I’ve always wondered where Hawaiian rock reggae trio Pepper got their name, and now I know. It was a Saturday Night Live skit with Dana Carvey and Adam Sandler called “The Pepper Boy,” available on YouTube. In it, Carvey is an experienced Italian restaurant “pepper boy” showing greenhorn pepper boy Sandler how to approach diners and ask if they’d like fresh ground pepper.
In 2020, in an interview with The Pier, Pepper lead singer and guitarist Kaleo Wassman explained that he, Bret Bollinger (bass), and Yesod Williams (drums) were three high school kids in Kailua-Kona working as waiters, and when they got off at 10 p.m., they’d race home to watch SNL. This particular skit cracked them up, so when it was time to play their first gig, they called themselves Pepper.
This week, Good Vibez presents Pepper and The Movement at the Fremont Theater on Wednesday, Aug. 19 (doors at 6, show at 7 p.m.; all ages; $47.86 to $68.46 at prekindle.com).
Pepper calls their blend of reggae, alternative rock, dub, island rhythms, and punk rock energy “Kona Dub-Rock,” and it’s a sound that’s served them well through eight studio albums, most recently Local Motion (2019), an album that peaked at No. 1 on the reggae charts. Their newest recording is the 2023 six-song EP Makai, whose title is a Hawaiian term that roughly translates to “by the ocean.”
The Movement is an alt-reggae act that formed in 2003 and draws inspiration from Sublime, 311, Slightly Stoopid, and John Brown’s Body. Joe Samba opens the show.
Good Vibez also presents stand-up comic Maria Bamford at the Fremont on Friday, Aug. 14 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $33.96 to $58.68 at prekindle.com). She’s “known for her inventive voices, candid storytelling about mental health, and sharp, surreal observations,” her bio explained. “Her comedy blends vulnerability with absurdity, turning personal struggles into compassionate, laugh-out-loud art that resonates with longtime fans and new listeners alike.”
Also from Good Vibez and Otter Productions, Inc., see up-and-coming country singer-songwriter Ty Myer at Avila Beach Golf Resort on Thursday, Aug. 20. It’s almost sold-out. General admission tickets are gone, but some $203.10 beach balcony tickets remained as of Aug. 13. Myers mixes Southern soul, country blues, Americana, and blues rock into his sound. Brent Cobb and Benny G open.
Get strange
Good Medicine and Numbskull have a couple of cool shows this week starting with Strange Vine at Club Car Bar on Friday, Aug. 14 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $9.99 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Expect “earthy, energetic music … a fusion of blues, psychedelic, and traditional American rock,” organizers announced. “It’s a sound born of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, from two men who were raised there. Ian Blesse plays drums and Rhodes piano (simultaneously), while Toby Cordova fleshes out the songs with a rotating arsenal of guitars (including one made from a cigar box). Both contribute vocals toward a rich, layered sound that’s greater than the sum of its parts.”
Josh Ottum and Alex Nash open.
Next, Tijuana Panthers play at Club Car Bar on Saturday, Aug. 15 (doors at 8, show at 9 p.m. p.m.; all ages; $20.29 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Members of the Long Beach surf rock trio have known each other since junior high. They’re touring in support of 2022’s Halfway to Eighty, their sixth studio album.
Division 13 and new local act Tuff Kitty open.
One of a kind
(((folkYEAH!))) presents unique and original indie folk singer-songwriter Alela Diane at The Siren on Saturday, Aug. 14 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $29.43 at eventbrite.com). She’s so artsy/weird-good/inventive. I love her videos and her arresting melodies and unusual lyrics. Hipster cool to the max!
“Diane’s parents were musicians, and she grew up singing with them and in her school choir,” her bio explains. “A self-taught guitarist, she released her first album, 2003’s Forest Parade, at the age of 20.”
Spare and introspective, her albums are studies in quiet efficiency. She’s touring in support of her ninth, 2026’s Who’s Keeping Time. Shannon Lay opens.
Homage to British legends
Nederlander Concerts presents The Beatles tribute act The Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute at Vina Robles Amphitheatre on Saturday, Aug. 15 (doors at 6:30, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $36 to $82 at ticketmaster.com). The group is known for note-for-note live renditions of The Beatles’ classics.
Hear “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Yesterday,” “A Day in the Life,” “Penny Lane,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “Hey Jude,” and many more. The four members capture each of the Beatles’ looks and vibe: Ron McNeil portrays John Lennon, Gavin Pring is George Harrison, Erik Fidel is Ringo Starr, and Ardy Sarraf is Paul McCartney.
Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening arrives on Friday, Aug. 21 (doors at 6, show at 7:30 p.m.; all ages; $57 to $177 at ticketmaster.com). This show keeps coming back because it usually sells out.
Jason Bonham is son of legendary Led Zepplin drummer John Bonham, and for this tour, he’s leaning into playing songs from Physical Graffiti (1975) and its hits “Kashmir,” “The Wanton Song,” “In My Time Of Dying,” “In the Light,” and “Boogie With Stu,” but he’ll add in fan favs such as “Good Times Bad Times,” “Over the Hills and Far Away,” “The Ocean,” “Achilles Last Stand,” and “Fool in the Rain.”
When you think it’s over, don’t stop clapping. A typical encore includes “Whole Lotta Love” or “Stairway to Heaven.”
Young blood
SLO Brew Live presents E.N Young at Rod & Hammer Rock on Saturday, Aug. 14 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $25 presale at slobrew.com or $30 at the door). The internationally touring reggae artist blends “roots, dub, conscious music, and high energy shows,” his bio explained. “Based in Southern California, he delivers a powerful message of unity and positivity through his live performances.”
Imperial Sound opens.
Don’t Stop Believin’
Tribute act Journey USA plays the hits of Journey at the Clark Center on Friday, Aug. 14 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $39.50 to $65.50 at clarkcenter.org). “More than just a concert, the Journey USA show, with its full production package including synchronized video playback and special effects, is an exhilarating multimedia experience,” organizers explained. Hear “Open Arms,” “Separate Ways,” and “Any Way You Want It”—all the hits.
More music …
On Friday, Aug. 14, Concerts in the Plaza opens with acoustic indie pop duo Holding Pattern at 5 p.m., followed by mash-up powerhouse horn band Brass Mash from 6 to 8 p.m. in front of the SLO Mission (free; all ages).
Latin fusion and pop act Club Akusaa plays the 11th annual Swingin’ by the Sea fundraiser at the Chapman Estate on Saturday, Aug. 15 (2 to 6 p.m.; $150 at chapmanestatefoundation.org). “Ticket covers entrance, all wine tastings, food, and other beverages, dessert, live music in the garden, access to the estate gardens, coastal bluff views, begonia house with amazing display of blooming tuberous begonias, and silent and live auctions,” organizers announced.
The Famous Jazz Artist series at Cambria’s Woodlands Concert Hall presents guitarist Doug MacDonald on Sunday, Aug. 16 (5 to 7 p.m.; $35 tickets by emailing charlie@talsanmusic.com or calling (805) 935-9007).
“MacDonald has been one of the West Coast’s leading guitarists for decades and is a much-admired artist known for his melodic style,” organizers explained. “He’ll be joined by Dylan Johnson (bass) and Darrell Voss (drums) as well as series producers Charlie and Sandi Shoemake.” ∆
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in 40th anniversary edition.
