Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze 12/1/21 – 12/14/21

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

With Thanksgiving officially behind us, the holiday season is in full swing and Ventura has a variety of events to get you in the mood, so many of which involve live music.

Let’s start with Ventura Winter Wine Walk which falls on Saturday, December 11 this year with over 80 tasting locations offering up wine, sparkling wine and craft beer. Every year tickets sell out, but that shouldn’t stop you from missing out on the festivities. Head downtown and join in the fun shopping at the holiday street fair all along Main Street from noon till 8 pm, dine in your favorite restaurant, and then enjoy the free entertainment at California and Main; plus, weather permitting, there will be snowfall! Bands playing will be Sayed Sabrina 2 – 3:15; Upstream 3:45 – 6:15 and Adelaide from 6:45 – 8 pm.

To get the whole entire family in the holiday spirit, you won’t want to miss Christmas Magic 2021 at the High Street Arts Center in Moorpark. The show runs two weekends from Friday, December 3 through Sunday, December 12.

The 21st Annual 4 Kids 2 Kids Toy Drive will be held at Cantara Cellars in Camarillo on Sunday, December 5 with Ray Jaurique & the Uptown Brothers, Truth Jones & her band, Sandy Haley, Debbie Davies, Flat top Tom, Milo Sledge and Steve and Sally Williams. Cost of entry is $5 and an unwrapped toy.

The next Bubbly, Brunch & Blues event at the Ventura Harbor Comedy Club will be on Sunday, December 5th with Kelly’s Lot. This is also Kelly’s annual fundraiser for C.A.R.L., the Canine Adoption and Rescue League. The non profit places unwanted, sick, abandoned and homeless dogs in pre-screened, loving and secure homes. Tickets are $20 through EventBrite or at the door.

Quick Notes: There’s a free holiday concert with The Noelles doowop group at the Oxnard College Performing Arts Building on Wednesday, December 1; Moorpark’s historic High Street Arts Center presents Christmas Magic 2021, music and stories of the holidays December 3 – 12, get tickets and more info at HighStreetArtsCenter.com; Poseidon Brewing is hosting a Holiday Pajama Party on Friday, December 3 with Vanise Terry Band; Cantara Cellars is hosting a Motown Christmas with Stone Soul on Saturday, December 4; Shaky Feelin’ is celebrating 10 years as a band with a show at The Six Chow House on Saturday, December 11; Jon & the Wreck play Pedals & Pints Brewing Company in Thousand Oaks on Saturday, December 11; Jose Feliciano: Celebrating the Holidays at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center on 12/19, that would be the 50th anniversary of “Feliz Navidad;”

The Pam Baumgardner Music Hour will be offering Christmas music produced by local artists for the next couple of weeks. Don’t forget, not only can you listen locally in Ventura on your FM radio dial at 104.7, but you can use the MyTuner radio app on your smart device or online at www.CapsMedia.org/Radio. The program airs Tuesdays and Fridays at 5 pm and Sundays at noon.

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 11/17/21 – 11/30/21

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

If you’re planning to dance off some of those post-Thanksgiving dinner calories on Thursday night, be sure to plan ahead as most venues will be closed. Best to be proactive and get out Wednesday night, dance, party, and stay out way too late so you’ll be good and hung over for the family dinner and you won’t want to overeat anyways.

There will be a memorial tribute show for Big Bob of Agression which will certainly pull in all the local punk rockers throughout the years. Headlining this event will be Ill Repute with Stalag 13, Dr. Know, False Confession and Out of Trust. This is an all-ages show starting at 6 pm with a $20 cover.

Namba has a number of shows lined up this month with the Healers featuring Henry Carvajal on Friday, November 19, Phil Salazar and the Kinfolk on Saturday, November 20, and it looks like they’ll have a recuring feature called The Listening Room Redux a couple times a month which will be an evening of acoustic open mic which will wrap up with a set by a featured local songwriter or two (per Namba’s website). Look for the Listening Room Redux to kick off on Thursday, November 18.  Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken with in 72 hours of the show you’re attending is required for entry at Namba.

Luis Munoz and the New Jazz Trio plays the Ventura Harbor Comedy Club on Saturday, November 20. Muñoz has written music for documentaries, animation films, dance and theater, and has performed in some of the best Jazz festivals and venues in the world. Tickets are $15.00.

Quick Notes:  The Mitchell Forman 5tet plays The Grape jazz club on Wednesday, November 24, featuring Simon Phillips who has played with Toto and Jeff Beck; Surf Rodeo dates for next summer were recently announced for July 15, 16 & 17, 2022, and tickets are now on sale; El Rey Ventura will be closing their doors for good November 21 after 15 years in business. Tommy Marsh posted on FB that the Ojai Blues Fest will return to Ojai Art Center next June, it had been postponed due to the Pandemic; original music can be heard when Bad Leaf and Owl Acid play The Garage on Saturday, November 20; and holy moly I’m already seeing advertisements for New Year’s Eve parties, where does the time go?

Finally, I’ve been trying to gather my thoughts about the recent tragedy at Astroworld where ten people have now died as a result of a crowd surge at a concert. This isn’t the first time it’s happened, and whenever I hear of another incident, I am reminded of the three times I’ve feared for my life during a crowd surge, two were caused on purpose and the other was an unfortunate byproduct of police breaking up a hall party when I was a teenager down in Orange County. Two out of three times I was pushed to the ground, one of those times I literally grabbed a stranger’s ankle as people started to run across my body, I passed out and woke with a random stranger, my hero, shaking me to consciousness, he may have saved my life.

As a parent of a young woman who also loves attending concerts and festivals, she knows to be on the sidelines with her eye on exit strategies. I would love to say that certain people will stop behaving poorly, but until that time, wherever you may find yourself, whether it be at a festival, a packed venue, a movie theater, or just about anywhere where mobility is limited, just be aware of your surroundings.  Don’t live in fear, but knowing your exit strategy is safe sound advice.

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 11/3/21 – 11/16/21

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

I had to think long and hard to figure out the last time I took off two weeks for a real vacation and honestly, I couldn’t think of a single time! I’m back newly refreshed from Italy where I avoided the news, I was without social media, in fact, I didn’t even bring a laptop! So now I’m ready to take in live music again, and thankfully there is plenty to be had!

Let’s start with the next Chick Singer Night (CSN) which will headline Rosemary Butler at the Sound Palace/Studio B on Saturday, November 6. Butler has not only opened for the Rolling Stones with the Ladybirds in 1964, but she went on to be a backup singer for the likes of Bonnie Raitt Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Warren Zevon, Neil Young, Boz Scaggs and more! This one helps benefit Foodshare of Ventura County and will also feature performances from Melanie Taylor, Kiki Ebsen, Natalie Gelman and Michael Henszey.

I took a look at the Carolyn Sills Combo tour schedule and I have to admit, it is impressive with dates starting up in July playing gigs up and down California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri. Then I took a look at all the impressive quotes about the band, well if you’re into Americana Folk, you won’t want to miss their date at Namba Arts on Saturday, November 13. Named Academy of Western Artists Western Swing Female of the Year in 2021, the 2020 NEXTie band of the year, and 2018 Ameripolitan award winner, you know you’ll get your money’s worth! You’ll need proof of vaccination or Covid test to enter; tickets are only $20.

John Batdorf whose credits include singing lead on Silver’s “Wham Bam” which appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 in 2017, will play the Ojai Underground on Friday, November 5 and then with 12 albums under their belt, recording and touring since the mid-80s, Marleys Ghost will play the following night, Saturday, November 6.

The Canyon at Oxnard Performing Arts Center has several shows lined up in the next week or so starting with a Holiday Spectacular from Cirque Musica on Thursday, November 11, it’s Lisa Lisa & Trinere on Friday, November 12, then on Saturday, the 13th, it’s Lou Gramm of Foreigner with Asia featuring John Payne. The OPAC also continues to host R&B Sundays on the patio with the House Arrest Band from 1-4 pm.

And in the battle for best dive bar, Gigi’s is offering up live music with Teenage Bottlerocket and the Last Gang on Friday, November 5; and the following week it’s Bone Maggot, I Greater than He, Seconds to Centures and Glass Stab on Saturday, November 13. Both shows have a cover charge at the door.

Quick Notes: West Side Story is now playing at the High Street Arts Center in Moorpark through November 14; Cadillac Zack presents Nick Schnebelen at Cantara Cellars on Friday, November 5; The 805 Brass and Los Padres Sound Horn Quartet play Libbey Bowl on Sunday, November 7; and the Doug Webb Quartet featuring Jimmy Haslip from Yellowjackets will perform at the Grape on Wednesday, November 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.