July | 2025 | Ventura Rocks

Ventura Music Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com
We’re quickly heading towards midsummer and with it the highlight of the season, the Ventura County Fair and specifically all the Grandstand Stage performances. On opening night, Wednesday, July 30, there will be a collective, hip hop/rap “Beach Block Party” featuring Tone Loc, Ying Yang Twins, Fat Joe and Pepa (of Salt-n-Pepa). I’m putting my money on “Wild Thing,” well maybe “Push It” as the collective post-concert earworm. Then on Thursday, July 31, it’s Diplo for a night of electronica; Friday, August 1, it’s Dirty Heads with reggae/rock; Saturday, August 2, Lee Brice, country; Sunday, August 3, La Maquinaria Norteña & La Séptima Banda ft. Mi Banda El Mexicano; Monday, August 4, Flo Rida Featuring Bubba Sparxxx, more rap; Tuesday, August 5 it’s Dylan Scott featuring Cheat Codes with modern country and the last night has more country with Scotty McCreery featuring Kruse Brothers. Don’t forget if you want to be up close to the stage, you’ll need to purchase VIP tickets. But for the rest of us, the shows are included in the price of admission to the fair. Another noteworthy tidbit, while most nights feature tribute bands on the Station Stage, The Outlaw Mariachi play August 4, Kruse Brothers August 5, and The White Buffalo will perform on Thursday, August 7

The week before the fair opens, Summer Dead Fest lands at the Crowne Plaza Hotel for four days and nights of jams. The poolside deck stage outside the Aqua Bar has free access to the bands, but if you want the Friday and Saturday night concerts which conclude a “Sunset Vibes Silent Disco” until 3 am, you’ll need tickets. For more data, go to VenturaGratefulDead.info.

The Ventura Music Festival has several more shows this week including Ventura’s own, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy with Barrelhouse Wailers opening. Their July 25 show is sold out and the venue has been moved to the College’s Performing Arts Center.

Music Under the Stars at Olivas Adobe continues its summer series of Friday night concerts with Psychedelic Summer on July 26, and Stone Soul on August 2. Both nights are sold out. As mentioned in our last issue, all shows are sold out except August 23 with Conjunto Oye, who promise to deliver high-energy danceable Latin music with Cuban rhythms and Puerto Rican flair; so, you know, take the hint.

Quick Notes: The Psychedelic Furs play the Ventura Theater on Wednesday, July 23 and Billy Vera & the Beaters on Saturday, July 26; Shawn Jones plays Bombay’s on Thursday, July 24; reuniting, it’s Preachers and Pornstars for a date at Gigi’s on Friday, July 25; it’s Bee Gee Fever over at Camarillo Constitution Park on Saturday, July 26; and Swing Shift big band plays the Sportsman in Camarillo on Sunday, July 27.

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 Music Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com
Over the next couple of weeks there will be plenty of live music events, some free, some family friendly, but all promise to be tons of fun. Let’s start with the Hueneme Beach Festival which falls over the weekend of July 12 and 13 at Hueneme Beach Park. No admission, but tickets can be purchased for the carnival rides and of course there will be plenty of food vendors and local artists’ displays along with live music. On Saturday there will be several local high school marching bands, InStone, Red Hot Cholo Peppers and Corazon de Mana. On Sunday, they’ll have a couple of tribute bands, Smooth Sounds of Santana and Kings of Queen, along with Banda La Veneosa and Halcones del Bajio.

The following week, starting midweek and running through Sunday, July 20, it’s Heritage Days in Old Towne Camarillo. Same deal: free admission, but you can purchase carnival ride tickets. The first few days offer up DJs, but on Friday you can catch John Surge and the Haymakers, and Just Dave Band. On Saturday it’s Hindsite, SkaDaddyz, D.on Darox & the Melody Joy Bakers, Heavy Rotation and the Brandon Ragan Project. Then finally on Sunday, you can catch Full Clip, Alejandro Medina, Mariachi Los Toreros, and Maclovia.

D.on Darox and the Melody Joy Bakers on Fat Tuesday 2025

Over at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, Surfers Point Live, the Tequila & Taco Music Festival will be held over the weekend of July 19 and 20 with Lil’ Kim, the Queen Bee, headlining on Saturday. Also performing, Adelaide Pilar and La Marcha. On Sunday, it’s Vilma Diaz Y La Sonora and Smooth Sounds of Santana. Tickets available at TequilaAndTacoMusicFesival.com.

Music Under the Stars at Olivas Adobe kicks off this Summer’s series of Friday night concerts with 4 Lads from Liverpool on July 12, and Dark Desert Highway on July 19. Both nights are sold out. By the way, all shows are sold out except August 23 with Conjunto Oye, who promise to deliver high-energy danceable Latin music with Cuban rhythms and Puerto Rican flair.

Quick Notes: Ventura Music Festival’s Big Bad Voodoo Daddy concert with Barrelhouse Wailers on Friday, July 25 is sold out plus the venue has changed to the Ventura College Performing Arts Center; The Boatyard Pub at the Ventura Harbor has wrapped up their remodeling upgrades and live music is back; Lowered Expectations will play the Downtown Ventura Summer Concert Series on Thursday, July 10 (6-8 pm) at California and Main; this year’s Bowlvolution Tiki Summer Bowl Out at Harley’s Camarillo Bowling will be held on Saturday, July 12, with Stagger & Fall, The Afraid, Toledo Panic and The Disappointments playing in the bar;
and Plan B Winery has Déjà vu (acoustic) playing the music of Crosby,Stills, Nash & Young on Sunday, July 20.

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Monthly Archives: July 2025

Ventura Music Scene 7/23/25 – 8/5/25

Ventura Music Scene 7/9/25 – 7/22/25