SteckleStock | Ventura Rocks

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

Stecklestock marks the beginning of what I think of as the outdoor live music special events season which runs through the middle of Fall. This all-day family-friendly free concert runs 8 am – 6 pm on Saturday, April 26 and features local bands in a setting under the trees at Steckle Park in Santa Paula. Keep in mind the bands do it for the love of our music community so to help defray costs, donations are encouraged and happily accepted. This year’s line up includes Chicano 7, Premonition, The Tommy Foytek Band, No Biggee, Only Obvious, Lowered Expectations, Buena Onda, and The Charles Law Band.

There will be a Grateful Dead inspired concert on Sunday, April 20 (if you know you know), with groovy jams and Dead covers from such bands as Cubensis, Shaky Feelin’, Ellie Rollins Band and Chris Murphy. This Eventbrite ticketed event runs 3-7 at Las Palmas on Meyers Road in Ojai and is sponsored by the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy.

The Music Under the Stars summer series lineup was announced, but tickets won’t go on sale until Tuesday, May 6. The Saturday night consecutive concerts feature mostly tribute bands, or genre specific such as Conjunto Oye on August 23, “bringing the heat” with pulsating salsa, and Cuban rhythms with Puerto Rican flair. You’ll want to check out the City’s website for the full line up. All shows typically sell out, so you won’t want to wait until it’s too late.

If fiery Scottish music gets your toes tapping, then you’ll want to check out Scottish Fish at Namba Arts on Friday, April 18. Scottish Fish features five dynamic young women steeped in Boston’s vibrant Celtic scene who travel the world performing.

And congratulations to Bombay Bar and Grill as they continue to celebrate their 40th anniversary this month. By the way, you might want to swing by Thursday, April 24 when Kat Merrick from Totally Local VC and the Local Love Project will be the guest bartender with music in the house from Steve and Sally Williams and Frank Barajas.

Quick Notes: Boatyard Pub is still undergoing renovations for much of April; If you care to travel out Fillmore way, then you won’t want to miss the smooth Latin sounds of Tierra, Malo and Los Amigos at the Fillmore Town Theater on Saturday, April 19; Tony’s Pizzeria hosts Dead inspired bands on Saturday, April 19 with Shaky Feelin’, Katie Skene Band, Ashton Slater’s Grateful Get-Down and Chris Murphy with the show starting at 4:20 pm; Latin Grammy-winning artist, Twanguero, plays the Ojai Underground on Friday, April 25; and Parliament Funkadelic featuring the one and only George Clinton plays the Ventura Music Hall on Monday, April 28.

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

Randy Parsons has left the building? Randy packed up the prime space he had occupied upstairs since 2014 overlooking Main and Chestnut for Parsons Guitars (past clients include Jimmy Page, Jack White, Sammy Hagar and others), it was where he created state-of-the-art, one-of-a-kind guitars, and where he provided luthier workshops for those who wanted to learn how to build their own guitar which included students such as Ventura’s own Gary Best.

I asked Randy for any final words and he told me, “I really loved Ventura, it’s a special place, the people are all pretty damn cool, although I’m still convinced the whole city is some type of witness protection program.”

I thought about it, and I can’t disagree! Though totally talented and incredibly nice, I always admired his love for cats; there’s just something about a man who adores the feline species. Randy and wife have landed in Kansas where they bought a castle looking church moving on to their next adventure.

And speaking of next adventures, Colin Bailey has also left the building, he passed away peacefully at his home in Port Hueneme at age 87. I met Colin when I saw him first perform at Squashed Grapes in 2015 with the Frank Potenza Trio. Adam and Josh from the Grape told me to look up Colin’s background which I did and I was just floored. This man had not only worked with Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman, Joe Pass and dozens more, he not only recorded on more than 100 jazz albums, he not only continued to give drum workshops including those at Pulse Drumming here in Ventura, but he was the drummer on the Charlie Brown Christmas special, a cartoon special that will always take me back to my childhood!

For some reason, there are so many special events falling on the same day, Saturday, October 9; I’ve listed them here along with websites to find out more:

Topa Mountain Music 2021 Benefit Concert headlining is The White Buffalo with sets from Lee Koch Band, Bryan Titus Trio, Will Breman Band and more at the Libbey Bowl. Go to TopaMountainMusic.org for more information and tickets.
Surf ‘n’ Suds at San Buenaventura State Beach, where it’s more about the beer than music, but it’s always a good time. Performing will be Jacob Marquez and the Good Vibes, Mestizo and DJ Hecktik. For tickets go to SurfBeerFest.com.
SteckleStock 2021 at Steckle Park in Santa Paula features a full day of live music from Premonition, Sisterook, Charles Law Band, No Biggee, Tommy Foytek Band and Whiskey Business. You can find more on this via Facebook on Premonition’s page.
Surfers Point Live has a full day of Reggae, 2 – 10 pm at the Ventura Fairgrounds featuring Sublime with Rome, the Dirty Heads, Rey Fresco, Local Love Project and Hirie. Find out more at SurfersPointLive.com.

Quick Notes: Congratulations to Suzanne & Ian McFayden (50 Sticks of Dynamite, Duncan and the Dragonslayers) for tying the knot; tickets are on sale for the Ventura Winter Wine Walk for December 11 sometimes called the event of the season if not the year for downtown Ventura (CBFProductions.com); Cadillac Zack presents the Delgado Brothers at Cantara Cellars on Friday, October 8 and the legendary band Canned Heat plays Thursday, October 14 (call Zack at 323-377-5291 for tickets); Ojai Pops Orchestra has a free show at the Libbey Bowl on Sunday, October 10; Ventura Theater shows include Social Distortion October 6 (rescheduled for Monday, October 11), Pennywise with Dead Kennedys on October 7, Pennywise with Strung Out of October 8, and Elefante, Inspector on October 15; Queen Nation plays a free show at the Collection at Riverpark in Oxnard on Wednesday, October 13 at 6:30 pm; and Phil Salazar & the Kin Folk play the Ojai Underground Exchange on Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 16.

VenturaRocks.com is undergoing changes. I’ve invested in a new calendar app which doesn’t seem to be saving me much time, but I can load items way in advance which should help in the long run. The look and feel is evolving and for the time being, I’m covering all of Ventura County.

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Tag Archives: SteckleStock

Ventura Music Scene 4/16/25 – 4/29/25