Get your last dose of live music before it slows for the holidays 

The holidays are approaching, the college students will soon be gone, and the live music selection will slow down considerably, so make the most of this last week before it's too late. Let's start with the Fremont Theater.

click to enlarge

• Photo Courtesy Of Channel Tres
• SMOOTH LIKE BUTTER Compton-based rapper and dance-tracker Channel Tres plays the Fremont Theater on Dec. 10.

Channel Tres plays this on Saturday, Dec. 10 (8 p.m.; all ages; $40.77 at seetickets.us). Born Sheldon Young, the Compton-based rapper and producer "blends the drive of Detroit techno and the silky-smooth grooves of Chicago house with the snarl of West Coast rap," according to his bio. His last EP i can't go outside debuted in Spotify's Top 10 U.S. Album Debuts.

It's not music, but comedian and former Minnesota senator Al Franken performs at the Fremont on Sunday, Dec. 11 (8 p.m.; all ages; $66.50 at eventbrite.com). Franken was a longtime writer for Saturday Night Live, and he proved his liberal bona fides with this book: Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot, a fantastic takedown of the conservative blowhard and one of Franken's four New York Times bestsellers.

I always thought it was a real shame that his political career was derailed by a silly photo prank, but unlike Republicans who refuse to step aside when they do much worse things, Franken had the grace to exit with humility. He's a class act.

Numbskull and Good Medicine at The Siren

After this next week, Numbskull and Good Medicine with go dark until Jan. 18, but they have two more great shows before they stand down through the holidays.

The Dustbowl Revival with opener Dan Curcio returns to The Siren on Saturday, Dec. 10 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $22 plus fees at goodmedicinepresents.com). Dustbowl has a real knack for putting a contemporary spin on vintage Americana sounds. The LA Weekly said their "upbeat, old-school, All-American sonic safaris exemplify everything shows should be: hot, spontaneous, engaging and, best of all, a pleasure to hear."

Curcio is the frontman of Moonshiner Collective, but he puts on a terrific solo show, so this one will be amazing from stem to stern.

click to enlarge

• Photo Courtesy Of Los Straightjackets
• HACE MUCHO CALOR! Numbskull and Good Medicine present ripping Nashville-based instrumental rockers Los Straightjackets at The Siren on Dec. 14.

Instrumental rockers Los Straightjackets with opening act The Cliffnotes play on Wednesday, Dec. 14 (6:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20 plus fees at goodmedicinepresents.com). Los Straightjackets' shtick is to don lucha libre masks and shred, and that's just what Danny Amis (guitar), Eddie Angel (guitar), Greg Townson (guitar), Pete Curry (bass), and Chris Sprague (drums, percussion) do. The Nashville band has 15 studio and two live albums to their credit.

Also at The Siren, don't forget that roots rock, alt-country, hillbilly blues, surf rock and beyond act Deke Dickerson & the Whippersnappers play this Thursday, Dec. 8 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $15 at eventbrite.com), with The Bonneville Phantoms opening. Last week, I incorrectly mentioned Dickerson was working on a book about Merle Travis, but, in fact, SIXTEEN TONS: The Merle Travis Story was just released before Thanksgiving. It's a perfect Christmas gift for guitar nuts!

The James Rivers Band plays a free show at The Siren on Friday, Dec. 9 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older). Expect blues, rock, and Americana from this son of singer-songwriter Johnny Rivers.

Also, Radio Ranch plays a free show on Thursday, Dec. 15 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older). "Inspired by the folk revival of the '60s and traditional country music, Rhett Henry Baxter and Camille Elizabeth have long been in love with the freedom of wide-open country and the people within it," their bio explains. They write songs from the point of view of travelers.

SLO Brew Rock

click to enlarge

• Photo Courtesy Of !!!(Chk Chk Chk)
• CHECK ONE TWO THREE SLO Brew Live and (((folkYEAH!))) present punk-inflected dance music act !!!(CHK CHK CHK) at SLO Brew Rock on Dec. 14.

New Jersey-born Breland, whose single "My Truck" is blowing up on music streaming services everywhere, plays this Thursday, Dec. 8 (7 p.m.; all ages; $15 general and $50 VIP at ticketweb.com; $20 day of show). If you get a chance, check out the video for "My Truck" online. It's a bait-and-switch hoot that starts with a generic white cowboy in a black hat and jean jacket walking toward the camera, lip-syncing Breland's lyrics, before Breland, a bespectacled Black man, slides into the frame and takes over singing.

SLO Brew Live and (((folkYEAH!))) present !!!(CHK CHK CHK) with Tolliver on Wednesday, Dec. 14 (7 p.m.; all ages; $22 at ticketweb.com). !!! combines "punk abandon and tightly coiled dance music."

More music ...

Quick reminder that LA singer-songwriter Mike Vitale plays the house concert series Tunes on Mentone this Thursday, Dec. 8 (7 p.m.; $20 to $30 cash donation requested at the door; RSVP at my.listeningroomnetwork.com/event-bthlvCAUS20221208#bio). If you dig Paul Simon, John Mayer, Sting, Dave Matthews, and Peter Gabriel, you might dig Vitale too.

The Journals 805 has been playing gigs throughout the area lately. The father and son duo has also "written and recorded a bunch of new songs as well as donating time to play at The Creston Village senior living residence." They play The Paso Inn's newly remodeled Cattlemen's Lounge this Thursday, Dec. 8 (6 to 9 p.m.).

Singer-songwriter Matthias Clark plays a solo show in the SLO Cider Company tasting room this Friday, Dec. 9 (7 to 9 p.m.; all ages). Clark's a talented songwriter with a rustic, affecting voice. Also at SLO Cider, they host low key DJ Nights with DJ B. Tru spinning an eclectic mix of music featuring mushroom jazz and roots reggae every Saturday, including Saturday, Dec. 10 (5 to 8 p.m.; all ages).

click to enlarge

• Photo Courtesy Of Inga Swearingen And Marshall Otwell
• CHRISTMAS TRADITION The Jazz Vespers Series at SLO's First Presbyterian Church presents the Marshall Otwell Quartet with vocalist Inga Swearingen on Dec. 11.

Big Variety Night with host Ted Waterhouse has been going on for 30 or so years now, moving locations and always being an eclectic lineup of performers. "Having done shows for many years at Linnaea's Cafe in SLO and more recently at Puffer's of Pismo, we decided to try out a new venue in SLO, the Broad Street Public House, that was a smashing success," Waterhouse explained. This Friday, Dec. 9, Big Variety Night returns for another show (6 to 9:30 p.m.), with short sets by Mike Campbell, Randall Lamb, Peter Yelda, Ted Waterhouse & Cheri Mason, Karen Wilkins & Steve Kindel, accordion master Duane Inglish, Rosewood & Honey, and Erin Montgomery.

The Jazz Vespers Series at SLO's First Presbyterian Church returns with their sixth annual evening of Christmas Jazz music on Sunday, Dec. 11 (7 p.m.; $20 recommended donation at my805tix.com or the door). This concert will feature the Marshall Otwell Quartet, with a very special guest appearance by Inga Swearingen on vocals. Expect classic Christmas carols and reinterpreted seasonal music. The fundraiser will donate 100 percent of the proceeds to SLO4Home, a local nonprofit that re-houses Afghan refugees in our area.

Band Lab presents Christmas Talent Night at The Clark Center on Sunday, Dec. 11 (5 p.m.; all ages; $15 general admission at clarkcenter.org): Join Village Creative's Band Lab students as they celebrate Christmas with this musical showcase.

Judging from the Smoker Dad song "Cocaine Blues," these dudes listened to their fair share of the Rolling Stones' country songs. This Tuesday, Dec. 13, Smoker Dad and local opener Hot Tina will deliver a blistering evening of rock 'n' roll (9:30 p.m.; 21-and-older). Δ

Contact Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey at [email protected].

Editor's note: This article was edited for accuracy.