Well heck. Let’s just clear the air. Back in July of 2024, Kyle Gass found himself in hot water during a Tenacious D concert in Sydney, Australia, after he tastelessly joked about the attempted Donald Trump assassination. Asked to make a birthday wish onstage, Gass said, “Don’t miss Trump next time.”
Bandmate Jack Black said he was “blindsided” by the quip and canceled the rest of the tour and future creative plans with Gass.
The good news is that Gass publicly apologized for his “severe lack of judgment,” and he and Black have made amends, announcing that Tenacious D will eventually reunite when the time feels right. In the meantime, Good Medicine and Numbskull present The Kyle Gass Company at The Siren on Thursday, May 28 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $30.08 at goodmedicinepresents.com).
The band’s current incarnation includes Gass, John Konesky, and Sean Gardner who are hitting the road this spring and summer to create a three-piece “acoustic assault playing favorites from [Gass’] bands over the years, as well as some tasty covers, followed by a meet-and-greet at the merch booth every night,” press materials explained. “Come for the jams, stay for the hang!”
Konesky has played with Gass for 25 years in various projects including Tenacious D. Gardner, guitarist and songwriter for Columbus based Mt Air, has been touring with Gass for the past year. Gass’ most recent recording is 2026’s Live in Palmdale.
Also this week from Numbskull and Good Medicine, see Nashville native Deana Carter playing an acoustic concert at BarrelHouse Amphitheatre on Monday, May 25 (doors at 5 p.m.; all ages; $36.77 at goodmedicinepresents.com). She planted her flag in the country music scene two decades ago with the release of her multi-platinum international debut Did I Shave My Legs For This? The album’s big hit, “Strawberry Wine,” showcased her blend of country and retro rock. It won Single of the Year at the 1997 County Music Association Awards in as well as two Grammy nominations.
She’s now got eight albums to her credit, and her most recent Grammy nomination was in 2012 for her song “You and Tequila.” If you dig Sheryl Crow, you’ll no doubt dig Carter. Joe & Martina open.
Freebies!
Aside from the aforementioned Kyle Gass show, The Siren also has a whole slate of free concerts this week for those 21 and older.
Gallivant plays on Friday, May 22 (7:30 p.m.). Their bio says it all: “Short shorts, tube socks, long hair, and good ol’ fashioned rock ’n’ roll! Gallivant is a three-piece, riff-based groove rock band, that sets a high bar for the new age of rock and roll music. They bring a high energy, arena-sized rock show to stages all across the country.”
Central Coast dance band The HiBeamz play on Saturday, May 23 (2 to 5 p.m.), bringing you some classic rock favs.
Three Legged Dog also plays Saturday, May 23 (7:30 p.m.). This San Diego power trio is “composed of multi-instrumentalists who trade instruments onstage, create loops, incorporate brass instruments, and create a huge sound that draws influence from surf rock, funk, reggae, and blues,” their bio explains.
Finally, Lady & the Tramps plays on Sunday, May 24 (7:30 p.m.), delivering an eclectic mix of rock, R&B, soul, and blues. This Bay Area band formed a decade ago to perform “a wide range of material written and recorded by artists in many genres, often with wholly original arrangements so the audience can experience familiar songs in ways they’ve never heard them before,” the band’s bio explained.
Nineties country, indie rock
Good Vibez has a couple of shows this week at the Fremont Theater starting with Straight Tequila Night: ’90s Country Tribute on Saturday, May 23 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $27.78 at prekindle.com). Expect to hear songs by Garth Brooks, George Strait, Tim McGraw, Brooks & Dunn, Shania Twain, The Chicks, and more. The band started “just for fun” in 2012 by friends and coworkers in Dallas, but they’ve gone on to big things, being featured in Vogue, D Magazine, The Dallas Observer, and The Knot.
Matt Maeson makes a stop at the Fremont on his Watch My Step Tour this Tuesday, May 26 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $55.08 general or $138.76 VIP at prekindle.com). He’s a singer-songwriter who wears his heart on his sleeve, singing deeply emotional and confessional songs with an earnest rawness that borders on uncomfortable.
His background is fascinating. In his bio on The Masquerade website, he said of his youth, “I started getting into a lot of trouble, doing a lot of drugs, getting arrested. Music became a way of getting things off my chest, and I started writing with more honesty.”
Some of his earliest gigs were playing in maximum-security prisons when he was just 17.
“I’d get up and do these acoustic songs on my guitar, and they’re still the best shows I’ve ever done. You’re playing for all these people who are treated like they’re monsters, and it feels like spreading some light into a really dark place.”
Vincent Lima opens
‘I started getting into a lot of trouble, doing a lot of drugs, getting arrested. Music became a way of getting things off my chest, and I started writing with more honesty.’
—Matt Maeson
Sappho-rama
Rod & Hammer Rock is the place to be for queers and queer allies when Let There Be Lesbians presents Sprung on Saturday, May 23 (doors at 7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $32.36 at ticketweb.com). Expect go-go dancing by Jazmine, Billie, and JoJo; music from DJ Suz; drag performances by Shimmer, Fae Fatale, and Carbon Bard; with Hot 45 frontwoman Reese Galido emceeing the whole shebang.
“Let There Be Lesbians is bringing a full field of queers for a night of drag, dancing, and the kind of energy you’ll be talking about all summer,” organizers announced. “The first hour is yours (7 to 8 p.m.). Come in, settle in, find your people. We’ll have games to play side by side, puzzles, coloring books, and specialty cocktails to get you warmed up. Whether you want to be on the dance floor or just in the room, there’s a spot for you. The gays behind this mayhem will be there in the first hour to greet you, mingle, and make sure no one is standing alone. Load up your pockets with dollar bills—our performers give everything they’ve got, and there’s nothing like a crowd that gives it back.”
Learn by playing
It’s no secret that Cal Poly has an amazing music program, and this week you can see it in action with three performances that are open to the public.
You can start with The Songs of Pedro Ximénez Abril Tirado on Thursday, May 21, in Room 218 of the Davidson Music Center on campus. Guest artists Rafael Montero (tenor) and John Sloboda (piano) will perform a free recital of the songs of Pedro Ximénez Abril Tirado—one of Latin America’s most successful and prolific composers of the early 19th century, at 11:10 a.m.
The Cal Poly Jazz Combos present their Spring Showcase on Thursday, May 21, in the Pavilion of the Performing Arts Center (7:30 p.m.; $22 general or $12 students and SLO Jazz Fed members at pacslo.org). Four combos will explore a wide spectrum of jazz performance including Afro-Cuban and Brazilian-influenced repertory and classic standards.
The Cal Poly Chamber Choir and Cantabile presents Who is My Neighbor? on Friday, May 22, at the SLO United Methodist Church (7:30 p.m.; 5-and-older; $22 general, $12 students at pacslo.org). “Who is My Neighbor?” is the central question presented in Benjamin Britten’s “Cantata Misericordium,” which was composed for the 50th anniversary of the Red Cross.
Jazzy
The Famous Jazz Artist series at the Woodlands Concert Hall (715 Main St., Cambria) presents outstanding LA trumpeter Jeff Bunnell on Sunday, May 24 (5 to 7 p.m.; $35 tickets available by calling 805-935-9007 or emailing charlie@talsanmusic.com).
“Besides his early tenures with jazz greats Horace Silver, Ray Charles, and Poncho Sanchez, Bunnell is one of the busiest players on the Hollywood recording studio scene,” concert organizer and vibraphonist Charlie Shoemake said.
Shoemake and his vocalist wife, Sandy, and bassist Dylan Johnson and drummer Darrell Voss will accompany Bunnell. ∆
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in May 21-28, 2026.