At a time when freedom of speech feels increasingly imperiled, a show about seminal, iconic, and deeply controversial stand-up comic, social critic, and satirist Lenny Bruce seems timelier than ever. Cue I’m Not a Comedian … I’m Lenny Bruce coming to the Clark Center on Saturday, Jan. 24 (7:30 p.m.; mature audiences; $45 to $75 at clarkcenter.org).
For those unfamiliar, Lenny Bruce (born Leonard Alfred Schneider, 1925-1966) was known for his freewheeling and often vulgar comedy. In 1964, he was convicted of obscenity, though he was posthumously pardoned in 2003.
This show is written and performed by TV, film, and stage actor; producer; and playwright Ronnie Marmo (General Hospital, Silent Partners) and directed by multi award-winner actor, producer, and director Joe Mantegna (Searching for Bobby Fischer, The Godfather Part III).
“I believe Lenny’s is the voice this country needs right now,” Marmo said in press materials. “In the 1960s, he exposed many of the ‘untouchable’ subjects that are in the news again now: religion, racism, immigration, xenophobia, gender inequality, sexual identity, the criminal justice system, capital punishment, bail reform, government aid, police brutality, corrupt capitalism, the opiate epidemic, marijuana legalization, censorship—I could go on and on. So here we are, over 56 years later, all the issues Lenny was fighting for are still so relevant.”
The show has enjoyed extended runs in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, and is now touring the country. Of Marmo’s performance, Kitty Bruce, Lenny’s daughter, called it “the best portrayal of my father I have ever seen.”
“Let’s put aside for a moment that I feel Lenny was The Godfather of Comedy, who influenced such greats as Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Sarah Silverman, and Bill Maher to name just a few,” Marmo added. “What drew me to him on a personal level is that Lenny died for the very freedom of speech that so many are still struggling with today.
“While Lenny technically died of an overdose of morphine, I believe he died of an overdose of the police,” Marmo asserted. “They hounded this man because he pushed the envelope. To say he was ahead of his time would be an understatement. To me, he was a prophet. When society is threatened by you, they kill you.
“I believe there are two times when someone dies. First, when you physically die. And then, when they stop talking about you. I’m happy to report that with this show, Lenny is alive and well. And as the playwright and the performer, I feel so blessed that I get to be a vessel for him, right here right now. And oh, yeah, … he was funny, really fucking funny.”
Welcome to the Mirrorverse
Electronic music fans, this one’s for you. Good Vibez presents INZO on his Mirrorverse Tour in the Fremont Theater on Thursday, Jan. 29 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $40.14 at prekindle.com).
“SLO, get ready to step into the Mirrorverse,” Good Vibez announced. “On Thursday, electronic visionary INZO brings his Mirrorverse Tour to town, delivering an immersive night of sound and energy. Joining the ride are Late Night Radio, Blookah, and Spenny, bringing their own unique vibes to the stage. Don’t miss this journey through bass, beats, and beyond.”
INZO (née Mike Inzano of Chicago), now based out of Denver, is “less concerned with labels and more with creating immaculate vibes and moving melodies.”
“If I could make any and every genre,” he said in press materials, “I would.”
His goal is to make you feel something.
“If you’re crying, if you’re having a fun time, if you’re having an epiphany at that moment—sad, happy, whatever—I just want my music to be an experience,” he added.
Ultimate metal
Numbskull and Good Medicine host a quartet of metal acts this Saturday, Jan. 24, at Club Car Bar, when Frenso’s Haunt headlines (7 p.m.; all ages; $15.14 presale at goodmedicinepresents.com).
Credit: PHOTO COURTESY OF HAUNT
Fronted by Trevor William Church, the band formed as a more traditional metal counterpoint to Church’s more doom metal band, Beastmaker. They’re now touring in support of their ninth studio album, Ignite.
Opening the show are LA’s Intranced, Atascadero’s Repterra, and Los Osos’ Utter Scorn.
Good Dog
On Saturday, Jan. 24, The Siren hosts San Francisco swirling psychedelic guitar and synth band Analog Dog (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $24.30 at tixr.com).
“With each member drawing on diverse inspirations and musical backgrounds, from self-taught to classically trained, they unite over a common love for genre-bending composition and improvisation,” their bio explains. “Honoring the vibrations of the psychedelic revolution of the 1960s, digging into the disco groves from the dance revolution of the 1970s, and simultaneously embracing modern indie pop soundscapes, Analog Dog is its own thing.”
The Siren also has a couple of free ones this week. Classic rock cover band The Ripleys play on Friday, Jan. 23 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older).
Lompoc-based oldies band Swing Shift Band plays a matinee show on Saturday, Jan. 24 (2 to 5 p.m.; 21-and-older). Aside from the oldies and classic rock, they play old-school R&B, funk, Latin, blues, and a little country and swing.
Wand and Fuzz
Rod & Hammer Rock has a couple of cool shows lined up starting when SLO Brew Live and (((folkYEAH!))) present Wand on Jan. 23 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $29.27 at ticketweb.com). The band, which formed in 2013, is touring in support of their fourth album, Plum, which they’ve described as “teeming, dense, at times wildly multi-chromatic.”
“Plum delicately locates the band’s tangent of escape from the warm and comfortable shallows of genre anachronism, an eyes-closed, mouth-open leap toward a more free-associative and contemporary logic of pastiche that more honestly reflects the ravenous musical omnivorousness of the five people who wrote and played it,” they added.
Next, SLO Brew Live and (((folkYEAH!))) present Fuzz on Jan. 25 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $39.05 at ticketweb.com). They’re touring in support of their new album, III, recorded by producer Steve Albini, who in an effort to capture the band’s live sound, kept overdubs and studio tricks to a minimum. Lavender Flu opens.
Jazz hands and spirit fingers
The SLO County Jazz Federation will present the Freddie Ravel Trio on Sunday, Jan. 25 (4 p.m.; all ages; $35 general, $25 Jazz Fed members, $10 students at my805tix.com), at SLO’s Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church.
A Central Coast native, Ravel has toured with Sergio Mendes and served as pianist and musical director for both Al Jarreau and Earth, Wind & Fire. Prince, Santana, Madonna, and Sheryl Crow are a few other artists he’s worked with. His playing was also featured in the soundtrack of Evita.
His trio includes Larry Antonino (bass and vocals) and the Grammy-winning Brazilian drummer Lucio Vieira. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. Visit slojazz.org for more info.
Fight the power
Rage Against the Machine tribute act, the all-female quartet Babes Against the Machine, plays SLO’s Libertine on Friday, Jan. 23 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $17.91 at my805tix.com). Fittingly, local all-female hard rockers Hot Tina will open the show.
Babes deliver the crunching metal riffs and machine-gun rapping of Rage on iconic tracks such as “Wake Up,” “Testify,” “Killing in the Name,” and more. Expect serious intensity!
Get classy in B&W
The Black and White Ball featuring the Dawn Lambeth Band comes to the Morro Bay Community Center on Saturday, Jan. 24 (dance lessons from 5:30 to 6:15, with a concert from 6:15 to 8 p.m.; $15 at the door; dressy clothes optional). Lambeth is a terrific jazz vocalist with a great combo delivering jazz standards.
Dance instructor Linda Drake will provide a dance lesson at the beginning of the event, which is hosted by the Central Coast Dance Community, a nonprofit organization that presents opportunities to dance to live music in Morro Bay. Learn more at morrobaydances.com.
Shared half-century
Billed as A Half-Century of Harmony, an upcoming show celebrates hot jazz club The Basin Street Regulars and local Western swing icon Monte Mills & The Lucky Horseshoe Band as they launch a dual 50th Anniversary Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 25, at the Pismo Beach Vets Hall (jam session at 11 a.m.; concert from 12:30 to 4 p.m.; all ages; $15 presale at my805tix.com).
“1976 was a watershed year for music on the Central Coast,” the Basin Street Regulars announced. “Starting our 50th year by featuring Monte Mills, who is also celebrating 50 years of performance, is a perfect way to launch this anniversary season. This event is a tribute to the staying power of live music and the community that has supported us since the beginning.”
Come dance to some great Western swing music. Bring your instrument and jam at 11 (only a $5 entry). The San Luis Obispo High School Honors Jazz Band opens the show at 12:30 p.m. ∆
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jan 22-29, 2026.