Head to YouTube and search Flamy Grant and the song “What Did You Drag Me Into?” Make it play, baby. Make it play!
It starts inside a church with sermon about the evils of wokeness: aka “Satan’s whispers.” Suddenly, the church doors bust open and in struts a certain drag queen whose name rhymes with famed Christian singer Amy Grant, breaking into a gospel/R&B barnburner.
“Picture this, an American scene/Lost in the cover of a magazine/ Bible Belt baby wanna be a queen/ Lord momma tried to keep her little boy clean/ She found him in high heels on/ A two-foot train of green chiffon/ That messy lip was overdrawn/ It was shocking and obscene.”
So sings Flamy Grant, the 40-year-old nonbinary drag queen from the Bible Belt who now calls San Diego home. She’s a part of A Million Ways to Cry in the West, a singer-songwriter showcase this Monday, March 20, at The Siren, which also includes local singer-songwriter Jody Mulgrew and Story & Tune, a duo featuring Aussie Ben Grace and Californian poet Karyn Thurston, who met and fell in love via Instagram (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $10 presale at eventbrite.com).
Organizers say to expect “a sparkly band of religious outlaws” who are “rounding up fellow West Coast heathens for an earnest, emotional, enlightened evening of foot-stompin’. Unlike any show you’ve ever seen, it’s drag meets The Civil Wars meets inner child work. Join us to get therapized, revitalized, and deputized.”
Also this week at The Siren, Numbskull and Good Medicine present soulful Texas country outfit Kolton Moore & The Clever Few this Thursday, March 16 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20 at goodmedicinepresents.com).
Enjoy a free St. Paddy’s Day show with Seattle-based funk and soul act The True Love Big Brass Band on Friday, March 17 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older).
There’s free music all day on Saturday, March 18, first with Erin Montgomery and the Roadkings (2:30 to 5:30 p.m.; 21-and-older) playing originals and “remakes with a twist.” Later that night, Sacramento rockers Red Voodoo take the stage (7:30 to 10:30 p.m.; 21-and-older).
Hailing from San Antonio, Texas, on-the-rise country star Mike Ryan plays a Good Medicine and Numbskull show on Sunday, March 19 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20 at goodmedicinepresents.com). The singer-songwriter started his career while attending the University of North Texas, and after touring regionally, he released The First One, an EP, in 2010. Since then he’s released three studio albums.
Next Thursday, March 23, mark your calendars for English and Welsh folkgrass from The Trials of Cato and old timey music from The SLO Pickers (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $17 at eventbrite.com). The Trials of Cato won Best Album in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2019.
At the Fremont Theater
Gimme Gimme Disco, the disco dance party inspired by ABBA, returns this Friday, March 17 (9 p.m.; 18-and-older; $17 presale at seetickets.us).
Badflower on their Asking for a Friend tour plays Saturday, March 18 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $25.50 at seetickets.us). The Gold-certified Los Angeles-bred and Nashville-based quartet—Josh Katz (lead singer, guitarist), Joey Morrow (lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Espiritu (bass), and Anthony Sonetti (drums)—”siphon stress, sleeplessness, sex, sadness, mania, pain, and truth into revelatory alternative anthems,” their bio explains.
It’s not music, but stand-up comedian Whitney Cummings brings the laughs on Sunday, March 19 (9 p.m.; all ages; $37 to $57 at eventbrite.com). She’s known for creating and starring in the NBC series Whitney. She’s also know for stand-up specials Whitney Cummings: Money Shot, Whitney Cummings: I Love You, Whitney Cummings: I’m Your Girlfriend, Whitney Cummings: Can I Touch It?, and Whitney Cummings: Jokes.
At SLO Brew Rock
Don’t forget all-female Led Zeppelin tribute act Zepparella plays Thursday, March 16 (7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $20 plus fees at ticketweb.com).
On Friday, March 17, Ragged Jubilee plays an album release party with The Bogeys (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $10 at ticketweb.com). Jangly Neil Young-inspired Jubilee’s newest, Mulholland Drive, was produced by LA-based producer/musician Rob Campanella.
Drugdealer returns on Wednesday, March 22 (7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $26 at ticketweb.com), touring in support of Hiding in Plain Sight, the band’s third studio album.
“Ultimately, Hiding In Plain Sight is an odyssey from philautia—the ability to love oneself—to philia, a greater ability to love and embrace the contributions of those around you,” press materials explained.
Finally, mark your calendar for KBong and Johnny Cosmic next Thursday, March 23 (8 p.m.; 18-and-older; $20 at ticketweb.com). KBong is a singer-songwriter inspired by traveling, hiking, and spending time in tropical places. Cosmic is a multi-instrumentalist with more than 20 years of experience in music production and live performance.
More music …
The award-winning Vocal Arts Ensemble presents Folk Music of the World during two concerts—Thursday, March 16 (7 p.m.), at Trilogy Monarch Dunes in Nipomo, and Sunday, March 19 (3 p.m.), in the Cuesta College Performing Arts Center—playing selections from Spain, Japan, New Zealand, Israel, and America. Tickets are $30 at vocalarts.org, or $10 for students with ID and children under 12.
After a pandemic-induced hiatus, get your St. Paddy’s Day spirit on when Central Coast Pipes & Drums resurrects their annual pub crawl this Friday, March 17, from noon to 4 p.m., starting at the Downtown Centre, then to Black Sheep, Bull’s Tavern, and through various downtown bars, ending at McCarthy’s Irish Pub.
Damon Castillo will bring his jazz, rock, pop, and R&B sounds to Paso’s Cass Winery this Friday, March 17 (doors at 5 p.m.; $10 at exploretock.com). As of late, Castillo’s been release amazing singles such as “Blue Sky” and “My Kind of Jam.”
Award-winning NYC jazz pianist/accordionist Ben Rosenblum plays Libretto in Paso this Friday, March 17 (6:30 and 8:15 p.m.; $25 at librettopaso.com). His world-class trio includes Marty Jaffe (bass) and Ben Zweig (percussion).
The SLO Jazz Fed hosts its annual Young Jazz Showcase this Sunday, March 19, in SLO’s Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church (4 p.m.; all ages; free but donations welcome). Student musicians will be accompanied by Gary Drysdale (guitar), Ken Hustad (bass), and Darrell Voss (drums). Created in 1983, the showcase awards scholarships to talented and deserving local students. Δ
Contact Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Spring Arts Annual 2023.
“21 and older”. Good. Have fun.