Ventura Music Scene 7/8/26 – 7/22/26

Posted on July 5, 2026 by venturarocks

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

The 2026 Music Under the Stars summer concert series kicks off on Saturday, July 11 with a tribute to the 60s, My Generation, and the following weekend on the 18th, it’s a tribute to the Eagles with Dark Desert. All shows this summer are already sold out (told you they would), but you can join a waitlist on the City of Ventura’s website (CityofVentura.ca.gov/1738/Music-Under-the-Stars).

Another Brick in the Stairway returns to KJ’s on Thursday, July 9th featuring Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction, Scott Page and Roberta Freman performed with Pink Floyd, Norwood Fisher of Fishbone and more. This ticketed event ($30 day of) features a fusion of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

Hueneme Beach Festival falls over the weekend of Saturday, July 11 through Sunday, July 12 with performances by Morie and the Heavy Hitters, Led Zepagain, Outlaw Mariachi and more. This family-friendly free event comes with free parking as well! Find out more at HuenemeBeachFestival.org.

The Channel Islands free Concert by the Sea series kicks off on Saturday, July 11 with the Colette Lovejoy Band, followed by Nautical Thrust on Saturday, July 18.

Camarillo’s popular Heritage Days Fiesta runs July 15 – 19 with carnival rides, bingo, beer & wine zones, a cornhole tournament, food vendors, a car show plus of course lots of live music starting Friday evening with Hindsite and Versa Band LA; Saturday has Caught Red Handed, John Surge & the Haymakers and rising star, Jayden Secor; and Sunday’s line-up includes Mariachi, Los Calicubanos, Red Cholo Peppers and Heavy Rotation. Parking could be tricky, so I recommend having a game plan; CamarilloHeritageDays.org lists options to consider.

The Collection finally released their calendar for the Rock the Collection summer concert series of tribute bands which starts with The K-Tel All Stars on July 29, DSB tribute to Journey on August 12, Twisted Gypsy’s tribute to Fleetwood Mac on August 26 and they wrap it up with That’s What I like, a tribute to Bruno Mars on September 9. All shows are free and run 6:30 – 8 pm on Wednesday evenings.

Quick Notes: Tickets on sale now for Grammy award winning, Turnstile along with Pennywise and Die Spitz for October 14 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds; Sorry to report the Oxnard Levity Live and Copper Blues final days are counting down as they’ll be closing permanently in August; Camarillo’s Constitution Park free summer concert series continues with Savor on Saturday, July 11; Downtown Ventura will host a 60s Block Party on Wednesday, July 15 featuring Psychedelic Summer (300 block of Main Street); and the Grape returns to business as usual on Tuesday, July 8, after a brief vacation break.

In the next issue of the Ventura Breeze I’ll cover the Ventura County Fair which opens on Wednesday, July 29.

Do you have any music-related news or upcoming shows that you would like help publicizing? Please send all information, short or long, to Pam@VenturaRocks.com. For updated music listings daily, visit www.VenturaRocks.com.

Ventura Music Scene 6/24/26 – 7/7/26

Posted on June 21, 2026 by venturarocks

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

Tony’s Pizzeria is celebrating their 67th anniversary with loads of great food and live music over the weekend of June 26-28. I caught up with Bruce Barrios, owner and person responsible for bringing consistently great live music to the iconic venue located at Surfers Point just around the corner from the fairgrounds and the Amtrak station at the corner of Thompson and Figueroa. He told me his first memory of being there as a little boy was falling asleep under the oven waiting for his father to close for the night. Bruce and his brother took over ownership ten years ago when their father passed away and since that time music has become an important aspect to their business plan. The back lot of the venue was developed into quite the patio with a permanent stage, a dance area and loads of seating with heating lamps and tables. Tony’s Pizzeria is also a huge believer in giving back to the community, offering a place for non-profit fundraisers, high school reunions, and lots of great causes. The live music scene bounced back after the pandemic with the help of Tony’s Pizzeria leading the charge consistently offering live music again. You’re invited to join the celebration starting Friday night with No Duh (No Doubt tribute band); there will be two bands on Saturday, first Hot Lava (B52s tribute), followed by Material Girl (tribute to Madonna). Then Old School Sunday wraps up the festivities with Heart and Soul. Congratulations to Bruce and the fabulous hard-working crew at Tony’s Pizzeria!

Camarillo’s free concert series kicks off on Saturday, June 27 at Constitution Park with 90’s Rock Show, a band playing all your favorite grunge and alt-rock favorites from that decade. A variety of food trucks will be on site, so take your low-back chairs, blankets and picnics. There will be four concerts this summer which are always free to the community.

June 27: 90s Rock Show
July 11: Savor
July 25: Blue Breeze Band
August 8: Yellow Brick Road

The City of Ventura will be offering a free fireworks show celebrating America’s Independence on the 3rd, not on the 4th of July, with traditional Rotary Club’s fireworks show returning next year at the college. The fireworks will be set off from atop the parking structure at Santa Clara, downtown Ventura, Friday night with live music offered on California street leading up to the event.

And never fear, the annual Pushem Pullem Parade and downtown street fair will be held on the official holiday, Saturday, July 4, with Brittney and the Bsides, Casual Business, the 90’s BaBies, and the Colette Lovejoy band.

Quick Notes: The Grape is closed June 23, reopening July 7; the Psychedelic Furs will be coming to town after cancelling the date at the Libbey Bowl, they’ll now perform at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center on November 12; and JR Richards (Dishwalla) will be doing a dinner show at Carrara’s Restaurant in Moorpark on Thursday, June 25 (805) 552-4250 for reservations.

Ventura Music Scene 6/10/26 – 6/23/26

Posted on June 7, 2026 by venturarocks

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

The Boots & Brews Country Music Festival will be held at Plaza Park this year on June 13 with Cole Swindell, Gretchen Wilson, Lanco, Jayden Secor and Caiden Wallace. Get your cowboy boots on and enjoy cold beer, good friends and great country music. Secure tickets at BootsandBrews.com.The Local Love Project nonprofit 4th annual fundraising concert, “Blues, BBQ & Portside Views” will be held at the Ventura Portside Clubhouse on Sunday, June 14. Performing will be Kelly’s Lot, Guy Martin and the Erik Lemaire Band. Advance tickets are only $15 (TotallyLocalVC.com), but tickets should be available at the door. This is a great chance to come together as a community in support of a meaningful cause.

The 2nd annual Palomazo Music Fest will be held at Heritage Square on Saturday, June 13 from 4-9 pm. This one promises to be a vibrant celebration of sound, culture, and fun, making it the perfect destination for music lovers of all ages. Music lineup includes performances from Spaghetti Cumbia, Almighty Majestics, Los Cool Arrows, Conjunto Zacamandu. Tickets will be $40 at the door.
The good folks behind the Ventura Music Ventura have put together “Make Music Ventura” on Sunday June 21. This free event aligns with the global celebration which began in France in 1982 (we’re a little late in the game) during the summer solstice. Head to downtown Ventura and support local businesses and restaurants while enjoying performances by Monkfish, The Bomb, Jayden Secor, Ray Jaurique, the New Vibe and much more!

Oxnard’s Friday night free music series kicks off Friday, Jun 12 with Grupo Monitor, and the following week with the Soul Collective. The concerts run through August 21 and though the shows are free, tables come at a price.

Quick Notes: Congratulations to Topa Topa Brewing celebrating their 11th anniversary June 13; Café Fiore’s Reggae Sundays are back; Cantara Cellars is rebranding as Camarillo Barrel Works; The Grape will be closed for vacation starting June 21 and reopening July 7; The Missing 23rd film, What Goes on Tour Stays on Tape, will be screened at Ventura Coast Brewing Co. in conjunction with the release of their commemorative beer on Saturday, June 13; The Gamble rock the Bike the Coast Finnish Festival on Saturday, June 13 at Ventura’s Promenade Park; Singer/songwriter, J Peter Boles of Ojai, plays the Boatyard on Sunday, June 14; Louise Goffen (Carole King’s daughter) plays the Ojai Underground on Friday, June 19; Ojai Music Festival runs Thurs June 11 – Sunday June 14 with most events being held at the Libbey Bowl; Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers play Libbey Bowl Thursday, June 18; and finally, Tony’s Pizzeria will be celebrating their 67th anniversary with tons live music at the end of month. Details coming next issue!

Ventura Music Scene 5/29/26 – 6/9/26

Posted on May 24, 2026 by venturarocks

Ventura Music Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com
Deadheads rejoice with the inaugural Maybe It was the Roses music festival to be held at the Crowne Plaza running Friday, May 29 through Sunday, May 31. The ticketed event promotes music, spirit and connection, inspired by the legacy of the Grateful Dead (GoldenRoadFestival.com). Typically, concerts are either held upstairs in the ballroom, or along the beachfront promenade, but this three-day festival will take over the Crowne Plaza’s parking lot. I highly recommend using a rideshare service or park downtown as the City’s parking structure will fill up quickly. Some of the highlights to look forward to include special performances with artists sitting in with several bands such as the legendary Don Was, Kanika Moore, Jeffrey Brown (Blue Man Group sans blue make up), Zoe Ellis (Phil Lesh and Frends) and more.

The final week of May also offers the Ojai Blues Fest at the Ojai Art Center which runs Friday and Saturday with several local blues artists including Ray Jaurique, TD Lind and the Aviators, Ashford Gordon, Tommy Marsh (who returns from Nashville to produce the event) and several other artists. For ticket information go to OjaiArtcenter.org/special-events. But if you’re in town, and low on cash, then you can check out two extra side shows for free: Eric Lemaire will be at Sam’s Place on Friday and Milo Sledge at Feros Ferio on Saturday.

With two months to go, the Ventura County Fair has finally started rolling out this year’s Grandstand Stage concerts. By my press deadline, the lineup includes Bush on Wednesday, July 29, Iration on Friday, July 31, Jake Owen on Saturday, August 1, Ashanti featuring Bow Wow on Monday, August 3, Switchfoot & Hoobastank on Tuesday, August 4 and Nate Smith on Wednesday, August 5. Don’t forget, all concerts are included in the price of admission to the fair, however if you want VIP to get closer to the stage, you’ll need to pay an additional fee which is available starting Wednesday, May 27 (VCfair.org)

The Boots & Brews Country Music Festival will be held at Plaza Park this year on June 13 with Cole Swindell, Gretchen Wilson, Lanco, Jayden Secor and Caiden Wallace. Get your tickets at BootsandBrews.com.Quick Notes: OakHeart Music Festival is being held Saturday, May 30 in Thousand Oaks with Tyler Hubbard, Uncle Kracker and more; Downtown Ventura hosts line dancing on Wednesdays with Jayden Secor and the Ventucky Stompers; Palomazo Music Series continues with LaOx on Friday, May 29, downtown Oxnard; and Santa Paula Cruise night hosts the Red Rock Road Band on Friday, June 5.

Finally, I’m sorry to report Onyx is closing their doors with their last day of business being Sunday, May 31. Their new chapter is Olive & Quince, a catering & personal chef business.

Ventura Music Scene 5/13/26 – 5/26/26

Posted on May 10, 2026 by venturarocks

Ventura Music Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com
The California Strawberry Festival runs over the weekend of May 16 and 17 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. This family-friendly event offers over 40 food vendors, arts & crafts booths and of course live music entertainment across several stages. Saturday highlights include performances by Hot Southern Nights, Twisted Gypsy, Adam Lasher and more, and then on Sunday, it’s the Kings of Queen, The Long Run, Jayden Secor and Bonnie Boy. For rules and admission pricing, visit CaStrawberryFestival.org.

The Ventura Music Festival lineup was announced on May 8 with early bird ticket sales running through the end of May followed by their standard ticket window on June 1. Here now, the lineup:
• Classical Edge: Beethoven’s Choice, July 23 at Ventura College Performing Arts Center
• Angel Blue with Bryan Wagorn, July 24 at Rancho Campana High School
• Akropolis Reed Quintet, July 26 at Ventura College Performing Arts Center
• Classical Edge: The Birth of Impressionism, October 15 at Museum of Ventura County
• Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter, October 17 at Mission Park, Ventura
• Pacific Jazz Orchestra: a Tribute to Quincy Jones, October 18 at Rancho Campana High School
For more information go to VenturaMusicFestival.org.

The City of Thousands Oaks gets it right with their Pop Up Arts & Music Festival which runs Friday and Saturday evenings through the month of June. As the name suggests, the festival features “pop-up” public performances and activities at a variety of locations throughout Thousand Oaks. The primary goal of the festival is to provide residents and visitors with an opportunity to actively participate in and enjoy the arts in unexpected and distinctive locations throughout the community. Get artist lineup, dates and locations at bapacthousandoaks.com/popup. Oh! I forgot to mention that all events are free!Press has started on the 7th Annual Oxnard Jazz Festival. 2024 saw this event cancelled just days before opening due to “unexpected challenges,” but they’re back for scheduled dates September 10-13 at Olol’koy Beach Park in Oxnard. Artists on tap include Louie Cruz Beltran, Brasscals, B.I.G., The Whispers and more. Ticket information at OxnardJazzFestival.com.

Music Under the Stars concert tickets went on sale Tuesday, May 12
All the information for tickets can be found at www.cityofventura.ca.gov/1738/Music-Under-the-Stars.

Quick Notes: Tickets for Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox are on sale now for their concert at the Majestic Ventura Theater for December 3; listing for the Psychedelic Furs at the Ojai Libbey Bowl for Sunday, May 31 has disappeared from the Libbey Bowl website, however ticket vendors are still selling tickets (do with that what you may); and Friday, May 15, Carlos y Charlos plays the Paolomazo Music Series in Oxnard.

Ventura Music Scene 4/29/26 – 5/12/26

Posted on April 26, 2026 by venturarocks

Ventura Music Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com
Wednesday, April 29, music and social activism will go hand in hand for Denim Day at Bombay’s with the Local Love Project. Denim Day is a global statement in response to a 1992 Italian Supreme Court ruling which overturned a sexual assault conviction because the survivor wore “tight jeans.” You’re invited to wear your favorite pair of jeans in solidarity as we take a visible stand against victim-blaming at 5 pm, followed with the amazing music by Kelly’s Lot at Bombay Bar and Grill.

Music Under the Stars concert tickets go on sale Tuesday, May 12, at noon. This outdoor summer music series held at the historic Olivas Adobe typically sell out fast with the City of Ventura typically favoring tribute bands though there is one original music show featuring rockabilly. Here now, your choices: July 11 it’s My Generation (tribute to the 60s); July 18, Dark Desert Highway (Eagles tribute); July 25, Fortunate Son (Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute); August 1, Smooth Sounds of Santana (Carlos Santana tribute); August 8, Pretzel Logic (Steely Dan tribute); August 15, Joe Finkle & the 7/10 Splits (original rockabilly); August 22, Wilbury Super Group (Traveling Wilburys tribute); and August 29, Stone Soul (Motown). All the information for tickets can be found at www.cityofventura.ca.gov/1738/Music-Under-the-Stars.

Brushing up on my Spanish, AI tells me “Palomazo” refers to an informal jam session or musical gathering commonly associated with genres like salsa or mariachi. With that information under your belt, the Palomazo Music Series and Music Fest will kick off on May 1 with three (nonconsecutive) Friday night concerts followed by the Music Festival on Saturday, June 13. First, it’s the Mexican Standoff (Mexamericana with a punk twist) on Friday, May 1; then Carlos y Charles (Musica Nortena) on Friday May 15, followed by LaOX (Latin & NOLA grooves) on May 29. The Palomazo Music Fest has a great eclectic line-up of live bands including Spaghetti Cumbia (psychedelic cumbia-rock), The Almighty Majestics (vintage rock & soul), Los Cool Arrows (cumbia & rock en Espanol), and Conjunto Zacamandu (Son Jarocho).
All events to be held at Heritage Square in Oxnard. You can secure advance tickets: https://puebloandco.com/collections/palomazo-music-2026.

The Ventura Music Festival lineup will be announced May 8 (https://www.venturamusicfestival.org/). Do note early bird ticket sales start May 12 with standard ticket window on June 1. More details in the next issue of the Ventura Breeze.

Quick Notes: Ventura Music Hall added Black Flag for October 22; Bloody Mary Morning and Looking West at Tony’s Pizzeria on Saturday, May 2; Omar Velasco will be at the Deer Lodge on Friday, May 8; Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps at Studio Channel Islands on Saturday, May 9; and an all-female Dead tribute band, Grateful Dames, play the Crowne Plaza on Sunday, May 10.

Ventura Music Scene 4/15/26 – 4/28/26

Posted on April 12, 2026 by venturarocks

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

The 3rd annual 1 Love Day bar crawl will be held on Friday, April 17, with four bands at four bands. The participating venues are Café Fiore, Sans Souci, The Saloon and KJ’s Neighborhood Bar. Bands performing will be OnePeople, We Roll, Jacob and the Good Vibes and Irie Nature. If you want to be a part of the crawl, you’ll need tickets which will get you specials at each venue and a wristband designating your relationship status: green for you’re ready to mingle, yellow for it’s complicated and red means you’re in a committed relationship. The reggae themed event suggests you bust out your dreads and rasta threads and feel the love as you raise your vibrations by dancing to the reggae music drinking good libations. And though this is a ticketed event (1loveday.com), I bet you dollars to doughnuts, without a ticket, you can still enjoy the music.

It’s that time of year when a group of music fans gather for Stecklestock at Steckle Park where bands play all day, someone is cooking up an awesome barbecue and family and friends enjoy each other’s company. This year it will be held on Saturday, April 18, and rumor has it, this could be the final installment. As always, there is no fee though donations are appreciated to help cover the costs of rentals, permits, insurance, etc. This year’s line up includes Premonition, Lowered Expectations, Buena Onda, No Biggee, Chicano 7, Only Obvious and Tommy Foytek. Fun starts around 11 am and runs until dusk.

April 18 also happens to be the day the City of Ventura will celebrate Earth Day (it’s officially Wednesday, April 22). This free event runs 11 am to 4 pm at Plaza Park downtown Ventura. Feel free to bring chairs or blankets so you can comfortably enjoy the musical entertainment from Dark Current, Van Allen Twins, the Ventura High Jazz Band and a Mariachi band.

Thursday, April 23, Tony’s Pizzeria will host a special guest for their weekly reggae night bringing British reggae artist, Pato Banton to town with his positive message. Also performing will be Kainoa tiger & Aloha 805.

Quick Notes: due to the overwhelming response, the Ojai Underground has added a second show (5 and 7:30) for Kerri Climer, Tara Jeffery and Lois Mahalia on Saturday, April 18; Grateful Dead cover bands at the Crowne Plaza on Saturday, April 18, with the Alligators and Natural Dead on Sunday, April 19; Robert Cray’s at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center on Friday, April 24; Aaron Orbit with the Blurry Stars play the Deer Loge on Friday, April 24; Paul Stookey and daughter AS Aubrey perform at the Rubicon on Saturday, April 25; and the new Safe Space venue downtown hosts Fantuzzi Tuesday, April 28.

Ventura Music Scene 4/1/26 – 4/14/26

Posted on March 29, 2026 by venturarocks

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

There is no better place than Ventura for “a seaside celebration of music and community.” That’s the tagline for Maybe It Was the Roses Music Festival, a three-day celebration of the music, spirit and connection inspired by the legacy of the Grateful Dead and Bob Weir. The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Ventura Friday, May 29 through Sunday May 31. I’ve seen speculation that this replaces the defunct Skull and Roses, but who cares, if they pull this one off! Performances include those by Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, Dead Aces, Stu Allen with Mars Hotel, Jerry & Dawg, and many more. Get the lowdown at GoldenRoadFestival.com. And in case you’re wondering, “maybe it was the roses” is a lyric from “It Must Have Been the Roses” from the Grateful Dead. Information at GoldenRoadFestival.com.
Earlier the same month, the California Strawberry Festival falls over the weekend of May 16 and 17 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Along with all the fabulous strawberry concoctions, there will be arts and crafts, Strawberryland for the kids, a festival fun zone with carnival rides, and of course lots of live entertainment spread throughout the venue on a minimum of four stages. Some of the highlights will be Hot Southern Nights, The Long Run Eagles Experience, Corazon de Mana, Kings of Queen, and a special appearance by the Ventura College Jazz Band. Information at CAStrawberryFestival.org.

Moorpark’s High Street Arts Center added their summer tribute series to the calendar for dates July 31 through August 16. Tributes to Bruno Mars, Motown, Country, Billy Joel, Selena, Elvis and surf music. Shows do sell out, so secure your tickets now at HighStreetArtsCenter.com
Ojai Music Festival schedule with ticket information at OjaiFestival.org. The festival runs June 11 – June 14 with most concerts at the Libbey Bowl.

Quick Notes: Modest Mouse added to the Libbey Bowl concert season for Tuesday, August 4; the Easter performance at Beatice Woods Center for the Arts with George Kahumoku Jr. and Jim “Kimo” West is sold out; the musical, Somebody to Love, is now running at the Rubicon through April 19; the Beta Macks play First Thursdays Food Truck event at Plaza Park in Oxnard on April 2; it’s a punk rock Saturday afternoon at Vaquero y Mar on April 11 with SRA, Spider Baby and Opaula; reservations/tickets on sale now for the Sinatra tribute band featuring Michael Falcone at the Manhattan for Thursday, April 23; and finally, see you at Paul Thorn Friday, April 10, at the Ventura Music Hall.

Fun observation: you can tell who the target audience is when it’s a fully seated show starting earlier as is the case for when Ambrosia who play the Ventura Music Hall on June 7 at 7 pm 😊

Ventura Music Scene 3/18/26 – 3/31/26

Posted on March 15, 2026 by venturarocks

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

Live It Up, a Nordhoff L.I.V.E. club benefit concert will be held at the Libbey Bowl on Saturday, March 21 (2-9 pm), with several local bands including The Chillz, The Framers, Girldad, Looking West, Joystix, Easy Bear and Crescent City. This is an all-ages show with free admission, but donations will be gratefully accepted with proceeds going directly toward supporting students traveling to Arusha, Tanzania this summer for service work.

Supporting Namba Arts, which is one of the best listening rooms in the county, will be an intimate concert featuring the talented trio of Jodi Farrell, Michael Henszey and Mike Collins. This fundraiser is dedicated to supporting this jewel of venue, bringing together a night of acoustic and electric performance in an intimate setting. Along with the show will be a silent auction. This event falls on Sunday, March 22 at 6:30 pm.

Richard T. Bear & Friends play the Grape on Wednesday, March 25. Bear’s friends include heavy hitters such as Laurence Juber (Paul McCartney & Wings) on guitars, Ricky Cortes (John Mayall, Buddy Guy) on bass, and Tony Braunagel (Robert Cray, Taj Mahal, Rickie Lee Jones) on drums. Juber will open with an acoustic set.

Tommy Marsh, aka, Crooked Eye Tommy, brings back the Ojai Blues Fest to the Ojai Art Center with music starting Friday night, May 29, with the Guy Martin Band, and Smokey & Friends. Saturday has a full line-up of music with Ray Jaurique, Rae Gordon, TD Lind & the Aviators, Jen Staves & the Bluzfish, Ashford Gordon, Toni Dodd and Southbound Blues and of course a set from Crooked Eye Tommy.

The Boots and Brews line up was just announced for this year’s concert at Surfer’s Point (Ventura County Fairgrounds) where it’s all about celebrating good friends, cold beer and great country music. This year’s headliner will be Cole Swindell, along with Gretchen Wilson and Jayden Secor on Saturday, June 13.

Quick Notes: Now that the weather is agreeable for outdoor gatherings Tony’s Pizzeria and Margarita Villa are back to their normal schedules; Thursday night Grateful Dead Jams continue at Winchesters; there will be a rare early show at Sans Souci on Saturday, March 21 (4p) with Robin & the Love Letters, Scott Taylor and Quimby; the annual ARC of Ventura County’s “Let Go Out” event at Bombay’s on Saturday, March 21, with The Vonettes and Ray Jaurique Trio; Ozomatli plays the Ventura Music Hall on Saturday, March 21; Kelly’s Lot plays a day (2-5 pm) at the Deer Lodge on Sunday, March 22; two new album listening parties at Salzer’s Records with Courtney Barnett on Thursday, March 19 and Black Label Society on Thursday, March 26;
and Portland Oregon’s Tyler Berd with Eliza Noxon, play the Ojai Underground on Friday, March 27.

Ventura Music Scene 3/4/26 – 3/17/26

Posted on March 1, 2026 by venturarocks

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

When St. Patrick’s Day falls mid-week (Monday – Thursday), it’s a bit of a gamble on where to go to celebrate if you want live music. And whether you’re a true-blue Irish person honoring the patron saint of Ireland, or you just love wearing a kilt and drinking green beer there will be plenty to do. The Ventura St. Patrick’s Day Parade traditionally kicks off festivities the Saturday before (or on) St. Patrick’s day, so this year it rolls down Main Street (Lincoln to Fir) on March 14, four days before the official holiday. Some venues have parties on Saturday, others on Sunday and even a limited number of venues including the Boatyard Pub on St Patrick’s Day. But if you’ve never made it out for the parade, do yourself a favor and gather up friends and family and support this family-friendly event which begins at 10 am. This year’s theme is “Catch the Leprechaun Spirit” and honors former Ventura Mayor and four-term Councilmember, Brian Brennan as Grand Marshall.

The highly popular post-parade party at the Grape hosts the Two Trees Jazz Project on Saturday (2 pm). The punker crowd competes with the Grape with a show (same time) at Vaquero y Mar with Preachers & Pornstars, Yeah Right, All-a-Blue, SRA, Pito Paqueet and Ro Sham Bo. Then at 3 pm it’s the Pipes at Winchesters. Meanwhile, don’t be surprised if a band of bagpipers appear for short sets of Irish tunes throughout the area (including Dargan’s with their line around the block) from either the Gold Coast Bagpipes, A Pint of Irish, or the Ventura City Firefighters Pipes and Drums who will gladly pose for a selfie photo op with you.

The Ojai Libbey Bowl has updated their website promoting their music line up: the Psychedelic Furs on May 31, Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers on June 18, Dawes & Friends on June 26, Grateful Shred on August 1, Gipsy Kings on August 12, Ani DiFranco (where has she been???) on Friday August 14, Cat Power on August 18, Kamasi Washington on September 12, and two shows with Big Thief on September 19 and 20 with the first night already sold out. Find out more at LibbeyBowl.org.

Quick Notes: the 311 show at the Ventura is Wednesday, March 4, is sold out; renowned cellist, Ian Maksin’s Songs of the Vagabond Cello performs at the Ojai Art Center on Saturday, March 7; Matterform plays at the Saloon’s Artist’s Brew on Wednesday, March 11; the Botanical Gardens hosts musical guests, A Pint of Irish on Sunday March 15 from 11 – 12:30 pm; the Monday Club dance party with Hot Roux is Monday, March 16, at the Masonic Center in Ventura; and Ozomatli was been added to the Ventura Music Hall line up for Saturday, March 21.

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Category Archives: Ventura Rocks

Ventura Music Scene 7/8/26 – 7/22/26

Ventura Music Scene 6/24/26 – 7/7/26

Ventura Music Scene 6/10/26 – 6/23/26

Ventura Music Scene 5/29/26 – 6/9/26

Ventura Music Scene 5/13/26 – 5/26/26

Ventura Music Scene 4/29/26 – 5/12/26

Ventura Music Scene 4/15/26 – 4/28/26

Ventura Music Scene 4/1/26 – 4/14/26

Ventura Music Scene 3/18/26 – 3/31/26

Ventura Music Scene 3/4/26 – 3/17/26