Ventura Music Scene 11/16/22 – 11/29/22

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 Music Scene Column 7/27/22 – 8/9/2022

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

The traditional free concert to the community once again opens the Ventura Music Festival (VMF) in Mission Park and this year it features Adaawe. The international women of voice and drum perform a global fusion of African rhythm, thrilling harmony, and world soul to uplift the spirt, celebrate diversity, and unite humanity. Low-back chairs are allowed, but honestly, I’m thinking we’ll be up and dancing for most of their performance which starts at 5:30 pm. Why not make it a family event and bring a blanket, picnic dinner while enjoying the sounds of Adaawe.

Following the Wednesday free performance, there will be six ticketed VMF performances held at the Ventura College Performing Arts Theater over the next two weekends featuring We Banjo 3, Django Festival Allstars, Sean Chen, the Moanin’ Frogs, Veronica Swift and The Crossing. To secure tickets, go to VenturaMusicFestival.org.

The Ventura County Fair returns this summer with a fine line up of musical entertainment both on the Station Stage featuring local artists, and the Grandstand Stage featuring national touring acts. It’s such a treat knowing all shows are included in the price of admission.

fair graphicBy the way, did you know the fair is free for those five and younger and for those 100 or older? For the rest of us, it’s only $15 for adults; $10 kids 6-12; seniors 65 and older $10. Check out VenturaRocks.com for the Station Stage lineup.

Here is the Grandstand Stage list of acts:
Wednesday, 8/3: Martina McBride
Thursday, 8/4: KC & the Sunshine Band
Friday, 8/5: The All-American Rejects
Saturday, 8/6: Blue Oyster Cult
Sunday, 8/7: Dia de la Familia concert
Monday, 8/8: The Beach Boys
Tuesday, 8/9: Clay Walker
Wednesday, 8/10: Cheap Trick

New shows added for the Majestic Ventura Theater include Marcus Mumford and Danielle Ponder on Tuesday, October 4, GWAR on Saturday, October 8; Black Flag on Saturday, October 29, Gogol Bordello on Saturday, November 5, and Tegan and Sara on Friday, November 11.

The Hueneme Beach Festival falls over the last weekend of August (27- 28; 11 – 7 pm) with free admission. Do note that parking is $10 but BikeVentura will be hosting a free bike valet, so if you can, ride your bike there. There will be music on two stages featuring New Orleans Suspects, Twisted Gypsy, Taylor Sackson, CRV, Marachi Camarillo, Oliva Willhite, and Morie & the Heavy Hitters on Saturday. And then on Sunday, it’s Nth Power, Beebs & Money Makers, the Phantom Blues Band, Sade, the Hand me Down Band, Juano & Friends, and the Cousins.

Spencer Mackenzie Throwdown Cornhole Festival will be held at Surfer’s Point Live (Ventura Fairgrounds parking lot) over the last weekend of August. The acts scheduled to perform this year are Sunny Ledfurd, Mandex, A.D.D., Rey Fresco and Morie & the Heavy Hitters. This is a ticketed event at $25 a day, or $40 for 3-day pass.

new west symphony The New West Symphony announced their 2022/2023 Masterpiece Series Season recently where performances will be held Saturday evenings at the Thousand Oaks Performing Arts Center and with Sunday matinees in Camarillo at the Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center. It all kicks off with their Winter Spectacular starring Sam Harris in December 2022 and will run through next November 2023 with a production of “Beethoven to Brubeck.” You can download their brochure at NewWestSymphony.org.

If you enjoy the punk end of the music spectrum, then you won’t want to miss NardFest on August 6, at the Oceanview Pavilion Performing Arts Theater in Port Hueneme. Bands on the bill include Head Heat, Ill Repute, Stalag 13, Dr. Know, False Confession, iDecline, Civil Conflict, Romper and Boilerman. The event runs 3 – 11 pm; tickets are only $20.

Grateful Shred artworkThe Ojai Valley Land Conservancy benefit concert runs two days July 30-31 from 2-9 pm at the Libbey Bowl featuring Grateful Shred headlining both days. Leading up to the main act: Saturday, Cayucas, Gifted & Blessed, Chuck & Luisa, Barbarelle and on Sunday, Nate Mercereau, Carlos Nino, Dan Horne, Service Human, Shelley Burgon, Melody Bird and Barbarelle. Ticket information can be found at OLVC.org/shred.

Quick Notes: Vincenzo Giammanco, CEO and founder of Boots and Brews confirmed there will in fact be two Boots and Brews for Ventura this year with Cole Swindell on August 20 and Tim McGraw on October 14 (tickets for both are on sale at BootsAndBrews.com); Tony’s Pizzaria continues with the Thursday free reggae shows with Morie & the Heavy Hitters on Thursday, July 28; Myst plays the Heritage Square Summer Concert Series on Friday, July 29 and it’s Soul Machine on Friday, August 5; Jerry’s Middle Finger plays the Ventura Music Hall on Friday, July 19; Hip Hop Mindset at the Oceanview Pavilion Performing Arts Theater on Saturday, July 30; Pedals & Pints Brewing Company and Tarantula Hill Brewing Company in Thousand Oaks are presenting the inaugural Down the Rabbit Hole Festival of Music and Beer on Saturday, July 30; Donna Lynn Caskey will open for the Dennis and Laura Show at Namba on Saturday, July 30; Poseidon Brewing will be celebrating their 8th anniversary over the weekend of 8/12-8/14; it’s Third Eye Blind at the Ventura Theater on Saturday, August 6; and finally, the Oxnard Salsa Festival is postponed for yet another year (fingers crossed for 2023).

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.