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

Ventura Music Week doesn’t roll around until June, but a couple of meetings have already taken place and though the City hasn’t offered a budget to help out, we’re moving forward with several fundraising events taking place over the next few months. With a shoestring budget in the past and a handful of volunteers, this event has shaped up and grown over the past couple of years but there is much work to be done to achieve the committee’s vision. And yes, while it is a celebration of how cool our music scene is, it’s more about getting the word out about what Ventura has to offer not only to visitors, but to our own community. Our venues should be packed. Our artists should be celebrated and supported. That is the purpose behind this event.

Brothers Gow will return to Ventura in support of their 4th studio release, “Reflections” at Bombay’s on Thursday, November 20. The band’s high energy eclectic fusion of rock, funk, jazz and reggae is totally contagious. I recent spoke to Kyle Merrill (guitarist for Brothers Gow) about their return to our fair city and I asked him about what people can expect at the show and Merrill said, “We love to make people dance! We have an energetic stage presence fueled by powerful vocal harmonies, complex arrangements, and ripping guitar solos. To top it all off we have an awe inspiring light show run by our very own Matt Collier AKA MC6.” You can see complete interview at VenturaRocks.com.

The 14th Annual 4-Kids-2Kids Toy Drive will be held on November 22 at the all new Ventura Beach Club at 281 West Main Street. The music lineup features some of our favorite musicians including Ray Jaurique and the Uptown Brothers, Tommy Marsh and Bad Dog, The Guy Martin Band, Mojo Filter, Preston Smith and harmonica wizard Jon Gindick. Special honorary guest will be Nick St. Nicholas, founding member of Steppenwolf. A ten dollar cover and a new unwrapped toy will get you in the door.

The Ventura Harbor is once again offering their “Wine, Dine & Jazz” series through the month of November on Sunday afternoons Noon – 3 pm. You can still catch Hans Ottsen & Friends on the 16th and Justin Claveria Trio on the 23rd.

I’m looking forward to one of my favorite events of the year the Ventura Winter Wine Walk which is coming up on Saturday, December 6, downtown Ventura. The day begins with a street fair at noon with vendors and live entertainment (free to the public) and then the wine walk commences at 4:00 with snowfall at California and Main streets from 6:45 to 8:00. Musical entertainment will come from The Bomb, The Midnight Band and the British Beats. If you’d like more information and or to get your tickets before they sell out, go to www.VenturaWinterWineWalk.com.

And finally, congratulations go out to Discovery for getting through the City’s permitting process. Now let’s get back to having live music, permanently!

If you have any music related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing? Send all information short or long to Pam@VenturaRocks.com.