Even though I could tell at the time that the Sex Pistols were not great musicians, their energy appealed to teenage me in an undeniable way. Frontman Johnny Rotten (then the stage name for John Lydon) had crazy swagger, and the band’s sound was abrasive enough to annoy my parents, so—you know—bonus points.
After they broke up, Lydon formed Public Image Ltd (PiL), and I was happily onboard, and I’ve periodically checked in on his career over the years. The now 70-year-old has retained a lot of his youthful swagger, and he’s embarking on his first extensive U.S. tour in eight years.
He’s been through a lot. In April of 2023, his wife of 44 years, Nora Forster, passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. A few months later, PiL’s longtime manager, John “Rambo” Stevens, died suddenly. According to press materials, Lydon questioned whether he’d ever take the stage again. Now, he says it’s time to bring his band across the Atlantic for a new tour.
“It’s vital, absolutely vital,” he said. “I’m not someone who sits around waiting for approval, but there’s an undeniable bond with the audiences over there. When we get up onstage, it isn’t some corporate exercise or nostalgic routine. It’s real human emotion, raw and exposed.
“After everything that’s happened over the past few years, I thought for a moment that might be it for me. After losing Nora, and then losing Rambo, I couldn’t see a clear way through. But the support from fans was overwhelming. With so many people asking for us to return and with the band meaning so much to them, I couldn’t just stay on my sofa and not tour—tempting though that obviously is at times! You have to face the world.”
Good Vibez presents Public Image Ltd at the Fremont Theater on Friday, Sept. 4 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $39.11 at prekindle.com). What to expect?
‘Every song feels brand new when we play it live because we put everything into it. We don’t
perform to satisfy purists or posers. We play because music is a cleansing process.’
—John Lydon, Public Image Ltd
“Expect the unexpected, as always!” he said. “We cover a vast terrain because PiL’s catalogue isn’t stuck in one decade or one genre. We’ll be performing songs from right across the spectrum—tracks from the early days like First Issue and Metal Box, straight through to our newest material.
“Every song feels brand new when we play it live because we put everything into it. We don’t perform to satisfy purists or posers. We play because music is a cleansing process. It’s a shared space where we can all leave our daily problems at the door for two hours and feel something authentic together.”
Plague Vendor opens.
Also this week from Good Vibez, see Molchat Doma at the Fremont Theater on Saturday, Aug. 29 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $50.96 at prekindle.com). Founded in Minsk, Belarus, in 2017, Molchat Doma is translated as “Houses Are Silent.” According to their bio, the band “stands at the intersection of post-punk, new wave, and synth-pop. Dark yet danceable, and with a heavy dose of goth ethos.”
English noise-rock and post-punk band DITZ opens.
An album for our times
Tori Amos is an artist unafraid to create music with a message. From her first album, Little Earthquakes (1992) to her newest, In Times of Dragons (2026), her ethereal piano-driven songs have delivered messages of feminism and social justice.
“In Times of Dragons is a metaphorical story about the fight for democracy over tyranny, reflecting the current abhorrent non accidental burning down of democracy in real time by the ‘Dictator believing Lizard Demons’ in their usurpation of America,” Amos wrote of her newest album.
The multiple Grammy nominee and multiplatinum singer-songwriter is supporting her 18th album with a 35-date tour. Nederlander Concerts presents Tori Amos on her In Times of Dragons Tour at Vina Robles Amphitheatre on Friday, Aug. 28 (doors at 6:30, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $77.35 to $136 at ticketmaster.com).
Country, folk, and punk
Good Medicine and Numbskull present country singer-songwriter Casey Anglin at Club Car Bar on Saturday, Aug. 29 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $18.23 at goodmedicinepresents.com). This Paso Robles performer’s music is “rooted in straightforward storytelling, shaped by small-town life on the Central Coast and a sound that leans honest rather than flashy,” his bio reads.
Incredible Americana singer-songwriter Mason Jennings returns to The Siren on Saturday, Aug. 29 (doors at 7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $30.08 at goodmedicinepresents.com). He’s touring in support of his 18th studio album, Dark Wings.
“I love songcraft,” Jennings said in press materials. “A song is like a boat on the water, and you’re trying to make it float with as few pieces as possible. If you do it right, a song can be very healing.”
Get ready for The Queers at The Siren on Sunday, Aug. 30 (doors at 7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $21.32 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Formed in New Hamshire in 1981, they didn’t start putting out recordings until 1990. They weren’t on my radar until 1993’s Love Songs for the Retarded, which included the track “You’re Tripping,” a rebuke of white supremacy with the lyrics “You suck/ Motherfucker/ I hate white power/ I hate your band/ Can’t you see/ This ain’t Nazi Germany/ Bring on the beers/ ’Cause we are The Queers.” Local punk act Bunker Club opens.
Also at The Siren …
LA hipster band The Darbies play on Friday, Aug. 28 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). They’ve got a real old-school Sunset Strip vibe. As their bio explains, they’re “an even mix of bubblegum and grit.”
Local roots rock, jump blues, R&B, and rockabilly act The QuadraTones play on Saturday, Aug. 29 (2 to 5 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). The band is packed with great players including Ted Waterhouse (vocals and guitar), Phil Wimer, (guitar and vocals), David Block (bass and vocals), Kevin McCracken (harmonica vocals), and Wes Starr (drums).
Garden Groove (a tribute to Bradley Nowell and Sublime) plays on Wednesday, Sept. 2 (doors at 7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $18.48 at tixr.com). Expect Sublime’s iconic sound that blends ska, reggae, punk, and rock and hits such as “What I Got,” “Santeria,” “Doin’ Time,” “Wrong Way,” “Date Rape,” “Badfish,” and more.
Soul, punk, and rock
SLO Brew Live at Rod & Hammer Rock kicks off its week with The Charities on Saturday, Aug. 29 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $29.27 at ticketweb.com). This West Coast ensemble blends soul, funk, and jazz. Their new recording, Fatal Attraction, examines love’s dangers. LA-based Afro-Latin soul act Mestizo Beat opens.
Nirvana tribute band Smells Like Nirvana plays on Sunday, Aug. 30 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $27.21 at ticketweb.com). You can make a song request at smellslikenirvanatribute.com, but expect to hear many of the band’s hits such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come as You Are,” “Heart-Shaped Box,” “Lithium,” and “All Apologies.” Chicago-based rock trio Dead Original opens.
Rehash plays on Wednesday, Sept. 2 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $32.36 at ticketweb.com). This rising indie rock outfit from South Florida blends “elements of alternative rock, grunge, and shoegaze into a sound that feels both nostalgic and distinctly modern,” their bio explains. They’re touring in support of their third album, mock (2025). LA-based indie alternative act Makeout Reef opens.
Is that you, Lady Day?
Jazz vocalist Billie Holiday was a true original with an incredible, immediately recognizable voice. She tragically died young at 44, but not before leaving an enduring legacy and hit songs such as “What a Little Moonlight Can Do,” “Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?),” “God Bless the Child,” “Strange Fruit,” and many stunning interpretations of jazz standards.
Stella Heath & The Billie Holiday Project performs at the Clark Center on Friday, Sept. 4 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $34 to $59 at clarkcenter.org), and she’s an amazing singer with a stunning backing band.
“Blending live performance with historical storytelling, the project invites audiences into the world of Billie Holiday—illuminating not only her music, but the cultural landscape that shaped it,” organizers explained.
Get ’em while they’re hot
French pop and folk artist Sami Rouissi opens Concerts in the Plaza in front of the SLO Mission on Friday, Aug. 28, at 5 p.m., followed by soul and R&B powerhouse IMVA at 6 p.m. As always, this one’s free and open to the public, and it’s also the second to last concert of the summer season, so if you haven’t been to one yet, your time is running out.
All that jazz
If you love bebop jazz, saxophone, and the music of Charlie “Bird” Parker, get ready to strap in for an epic concert when the Central Coast Saxophone Coalition, Cuesta College Community Programs, the SLO County Jazz Federation, and the SLO County Office of Education Foundation team up to present Saxophone Summit: Celebrating Charlie Parker at the Cuesta CPAC on Saturday, Aug. 29 (7:30 p.m.; $40 general admission at cuesta.universitytickets.com, $30 for Jazz Fed members and $10 for students).
“The concert will celebrate the music of the legendary saxophonist, featuring selections from his acclaimed Charlie Parker with Strings recordings as well as arrangements from Med Flory’s Supersax library,” organizers announced. “Seven professional saxophone soloists, an all-star rhythm section, and a 22-piece orchestra will share the stage in a tribute presented on what would have been Charlie Parker’s 106th birthday.”
Hear Bird’s classic solos from saxophonists Dave Becker, Ron McCarley, Ana Nelson, Michael Mull, Andrew Conrad, Wes Smith, and Jake Hammer.
The Central Coast Dance Community presents “Saturday Swing Dance” with the Full Swing Band on Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Morro Bay Vets Hall (5:30 to 8 p.m.; $10). Start with a 5:30 p.m. East Coast swing dance lesson from Linda Drake followed by live music from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
The Famous Jazz Artist Series at Cambria’s Woodlands Concert Hall features saxophonist Les Rose on Sunday, Aug. 30 (5 to 7 p.m.; $35 tickets by calling (805) 935-9007 or emailing charlie@talsanmusic.com). The show is a tribute to Sonny Rollins, and Rose will 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 Aug 27 – Sept 3, 2026.
