American author B.J. Neblett wrote, “We are the sum total of our experiences. Those experiences—be they positive or negative—make us the person we are.”
That’s certainly the case for Michael Venia, frontman and songwriter-in-chief of Carbon City Lights, playing a SLO Brew Live show in Rod & Hammer Rock on Saturday, April 12 (doors at 6:30 p.m.; all ages; $12.56 at my805tix.com), with indie-alternative rockers Big Sierra opening.
“A lot of my music centers around themes of life, loss, and love with my international roots weaving its way into songs,” Venia explained. “My dad was from Egypt and was the first in his family to become a U.S. citizen, bravely moving to Pennsylvania. Later, he moved back to the Middle East, to Saudi Arabia, where I was born and raised.
“It was there that my music journey began with an accordion I found and a four-track mixer when I was around 13,” he continued. “I’d listen to the only English radio station we had, playing Rick Dee’s top hits in the ’90s that influenced my songwriting.”
Amazingly, three years later when he was 16, Venia’s musical ambitions caught the attention of British Iranian CNN correspondent Christianne Amanpour, “who came over to my house when I was 16 and filmed a piece on Western music in the Middle East.”
I had no idea about Venia’s backstory! He first came to the U.S. at 18 to attend college in Pasadena.
“One of the songs I’ll be playing, ‘Across the Ocean,’ is about this journey to the U.S. and the shared sentiment I now feel with kids of my own: ‘I want to give you a better life than I knew. … For you I’d cross oceans, for you I’d cross wild lands.'”
Venia’s also experienced his share of tragedy. In 2020, I wrote an article about their album Flame in the Winter. Some songs “centered around the loss of our son, Luca, who was stillborn,” Venia explained. “We’d talked while I was in the hospital and my wife was going into labor for our son, Canyon. Happy to share that Canyon was born healthy, and since then we have had two beautiful daughters, Lyric and our new baby, Skye!”
Some of Venia’s youthful Middle Eastern experiences are pretty wild.
“My song ‘Must Be Luck’ is inspired about a time in high school when our Nissan Patrol burned the clutch while four-wheeling in the middle of the desert. A group of us teens were lost in 100-plus-degree weather trying to push the heavy SUV through the desert and were lucky to bump into some Bedouins out there who gave us a ride to a main road to call a tow truck. It’s one of those experiences of getting lucky that I’ve been fortunate to have—much like finding my wife and settling down in this beautiful town: ‘like a river in the desert, middle of nowhere, I’m glad I found you.'”
Venia’s surrounded himself with a lot of talent: Josh Barrett (of B & the Hive, bass), “Cello Bob” Liepman (of Bob & Wendy, cello), Kristian Ducharme (of Damon Castillo Band, keys), Howard Emmons (too many bands to count, drums), and Bret Heenan (lead guitar).
This last year, Carbon City Lights won Best Rock/Alternative Song and Best Live Performance at the New Times Music Awards.
“Our award-winning song, ‘Sky Blue,’ was inspired by wanting to shield your loved ones from anything bad in the world: ‘I kinda want to hide the truth from you. Don’t want you to see the things I do.’ Amidst dark times in life, it is amazing the power loved ones have to uplift spirits: ‘Just the thought of you can turn my sky blue.’ We hope that this upcoming night of music and community does that for others as well.”
Also this week at Rod & Hammer Rock, see soul and funk rock act Orgone on Friday, April 11 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $32.36 at ticketweb.com), with IMVA opening
Saharan rockers Etran De L’aïr (or “stars of the Aïr region”) return on Thursday, April 17 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $34.42 at ticketweb.com), with Maya Ongaku opening.
Master of the Telecaster
There’s no shortage of talented blues guitarists, but there are very few indeed who can channel pure emotion through six strings the way Coco Montoya can. Add in his gritty voice and you have one of the most passionate and gifted bluesmen working today.
“The self-taught, left-handed Montoya mastered his craft under blues master Albert Collins’ tutelage and friendship,” his bio explains. “Initially hired to be Collins’ drummer, Montoya, at Collins’ urging, became the band’s second guitarist. A few years later, U.K. legend John Mayall chose Montoya to be his lead guitarist in the famous Blues Breakers. Montoya traveled the world, soaking up both musical and life lessons.”
The San Luis Obispo Blues Society presents Montoya in the SLO Vets Hall on April 12 (doors at 6:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $36.12 presale at sloblues.org or $44.69 day of show or at the door). The Irene Cathaway Rhythm and Blues Band opens the show at 7 p.m.
Two big men
Numbskull and Good Medicine have two performers scheduled this week that I’d describe as iconoclastic. In their own ways, they rebel against the cherished institutions of their respective genres.
First, up-and-coming country sensation Joshua Ray Walker returns on Thursday, April 10, to The Siren (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $24.93 at goodmedicinepresents.com), with Nate Bergman opening. The Dallas native manages to sound like both traditional and alt-country, and he sings, dresses, and looks like he follows the beat of his own drummer.
Walker, a plus-size performer, eschews the machismo of country music and celebrates people who break traditional molds to let their freak flags fly in videos like “Sexy After Dark.” On the precipice of stardom, he discovered in 2023 that he had colon cancer. Now in recovery, he’s back on the road to support Thank You For Listening, “a self-declared love letter to his fans and supporters” consisting of “a compilation of acoustic renditions from his critically acclaimed trio of albums, Wish You Were Here, Glad You Made It, and See You Next Time,” according to press materials.
Good Medicine, Numbskull, and KCBX present The White Buffalo at Club Car Bar on Saturday, April 12 (7:30 p.m.; 18-and-older; $41.92 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Ostensibly a folk singer-songwriter, watch his videos for “Not Today” or “Kingdom For A Fool” to see how he turns the genre on its head. Such an amazing voice and an absolutely fearless performer. Born Jake Smith, he’s touring in support of his newest, A Freight Train Through The Night.
Tribute time
Morro Bay’s can-do night club hosts two tribute bands this week starting with The Great Divide—a Tribute to Phish on Friday, April 11 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). The band’s four members create “original set lists that embody the spirit of live Phish shows while leaving room for new exploration,” press materials explain.
Funny story. When I was a high school student, The Cars were the first and last stadium concert I ever attended way back in 1979 in San Diego. I got hit in the back of the head with a Frisbee, and it was too crowded for my taste. Great music, though! Candy-O (The Ultimate Tribute to The Cars and Ric Ocasek) comes to The Siren on Saturday, April 12 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $23.77 at tixr.com). Their eponymous 1978 debut album sold 6 million copies (I still have mine) and spent 139 weeks on the Billboard 200, and the band won Best New Artist in a 1978 Rolling Stone readers poll.
Rap and reggae
In downtown SLO, Good Vibez and the historical Fremont Theater start their weekend with Atlanta-based rapper Soulja Boy on Friday, April 11 (doors at 7 p.m., show at 8; all ages; $58.68 general at prekindle.com). Born DeAndre Cortez Way in Chicago, Soulja Boy arrived on the hip-hop scene with his September 2007 his debut single “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” which peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Other charting singles included “Kiss Me Thru the Phone,” “Turn My Swag On,” and “Pretty Boy Swag.”
SoCal rock and reggae act Fortunate Youth returns on Thursday, April 17 (doors at 7 p.m., show at 8; all ages; $39.11 at prekindle.com). They remain true to their roots sounds and mission to spread peace, love, and unity with music influenced by blues, ska, rock, world, soul, and punk.
ZB sings Willie
ZB Savoy’s “Songs of Willie Nelson” returns to the Templeton Performing Arts Center on Friday, April 13 (6 p.m.; all ages; $28.62 to $39.34 at my805tix.com).
“Savoy’s tribute show is more than just a concert; it’s an immersive experience that delves into the rich history and profound impact of Willie Nelson’s music,” organizers announced. “With a blend of entertainment and education, the evening is designed to honor Nelson’s legacy while providing insight into the cultural and musical context of his most cherished songs.” Δ
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Apr 10-20, 2025.