If you haven’t bought a festival pass or day ticket for the Live Oak Music Festival on Father’s Day weekend, June 19 through 21, at El Chorro Regional Park, time’s a-wastin’! If you just want to go for the day, Saturday, June 20, is the biggest bang for your buck ticket-wise because you’ve got music running from 8 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.
You also have ass-kicking San Francisco-based bluegrass quintet The Brothers Comatose headlining that day on the KCBX stage (8:45 p.m.). Formed by frontman Ben Morrison (guitar) and his brother Alex (banjo) in 2009, the brothers grew up on rock but stumbled into bluegrass.
“It was by complete accident,” Ben explained during a recent Zoom call. “My parents used to throw music parties with their musician friends at their house, and everybody would come and play. A friend of my mom’s left a banjo behind, so my brother picked it up the next day, and he’s like, ‘Oh, how’s this tuned? This is interesting. Sounds like the tuning that Keith Richards uses on a bunch of songs, like an open G tuning.’ So we just started jamming on that.”
They began by playing the music they knew: The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, “whatever we were listening to at the time,” Ben added. “We didn’t listen to bluegrass music or anything. It was just like an instrumentation thing that got us into that world.”
That got the Morrison brothers asking themselves, “What did Rolling Stones listen to? What did Led Zeppelin listen to? Why do they have mandolins in their music or slide guitar? So all that kind of worked its way into what we’re doing now.”
One thing the band has become known for is their online collaborations with other bluegrass artists.
“That all started in the pandemic,” Ben explained. “Obviously, nobody was playing shows. We also were transitioning away from this mega touring lifestyle. We had some lineup changes, a couple people left, so we needed to restructure things. People were having families, and we couldn’t tour 150 days a year anymore. It’s gonna wear us down and this band is not gonna make it.”
They were doing a lot of livestreaming, and they realized their musician friends were also stuck at home—friends they rarely got to see because of formerly busy schedules.
“When you’re always touring, it’s hard to catch up with people, but then we just started getting together with people and making videos,” Ben explained.
They’d pick a favorite cover song and record it. One of the tracks was recorded with AJ Lee of Blue Summit.
‘[Live Oak] knows how to throw a great party and we always love it down there. The other bands are always great, and the crowd is cool. People just like to rage down there, and it’s fun for us. We love coming back.’
—Ben Morrison, The Brothers Comatose
“I’d seen her play a couple times,” Ben said. “We met once, but didn’t really know each other very well, but I called and said, ‘Do you want to come and jam a little bit? Maybe we’ll make a video.’”
They covered Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon,” and it’s amassed more that 11 million views on YouTube.
“We had put out a bunch of videos at that point, but that one, it had some magic in it,” Ben noted. “That just kind of exploded. We were like, ‘This is amazing.’ We just kept making videos, and it’s been really cool because when we transition back to playing shows, people were like, ‘I’ve been watching you guys on YouTube since the pandemic and I had to come see you live.’ It’s so cool.”
Bluegrass music’s popularity seems to wax and wane, but it feels like it’s in another Renaissance.
“I think the trend is that the banjo becomes cool again every 10 to 12 years,” Ben laughed. “And then it goes away, then it gets not cool, and it goes away, and then it comes back. In my lifetime, it started with O Brother, Where Art Thou? [2000]. That movie came out, and everybody was into roots music after that. Then it kind of fizzled out, and then Mumford and Sons came around, and they had a banjo and it was cool. Then Mumford and Sons became not so cool.”
Ben mentioned Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle as starting the “cool” trend again. Bluegrass seems hip these days, and California especially has been a hotbed for the genre, something The Brothers Comatose celebrate on their most recent album, 2025’s Golden Grass.
The name came to them from an online commenter who dubbed their sound “golden grass,” as in bluegrass from the Golden State
“I’m like, ‘That’s such a cool name.’ I think there are a lot of bands that carry that torch, starting back with Old & In the Way with Jerry Garcia who just happened to be a banjo player.”
For the album’s title track, Ben got together with his band’s violinist Philip Brezina and Tim Bluhm of The Mother Hips, who also produced Golden Grass.
“Currently, there are so many cool bands coming out of California that are in the grass world, playing newgrass, progressive grass, grass adjacent,” Ben explained. “I was thinking about this idea of golden grass and how it could be a genre.”
As they wrote the title track, they decided to subtly name drop some of the California bluegrass bands they admired, such as Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, AJ Lee & Blues Summit, Hot Buttered Rum, and Poor Man’s Whiskey.
“Down in a San Francisco Holler/ The songs echo through the cypress trees/ Golden highway stretches out forever/ and the sun slowly sinks into the sea// Way out west we do it differently/ untraditionally,” Ben sings on the opening verse.
Once you hear the chorus, you’ll never get it out of your head, and it nods to California’s penchant for cannabis: “We just like the sound/ Are you listening?/ We just burn one down/ Can you’ll feel it?/ Just relax/ It’s golden grass.”
This marks The Brothers Comatose’s third Live Oak appearance, and they keep coming back because Todd and Korie Newman of Good Medicine Presents who book the festival are “longtime friends.”
“We’ve always loved them, so they’ve been a big part of our story down in that area,” Ben noted. “[Live Oak] knows how to throw a great party, and we always love it down there. The other bands are always great, and the crowd is cool. People just like to rage down there, and it’s fun for us. We love coming back.”
Other acts I’m looking forward to on Saturday include formerly local singer-songwriter Amalia Fleming at 8 a.m. in the Beer Garden. This talented performer has been in Nashville for the last several years, and the Nashville Songwriters Association International named her as “one to watch.”
A lot of the local Mardi Gras crowd are avid Live Oakies, which is why the festival always try to cater to carnival lovers, so when Brazilian music act SambaDá plays at 11:30 a.m., don’t be surprised when a group of Mardi Gras partiers in full regalia laissez les bons temps rouler.
LA’s Afro-Latin soul act Mestizo Beat plays Stage Too at 3:45 p.m. If you dig ’70s instrumental sounds, and who doesn’t, these guys kill it.
New Orleans soul and R&B powerhouse J & the Causeways plays the KCBX stage at 5 p.m. and a late show Stage Too at 10:30 p.m. That one’s going to be a party.
Singer-songwriter and guitarist Jackie Venson is on the KCBX stage at 6:45 p.m. The Austin musician is also a 2011 Berklee College of Music graduate with five blues, pop, and soul studio albums to her credit.
Credit: PHOTO COURTESY OF STRANGELOVE
Homage and EDM
Good Vibez starts its week at the Fremont Theater with a couple of tribute bands that will appeal to ’80s nostalgia.
Strangelove—The Depeche Mode Experience is on Friday, June 5 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $39.11 at prekindle.com). Expect a “pitch perfect ‘best of’ concert that transports listeners through time and touches on several key points in Depeche Mode’s 45-plus year career,” their bio explains. “Songs from throughout the Depeche canon of 50-plus chart-topping hits are lovingly re-created, with the look and feel of a classic-era DM arena show.” Temptation—a Tribute to New Order and Joy Division opens.
Dallas-based EDM producer and DJ RayBurger will be at the wheel on Sunday, June 7 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $33.96 at prekindle.com). He blends EDM and Latin music “bringing a fresh energy to the already energetic genres,” his bio explains.
Five-speed fever
Good Medicine and Numbskull have a bunch of shows cooked up this week, including three shows at three different venues on the same night. See rising country rocker Austin Brown at The Siren on Friday, June 5 (doors at 7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $29.56 general or $114.02 meet-and-greet experience at goodmedicinepresents.com). This stop on his Ain’t Done Dreamin’ Tour is a reschedule from Jan. 30. Previously purchased tickets will be honored.
Portland acoustic trio Dadweed plays at Club Car Bar on Friday, June 5 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $12.56 at my805tix.com). They reimagine “pickin’ and thumpin’ by blending elements of jazz, folk, pop, and R&B within a traditional bluegrass lens,” according to their bio.
Laurie Lewis & Nina Gerber are at Castoro Cellars on Friday, June 5 (7 p.m.; all ages; $29.56 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Friends and collaborators for more than four decades, they perfectly complement each other. Lewis is a gifted American roots singer-songwriter, and Gerber is an incredible guitarist. Lewis has twice won the International Bluegrass Music Female Vocalist of the Year. Gerber has accompanied Karla Bonoff, Greg Brown, Kate Wolf, Dave Alvin, Lucy Kaplansky, Rosalie Sorrels, Mollie O’Brien, and Nanci Griffith.
Makua plays at The Siren on Tuesday, June 9 (doors at 7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $24.41 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Based on Oahu’s famed North Shore surf mecca, Makua Rothman is a WSL World Tour Big Wave Champion and musician who with Jimmy Messer blends reggae, rock, rap, and soul. Makua turned to music after a devastating wipeout that resulted in a severe knee injury.
“What was I gonna do? Give up? Run and hide? Or use this adversity as a blessing and an opportunity to grow?” he said in press materials.
Speaking of Hawaii, ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro plays Castoro Cellars on Thursday, June 11 (6 p.m.; all ages; $60 at goodmedicinepresents.com). On his Trade Winds & Rainbows Tour, Shimabukuro special guests include Henry Kapono featuring Pure Heart. Shimabukuro has been dubbed “Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele,” mixing jazz, rock, classical, blues, folk, and traditional Hawaiian music.
The Siren calls
In addition to the aforementioned Siren shows, the Morro Bay club also hosts Velvet Daydream and Stax Johnson playing a vintage rock ’n’ roll show on Saturday, June 6 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $6.32 at tixr.com). Velvet Daydream, from Denver, “is on a mission to resurrect the golden era of rock with their commitment to the “classic rock show.”
Stax Johnson is a blues rocker, vocalist, and guitarist from Nashville but now based on the Central Coast. He’s opened for Chris Isaak, Blues Traveler, Blue Oyster Cult, Slash & Adler of Guns and Roses, Robbie Krieger of The Doors, Los Lobos, Greg Kihn, Leon Russell, Charlie Musselwhie, John Mayall, Mud Morganfield, Ratt, The Pointer Sisters, Ana Popovic, and Los Lobos.
Bluegrass night features Never Come Down on Wednesday, June 10 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $18.48 at tixr.com). The Portland quintet blends modern and traditional bluegrass and Americana sounds. Local bluegrass duo The Turkey Buzzards open.
Three to see
SLO Brew Live at Rod & Hammer Rock starts its music week with Brass Mash on Friday, June 5 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $22 at ticketweb.com). “First Fridays are magical nights filled with the vibrant energy of our all-horn band,” the club announced. “Join the festivities at Rod and Hammer Rock and immerse yourself in the unique fusion of your favorite rock and pop songs. It’s a musical journey that promises to be unforgettable, so make sure to wear sensible shoes for the dance-worthy beats.”
See The Lagoons on Saturday, June 6 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $27.21 at ticketweb.com). The SoCal band, formed by multi-instrumentalist brothers Ryan and Joey Selan, plays dreamy, atmospheric pop, chillwave, surf rock, jazz, and electronic music.
Irreverent and outrageous punk rock act Guttermouth plays on Thursday, June 11 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $24.71 at ticketweb.com). Formed in 1989 in Huntington Beach, they’ve recorded nine full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour. Cryptilians, Grimedog, and Bunker Club open.
Credit: PHOTO COURTESY OF CAL POLY ARTS
Destined for success
Cal Poly Arts hosts Juilliard’s Organ Department Chair Paul Jacobs at the next Forbes Organ Series concert in the Performing Arts Center on Thursday, June 11 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $35 at calpolyarts.org).
Jacobs began piano lessons at 5, organ lessons at 12, and by 15 he was appointed head organist of Immaculate Conception Church, a parish of more than 3,500 families. He’s also the first organist to win a Grammy.
The program includes pieces by Bach, Brahms, César Franck, Charles Ives, and Alexandre Guilmant. Jacobs will offer a 6:30 p.m. pre-show talk for ticketholders.
Thank you, thank you very much
Templeton PAC hosts Elvis Presley impersonator Matt Stone as Elvis: In Person on Wednesday, June 10 (7 p.m.; all ages; $39 to $59 at my805tix.com). “Internationally recognized by Graceland and the Elvis Presley Estate, the show’s star, Matt Stone, performs the closest thing to the King in history!” according to Stone’s bio. “Matt brings a never-before-seen level of authenticity and attention to detail to his craft, captivating audiences with flawless re-creation of the King of Rock ’n’ Roll in his prime!”
Laugh it up
Nederlander Concerts presents the clean, observational humor of stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan on Sunday, June 7 (doors at 6:30, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $44 to $201-plus at ticketmaster.com). The eight-time Grammy-nominated comedian, actor, writer, producer, two-time New York Times best-selling author, three-time Emmy winning performer, and multi-platinum-selling recording artist is on his Everything is Wonderful! tour. ∆
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Pride 2026.
