Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze 6/30/21 – 7/13/21

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

I love a good night of live music, but every now and then you leave a venue with such a smile ingrained on your face that the muscles truly ache, but it feels so right. Such was the case when I caught one of Cadillac Zack Presents shows at Cantara Cellars this past week. This one featured Jimmy Vivino, band leader for the Conan O’Brien Show.

Jimmy Vivino

Jimmy Vivino
Photo Credit: Seth Brandes

I knew the music would be stellar, but I still was not prepared for what would unfold. For starters, you could tell Vivino was just as anxious for a great night of live music; this was his first live performance since the pandemic hit. When told by the sound man he needed one more minute before starting, Vivino quipped to the audience, I’ve waited 15 months to play, I guess I can wait one more minute. Vivino would continue to talk to us audience members

Fito de la Parra

Fito de la Parra
Photo credit: Seth Brandes

treating us like friends he hadn’t been able to hang out with for so long. The band was super tight with drummer Vince Fossett, bass player Rick Reed and uber talented Anders LaSource aka Sugarmill Slim on harp. And as much as I loved the blues classics they played, for me it was the classic rock tunes including “Are you Experience” by Hendrix and “Midnight Rambler” by the Stones that cemented that smile on my face. And while all that was fabulous including a killer guest performance by Debbie Davies, it was the unannounced appearance of Fito de la Parra, drummer for Canned Heat that made this night so extraordinarily cool. Imagine sitting there listening to killer renditions of “On the Road Again,” “Going up the Country” and “Let’s Work Together” with the original drummer of this iconic group when you realize, this man was not only at the Monterey Pop Festival, but he was at freakin’ Woodstock!! I’ll be smiling for quite some time.

Quick Notes: Peirano’s has been approved for a full liquor license; Made West Brewing is back up with live music on most Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays; Pato Banton & the Now Generation play Mrs. Olson’s on July 1; Sick Boy returns to the Sewer on July 2; Tuesdays night Nardcore Nights continue at Rock & Roll Pizza in Camarillo with Free Love Project and No Remorse on July 6, and iDecline with Devil’s Daughter on July 13; Ventura Jazz Orchestra w/ Donna Greene perform at Poinsettia Pavilion on July 9; Cadillac Zack presents Guitar Shorty at Cantara Cellars on July 9; Rachel Flowers with Hans Ottsen and Adam Clark will be at Namba on July 10; Oceanview Pavilion Performing Arts Theatre by the Beach tribute bands Smooth Sounds of Santana on July 10 ($2 cover); Tommy Marsh will be back in town for a couple of dates as Crooked Eye Tommy, first at Grapes & Hops on July 9 and then at Winchesters on July 11; Surfer’s Point Live just announced Scotty McCreery and Rodney Atkins for July 30, Sublime with Rome and Dirty Heads play October 9; and Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real perform at the Ventura Theater on September 9.

Interview with Wyatt Hull of Hy Brasil

Pam Baumgardner: How did the pandemic affect you as an artist?

Wyatt Hull: The pandemic mostly changed the way I was making music at the time. I went from working songs out live in a studio with a band to recording in my kid’s nursery and emailing tracks back and forth to others.

So, you were productive during this time?

Wyatt: It was a roller coaster. At times I did absolutely nothing creatively, using the pandemic as an excuse, and then the pandemic and political unrest would inspire me at other times to write five songs in a week.

What’s your latest project.

Wyatt: There are a few. Tyrantula put out a pandemic single called “FUN,” Gypsy Death Star has an EP that is essentially ready for release, and I’m currently working on a new record with my Hy Brasil bandmate Nik Gonzalez for a project that we are yet to release the name of.

Who have you been working with on these projects?

Wyatt: Nik and I are currently working with producer Jonathan DeBaun on this new project. We record everything at our homes and email mixes back and forth until completion.

How about plans to market and get the word out?

Wyatt: At the moment we are choosing which management we want to go with for this new endeavor so that ball will be in their court we hope.

How is it you ended up providing songs for the Casamigos ad campaign (Casamigos is a tequila company co-founded by George Clooney)?

Wyatt: The director of the Casamigos video campaign asked me to write some music for the ads but they didn’t give me much time. This being said the songs were all written and recorded with local Ventura friends on the spot in one night live at the Captain’s Quarters Studio here in town.

What’s next for you?

Wyatt: Next for me is focusing on getting this new record completed and unleashed to the world as it showcases a new and heavier sound for Nik and I lyrically and musically. A lot of it reflects the insanity that was 2020 so the sooner we can release it the better.

You can find out more about Hyatt’s projects on Facebook.

Don’t forget to tune into the Pam Baumgardner Music Hour on KPPQ-LP out of CAPS Media for music highlighting artists out of the 805 and artists who come to the 805 to play including the new music from Ray Jaurique, Scott Detweiler, Dylan Garica and Jason Brock. I think I’ll have to drop in a Canned Heat tune this next week as well.

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, and for updated music listings daily, go to www.VenturaRocks.com.

Post Pandemic Party Time

It’s with a happy heart I’m seeing more and more venues getting back up to speed, but you should know this, they can only do so with the community’s support. Do what you can to support their efforts.

VenturaRocks.com has always been free for venues inside the City of Ventura, and for the first eight or so years, we only covered the City of Ventura, but a few years back we opened the listings to venues outside the city but still inside the county for a small fee of only $10 a week (one day or seven). But then the pandemic hit and all music came to a screeching halt, we waived that final month’s invoice and idling sat by waiting for live music’s return.

Well it’s back and not just outdoor acoustic sets, but indoor full bands, and again we want to help out. Back in 2009 when VenturaRocks.com was initially launched, it was done so to help during another crisis when the economy took a dump. We wanted to inspire people to get out and support the venues offering what we love most, live music, and so we’re doing it again by waiving all fees to be posted on VenturaRocks.com through Labor Day 2021. So from Rock & Roll Pizza in Simi Valley to the Ojai Underground in Ojai, from Anna’s Cider in Santa Paula to Crown & Anchor in Thousand Oaks…if they have live music, we’ll post it for free through Labor Day.

We’d appreciate it if you could help spread the word, or give us a head’s up of where the live music is happening around the county.

Love & Support
Pam Baumgardner
Owner/Operator VenturaRocks.com
pam@venturarocks.com

Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze 6/16/21 – 6/29/21

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

artwork

I really thought I was clever lining up local artists for a short Q&A the past year because frankly, there was very little to write about regarding our music scene other than a lack of a music scene, but that got old fast. So, the Q&A’s were fun and interesting as I caught up with such local artists as Dan Grimm, Tommy Marsh, Will Breman, Natalie Gelman, Chulz Torrez, Guy Martin, Christine Law and so many more. We heard about how they had been holding up during the pandemic and what they had been up to and what new music they had been working on lately. (They’re all archived by the way on VenturaRocks.com) Well I had one lined up for this issue, but I got burned, and he missed the deadline, so lucky for me, we actually have a music scene starting to come back to life for me to write about now!

In my last column I mentioned how it looked like the days of Concerts in your Car were numbered and I was right, Nelly was the last show on Saturday, June 12. I was severely disappointed that Vanilla Ice with Tag Team #WhoopThereItIs was taken off their calendar, that is until I opened an email from CBF Productions and found they’ve been rescheduled to perform here in town after all. CBF Productions are the good folks who brought you Concerts in Your Car, California Beer Festival, Winter Wine Walk, and yes, the Tequila and Taco Music Festival where you can now see both Vanilla Ice and Tag Team #WhoopThereItIs over the weekend of July 24. Last year of course was cancelled due to the pandemic and previous years it was held at Plaza Park, but this year the festival will be held at Surfer’s Point at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. I’ll be honest, it will be good to walk on solid ground (as opposed to the park) after a tasting or two of tequila, and definitely after one of those fiery margaritas they have for sell. Saturday it’s the two hip-hop/rap artists, and then Sunday features tribute to Selena & Latina artists. Tickets on sale now at TequilaAndTacoMusicFestival.com.

Adam and Josh have been slowly but surely getting their new jazz club, the Grape, ready to open their doors to the general public, and the timing couldn’t be better as the county continues to reopen and allow businesses to get back to…business. I just spoke to Josh and he told me they’re looking at the second week in July. YES, FINALLY!! Now you may have seen a post on social media about a show at the Grape on July 8, but that will be a live-stream featuring Karl Hunter, Hans Ottsen, Guil Juliao and Adam Clark (Adam’s back in town for a mere week or so). Adam and Josh are working on dates for Mike Garson’s return, and I hear Doug Webb and Danny Carey are eager to play the new joint as soon as they can. The new jazz house will definitely be a feather in the cap of Ventura’s music scene, and I for one can barely wait to check it out.

Cadillac Zack has landed a new venue for his blues shows at Cantara Cellars in Camarillo. It’s recommended to get your tickets in advance so you don’t miss out when shows sell out. You can do so by calling or texting (323) 377-5291. Tickets range from $20 to $35 with all shows starting at 8 pm; doors open at 7. Currently the line-up includes Jimmy Vivino, bandleader for the Conan O’Brien show on Friday, June 25; Guitar Shorty, blues legend and Hendrix’s step-brother, on Friday, July 9; Laith Al-Saadi, brilliant guitarist and finalist on NBC’s The Voice on Friday, July 16; and Josh Smith, famed modern blues guitar genius on Friday, July 23. August dates include Chris Cain, the Atomic 44’s (formerly The 44’s), Paule Cerra and Lionel Young.

Quick Notes: Winchester’s is hosting “Burning Mask Ventura” on Sunday June 27 from 1 pm to 7 pm with live music from Two’s Company, the Bomb and Spencer the Gardener; there’s actual live music at Bombay’s on Saturday, June 26 starting at 5 pm with the Swizzlers, Vonettes and Fish Fry; catch Tuesday Blues Day evenings at Copa Cubana featuring Jerry McWorter, Ed Berghoff and Shawn Jones this month; Franck L. Goldwasser has a date at Namba on Saturday, June 19; and finally, are you’re missing a little Nardcore? Well Rock & Roll Pizza in Camarillo will be hosting Tuesday night Nardcore nights starting June 22 with Out of Trust and the Robot Uprising.

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, and for updated music listings daily, go to www.VenturaRocks.com.

Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze 6/2/21 – 6/15/21

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

Ventura Rocks artwork

It’s good to see people out enjoying live music again.  We still need to follow the rules as we head towards summer and with any luck at all we’ll put this pandemic behind us once and for all. I’m happy to report that Margarita Villa and Boatyard Pub are ramping up their music calendars but the writing’s on the wall numbering the days for Concerts in your Car, though they recently added Vanilla Ice with Tag Team #WhoopThereItIs for Saturday, June 26, which could be their final show.

In this issue of the Breeze, I have a Part Two of a Two-Part Interview with local artist Natalie Gelman who is releasing Moth to the Fame this month. Natalie talked about her background, lessons learned to date and working in the studio in the last issue, this time we learn more about her new release Moth to Flame, her mentors, and oh yeah, that time she opened for Bon Jovi.

Pam Baumgarnder: Tell me about your mentors.

Natalie Gelman: I’m lucky that many of my mentors are also my friends. I’m always so inspired by writing with Charlie Midnight. We’ve been collaborators for over 10 years now. He is a lyrical genius and has made me a better songwriter.

I love being inspired by my singer/songwriter friends and we all kind of mentor each other. Nathan McEuen, who many people in Ventura know for his great work as an artist, is a dear friend of mine and has pushed me musically as we’ve toured and shared stages together. My friend Rebecca Loebe is another singer-songwriter who I’m often in contact with about some aspect of the business or something artistic. It’s important to have those relationships to help make sense of this often-strange journey in music and lift each other up when things are rough.

How long has Moth to the Flame been in the works?

Natalie: I started recording this one seven years ago. It’s crazy to think that it’s taken that long to get to release but everything in the music business takes longer than you think it will. I wanted to have certain people play on it and it took time to get them in the studio when they were home from tour. Then I decided I wanted to do a lot of the editing on it myself and I didn’t really know how to do that when I started so that took a while to learn. Lastly, I decided that I was done and exhausted from doing everything myself as a DIY musician and I was adamant that I needed a team to help release this music and give it the best shot of being heard. Through a series of events, research and hard work I built a small team around me that I’m proud of and hopefully they will help the songs have a small chance of cutting through and reaching more people.

Photo of Natalie Gelman
Photo credit: Mariana Schulze

Is there a theme at work on this one?

The main theme on this album is the same as in so much of my music, which is not to give up on yourself or your dreams no matter what. I’ve had my share of hardships growing up and in my adult life but hope and the pursuit towards my dreams always carries me through and pushes me onward.

That isn’t to say that I don’t get down and a lot of the songs on the album are written from a place when I was feeling sad about something and trying to make sense of it all and lift myself up. Music is so often my therapy and release, it’s a way to make sense of the world. Sometimes I get really lucky and the lessons I find in writing about it serve as reminders each time I play the song.

Tell me about your producer and the players on it.

Charlie Midnight and I produced it together. He’s incredible and I’ve already mentioned his songwriting but he’s also very well-known and respected as a producer. He’s produced albums for Joe Cocker, Hilary Duff, Whitney Houston and others.

CD artworkThe players on the album are all top notch. The backbone of the album is Curt Schneider on bass and Blair Sinta on drums. The two of them play for Sara Bareilles and Melissa Etheridge respectively as well as many others. Tim Young played guitar on the album and has backed up Beck and Fiona Apple who is one of my influences and is now the guitarist on James Cordon. Dave Palmer played keys and he’s also played for Fiona as well as Patty Griffin who is one of my absolute favorite singer-songwriters.

The guest artists on songs include Nathan McEuen who lent his wonderful banjo playing to “Heavy Heavy Heart,” the most recent single, and “Some People” from the full album. Jason Frazier, a Ventura treasure, played harmonica on “Won’t Matter Anymore,” a song that Bernie Grundman insisted in fitting on the vinyl in our mastering session. Fernando Apodaca who often played around Ventura with Todd Hannigan played his gorgeous and dreamy violin on a few songs on the album too.

What sort of plans are in the works to market it?

Things are a little strange now still because of Covid but I’m hoping to start touring with it in late summer and the fall. Right now, the focus is on sharing it out online. I’ve been collaborating with by husband, Brent Florence, on music videos for the album and I am dreaming up creative plans for the release so it’s still special even though it’s not a traditional album release.

You have Live from Quarantine available on your website; what’s the backstory on that?

Thanks for asking. That’s a free “live” album that I give away. I’ve been sharing a free live album every year on my birthday in July for the last 6 or 7 years. Past releases have come from Chicago, London, New York, Los Angeles and more. Because we were all in lockdown, recording the “live” album at home was the best I could do. Maybe if we’re still somewhat in lockdown on my birthday in a few months since venues haven’t really opened up again yet I’ll have a Live from Quarantine part 2.

I’ve always wanted to ask you about opening for Bon Jovi.  How did that come about?

That was so awesome, one of my favorite memories that I’m sure will last for years to come. Thanks for asking about it. The band actually runs a contest where they choose a different local or regional act in each city on their tour to open their arena show. I was selected for their Sacramento date and it was an incredible experience.

The whole team was really nice and as I finished my last song, I was relishing the moment and thinking; “what song do I need to write so I get a chance to do this again?” It was all just incredible to play my music for that many people and to meet Jon and his team.

I’m really looking forward to following your career and wishing you nothing but the best.  Do you have any closing thoughts you’d like to share?

Aww thank you! That means a lot to me. I really appreciate the time to chat with you and everything you do for the local music community. I think we’re so lucky here in Ventura to have so much amazing local talent and venues. I know everyone has been starved for live music this past year and believe me that all the artists want just as badly to come out and play for you too. So, when things open up, please do come see the shows and support your local music community.

I’ll definitely be out there with this new album and I’ve been writing lots of songs this past year during quarantine so it won’t be long before there’s even another one from me! If you want to order the album or pre-save the music visit my website nataliegelman.com to find the links. Thanks again for talking to me today!

To find out more about Natalie Gelman, visit her website NatalieGelman.com or follow her on social media, Facebook.com/NatalieGelmanMusic, Twitter.com/NatalieGelman and Instagram.com/NatalieGelman.

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, and for updated music listings daily, go to www.VenturaRock.com