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:
OK, tonight - Friday night, it's the 55th Annual Conejo Valley Days which all the usual attractions - this event has been in place longer than Thousand Oaks has been a city - but you might want to check out the folk rockin' and funny band, the Janks. Check out my Janks' story in this week's Time Out, proof positive I'm hardly making any of this up.
While down the grade to Ventura, you can't go wrong with guitar goddess Teresa Russell, shredding all over that Savory Cafe or there's jam band nirvana with Shaky Feelin' at the Good Bar or there's rockin' blues across the street with those happy Dodger fans in the Preachers. A block and a half north on Main Street, it's the hardest working man in the 805 with a double digit catalogue of albums to prove it - that would be Tony Balbinot and his Cadillac Angels at the Star Lounge. Over at Zoey's, it's singer/songwriter action with Mia Dyson and B. Willing James and the Friday night blues gig at Yolie's will feature Nathan James & the Rhythm Scratchers. And finally on a Friday it's well traveled singer/songwriter Marvin Etzioni at the Michael Kate Gallery in Santa Barbara.
On Saturday, it's in Hell-A, but Deer Tick is pretty good if you're up for a bit of Americana that rocks, while in Agoura at the Lab Brewing Company, it's one more time for Shaky Feelin' while up here in the 805 where we like it, the Lovebirds will provide the soundtrack for the latest Boney Mountain House Concert in Newbury Park. In Ventura, back to Zoey's, it's Alexandra & the Starlite Band and also Orlando Napier, while up the coast to the SB County Bowl, it's Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros.
On Sunday, it's a Mac attack after the fact with guitar player Lindsey Buckingham at the Civic Arts Plaza and in Ventura, it's Raw Silk, still at it after all these years - they'll be at the Watermark and King Washington will begin a month-long Sunday residency at Zoey's.
On Monday, creepy name, great band - Death Cab For Cutie - probably never a ride in the Magic Kingdom but playing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. The Emy Reynolds Band will be at Zoey's up here in the 805 where we still like it, or at least until the Chamber of Concrete purchased city councils pave our quality of life.
On Tuesday, it's one of my favorite bands - that would be Snow Patrol at the Hollyweird Palladium, while up here, it's the Harmonica Clubhouse at Bernadette's down on Main Street in Ventura.
On Wednesday, it's the Conejo Valley's favorite band, Urban Dread, doing their dancey reggae thing at Bogie's in Westlake Village, while in Ventura, it's acoustic guitar pyrotechnics at the Good Bar with Mark Masson and Bruce Kimmel and the Green Art People are hosting the delightful 50 Sticks of Dynamite down on the Ventura Avenue. And finally on a Wednesday, it's the next big thing out of Vegas - that would be Imagine Dragons.
On Thursday, it's Shawn Jones at the Watermark in Ventura and it's Jonathan McEuen at the Big Buddha Lounge in beautiful downtown Oak View. OK, that's the end of all that. For now...
