Joan Baez is a folk icon, arguably the most famous American folk singer of the 20th century, praised for her distinctive style, her commitment to social justice, and preternatural ability to interpret other writers’ songs.
Next week, local acoustic duo Bay Love, featuring Linda Martin and Kevin Termunde, will present The Lady From The House In The Tree (A Tribute To Joan Baez) at the Cambria Center for the Arts on Sunday, Jan. 12 (2 to 4 p.m.; all ages; $25 plus fees at my805tix.com). I’m telling you about this early because it will sell out.
According to the band, the show is “a 32-song acoustic experience celebrating the life and career of an amazing artist, peace activist, and humanitarian. Based on the Bay Love original song of the same name, the show is a musical journey lightly tracing Joan’s footsteps from the 1960s to present. Revisit classics such as ‘Diamonds & Rust,’ ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,’ ‘There But For Fortune,’ ‘Blowin’ In The Wind,’ ‘House of the Rising Sun,’ and many more sing-along favorites. Become inspired by the music of Joan Baez!”
So, what inspired Bay Love to create this tribute?
“We love Joan Baez because she has dedicated her life and 60-plus-year career to advocating for human rights and nonviolent peace activism,” Martin explained. “We resonate deeply with those causes, and we knew that by creating this project—born of our pandemic downtime—we could share these ideals in a meaningful way. Music has a unique ability to unify people, and it reaches across barriers that society increasingly creates to divide us. Promoting awareness and connection is our goal.”
It began in 2020 when Bay Love wrote the song the show takes its title from.
“The title draws from the fun fact that Joan loves to spend time in the treehouse she has enjoyed on her property in Northern California for many years,” Martin continued. “The studio track can be downloaded for free at our website, baylove.net, and each attendee will be invited to take a CD single home with them from the performance.”
It’s more than just a musical journey. You’ll learn something too.
“We give information and tell a few stories about the tunes we chose to highlight, and we invite our audience to sing along with many of her well-known songs. We hope our guests will feel the sweet nostalgia of days gone by, as well as feel inspired to help us spread Joan’s message of advocacy and nonviolence.”
This is the duo’s fourth year performing their tribute, and they note the performance falls on Baez’s 84th birthday weekend.
“She’ll turn 84 years young just days before the show! We had the opportunity to meet her last year at one of her book signings in San Francisco, and we gifted her the CD of our song. It feels good to know that she had the opportunity to hear it, and to share with her how much her music means to us and the world!”
All profits from the show are donated to local food banks.
Free at The Siren
The Siren has you covered this week with three free shows. See Three4All on Friday, Jan. 3 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older). Expect classic rock, Motown, and more. The power trio puts a fresh spin on ’80s, ’90s, and today’s music.
See Déjà Vu on Saturday, Jan. 4 (2 to 5 p.m.; 21-and-older). The quintet plays a variety of covers from classic rock to country to R&B to Top 40, spanning five decades of crowd-pleasing music.
Finally, Americana and country quartet Hazard Canyon plays on Saturday, Jan. 4 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older). The band includes Todd Davidson (vocals and acoustic guitar), Jacob Odell (lead guitar), Tom Morrison (vocals, harmonic, and bass), and Charlie Trujillo (drums), and they cover tracks such as “Lonely Ol Night” by John Mellencamp, “That’s How I Got to Memphis” by Tom T. Hall, “Peach Fuzz” by Caamp, “OD’d in Denver” by Hank Williams Jr., “Cabin Down Below” by Tom Petty, and “Ain’t Waitin'” by Justin Townes Earle.
New Times interviewed frontman Todd Davidson. How’d they get together and how do they choose their material?
“We’re a newer local band formed in 2024. The extended autonomous COVID period precluded band get-togethers, so the acoustic guitar was played a lot by various members as lone accompaniment. The acoustic guitar-driven deep dives rekindled a love for Americana grooves and good roots country, fueling a dynamic set list for Hazard Canyon to share with our local music community. We love to play songs with catchy choruses and danceable rhythms,” Davidson said.
Any interest in writing some originals?
“We’re writing some original music now, yet we are having a blast taking our own spin on tons of fun Americana and country songs out there as well,” Davidson explained.
What’re the live gigs like?
“We have over 35 songs and growing. We have a three-hour setlist, plus extras. We cover a wide range of songs from older Waylon Jennings, Tom Petty, Neil Young to Ben Harper, Caamp, Vincent Neal Emerson, and Khruangbin.”
Why Hazard Canyon? Is it the surf spot in Montaña de Oro?
“Yes indeed. Our band name origin is a play on Hazardous Outlaws, Dukes of Hazzard bootleggers, and Hazard Canyon of Montaña de Oro.”
What else should people know about the music?
“Our bassist, Tom Morrisson, is an extremely versatile multi-instrumentalist that plays bass, harmonica, and sings, often performing all three stylings within one song. Our lead guitarist, Jake Odell, is a studied musician and has a deeply versatile music catalog. Jake plays in many other popular local bands and teaches guitar to a vast group of aspiring students. Our drummer, Charlie Trujillo, plays one of the most rhythmically locked-in country train beats in SLO County, yet he is historically a punk drummer. As our lead singer, I also play rhythm guitar and have an engaging, rich tenor voice that calls you to join in on each song. Bring your dancing shoes and good energy!”
Miss Leo’s shotgun blast of songs
“Back in May, I spent a day of recording and filming at a log cabin out in the country in gorgeous Parkfield,” Miss Leo wrote to her mailing list. “I pumped out 13 songs in one live session, just my guitar and me. We tracked eight originals and five covers with a live video performance of every song. To ring in the New Year, every Friday in January I’ll be releasing a song and video from the session on all platforms. Finally, on Feb. 7, I will release the whole collection Live From Middle Ridge on all streaming platforms! This fun little solo project is something that I’m hoping will help me and the Handsome Fellers gain some more traction to get started on our second full-force studio album in 2025.”
Miss Leo, aka Lauren Williams, arrived on the Central Coast in 2015 and spends her days as a K-8 music teacher. Her band was originally called Miss Leo and Her Bluegrass Boys, “a feminist jab at the male dominated, traditional bluegrass scene,” as she notes on her website. The name eventually changed to Miss Leo and the Handsome Fellers, and their debut, 2021’s All I Need, landed Miss Leo two New Times Music Awards.
“One of my main goals as an independent musician is for the songs that I put into the world find their way to the right ears,” she continued. “Here’s how you can help: Head to my YouTube channel to pre-save the videos of the five singles coming out in January so you can be the first to watch. Make sure to save/like my songs on Spotify or iTunes or wherever you listen to music, add them to playlists, and share with friends. And of course, come to live shows and bring your friends.”
You can buy Miss Leo’s music online at missleomusic.bandcamp.com. You can keep up with her at missleomusic.com, where you can also find her upcoming gigs. This month she plays at Niffy’s Merrimaker on Friday, Jan. 17 (8 p.m.), and Club Car Bar on Saturday, Jan. 25 (7 p.m.). Δ
Contact Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jan 2-12, 2025.