Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze 6/1/22 – 6/14/22

Ventura MusVentura Breeze logoic Scene
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com

The Ojai Blues Fest at the Ojai Art Center returns on Saturday, June 4. It’s always a treat when Tommy Marsh returns to town after picking up and leaving us for Tennessee to build a Nashville audience. Trust me when I say, the talent will not disappoint! Tickets are available on EventBrite.com. Here’s the current time lineup:

1:30 – Milo Sledge
2:00 – Crooked Eye Tommy
3:30 – Chuck Strong & SRBQ
4:30 – Ray Jaurique & the Uptown Brothers
5:30 – Sandy Haley Band
6:30 – Guy Martin
8:00 – All-star Jam Session

The 75th anniversary of the Ojai Music Festival runs June 9 – June 12 at the Libbey Bowl. Tickets for each event run between $20 and $150; but on Sunday, June 12, all are invited to two free events at Libbey Park. The first, Dance in the Park, features the dance duo Julia Eichten and Bret Easterling, celebrating tenderness, togetherness, and fierce joy; and then that afternoon, Rome is Falling is a high-energy new telling where song, spoken word, and driving music come together to contextualize the action with audience engagement and the performance of a local children’s choir. For more details on all performances and to secure your tickets, go to OjaiFestival.org.

The Glass Animals concert at the Ventura Theater wasn’t announced until 9 am on Wednesday, May 18 and tickets went on sale that day at noon which promptly sold out for their show the following Wednesday, May 25, at the Ventura Theater…which by the way was fabulous.

Future shows on sale now for the Ventura Theater include Third Eye Blind for Saturday, August 6, Billy Idol on Thursday, August 25, Hollie Cook (from all-female punk/reggae band, the Slits) on Saturday, September 24, Black Flag on Saturday, October 29, and AFI on Friday, November 25. If you don’t want to miss out, you’ll want to keep your eye on their calendar as you never know when new dates will pop up (such as the Glass Animals).

Heading around the corner and down the block (or two) to the all-new Ventura Music Hall, I’m happy to report that I’ve secured tickets for the Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs show for Sunday, June 12. Come on!!! He co-wrote so many hits with Tom Petty (Refugee, Here Comes My Girl, Runnin’ Down a Dream), you know it’s going to rock!! New dates added recently include Guttermouth on Sunday, July 3 (happy to say local bands False Confession and Romper will open), Memphis May Fire out of Texas plays Tuesday, July 19 and Jerry’s Middle Finger will bring in the “Deadheads” when they play Friday, July 29.

Over on Main Street, midtown Ventura, the Grape has Casey Abrams, former American Idol contestant and current member of Postmodern Jukebox, returning for a show on Saturday, June 4, then the venue will go into overdrive when they open on Sunday and Monday (traditionally closed) for two special concerts. Firstly, on June 5, it’s Dreamland band, a Joni Mitchell tribute, featuring Kimberly Ford on vocals and guitar and then on Monday, June 6, the Dave Weckl/Tom Kennedy Projects with their high energy jazz fusion. Weckl was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2000. Tickets are available for these shows at TheGrapeVentura.com.

The Toni Jannotta Jazz Trio plays Peirano’s on the Terrazza Friday, June 3, with Terry Simcik on guitar and Tom Etchart on bass. Toni then leaves for Europe to sing in the Langtoun Jazz Festival in Kirkcaldy, Scotland.

Here’s a fun, or not-so-fun fact: all reserved tables and special ramadas for all concerts are sold out for Music Under the Stars this summer. Tickets still available for general admission include Identity Theft on July 23, Rhythm Krewe on August 6 and Lisa Haley & the Zdekats on August 27, all other shows totally sold out. You can either purchase tickets at Ventura City Hall or over the phone (805) 658-4726.

Quick Notes: just announced, Uncle Cracker will perform at BBQ Fest 2022 at Surfer’s Point Live (Ventura Fairgrounds) on Saturday, June 11; Surfers Point Café will hold a grand opening celebration on Saturday, June 11, featuring the loveable CocoKnots and their tropical blend of music with a sprinkling of pop & jazz classics from 1 -4 pm; Cadillac Zack presents Aki Kumar, Bollywood blues, at Namba on Friday, June 10; Iain Matthews and Steve Postell (founding members of British folk rock bands) play the Ojai Underground Friday, June 3; Mack and D start up their Thursday evening residency at 1901; Tickets are on sale for the Hip Hop edition of Sunday Funday with Flo Rida and Lil Jon at Surfer’s Point Live (Ventura Fairgrounds parking lot); and Mick Stover (bassist Dive Bar Messiahs, Gentlemen’s Blues Club) has started a new 80s dance cover band called ’80 Reasons 2 Dance, you can catch them at Margarita Villa on July 9.

The Pam Baumgardner Music Hour continues to support and play local artist out of the 805, as well as artists who come here to play. Mary Z Wilson continues to be a great asset talking about the history of Americana here in town; she’ll be sharing music from Donna Lynn Caskey, Merlin Snider and Cyrus Clarke on the next episode, (#162) which runs 5/31 – 6/12 and airs Tuesdays and Fridays at 5:00 pm and Sundays at noon. Tune into KPPQ-LP at 104.1 FM here in Ventura, or listen via the MyTuner radio app on your smart device, or online at CapsMedia.org/Radio.

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: June 2016

Squashed Grapes –  June 25, 2016
Colin Bailey w/ Jim Hughart, Jim Fox
Colin Bailey


Surf Brewery 5th Year Anniversary – June 18, 2016
The Slider and Raging Arb and the Redheads


The Wine Rack – June 17, 2016
Hans Ottsen Trio with Mariio Calire and Guil Juliao
Photo credit: Chris Jensen (click photo for full view)


Copa Cubana – June 16, 2016
Toni Jannotta with Tom Collins and Tom EtchartToni Jannotta


Red Cove Open mic night – June 9, 2016
Patrick Bakody
(vocals) and  Josh Handley (guitar & vocals).
Photo credit: Rose Sutton
0611_WeTheUnderclass


Squashed Grapes – June 8, 2016
Rachel Flowers performing with Adam Clark (not pictured)
Photo credit: Justin Beranich
Rachel Flowers


Grapes and Hops – June 4, 2016
The Brambles (Ones to Watch Productions)
The Brambles

Ventura Rocks in the Ventura Breeze 9/30 – 10/13

Ventura MusVentura Breeze logoic Scene
The Hits Keep on Coming
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com

The Pullmen

The Pullmen played to a packed house at Bombay’s on Friday, September 25th. Their new CD, “Going Dark” hits the streets October 9. They’ll be touring Europe through the end of October.

Keifer Sutherland will be rolling into town with his band on Friday, October 23, when he’ll be playing an intimate show at W20 at the Watermark.  Even though there are no advance tickets (everyone pays at the door day of the show), you should mark this on your calendar now. Only 120 people will be admitted and tickets are only $10. Mark Hartley, owner of W20/Watermark told me he’s really looking forward to this one and it turns out he’s a big fan of “24”.

Robert Cray’s latest CD/DVD was released this summer featuring some of the footage of his show last year in Ventura.  The “4 Nights of 40 Years Live” is available everywhere including Amazon.com and locally at Salzer’s. Shawn Jones opened for Cray that night and apparently open doors as he’s been asked to tour with The Robert Cray Band this month in Europe.  I asked Shawn about it. He said, “It’s one of the biggest honors of my career!  I have been a Cray fan for over 30 years now. This is another level of respect for me!  Knowing he is a fantastic guy as well helps; I am beside myself actually!”

The Wine Rack has been busy booking stellar bands and artists.  You can ease back into the work week with their Monday night residency though October with Michael Cregan, then the Tim Carroll band on Tuesdays with Doug Johnson on drums. They also have live music most Thursdays and every Friday and Saturday.  Dirk Shumaker (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy) and Trey O’Toole (Pulse Drumming) will be back on Friday, October 2nd, and I’m also looking forward to Christine Olive an Australian artist who is a surfer, environmentalist and singer/songwriter who has been touring the Southern California area making a stop at the Wine Rack on Friday October 9.

The annual Seaside Highland Games take over the Ventura Fairgrounds Saturday and Sunday October 9th and 10th with fun and games for the entire family including live music from Tannahill Weavers, Celtic Spring, The Angry Brians, Golden Bough and Highway Way.

And finally there’s a new performance venue – Namba – which will be featuring “Music Speaks” on four consecutive Sundays in October.  The event will be hosted and moderated by jazz vocalist and songwriter, Toni Jannotta.  The four early evening performances will be featured in this order: October 4th with three-time Emmy award winner Bill Richmond, October 11th with Alan Thornhill, October 18 Hekar Rivera and Steve Sunnarborg, and then finally on October 25th it’s Kiki Ebsen, daughter of the late Buddy Ebsen.  Namba is nestled in the middle of downtown Ventura at 47 South Oak Street. Call (805) 628-9250 for ticket information.

Do you have any music related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing?  Send all information short or long to  Pam@VenturaRocks.com, and for updated music listings daily, go to www.VenturaRocks.com .

Ventura Rocks in Ventura Breeze – 11/13/13 – 11/26/13

The Music Scene
Around Town
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Pam@VenturaRocks.com

Sunday afternoons at the Ventura Harbor just got better for the month of November with “Wine, Dine and Jazz”. Every Sunday, noon to 3:00, live jazz can be heard on the Village Carousel Stage. Participating venues will offer up wine and food specials while patrons get to enjoy jazz out on the grass. Still to come are the Toni Jannotta Jazz Duo on 11/17, and Justin Claveria Jazz Trio on 11/24.

Rockabilly legend, Wanda Jackson, and a psychobilly band from Denmark, Nekormantix, hit the Majestic Ventura Theater on November 24 with local bands supporting the bill including Hard Six who have been called, “the ultimate party band” by members of the Dead Kennedys and have collectively opened for such acts as The Black Eyed Peas, Sponge and Veruca Salt. Also supporting the bill are Radio Threat, The Graveyard Kings and The Cursed Bastards.

After their amazing debut performance at Squashed Grapes, Jazz Punks will be returning to Ventura for a show at Amigos on Friday, November 15. You got to trust me on this, they are off the hook!!! Don’t miss it. And as always, no cover at Amigos on Main, but you’ll want to bring some extra cash for dinner/drinks and to get your own Jazz Punks CD and t-shirt.

The 13th annual 4Kids2Kids Toy Run and BBQ will be held on Nov 23rd at The House of Magic. Grand Marshals are Nick St. Nicolas (Steppenwolf) and Mickey Jones (drummer for Trini Lopez, Johnny Rivers, Dylan). Local musicians will be dropping by all day for Nick St. Nicolas all-star band. See www.VenturaRocks.com for more information and flyer.

The Winter Wine Walk is one of those annual events where they shut down portions of downtown Ventura and the town really comes out to mingle with family and friends while visiting participating venues. Snow will be falling on Main Street and music will be provided by Orlando Napier, The British Beat Band and The Bomb. This event, December 7, traditionally sells out ahead of time, so don’t miss out! www.VenturaWinterWineWalk.com.

Local favorites Shaky Feelin’ have released their second CD called “Shaky Feelin’ Live at Green Art People.” If you know and love the band, trust me, this CD captures the band live at their finest. Plus, they’ll make lovely stocking stuffers for Christmas. Just saying.

And finally, even though Zoey’s may have closed their doors, you have to love Steve and Polly for seeing through this year’s Ones to Watch. They put out feelers for a venue to hold this important event and immediately Jim Rice, Executive Director for Bell Arts, stepped up. “I have been a long time fan of Zoey’s and how they really honor musicians,” Rice explained. “When I heard they needed a venue for The Ones to Watch I thought we might provide the same type of atmosphere and attitude towards singer songwriters.” The Ones to Watch will be held at Bell Arts on Saturday, November 23. Finalists are Alicia Murphy, Max Kasch, Mitchell Blake, Derek Jennings, Grace Fellows, Anita Coats, Gabby Sol, and John Ash.