Ventura Music Scene 2/21/23 – 3/5/23

Ventura Music Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com
artwork
The rescheduled River Bottom Sessions’ Inaugural Bluegrass Festival is set for Saturday, March 2, noon to 7 pm, at Las Palmas de Ojai with performances by Tarantula Banjo, Ellie Rollins Band, The Van Allen Twins and Chris Murphy, and headlining the event is Mark Masson’s Jam Grass and Moonsville. Tickets can be found on EventBrite.

Jon Gindick has put together an acoustic blues night at Greater Goods in Meiners Oaks with fellow musicians, Ralph Carter, RJ Mischo, Bill Flores, TD Lind and Vaughn Montgomery. The show starts at 7 pm with donations accepted at the door.

Punk rockers John Doe and Exene are back at it taking X out on the road with a date at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center on Sunday, March 24. It worth mentioning that Doe and Exene will be the special guests for the Psychedelic Furs when they play the Ventura Theater on Tuesday, May 14.

Ventura Music Hall has several great acts coming up in the next two weeks including The White Buffalo on Thursday February 22; Health, an American noise rock/industrial band on Saturday March 2; and East LA legends, Los Lobos, on Sunday, March 3.

Taking a break from playing huge arenas and festivals this past year including two shows at Crypto.com Arena in LA this month and with more tour dates continuing through June in Europe, Danny Carrey, drummer for Tool, returns for a spirited night of jazz playing with The Doug Webb Group. If you’re a fan of Tool, or just enjoy some pretty hardcore jazz, then do yourself a favor and secure tickets now for Saturday, March 30 at TheGrapeVentura.com.

You might want to snag your tickets for Forever Motown returning to the Rubicon with six performances June 6 – June 9. Performers include members of the Marvelettes, the Temptations, The Spinners and more. Find out more at RubiconTheatre.org.

Quick Notes: Limon y Sal has In Stone upstairs every Sunday afternoon 1-4 pm; Duke’s Beach Grill is offering up live music early Saturday evenings with Mark Cross on February 24 and The Zepp Heads on March 2; Margarita Villa in the Ventura Harbor is back to live music on the weekend starting Saturday February 24 with 805 Crosscut; a Tribute to Leonard Bernstein, American Songbook will be held at the Ojai Underground on Sunday February 25; Shawn Jones has a vinyl release party for his latest offering, “In my Blood,” at the Grape on Friday, March 1;
Tierra Rejada Golf Club in Moorpark has more live music with 805 Social Club on Friday, February 23, and Recharged on Saturday March 2; and 311 has two dates at the Majestic Ventura Theater on Tuesday, March 5, and Wednesday March 6 with Sitting on Stacy to warm up the crowd.

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 9/20/23 – 10/3/2023

Ventura Music Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.comartworkVentura Artwalk 2023 takes place over the weekend of September 23 and 24 from 11 am – 7 pm. You’ll find art from local artisans in venues throughout the city at dozens of locations, as well as live music on the downtown stage at California and Main Streets, the City Hall Atrium, WAV Courtyard stage, and Steve TV at Mission Park. Get all the details and strategize your weekend at ArtwalkVentura.org.

artworkThe end of summer Beachside Bash BBQ will be held at the San Buenaventura State Beach benefiting the Ventura Rotary Club. This one costs $10 and features live music from Nautical Thrust and The Bomb on Saturday, September 23. Along with the music, there will be a car show as well as a national ribeye steak cookoff.

artworkThe 10th annual Banana Festival is Saturday, September 30, from 10 am – 5 pm at the Port of Hueneme. This free event includes port tours, a kid’s zone, tasty eats (a lot having to do with the event’s namesake), a marketplace and of course live music! The electric mix of entertainment features Los Cool Arrows (Latin pop, reggae), Tribute to the Greats (music featuring artists such as Steve Wonder, Chaka Khan), Upstream (Calypso w/ steel drums), Fausto Cuevas Y La Moderna (Salsa), and Coso Live (R&B, high energy pop). One’s things for sure, wear comfortable shoes because you’ll want to dance!

Oceanview Pavilion in Port Hueneme has a Steely Dan tribute band called Doctor Wu on Saturday, September 23, and Robby Krieger and the Soul Savages play the following weekend on Saturday, September 30. Just a reminder, Krieger was an original member of The Doors.

artworkCandlelight Concerts are being produced in over 100 cities worldwide including Oxnard at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. There’s a tribute to Taylor Swift in November, a haunted evening of Halloween classics (think Thriller, Tubular Bells, Beetlejuice theme, Psycho, etc…) running in October, and a number of dates featuring the music of Vivaldi in September and October. Ticket information can be found at Feverup.com.

The Grape continues to bring stellar jazz acts to our town. I can’t stress enough how helpful it is to be on their email newsletter list which gives a head’s up on upcoming shows that are sure to sell out such as the return of Poncho Sanchez on November 5m or Jeff Lorber Grammy-winning artist plays on Saturday, November 18. photo Jeff LorberQuick Notes: Ventura Blues Night returns to Bombay Bar and Grill on Wednesday nights; another installation of Rock the Collection is Wednesday, September 20 with Prince Again; there’s a special fundraiser/birthday bash in honor of Ted Neeley at the Rubicon on Wednesday, September 20; Swing Shift plays the Sportsman on Sunday, September 24; The Trivle Omdobble returns to Topa Topa Brewing on Colt Street, Sunday, September 24; Bloody Mary Morning plays Rincon Brewery on Friday, September 29; Todd Hannigan opens for David Burden at the Deer Lodge on Friday September 29; Salzer’s Records has a special in store acoustic set with Briston Maroney on Monday, October 2; and finally, Shawn Jones has a new release called In my Blood as he heads back overseas for a European tour for most of October.

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 Photos June 2023

Nabu Winery – June 25, 2023
The Popravinasphoto of Popravinas

Majestic Ventura Theater – June 14, 2023
Elvis Costello and the Imposters
photo of Elvis Costello in concert

The Twist on Main – June 11, 2023
Shawn Jones w/ Sam Bollephoto of Shawn Jones and Same Bolle

Ojai Valley Brewery – June 9, 2023
TD Lind & the Aviators photo TD Lind and the Aviators

Namba Arts Studios – June 3, 2023
Michael Henszey EP Release “Fly Away” show
Photo Michael Henszey Photo Michael Henszey

Salzer’s Records – June 3, 2023
Hozier Meet & Greet
photo of Hozier greeting fans

Ventura Music Scene 5/3/23 – 5/16/23

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

As of press time, the 2023 Ventura County Fair had not announced their entertainment yet, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t entertainment to be had at the fairgrounds in the meantime. First off, Surfer’s Point Live will host Boots & Brews in the parking lot with headliners Chris Young and Joe Nichols on Sunday May 7.

artworkAnd then…Anderson .Paak announced on April 25 that .Paak House 23 will be held at the fairgrounds on Friday, May 12. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, .Paak, aka Brandon Paak Anderson, grew up in Oxnard and attended Foothill Technology High School. Two of his albums were named Oxnard and Ventura, both produced by Dr. Dre, the latter earned him a Grammy for Best R&B Album. The fact that .Paak could hold this event anywhere, but chose Ventura, speaks volumes about this talented homegrown artist. Find out more about .Paak House and the Brandon Anderson Foundation at PaakHouse.org.

photo of Beth HartThe new season kicks off at Libbey Bowl with Beth Hart on Saturday, May 6 performing an intimate pared down show. Her back stories are entertaining enough, but I’m sure she’ll be really putting it out there without a full band backing her up.

And speaking of Libbey Bowl, the Ojai Music Festival dates include several concerts at Libbey Bowl. The festival runs Thursday June 8 through Sunday, June 11, with Rhiannon Giddens, Music Director, at the helm. I noticed at least one event has already sold out, so don’t wait until the last minute to try to snag a ticket. Find out more at OjaiFestival.org.

Bombay Bar and Grill will host a celebration of life in honor of Chris Husted who passed away last month. Chris was so a great guy, so well respected throughout the music scene. He had been doing sound on the road with Yachtley Crew recently. Friends will gather on Saturday May 13 from 2-8 with music from Shawn Jones, Guy Martin, Brion Shearer, Aaron Orbit, Rising Son, Yachtley Crew and more. 20% of the sales will go to the Chris Husted fund.

Quick Notes: Rey Fresco plays Tony’s Pizzeria Thursday, May 4; The Knotty G’s from South Carolina make a stop at Surfers Point Café on Sunday, May 7; there’s a free show featuring Old-Timey Country Bluegrass at Poinsettia Pavilion on Sunday, May 7; an in store meet & greet with Ohgeesy will be held at Salzers on Wednesday, May 10; it’s all about the punk rock on Friday, May 12 when Youth Brigade, Stalag 13, False Confession, The Afraid and Crucial Thought play the Oceanview Pavilion; Julie Christensen will perform an intimate show at the Ojai Underground on Saturday, May 13; and new dates added to the Ventura Music Hall calendar include Grateful Shred on June 15, Save Ferris on July 29, and Powerman 5000 on October 20.

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 4/8/20 – 4/21/20

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

Breeze artworkAs incredible as it may be, Ventura’s music scene is keeping its preverbal blood flowing. I’ve been watching so many live streaming events, where you can purchase to view and some where you can make a donation to the “tip” jar. Our artists and musicians are doing what they can to keep our scene alive. For this column, I reached out to a number of musicians and asked how they’ve been dealing with the Stay Home order.

Shawn Jones Singer/Songwriter

How is the Covid-19 Stay Home order affecting you as a working musician?

photo of Shawn JonesShawn:  Well, for the next half of the year all my work is gone. Everybody is in lockdown mode and all of the clubs all over the world are closed as well as outdoor events so there you have it. I had four international trips booked in Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Costa Rica, Ireland, Hawaii, Seattle, and local gigs that are all gone. It’s impacting me pretty severely.

Is there an upside to this?

Shawn: There is an upside to it in regard to things slowing down, having a chance to reflect, a little bit of writing here and there, inventing new ways to create and to share your music, getting things done around the house, etc.

But the downtime is also filled with chasing down new ways to make money in the music industry and looking into COVID-19 bills that have passed and grants that are possibly available for musicians and freelance gig economy people. Before we were never counted in and now, we are because of this horrible pandemic we are finally being recognized as a working class of people that have rights as well.

You have a new record ready to release, right?

Shawn: Well I was supposed to be doing a release in Liechtenstein for the new vinyl that we did that included Sam Bolle on bass and Gerry Morgan from Ireland on drums. It’s a live album from our studio live session at Little Big Beach Studios in Liechtenstein. That will have to come out in the fall at this point if everything goes well.

Additional thoughts you’d like to add?

Shawn:  My heart goes out to all of those that are suffering right now so that’s kind of more the important thing on my mind and being responsible in my actions and staying self-quarantined.

I am also doing a lot of writing and trying to cut it close to the heart as possible and get to some very thought-provoking topics and issues for the next project which will come out when I am ready and since I am independent it’s when I’m ready instead of when the record company tells me I need to release it, so all I can say is it will be sooner than later!

ShawnJonesMusic.com
Facebook.com/OfficialShawnJones
Instagram.com/ShawnJonesMusic
Twitter.com/ShawnJonesMusic
YouTube.com/User/ShawnDJones


Kelly Zirbes, singer/songwriter of Kelly’s Lot


Are you and Perry (Kelly’s Husband and Guitarist for Kelly’s Lot) still working a day job?

photo of Kelly ZKelly: Perry is still working. He is finishing up a post-production sound on the new Ghostbusters movie. He can do that from home and meets with the team on Zoom for updates.

How’s the Covid-19 Stay Home order affecting you as a working musician?

Kelly:  We have switched gears and started planning, arranging and writing a new record featuring songs from the Facebook Word Challenge that I have been doing for a couple years. Fans give me a word and I write a song in 2 hours. I miss playing with my band but a new CD is nothing to complain about. I am blessed.

Do you find an upside to this?

Kelly: No, not with all the fear, sadness and suffering. I don’t mean to be negative, but live music helps so many and creates a community that is missing right now.

What are you doing to fill the time?

Kelly:  Just writing more songs and checking in with people. We feel blessed that Perry is still working so we have reached out to those who are not working now and have helped in different ways. We all need to look to the left or look to the right and see who beside us who is hurting and do something to help.

Add anything else you’d like to share.


Kelly:  If you’d like to help a local musician, just think about who you loved going out to see in your local pubs and reach out to them. Maybe they are doing an online concert or selling CDs on their websites. Maybe they need to hear from their fans, maybe they need financial help. If you are working and okay, maybe help someone who is not.  I’m sure they would really appreciate it!

www.facebook.com/KellysLotMusic/ 
www.Kellyslot.com 


Dan Grimm, Singer/Songwriter & owner Carbonite Sound

Are you still working your day job? 

photo of Dan GrimmDan:  Hell yeah I am, and I’m surprised! When I took the job at Lynda.com to start the tech support team for online learning, I didn’t think I would be there long –– I thought I would sign a new artist contract and be writing for an artist or touring within the year. Amazingly, 14 years later, my love for the technological evolution of human learning has never been stronger. I’m having some Deja vu these days because when the economic bubble burst in 08′, Lynda.com skyrocketed with people needing to learn new skills to survive.  Linkedin acquiring Lynda.com was unexpectedly awesome, and I am proud of how many people’s lives we have helped improve with the massive platform for learning.

But sadly, the music industry as a trade has been demolished over that same time frame. Streaming services have become disastrous, live venues pay 1/10th the money they used to, and while people still value music so greatly –– there isn’t the same class of fair pay for work you see in trades like plumbing, electricians, and carpentry. I’m actively working to try to change that using every platform at my disposal, and I think every musician and industry person should be too.

How’s the Covid-19 Stay Home order affecting you as a working musician?

Dan: I miss my band and playing in front of a live audience so much.  At the same time, it’s good for me because I have to focus on writing and getting solo demos for license instead of taking gigs. On the bright side, there is still a growing need for music behind all that streaming content most folks are binge watching. Plus, if you can’t find material to write about in these interesting times, you shouldn’t ever complain that Bob Dylan, Crosby Stills and Nash, Neil Young, or anyone in the 60’s had more things to address in their music. I’m hopeful songwriters are taking advantage of a powerful moment in history to channel powerful concepts into song.

Tell me how this all is affecting the studio.

Dan: It’s a mixed bag, the part of our revenue at Carbonite Sound (formerly Brotheryn) that comes from recording live bands is paused, fortunately, we have been so busy over the last 6 months with TV, movies, bands, and various sound projects that there is a lot of mixing, mastering, and cleanup work that can be done in isolation. This could go on for longer than we can guess, and we think it’s time we look at ways we can pivot with the post pandemic shifts that may occur. On that note, we think we have a few good ideas in the works and I’m really excited to see what we can do to improve the things we offer artists, industry, and audience.

www.facebook.com/dansgrimm
www.facebook.com/carbonitesound
www.carbonitesound.com


Karen Parkhouse, Singer/Songwriter of The Barrelhouse Wailers

Do you work a day job?

photo of Karen ParkhouseKaren: I don’t work a day job, but I volunteer teach choir at Balboa middle school, so that’s obviously not happening at the moment. My husband is still employed and works from home.

How’s the Covid-19 Stay Home order affecting you as a working musician?

Karen: Covid has affected us by performances being cancelled through June resulting in income loss for the band.  Also, band cannot rehearse with remote communication only.  We are working on some new stuff though, and setting up recording stations at each of our houses.

Is there an upside?

Karen: The upside is learning to slow down; unfortunately, so many musicians rely on gig income, so it’s rough for some. Upside is also taking time to work on writing. I’ve set myself a daily music challenge to be creative and practice/ produce something every day and to document this time in life.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Karen: It’s tough for performers to not perform.  It’s like our outlet has been taken away.  Thankfully we live in a period that we can still express ourselves and reach an audience through social media where even tips can be sent remotely. The energy level has gone down, but support for each other has skyrocketed.

www.facebook.com/TheBarrelHouseWailers/
www.thebarrelhousewailers.com 
www.Youtube.com


Jeff Donovan, Guitarist from The Guitar and Whiskey Club

Do you work a day job? If so, are you still working?

photo of Jeff DonovanJeff: I used to spend my days working Monday through Friday from home, so now I spend 24 hours a day at home (except for the occasional store run). My heart goes out to the many people not in a good situation right now.

How’s the Covid-19 Stay Home order affecting you as a working musician?
Jeff: I am trapped at home with the singer of my band as a roommate – how fortunate is that? On the other hand, the rest of the band members are not able to be with us right now, so we have had to develop new material – and do live streaming as the Guitar & Whiskey Club “Lite” in place of shows with the full band.

Is there any upside to it?

Jeff:  Yes, there is extra time to create music, but on the downside, I have to spend some of that time sanitizing my groceries and mail, and just about everything else in sight!

www.facebook.com/Guitarandwhiskeyclub/
GuitarandWhiskeyClub.com


Robert Ramirez from Medicine Hat

I know you injured yourself and have been rehabilitating but how has this Stay Home Order been affecting you?

photo of Robert RamirezRobert: COVID19 and its impact on myself and Medicine Hat has been quite a journey. This has all happened while simultaneously recovering from broken clavicle surgery. With a brand-new album, corresponding release parties and a trip to play SXSW all being cancelled, we pretty much watched all the hard work and planning slip away, like a carpet being pulled out from under us.

As is for many artists, the Stay Home order has caused us to rethink how we share our music. We’d like to do some live streaming as soon as I’m able. In the meantime, we’re coming up with different ways to get the new songs out there. Medicine Hat plans to post a song a day from the new album, on our Facebook page. We’ll include lyrics, photos and interesting notes pertaining to each track, kind of a virtual Story Tellers.  We’re trying to take advantage of this time to work on promoting, submitting the record for reviews and maybe start writing the next one!

www.Facebook.com/MedicineHatBand
www.MedicineHatMusic.net

Next issue I’ll be checking in with more musicians including Guy Martin, Tommy Marsh and Jon Gindick.

Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze 6/7 – 6/20

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

The Ojai Music Festival is underway taking over several venues and running June 8 – June 11. You’ll need tickets for most events, but there are several free concerts throughout the week. You can get information at OjaiFestival.org.

Rene Ponce gave me the lowdown on Goodnight Kiss when they recently played at Ollie’s Duck and Dive in Malibu. He told me they’ve played there several times, but this last time Kid Rock was in the crowd and accepted the band’s invitation to join them for a couple of tunes. How cool is that? The guys return to Ventura on June 17th when they open for Brothers Fortune at Bombay’s.

The Ventura Beach Club has been booked on Saturday, June 17th by Stay True and ideal Music Collective hoping to alleviate those “No-Warped-Tour-Again-This-Year-Blues” by lining up bands and DJs indoors and out. On the bill includes Split Second, Love Thing, Yearbooks, No Advisory, Two Brothers and Pretty Well. If you love punk, ska, emo & pop, you won’t want to miss this one.

Ones to Watch Productions (O2W) have announced that Grammy Award winning artist Lucinda Williams will be headlining this year’s Topa Topa Folk Fest at the Libbey Bowl in October. Leading up to the event, O2W will be hosting a folk fest showcase on June 17 at Topa Mountain Winery featuring Justine Bennett, Tim Curran, The Brambles and Shane Alexander. Get more information on all their events at TopaTopaFolkFest.com.

Quick notes: You can get your tickets for Roadshow Revival with Los Lobos headlining on Saturday, July 1 at Discovery at RoadShowRevival.com; The Wine Rack is rebranding itself as Vintura Tasting Room & Wine Rack; the Boatyard Café is undergoing some upgrades and I understand renaming itself as the Boatyard Pub; Alastair Greene is heading out to jam at the Chicago Blues Fest on June 10; Shawn Jones returns from Europe and will be at Grapes and Hops on Saturday, June 17; and finally don’t miss Alex Nestor when she plays at Café Fiore, on Friday, June 16, she opened Sunday (May 28) at the Simi Valley Cajun and Blues fest.

And finally, I’ve officially made a name change for my radio show on CAPS Media’s KPPQ-LP, 104.1 FM. I seriously thought about calling it Pam on the Rocks, but out of respect to Rodney Bingenheimer (Rodney on the Roq), I opted against it; and because I can’t use Ventura Rocks, my third chose, and apparent final choice is: The 805 Music Scene with Pam Baumgardner. The name alone encompasses more than Ventura, even more than Ventura County which is good. I still play indie artists from outside our area who have caught my ear, and I spin tunes from bands who have come here to play. Tune in and support local music Tuesdays and Fridays 5-6 pm.

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 4/26 – 5/9

Ventura MusVentura Breeze logoic Scene
Local Music and More!
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com

Neal Casal & Chris Robinson pictured. The Chris Robinson Brotherhood played the Ventura Theater 420.

Adam Lasher returns to Ventura for the first time since his stint on American Idol’s season 14. Locals will remember when he used to play in Three Man Weave band at The Good Bar back in the day. Adam’s excited to return to Ventura and will be playing a show at The Star Lounge on Friday, May 5. I’m thinking one’s life changes ever so slightly when Harry Connick Jr calls you a super star though Adam is very modest about all that. He’s certainly enjoying the extra exposure since Idol and he confessed to me that it really holds your feet to the fire holding you to a higher standard. He also embraces the fact that he was parodied on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon that season. You can view that video on Adam’s website (AdamLasherBand.com). He also told me one of the biggest perks was getting more awareness about Type 1 Diabetics as he’s been an advocate for the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation for many years.

The Ojai Bluesfest is finally here! The event will be held at the Ojai Art Center in conjunction with Crooked Eye Enterprises 11-6 pm on Sunday, May 7 featuring Orphan Jon and the Abandoned, Bleeding Harp, Deb Ryder, Michael John and the Bottom Line and Casey Hensley. Find a link for more ticket information at the top of VenturaRocks.com.

Congratulations to Winchesters on their 20th anniversary, and a big thank you to JR for celebrating with two days of live music April 29-30! There will be no cover to catch these bands over the weekend (see VenturaRocks.com for set times): Shaky Feelin’, the Caverns, Mandex, TD Lind, Big Adventure and CRV and more.

Night Demon just released their new album, Darkness Remains, with artwork featuring our very own City Hall in the background as well as a creepy depiction of Father Serra. I got an advance listen, and was able to play it on my radio show at KPPQ-LP here in Ventura at 104.1 FM. I warn you, this one seriously rocks! Information on how and where to get your copy (including limited vinyl) can be found at www.NightDemon.net. Meanwhile the boys are off and running in support of it touring Europe through mid June; I am told they always give a shout out to Ventura wherever they play. They’ll be back home playing the Frost & Fire Festival in October.

Quick notes: Shawn Jones is back from Italy and will be at Grapes and Hops on April 28. Strange Weather returns from S Lake Tahoe for a show at Sans Souci on April 28; the Star Lounge hosts the Falling Doves on April 29 with special guest Travis Marsh; and finally, the Rouse CD release party will be held at the Hong Kong Inn on Saturday, April 29.

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 Photos – April 2017

Winchesters Grill – April 30, 2017
The Caverns


Winchesters Grill – April 29, 2019
Mandex


Sans Souci – April 29, 2019
Aunt Jane’s Pancakes


Grapes and Hops – April 29, 2017
Tex Pistols


Discovery – April 28, 2017
Thee Commons


Star Lounge – April 23, 2017
Charles Law


Two Trees – April 22, 2017
Shawn Jones (Photo: Amanda Peacock)



Ventura Theater – April 20, 2017
Chris Robinson Brotherhood


Saloon BBQ – April 20, 2017
Chi McClean


The Garage – April 13, 2017
Tropidelic (Cleveland, OH)


The Tavern – April 1, 2017
Strange Weather (South Lake Tahoe)

Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze 2/15 – 2/28

Ventura MusVentura Breeze logoic Scene
One Degree of Separation
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com

If you follow Ventura’s music scene, then you most likely know Brent Harding who can be heard playing bass in bands like the Whiskey Chimps, the Gypsy Blues Band, Hot Roux and others, but did you know he’s been Mike Ness’s bass man for Social Distortion since 2004?  Brent will be back on the road with Social D the next few months and you can see him when they play at the Ventura Theater on March 7.  That’s all awesome, but I just found out that during one of the many private parties during this year’s NAMM (National Association Music Merchants) event, Brent got a call to play at a Gretsch Guitars event with Jeff Beck.  Yeah, THE Jeff Beck.  I had to talk to Brent about it, because you know, that’s HUGE! Plus, that’s only one degree of separation for me!  Anyways, Brent was so funny when he told me there were moments where he couldn’t look at him because he’d freak out and he had to concentrate; but he said Jeff Beck was a wonderful guy, really sweet and kind.  Now that’s what you want to hear about guitar gods, no?

Grapes and Hops will once again host a special evening with Shawn Jones, Jeff Silbar and Suzie Candell. Of course, we all know and love Shawn who recently competed and made it to the semi-finals of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis this month, but Suzie is returning to Ventura from Switzerland; Shawn produced her first CD the last time she was out here called, California Streets. The two will reunite with the one and only Jeff Silbar (Grammy award winning songwriter, “Wind Beneath My Wings”) for an evening of swapping stories and tunes on Thursday, February 16.

Here’s a couple of one-liner notes of interest:  Ruben Estrada returns to the Copa Cubana Monday evenings 6-9 pm through April 10; The Ventura Breeze is sponsoring the Equinox jazz band at Squashed Grapes February 24; The Johnny Cash, Cash Bash will be held on Sunday, February 19, 4-7:30 pm at Bombay’s featuring the Mighty Cash Cats and Jade Hendrix; another Cash Bash will be held on Sunday February 26 at Discovery with Hard Six, Jackass and Inazuma; Rey Fresco will be at Now Ventura on Saturday, February 25; and along with their normal Friday concerts, Hi Hat Entertainment has a special show on Sunday, February 26 at the Hong Kong Inn featuring the 2016 Muddy Award Winners, “Performance of the Year,” Karen Lovely with Lisa Mann and Ben Rice (downbeat at 7).

And finally, the all new CAPS Media radio station, KPPQ-LP has officially launched and is live on air 24 hours a day at 104.1 FM. It’s a low-powered signal so it only reaches most of Ventura, but they’ll soon be available on the internet as well; the staff is working out the programming as you read this.  Keep in mind, this is local area access and along with covering our City Council meetings and other events (parades and such), the programming is open up to CAPS members like myself.  I hope you’ll tune in when I’ll be hosting a one-hour mostly local music show, tentatively on Tuesdays 5-6 pm.

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 1/18 – 1/31

Ventura MusVentura Breeze logoic Scene
Second Hand Blues and more…
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com

Second Hand Blues Band
photo credit: Amanda Peacock

I’ve known Ashford Gordon and his music since back in the day when I was a DJ at KXBS radio here in Ventura in the 90’s, so I’ve been looking forward to his latest project the Second Hand Blues Band to make their debut and to release their self-titled CD this month.  I received an advance copy, and trust me, you won’t be disappointed. They’ll be holding a CD release party at Grapes and Hops on Saturday, January 28 where the band will perform with Jade Hendrix on hand to warm up the room.

The Santa Barbara-based reggae-influenced alternative rock band, Iration, returns to the Ventura Theater on January 19 in support of their all acoustic album, Double Up. They’re calling it their “Lost & Found Winter Tour.”

50 Sticks of Dynamite are super jazzed to once again open for The Young Dubliners, this time at Discovery Ventura, on Friday, January 20.

After an earlier Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar workshop, there will be a special intimate evening performance with guitar masters Ken Emerson and Jim Kimo West at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in Ojai on January 21.  If you’re not familiar with slack key guitars, the instrument is one where you can play bass, chords and melody all at once.  “It’s the most interesting acoustic guitar music in the world,” according to West.

The 11th annual Ventura Music Festival Student Jazz Competition will be held on Sunday, January 22 from 2-3:30 pm at the Pierpont Inn and it’s free to the public.  The Students selected to perform for the judges and audience will be backed up by Bevan Manson on Piano, Tom Etchart on bass and Charles Levin on drums.  Besides cash prizes, the winners will receive numerous opportunities to perform for the public throughout the year, including February 21st when the Ventura Music Festival announces the 2017 July Festival program at Ventura City Hall. Student Jazz winners will also perform during the Rising Stars Concert in May.

Watch for the return of Bullet Made Statues with all original members at Bombay’s on Sunday afternoon, January 29 featuring Wes Pagano (acoustic guitar and lead vocals), Paul FitzGerald (bass), Mike Georgia (lead guitar), Tristan Hendy (keyboards), Rich Agren (drums), and Rene Ponce (percussion and backup vocals). Fitzgerald will be visiting from Spain, and Georgia will be coming down from San Francisco to make this happen. I understand other acts will be on the bill as well.

And finally, after winning the Southern California Blues Society Battle of the Blues Bands in November, The Shawn Jones Trio (Jones, Sam Bolle and Mario Calire) will head to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis which runs January 31 through February 4th. Our hearts are with you boys; good luck!

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.