Rapper Mickey Avalon brings his rhymes about drugs and prostitution to The Siren 

[{
    "name": "Ad - Medium Rectangle CC01 - 300x250",
    "id": "AdMediumRectangleCC01300x250",
    "class": "inlineCenter",
    "insertPoint": "8",
    "component": "2963441",
    "requiredCountToDisplay": "12"
    },{
    "name": "Ad - Medium Rectangle LC01 - 300x250",
    "id": "AdMediumRectangleCC01300x250",
    "class": "inlineCenter",
    "insertPoint": "18",
    "component": "2963441",
    "requiredCountToDisplay": "22"
    },{
    "name": "Ad - Medium Rectangle LC09 - 300x250",
    "id": "AdMediumRectangleLC09300x250",
    "class": "inlineCenter",
    "insertPoint": "28",
    "component": "3252660",
    "requiredCountToDisplay": "32"
    }]

"One, two, three, four, get your booty on the dance floor. Work it out, shake it little mama, let me see you do the Jane Fonda."

Like a lot of fans, I "discovered" rapper Mickey Avalon from his relentlessly catchy 2006 song "Jane Fonda," off his self-titled solo debut. His whole shtick has always been to flaunt a nasty, dirty vibe. Another popular song off the record is "My Dick": "My dick cost a late night fee/ Your dick got the HIV/ My dick plays on the double feature screen/ Your dick went straight to DVD."

You get the idea. It'd be easy to dismiss him as shock artist, but his own history explains where his music comes from. Raised in Hollywood by a heroin-addicted father, he turned to selling marijuana as a kid, "a trade he acquired from his mother," according to his bio.

In his late teens, his father died in a drunk driving accident. In his early 20s, he married, had a daughter, and formed "an uncontrollable heroin addiction. As his life neared rock bottom, Mickey found himself broke, divorced, and turning to prostitution, just to support his smack habit."

He moved in with his drug-addicted sister, and they worked together on recovery, but then she overdosed and died. At this point, his life could have spiraled into oblivion, but instead he "was befriended by ex-MTV VJ Simon Rex (aka Dirt Nasty), who encouraged Avalon to pursue his passion of hip-hop and even collaborated with him on some tracks."

Songs like "Jane Fonda," "Mr. Right," and "My Dick" put him on the map, and he's been at it ever since. Mickey Avalon, with local opener A Win For Wolves, plays The Siren on Saturday, April 8 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20.50 presale at eventbrite.com).

Also at The Siren, Kareeta plays on Friday, April 7 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free), bringing their jamming deep-fried Southern-style Grateful Dead vibe.

Old school country bad boy Jesse Daniel and opening act Two Runner play on Sunday, April 9 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $15 presale at eventbrite.com)

"Jesse Daniel is badass. This record is so badass, Rollin' On, that he made. It's such a pure country album," fellow country music badass Shooter Jennings said of Daniel and his new record.

Rock, jazz, and R&B act Mininova—featuring Kenny Lee Lewis of the Steve Miller Band and Scott Martin of War—plays Wednesday, April 12 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; free).

Next Thursday, April 13, see ska punk icons Save Ferris (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $25 presale at eventbrite.com), a group formed in Orange County in 1995 that took their name from the classic 1986 teen comedy, Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Bristol Cider House

Numbskull and Good Medicine present The Brother Brothers with special guest Mothra at Bristol's Cider House in Atascadero on Thursday, April 13 (8 p.m.; all ages; $20 at goodmedicinepresents.com). The Brother Brothers—identical twins Adam and David Moss—are touring in support of their new album Cover to Cover, which covers classic tracks such as Bobby Bare's "How I Got to Memphis," Jackson Brown's "These Days," and Hoagy Carmichael's "I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)."

If you're a fan of the sounds of The Everly Brothers, this is a must-see. The Moss brothers have heard such comparisons since the very first time they melded their voices together.

"Not even the late Phil and Don Everly, one of the greatest DNA-sharing duos in modern music history, could claim the kind of vocal symmetry Adam and David create," their bio claims. "Harmonies just don't get any closer than those sung by siblings who came from the same egg."

SLO Brew Rock

SLO Brew Rock presents Spring Fest this Saturday, April 8 (1 to 10 p.m.; all age; free), which promises to be fun for the whole family. "There will be a bunch of fun stuff for the kids and live music throughout the property with a small craft market as well," Entertainment Director Ryan Orr explained. Imua plays from 1 to 3 p.m.; Mininova from 4 to 6 p.m.; The Tens from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.; and Mother Corn Shuckers from 8 to 10 p.m. Expect craft beers and whiskey, smoked meats, and local craft vendors.

Maryland-based reggae-rock act Bumpin Uglies plays SLO Brew Rock this Wednesday, April 12 (8 p.m.; 18-and-older; $19 at ticketweb.com), with SoCal reggae rocker Kyle Smith opening the show. About a decade ago, Bumpin Uglies took to the road, playing open mics, backyard parties, or anywhere that would let them play, eventually scoring sold-out shows and prime festival spots.

Fremont Theater

UH2BT K Pop Night returns to the Fremont Theater this Friday, April 7 (8 p.m.; all ages; $17 at seetickets.us). You Had To Be There spins all your favorite Korean pop songs.

Be Our Guest DJ party will be spinning '90s and '00s Disney favorites on Saturday, April 8 (8 p.m.; 18-and-older; $16 at seetickets.us). "Disney lovers, '90s kids, or anyone who just wants to 'Let It Go ... ,' you're officially invited." Hear "Circle Of Life," "Under The Sea," and "Zero to Hero," as well as classics from the iconic Mouseketeers: Britney, Miley, Jonas Brothers, Demi, and more.

Iconic punk act Black Flag makes a stop on their My War Tour 2023 on Sunday, April 9 (9 p.m.; all ages; $30 at seetickets.us). Formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach by guitarist, primary songwriter, and sole continuous member Greg Ginn, their albums include Damaged, My War, Family Man, Slip It In, Loose Nut, In My Head, and What The ... .

More music ...

Cal Poly Arts presents Nate Smith + KINFOLK at the Spanos Theatre this Friday, April 7 (7:30 p.m.; $40 at calpolyarts.org). The drummer, composer, and producer from Chesapeake, Virginia, "is known for his visceral, instinctive, and deep-rooted style of drumming," his bio explained. "This has led to three Grammy nominations and work with esteemed artists, including Pat Metheny, Dave Holland, Brittany Howard, Van Hunt, The Fearless Flyers, Norah Jones, and Somi. Smith fuses his original compositions with an eclectic mix of music, including everything from jazz to R&B to hip-hop to pop."

The Clark Center hosts The Eagles tribute act The Long Run this Friday, April 7 (7:30 p.m.; $40 to $50 at clarkcenter.org). "Hand-picked to perform the music of The Eagles by Mark Cuban and Ryan Seacrest's network AXS-TV, their 90-minute live concert for the hit TV show The World's Greatest Tribute Bands was broadcast to millions of viewers over five countries," their bio explains. "The show received the highest ratings in the series' history resulting in an unprecedented two invitations to return in subsequent seasons for encore appearances."

Acclaimed acoustic guitarist Christie Lenée plays two SLOfolks shows this week, on Friday, April 7, at Coalesce Bookstore in Morro Bay (7 p.m.; $25 at (805) 772-2880) and Saturday, April 8, at Castoro Cellars in Templeton (7:30 p.m.; $25 at (805) 238-0725 or online at castorocellars.com/events). The Tampa native and North Carolina resident won first place at the International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship in 2017, was voted Acoustic Guitarist of the Year by England's MusicRadar in 2019, and was named "Best Acoustic Guitarists in the World Right Now" by Guitar World in 2020.

Seattle musicians Tomo Nakayama and Bryan John Appleby will be joined by local musician Omen Moth (Kurt Schuler) at A Satellite of Love this Wednesday, April 12 (7:30 p.m.). Japanese native Nakayama was raised in Seattle. Songs like "I Found Out" have an EDM sound overlaid with Nakayama's high soulful singing. Appleby regularly tours the West Coast, sharing his sound that "draws from elements of psychedelia, wall-of-sound, classic cinema, shoegaze, tropicalia, and mid-century pop. Omen Moth "weaves together stories of heartbreak, faith, and identity in a lost era of working-class America." Δ

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