Whether you like Americana, outlaw country, tribute bands, or reggae and ska, there's something for you this week 

There aren't a ton of concerts this week, but there are five very worthwhile shows depending on your taste in music. If you're a fan of old-timey string band sounds, the Seven Sisters Folklore Society has you covered this Friday, Jan. 5, when they host Foghorn Stringband in the Milking Parlor at the Octagon Barn Center (4400 Octagon Way, SLO; 7 p.m.; $20 presale at eventbrite.com or $25 at the door). It's the perfect venue to see a genuine old-fashioned string band thumping away and delivering honest, down-to-earth Americana music,

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• Photo Courtesy Of Foghorn Stringband
• ACOUSTIC EXPLORERS Foghorn Stringband brings their mix of old-time, bluegrass, classic country, and Cajun music to the Octagon Barn on Jan. 5.

According to press materials, "Foghorn Stringband continually and obsessively draws from old-time, bluegrass, classic country, and Cajun music traditions in an ongoing quest to present a broad span of American historical music with an unparalleled youthful energy, joy, and virtuosity."

The four members—Caleb Klauder (vocals, mandolin, fiddle), Reeb Willms (vocals, guitar), Nadine Landry (vocals, upright bass), and Stephen 'Sammy' Lind (vocals, fiddle, banjo)—are more than masterful musicians. They're also music historians.

"Each member exemplifies the best of the roots music traditions from their respective native cultures. Klauder's wistful, keening vocals and rapid-fire mandolin picking are as influenced by Southern roots music as much as they are by his upbringing in the sea islands of coastal Washington state," press materials state. "Willms hails from the windswept eastern farmlands of Washington. Her musical family and rural upbringing are on display with every note she sings and every heart she breaks. Landry's roots lie in the rural backroads of Acadian Québec, and her high lonesome vocals have delighted audiences the world over. Her earth-shaking bass playing is the rumbling backbone of the Foghorn sound. Minnesotan Lind, simply put, is the old-time fiddler of his generation whose tone and voice are as old as the same hills that gave birth to this music. Together, these four have forged a sound like no other."

The Siren

Morro Bay's favorite nightclub kicks off its weekend on Friday, Jan. 5, with the outlaw country-infused blues rock of Ted Z and the Wranglers (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). Hailing from Southern California, Ted Z's band delivers "catchy story-songs [that] are fully realized tales of love, regret, getting older, and getting in trouble," their bio explains. "The band stirs up its Americana influences, featuring quick picking and bluesy slide guitar over galloping train beats and swinging shuffles."

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• Courtesy Photo By Leslie Campbell
• BAD BOYS Outlaw country-charged blues rockers Ted Z and the Wranglers bring their narrative songs to The Siren on Jan. 5.

Stevie Nicks fans will want to check out Stevie Nicks Illusion on Saturday, Jan. 6 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $25 at tixr.com), a band that's been called the most authentic sounding tribute to Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac to date. Frontwoman Diana Grace delivers haunting vocals and stage presence that perfectly emulates Nicks from the early years of the 1970s and '80s. Mix in world-class musicianship and you have a tribute band that doesn't need to resort to backing tracks.

Fremont Theater

Speaking of tribute bands, Petty Theft—San Francisco Tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers comes to downtown SLO on Saturday, Jan. 6 (9 p.m.; all ages; $23 at prekindle.com). This award-winning tribute act formed in 2003 and features Dan Durkins on lead vocals, guitars, and harmonica. He plays guitar left-handed and upside-down.

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• Photo Courtesy Of Petty Theft
• IS THAT YOU, TOM? Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tribute act Petty Theft plays the Fremont Theater on Jan. 6.

Originally born a classic rock cover band, the members quickly decided to focus on the music of Petty and Heartbreakers. A recent set list included "Rebels," "Listen to Her Heart," "Don't Do Me Like That," "Crawling Back to You," "Into the Great Wide Open," and "American Girl" among other classic tracks. They also covered a Traveling Wilburys song and Steve Miller's "The Joker."

SLO Brew Rock

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• Courtesy Photo By Sly Vegas
• SANTA CRUZ KIDS The Expendables bring their reggae and ska to SLO Brew Rock on Jan. 11.

Next Thursday, Jan. 11, Santa Cruz ska, reggae, surf rock, and punk act The Expendables comes to SLO Brew Rock (doors at 7:45 p.m.; 18-and-older; $22 at ticketweb.com). About 25 years ago, they were a high-energy high school party band covering tracks such as Dick Dale's "Miserloo" and "Wipe Out," but now these former elementary school buddies—Raul Bianchi, Adam Peterson, and Geoff Weers, along with bassist Ryan DeMars—have spread their infectious hybrid sounds to the world.

Of their latest track, "Surfman Cometh," they've explained it's "a spaghetti-Western meets 'Pipeline' twang that could easily form the soundtrack to the latest Quentin Tarantino film."

"Geoff brought that riff to the table, and the band jammed on it," Bianchi explained in press materials. "We recorded it live at our studio, then laid down overdubs in our individual homes. Adam and I even went down to Pleasure Point here in town with laptops and microphones to record the crashing waves at the beginning and end."

Special guests Tunnel Vision and Pacific Roots will open the show. Δ

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