Wassup 805? Bill Locey here, neither in Studio 805 nor in Camarillo, but still gainfully employed by the Ventura County Star, at least for the next hour or two, kicking at my house, multi-tasking, writing about rock 'n' roll, watching the new season of "River Monsters" with the sound off and petting my cat, Nope, who is on my lap and as usual, in the way and doing his fair share as part of the worldwide feline anti-literacy campaign.
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:
All right, no drive to Hell-A on a Friday nite - it's much further but worth it for the greatest rock 'n' roll festival in this here life cycle - it's Coachella II, still down in Indio featuring about 150 bands over three days on two outdoor stages and three stages in tents - all of will be
packed Friday with plenty of high school kids ditching school just to see the Black Keys, Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, Madness, Mazzy Star, M83, Neon Indian, M. Ward, Dawes, not to mention enough electronic music to give Thomas Edison the jitters - and my new favorite band (at least for a few hours) the Sheepdogs - and those are just a few of the cool bands on the first day. Once again for those of you on drugs, they do it nice, so they're doing it twice - Coachella II is a redo of last weekend again this weekend - hopefully with the Coldchella scenario a chilly memory and back to the better bikini weather this weekend. Hope you got your ticket - it sold out in about three seconds - oh, well - next year then.
But if you're not there, you could be here - up here in the 805 where we like it - at the greatest record store in the 805 - Salzer's in Ventura at Victoria and the 101 - it's Record Store Day with the Gentlemen and all 50 Sticks of Dynamite will be playing. Transplanted El Aliens can salivate at the nearby Tommy's while locals know that the Top Hat is back right near the ancestral home of the mighty, mighty Cougars, Ventura High School. Still tonight - Friday night - Teresa Russell will shred most convincingly on her guitar at the Savory Cafe in Ventura and B. Willing James and Justine Bennett will play some acoustic music at Zoey's while a few blocks away Laurie Morvan Blues Band will play what her name promises at Yolie's Mexican Restaurant, also in Ventura.
On Saturday, if you're down in Hell-A, you can check out that exceptional folkie - that would be Ernest Troost - he'll be at the Talking Stick Coffee Lounge in Venice, while up here in the 805 where we like it - it's the best show of the week - it's an Earth Day celebration - the Koch Brothers probably won't be attending - but Hidden Agenda and Rooster Ra will be playing. So will the Primitive Radio Gods - it's been a while - they had a hit back in the '90s with "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand," on the album, "Rocket" which went gold, then Columbia dropped them, demonstrating, if any more proof be necessary, how lame the record biz can be. Once upon a time, the Gods were the I-Rails and Charlie's favorites. It's been a few years since these Gods have played around here - you should go. It's all happening at Yolie's in Ventura Saturday evening early - 6-ish maybe. If I don't go shoot rednecks at a Civil War re-enactment, I'm so there.
OK, still Saturday - the Ventucky String Band is back, this time in beautiful downtown Oak View at the Big Buddha Lounge. And this stuff is just about right when it comes to an appropriate elbow-bending soundtrack - that would be bluesy rock courtesy of Blues Bullet who will be at the Hub in Ojai, while not far away, it's frantic and funny folkie, Michelle Shocked - fired up with righteous indignation and her own religious beliefs certain to have those Tea Party geezer nitwits espousing a continuous constant comment: "Why won't she just shut up and/or go away and leave us to salivate about the good ol' days that never existed?" A Rocuppy activist with the arrest record and 14 albums so far to prove her commitment, Shocked is as passionate as she is funny. At the height of the Iraq War - remember that one? That's when we invaded the wrong country to steal their oil? Her battle cry was "Pull out Bush like your daddy should've!" Check out my interview with the shocking Miss Shocked in this week's TimeOut, proof positive that I'm hardly making any of this up. She'll be at the Ojai Valley Woman's Club. Might be fun...
On Sunday, it's worth the risk of getting caught up in that Sunday night hell drive back from Santa Barbara - but it's Ozomatli doing their world beat, funk - what-the-heck foot friendly smash up at SOhO.
On Monday, Aaron Orbit will do his indie rock guy thing at Billy O's, a great place to stand around, pound down a Pabst or ten and watch some cool music. It's happy feet electronic music from that Coachella tent duo from Canada - that would be Zeds Dead at the venerable
Ventura Theatre, while around the corner, Happens Again will be happening again at the Good Bar down on Main Street in Ventura.
OK, so it's Tuesday and it's in Hell-A but it's Zachary James & the All-Seeing Eyes doing a residency at Harvard & Stone in Hollywood, even getting a best bet nod in the Hell-A Times. Good job, guys.
On Wednesday, it's acoustic guitar mania with Mark Masson and Bruce Kimmel at the Good Bar and it's that All-Star Blues Jam at the Bombay Bar & Grill, also in Ventura. While over at the Green Art People gig on the Ventura Avenue, it's Jaime Wyatt & the American Bloomers, said to be a female Tom Petty - that always works. Security cop stealing rock star's guitars? That never works...dumbass.
Finally on a Thursday, he ain't my Boss, but Bruce Springsteen will give everyone their money's worth when he sells out the LA Sports Arena, a feat unattainable by the 2011-12 basketball Bruins - hopefully, Shabazz Mohammed and Kyle Anderson will pack Pauley and lead the Bruins back to where they belong - rulers of the collegiate basketball universe.
While up here in the 805 where we like it, Cypress Hill - the Mount Whitney of rap, all the way from South Gate - will pack the Ventura Theatre and make the cops outside nervous on a Thursday night. Shawn Jones will be up all those stairs at the nearby Watermark and those Rubberneck Lions will be at the Bombay Bar & Grill. One more - Girl in a Coma - don't know about them but love that name - they'll be at UCSB. OK, the end of all that. For now...
