Charlie Musselwhite is an old-school blues legend. GA-20 is a band dedicated to keeping the old-school blues flame alive. Together, they’re a match made in heaven, and they’re headlining the last night of the Live Oak Music Festival at El Chorro Regional Park on Sunday, June 21 (8:45 p.m.; tickets at liveoakfest.org).
“GA-20 is named after an old 1950s Gibson amplifier that they made, and when we were starting out, we were using a GA-20 at the time,” guitarist and band founder Matthew Stubbs explained during a phone call from his home in Providence, Rhode Island. “I still have a bunch of them, and we still record with GA-20s.”
When they’re touring, they play with a mix of vintage equipment, new equipment, and equipment manufactured today according to vintage specifications. For instance, Stubbs tours with a re-creation of a vintage Gibson Tweed Deluxe amp made by a small Nashville company called West Side Amps.
Instead of traveling with his vintage Fender and Silvertone guitars, a company called Waterslide Guitars manufactures to Stubbs’ specifications a signature guitar he tours with.
“We were starting to fly a lot, and I didn’t want to bring my old Silvertone hollow-body guitar on the planes,” Stubbs explained, “so I contacted Patrick [Matera] at Waterslide and told him what I wanted, and he built a guitar completely to my specs, which is basically a ’50s or ’60s Telecaster, but the pickups modeled after a 1960s Silvertone guitar.”
The point is Stubbs and the rest of GA-20 are committed to capturing classic vintage electric blues sounds.
Another thing you’ll notice about GA-20 are they have two guitarists but no bassist. Stubbs has been Charlie Musselwhite’s sideman since 2008, but the idea for GA-20 came when Musselwhite made a record with Ben Harper and agreed to go on tour with him.
“I was looking at a full year off tour with Charlie, and I don’t have a job,” Stubbs laughed. “This is my job. So, I started GA-20 in Boston, originally just to do local gigs and try to play four or five times a week and pay rent for that year. I love ’50s and ’60s Chicago blues and rock ’n’ roll, so when we started, we were trying to keep everything very lean, which meant keep it as a trio, and a lot of old blues records—people don’t really probably realize, but they don’t actually have bass. They have two guitars, one playing what the bass might play or kind of a version of what a bass might play on guitar, and then your normal guitar parts.”
Occasionally, either Stubbs or guitarist and singer Cody Nilsen will play bass for a couple of tunes, but most of the time when they’re supporting Musselwhite, it’s two guitars, drummer Josh Kiggans, and Musselwhite on blues harp and singing.
‘I’ve played with Charlie [Musselwhite] as a guitar player, and I’ve been on three of his records, but I’ve always wanted to produce a record with Charlie, to be the producer, and I was able to do it this time.’
—Matthew Stubb, GA-20
Even though he’s worked as Musselwhite’s guitarist years, Stubbs still marvels at the 82-year-old bluesman’s stories.
“He’s got so many stories that are historic about these blues musicians from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. Charlie’s one of the last guys around that was hanging out with these guys, the last connection to it, musicians that I grew up listening to like Magic Sam or Otis Rush or Little Walter. I never got to see any of them live. Those are Charlie’s friends. He’ll just kick out a new [story] every time I’m with him.”
At 82, Musselwhite still shows no signs of slowing down.
“Not that I see, man. He still loves being onstage. We made a new record, and it went really smooth and it was a lot of fun.”
The album comes out on New West Records in late July after their Live Oak performance, but two singles are already available online and the label is taking pre-orders for the album. The two singles—“Crazy Love” and “I Can’t Hold Out”—have the classic vintage electric blues sound.
“That’s something I wanted to do for a long time,” Stubbs said. “I’ve played with Charlie as a guitar player, and I’ve been on three of his records, but I’ve always wanted to produce a record with Charlie, to be the producer, and I was able to do it this time. He flew up to Cambridge in February about a year ago, and we spent about five or six days in the studio, just having fun and recording that record.”
The upcoming album is a true collaboration with Musselwhite. It’s a GA-20 album through and through, and Musslewhite and Cody Nilsen share singing duties. There’re also a couple of instrumentals.
“I think Charlie and Cody singing together is a really special thing,” Stubbs added. “Their voices are very different but blend really nice.”
If you’re just coming to Live Oak for the day, Sunday’s got some great acts. The Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band at 11:30 a.m. on the KCBX Stage sounds really cool.
I hadn’t heard of the acoustic band Slap Dragon, so I looked up some online videos, and now they’re a favorite. Vocalist Laura Berens has a soulful and gorgeous voice. They fuse bluegrass, disco, and R&B into a sound they call “groove grass.” See them at 1 p.m. on the KCBX Stage.
Super cool organ trio Parlor Greens plays at 3:30 p.m. on Stage Too. You’ll be in instrumental heaven with this organ, guitar, and drum ensemble. Groove grease, baby!
I’m also excited about Austin-based indie alternative band Uncle Lucius at 5 p.m. on the KCBX Stage. Pure Southern soul.
Fremont Theater
It’s a busy week at SLO Town’s most historic venue. Indie folk rockers The Crane Wives kick things off on Friday, June 12 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $39.11 at prekindle.com). Hailing from Michigan, they’re known for amazing three-part harmonies and emotionally resonant lyrics that sometimes explore humanity’s dark side. Yasmin Williams opens.
Comedian Patton Oswalt on his Effervescent tour on Saturday, June 13 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $28.84 to $40.14 at prekindle.com) had, last I checked, only two seats left, so basically it’s sold out.
Bob Marley progeny and eight-time Grammy Award winner Stephen Marley playson Sunday, June 14 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $55.08 at prekindle.com). Old Soul (2023) is the reggae star’s most recent album.
Love him or hate him, there’s no denying Kenny G is the best-selling instrumental musician of the modern era and one of the best-selling artists of all time. He’s sold 75 million records! He plays on Wednesday, June 17 (doors at 6:30, show at 7:30 p.m.; all ages; $50.96 to $111.21 at prekindle.com).
Metalheads, assemble! Death Angel plays on Thursday, June 18 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $46.32 general or $215.39 VIP meet-and-greet at prekindle.com). They’ve been part of the Bay Area thrash and metal scene since the ’80s. Vio-Lence and Incite open.
Good Medicine and Numbskull
Good Medicine, Capital Farm Credit, and Numbskull present Aaron Watson at BarrelHouse Brewing on Saturday, June 13 (doors at 6 p.m.; all ages; $39.86 at goodmedicinepresents.com). For more than two decades, Watson has been a relentlessly touring independent country singer-songwriter who manages to top the charts without a major label behind him. His newest album is Unwanted Man.
“It’s not like, ‘Is there any gas left in the tank?’” Watson said about his 18th studio album. “This is just who I am. I still without a doubt believe I haven’t written my best song yet, and I kind of feel like I’m just getting started.”
Gunnar Latham opens.
Numbskull and Good Medicine present The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis at Club Car Bar on their Deface the Currency Tour (7 p.m.; all ages; $22.35 at goodmedicinepresents.com). The Messthetics formed in D.C. 2016 by Fugazi rhythm section Joe Lally (bass) and Brendan Canty (drums) to play what’s been described as “jazz punk jam.” Chris Forsyth opens.
Good Medicine and Numbskull present Taylor Hunnicutt at Club Car Bar on Thursday, June 18 (7 p.m.; all ages; $19.26 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Hunnicutt “makes old-school Southern music for the modern world,” her bio explains.
“It’s a little country, a little singer-songwriter, a little Americana, and a lot of soulful Southern rock,” the trained opera singer said in press materials.
Emilee Morrison opens.
The Siren
The Morro Bay club has a bunch of free ones this week starting with local faves Kerosene Kings who play Friday, June 12 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free), and mix original rock with select covers.
Night Ridge brings their mix of country, rock, and R&B covers from the ’50s through the ’70s to a matinee show on Saturday, June 13 (2 to 5 p.m.; 21-and-older; free).
Murder Hornets will mix punk, surf, psychedelic, and rock on Saturday, June 13 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). Expect a broad mix of covers and originals. Plastic Nancy opens.
The club’s only ticketed show this week is a doozy! New Orleans-based bawdy cabaret ensemble Bon Bon Vivant plays on Sunday, June 14 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $15.30 at tixr.com). Expect dark ballads and uptempo indie rock and dance sounds. Tracorum opens, playing a piano-fueled blend of Southern rock, soul, honky-tonk, and roots Americana.
Finally, psychedelic space rock duo Shü Lace plays on Monday, June 15 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free) “blending dreamy textures, heavy grooves, and experimental energy,” their bio explains.
Credit: PHOTO COURTESY OF DOGS IN A PILE
SLO Brew Live at Rod & Hammer Rock
Asbury Park, New Jersey-based quintet Dogs In A Pile plays on Friday, June 12 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $32.36 at ticketweb.com). The five 20-somethings play psychedelic-tinged jazz-funk rock ’n’ roll. Since forming in 2022, they’ve been averaging 130 shows a year and recently released Distroid, a 10-song collection featuring studio versions of favorite live hits.
Sir Woman plays on Tuesday, June 16 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $32.36 at ticketweb.com). Fronted by Kelsey Wilson, co-founder of Wild Child and member of Glorietta, Sir Woman “blends gospel-influenced soul, R&B, funk, and folk-pop into a sound that’s warm, physical, and alive,” according to their bio. Hot 45 and Uncle Roy & Spice open.
More music …
The Damon Castillo Band brings their eclectic, jazz-informed rock, funk, and soul sounds to Castoro Cellars on Saturday, June 13 (6 to 9:30 p.m.; $10). Recent singles include “Say It Now,” “Blue Sky,” and “My Kind of Jam.”
Jeffrey Halford & The Healers play Los Osos’ The Olde Alehouse on Sunday, June 14 (2 p.m.; all ages). LA Weekly has called him “One of the best voices in Americana today.” He’s an amazing songwriter with a new album out, Used Parts.
“What’s special about this record is I locked into a character that’s part me, part everybody else,” Halford said. “We’re all getting beat up by the struggle, just trying to come out on the winning end. That thread runs through the whole album—and it feels pretty true to the times we’re living in.”
Local singer-songwriter David Lynch open.
Local all-star band Electric Lavender Train has a new single, “Guitar Wizard,” about the late, great local guitarist Billy Foppiano, that features Billy’s son, Charlie, on guitar. You can hear at The Olde Alehouse on Saturday, June 13 (6 to 9 p.m.), and at Ragged Point Inn on Sunday, June 14 (noon to 4 p.m.).
The Jazz Vespers Concert Series returns to SLO’s First Presbyterian Church with the Marshall Otwell-Inga Swearingen duo on Sunday, June 14 (4 p.m.; all ages; free though donations are accepted). He’s an amazing pianist and she’s an internationally acclaimed vocalist and recording artist who teaches voice at Cal Poly and Cuesta College.
The Famous Jazz Artist Series presents San Francisco pianist Keith Sanders at Cambria’s Woodlands Concert Hall on Sunday, June 14 (5 to 7 p.m.; $35 tickets with reservations by calling (805) 935-9007 or emailing charlie@talsanmusic.com). He’ll play solo and duets with series producers Charlie and Sandi Shoemake.
María Belén, an Ecuadorian-born musician and immigrant now living in SLO, performs with her band, Ancestral Wizards, at Linnaea’s Cafe on Thursday, June 18 (6 to 8 p.m.; all ages; free). Hear boleros, fusion, world music, and originals. ∆
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in June 11-18, 2026.
