Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze – 10/21/20 – 11/3/20

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

Ventura Rocks artwork
We’re wrapping up October and music is finally resuming, albeit on a slow and cautious path. Heeding warnings and following the new guidelines is not available for all restaurants and venues as they don’t have the space to give up, specifically 20 feet to keep artist apart from patrons. Be patient, it’s happening.

When I first reported that the Beach Boys were playing Concerts in Your Car on Friday, October 23, I mentioned that John Stamos had played drums with the band in the past, so he just might show up. Well while checking for the latest Concerts in Your Car updates, the listing now has the Beach Boys with special guests John Stamos, and wait for it…Mark McGrath lead singer of Sugar Ray who has also co-hosted Extra (formerly on NBC). Other shows to look forward to include the former members of Oingo Boingo on Saturday, October 24; the voices of Godsmack & Staind, Aaron Lewis & Sully Erna together for the American Drive-in tour on Saturday, October 31; two shows on Saturday, November 14, with 311; and already sold out, Kaskade on Friday, November 20.

The New West Symphony is presenting a reimagined 2020/2021 season; and since you can’t be with them in the concert hall, they’re taking New West Symphony to you with eight virtual mini-festivals this season. “Tour of Japan” took place from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and the Kavli Theatre at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center on Sunday, October 18. The next couple of performances are “A Tour of India” on November 15, and “Violins of Hope” on January 24. Details and ticket information will be listed four weeks in advance of each show at www.NewWestSymphony.org.

The newest episode of the VenturaRockSpot has been posted and the video can be found on the homepage of VenturaRocks.com. This time around I interview Hunter Ackerman of Hunter and the Dirty Jacks who have played Grapes and Hops here in Ventura and a number of venues in Ojai including the Deer Lodge and Topa Mountain Winery. Again, many thanks to Michelle Hoover and GWC Productions for producing the show.

The mission statement for VenturaRocks.com, and the reason I write this music scene column has changed very little over the past 11 years, the mission is to stimulate the economy by promoting venues who offer music thus supporting local musicians and those who come here to play. It becomes very tricky to maintain this objective during a pandemic. Please do your part and support the venues who are offering live music and please for the love of all that is good in the world, practice safe distancing and wear your mask when not eating or drinking. We can get Ventura back to rockin’ again, but you have to do your part.

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

Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze 10/7 – 10/20

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

artworkVentura’s music scene is far from rockin’ but at least the process of healing has begun and the County/City is allowing music once again as long as venues follow their strict rules to keep everyone concerned safe. Though I shared it in my last column, it bears repeating what is allowed, “Live solo or duet (from same household) singers/musicians can perform outdoors at restaurants, bars, or wineries. The soloist/duet must stay at least 20 feet away from patrons and not amplify the music to the point where people have to lean in to be heard. The live music cannot cause people to gather. It should be for the benefit of the business patrons who are already seated and not to attract people to gather around the performers and/or stage. All other local and state guidance must be followed.”

Stepping up to the plate to date here in town are Leashless Brewing, Winchesters, Bombay Bar and Grill, the Winery and Copa Cubana. I’m as diligent, if not more than most, when it comes to taking the virus seriously. I hope all venues will heed the rules and ensure there is space between the musician (s) and the patrons. Not all venues have the luxury of the extra space needed, which is sad, but at least we’re on the road now to heading back to more live music.

Just added to Concerts in Your Car (CIYC) at the fairgrounds here in Ventura is the band 311 which pretty much defies being pigeon-holed into one genre. Hip hop, rock, reggae, funk, in a nutshell? Flat out danceable fun. The band is playing two shows on Saturday, November 14. The other two venues for CIYC have ramped up and I’m happy to report that all bands playing in Arizona or San Diego have or will be playing here locally.

New music on the scene includes Star Goes Nova, a project by my good friend Christine Law who is known as a bassist supporting such acts as hard rockers, Tantrum back in the day, and her husband’s band, Charles Law & Jagged and Suzanne Paris. She calls it melodic bass and dubstep cinemata EDM (Electronic Dance Music) and she sent me the single, “The Apprentice.” Another good friend has been hard at work producing music on her own for the first time, Sally Williams of the Swilly’s and she worked with Doug Pettibone and Taras Prodaniuk; she sent me her single called “Suffering.” And finally, Bill Rotella is about to release a new album next month called Smoke and the Earthtones, he sent me a single off of it called, “The Other Side.” I’m super excited to share all three songs on the Pam Baumgardner Music hour (episode 119) which airs Tuesdays and Fridays at 5 and Sundays at noon, and will run 10/6 – 10/18 at 104.1 FM, KPPQ-LP out of Caps Media.

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

(post deadline: RIP Eddie Van Halen, you changed Rock ‘n’ Roll forever and took it to the next step.