Strap in and get ready for one of the biggest live music weeks since the pandemic shut everything down. Live music is back with a vengeance!
One must-see show for country fans is Aaron Watson, who can deliver a romantic ballad like “When I See You” and a sage wisdom bomb like “The Old Man Said” with equal aplomb.
This one’s wedding ready! “When I see you, I see all I’ve ever wanted/ When I see you, I see my dreams coming true/ When I see you, I can see there’s no one else for me/ Blinded by love, that’s what I see when I see you.”
“And the old man said, ‘Don’t take a single day for granted/ Love like there’s no tomorrow/ Tend to the seeds you planted/ Be a good friend and a brother/ Love your children and their mother/ And die by those living words in red.'”
Watson’s a terrific lyricist that gets to the heart of the matter, and his rich voice and tight backing band have made him a fan favorite. He’s reached the Top 10 of Billboard’s Country Album chart five separate times, no small feat for a DIY artist.
“Despite the success, the Texas native remains a fighter punching far above his weight, constantly defending his right to be in the ring,” his bio explains. “And with his new album, Unwanted Man, he reminds all who care to listen that it’s just fine by him.”
“I’m right where I wanna be,” Watson said in press materials. “No one can put any labels on me. And I tell a lot of younger artists, ‘Listen, there’s enough room at the table for all of us. This is not a sprint. This is a long-distance race.'”
Numbskull and Good Medicine present Aaron Watson on Wednesday, May 10, at BarrelHouse Brewing (6 p.m.; all ages; $32 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Chancey Williams opens.
SLO Brew Rock swings for the fences
You might as well bring a sleeping bag and camp at SLO Brew Rock this week. They have so many great shows stacked up you won’t want to leave.
Brooks Nielsen returns on Thursday, May 4 (7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $30 at ticketweb.com). Best known as lead singer for The Growlers, in 2022 Nielsen released his debut solo album, the highly theatrical One Match Left.
TropiFunk act Jungle Fire plays this Friday, May 5 (7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $20 at ticketweb.com), bringing their steamy mix of Afro/Latin funk. They’re influenced by legends such as Irakere, Ray Barretto, James Brown, Fela Kuti, and Manu Dibango, “creating a melting pot of Afro-Caribbean and West African rhythms with a heavy break beat funk,” according to their bio. Steve Haney plays a DJ set.
Arise Roots hits the Brew on Saturday, May 6 (7:45 p.m.; 18-and-older; $16 at ticketweb.com) at SLO Brew Rock. The sextet brings “a unique and refreshing interpretation of roots-reggae with the common goal of preserving its true message,” the band said.
New Zealand-based all-Maori reggae act Katchafire plays on Sunday, May 7 (7:45 p.m.; 18-and-older; $30 at ticketweb.com), mixing classic roots reggae, R&B, funk, and modern dancehall sounds. Swells opens.
Ska punk act The Mad Caddies play Wednesday, May 10 (7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $25 at ticketweb.com). Formed in 1995, they have seven full-length albums, one live album, and two EPs under their belts, selling more than half a million records worldwide. Upside Ska opens.
The Siren calls
California reggae acts Through the Roots, Cydeways, and The Darts play a Cuatro de Mayo party at Morro Bay’s The Siren on Thursday, May 4 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $18.50 at eventbrite.com), blending roots reggae, Cali reggae/rock, Hawaiian Islands reggae, electronic sounds, and modern pop.
Talia & The Troublemakers play Friday, May 5 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free), covering songs from the past and present, everything from Pat Benatar, Alanis Morissette, Elle King, and more. “Our goal is to create upbeat music meant for dancing,” the band said.
Paso Robles rock outfit Soundhouse plays a Saturday, May 6, matinee show (2 p.m.; 21-and-older; free), delivering your favorite maximum rock covers from the ’70s through the ’90s.
Yachty By Nature plays a yacht rock dance party on Saturday, May 6 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20.50 at eventbrite.com). According to their bio, they’re “a crew of six talented musicians taking you on a sunset cruise to the guilty pleasures of ’70s and ’80s smooth soft rock. Don’t miss the boat. Captain Carl steers us toward Pleasure Town and Scotty McYachty crushes the vocals on the playlist of your life. Playing all your favorite hits from Hall & Oates, Michael McDonald, Toto, Steely Dan, and so much more.”
Ready, steady, go for a rockabilly roundup with Shaun Young featuring Dave Stuckey next Thursday, May 11 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $15.50 at eventbrite.com), with The Bonneville Phantoms opening. Young is known for fronting the rockabilly trio High Noon as well as his surf band The Thunderchiefs. Dave Stuckey is the “Dave” in The Dave & Deke Combo.
Fremont Theater raps a lot
Rapper and producer Soulja Boy (aka DeAndre Cortez Way) takes the stage on Friday, May 5 (9 p.m.; all ages; $48 at seetickets.us) with S.O.D. Money Gang opening. Soulja Boy struck gold with his debut single, “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” which rocketed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for seven weeks in 2007.
Filipino-American rapper P-Lo plays next Thursday, May 11 (9 p.m.; all ages; $25 at seetickets.us). The multi-platinum songwriter-producer is one of the architects of the West Coast hip-hop sound. His music was featured in the film Space Jam 2: A New Legacy, and he’s collaborated with Wiz Khalifa, G-Eazy, E-40, Kehlani, YG, Flo Rida, Yo Gotti, and more.
More music …
BA Start Arcade Bar hosts Latino Night on Cinco de Mayo, Friday, May 5, with Mexican rock ‘n’ roll band Audio Bandidos (they start at 7 p.m., but the bar becomes 21-and-older at 8 p.m.; free). According to percussionist Giorgio Fonseca, their music is “a fusion of old-school rock, reggae, funk, hip-hop, and Latin music. The lyrics are typically in Spanish and are often about love, party, and sex. The music is characterized by its heavy bass and drums.”
Acoustic/electric duo Lee & The Dutchman, after serenading their neighbors with more than 25 outdoor concerts during the pandemic, will be bringing improvisational, ambient music live to Café AMSTRDM in downtown Paso Robles on Friday, May 5 (6:30 to 8:30 p.m.). Listeners who know them say their music is “100 percent Zen,” and their brand of “deconstructed pop classics, chilled-out and soundscaped” is good for the soul.
Shabang Live Music and Art Festival is upon us this Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6, at Dairy Creek Golf Course. There are too many bands to list, so visit shabangslo.com, but headliners include electronic duo Bob Moses, indie rockers Hippo Campus, dream pop act Men I Trust, and EDM artist Hayden James. This festival has been extremely popular with the local college crowd.
SLOfolks presents Scottish supergroup Old Blind Dogs on Friday, May 5, at Coalesce Bookstore (7 p.m.; $25 at (805) 772-2880) and Saturday, May 6, at Castoro Cellars (7:30 p.m.; $25 at (805) 238-0725 or castorocellars.com). “We are incredibly excited to bring back the Scottish supergroup, Old Blind Dogs!” organizers announced. “We saw them last June at the Kate Wolf Music Festival and they brought the house down. Prepare yourself for a deep immersion into the wild and historic Scottish landscape that their music invokes.”
John Mueller’s Winter Dance Party comes to the Clark Center on Saturday, May 6 (7:30 p.m.; $40 to $55 at clarkcenter.org), paying tribute to the days of sock hops and the music of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper on their final tour … until The Day the Music Died, Feb. 3, 1959, when all died in a tragic plane crash. Relive that final, glorious concert.
Freedom Heartsong, an innovative LA-based singer-songwriter and guitarist, plays Morro Bay’s The Libertine Pub this Saturday, May 6 (6 to 9 p.m.; free). Heartsong recently released the single, “Will Power” (Sony/Orchard, Dark Star Records). It’s a swampy, bluesy foot-stomping song he calls a “kind of a personal anthem and mantra.” If you need a tune to keep you marching, this is it.
Eric Brittain and Paul Silva play Eberle Winery this Saturday, May 6 (1 to 4 p.m.). Brittain has a brilliant new album, The Other Leg, his follow-up to his previous album 1 Legged Chicken. The new album if filled with instrumental soundscapes constructed of Brittain’s virtuoso improvisational skills. He’s a master of all stringed instruments, but here he sticks to the guitar, creating tunes “that will hopefully help expand consciousness and pleasure to as many people as possible.” If you miss them at Eberle, Brittain & Silva will also play Sea Pines Resort on Saturday, June 10 (6 to 8 p.m.).
The Dana Adobe hosts Jazz on the Rancho featuring the Ron McCarley Jazz Quartet and Cuesta Jazz Combos this Saturday, May 6 (4:40 p.m.; $35 general admission at danaadobe.org or by calling (805) 929-5679). “This event is an excellent opportunity to enjoy the beauty of jazz music in a serene and natural environment,” DANA Executive Director Lexi Carreno said. “We’re thrilled to bring back Jazz on the Rancho, and we can’t wait to see everyone there.”
The SLO Symphony presents Tchaikovsky & Testimony this Saturday, May 6, in Cal Poly’s Performing Arts Center (7:30 p.m.; $12 to $82 at pacslo.org). Hear Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, as well as William Banfield’s “Testimony of Tone, Tune and Time,” which reflects on abolitionist and civil rights activist Frederick Douglass’ life.
North County roots singer-songwriter and storyteller Azere Wilson will bring her bluesy folk music to SLO Wine and Beer Co. this Tuesday, May 9 (6 to 8 p.m.). “I’m playing with my amazingly talented friend Brendan Forrest hailing from Telluride, Colorado, playing some of the tunes from my upcoming debut album that he’ll be featured on playing guitar and mandolin. He’ll also be playing some of his award-winning tunes and songs off his newest album as well. It’s gonna be a magic night.” Δ
Contact Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Best Of SLO County 2023.
