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Mardi Gras used to be the biggest party in the county, so big that it blew itself up in 2004 with a quasi-riot in downtown SLO that probably could have been avoided with more thoughtful policing and better event planning. Underground pockets of that formerly glorious tradition continue in the county, often with small private events.
While our Mardi Gras heyday may have come and gone, The Siren's annual Mardi Gras party featuring Fat Tuesday will get you in the mood to rip your top off and get pelted with cheap plastic beads this Tuesday, Feb. 21 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). This promises to be a hoot because the night's band is a true old-school Central Coast favorite.
They first formed in Santa Barbara in 1980 after "Big Chief" Mark Comstock (guitar and vocals) returned from a six-month stint living in the Big Easy and was so excited about the New Orleans music he'd experienced that he quickly gathered four friends to form his own NOLA funk act.
"Mark and I go back to the ninth grade," explained David Feldman (guitar, keyboard, vocals). "Our first band was a jug band in 1966. In the '70s, we did a reggae band together."
Along with "Drummie" Casey Jones (percussion and vocals), Scotty K. Kaufman (keyboards, harp, and vocals), and Gary Sangenitto (bass), Fat Tuesday gigged regularly all over the area for about three years before life slowly peeled the members apart.
"I got married and moved to San Francisco," Feldman explained. "About 30 years go by and in about 2011, I was talking to our old sound man, Guy Tokunaga, and learned he had stage 4 lung cancer. It was devastating news, and the guys agreed to do a reunion show to raise money for cancer research. That one night got things percolating again."
They've gotten together every two or three years ever since, joining forces a few days ahead of time to rehearse and prepare for another epic concert. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday," the day before Ash Wednesday, and this Fat Tuesday concert will also include saxophonist Jeff Delisanti. Get ready to party as these guys cover songs by the Meters, The Neville Brothers, Allen Toussaint, Little Feat, Dr. John, and others.
Also this week at The Siren, enjoy some free music Saturday, Feb. 19 when the Cab Street Band performs its "casual blend of original music, remade covers of old as well as new, all with a unique style of bluesy jazzy funk" (2:30 to 5:30 p.m.; 21-and-older), and later that night see The Mark Adams Band (7:30 to 10:30 p.m.; 21-and-older). Adams writes terrific originals and recently released Loaded with Lefty: A Tribute to Lefty Frizzell, which was produced and recorded with his friend Tim Bluhm (Mother Hips, Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers).
Numbskull and Good Medicine also present three more shows this week at The Siren. On Friday, Feb. 17, get hot for teacher and ready to jump with Fan Halen, "the world's most authentic tribute to Van Halen" (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20 at goodmedicinepresents.com).
On Wednesday, Feb. 22, Sicilian reggae artist Alborosie returns (7 to 10:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $25 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Now living in Kingston, Jamaica, the multi-instrumentalist moved to immerse himself in the Rastafari culture.
And finally, next Thursday, Feb. 23, see Texas troubadour Casey Donahew on his Bars & Beer Joints Acoustic Tour (7 to 10:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $25 at goodmedicinepresents.com).
At the Fremont Theater ...
Stephen Marley makes a stop on his Old Soul Unplugged 2023 tour on Saturday, Feb. 18 (8 p.m.; all ages; $49.49 fees included at seeticket.us). The singer, songwriter, and producer has earned eight Grammy Awards between his solo works, family collaborations, and production credits. The son of legend Bob Marley, Stephen got his professional start at age 7 as a member of The Melody Makers with his older siblings.
Fidlar plays on Tuesday, Feb. 21 (9 p.m.; all ages; $34.61 fees included at seeticket.us). According to their bio, they started out "as a group of drunken punks playing gnarly house shows around Los Angeles," with songs such as "Cheap Beer" and "Wake Bake Skate." They say they're "armed with three chords, the truth, and some jazz cabbage."
Twiddle brings their jamming rock, jazz, bluegrass, reggae, and funk sounds on Wednesday, Feb. 22 (8 p.m.; all ages; $38.20 fees included general admission or $144.87 fees included VIP at seetickets.us). Special guest Eggy will open the show.
Twiddle is touring in support of their new album Every Last Leaf, about which frontman Mihali Savoulidis said, "Every Last Leaf is a metaphor for life. When a leaf falls to the ground, something will grow from it. Everything is part of this grand circle. In the music, we're exploring all of life's sides—from the sad and angry to the proud and happy."
And at SLO Brew Rock ...
Bay Area rockers The Stone Foxes play on Friday, Feb. 17 (7 p.m.; 18 and older; $17 plus fees at ticketweb.com), touring in support of their new album On The Other Side. "Born out of both global and personal hardships, On The Other Side is an album of the heart," press materials explain. "As the world was forced to look inward, so were the Foxes."
SLO Brew Live and (((folkYEAH!))) present Cass McCombs and band with support by Weak Signal on Saturday, Feb. 18 (7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $26 plus fees at ticketweb.com). McCombs, whose new album is Heartmind, blends American roots, underground music, country, psychedelia, and international music into his signature sound. According to his bio, "His satirical lyrics, often the focal point, touch on the ambiguities between the personal, the political, mortality, and nature."
More music ...
Local born and raised musician Ethan Almeida, who performs under the name Spun Mellow, plays Bristols Cider this Friday, Feb. 17 (7 p.m.), opening for Kiwi Cannibal (8 to 10 p.m.). "I have an upcoming release on Feb. 24 for my first single of the year, 'Lonely People,'" Almeida said. The indie rocker and multi-instrumentalist makes his recordings in his bedroom, and you can find a video for his new track on YouTube.
Father-and-son duo The Journals 805 play their first show of the year this Friday, Feb. 17, at The Paso Robles Casino (8 p.m.) "We'll showcase a new country style original called 'Bad For My Health.' We also released our first music video on YouTube! A cautionary song entitled 'Stuck on the Couch,'" they said.
Combining Western music and wry humor, Riders in the Sky rides into the Clark Center this Saturday, Feb. 18 (7:30 p.m.; $48 to $58 at clarkcenter.org), to continue to preserve this very American form of music for a new generation. "They create original Western music to continue the tradition, not just seal it in amber as a museum piece," organizers explain.
The Forbes Organ Series presents Felix Hell in "To Hell and Bach" on Saturday, Feb. 18 (7:30 p.m.; $32 at calpolyarts.org), in the Performing Arts Center. The German musician is one of the world's most respected concert organists, having delivered more than 1,000 concerts throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
The SLO Jazz Federation hosts two Grammy-winning jazz artists this weekend when saxophonist Ernie Watts and pianist Bill Cunliffe play a rare duo outing on Saturday, Feb. 18, at Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church in SLO (7:30 p.m.; $30 general, $20 Jazz Fed members, and $10 students at my805tix.com). Watts, a former Johnny Carson band member, has recorded with Cannonball Adderley, Marvin Gaye, Frank Zappa, Charlie Haden, and many others. Cunliffe is winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition and has played with Frank Sinatra, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson, James Moody, and others. Cunliffe will also play the Jazz Vespers Concert at First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, Feb. 19 (4 p.m.; donations appreciated).
The 7 Sisters Folklore Society presents Molsky's Mountain Drifters at the Historic Octagon Barn Center with Grammy nominee Bruce Molsky at the helm this Sunday, Feb. 19 ($30 presale at eventbrite.com or $35 at the door). The trio plays old-time mountain music as well as Southern tunes and songs. Molsky's best known for his fiddle work, but he's also a banjo and guitar master, and the trio's singing is first rate.
John Wessel strikes again
Local singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist John Wessel can be depended upon to release a new album every year, and the prolific songwriter has delivered again with She Said, a new eight-song collection on Rhombus Records. It's another fun group of tunes with a real homespun feel. Wessel records himself and often plays all the instruments.
In addition to his originals, Wessel has covered The Lettermen classic "Hurt so Bad," a very charming version of "Sukiyaki" by Japanese actor and singer Kyu Sakamoto, and Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden's "Everlasting Love," as well as a track by William Starling called "I'm Allergic to You."
Wessel has been a stalwart of the local music scene for decades, playing solo or with various band incarnations. You can see him with classic rock band Shameless on Thursday, Feb. 16, at Fin's Bar & Grill (5 to 7:30 p.m.) and Friday, Feb. 24, at Mulligan's Bar & Grill, and with the duo Sweet Leaf on Saturday, Feb. 25, at Dockside (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and Sunday, Feb. 26, at Black Lake Golf Course (1 to 4 p.m.).
Want to play the Mid-State Fair?
Online applications are being accepted for singers and bands to perform at the Mid-State Fair this summer. "The fair features multiple stages and is looking to book music acts in any genre, but primarily country, rock, pop, and soul," organizers announced. Visit the "Applications" page at midstatefair.com through March 31. The 2023 California Mid-State Fair runs July 19 through 30, and this year's theme is "Shake, Rattle & Roll!" Δ
Contact Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey at [email protected].
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