You either appreciate Elvis Costello or you’re wrong. Born Declan Patrick MacManus, the Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee started humbly in the early ’70s as part of London’s pub rock scene before being swept into the punk and new wave movement. His 1977 debut, My Aim Is True, remains an iconic example of the era’s sound.
His 32nd studio album, The Boy Named If (2022), proves Costello’s inventiveness, musicality, and lyricism remain undiminished. See for yourself when Elvis Costello & The Imposters play Vina Robles Amphitheatre this Friday, Sept. 1 (8 p.m.; $59.50 to $87.50 at ticketmaster.com), with special guests Nick Lowe & Los Straightjackets opening.
Lowe and Costello go way back. They met in a pub opposite The Cavern Club in Liverpool in 1972. In 1976, Lowe was house producer and recording artist at the small London indie label Stiff Records, who had just signed Costello. Low produced his first record, My Aim Is True. How’s that for history?
Also this week at Vina, see Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness and Dashboard Confessional when they co-headline on Monday, Sept. 5 (6:30 p.m.; $40 to $65 at ticketmaster.com) with opener The Juliana Theory. That’s a whole heap of alt-pop.
All country
Numbskull and Good Medicine present country rocker Jesse Daniel at BarrelHouse Brewing on Thursday, Sept. 1 (6 p.m.; all ages; $18 presale at goodmedicinepresents.com), with Stephen Styles opening, which I mentioned last week, as well as country singer-songwriter Adam Doleac at BarrelHouse Brewing on Thursday, Sept. 8 (6 p.m.; all ages; $20 presale at goodmedicinepresents.com).
Doleac is signed to Arista Nashville and wrote songs for Darius Rucker and Kane Brown. He grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, played baseball for the University of Southern Mississippi and played in the College World Series, and grew up listening to Amos Lee, The Dave Matthews Band, and John Mayer.
His song “Whiskey’s Fine” from his independent EP was picked up by SiriusXM’s “The Highway Channel” and jump-started his career. Rolling Stone magazine named him a “New Country Artist You Need to Know.” His album Barstool Whiskey Wonderland landed three songs in radio airplay: “Famous,” “Another,” and “Drinkin’ It Wrong.” Yee-haw!
Tripleheader
Morro Bay’s The Siren has three great shows coming up, starting with roots reggae legends The Wailing Souls on Thursday, Sept. 1 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $15 presale at eventbrite.com). The Jamaican vocal group dates back to the 1960s.
Country singer-songwriter Summer Dean plays on Friday, Sept. 2 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $12 presale at eventbrite.com) with The Appletons opening. From bars to dancehalls, Dean’s a real road warrior, not to mention an entertaining and funny raconteur.
Singer-songwriter Cole Gallagher and the Lesser Saints play on Saturday, Sept. 3 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). He’s been getting a lot of attention. Even David Hidalgo of Los Lobos has collaborated with the young up-and-comer on the poignant “Chatting Through Steel,” about migrants. This guy’s going places.
Wa-Wa-Wo
SLO Brew Rock hosts a trio of local indie rock acts this Friday, Sept. 2, when Watashi Wa, Caleb Nichols, and Blackwater Union hit the main stage (7 p.m.; all ages; free). Headliner Watashi Wa only recently reformed. The SLO band was active from 2000 to 2006, came back for a minute in 2011, and ka-pow! They’re back again. Nichols, from Los Osos, recently signed to the Kill Rock Stars label. This one’s gonna be epic!
Speaking of epic—local funk, hip-hop, and rap act Wordsauce plays an album release party for Timeless on Thursday, Sept. 8 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $12 at ticketweb.com) with support from Green Room and Orcutt Hill. I haven’t heard the record yet, but if I do, I’ll tell you all about it.
More music …
The James Way Band plays a free, “first come, first served” show at the Clark Center this Friday, Sept. 2 (6 p.m.; all ages), delivering classic country, rock, and gospel covers.
The SLO Symphony presents Pops-by-the-Sea this Saturday, Sept. 3, at the Avila Beach Golf Resort (4 p.m.; all ages; $25 general admission, $15 for minors 13 to 17, children under 13 free at my805tix.com). Under the direction of Maestro Andrew Sewell, hear music by John Williams, Aaron Copland, John Phillip Sousa, and more!
The Cliffnotes return to Arroyo Grande’s Branch St. Deli this Saturday, Sept. 3 (4:30 p.m.; all ages; free), delivering their signature brand of New Orleans-flavored boogie blues. Grab a sando, sit back, and soak up the fun.
The Chris Cain Band plays the Odd Fellows Hall on Sunday, Sept. 4 (6 to 9 p.m.) and Monday, Sept. 5 (2 to 5 p.m.), with $20 presale tickets at eventbrite.com or $25 at the door. Cain is a ripping, soulful blues guitarist who recently released his 15th studio album, Raisin’ Cain.
Old-timey folk act Water Tower is coming through the area this weekend with three shows for your listening pleasure: Monday, Sept. 5, at Los Osos’ Olde Ale House (2 to 5 p.m.); Tuesday, Sept. 6, at SLO’s Frog and Peach (10 p.m.), and Wednesday, Sept. 7, at Baywood’s Beerwood (3 to 6 p.m.). This Echo Park-based hipster string band weaves psychedelic and punk influences into their bluegrass sounds.
Mark your calendar for next Thursday, Sept. 8, when Marty O’Reilly and the original lineup of the Old Soul Orchestra—Chris Lynch (violin) and Jeff Kissel (upright bass)—will be playing Bang the Drum for an all-ages For the Folks show.
“Marty’s full band recently had its last show, and this lineup blends his more rootsy original project with the epic folk rock he’s been doing the last few years,” explained concert organizer Ben Bellizzi. Tickets are $15 presale or $17 day of show. Local act Absolute Value opens.
Cheers to the next quarter century!
Congratulations to Neal Losey, who 25 years ago this Friday, Sept. 2, took over the popular KCBX 90.1FM weekday music show Morning Cup of Jazz. Over his tenure, Losey evolved the show into Morning Cup, a smartly curated genre-jumping three hours of “good music of all kinds,” as he says.
Losey, a huge champion of the local music scene who regularly plugs local shows and bands, is also a past winner of the New Times Music Awards’ Local Legend Award, and he acts as the station’s music director and DJs the popular soul, funk, and R&B Saturday night show, Night Train.
Keep it up, Neal! My mornings wouldn’t be the same without you and Morning Cup! Δ
Contact Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Sep 1-11, 2022.