String wizard Tony Furtado plays Castoro Cellars on April 14 

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According to David Lindley, who knows a thing or two about music, "Tony Furtado is a major musical force without a doubt. He has his black belt in voice, bottleneck guitar, and his banjo playing scares the crap out of me."

Furtado was just 12 when he first picked up the banjo, purportedly inspired by the Beverly Hillbillies theme song. He's since picked up cello-banjo, slide guitar, and baritone ukulele. Seems like if it's got strings, Furtado can play it.

This week, Good Medicine, Numbskull, and KCBX present the Tony Furtado Trio featuring five-time National Fiddle Champ Luke Price and renowned jazz pianist John R. Burr at Castoro Cellars on Sunday, April 14 (6 p.m.; all ages; $25 at goodmedicinepresents.com).

Furtado began his recording career after signing to Rounder Records and releasing Swamped (1990) and stayed with the label for five more records over the next decade. He's released 17 albums in total, most recently Decembering (2021) on his own Yousay Furtado Records label.

He's pretty hard to label, but you'll hear bluegrass, jazz, Celtic, old-time music, and more. Obviously, his talented trio-mates bring a lot to the table. I have a feeling this one will be very memorable.

Told you about this one last week, but don't forget Good Medicine and Numbskull present Grateful Dead-inspired Circles Around the Sun at The Siren on Thursday, April 11 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $27 at goodmedicinepresents.com).

Good Medicine and Numbskull also present San Diego power trio Sitting on Stacy on their Looking Past Red Flags tour on Thursday, April 18, in Club Car Bar (7 p.m.; all ages; $16 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Known for high energy performances, they explore various genres and experiment with various styles. "Some Kind of Way" has sort of a reggae riff. "This Summer Day" starts as a love ballad and becomes an exuberant pop song. "Piece of Me" is a bouncing ska song. They'll get you pumped up.

The Siren

Whether you like metal, '80s pop, or country music, The Siren has a show for you this week. The club kicks things off with Little Dollz (The Randy Rhoads era of Ozzy Osbourne tribute featuring Diana Grace of Stevie Nicks Illusion) on Friday, April 12 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $18 at tixr.com). Guitarist Monty Sommer is a real shredder who can match Rhoads note for note, and Grace adds a female twist to Ozzy's vocals.

Molly Ringwald Project brings their '80s sounds to the club on Saturday, April 13 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $25 at tixr.com). The band jokes that they were brought together by "the Force, the Powers of Grey Skull, the Flux Capacitor, a beat-up Swatch Watch wrapped around an old can of Aqua Net, and just a pinch of discarded MX Missile fuel."

Two classy country ladies—Rosy Nolan and Rachel Brooke with their respective bands—play on Wednesday, April 17 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $15 at tixr.com). Brooke's bio describes her as "a master storyteller, underground country queen, Ameripolitan outlaw winner, multi-instrumentalist, honky-tonk poet, raised on bluegrass and red tomatoes." Nolan, with her "cowgirl hat, platinum bob, and 1940s Western getups ... looks like a throwback to the mid-century heyday of California honky-tonk legends such as Rose Maddox and Jean Shepard," according to her bio. Yeehaw.

SLO Brew Live presents at Rod and Hammer Rock

Don't forget about the SLO Brew Live and (((folkYEAH!))) triptastic kaleidoscopic show LSD & The Search for God this Thursday, April 11 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $25 at ticketweb.com), with jjuujjuu opening. Expect a hypnotic show "built upon swirling guitars, otherworldly drones, fuzzed-out pop melodies, and dreamy vocal harmonies."

Dogs in a Pile plays on Friday, April 12 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $17 at ticketweb.com) with new local band Strange Cake. Hailing from Asbury Park, New Jersey, Dogs in a Pile merges jazz, rock, and psychedelia. According to their bio, they employ "a unified approach to performance and songwriting, crafting aural mosaics through adept instrumentation and humble precocity. As avid storytellers, they draw inspiration from personal experiences, balancing life's foibles with ever-present youthful sanguinity."

I checked out a live show online. Impressive musicianship.

Opener Strange Cake draws inspiration from the likes of The Meters, Phish, The Grateful Dead, Lettuce, Soulive, and others.

"We're thrilled to have the opportunity to open for Dogs in a Pile," Strange Cake lead singer and guitarist Aaron Burger said. "It's going to be an unforgettable night of music."

Finally, Australian pop rockers Lime Cordiale play on Thursday, April 18 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $25 at ticketweb.com). Featuring brothers Oli and Louis Leimbach, the band delivers hooky melodies and smart lyrics, and they incorporate rock, funk, and reggae into their sound. The most recent album is 14 Steps to a Better You (2020).

The Clark Center

Get nostalgic when the Clark Center and KCBX present folk giants The Kingston Trio on Friday, April 12 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $29 to $59 at clarkcenter.org). The original trio formed in San Francisco's North Beach club scene in 1957 and went on to national prominence with hits such as "Tom Dooley," "Scotch and Soda," and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone." The original three members have been replaced many times over the years by more than a dozen other performers, and the current lineup includes Mike Marvin, Tim Gorelangton, and Buddy Woodward.

Eagles tribute act The Long Run—Experience the Eagles Music plays on Saturday, April 13 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $40 to $50 at clarkcenter.org). They're considered the preeminent Eagles tribute act. "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."

Cal Poly Arts

Anna Lapwood plays the Forbes Organ Series on Wednesday, April 17, in Cal Poly's Performing Arts Center (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $35 at pacslo.evenue.net). The organist, conductor, and broadcaster is director of music at Pembroke College, Cambridge. In 2023, the prestigious 'Gamechanger' Award from the Royal Philharmonic Society was bestowed upon her. She's also signed to Sony Classical as an exclusive recording artist.

Vina Robles Amphitheatre

Vina Robles begins its packed and growing concert season with one for Latin music lovers. Cumbia superstars Los Angeles Ázules play on Thursday, April 18 (8 p.m.; all ages; $60 to $90 at vinaroblesamphitheatre.com), with special guests Angela Leiva and Jay de la Cuerva, presenting their new show, "El Amor de mi Vida" (The Love of my Life). Visit vinaroblesamphitheatre.com for their complete lineup, which includes ZZ Top (4/27), Lord Huron (5/23), The Avett Brothers (5/15), Cake (7/11), and a whole lot more.

More music ...

On Sunday, April 14, the SLO County Trumpet Alliance presents All That Jazz! at the Cuesta College Performing Arts Center (2 p.m.; all ages; $15 general or $10 for students at tickets.cuesta.edu). The concert will feature Cuesta College jazz faculty members George Stone, Ken Hustad, Dave Brubeck, Bob Bennett, Darrell Voss, conductor Warren Balfour, and guest conductors Nick Waldron, Darren Mulder, and Bruce Knowlton.

The Jazz Vespers Concert Series returns to SLO's First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, April 14, with the Pat Kelley Trio (4 p.m.; all ages; free though donations are appreciated). Former USC Thornton School of Music faculty member and studio and touring guitarist Pat Kelley has worked with the likes of Chick Corea, Natalie Cole, and Dave Brubeck among many others. He'll be joined by Ron McCarley (saxophone) and Dylan Johnson (bass).

Symphony of the Vines presents For the Birds at Mission San Miguel this Sunday, April 14 (4 p.m.; all ages; $35 adult, $30 senior, $15 students, and K-12 free with a paid adult at my805tix.com). Hear Mozart's Quintet for Horn and Strings, Beethoven's Sextet for Two Horns and Strings, and Schubert's String Quartet "Death and the Maiden," performed by solo violinist Alejandra Moreno-Gonzalez as well as Jason Beaumont and Greg Magie (horns), Tony Navarro and Daniel Muñoz (violins), Bridget Boland and Grace Seng (violas), and Hilary Clark (cello). Δ

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