If what’s been missing in your life is bluesy rock played by a one-woman band on guitar and stomp box, then Morro Bay’s Libertine Brewing has got you covered this Saturday, July 17 (7 to 10 p.m.; free), when LA-based singer-songwriter Pi Jacobs will play music drawn from her deep catalog. One of my favorites is the wryly written bright-sider song “Good Things.”
“The good news baby is you don’t got cancer, 3 percent chance that you’re gonna meet your maker. Want someone—take a cab to San Louie. The needle go drip, you sort of feel like you. It’s an autoimmune thing, so don’t bleed out tonight. Surprise-surprise, good things, yeah-yeah, still happen, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.”
Jacobs’ songs can be funny, poignant, irreverent, but always personal.
“I feel like with all art, there’s an important sense of connection for people,” she said in press materials. “It’s part of our humanity. We don’t want to feel alone. The only reason to put these stories out is to help people. That’s it. It’s not for my ego—in fact, parts of them are super embarrassing for me! In writing these stories, there’s been a little more acceptance of myself. I can’t even explain that healing feeling I had, but it’s been a happy side effect.”
Come enjoy her rootsy sound, powerful vocals, and charismatic stage swagger! She might not heal you, but you’ll forget your problems for a few hours.
Coming back to life
Ben Bellizzi and his For the Folks Music series is ending their pandemic-induced hiatus this Saturday, July 17, when they bring San Francisco band The Sam Chase & The Untraditional to Bang the Drum’s new location (1150 Laurel Lane, suite 130, SLO Town; 7:30 p.m.; $12 at eventbrite.com), with Lompoc chanteuse Wryn opening.
“The band has recently put on some wonderful performances at Live Oak and The Siren, and we’re thrilled to welcome back their high-energy theatrical style to For the Folks,” Bellizzi said. “The show is a soft opening for Bang the Drum’s brand new stage at their new location, coming two weeks before the grand opening on July 31 with Moonshiner Collective.”
Bang the Drum’s new location can accommodate 270 people, making it an important venue for emerging artists looking to gain a toehold in SLO as well as music fans looking for a more intimate setting. It should be a great spot to see The Sam Chase—a band steeped in punk rock energy with string band sensibilities.
Biggest little fair anywhere
If you’re ready to get your hot Paso nights on, the California Mid-State Fair is ready for you starting this Wednesday, July 21, through Sunday, Aug. 1.
Find a pullout in this issue with all the details, or visit midstatefair.com, but some of the highlights of this year’s fair include Poison frontman Bret Michaels playing Wednesday, July 21, the first night of the 2021 Bud Light Seltzer Concert Series, which also includes Dwight Yoakum (July 22), Big & Rich (July 23), Uncle Kracker (July 28), Pancho Barraza (July 29), Little Big Town (July 30), and Jason Derulo (Aug. 1).
In addition to these ticketed shows, there a ton of other shows on the Frontier Stage and Mission Square that are free with your fair admission.
Arriba!
Seattle-based flamenco dancer Savannah Fuentes brings her newest work, Flores de Verano Flamenco en Vivo, to the SLO Guild Hall next Thursday, July 22 (8 p.m.; $26 general; $40 for the first two rows; $55 benefactor; $12 children at eventbrite.com).
“After a year of confinement and self-reflection, Savannah has created Flores de Verano Flamenco en Vivo—a program that celebrates rebirth and new beginnings,” according to press materials. She’ll be joined by singer-guitarist Diego Amador Jr. of Sevilla.
More music …
Pacific Range plays SLO Brew Rock on Friday, July 16 (7 p.m.; all ages; $12 at ticketweb.com). Rooted in the coastal California lifestyle, the band takes its musical cues from the likes of The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead, The Band, and The Flying Burrito Brothers.
Cabana Brazil Electric plays The Siren on Friday, July 16 (9 to 11:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). Featuring Brazilian guitarist and singer-songwriter Allan Laureano, his repertoire also includes works by Tom Jobim, João Gilberto, Baden Powell, Seu Jorge, and Pink Floyd.
Chuck Robertson & Friends with openers The Ragged Jubilee play a doubleheader at The Siren on Saturday, July 17 ($10 presale at eventbrite.com or $12 day of show; 21-and-older; 7:30 to 11 p.m.). Robertson has been the lead singer of the ska-punk-dixie-reggae band the Mad Caddies for the past 26 years.
Stellar psych-jazz act The Mattson 2 plays SLO Brew Rock on Tuesday, July 20 (7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $16 at ticketweb.com). Jared and Jonathan Mattson are identical twins with master’s degrees in music from the University of California Irvine. Δ
Contact Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jul 15-22, 2021.