Ventura Music Scene 10/2/24 – 10/25/24

Ventura Music Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com

The Seaside Highland Games return to the Ventura County Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday October 12 and 13 for their 20th outing. Both days will be chocked full of activities and live music, but Saturday does include the opening ceremonies and a Grand Parade at noon. In and around all the competitions such as heavy athletics, highland dancing, bagpiping and drumming, will be several bands include the Angry Brians, Ploughboys & Silo Rags, The Browne Sisters and more. If you’ve never attended (and whether you’re Scottish or not), I highly recommend this one for the entire family. Find out more at SeasideHighalndGames.org.

The second annual Panteon Fest will be held on Saturday, October 12, at Heritage Square in Oxnard. This celebration of Dia De Los Muertos is hosted by Pipiripau, a local brand representing the beauty of Mexican culture through apparel, art, and community events. You can help bridge the gap between generations in this day of unity and remembrance; tickets are only $15 and be purchased at PanteonFest.com.

This year’s Pier Under the Stars will be held on Saturday, October 5 featuring live classic rock from Ignition. The annual fundraiser for Pier Into the Future helps this non-profit organization help preserve and maintain Ventura’s pier. Find out more at PierIntoTheFuture.org.

Looking ahead in preparation for getting into the holiday spirit, you might want to secure your tickets now for the Ventura Music Festival’s final event of the year featuring the Grammy and Emmy Award winning, The King’s Singers. The early (4-6 pm) concert will be held on Saturday, December 14, at the Ventura Center for Spiritual Living on Laurel Street. Go to VenturaMusicFesstival.org for more information.

In a must dress for the occasion in order to gain entry, The Bloodsuckers Ball, will celebrate vampirism at the Majestic Ventura Theater on Saturday, October 12 with a performance by Eyeliner, a Bauhuas tribute band.

Boots & Bluegrass with the Van Allen Twins will be held at Boccali’s (on the east end of Ojai) on Thursday, October 3 (5:30 – 8 pm). This one is put on by the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce which also features quite the raffle (one of the prizes are two 50-yard line tickets for USC vs Penn State).

Quick Notes: John Waite (The Baby’s, Bad English and solo artist) plays the Oxnard Performing Arts Center on Friday, October 4; Shawn Jones Big Band plays the Grape on Friday, October 4; The next rock show at Bombay’s is set for Saturday, October 5 (6-8 pm) with Spam, Angie and the Nightmares and Duncan & the Dragonslayers; it’s a punk rock Saturday afternoon with One Square Mile, All-a-Blur, the Dissapointments and more at Vaquero y Mar on October 5; and the Mother Hips land at Ventura Music Hall for a show on Friday, October 11.

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 10/5 – 10/18

Ventura Music Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com

There are a number of special events lined up during the next two weeks, and of course you’ll also want to map out your Halloween plans, I’m finding a number of venues are celebrating on the days leading up to the big night. If you go to the VenturaRocks.com calendar page, you can search “Halloween” and see what I’ve found out so far. I’ll give more details in the next issue of the Breeze.
Boots and Brews adLet’s start with Surfer’s Point Live hosts Boots & Brews (yes this is the second one in the past few months), and it falls on a Friday, October 14, staring Tim McGraw, Michael Ray and Bailey Zimmerman. So get off early from work, pull on your country boots and head over to the Ventura County Fairgrounds when the gates open at 3 pm, grab a cold one and enjoy some of the best country music around! Secure your tickets at BootsAndBrews.com.

Boccali’s in Ojai and their Boots & Bluegrass special event featuring live music from Drea & Kellen Van Allen. This ticketed event includes a family-style Italian dinner, non-alcoholic beverage (wine & wine available for sale though), and live entertainment on Thursday, October 6 from 5:30 to 8:30 in the evening. Ticket information can be found on the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.

Seaside highland gamesThe Seaside Highland Games return to the Ventura County Fairgrounds this year over the weekend of October 8 and 9th with live music from the Angry Brians, Sligo Rags, Browne Sisters, George Cavanaugh and the Ploughboys. This Scottish themed event is family friendly and includes such competitions as bagpipping & drumming, drum majoring, fiddling, highland dancing, and heavy athletics. Tickets can be found at SeasideHighlandGames.org.

Saturday, October 8 is also the return of Surf ‘n’ Suds. This ticketed event features rows of vendors and with lots of alcohol samplings, and this year a mega sized beer pong competition. They’re back at their San Buenaventura State Beach location (entrance at San Pedro Street). The last time I went, I visited one of their vendors selling a unique wine opening device, and I ended up on a commercial which aired on several social media platforms, so you know, you too might can become a star 😊. Live musical entertainment will feature the Free Love Project, KingQueen Band and DJ FIU. For ticket information, go to SurfBeerFest.com.

Boccali’s in Ojai and their Boots & Bluegrass special event featuring live music from Drea & Kellen Van Allen. This ticketed event includes a family-style Italian dinner, non-alcoholic beverage (wine & wine available for sale though), and live entertainment on Thursday, October 6 from 5:30 to 8:30 in the evening. Ticket information can be found on the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.

The Brite Room located at Music Freqs, at 2258 Pickwick Drive in Camarillo offers an all-ages live music venue with bands of all genres available to the under 21 crowd. You most likely will remember this is the space formerly known as Rock City Studios. Kudos for taking a chance, and making a safe place for kids to take in live shows. I’m hoping to share more of their listings in the future. Currently I have Feed the Beast, Disrupted Euphoria and Black Moon Lilith on Friday, October 7, and Ottto, Noah Weiland and Akila Fly on Saturday, October 8. Tickets are available via EventBrite.

Ojai Valley Day is Saturday, October 15 with lots of vendors, arts, activities and live music from 10 in the morning until 6 pm. I understand they’ll have two stages one of which is the Gazebo, and the other the Libbey Bowl where Abba Dabba Doo! (Abba tribute) plays at about 3 pm followed up by Spencer the Gardener, both of which are free to the public.

New shows on sale:
Ojai Underground:
Jamie Drake on October 15
Expandards on October 21
Perla Batalla on November 11 & 12

Ventura Music Hall
The Aquadolls, Sitting on Stacy & Strange Case on October 21
La Santa Cecilia on November 1
Sammy Johnson on November 3
Long Beach Dub Allstars on December 3
Zoso, the ultimate Led Zeppelin tribute on January 14, 2023

Ventura Theater
GlorRilla on January 14, 2023

Quick Notes: The Twist is switching hands early this month, current owner Teri doesn’t anticipate any major changes with the live music you’ve come to know and love; It’s a Flashback 90s night at Poseidon Brewings with Vinny Berry on Friday, October 7; Numbskull Productions present Dirty Rotten Imbeciles at Gigi’s on Tuesday, October 11; Cantara Winery is celebrating their anniversary on October 15 with Heart and Soul; and Rey Fresco will do an intimate performance at the Aqua Beachfront Bar located inside the Crown Plaza Hotel on Saturday, October 15.

By the time this issue rolls off the presses, The Fatty Vegan will have closed their doors for good. Sad times for you Vegans out there, but we’re much appreciative of all the live bands you brought to town. Best wishes for your family’s future.

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.