Monthly Archives: April 2025

Ventura Music Scene 4/30/25 – 5/13/25

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Ventura Music Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com
Music Scene artwork
The Ventura Music Festival’s free concert this year on Saturday, May 3, is coming up fast with such bands as Ticket to Ride (Beatles covers), the Blue Mountain Tribe, Barrelhouse Wailers, Rey Fresco and more. The family-friendly event starts at Mission Park next to the museum at noon, then after the last performance, the second stage takes over at Main and Chestnut aligning with Limon y Sal’s Cinco de May celebration at around 5 pm with not only Rey Fresco, but several salsa and mariachi bands. Along with the music, vendors will be set up as well as a vintage car show.

Another Ventura Music Festival event (this one ticketed) comes the following Friday, May 9th, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel with Donny Most and his Band (Most played Ralph Malph, Richie’s redheaded friend on Happy Days). The band will perform standards from legends such as Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin and Dean Martin. Go to VenturaMusicFestival.org to see if tickets are still available.

May the 4th (be with you) will see the community gather to support The Local Love Project and their 3rd Annual Blues, BBQ & Portside Views benefit. This year features music from Kelly’s Lot and the Erik Lemaire Band and it is being held at Portside Ventura Harbor on Sunday, May 4th from 1-5 pm. Tickets are $20 and available via TotalLocalVC.com.

Namba Arts is helping to celebrate Mother’s Day with a concert featuring American Songbook Today performing, “Songs for Mothers and Those They Love.” This joyful tribute to moms everywhere will include songs from David Crosby, Stephen Sondheim, Janis Ian, Simon and Garfunkel and more. Find out more at NambaArts.com.

Ozomatli is celebrating 30 years with a show at the Ventura Music Hall on Friday, June 27. General admission tickets are on sale now. I also saw the venue added a show with Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel for Friday, July 18. This one will be a fully-seated concert featuring the son of the legendary Dickey Betts (Allman Brothers) who recently passed away in 2024.

Mackenzie Carpenter and Jackson Dean have been added along with headliner, Kane Brown, for this summer’s Boots & Brews Country Music Festival on Sunday, June 29, presented by Surfers Point Live at the fairgrounds.

Don’t forget tickets for Music Under the Stars go on sale Tuesday, May 6. You won’t want to wait too long as most concerts do sell out.

Quick Notes: Looking West plays Rincon Brewery on Friday May 2; Sick Boy plays Poseidon Brewing on Friday, May 3; Dirty Cello return to Ventura County for a show at the Ojai Underground on Saturday, May 3; Bloody Mary Morning bring new music to their show at Bombay’s on Friday, May 9; and Robyn Hitchcock plays the Deer Lodge on Tuesday, May 13 (tickets available through EventBrite).

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 4/16/25 – 4/29/25

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