If you want to help those devastated by the Southern California fires, may I suggest Songs of Solace—A Benefit Concert for LA Wildfire Relief at Rod & Hammer Rock this Sunday, Jan. 26 (noon to 8 p.m.; all ages; $20 ticket plus $3.27 in fees at my805tix.com with kids under 12 free).
The full $20 ticket price goes to the California Fire Foundation, a nonprofit that provides emotional and financial support to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters, and the communities they protect, as well as victim assistance through the foundation’s Supplying Aid to Victims of Emergency (SAVE) program to bring immediate, short-term relief to survivors of fire and other natural disasters throughout California.
The lineup of local performers donating their time and talent is impressive: See folk rockers Moonshiner Collective, R&B and funk act The Vibe Setters, funk act Funk Junket, Cali-Cubano dance band Zongo All-Stars, singer-songwriter Chris Beland, singer-songwriter Ryan Delmore, alt-rockers Carbon City Lights, singer-songwriter Max MacLaury, country and bluegrass party band the Mother Corn Shuckers, and more.
Also this week at Rod & Hammer, see harmony-rich Rainbow Girls on Friday, Jan. 24 (doors at 8 p.m.; 18-and-older; $29.27 at ticketweb.com). They’re wicked funny. This is from “Compassion to the Nth Degree”: “I love you like I love white supremacists/ And people who still steal from small businesses/ I love you like the bully who made fun of me/ And made me doubt my worth and capability.”
Evolution
Dustbowl Revival never fails to amaze as they’ve grown since 2008. It’s nearly impossible to attach a simple label to their sound, which they describe as a “spicy cocktail of folky-funk or booty-shaking jangly rock ‘n’ soul: expertly mixing their New Orleans-tinted brass section with their signature Laurel Canyon harmonies and fearless lyrics.” Close enough for me. This week Numbskull and Good Medicine bring Dustbowl to The Siren on Friday, Jan. 24 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $26.99 at goodmedicinepresents.com).
Founded and led by Z. Lupetin, the seven- or eight-piece band has had nearly 30 members over the years, with a flow of fresh blood and ideas moving in and out of the band like a breathing organism.
“Maybe we don’t know where this journey will take us or how long it will last,” Lupetin acknowledged in press materials. “That’s my take on the importance of what we try to do. Music elevates us, lifts us up, makes us change our minds, takes us out of our comfort zones. If just one person can be moved by just one song, that’s enough.”
Good Medicine and Numbskull also host Bay Area rock act Spooky Mansion on Friday, Jan. 24, in Club Car Bar (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $18.75 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Quirky with hooky songs, the band has the right amount of jangle and blues to remind listeners of the early Rolling Stones. They’re touring in support of their new album What About You? Pancho & The Wizards opens.
For something really unusual, check out Haley Heynderickx & The Westerlies on Wednesday, Jan. 29 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $30.59 at goodmedicinepresents.com), in The Siren. The Oregon singer-songwriter is collaborating with an artsy jazz and new classical horn quartet, and the results are mesmerizing. Go find the video of them covering 1950s singer-songwriter Connie Converse’s “One by One,” or seek out the video of them playing Heynderickx own song, “Oom Sha La La.” So amazing!
Two-way reggae
The Siren has two very different reggae acts coming at you this week starting with Nada Rasta on Saturday, Jan. 25 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $13.17 at tixr.com). The local group combines reggae/dub, hard rock, ska, punk, funk, and some hip-hop into their own unique sound.
Next up is Kanekoa on Sunday, Jan. 26 (6:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20.12 at tixr.com), who was described by Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann as “The Hawaiian Grateful Dead” because their ukulele-powered Hawaiian jam-rock blends reggae, blues, funk, jazz, Hawaiian, and island music with jam band energy.
Eat a biscuit
Philadelphia-based trance-fusion pioneers The Disco Biscuits play the Fremont Theater on Wednesday, Jan. 29 (8 p.m.; all ages; $53.53 at prekindle.com), bringing a sound that bridges “the gap between electronic dance music and jam rock while consistently looking for new sonic boundaries to break and avenues to tell stories within,” according to their bio. I watched one of their shows online from Boston’s House of Blues, and they have a super chill, sonically complex vibe and crazy light show. BYO weed, bro.
Also at the Fremont, see 2000 dance party Slacker University on Thursday, Jan. 30 (9 p.m.; 18-and-older; $41.17 at prekindle.com). “Dust off your low-rise jeans, grab your flip phone, and relive the best hits of the 2000s with an unforgettable night of music and nostalgia,” organizers announced.
Bulls and Sky official!
If you watched Chicago Bulls or Chicago Sky games, you’ve probably heard The Pack Drumline, since they’re the official drumline of both teams. What started as an after-school program for at-risk youth has grown into a juggernaut of high-energy professional rhythm and dance.
“Their semi-finals finish in Season 17 of America’s Got Talent skyrocketed them to a Las Vegas residency at the Luxor, a guest drumline appearance with the Los Angeles Lakers, and a performance at the NFL Super Bowl LVIII,” according to their bio. “With a passion for performance that shines through, The Pack Drumline isn’t just a show—it’s a movement. Don’t miss your chance to witness the revolution!
Cal Poly Arts presents The Pack Drumline this Sunday, Jan. 26 (2 p.m.; all ages; $25.20 to $46 at pacslo.org).
Marley at 80
Bob Marley’s birthday is coming up on Feb. 6. He would have been 80. This year also marks the 43rd anniversary of the original Bob Marley birthday celebration in Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica, which was started in part by now local musician Ras Danny, a protégé of Marley who worked with Buffalo Bill, Errol Organs, and some other Trenchtown musicians and contemporaries of Marley to organize the annual celebration of Marley’s remarkable life and career.
Ras Danny will play a slew of local Bob Marley events over the next few weeks starting Friday, Jan. 24, at Niffy’s Merrimaker in Baywood Park; Saturday, Jan. 25, at Pismo Coast Village; Friday, Jan. 31, at Frog and Peach; Saturday, Feb. 1, at Puffers of Pismo; Friday, Feb. 7, at the SLO Elks Lodge; Saturday, Feb. 8, at Liquid Gravity; and finally Saturday, Feb. 15, at the Lompoc Flower City Ballroom for Tribal Flower Fest: A Bellydance Extravaganza!
Guess who’s coming to Live Oak?
Early bird tickets went on sale on Jan. 20 for this year’s three-day Live Oak Music Festival at El Chorro Regional Park on Friday, June 13, through Sunday, June 15, and we’re now learning who’s going to be on the bill.
Performers include The California Honeydrops (blues and soul, jazz, R&B), Cimafunk (Afro-Cuban funk), Grateful Shred (Dead-inspired country rock), Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley (virtuoso bluegrass and country), Chuck Prophet and His Cumbia Shoes (alt-country-rock ‘n’ cumbia), High Step Society (EDM-infused Big Band jazz), Margo Cilker (Americana and roots country), Miko Marks (soulful Americana), Jerry & Dawg Revisited (“Dawg Music,” featuring former members of the Garcia Grisman Band), Wolf Jett (cosmic mountain music), Two Paper Squares (bluegrassy beach folk), Zen Mountain Poets (psychedelic neo-prog folk jazz), True Zion (reggae), Murphy Wylde (folk duo), and Brass Mash (horn- and drum-driven mash-ups).
KCBX Program Director and Live Oak Artistic Director Marisa Waddell said, “We’re excited to present such a diverse array of talented performers, and we can’t wait to announce even more artists soon. Not only does this year mark KCBX’s 50th anniversary, but it’s also the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. This is a monumental year, and we want Live Oak to truly capture that celebratory spirit.”
Visit liveoakfest.org to learn more about the festival and my805tix.com/e/liveoak2025 to see your ticket options. Δ
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jan 23 – Feb 2, 2025.