Ripping dance band Riff Tide plays the SLO Film Fest's Surf Nite on April 26, in the Fremont 

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Bring your dancin' flip-flops to the Fremont Theater this Friday, April 26, for the San Luis Obispo International Film Fest's Surf Nite in SLO event, where in addition to seeing some mind-blowing surfing, you can show off your fancy footwork while dancing to the sounds of Riff Tide, which plays live before the screening of Trilogy: New Wave.

Riff Tide is a local supergroup, which always sounds a little cliché, but dude! Combined, all four of these performers have been in dozens of bands and have decades of experience. Featuring powerhouse vocalist Debi Red, ripping guitarist Steve Conrad, gunslinger bassist Steve Eddy, and hard-hitting drummer Mikie Antonette, Riff Tide plays everything from surf rock, rock 'n' roll, funk, soul, and more.

"We're excited to be performing onstage as surfing videos play behind us on the big screen," said Antonette, who happens to work with us at New Times.

"Since its inception in 2006, Surf Nite in SLO has continued to grow as one of those rare events that's fueled by the energy and enthusiasm of the crowd that attends each year," said Skye McLennan, executive director of the SLO Film Fest. "There's something special about seeing big waves on the big screen at the Fremont Theater, and this is one you won't want to miss!"

Riff Tide will pump up the crowd before the main event, the surf documentary Trilogy: New Wave, about rising surf stars Ethan Ewing, Griffin Colapinto, and Seth Moniz (doors at 5:30 p.m. with music until 6:45 p.m., film at 7 p.m.; all ages; $25 tickets at slofilmfest.org/events/surfniteinslotrilogynewwave, $20 for students). Get stoked!

Vina Robles Amphitheatre

ZZ Top was the loudest concert I've ever attended. When I sat in our sweet seats in front of the stack of amps and the band hit the gas, I could literarily feel my bones reverberating in my body. I had to back way up to deal with it—and I love ZZ Top!

I doubt that will happen when the band plays Vina Robles Amphitheatre this Saturday, April 27, because the venue is very good at delivering music at the appropriate volume, but this is rock 'n' roll, people, and nobody wants to hear "La Grange" or "Tube Snake Boogie" on low.

The Texas band got its start in 1969, and until the death of bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill, it's retained the same three members including Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard. Elwood Francis, Hill's former guitar tech, joined the band 2021. With their iconic look, often tongue-in-cheek sexually charged lyrics, and thundering guitars, this is one of the most iconic acts in rock history. Mike "The Drifter" Flanigin will open (8 p.m.; all ages; $55 to $115 at vinaroblesamphitheatre.com).

Numbskull and Good Medicine

LA-based garage punk outfit Together Pangea kicks off Numbskull and Good Medicine's week on Friday, April 26, in Club Car Bar (7 p.m.; all ages; $19 at goodmedicinepresents.com) with Death Lens opening.

I absolutely love Together Pangea's video for their 2019 song "Dispassionate," because it highlights the band's deadpan sense of humor. It also displays the fruits of involvement in the California Institute of Arts and SoCal DIY scene where creativity flows like cheap beer at an off-campus kegger. These guys put the fun in funny.

Good Medicine, Numbskull, and KCBX present Corb Lund on Thursday, May 1, in The Siren (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Lund grew up in Southern Alberta, and when he's not touring, he spends much of his downtime on his family's farm and ranch. He cemented his musical education at Grant MacEwan College studying jazz guitar and bass, which no doubt adds to his idiosyncratic take on the wide-ranging Americana genre.

With his rich baritone voice and sparkling guitar work, he's a joy to see solo or in band form. For a while, he was touring under the moniker Corb Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans. His most recent album, El Viejo, was released on New West in February, and he's calling it a ramshackle acoustic album recorded in his living room. Branson Anderson will open the show.

The Siren

Never Come Down headlines bluegrass night on Thursday, April 25 (doors at 7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $15 at tixr.com), but the opening act, Fog Holler, is not to be missed. Both acts hail from Portland, and both are wicked cool proponents of newgrass.

Long Beach-based rock, pop, and jam act Manuel The Band plays on Friday, April 26 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). They have "a warm, wide-ranging sound ... that makes room for electric guitar, pedal steel, a two-piece horn section, and deep-set rhythms," according to their bio.

There's a double header on Saturday, April 27, starting with Soul Kool playing your favorite R&B, old-school, oldies, classic rock, country, and Latino music from 2 to 5 p.m., followed by Kareeta (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free), which according to their bio "rose from the swamps and Southern Delta heat during the uncertain spring of 2020, emerging as a fully formed amalgamation of the music that shaped its core"—a kind of '70s jam rock.

SLO Brew Live presents at Rod and Hammer Rock

Rod and Hammer Rock kicks off with an evening with Steely Dead, which combines the music of Steely Dan and the Grateful Dead, on Thursday, April 25 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $20 at ticketweb.com).

Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime plays on Friday, April 26 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18 and older; $22 at ticketweb.com), and though they're well-known for their high energy interpretation of Sublime, a couple months back they released an original single, "High with You," and will release four more originals in the coming months.

"High with You" is terrific, with the phat horns, tight vocal harmonies, a catchy mix of singing and rapping, and a hook-laden melody that won't quit. The experience of all these years of playing Sublime songs have ingrained in Badfish members, allowing them to continue the Sublime journey with authenticity.

Cal Poly Arts

Sail on when Cal Poly Arts brings Small Island Big Song to the Performing Arts Center on Friday, April 26 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $34 to $57 at pacslo.evenue.net). This multimedia presentation features "musicians performing irresistible oceanic grooves to soulful island ballads" with "spoken word and stunning projections featuring footage collected during a three-year film trip across 16 countries," according to press materials.

"Framed in a theatrical narrative amongst panoramic visuals of the artist's homelands, experience a musical journey across the breadth and into the soul of island nations of Pacific and Indian Ocean, meeting an ancient seafaring ancestry and confronting the impacts of climate crisis head-on."

More music ...

The Basin Street Regulars Hot Jazz Club presents San Francisco's swaggering swing and jump blues act Alpha Rhythm Kings (ARK) and Bakersfield's student band Tevis Ranger Jazz Ensemble on Sunday, April 28, in the Pismo Vets Hall (1 p.m.; all ages; $15 general at my805tix.com or $10 for members. There's also an 11 a.m. jam). Lots of dance floor, and swing dancers, you're going to love ARK!

The SLO County Band presents its annual spring concert on Sunday, April 28, in Arroyo Grande's Saint John's Lutheran Church (3 p.m.; all ages; a $10 donation is requested at the door). Titled Out of this World, the concert features a rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" followed by outer space-themed compositions such as Gustav Holst's "The Planets" and others.

Jazz vocalist Deborah Gilmore celebrates Women and International Jazz Day on Monday, April 29, in Hotel SLO (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $39 at my805tix.com). The Mobetta Jazz Production promises "a special tribute to local businesswomen featuring a dynamic lineup of talented local professional women musicians alongside the vibrant sounds of Cal Poly's jazz musicians." Δ

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