Pokey LaFarge has found his happy place, and it’s making music that will put a smile on your face, like “So Long Chicago,” his tribute to snowbird Midwesterners escaping the winter cold.
“Who’s the man with the farmer’s tan/ Hotel slippers, margarita in his hand, uh huh, un huh// Lots of juice, lots of spice/Me and Montezuma gonna roll the dice, uh huh, un huh// I ain’t no high roller/ I’m a weekly bowler/ I’ve been saving my dough, yeah/ To fly me out of the snow/ It’s so long Chicago, hello Mexico/ It’s so long Chicag-o-o-o, hello Mexico.”
His new album, Rhumba Country, is filled with 10 toe-tapping, smile-inducing tracks, including an amazing cover of reggae legend Ken Boothe’s 1967 rocksteady classic “Home, Home, Home.”
Illinois-born LaFarge has made one terrific album after another, but this new one really soars. I was supposed to speak to him via phone on the morning of March 10 about his upcoming show at Rod & Hammer Rock on Sunday, March 16 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $29.27 at ticketweb.com), but he had to cancel due to a sore throat. Fingers crossed he’s better by this Sunday!
In press materials, however, he explained the genesis of his new album—but first, a little background. He was born Andrew Heissler, reportedly nicknamed Pokey by his mother who grew tired of his childhood dawdling. I wanted to ask him about this, but my guess is the LaFarge part of his stage name comes from Peter La Farge, best known for his song “The Ballad of Ira Hayes,” which Johnny Cash had a hit with. La Farge is one of the artists Pokey (we’re on a first name basis now to avoid confusion) named as inspiration along with Skip James, Sleepy John Estes, Bill Monroe, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmie Rodgers, Fats Waller, and others.
After graduating high school at 17 in 2001, he hitchhiked west and started busking, and in 2006, he self-released his first album, Marmalade. He was off and running. Subsequent studio albums came out on various labels, including his 2013 eponymous release on Jack White’s Third Man Records, but for the last three, he’s been on New West. His most recent and 11th, Rhumba Country, grew out of a music hiatus that landed him in Maine working 12-hour days on a farm, which amazingly lightened his spirits and brought inspiration.
“There was a time when I glorified sadness because I lost sight of who I was, but now I understand that creating and expressing joy is my gift, and gifts are meant to be shared,” he said in press materials. “I’d be pushing a plow or scattering seeds, and the songs would just come to me. It was tremendously inspirational and made me realize that apart from singing, farming is perhaps the oldest human art form.”
The entire album is a joy, with infectious melodies and Pokey’s unique voice and musical sensibilities. He began experimenting with mambo, tropicália, rocksteady, and mid-century American rock ‘n’ roll sounds when he returned to LA and collaborated with fellow Midwestern transplant Elliot Bergman (Wild Belle).
“You have to live the life you’re singing in your songs—no matter what you’re going through,” he continued. “Everything will come out in your music whether you want it to or not. I’ve realized that the more I can pursue goodness and live in peace, the more I can make the music I was put here to make.”
Ramblers and outlaws
Austin-based renegade rocker Jesse Dayton is coming to The Siren this Tuesday, March 18, courtesy of Good Medicine, Numbskull, and KCBX (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $24.93 at goodmedicinepresents.com). The Grammy-nominated chart-topper is known for his genre-defying mash-up of East Texas blues, punk rock, and old-school country. He’s currently touring in support of his newest, The Hard Way Blues, produced by Shooter Jennings
“I don’t care about genres, trends, or buzzwords—I care about being truthful to my vision,” Dayton said in press materials. “This record let me rip blues leads like Freddie King one minute and play rock guitar like Jimmy Page the next. It’s where I’m at right now, and I couldn’t be prouder.”
Good Medicine, Numbskull, and KCBX also present The Third Mind on Wednesday, March 19, in The Siren (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $35.74 at goodmedicinepresents.com), with The Mad Alchemist Liquid Light Show. The all-star Third Mind features Dave Alvin, Jesse Sykes, Victor Krummenacher, Michael Jerome, Mark Karan, and Willie Aron.
Do you love ’80s music? Then check out Totally ’80s Rewind Party on Friday, March 14, in Club Car Bar (8 p.m.; 18-and-older; $11.02 at goodmedicinepresents.com). It’s a DJ-driven salute to all things ’80s.
Speaking of the ’80s
Wanna get your ’80s on two days in a row? Check out the Molly Ringwald Project at The Siren on Saturday, March 15 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $30.12 at tixr.com). Their bio claims, “Brought together by the Force, the Powers of Grey Skull, the Flux Capacitor, a beat-up Swatch Watch wrapped around an old can of Aqua Net, and just a pinch of discarded MX missile fuel, tMRP brings an authentic show to sold-out crowds throughout California.”
Mac, booze,
and neon spandex
The Fremont Theater is swinging for the proverbial entertainment fences this week with three big shows starting with Fleetwood Mac tribute act Twisted Gypsy on Friday, March 14 (8 p.m.; all ages; $26.24 to $63.21 at prekindle.com). According to promoters, “Twisted Gypsy takes you back to the early days of Hollywood’s Sunset Strip and the heyday of ’70s rock ‘n’ roll. They will transport you back in time to memories you forgot you had with their passion, ultra-high energy, stellar all-live harmonies, fun stage banter, and raw, track-free performances.”
Experience And That’s Why We Drink: The Pour Decision Tour on Saturday, March 15 (8 p.m.; all ages; $26.24 to $39.11 at prekindle.com), hosted by New York Times best-selling authors Em Schulz and Christine Schiefer, who co-host the And That’s Why We Drink comedy podcast.
Finally, hair band homage masters Steel Panther plays Sunday, March 16 (8 p.m.; all ages; $47.35 general and $156.99 to $216.73 VIP at prekindle.com), with Moon Fever opening. Formed in 2000 in LA, Steel Panther is “the world’s premier party band, melding hard rock virtuosity with parody and criminally good looks,” their bio explains. “Steel Panther is a global phenomenon with four full-length albums, touring across the world, platinum-level YouTube status, and high-profile television appearances.”
Bollywood meets Spaghetti Westerns
Cal Poly Arts hosts Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East in the Spanos Theatre on Friday, March 14 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $47 at pacslo.org). Jain, a first-generation South Asian American, is a monster percussionist with a unique musical sensibility that’s informed by his background.
“In recasting the immigrant—steeped in the courage to leave a familiar homeland for a new beginning—as the modern-day cowboy and cowgirl, Jain sources musical inspiration from the scores of Bollywood classics and Spaghetti Westerns, Punjabi folk traditions, jazz improvisation, and rollicking psychedelic styles,” according to his bio.
All hail the next generation
The San Luis Obispo County Jazz Federation is once again poised to honor its Young Jazz scholarship winners at their 2025 showcase on Sunday, March 16, at Cuesta College (Room 7160 at Music & Fine Arts building; 4 p.m.; all ages; free tickets via my805tix.com and at the door provided seats remain).
“The student musicians will play individual and group selections, accompanied by Tom Bethke on guitar, Ken Hustad on bass, and Darrell Voss on drums,” the Jazz Fed announced. “This program, started in 1984, awards scholarships to talented and deserving students from local high schools and colleges in an effort to further musical development and to keep the jazz tradition alive. The scholarships are funded by the Jazz Federation through donations.”
Visit slojazz.org or call Dave Becker for more information at (805) 234-7474.
Live Oak early bird pricing ends March 15!
You only have a few more days to get the best deal possible on the upcoming Live Oak Music Festival at El Chorro Regional Park Friday, June 13, through Sunday, June 15, because starting Saturday, March 16, ticket prices go up. Visit liveoakfest.org to see the festival lineup and get your tickets today! Δ
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Mar 13-23, 2025.
