Ventura Music Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com
March 17th is coming up and several venues will offer live music to entice patrons through their doors to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and the Irish culture. Of course, the City of Ventura will have their annual St. Patrick’s Day parade; but, on the day before, Saturday, March 16. So, if you plan to head out for some rollicking fun on Sunday then may I suggest you celebrate the patron saint of Ireland along with a very special milestone? That would be the 15th anniversary of VenturaRocks.com. That’s right! I launched the website on March 17, 2009, and have never charged the venues or the bands to be listed on the calendar of events, and it’s always been free to the end users, so many of which swear it’s their bible when it comes to live music in our town. Many thanks to Bruce Barrios for offering to host the party at Tony’s Pizzeria from 3-7 pm with live music from the Brandon Ragan Project as well as special appearance by the Ventura City Firefighters Pipes and Drums. I hope you can swing by!
Billed as Jazz in the House, the Ventura Theater will host a Sunday afternoon concert, free to the public, featuring the award-winning jazz bands from Cabrillo Middle School and Ventura High School. It’s truly inspiring that these schools continue to offer music programs when so many other schools cannot. Both programs are supported by the memberships of their Booster organizations (both 501(c)3 non-profits). This is a perfect way to support budding musicians by attending and showing them some love.
The City of Ventura has announced this year’s Music Under the Stars lineup for the summer of 2024; however, tickets do not go on sale until May 9, so you have plenty of time to map out which shows you plan to attend. Here now, the lineup: an 80s dance party with Identity Theft on July 13; the Smooth Sounds of Santana play on July 20; a Steely Dan revue with Pretzel Logic on July 27, it’s a fun combo of Stones vs Rod Stewart with Start Me Up on August 3; a unique spin on blues, Rock & Americana with Dirty Cello on August 10; R&B, pop, jazz top-40 with Phazze One on August 17; an Eagles tribute with Dark Desert Highway on August 24 and a high-energy Latin dance band, Susie Hansen Latin Band to wrap up the series on August 31.
Quick Notes: tickets are on sale now for Todd Rugren’s June 23rd concert at Libbey Bowl in Ojai; Jodi Farrel will hold a Master Class at Namba on Saturday, March 9; Spencer the Gardener plays the Ojai Underground on Saturday, March 9; it’s the debut of Mick Stovers Blues Band at Margarita Villa on Saturday, March 9; and Save Ferris plays the Ventura Music Hall on Saturday, March 16.
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.