Tag Archives: Winter Wine Walk

Ventura Music Scene 11/30/22 – 12/13/22

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

With Thanksgiving under our collective belts, the holiday season is in full swing and there are several special events to help raise your spirits whilst enjoying live music.

The Winter Wine Walk and Holiday Street Fair is Saturday, December 3, downtown Ventura. The street fair with vendors and food trucks is open all day and free to the public (noon – 8 pm), but you need to purchase tickets if you want to participate in the wine walk (4-7 pm). The live entertainment is also free and family friendly with Victor Vega and the Bomb culminating the day at Main and California with a gorgeous snowfall; but trust me when I say, no matter how pretty or real it looks, don’t stick out your tongue to catch “snowflakes.”

Jodi Farrell’s 28th Annual Student Holiday Concert is always a treat. This year’s show will be held at Connect Church on Kimball Road in Ventura on Saturday, December 3 from 4-6 pm. The special guest band will feature Ron Barnett, Jim Rankin, Brad Strickland, Manon Franklin and Hekar Rivera. Though this is free, donations are appreciated.

The 22nd annual 4 Kids 2 Kids holiday fundraiser will be held at Cantara Cellars in Camarillo on Sunday, December 4 from 2 – 7 pm with the cost of admission only $5 plus a new unwrapped toy. Bands on tap: RJ Mischo w/ Debbie Davies, Ray Jaurique Big Band w/ Flattop Tom, Shawn Jones, Katie Skene, Hot Roux and Milo Sledge.

Poseidon Brewing Company will host their annual holiday pajama party on Friday, December 9 featuring live music from the Vanise Terry Band.

Cantara Cellars bring Britain’s Finest to the venue for “Christmas with the Beatles” on Saturday, December 10.

Doc the Halls Holiday Blues with Doc Ventura will be held at Namba on Saturday, December 10, at 7 pm. The $20 cover gets you Bombafiya, Preston Smith, RJ Mischo, Bill Flores, James Schulfer, Fito de la Parra and Doc Ventura.

The 9th Annual Holiday Sing a Long and Toy Drive at the Majestic Ventura Theater will be held on Sunday, December 11 at 7 pm. Admission is one new unwrapped toy per family. This year’s concert will feature favorite Disney and holiday songs.

And though not exactually holiday themed, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the 17th annual Chopperfest Art and Culture Show returns to Ventura at the Ventura Fairgrounds on Sunday, December 11 and will host a special motorcycle art exhibit, an all-brand antique and custom motorcycle show, custom bike builder displays and hundreds of motorcycle/culture vendors; plus, they’ll have live music from Awesome Blue and the Midnight Rider Band (Allman Brothers Revival). Find out more and get your tickets at Chopperfestival.com

Quick Notes: Tickets are on sale now for Dr. Know and Stalag 13 with original singer Ron Baird for January 7 at the Oceanview Pavilion in Port Hueneme through EventBrite; Angelo Moore’s Dr. Madd Vibe and the Missing Links play The Grape on Friday, December 2; Long Beach Dub Allstars play the Ventura Music Hall on Saturday, December 3; WonderHouse on Knoll Drive in Ventura has a show featuring Shaky Feelin’ and the Katie Skene Band on Saturday, December 3, $20 at the door; Feros Ferio Winery in Ojai hosts live music with Two Tossers on Saturday, December 3; it’s an evening of Brazilian Bossa Nova, Samba and Jazz with Teka & Friends when they play the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in Upper Ojai on Sunday, December 4, on the following Sunday, December 11, the special jury prize winner of 13th International Tchaikovsky competition, Evgeny Tonkha, will perform; All Kinds continues to offer live music for the younger generation in Zander Alley at 433 E. Main Street downtown Ventura. It’s a sober space for all ages with live music on Sunday, December 4 with Sound that Ends Creation, Cel Damage, Two Brothers, Black Moon Lilith, Crave and Stood Up with a $10 cover; and Phil Salazar and Tom Corbett team up for a show at the Ojai Underground on Saturday, December 10.

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 11/16/22 – 11/29/22

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

Looking ahead, the event of the season is coming up on Saturday, December 3. Of course, I’m speaking about the annual Winter Wine Walk & Holiday Street Fair downtown Ventura. I’ve attended several of these throughout the years, and it’s always a treat to be in one place at the same time with thousands of people celebrating the season. There are several different levels to be involved from just visiting all the vendors from one end of downtown to the other as you check off items on your Christmas shopping list, to walking to all the different participating venues whilst sipping your beverage, to hanging out in the VIP gardens (where you’re find the best pours and food), to dancing at Main and California while a snowfall transforms downtown into a winter wonderland. No charge to hang out for the Street Fair and music at California and Main, but you’ll want to secure your tickets for the wine walk at VenturaWinterWineWalk.com.

If you’ve never sat in a music hall listening to a full orchestra performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Ode to Joy, then do yourself a favor, and kickstart the season with the New West Symphony. There will be two shows, one on Saturday, November 19, at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, and one the following day at Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center in Camarillo. The program includes Meri Sakhi Ki Avaaz, My Sister’s Voice. For ticket availability, go to NewWestSymphony.org.

Majestic Ventura Theater Upcoming Shows
The Wrecks – 11/19/22
AFI – 11/25/22 (Sold Out)
Beach House – 12/7/22 (Sold Out)
Circle Jerks, TSOL – 12/30/22
Jerry Cantrell – 2/21/23
Eric Johnson – 2/22/23

Ventura Music Hall
The Purple Ones – 1/6/23
Steely Dead – 1/20/23
Cut Chemist – 1/26/23
The Wood Brothers – 2/2/23
Mat Kearney – 2/11/23
Alborosie – 2/19/23
Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore rescheduled for 2/23/23

Congratulations to two-time Grammy-award winner Rhiannon Giddens who will become the music director for the 77th Ojai Music Festival in June next year. She recently won the Grammy for Best Folk Album for They’re Calling Me Home with Francesco Turrisi.

Quick Notes: Barrelhouse Wailers are in the studio on Ojai at Carbonite Sound; Brendon Willing James performs at the Deer Lodge with special guest Omar Velasco on Thursday, November 17; There will be live music at Bombay Bar and Grill, on Saturday, November 19 with Olivia Willhite at 5 pm); Numbskull Productions bring Wormwitch, and Bewitcher to town for a gig at Gigi’s Cocktails on Saturday, November 19; Wrecking Crew member, Don Randi & Quest returns for a date at the Grape on Saturday, November 19; AFI show at Ventura theater on Friday, Acoustic DNA play a Friendsgiving show at the Twist on Wednesday, November 23; November 25 is sold out; Janelle & Andrew play Surfers Point Café on Sunday, November 27; and Ventura Theater’s annual sing along will be held on December 11 (admission is one new unwrapped toy).

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 – 11/26 – 12/9

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Ventura MusVentura Breeze logoic Scene
Getting into the Swing of Things
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com

Ventura Jazz OrchestraIt’s good to have Alistair Greene back after hitting the road with Mickey Thomas and Starship earlier this month. Thomas is the voice behind such hits as “Jane,” “Find Your Way Back” (Jefferson Starship), and “We Built this City” as well as “Sara” (Starship). Greene told me, “I’m very fortunate to have the chance to play with such a legendary singer and band as Starship featuring Mickey Thomas. I’m filling in for my buddy John Roth who is on tour with Winger at the moment. Mickey and the band sound amazing, and it’s a blast playing all those great hits from his career. He still sounds like he did in the 70s!”

Nothing like a big band dance to get you into the holiday spirits! Ventura Jazz Orchestra’s Holiday Swing soiree with the vocal stylings of Donna Greene will be at the Poinsettia Pavilion on Friday, December 5, featuring great songs from all eras you can dance to. Call for ticket information at (805) 648-1143.

Speaking of a throwback to a “simpler” time, The Saloon BBQ at 456 E. Main Street will be throwing a bash also on Friday, December 5, with a Prohibition Repeal party, “The 21st Amendment Jubilee”. There will be beverage specials all day long with live music starting at 8:00 with The Rachel Sorsa Band and their 1930’s style of jazz.

Chris Jensen from 50 Sticks of Dynamite gave me the head’s up about a project he’s been working on with fellow Ventura musicians, Evan Gosworth, Roy Katnic, Paddy Marsh, Brad Strickland and Gary Sula-Goff. It’s a Grateful Dead tribute band called Nine Mile Skid. They have a couple of dates lined up including December 10 at Green Art People, then on December 28 at Amigos’s on Main Street.

Under new ownership, Rock City Studios in Camarillo will be pulling out all the stops for their grand re-opening on Friday, December 5, with the national touring act, Dead Sara. The Galvanized Souls will open the show.

The Golden China is offering more music more often along with their nightly Karaoke. Thursdays continue to offer swing, Fridays have a DJ with Cumbia music and now Sunday evenings will be devoted to Reggae. Don’t forget they have an open mic night Tuesdays starting at 6:00 with the back line provided.

The whole family will enjoy the street fair along Main Street in downtown Ventura on December 6. What a great way to get unique gift ideas for the holidays including the highly prized VenturaRocks.com t-shirt! The Winter Wine Walk kicks off at 4:00 with snowfall at California and Main beginning at 6:45. Music will be provided by The Bomb, The Midnight Band and the British Beats.

And finally, congratulations to Todd Hannigan on his recent marriage to artist Brigette Lopez. They tied the knot in November in Ojai. I can’t wait to hear the music she’ll be inspiring out of him!

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