Ventura Music Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com
If country music is your jam, then you won’t want to miss KHAY Fest 2025 featuring Justin Moore, Locash, Dillon Carmichael and Caught Red Handed. The day will be chock-full of activities including a huge dance floor for line dancing, vendors, photo-ops, food trucks and more. The event will be held at the Camarillo Airport on Saturday, April 11 with proceeds benefiting First Responders, Ride for the Blue, and Food Share. You can find out more and secure your tickets at KHAY.com.
Who new Donny Most who played one of Richie’s friend, Ralph Malph on Happy Days is now a jazz musician based out of Colorado? Well, the Ventura Music Festival did and they’re bringing his 17-piece band to the Crowne Plaza for an evening of swing, jazz and big band classics on Friday, May 9. For more information and tickets go to VenturaMusicFestival.org.
The Ojai Playhouse has finally been renovated (again), and has reopened to mostly film screenings, but on Wednesday, April 2nd, Benmont Tench will perform. Tench was a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and played keyboards on all the Heartbreakers recordings. Do note if you plan to attend, tickets will not be available at the box office and can only be purchased via TicketWeb.com.
The Strawberry Festival music line up was recently announced. Along with all the strawberry concoctions, entertainment will be spread out over several stages. On Saturday, May 17, it’s Bruno & the Hooligans, U2Xperience, Tabu, Jayden Secor, Bad Habit, Smith, Upstream and Jeanne Tatum. And then on Sunday, May 18, it’s Radio Rebels, Kings of Queen, Son Mayor, Brandon Ragan Project, Jacob & the Good Vibes, Past Action Heroes, Santeria and Los Xiquenos. Free Shuttles will be available at six different locations to help alleviate traffic getting to the Ventura County Fairgrounds. For more information and advance tickets go to CaStrawberryFestival.Org
And congratulations to Bombay Bar and Grill as they celebrate their 40th anniversary this month. Do make it a point to swing by and give high fives to Diego and crew.
Quick Notes: Boatyard Pub will be undergoing renovations for much of April; Art City’s first Friday, 5x5x5 will feature Dear Southern Belle, Nick Jay and Pat Miskel on Friday, April 4; Ventura Theater tribute band night will be held on Saturday, April 12, featuring Ozzmania, Fair Warning, Natural Science and Fallen Angel; Aaron Burch Teen Collective, Unplugged, will be held at Namba on Saturday, April 12; Feros Ferio Winery in Ojai hosts Korel Tunador on Saturday, April 12, (Tunador has toured and played with such acts as Rob Thomas, Katy Perry, The Goo Dolls, Matchbox 20 and more); Tony’s Pizzeria Saturday, April 19 will have Shaky Feelin’ Katie Skene Band, Ashton Slater’s Grateful Get-Down and Chris Murphy from 4:20 – 11 pm; and Tierra, Malo and Los Amigos play the Fillmore Town Theater on Saturday, April 19.
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.
