Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze 6/24 – 7/7

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

Xocoyotzin Moraza and Wyatt Hull of Hy Brasil, Saturday, June 20, at Bombay's.

Xocoyotzin Moraza and Wyatt Hull of Hy Brasil, Saturday, June 20, at Bombay’s.

Before we get into what’s coming up, let’s cover what came down recently: Saturday, June 20, Margarita Villa had D. Henry Fenton who featured Dave Krusen on drums. Yes, the Dave Krusen who was Pearl Jam’s original drummer on their debut release TEN. The Bob Bishop Band played at Saloon BBQ with Jon Woodhead on guitar; Woodhead has toured with the likes of Maria Muldaur and Leon Russell in recent years, they’ll be back soon. And as expected, local talent have once again been collaborating on new material and the result is the highly anticipated Hy Brasil who made their Bombay debut to a packed house on the 20th. You will want to watch out for this band which includes Xoco and Jenkins from Rey Fresco, and Wyatt Hull on vocals. Haunting vocals, rhythmic grooves with music that builds and before you know it you’re captivated and can’t help but move with the band; yeah, these guys nailed it. I’m looking forward to when they release their EP to the masses.

A Celebration of Joni Mitchell featuring Kimberly Ford takes place Sunday, July 5, at the Ojai Art Center as a part of the Jamming at the Art Center Series. Ford is backed up by George Friedenthal, keys; Lee Rollag, guitar; Tom Buckner, saxophone; Tom Etchart, bass; and Charles Levin, drums.

Typically Squashed Grapes has shows scheduled Wednesday – Saturday, but on Sunday, June 28, they’ll have a special performance of Doug Webb featuring Danny Carey of TOOL; and while we’re on the subject of the Grape, Skip Spiro’s 10-piece jazz band will include the amazing Dave Tull on drums, Thursday, July 2. Tull has toured with Chuck Mangione, Maynard Ferguson and others.

I have to admit, I’m really looking forward to 8Stops7 performance on Thursday, July 2, for the Pierpont Inn Summer BBQ & Concert series. I asked Evan Sula-Goff (singer) if they’d be toning it down for this one and he said, “A rough estimate…we’re just a bit louder than Neil Diamond.” Gotta love Evan. He also added, “We’ll be playing two long sets. That pretty much forces us to look at our entire catalog and bring in some tunes you haven’t heard us play in a while.”

Two major events at hand are Roadshow Revival June 27 and June 28 with their Tribute to the Music of Johnny Cash at Mission Park Downtown, and then Surf Rodeo descends on Pierpont Beach for two days of surf, and music on July 11 and 12 with a wide variety of genres from the likes of Pato Banton, GrooveSession, Bob Log III, Brothers Fortune, Rainbow Girls, Honey Owl, Raging Arb and the Redheads along with a dozen or so more bands. Go to their official websites for tickets and more details at www.SurfRodeo.org. and www.RoadshowRevival.com.

If you have any music related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing? 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 2015

Roadshow Revival at Mission Park – June 28, 2015
The Blasters
The BlastersJohn Doe (of X)

John Doe

Big Sandy and his Fly Rite BoysBig Sandy

 


Roadshow Revival at Mission Park – June 27, 2015

The Reverend Horton Heat
Reverend Horton Heat

Jamie James and the Kingbees
Jamie James and the Kingbees
RSR – Million Dollar Quartet

Slim Jim Phantom Trio
Slim Jim Phantom Trio

Big River

Big River


Bombay Bar and Grill – June 26, 2015
Jackass
Jackass


W20 at The Watermark – June 26, 2015
Big River
Big River


Bombay’s – June 20, 2015
Hy Brasil

Hy Brasil


Margarita Villa – June 20, 2015
D. Henry Fenton with Dave Krusen (Drummer on Pearl Jam’s TEN)
D Henry Fenton


Bombay Bar and Grill – June 19, 2015
The NaVaNaX CD Release Party
The Navanax

 


Amigos – June 19, 2015
Mezcal Martini Band
Mezcal Martini

Saloon BBQ – June 19, 2015
The Bob Bishops band with Jon Woodhead
Bob Bishop Band


Boatyard Cafe & Bar – June 19, 2015
Jon Gindick & Smokey Hinojosa (photo credit Karen Gindick)

Gindick - Smokey


Bombay Bar and Grill – June 14, 2015
Nine Mile Skid – joined by Ian McFayden of 50 Sticks
(photo courtesy of 9 Mile Skid)
9 Mile Skid


Bombay Bar and Grill – June 12, 2015
Brothers Gow (San Diego)
Brothers Gow


Sans Souci – June 7, 2015 (15 Year Anniversary Party)
Stun Dexim
Stun Dexim


Cafe Fiore & the Tree House Lounge – June 7, 2015
Jahmark & the Soul Shakers
Jahmark & the Soul Shakers


Bombay’s – June 7, 2015
The Real Lifeguards
The Real Lifeguards The Real Lifeguards


The Wine Rack – June 7, 2015
Dirk Shumaker and Trey O-Toole

Dirk & Trey


Ventura High School Auditorium – June 7, 2015
Ventura County Concert Band (performing “As Summer was Just Beginning”)
Ventura County Concert Band


Sans Souci – June 6, 2015
The Dramedy
The Dramedy


Ventura Theater – June 6, 2015
ZoSo (Led Zeppelin tribute band)
ZoSo

 


The Tavern – June 3, 2015
Killer Bee with Paul Chapman (UFO)
Killer Bee

 


The Wine Rack – June 3, 2015
Rafael Langa & Ngoma Band
Rafael Langa & Ngoma Band

 

Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze 6/10 – 6/23

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

Paul Chapman of UFO touring with Killer Bee

Paul Chapman of UFO touring with Killer Bee

We had a few heavy hitters play through the last few weeks including Paul Chapman of UFO who has been touring with Killer Bee, they played The Tavern on June 3, and Grammy winning songwriter Jeff Silbar (“Wind Beneath your Wings”) at W20 at the Watermark for their Thursday night Guitar Pull. By the way, I looked it up and found that a “Guitar Pull” is a southern tradition where a small group of musicians sit around and take turns playing songs on a guitar. You’re welcome!

I’m getting super pumped up for Roadshow Revival: A Tribute to the music of Johnny Cash. The event has moved to Mission Park downtown and will cover two days, June 27 and 28th. Both days are jam packed with National touring acts including the Reverend Horton Heat, Billy Joe Shaver and John Doe of “X”, but both days will also include plenty of local bands such as Medicine Hat, The Vonettes, 50 Sticks of Dynamite, and Big River (yep, they’re back!). Tickets can be bought at www.RoadshowRevival.com.

9 Mile Skid will play at Bombay’s on Sunday, June 14, to kick off the Grateful Dead 50th anniversary, Ventura style that is. And you won’t want to miss the The NaVaNaX CD release party also at Bombay’s on Friday, June 19; this show promises to be off the freakin’ hook!

The Ventura Jazz Orchestra will have a concert at the Poinsettia Pavillion on Friday, June 12th with appearances by Donna Greene, Smitty West and Remington Graham. Aaron Carter’s rescheduled show will be at Discovery on Friday, June 19. Café Fiore is once again offering Reggae on Sundays.

The 69th Ojai Music Festival runs June 10-14. They have music lined up throughout the week, some events start at Sunrise, others late night (10:30 pm) at Libbey Bowl, and several of the concerts are free to the public all held throughout Ojai. Piquing my interest is the Saturday, June 13, free concert at the Ojai Valley School where world renowned artists (including Glenn Kotche of Wilco) will play the music of Pink Floyd, Hendrix, Nirvana and Led Zeppelin all on cello, electric bass and percussions. See www.OjaiFestival.org for information on all concerts, artists and pricing.

Surf ‘N’ Suds beer festival with a surf twist featuring over 50 breweries will also offer live music from Rising Son, After the Smoke and Crosscut. This event is held at the Ventura Harbor Saturday, June 13.

And finally, Ventura Music Week? It’s been postponed. I’ll get you details when I hear anything. It might happen during the Fall.

If you have any music related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing? Send all information short or long to Pam@VenturaRocks.com, and for updated music listings daily, go to www.VenturaRocks.com .

Album Review: The NaVaNaX

The NaVaNaX
The NaVaNax
Review by Pam Baumgardner
June 2015

The NaVaNaXAlrighty, they’re a tad bit obnoxious, they’re tenacious, they’re funnier than shit, and I adore them.  They are The NaVaNaX.  Yeah, capital N, little a, capital V, little a, capital N, little a, capital X (hence a tad bit obnoxious); they’re all about networking, promoting and social media (hence tenacious); and technically speaking, the band’s name means sea slug (so you know, they’re funnier than shit).

One evening recently over margaritas at Casa de Soria, I sat down with Shayne, Mike, Jerry and Scott to talk about the band.  Each comes to the table with a family of their own, they’re productive members of society, but each with an itch to scratch, that itch being music and performing and the adrenaline that comes with creating the music they love, punk. I’ve caught several of their lives shows and these guys deliver the goods. Raw energy, an unabridged drive, intensity, commitment to the moment, attitude. The guys know how to burn off steam and they reproduce that ambition in their first self-titled release, The NaVaNaX.

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The CD is full of tunes about their observations of people in their lives, which it turns out, are people pretty much in all our lives; case in point, the opening track, “Let it Go”, is a tribute to those assholes in your life, you know the ones who are always trying to one-up you; always pointing out your failures.  “Deranged” is about Paris Hilton and people’s fascination with the celebrities. “Can’t See” reflects on Shayne’s uncle who committed suicide and how it’s hard for him to understand how he could not see another day. “Divisions” is about two sides of politics and humanity.

The band’s inspiration comes from all facets of life, and I have to admit my favorite is called “Dishes”  where the song is about Shayne’s wife who is yelling at him about doing…well, the dishes!  He refers to it as the age old battle and is stoked he got his musically talented wife, Laura to sing on it.

If you get punk, you’ll get The NaVaNaX, a band that proves growing up doesn’t mean you have to get boring, mundane or monotonous, they are everything but.

www.TheNaVaNaX.com
www.Facebook.com/TheNaVaNaX
To book:  band@TheNaVaNaX.com

The guys are getting the CD placed in stores around town, but you can pick one up at their CD release party on Friday, June 19th at Bombay’s.

Surf Rodeo promo (notice Shayne’s t-shirt):

Toning it down just a tad for Bombay's.Toning it down just a tad for Bombay’s…because you know,
Bombay’s doesn’t offer punk (wink wink)