Retro country band Jenny Don't and The Spurs play SLO Brew Rock on Jan. 30 

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I first saw Jenny Don't and The Spurs when they opened for Charley Crockett in Templeton back in 2019, and right away, it was clear frontwoman Jenny Connors knew how to capture a crowd's attention. First if all, her retro cowgirl outfit was super cool, and it turned out she had sewn it herself.

She clearly ascribed to the adage, "Get their attention with what you're wearing and keep it with what you're playing," because her songs were dripping with Patsy Cline panache. The band's garage-infused country and Western songs bloom with passion and emotional turmoil, and they're played with conviction and a little punk rock vibe bubbling just under the surface.

The Portland band formed in 2012 when Jenny, who'd been fronting her band DON'T, started playing with Kelly Halliburton, a veteran punk rocker who played drums with garage rock trio Pierced Arrows and bass with punk act P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. When they got their first gig, they added rock drummer Sam Henry (Wipers, The Rats, Napalm Beach) to the mix and quickly found their rootsy approach was a hit. They later added Christopher March, a rockabilly and honky-tonk player.

Things were going gangbusters until Sam died of cancer in 2022—a real shock. In an effort to keep Sam's legacy alive, they added Buddy Weeks to the lineup, and the band has marched on. Over their more than decade-long career, they've play hundreds of live shows in a dozen countries, and you can see them with opener Max MacLaury at SLO Brew Rock this Tuesday, Jan. 30 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $15 at ticketweb.com).

Don't forget that theatrical and hilarious Thumpasaurus plays on Thursday, Jan. 25, at SLO Brew (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $18 at ticketweb.com).

Numbskull and Good Medicine

If you were going to have a country and disco party, can you think of a better place that the Alex Madonna Expo Center? Me neither. This Friday, Jan. 26, check out Western Dreamland (8 p.m.; 18-and-older; $18 at goodmedicinepresents.com).

"Country dolls and dancing queens: Saddle up for a night under the neon moon, where timeless classics by country music legends such as Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, Garth Brooks, and The Chicks guide your every step on the dance floor in a technicolor world of disco icons such as ABBA and Cher along with modern pop artists Dua Lipa, Kacey Musgraves, Miley Cyrus, and more," organizers announced.

If you're in the mood for some roots-rock, look no further than The Coffis Brothers with opening act the Katie Skene Band at The Siren on Saturday, Jan. 27 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $15 at goodmedicinepresents.com).

"It's all-American music," co-frontman Kellen Coffis said in press materials about the band's 2022 release Turn My Radio Up. "There's rock, blues, acoustic folk, and country in there. As music fans, we go all the way back to the beginning—to pioneers like Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers—but we also look to artists like the Eagles and Tom Petty for influence. That's our playbook."

The Siren

Morro Bay's The Siren kicks off with mariachi and heavy metal hybrid Metalachi on Friday, Jan. 26 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20 at tixr.com).

Jane's Gang bring their mix of classic rock to the club on Saturday, Jan. 27 (2 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). Frontwoman Jennifer Jane said, "We invite you in to experience the fun and energy of a Jane's Gang show."

A reggae tripleheader comes on Wednesday, Jan. 31, when Kyle Smith, Drifting Roots, and Kali Royale perform (6:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20 general or $100 VIP at tixr.com).

Finally, Chicago's bluegrass ambassadors The Henhouse Prowlers and opening act Little Tyme play on Thursday, Feb. 1 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $15 at tixr.com). The Henhouse Prowlers have been at it for nearly 17 years, touring more than 25 countries.

Fremont Theater

The Fremont has a big slate this week starting with So-Cal soul bands Thee Sinseers and The Altons playing on Thursday, Jan. 25 (8 p.m.; all ages; $27.50 at prekindle.com).

Stand-up comedienne Kathleen Madigan performs on Friday, Jan. 26 (8 p.m.; all ages; $37.50 to $67.50 at prekindle.com). Her current tour is called Boxed Wine & Tiny Banjos.

Need more comedy? Becky Robinson, the Entitled Housewife, performs as part of her She Gone Tour on Sunday, Jan. 28 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $40 to $110 at prekindle.com).

Dead fans get ready for Dark Star Orchestra playing on Tuesday, Jan. 30 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $37.50 at prekindle.com). For more than 25 years and 3,100 shows, they've channeled the Grateful Dead.

A whole heap of reggae awaits when SOJA with special guests HIRIE and Likkle Jordee play on Thursday, Feb. 1 (8 p.m.; all ages; $37.50 at prekindle.com).

The Clark Center

People love a tribute act, and the Clark Center has two lined up this week starting with Piano Men: Generations on Saturday, Jan. 27 (7:30 p.m.; $45 to $65 at clarkcenter.org). You'll hear the hits of Billy Joel and Elton John brought to life by father-and-son duo Terry and Nick Davies. Sing along to "Only the Good Die Young," "Circle of Life," "Philadelphia Freedom," "Bennie and the Jets," "Piano Man," and more.

Then on Wednesday, Jan. 31, experience The Life and Music of George Michael (7:30 p.m.; $45 to $75 at clarkcenter.org). This new concert-style show "chronicles the performance and sounds of George Michael with staging and lighting while telling this story through early music hits from Wham! and his illustrious solo career," organizers announced. Hear "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go," "Freedom," "Careless Whisper," "Father Figure," and many more.

Cal Poly Arts

I credit my parents and their vinyl collection for my love of Herb Alpert. I remember sliding his records onto the console stereo turntable in our Wisconsin living room to listen to "Tijuana Taxi," "Ladyfingers," and "Spanish Flea." It all seemed so exotic.

Herb Alpert and Lani Hall play Cal Poly's Performing Arts Center this Wednesday, Jan. 31 (7:30 p.m.; $37.20 to $66 at pacslo.org). Alpert scored five No. 1 hits, 28 Billboard-charted albums, and eight Grammy Awards, and he co-founded A&M Records, where he met his wife Lani Hall, original lead singer for Sergio Mendes' Brasil '66, when they were signed to the label in 1966. They'll perform all the classics and more.

More music ...

The Cliffnotes bring their rootsy, rockin' New Orleans style boogie blues to Niffy's Merrimaker this Friday, Jan. 26 (7 to 10 p.m.; all ages; free). "They say history was made when Cliffy met Niffy and made the Merrimaker even merrier," Cliffnotes bandleader Cliff Stepp quipped.

The Basin Street Regulars Hot Jazz Club has a fun show cooked up for you this Sunday, Jan. 28, when they host a concert at the Oceano Elks Lodge with Carl Sonny Leyland's Boogie Woogie Boys with opening act Cuesta College's No. 1 Jazz Combo (bring your instrument to jam beginning at 11 a.m. with the concert starting at 1 p.m.; all ages; $15 general admission, $10 for members and Elks, $5 for jammers, with advance tickets available at my805tix.com and eventbrite.com). There's a big dance floor and food and drink will be available for this hot swinging jazz show.

The SLO Jazz Federation will host the Andy Martin Septet next Thursday, Feb. 1, at SLO's Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $30 general, $20 Jazz Fed members, and $10 students at my805tix.com). Titled Blues and the Abstract Truth, the show will feature trombonist Martin, Dave Becker, and Ron McCarley (reeds), Bob Bennett (trumpet), Marshall Otwell (piano), Dylan Johnson (bass), and Darrell Voss (drums). Martin's worked with Stanley Turrentine and Horace Silver, and he's appeared as a soloist on more than 150 major film soundtracks and with numerous big bands. The first set will re-create the acclaimed 1961 recording Blues and the Abstract Truth. Δ

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