Ukrainian singer and bandura (a hybrid lute and harp) virtuoso Maryna Krut was a talented performer updating a beautiful musical tradition before the Russian invasion of her homeland transformed her into an activist. The 28-year-old was a Eurovision finalist who frequently represented Ukraine at official events, but these days when she’s touring internationally, she’s testifying about the devastating war, and when she’s home, she’s entertaining Ukrainian troops in the war zone.
“Before I was like an indie-folk girl who tried to be a star in Ukraine—without a mission, without history, without nothing,” Krut explained in press materials. “But after the invasion, everything changed, because I was the same girl, but with a mission. You don’t have any choice when a lot of your very close friends are trying to save your country. You need to be a voice for your country, telling the true story, being a witness of the war.”
The assured and soulful performer mixes both folk traditions and modern sensibilities, layered with pop and jazz elements.
This Friday, Jan. 17, Maryna Krut plays a Cal Poly Arts concert at the Performing Arts Center (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $42 at pacslo.org) where she’ll sing and play music and talk about what’s happening in Ukraine.
“I feel a lot of anxiety,” she said. “When I wake up in the morning, one of the first things I do is to read the news. When you go to the bed, you’re not confident that your mom will survive. So I check the news, and if something happened, I call my mom and my friends. And when I finish my concerts, I go home. There are a lot of great people right now fighting, because if they don’t, Russians will come to our country and kill all musicians, all government people, men, women, and I think I might be on those lists too.”
Don’t miss hearing about Krut’s experiences firsthand this Friday.
Deep blues,
hard-core punk
Numbskull and Good Medicine have two shows lined up at Morro Bay’s The Siren this week, starting with blues legend Tommy Castro & The Painkillers on Saturday, Jan. 18 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $30.08 at goodmedicinepresents.com). They’re touring in support of their new album, A Bluesman Came to Town, which through its 13 songs weaves “the tale of a young man working on his family farm who gets bitten by the blues bug,” according to press materials. “He masters the guitar and heads out on the road seeking fame and fortune, only to find what he’s left behind is the treasure he’s been looking for. Each memorable song—from the blistering title track to the pleading ‘Child Don’t Go’ to the hopeful ‘I Caught A Break’ to the emotional ‘Blues Prisoner’—stands on its own, as well as contributing to the larger story.”
Grammy Award-winning producer Tom Hambridge collaborated with Castro, who said of the effort, “I like to keep things fresh and interesting. Tom and I have talked about making a record together for a long time. Collaborating with him was even better than I imagined. I had an outline for the story, and then Tom and I talked it out and the songs just started to organically grow out of each other. A Bluesman Came To Town isn’t a story about me. It’s pulled from some of my friends’ and my experiences though. I’ve seen firsthand for a lot of years what it’s like out there on the road.”
Punk rock heroes Black Flag was formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach by guitarist, primary songwriter, and sole continuous member Greg Ginn. He and his current lineup head to The Siren to play their First Four Years show next Thursday, Jan. 23 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $34.71 at goodmedicinepresents.com). The band’s seven studio albums and two live albums were all released on Ginn’s independent label SST Records, beginning with the band’s debut, Damaged. Vocalist Mike Vallely officially became the band’s fifth vocalist in 2014, so for this show, he’ll be performing songs from the Henry Rollins era.
All hail Jerry!
The Siren is also hosting one of the finest high-energy acoustic ensembles you’re likely to witness when Painted Mandolin featuring Joe Craven plays on Friday, Jan. 17 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $21.66 at tixr.com).
The band will present an acoustic journey through Jerry Garcia’s repertoire and beyond, with original arrangements and, as their bio promises, “surprising twists and turns, and jams that rise up your spine. Painted Mandolin moves your toes, and heels, and soul—pulsing through this music that we love.”
They’ll also draw from their new album of original material, Sweet Rain.
The band includes longtime Live Oak Music Festival emcee Joe Craven (mandolin, fiddle, vocals, and percussion). Craven has a real Jerry connection as he was a member of the Garcia/Grisman Band from 1991 to 1994.
The super group also includes Larry Graff (guitar and vocals), the founding member of the long-running Banana Slug String Band. Matt Hartle (guitar, banjotar, and vocals) is lead guitarist of the Grateful Dead tribute act China Cats. Dan Robbins (upright and electric bass) has played and recorded with a ton of different musicians. Should be an amazing night.
California dreamin’
Numbskull and SLO Brew Live present three acts that in one way or another seem to exemplify the West Coast. Denm‘s whole vibe is Cali beach slacker, a dude who wants to chill out, hang with friends, and deliver laid-back reggae and pop songs like “Life’s 2 Short” and “My Wave.”
Surfer Girl—fronted by Boston transplant Carter Reeves (aka Carter Schultz)—blends hip-hop, pop, indie, and reggae into breezy, beachy tracks like “Bag of Bones” and “Loosen Up.”
Social media star Chad Tepper actually has a song about the California dream called “Greyhound,” where he sings, “Yeah, I’m leaving, on a Greyhound/ Headed out west, yeah I’m on my way now/ One day Imma be a star/ Next stop Sunset Boulevard.” He also collaborated with Smash Mouth on a super catchy song called “Money.”
See Denm, Surfer Girl, and Chad Tepper next Thursday, Jan. 23 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-over; $27.30 at ticketweb.com), at Rod & Hammer Rock.
Live Oak tickets
on sale Jan. 20!
If you’re a ride-or-die Live Oakie, you already know you’re going to the three-day Live Oak Music Festival at El Chorro Regional Park June 13 through 15, so you might as well get your tickets at the lowest price you can. Well, early bird tickets go on sale Monday, Jan. 20, at 10 a.m. Visit my805tix.com/e/liveoak2025 to see your options.
According to organizer KCBX Public Radio, “You can expect a fun-filled weekend of great music, art, camping, activities, and reuniting with friends and family. Spend your weekend with us and enjoy three stages of music featuring talent from all over the United States and across the globe performing bluegrass, soul, Americana, world music, and much more. Plus, explore a collection of vendor booths, music workshops, fireside jamming, and entertainment for children of all ages.”
Wanna go but you just don’t have the dough? There are also volunteer opportunities, which you can apply for at the event website: liveoakfest.org/volunteer-application-1. The annual festival, which my family looks forward to every year, is the local NPR affiliate’s major fundraiser, keeping KCBX on the air.
Laugh me a river
It ain’t music, but stand-up comic, actor, and podcaster Chris D’Elia brings his Straight Outta The Multiverse to the Fremont Theater on Saturday, Jan. 18 (8 p.m.; 18-and-older; $34.50 to $109.76 at prekindle.com). He’s cited Jim Carrey, Bryan Callen, Eddie Murphy, and Mitzi Shore as influences on his comedy career. As an actor, he’s known for playing Alex Miller on the NBC sitcom Whitney (2011-2013), Danny Burton on NBC’s Undateable (2014-2016), Kenny on the ABC series The Good Doctor (2017-2018), and Henderson on the Netflix thriller series You (2019). He’s also courted controversy for sexual abuse allegations, which he’s denied.
The Fremont’s got more comedy coming at you when stand-up comedian Lewis Black plays the theater next Thursday, Jan. 23 (8 p.m.; all ages; $45 to $90 at prekindle.com), as part of his Goodbye Yeller Brick Road, The Final Tour tour … but is it? Maybe. He’s 76, and all that yelling and ranting about history, politics, religion, and culture probably wears you out after a while. He’s been at it since the ’70s after all. A satirist with a sharp wit, he’s perhaps best known for his “Back in Black” segments on The Daily Show or his countless stand-up specials. Δ
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jan 16-26, 2025.