Neil Young to autograph new album Before and After at Traffic Records on Dec. 8 

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Remember that time when Neil Young secretly booked a show at SLO Brew through Good Medicine Presents owners Todd and Korie Newman? It was April 16, 2015, and Young had Willie Nelson's son, Lukas Nelson, and his band, Promise of the Real, back him up.

The whole thing was word of mouth on the day of the show, and tickets were just 10 bucks at the door. About 350 lucky fans made it in, and others listened from the alley near Garden Street, where Young had parked his 1959 Lincoln that he and his girlfriend, actress Daryl Hannah, drove to the show. He was debuting his environmentally conscious album The Monsanto Years. It was epic.

Young's next local appearance isn't a secret. This Friday, Dec. 8, he's releasing his new album, Before and After, and in an amazing stroke of good fortune, he's decided to sign copies at Traffic Records in Atascadero sometime after noon (check trafficrecordstore.com to confirm the start time).

Proprietor Manuel Barba plans to start selling albums at 7 a.m., and people who buy a new vinyl record, Blu-ray, or CD of Before and After (one per person!) will be issued a wrist band and can get in line to hopefully have the record signed. Masks are required when interacting with Young, and he'll only sign the new album if it was purchased at Traffic Records, so don't show up with an armload of your Neil Young collection. Look, it's first come, first served, and there's no guarantee you'll get it signed because Neil Young is a freakin' rock star and he does what he wants.

According to a press release from Young's people, the album features "eclectic" new takes on Young's favorite lesser-known tracks from his extensive back catalog. You can find the album's track listing on Wikipedia.

"The feeling is captured, not in pieces, but as a whole piece—designed to be listened to that way. This music presentation defies shuffling, digital organization, separation. Only for listening. That says it all," the icon wrote in a statement.

According to Barba, who's also the newly assigned event sponsorship and premium seating sales manager at Vina Robles Amphitheatre, "Per my conversation with [Neil Young manager] Frank Gironda, he made it clear that Neil Young intends for this to be for the people of our local community primarily. This is his way of giving back to a community that has treated him so well over the years. Additionally, signatures are not guaranteed, and we will do the best we can to ensure as many people have access in the shortest amount of time possible."

Fingers crossed it all goes to plan.

Fremont Theater

First of all, it's a bummer, but Los Yesterdays—who were scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 7—have canceled. But never fear. Fremont has a bunch of other great shows this week starting with Devendra Banhart on Friday, Dec. 8 (8 p.m.; all ages; $27.50 to $57.50 at prekindle.com).

Banhart, a singer-songwriter and visual artist, was born in Texas but raised in Venezuela and California, and his genre has been described as freak folk, psychedelic folk, and New Weird America. On his new album, Flying Wig, his 11th, he offers mesmerizing, synth-driven mood music and his smoky smooth voice and impressionistic lyrics.

According to press materials, this album is a departure for the artist, taking "listeners on the sonic journey of a lifetime and is truly in its best form when experienced live. He wanted to find an 'electronic yet organic' sound. You can hear it all in the fantastic singles: 'Twin,' 'Sirens,' and 'Nun.'"

My favorite song is "Fireflies" because his voice feels so comforting, but the whole album is impressive and gorgeously textured. His publicist describes it as "a landscape of recurrent dualities; a can of paradoxes, a box of worms. What goes up, must come down, eventually. Battle-scarred by life and loss, Banhart found himself despondent, folded inwards; finding it difficult to speak, let alone sing."

Added Banhart: "It's about transmuting despair into gratitude, wounds into forgiveness, grief into praise," further noting "our ability to face despair with hope, to keep on failing and loving. My whole life has been filled with sadness. Everything I do in life is to help cope with that sadness."

Rogov, the solo project of California-based drummer, singer, songwriter, producer, and composer Gregory Rogove, opens the show.

Have your funny bone tickled when Spanish language stand-up comic and actor Carlos Ballarta will make you laugh out loud on Saturday, Dec. 9 (8 p.m.; all ages; $29.50 to $39.50 at eventbrite.com).

Numbskull and Good Medicine

Two touring favorites—Cayucas and Matt Costa—play a Numbskull and Good Medicine show at The Siren on Saturday, Dec. 9 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Santa Monica-based indie pop act Cayucas, featuring twin brothers Zach (lead vocals) and Ben Yudin (guitar), have links to the area, having recorded the video for "East Coast Girl" at the Madonna Inn, though weirdly, I can no longer find it online. In any case, these guys are a lot of upbeat Cali dreamin' fun.

Likewise, Matt Costa has that decidedly West Coast cool with an extra artsy edge. Check out the video for "Slow" to see how deep his talent runs. Should be a great night of indie music.

Meg McRee plays The Siren on Wednesday, Dec. 13 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $15 at goodmedicinepresents.com). She attended Vanderbilt University on a full academic scholarship, but instead of following the typical post-degree path, she decided to follow her dream to be a songwriter. A publishing deal with Hang Your Hat and a creative joint venture with Concord Music Publishing and hit-songwriter Hillary Lindsey led to writing songs covered by Grace Potter, Elle King, Caylee Hammack, Paul Cauthen, Carter Faith, Ben Chapman, Lauren Watkins, Harper O'Neill, and more. Now she's touring in support of her debut record, Is It Just Me?

"I hope when people hear my record, they feel like they're getting to step inside my brain for a little while," McRee said in press materials. "I have a very wide variety of sonic influences (from the Dead to Emmylou Harris to Tame Impala), so there was plenty of fun, challenging exploration going on throughout the making of this project. The songs are about the way I look at the world, at least right now. I'm in love, but I've had my heart broken before. I'm wading through all the chaos of my career path and the lifestyle it lends itself to, with one foot on the moon and the other on solid ground ... ."

Josh Rosenblum, who took home the Album of the Year Award at the 2023 New Times Music Awards for Love Letters, opens the show.

Also at The Siren next Thursday, Dec. 14, the club presents all female metal band Burning Witches with opener Hellsgate (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $18 at tixr.com).

SLO Brew Rock

Don't forget that Steely Dead plays this Thursday, Dec. 7 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $20 at ticketweb.com). The Colorado band mines the rich depths of both the Steely Dan and Grateful Dead catalogs for a night of amazing rock 'n' roll. Expect "a carefully crafted fusion of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan songs, between the arrangement and precision studio recordings of rock legends Steely Dan, cross-pollinated with the Grateful Dead's free-flowing, melodic improvisation, and masterful song segues."

Cal Poly Arts

Experience the vibrant spirit of Mexico's Christmas season with Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular at the Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, Dec. 13 (7:30 to 9 p.m.; all ages; $38 to $77 at calpolyarts.org). The all-star cast features Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles and Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar. "Immerse yourself in Nochebuena traditions, where captivating music, dance, and festive customs create an unforgettable cultural celebration," organizers announced.

More music ...

Ready to jazz up your holidaze? Then head to The Penny in SLO this Tuesday, Dec. 12, when Mo Better Jazz presents Christmas From Paris With Love featuring vocalist Deborah Gilmore and trumpeter Walt Johnson, former lead trumpet player for Frank Sinatra (7:30 to 9 p.m.; $30 general and $22 for students at my805tix.com—includes food, beverage, and dessert). Expect classic holiday songs and jazz standards. Δ

Contact Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey at [email protected].