Although both are undoubtedly mellow, the finhead Donavon and not the "Hurdy Gurdy Man" Donovan is embarking on a musical endless summer, hoping to sell a few copies of "Start Livin'. " Donavon Frankenreiter has a pair of shows near you to choose from next week: Tuesday night at SOhO in Santa Barbara and Thursday night at The Canyon in Agoura Hills.

Nearly as relentless as the once-blue Pacific, Frankenreiter is a workaholic with nearly as many albums as years in showbiz. He started off this hard work by hardly working, as is often the case in SoCal beach cities. He hit the beach and started surfing in San Clemente when he was 10. He caught enough waves and did such a stylish job doing it, he landed a sponsorship deal, ending up in finhead nirvana -- Hawaii -- where he met a young Jack Johnson and started playing the guitar during those endless, mindless, senseless and really fun surfin' safaris. Read more »

Channeling his inner Watts Stax persona, retro rocker Nick Waterhouse will dress to impress and sing those songs that remain the same (only different) when he croons for those fellow time travelers whose collective watch stopped around 1960. It's all happening Sunday night at SOhO in Santa Barbara.

Inside too many youngsters, the history gene is nowhere to be found because nothing happened that mattered before they were born. Exception: Waterhouse, a guy in a suit singing old-school R&B songs that could've been a part of one of those Dick Clark Caravan of Stars tours way back when sundowns were in black and white. He's got the inclination, the vibe and, most important, the voice and the sax player to make it all work. Read more »

Rock 'n' roll never starts on time, but this was really pushing it. One-time 805 local M. Ward -- now a part of that very happening Portland music scene -- was slated to do an interview with The Star to chat about the busy week he's got coming up, including gigs today and April 20 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio and on Saturday at SOhO in Santa Barbara, the latter another of those ultra-groovy Club Mercy gigs.

The interview has been in the works casually for about a month, but negotiations grew more impatient and hectic this past week. After a few weeks, Ward let it be known that it would be cool to do a weekday phoner -- but that was out because of my day job. So onto Plan B -- an email interview. Even that took a whole week, his answers not arriving in my in-box until Tuesday night. By the looks of things, Ward spent a whole five minutes (if that) on his responses -- but then again, maybe I could've asked better questions. Read more »

If I had a faster car, a richer girlfriend or even one with a job, here's where I'll be lurking in the back this week: First of all, tonight -- Friday night - you have to drive to Hell-A but it's worth it to see guitar god Albert Lee - he shreds up here now and again with Hot Roux - next time is in February but tonight - don't confuse him with Alvin but Albert Lee will be at McCabe's in Santa Monica. While at the cavernous Canyon Club, it's those reggae legends, mon, the

Wailers, still w/o Bob Marley; and a few miles north to the 805 where we like it at the Tipsy Goat in T.O. it's jam band nirvana with Shaky Feelin'. And if your world view is slightly to the right of "wahoo," you might enjoy some country music from Big Tweed who will be at Garman's Pub in Santa Paula - still a nice small town until they pave everything. There's a good one at the O - that would be Billy O's in Ventura with everyone's favorite raucous farm animals, Jackass, sharing the bill with the newly reconstituted La Vonettes, bringing back the girl group sound from back when AM radio was cool and not a cesspool of right wing paranoia. Teresa Russell will demonstrate the art of the guitar solo probably more than once at the Savory Cafe in Ventura - Chuck D will lead his cronies in Public Enemy to the Ventura Theatre tonight - that'll be the place with the million cops outside. It'll be worth it just to hear Radio Rahim's favorite song and the Occupy Movement's theme song, "Fight the Power." Kyle Hunt & King Gypsy will play some classic rock for the new millennium at the Bombay Bar & Grill, also in Ventura, and Big Joe Lewis will play some blues and boogie woogie piano wiz, Carl Sonny Leyland will be at Yolie's in Ventura, also tonight, Friday night.

On Saturday, back in L.A., it's Dave Alvin playing McCabe's, also on Sunday as well - he's

the guy that wrote the zillion great Blasters songs and even filled in for brother Phil at the Blasters gig at the Ventura Theatre last month. One of my interview victims this week - Mouse Grey, will be at the Sans Souci and - gotta love this name - Tall Tales and Silver Linings will be at the Hub in Ojai and on the next block the Mighty Cash Cats will channel the Man in Black at the Wrec Room, also in Ojai.

On Sunday, it's local legends, the R&B Bombers at the Bombay for an afternoon bluesy dance party and Frank Barajas will be at Tutti's in Ventura doing some solo acoustic pop rock.

OK, skip a few and thank that great American and famous Capricorn, Martin Luther King for your day off on Monday and then there's Tuesday, my birthday, which I share with Jim Carrey, Mohammed Ali, Betty White and Ben Franklin, so much for astrology. Anyway, on Tuesday, there's a good one down in Hollyweird at the House of Try to Find a Place to Park - the House of Blues, it's pretty much the same show that was in Ventura - it's bluegrass on speed with Old Man Markley, and wise guy punk legends NOFX will be funny and Pulley is also on the bill, still fronted by Scott Radinsky who was a solid situational left hander for the Dodgers, and will play some loud and fast punk rock. And still on Tuesday - no story because they dogged

me, yet the Handsome Furs will still be at SOhO in S.B.

On Wednesday, We Govern We continues their Wednesday night residency at the Sans Souci, while through the alley and down the block on "C" Street, it's that All-Star Blues Jam at the Bombay - the Corsican Brothers will play some power pop at the Big Buddha Lounge in Oak View and Kyle Hunt will be at the Jester in Ojai.

And finally on a busy Thursday, it's Caught Red Handed playing some country up all those stairs at the Watermark in Ventura - the hard working Kyle Hunt will be at the Crave Lounge at the extreme west end of Ventura, which just makes me miss the Midnight Hour all the more. And finally on a Thursday, Jonathan McEuen will do something cool at the Big Buddha Lounge in Oak View.