm 805 on the California Street Stage, then it’s Johnny & the Love Handles, Jukebox Rockers and Vendo 81 on the Palm Street Stage. The music runs 10 am to 5 pm.

One of the best tribute bands on the planet plays Thursday, July 11, and it’s absolutely free! Don’t miss Queen Nation 6:30 – 8 pm at The Collection in Oxnard.

Quick Notes: Shaky Feelin’ will make their debut at the Ventura Theater opening for Galactic on Wednesday, July 3; Shay Moulder plays Harvest Café for First Friday, July 5; the Ventura Bike Hub has with Psycoticsum, Malice Thoughts, Fun Abuse and Boy/Girl on July 5; Schwab Academy of Music continues their free concerts over the weekend at the Ventura College Performing Arts Center; Concrete Jungle hosts a Psycho Billy Night on July 6 with Cursed Bastards and Caroshi from the San Fernando Valley; it’s Hot Harbor Nights with the 805 Allstarz on Sunday, July 7, at the Harbor Cove Café; Gypsy Blues Band takes the week off for the 4th but returns the following Thursday, July 11, with special guest Shawn Jones at the Blue Room in the Ventura Harbor; The Hong Kong Inn will host a techhouse & techno party called ARRIVAL, on Friday, July 12; Music Under the Stars kicks off the 2019 summer season with British Beat on Saturday, July 13; and Plan B’s Second Sunday Supper will offer up Ray Jaurique & the Uptown Brothers for your musical entertainment.

Ventura Music Festival will re-schedule their 25th anniversary overview this fall; but the regularly scheduled festival is going as planned with concerts running July 11 through July 21 at various locations. See VenturaMusicFestival.org for more information.

Do you have any music-related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing? Please send all information short or long to Pam@VenturaRocks.com. For updated music listings daily, go to www.VenturaRocks.com.