Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze 2/15 – 2/28

Ventura MusVentura Breeze logoic Scene
One Degree of Separation
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com

If you follow Ventura’s music scene, then you most likely know Brent Harding who can be heard playing bass in bands like the Whiskey Chimps, the Gypsy Blues Band, Hot Roux and others, but did you know he’s been Mike Ness’s bass man for Social Distortion since 2004?  Brent will be back on the road with Social D the next few months and you can see him when they play at the Ventura Theater on March 7.  That’s all awesome, but I just found out that during one of the many private parties during this year’s NAMM (National Association Music Merchants) event, Brent got a call to play at a Gretsch Guitars event with Jeff Beck.  Yeah, THE Jeff Beck.  I had to talk to Brent about it, because you know, that’s HUGE! Plus, that’s only one degree of separation for me!  Anyways, Brent was so funny when he told me there were moments where he couldn’t look at him because he’d freak out and he had to concentrate; but he said Jeff Beck was a wonderful guy, really sweet and kind.  Now that’s what you want to hear about guitar gods, no?

Grapes and Hops will once again host a special evening with Shawn Jones, Jeff Silbar and Suzie Candell. Of course, we all know and love Shawn who recently competed and made it to the semi-finals of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis this month, but Suzie is returning to Ventura from Switzerland; Shawn produced her first CD the last time she was out here called, California Streets. The two will reunite with the one and only Jeff Silbar (Grammy award winning songwriter, “Wind Beneath My Wings”) for an evening of swapping stories and tunes on Thursday, February 16.

Here’s a couple of one-liner notes of interest:  Ruben Estrada returns to the Copa Cubana Monday evenings 6-9 pm through April 10; The Ventura Breeze is sponsoring the Equinox jazz band at Squashed Grapes February 24; The Johnny Cash, Cash Bash will be held on Sunday, February 19, 4-7:30 pm at Bombay’s featuring the Mighty Cash Cats and Jade Hendrix; another Cash Bash will be held on Sunday February 26 at Discovery with Hard Six, Jackass and Inazuma; Rey Fresco will be at Now Ventura on Saturday, February 25; and along with their normal Friday concerts, Hi Hat Entertainment has a special show on Sunday, February 26 at the Hong Kong Inn featuring the 2016 Muddy Award Winners, “Performance of the Year,” Karen Lovely with Lisa Mann and Ben Rice (downbeat at 7).

And finally, the all new CAPS Media radio station, KPPQ-LP has officially launched and is live on air 24 hours a day at 104.1 FM. It’s a low-powered signal so it only reaches most of Ventura, but they’ll soon be available on the internet as well; the staff is working out the programming as you read this.  Keep in mind, this is local area access and along with covering our City Council meetings and other events (parades and such), the programming is open up to CAPS members like myself.  I hope you’ll tune in when I’ll be hosting a one-hour mostly local music show, tentatively on Tuesdays 5-6 pm.

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 Photos: August 2015

Olivas Adobe – Music Under the Stars – August 29, 2015
Fantastic Diamond  (photo credit:  Kevin Hogan)
Fantastic DiamondSquashed Grapes – August 28, 2015
Tom Scott
Tom Scott


Discovery – August 23, 2015
Los Lonely Boys

Los Lonely Boys


Bombay’s – August 14, 2015
Gygax
Gygax

 


Ventura County Fair – August 13, 2015
The B52’s
The B52's The B52's


Ventura County Fair – August 12, 2015
The Band Perry
The Band Perry


Ventura County Fair – August 10, 2015
Kevin Costner and Modern West
Kevin Costner


Ventura Fair Parade & Squashed Grapes – August 8, 2015
Fair Parade BandKarl Hunter and Dirk Shumaker of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Trey O’Toole of Pulse Drumming, Franklin Murphy of Shaky Feelin’, Jacob Scesney, and RJ Root.



Bombay’s – August 7, 2015
Alice (photo credit:  Mark Hirasaki)
Alice


Ventura County Fair – August 7, 2015
Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis & the News
Huey Lewis & the News


Squashed Grapes – August 6, 2015
The Lounge Trio with special guest Ruben Estrada
Cougar & Ruben Estrada


 

The Wine Rack – August 3, 2015
US Blues Project
US Blues Project


Saloon BBQ – August 2, 2015
Medicine Hat
Medicine Hat


Bombay Bar and Grill – August 1, 2015
Hy Brasil
Hy Brasil


Bombay Bar and Grill – August 1, 2015
Wax Off
Wax Off


Olivas Adobe – Music Under the Stars – August 1, 2015
Platinum Grooves
Platinum Grooves

Ventura Music Photos: December 2014

Discovery – December 31, 2014
New Year’s Eve celebrations
Guy MartinGuy Martin


Discovery – December 31, 2014
New Year’s Eve celebrations
Crooked-Eye Tommy
Crooked Eye Tommy


Grapes and Hops – December 31, 2014
New Year’s Eve celebrations
Shawn Jones
Shawn Jones


Saloon BBQ – December 31, 2014
New Year’s Eve celebrations
Mark Sellers
Mark Sellers


The Wine Rack – December 31, 2014
New Year’s Eve celebrations
Mark Heyes with Brad Swanson (singing)
Mark Hayes


Bombay’s – December 31, 2014
New Year’s Eve celebrations
Mandex!


Amigo’s – December 31, 2014
New Year’s Eve celebrations
Iron Butterfly Experience


Bombay’s – December 20, 2014
Kiss Mas
Kiss Mas


Bombay’s – December 20, 2014
Bloody Mary Morning
Bloody Mary Morning
Amigo’s – December 20, 2014
Ray Jaurique and the Uptown Brothers
Ray Jaurique and the Uptown Brothers


Gigi’s Cocktails – December 20, 2014
Pull The Trigger
Pull the Trigger


Billy O’s – December 19, 2014
The NaVaNaX
The NaVaNaX


Peirano’s – December 19, 2014
Ruben Estrada and Friends
Ruben Estrada


Hi Hat Entertainment at Ventura Beach Club – December 19, 2014
Kim Wilson, Carl Sonny Leyland


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