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 in Hell-A, but it just might be worth the irritating drive for several reasons: One of my new favorite bands, River City Extension, will be at the Satellite, while over at the Echo, there's righteously raucous rock from the Japandroids - they even do a cover of a Gun Club song, so they must be cool, and Mayer Hawthorne will do this bluesy rock thing at the Wiltern Theatre.
Up here in the 805 where we like it, the Corsican Brothers will play some pure power pop at Amigo's down on Main Street in Ventura, while a block further north, it's guitar goddess Teresa Russell shredding all over the Savory Cafe and Julie Christensen will sing a few off her new one at Zoey's. In the Bummer, Dude Department, the Gary "U.S." Bonds shows at Yolie's have been cancelled, so Dona Oxford and Craig Thomas will fill in, ably assisted by Hot Roux. No news about a Bonds make-up date. Up in Ojai, John Marx will play some blues at the Jester and the three-day Live Oak Music Festival kicks off up near Lake Cachuma, a bit north of Santa Barbara.
On Saturday, all those tweenie boppers screaming in young lust might register on the Richter Scale but it's only their hormonal reaction to those boy toys in One Direction and that direction will be straight to the bank by way of the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City; while up here in the 805 where we still love it or until Camarillo emulates Oxnard and paves all that boring farmland, it's the Freedom Fest IV at Rock City Studios with 20 bands you've
never heard of if you're over 40 - not far away it's that Fiddle Fest at Constitution Park, also in Camarillo and all those Shoemaker Brothers will be at Garman's Pub in Santa Paula. Over in Ventura, there's reggae with Andrew Bees at the Golden China - their Sunday buffet totally rocks - Bees used to sing in one of the later incarnations of Black Uhuru and those Legalizers will play some rockin' reggae up all those stairs at the Watermark and every band in Ventura - or just about every good one will be at SRO Fundraiser at the Bombay Bar & Grill in Ventura - Rey Fresco, We Govern We, Todd Hannigan and Bloody Mary Morning are just a few of those playing. Down at the Fairgrounds, it's the Roadside Revival, which is the 4th Annual Johnny Cash Music Festival, plus there's an after party at Zoey's with the Johnnys - an all girl JC Tribute Band who came all the way from New Zealand, which is almost as far as Mordor. And finally on a Saturday, guitar god Alastair Greene will be at the Hub in Ojai. On Sunday, those rockin' rodents in Mouse Grey will be at the Sans Souci in Ventura. If you're a gardener like I'm trying to be - can't share with gophers because they're too greedy - I've got 10 so far this month, only four in May, but 31 in April - Black Holes and cats really work. I got one last night almost as big as my cat, Nope.
On Monday, he's the saddest singer/songwriter with wrists yet unslit - he's my hero and one of the best writers in rock, especially if you're in some sort of dysfunctional relationship with Miss Take - it's Rhett Miller. He'll be at the Troubadour in Hell-A and he's got a new album. While up in S.B., it's moody techno pop from Brooklyn by way of the Bay Area - that would be Lemonade at SOhO.
On Tuesday, it's the Corsican Brothers doing their pop rock thing at Cafe Fiore in Ventura - the Sideshow Preachers will be at the Tavern down on Santa Clara and the wonderful Jenny Lewis will be at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara - she was the Jenny part of Jenny & Johnny.
On Wednesday, Urban Dread will play some reggae at Bogie's in Westlake Village while down the grade and then some to Ventura, it's the All Star Blues Jam at the Bombay and the Ventura County Blues Society blues jam will be at the Tavern in Ventura; and Rising Son will play some reggae at the Green Art People in Ventura. Frank Barajas will do his one man pop thing at the Big Buddha Lounge in Oak View and Kyle Hunt will do a homegame gig at the Jester in Ojai.
And on Thursday, it's scary techno rock from Ministry who will be at phonehead nirvana, Club
Nokia, while up here in the 805 where we love it until Oxnard paves everything, there's only two K's - Kris Kristofferson - and not those triple K idiots that want to sponsor a highway in Georgia. Still, no one has ever seen Ventura City Councilman Carl Morehouse and Kristofferson together (hmmm) but the singer will be at the Oxnard Performing Arts thing, which is doable because the Ventura City Council meets Monday nights - and maybe the Klan can buy the road to Andersonville. Jonathan McEuen will be at the Big Buddha Lounge in beautiful downtown Oak View, and Dan Grimm will be at the Jester in Ojai, also on a Thursday. OK - busy week of good stuff, but that's the end of all that. For now...
