Guitarist Elvin Bishop is 82. Harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite is 81. Together they share 121 years of being at the forefront of Chicago’s 1960s blues explosion, with Bishop starting in 1963 and Musselwhite in 1966. They’re both absolute masters of their craft.
Cal Poly Arts presents Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite in the Performing Arts Center on Friday, May 23 (7:30 p.m.; $38 to $67 at pacslo.org). Expect a spellbinding night of blues, folk, and rock.
Bishop’s 1975 hit “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” remains a classic, and his collaborations with B.B. King and the Allman Brothers have cemented his reputation as a blues-rock icon.
Since his 1966 debut, Stand Back!, Musselwhite, has been a force to be reckoned with. He’s collaborated with everyone from John Lee Hooker to Tom Waits.
Together, Bishop and Musselwhite released 100 Years of Blues in 2020. Living legends!
Also in the PAC, see Soundings: Music in Color featuring Longleash for two performances, Thursday, May 29, and Friday, May 30 (7:30 p.m.; $22 general, $12 students at pacslo.org).
“Soundings brings together original compositions by music technology and composition students with dynamic choreography by dance students,” the university announced. “The acclaimed Longleash—Pala Garcia, violin; John Popham, cello; and Mika Sasaki, piano—will collaborate with the students.”
Rising Moon and surf’s up
Sunset Tribe presents Elysian Moon in Rod & Hammer Rock on Friday, May 23 (doors at 8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $15 presale at my805tix.com or $20 at the door). Expect a “dynamic fusion of Gypsy, organic, and sparkly techno sounds,” the club announced. “Featuring Tyson Leonard on violin and Grace Jiia on keyboard, the pair composes music that ‘spans neoclassical, cinematic global house, and folkloric rhythms’ that highlight ‘the intricacies of culture, nature, and human experience.'” Jungle Haüs opens the show with “Afrohouse rhythms designed to awaken and ignite the spirit.”
North Shore surfer and singer-songwriter Landon McNamara plays Rod & Hammer on Thursday, May 29 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $27.21 at ticketweb.com), with Chase LaRue opening. McNamara’s newest single, “If You Only Knew,” has a laid-back acoustic reggae and Hawaiian soul vibe.
“The only promised thing to us all is death. And at the end of our life, when you’re taking that last breath, would you be satisfied with how you spent your time?” McNamara asked in press materials. “I wanna motivate people to realize life isn’t about money, or shiny things, or social status. It’s about experiences; creating beautiful memories; family; friends; finding out who you truly are and living that existence to the fullest. Above all, it’s about love.”
Renaissance women
Identical twin sisters Christi and Cara Brown have created art-filled lives for themselves. They grew up in Claremont but after high school moved to SLO in 2000 and went to nursing school and became RNs, but art was always there—drawing, painting, cross-stitching, and making music.
Way back in 2001, they released their self-titled debut album as the folk and pop duo Forever Green, so named to express their “love, concern, and respect for Mother Earth.” Their original songs focus on “peace, love, happiness, and the importance of environmental preservation.”
After their debut, they went on hiatus to pursue separate endeavors until reuniting in 2019 and resurrecting their duo with Cara playing acoustic guitar and Christi playing keyboard/synth, and both creating drumbeats with an electronic groove box.
Being twins, they have inherent knack for vocal harmonies, which you can hear on their new single, “Butter Me Up,” which is literally about buttered toast but figuratively about life’s simple pleasures and getting things “just right.”
It’s their third single release since reuniting, and they describe it as a combination “of soft-rock, electronic, pop, and blues to create a hybrid soundscape that is totally unique.”
It also features a heavy bassline and hip-hop drumbeats as well as vintage audio clips and a very slick time signature change sliding into the chorus.
See Forever Green live at Paso Robles’ Bianchi Winery this Saturday, May 24 (noon to 3 p.m.). These Los Osos artists also sell their artwork on their website, caraandchristibrown.com.
East meets West
Once or twice a year, New Yorkers Sarah Pillow (vocal) and husband Marc Wagnon (electronic vibraphone) return to Sarah’s stomping grounds, where they meet up with West Coast pal Tony Green (bass) to play a show or two under the moniker The West Coast Origin Trio. They play popular and more eclectic jazz standards as well as original compositions.
Sarah, a SLO Town native and SLO High grad, studied jazz at Cuesta College before studying classical singing at Oberlin Conservatory, after which she relocated to NYC. She’s performed all over the world as both a jazz and classical vocalist.
Marc, originally from Switzerland, has performed and recorded with jazz and jazz-fusion luminaries such as Percy Jones, Mike Clark, Dave Douglas, and the late great Paul Jackson.
Tony, who lives in LA, plays with the Well Pennies and does sound engineering and music production at his studio, Ear Gallery Music.
I saw them last year, and the three put on quite a show. Sarah’s voice is beyond spectacular, and Marc and Tony are both monster players. See them at Linnaea’s Café on Saturday, May 24 (6 to 8 p.m.; all ages; free).
Get psyched
Numbskull and Good Medicine present Daniel Rodriguez on Wednesday, May 28, in Club Car Bar (7 p.m.; all ages; $15.66 at goodmedicinepresents.com). He was a founding member and key songwriter for Elephant Revival and a stalwart of the Americana psychedelic folk rock scene.
“Known for penning Elephant Revival classics like ‘Birds and Stars,’ Daniel embarked on a solo journey following the band’s dissolution in 2018,” his bio explains. “His solo debut, the EP Your Heart, The Stars, The Milky Way, was released in 2019.”
He followed it with the full-length Sojourn of a Burning Sun in 2020. His most recent is 2023’s Vast Nothing, which his bio describes as exploring “new dimensions of his sound, blending Americana folk with layers of psychedelic rock, creating an ethereal yet profoundly grounded experience. His lyrics weave a magical realism within the human experience.”
Son of Zeppelin
Vina Robles Amphitheatre once again hosts Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening on Thursday, May 29 (doors at 6 p.m.; show at 7:30; all ages; $25 to $472 at ticketmaster.com). Drummer Jason Bonham is son of legendary Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, and this year’s tour focuses on the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Led Zeppelin classic, Physical Graffiti.
“This is my favorite Led Zeppelin album of all time,” Bonham explained in press materials. “Being able to celebrate it the way we are planning on this tour is something I am extremely excited about. I can’t wait for people to come out and see these shows and celebrate this extraordinary record with us. My goal is to play at least 50 shows to commemorate 50 years … . And don’t worry, there will be plenty of other songs that you also love played that night.”
Jager Henry opens the show.
Free is good
The Siren has a bunch of freebies this week starting with LA-based rock band King Dream on Friday, May 23 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older). It’s fronted by Oakland native Jeremy Lyon, “a lifelong songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, engineer, and producer who crafts dive bar anthems with heart, brains, and soul,” according to his bio.
“Hard-rocking yet poignant, his music combines a love for American rock masters like Springsteen and Petty with ’60s West Coast psychedelia and more contemporary torchbearers like My Morning Jacket and The War on Drugs—all brought to life by a rotating cast of California’s most in-demand players.”
Local rock cover act The HiBeamz play a matinee show on Saturday, May 24 (2 to 5:30 p.m.; 21-and-older). “Dancing shoes are recommended for this high energy, good vibes gathering!” the venue announced. Sōleffect plays that evening (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older). The septet features two female singers intertwining their vocals and reimagining cover songs in their own soulful style, as well as playing original blues, rock, and funk with a hint of reggae and jazz fusion.
Classic rock cover band Legends plays on Sunday, May 25 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older). Hear your favorite ’80s rock hits from acts such as AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Alice In Chains, and many more.
Counting down!
Live Oak Music Festival is coming up quick! In just three weeks, my wife and I will be hauling our ancient, canned ham Castle King trailer to El Chorro Regional Park for my favorite weekend music gathering from Friday, June 13, to Sunday, June 15.
Over the upcoming three weeks, I’ll be featuring the three headliners: Afro-Cuban funk master Cimafunk playing June 13; R&B, jazz, blues, and soul horn-driven party band The California Honeydrops on June 14; and the Dead-inspired country rock sounds of Grateful Shred on June 15.
You can see all your ticket options as well as a complete lineup of this year’s festival at liveoakfest.org. Come for the day, come every day, or camp for the weekend. It’s always a blast. Δ
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Summer Guide 2025.