Q&A with LoveyDove performing May 24 at Ojai Underground Exchange
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Azalia Snail and Dan West of LoveyDove.
BE THERE OR BE SQUARE: LoveyDove, Where’s Agatha at Ojai Underground Exchange, 1016 W. Ojai Ave., Friday (May 24), 7:30 p.m. COST: $15 or $20 (suggested); 805-340-7893
Bill Locey, Ojai Valley News Rock Talk columnist
After a few years of marriage, too many couples have been reduced to this: What’s/For/Dinner?/Who/Cares? but not Azalia Snail and Dan West, a married musical duo known as Lovey/Dove. They’ll be playing at the Ojai Underground Exchange Friday night (May 24) with 93023 locals, Where’s Agatha also on the bill.
The Exploited headlines four-band punk extravaganza May 17
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The Exploited tour promotion.
Be there or be square: The Exploited, Total Chaos, D.I, iDecline at the Ventura Theatre, 26 Chestnut St., tonight (May 17), 7:30 p.m. COST: $25 - $30. CALL: 805-653-0721.
Bill Locey, Ojai Valley News Rock Talk columnist
OK, so what’s orange and remains complete strangers with any notion of subtlety? It could be a Clemson Tiger linebacker, Donald Trump or Wattie Buchan, the frontman for punk legends, the Exploited. The answer is all of the above, but for our purposes, the Exploited will once again forget to play any soulful ballads when they headline a four-band punk rock extravaganza tonight (May 17) at the venerable Ventura Theatre.
Time to leave the 93023? For the Cowboy Junkies maybe?
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Cowboy Junkies
Be there or be square: The Cowboy Junkies at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido, Santa Barbara, Thursday (May 16), 8 p.m. Cost: $105 or $50. Call: 805-963-0761.
Bill Locey, Ojai Valley News Rock Talk columnist
Sometimes it’s time to leave the iconic Ojai Valley, and coming home will always be a good thing. One possible reason for a fairly convenient roadtrip is the first local appearance in a few years of the Cowboy Junkies. Thursday night (May 16), the band will be at the iconic Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara where the sound is always perfect, following a smooth cruise up the coast or the back road over Highway 150 to Carpinteria.
Q&A with Smoky Knights performing May 3 at Deer Lodge
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Smoky Nights
Be there or be square: Smoky Knights at Deer Lodge, 2261 Maricopa Hwy., Meiners Oaks, Friday (May 3), 10 p.m. Cost: Free. Call: 646-4256.
Bill Locey, Ojai Valley News Rock Talk columnist
It seems like everyone in El Lay is either writing a screenplay, playing in a band, getting towed or moving to Ventura County where they’re certain to remark that the traffic isn’t so bad up here. Doing some of that — mostly the band stuff — the Smoky Knights will be driving north and returning to their 805 happy place — the Deer Lodge in Meiners Oaks, where they have a Friday Night (May 3) gig.
Q&A with Rain Perry: April 27 at Ojai's Churchill Orchard
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Rain Perry
Be there or be square: Rain Perry at Churchill Orchard, 4101 Grand Ave., Ojai, Saturday (April 27). A 5 p.m. show has been added because the 8 p.m. show was sold out. COST: $20. CONTACT: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Bill Locey, Ojai Valley News Rock Talk columnist
Spring may have sprung but it’s gonna Rain one more time guaranteed, and real soon, too. Local singer/songwriter Rain Perry, who will be ably assisted by an all-star collection of boys in the band, is having a CD release party Saturday night (April 27) for her latest album, “Let’s Be Brave.” It’s all happening at the Churchill Orchard in Ojai and will be a benefit for the California Community Foundation Wildfire Relief Fund. Since Perry does it so nice, she’ll be doing it twice. The Saturday show at 8 p.m. has already sold out, so she is adding a 5 p.m. show the same day. Act accordingly.
Q&A with Shylah Ray Sunshine performing April 20 at Libbey Park
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Shylah Ray Sunshine
Be there or be square: Earth Day at Libbey Park, 210 S. Signal St., April 20, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Music: Ray Powers (11a.m.), Rose Valley Thorns (noon), Shylah Ray Sunshine (1 p.m.), Brothers Koren (2 p.m.), Vaughn Montgomery (3 p.m.). If you can afford it – it’s free.
Bill Locey, Ojai Valley News Rock Talk columnist
Shylah Ray Sunshine will be playing at an Earth Day celebration happening Saturday, April 20, in Libbey Park. How could she not? With a name like that, SRS sounds like she was forwarded to the 93023 directly from Central Casting, especially if a Na’vi (those blue critters in “Avatar”), a couple of ents or Bill McKibben proved to be unavailable. It’s Earth Day in Ojai. The Groovy Factor will be high.
Q&A with the Temptations performing April 12 at Ojai’s Libbey Bowl
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The Temptations
BE THERE OR BE SQUARE: The Temptations at Libbey Bowl, 210 S. Signal St., Ojai, tonight (April 12), 7 p.m. Cost: $24 to $68. Call: 888-645-5006.
Bill Locey, Ojai Valley News Rock Talk columnist
The greatest vocal group ever will showcase those same old songs, plus they’ll dance, too, ably supported by a band that’s tighter than your boss — it’s a cultural landslide of art and convenience when the legendary Temptations play the Libbey Bowl tonight (April 12), a show rescheduled from last September. The Temptations have been at this for nearly six decades — they have more than 20 No. 1 hits and almost double that number when it comes to metals that make corporate suits salivate — gold and platinum records. They’re in the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and the Temptations have five Grammys. The mystery is why they don’t own every Grammy.
Q&A with Cubensis performing at fairgrounds April 5 through 7
Photo by Dave Thomas
Band members Larry Ryan, Nate LaPointe, Craig Marshall.
BE THERE OR BE SQUARE: Skull & Roses Festival at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, 10 W. Harbor Blvd., Friday through Sunday (April 5,6,7) Cost: Varies. Contact: Skullandroses.com
Bill Locey, Ojai Valley News Rock Talk columnist
“Grateful” cannot be found anywhere on the collective résumé of all of those shuffling stiffs from “The Walking Dead,” but the Dancing Dead? Now that’s a whole other thing. The Skull & Roses Festival III, happening all weekend at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, is a celebration of all things Dead — the Grateful Dead and their legendary legion of Deadhead fans. This colorful wingding will feature a bunch of bands playing Friday through Sunday, including Melvin Seals & JGB, Jerry’s Middle Finger, Stu Allen & Mars Hotel, Oteil & Friends, Cubensis, those local shredders in Shaky Feelin’ and many more, making this the largest dance party in the 805. What a long strange trip it still is.
Q&A with Davey Allen of Davey & the Midnights performing March 29 at Deer Lodge
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Davey & the Midnights
BE THERE OR BE SQUARE: Davey and the Midnights at Deer Lodge, 2261 Maricopa Highway, Meiners Oaks, (March 29), 9 p.m. COST: Free. CALL: 805-646-4256.
Bill Locey, Ojai Valley News Rock Talk columnist
In perhaps a fitting warm-up for next weekend’s Skull & Roses Festival in Ventura, Davey & the Midnights will play some Deadhead-friendly Americana music March 29 at the Deer Lodge in Meiners Oaks. Think of it as “Hoosiers,” but as a musical at a venue that has consistently offered us new and interesting music, not to mention a wide array of gnarly brewskis.
Q&A with Natalie Gelman performing at Topa Mountain Winery March 23
Photo by Matt Lingo
Natalie Gelman
BE THERE OR BE SQUARE: Natalie Gelman at Topa Mountain Winery, 821 W. Ojai Ave., Ojai, Saturday (March 23) 3 to 5 p.m. CONTACT: 805-640-1190
Bill Locey, Ojai Valley News Rock Talk columnist
John Lee Hooker’s suggestion, “Don’t forget to boogie,” seems more like a helpful hint when compared with Horace Greeley’s advice to “Go west, young man,” which since 1865, had come to be seen as something of a direct order. Natalie Gelman is yet another of the zillions from Back There who moved Out Here. She’s a singer/songwriter — a working musician, really — with a homegame gig set for Saturday afternoon (March 23) at the Topa Mountain Winery in Ojai, much more convenient (and safer) than Pakistan, but more on that later.
Q&A with Nicola Winokur performing at Underground Exchange March 15
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Nicola Winokur with other musicians to perform March 15.
BE THERE OR BE SQUARE: Nicola Winokur, Mikayla Sullivan, Ian Rush at Ojai Underground Exchange, 1016 W. Ojai Ave., Friday, March 15, 7:30 p.m. COST: $20, CALL: 340-7893.
Bill Locey, Ojai Valley News Rock Talk columnist
When Nicola Winokur plays some garage rock 93023-style at the Ojai Underground Exchange tonight (March 15), it could well be one of those I-saw-her-when moments. How much she rocks remains to be seen (and heard) but the venue is a garage pretty much — but one with exceptional sound, unlike most everywhere else.