It’s July, it’s getting hot, and that means it’s time for the California Mid-State Fair, “the biggest little fair anywhere.” According to my weather app, Paso Robles is expecting temps in the low to mid-90s for the first couple days of the fair. The first act on the Chumash Grandstand Arena on Wednesday, July 19, is Tim McGraw and special guest Annie Bosko (7:30 p.m.; $50 to $175 at midstatefair.com).
This is McGraw’s eighth trip to the fair, and he’s hot off his popular TV series 1883, a prequel to Yellowstone. He’s also had roles in films such as The Blind Side, Friday Night Lights, and Tomorrowland, though of course he’s best known for his country music. He’s released 16 albums, 10 of which climbed to No. 1 on the Top Country Albums charts. He’s also got three Grammy Awards under his big-buckled cowboy belt.
With hits like “Don’t Take the Girl,” “Please Remember Me,” “Live Like You Were Dying,” “Real Good Man,” and “The Cowboy in Me,” he’s got a deep catalog of crowd-pleasing hits.
Bosko was named an artist to watch by Rolling Stone magazine for her Beatles-esque classic country sounds.
Lauren Daigle with special guest Jon Foreman play the Chumash Grandstand Arena on Thursday, July 20 (7:30 p.m.; $40 to $130 at midstatefair.com). Daigle, also a Grammy Award winner, is a world-wide pop music superstar who’ll perform her smash hits “You Say,” “Rescue,” her current single, “Thank God I Do,” as well as songs from her recent self-titled album.
Foreman is the lead singer and founding member of the Grammy Award winning alt-rock band Switchfoot.
Vina Robles hits its stride
Vina Robles Amphitheatre has five more concerts this month, and the first two of the five are this week starting with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit on Saturday, July 15 (8 p.m.; $55 to $95 at vinaroblesamphitheatre.com) with Deer Tick opening.
Isbell was a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, but he’s had even more success as a solo artist backed by the 400 Unit, with whom he’s won four Grammy Awards. They’re currently touring in support of their sixth album, Weathervanes, which was released last month.
Isbell’s press materials are calling Weathervanes a “collection of grown-up songs: Songs about adult love, about change, about the danger of nostalgia and the interrogation of myths, about cruelty and regret and redemption. Some will make you cry alone in your car and others will make you sing along with thousands of strangers in a big summer pavilion, united in the great miracle of being alive.”
“There is something about boundaries on this record,” Isbell said. “As you mature, you still attempt to keep the ability to love somebody fully and completely while you’re growing into an adult and learning how to love yourself.”
The album’s first single, “Death Wish,” is about loving someone suffering from depression: “Did you ever love a woman with a death wish?/ Something in her eyes, like flipping off a light switch/ Everybody dies, but you gotta find a reason to carry on/ Oh, and did you ever catch her climbing on the rooftop/ Higher than a kite, dead of winter in a tank top?/ I don’t wanna fight with you, baby, but I won’t leave you alone.”
Rough stuff.
Multi-Grammy Award-winning alt rock act Train plays on Wednesday, July 19 (7:30 p.m.; $64 to $149 at vinaroblesamphitheatre.com) with Better Than Ezra opening. Train is perhaps best known for their 2009 global mega hit “Hey, Soul Sister.”
Shiny and Green
Numbskull and Good Medicine have two tight shows cooked up for you this week at The Siren starting with Shinyribs on Wednesday, July 19 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $22 at goodmedicinepresents.com). How to describe the sonic miracle that is Shinyribs and its colorful frontman Kevin Russell? Yes, it’s horn-driven Memphis-style soul; yes, there’s some Texas blues; yes, some NOLA-style funk, some Big Band swing, some roots rock—it’s a swampy stew of foot stompin’ fun.
The band is touring in support of the brand new Transit Damage, which in press materials Russell described as “the record I’ve been trying to make for most of my career. This is a collection of songs that relate to each other in myriad ways: musically, lyrically, emotionally. It’s a real throwback to the era of complete albums and draws from songs I’ve written throughout my life. I hope listeners can take the time to fully immerse themselves in the whole thing.”
Color Green plays a Numbskull and Good Medicine show at The Siren on Thursday, July 14 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $13 at goodmedicinepresents.com). This LA-based rock duo is Noah Kohll (Current Joys, Young Guv, Surf Curse, Dark Tea) and Corey Madden (Richard Rose, Grave Flowers Bongo Band), who draw inspiration from the Allman Brothers, Acetone, the Grateful Dead, “and other acts from the dusty storage boxes of their attics.”
Also at The Siren, check out Through Being Cool, a DEVO tribute, and Talking Threads, a Talking Heads tribute, on Friday, July 14 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $20 at tixr.com). Get your ’80s on!
Lunar Radio plays a free afternoon show of classic rock into the ’90s cover songs on Saturday, July 15 (2 to 5 p.m.; 21-and-older), followed by another free show, the Alastair Greene Blues Experience (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older). The Santa Barbara native’s prolific career is rolling toward its third decade. He’s toured the world with the legendary Alan Parsons Live Project from 2010 to ’17, as well as stints with Starship featuring Mickey Thomas.
The Taproots plays The Siren’s free Sunday summer concert series on Sunday, July 16 (2 to 4:30 p.m.; 21-and-older), bringing their creative songwriting, strong harmonies, and innovative guitar work to the stage.
Mashup mania
SLO Brew Live presents the Long Beach Dub Allstars on their Echo Mountain High tour with Jakobs Castle on Friday, July 14 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $25 at ticketweb.com). LBDAs are pioneers who mix reggae, ska, and rock. The group began with childhood friends and now ex-members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh, who early in their career formed Sublime with singer Bradley Nowell, laying the framework for the Dub Allstars’ sound. Current LBDAs member Marshall Goodman was also a frequent Sublime contributor. Jakobs Castle is passion project of artist Jakob Nowell (son of late Sublime vocalist Bradley Nowell).
In other mashup news, amazing metal and mariachi act Metalachi plays SLO Brew Rock this Sunday, July 16 (doors at 7:45 p.m.; 21-and-older; $22 at ticketweb.com). These guys are a hoot with great costumes, killer musicianship, and 1,000-watt stage presence.
More music …
Concerts in the Plaza continues this Friday, July 14, with opening act Graybill at 5 p.m. followed by the Damon Castillo Band from 6 to 8 p.m. (all ages; free). Graybill has a very cool Jack Johnson vibe, with breezy beach songs. Castillo’s band plays jazzy rock, funk, and soul. Both these guys are terrific songwriters and performers. This may be the season highlight of this well-attended and loved concert series.
Meanwhile up north on Friday, July 14, Dr. Danger pianist Brent Dannells will play a solo gig at A-Town’s Raconteur Room (8 p.m.). On Sunday, July 30, Dannells will play Puffers of Pismo (5 to 8 p.m.). “Both shows I’ll be accompanying myself with Bertha, my old electronic piano, no drum machines or loops. At the Raconteur, I’ll be drawing heavily from the blues, rock, and Americana traditions. At Puffer’s, I’ll be focusing on jazz standards. Both shows will also feature some of my originals. There is no cover charge, but tips are gratefully accepted.”
One of the most amazingly entertaining local ensembles will descend on Castoro Cellars this Saturday, July 15 (7 p.m.; $15 at castorocellars.com). I’m talking about Brass Mash, the horns, winds, and percussion group that mashes two or more popular and recognizable songs into one tightly arranged energetic and infectious track that will have you on your feet. “These compositions cross both genres and decades, creating a live guessing game for audiences to ‘name that tune,'” the band explained. “Britney Spears and Black Sabbath? Check. Lorde and Dr. Dre? Got that too. Daft Punk and ZZ Top?”
The Cliffnotes will party on the patio at Paso’s Halter Ranch Vineyards this Sunday, July 16, when they bring their New Orleans-style boogie blues to the winery (noon to 3 p.m.; free). The group has a powerhouse vocalist in Valerie Johnson, who played with Big Brother and the Holding Company to sing Janis Joplin songs. The Cliffnotes are led by Cliff “Crawdaddy” Stepp, who wrote some songs for Pure Prairie League. Get ready to boogie.
The Matthias Clark-led Baywood Jones plays Thursday, July 20, at Morro Bay’s The Mosaic Theater (7 p.m. concert, 9 p.m. after party where attendees are invited to “hang n jam”). Their new song, “Sparks,” is a trippy, jammy, jazzy sonic soundscape. Check it out at americanriverrecords.com/dl and enter code “t6zg-qmm2.”
Calling all bands!
If you’re a musician or part of a band, two important opportunities to increase your exposure are coming up. For starters, The Whale Rock Music & Art Festival, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 16 and 17, is now accepting applications from bands who want to win a Jam in the Van live video and fill the festival’s final slot on the lineup. Submit your entry by going to jaminthevan.com/whalerockcontest2023.
It’s also time to submit your recordings to the 2023 New Times Music Awards, which is accepting entries starting on Thursday, July 20, through Monday, Aug. 7. You can enter up to 13 songs in the six genre categories and the songwriters contest, as well as one album. Genres include Country/Folk/Americana, Rock/Alternative, Hip-Hop/Rap, R&B/Blues, Open, and Youth. Winners will play a showcase at SLO Brew Rock on Friday, Nov. 3. You can find the rules at newtimesslo.com/sanluisobispo/NTMARules/Page. Δ
Contact Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jul 13-23, 2023.