I must admit, at live shows, I prefer musicians who are keen on some audience patter between songs. Even if I love a performer, if they just stand up there and play one tune after another, I find myself wishing they’d take a break and talk to those of us in the audience.
Well, you never have to wish that during a John Craigie show because audience patter is a big part of his shtick. After all, his catch phrase is, “Humorous storytelling, serious folk.”
Good Medicine, Numbskull, and KCBX present John Craigie at the Cuesta College Cultural and Performing Arts Center on Friday, Nov. 20 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $42.91 at goodmedicinepresents.com). He’s touring in support of his new record, I Swam Here, released last February.
Its cover design reminds me of the 1964 Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto album cover with a painting by Brittany Schall inspired by mid-century samba and jazz records, and Craigie’s songs were cut between New Orleans and Astoria, Oregon. Seven were recorded at Deslonde St. Studios with musicians handpicked by Sam Doores of The Deslondes. Three others were finished at the Rope Room in Astoria.
“I had heard the debut album by Dean Johnson and really liked the sparse and gentle sound of it,” Craigie explained via an email interview. “The songs I was working on at the time I felt had a similar energy and I wanted that texture on them when I recorded. After talking to him, he told me he had recorded it down there with Sam Doores and his crew. Sam became sort of in charge of assembling the team and working out where and when we would record. I was using all new guys that I had never worked with before (with the exception of Anna Moss). Sam added that part but also did amazing piano work throughout the record.”
The burning question is why not finish recording in NOLA? Why three more tracks at the Rope Room?
“Nothing was really missing, but three of the 10 songs just didn’t quite have the finished production I wanted,” Craigie explained. “Whether it was a tempo issue or an instrumentation choice, I wanted to try them again.”
‘I have always been affected by the juxtaposition of our country’s continual attitude of making reproductive rights harder to have and having a gun easier to have. There’s a lot to be said about it.’
—John Craigie, singer-songwriter
One of my favorites is “Call Me a Bullet,” purportedly inspired by seeing Midwestern pro-life and pro-gun billboards.
“Yes, I have always been affected by the juxtaposition of our country’s continual attitude of making reproductive rights harder to have and having a gun easier to have,” Craigie explained. “There’s a lot to be said about it, but this was one reaction I had after a drive and seeing those billboards. It’s always interesting for me to try and write from someone else’s perspective. I have the privilege of being surrounded by a lot of powerful voices telling me their stories.”
Los Angeles-based folk/Americana singer-songwriter Lucy Clearwater opens.
Also from Good Medicine and Numbskull, see hard rock cover kings Rock Lord at The Siren on Friday, Nov. 13 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $13.08 at goodmedicinepresents.com). “Rock Lord is a five-piece rock band celebrating the spirit, fun, and music of the big hair and loud guitar 1980s,” drummer Ray Rocha said via email. “I’m even gonna bust out some Aqua Net during my drum solo!”
Also at The Siren …
Classic rock cover act Jane’s Gang plays on Saturday, June 14 (2 to 5 p.m.; 21-and-older; free), delivering hits by Fleetwood Mac, The Pretenders, Pat Benatar, The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Miranda Lambert, Johnny Cash, and so many more.
Later that night, local R&B, soul, and funk act The Sweet Spots takes the stage on Saturday, Nov. 14 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $8.44 at tixr.com). “Comprised of all recent college graduates, The Sweet Spots are a rising young band … inspired by modern artists like Bruno Mars as well as classic Motown records,” their bio says. Another local R&B and soul act, IMVA, opens.
There can be only one!
Seven local performers have already won first place in seven categories of this year’s New Times Music Awards, but this Friday, Nov. 13 (7 to 9:30 p.m.; all ages; $15 at my805tix.com), they’ll bring their best set of songs to see who will win the Best Live Performer Award as judged by a panel of music industry insiders.
Taking the stage will be Open winner Dubwise Collective, R&B and Blues winner Ezra Henderson, Covers winner Graybill, Country-Americana-folk winner Max MacLaury, jazz winner Partita, Rock Alternative winner Carbon City Lights, and Songwriter winner Cate Armstrong. Second and third place winners of the respective categories will also be awarded their prizes.
New Times is also raffling off an Ernie Ball guitar, a Sterling by Music Man Cutlass CT50, benefitting the Advance the Youth Project. Come on out and support your local music scene!
Feel the Vibez
Oh boy, Good Vibez is really going big this week at the Fremont Theater. Things kick off with Evan Honer on his It’s an Even Longer Road Tour on Friday, Nov. 13 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $36.02 to $150.61 VIP at prekindle.com). His cover of Tyler Childers’ “Jersey Giant” went viral, and he’s been busy ever since releasing original music.
“My life completely changed this past year,” he said in press materials. “I’m learning to be happy with where I’m at. I’m grateful that I get to stand onstage and sing songs I wrote in my bedroom, and people know the words and sing them back to me. How can you be upset about that?”
Bingo Loco returns on Saturday, Nov. 14 (doors at 6:30, show at 8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $42.20 at prekindle.com). If you know, you know. If you don’t, go find out.
English synth pop act Soft Cell plays on Sunday, Nov. 15 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $57.14 at prekindle.com). Huge in the late-’70s and early-’80s, the new wave and dark wave duo has popped up over the years, in 1991, then 2000 to 2005, and then in 2018 when they “played a sold-out show in front of 20,000 adoring cellmates at London’s O2 Arena,” press materials explained. “The evening was intended to be a grand farewell.” Instead, it became a launching pad for the band’s full-fledged return. Original vocalist Marc Almond continues to perform the duo’s material, with music prepared by the late Dave Ball.
“Hearing of the sad news last October that Dave Ball had passed away, it broke my heart,” Almond announced. “He and I have had the most incredible journey together. I wasn’t sure if I should continue without him, but I know he wanted me to. He had rarely appeared onstage in the last few years because of his ill health but always prepared the shows musically and loved that the music still lived on.”
Speaking of the new wave bands of a bygone era, The Psychedelic Furs play on Monday, Nov. 16 (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; all ages; $57.14 to $75.68 at prekindle.com). The English rock band continues to be by lead vocalist Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar.
Canada shenanigans
SLO Brew Live presents Canadian based international touring band Bombargo at The Rock SLO on Saturday, Nov. 14 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $39.05 to $116.30 VIP at ticketweb.com). The band “drops a vibrant splash of soul over their distinctive ‘vintage-pop’ sound,” their bio explains. “Well known for bringing unrivaled energy to the stage with sing-along anthems, double-brother harmonies, and a powerful message.”
The band includes lead singer Nathan Thoen and guitarist Spencer Chilliak, Nathan’s brother Anthony Thoen on guitar, additional brothers Matt and Sammy Folkersen on keys and bass respectively, Connor Newton on saxophone, and Niall Cubbon on drums. They’re a rolling party.
Tributes and inspiration
The Clark Center hosts three great shows this week. West Coast Performing Arts Concerts presents Billy Nation: A Tribute to Billy Joel on Friday, Nov. 13 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $49 to $79 at clarkcenter.org). Fronted by Adam Shapiro, the live band plays hits such as “Piano Man,” “My Life,” “Movin’ Out,” “You May Be Right,” “Just the Way You Are,” “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” and more.
Toast—The Best of Bread plays on Saturday, Nov. 14 (7 p.m.; all ages; $36.50 to $62.50 at clarkcenter.org), playing the band’s radio hits such as “Make It with You,” “Everything I Own,” “If,” “Baby I’m-a Want You,” “The Guitar Man,” “It Don’t Matter to Me,” “Lost Without Your Love,” and more. Relive the soft rock magic.
Finally, Bob Cosprove presents Harriet—Trying to get the Feeling Again on Wednesday, Nov. 18 (7 p.m.; all ages; $35 to $55 at clarkcenter.org). The British singer embraces the ’70s soft rock sound and has a voice frequently compared to Karen Carpenter. She “performs intimate interpretations of beloved ’70s hits by The Carpenters, Bread, The Eagles, Carole King, Barry Manilow, and Christopher Cross, alongside her own original songs, written and performed with the heart and spirit of the ’70s,” her bio explains.
Spanish comfort music
Formed in 2004 in Barcelona, the crazy-good all-female flamenco group Las Migas translates as The Crumbs, and they’re named after migas, a traditional Spanish comfort food made from stale bread. They blend traditional flamenco with rumba, jazz, pop, folk, and classical, and two of their six studio recordings have won Latin Grammy Awards for Best Flamenco Album.
Cal Poly Arts presents Las Migas at the Spanos Theatre on Monday, Nov. 15 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $55 at pacslo.org). They have more than a million followers on Instagram and thousands of listeners around the world. Do yourself a favor and add yourself to their listeners.
All-star jazz
Jazz fans, unite! The Joel Harrison Quartet plays Anderson Social on Monday, Nov. 16 (6:30 p.m.; all-ages; $44.69 at my805tix.com), with an amazing all-star ensemble that includes Harrison on guitar and voice, Michael Manring on bass, Paul Hanson on electric bassoon, and the always amazing Scott Amendola on drums.
Each of these incredible players is worth the price of admission on their own. This one’s going to be memorable!
Something good out of D.C.
If you’re ready for some infectious R&B and soul, get your booties to The Libertine on Saturday, Nov. 14, for Oh He Dead (doors at 7, show at 8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $17.91 at my805tix.com).
The Washington, D.C.-based band is touring in support of Vertigo, their fourth album, produced by Nashville’s Jimmy Mansfield (Eric Church, Lainey Wilson). They’re describing the record as “a dynamic, broad-stroke slab of genre-agnostic creativity; endlessly surprising and eminently engaging. A heady amalgam of R&B and indie rock, sprinkled with a dusting of psych (and just a dash of disco).”
Riding the blue wave
Matthew 25:40 has certainly been making the rounds this election cycle. It’s been invoked by everyone from James Talarico (D-Texas) to Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia) to call for a different, more humane, Jesus-y approach to immigration policy.
Local duo The Taproots also cite the Bible verse at the beginning of the video for their hard hitting new political single, “Somewhere in Texas,” that takes aim at cruel ICE tactics: “There’s really no way/ To justify this game/ I don’t care what you say/ A crime is still a crime/ Don’t go an tell me/ You’re the chosen one/ You’ll never sell me/ With your god and gun.”
The Americana act—singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tom Walters and award-winning vocalist Nicole Cassingham—returns to Sensorio on Friday, Nov. 13 (5 p.m.; tickets at sensoriopaso.com). Seven years since its installation, the 35-acre immersive light display is approaching its 1 millionth guest!
“A million guests is a number we never imagined when we first lit Sensorio,” Sensorio General Manager Ryan Hopple said. “This moment belongs to everyone who helped us get here: our guests, our community, and the tourism partners who have embraced telling the story of Sensorio.”
Guests 21-and-older can sign up for the One Million Guests Sweepstakes and a chance to win prizes.
More music …
The Famous Jazz Artist Series at Cambria’s Woodlands Concert Hall presents A Salute to the Latin Jazz Style presented by a local all-star band including saxophonist Karl Welz, bassist Dylan Johnson, drummer Darrell Voss, and percussionist Tom Brown on Sunday, Nov. 15 (5 to 7 p.m.; reservations at (805) 935-9007 or charlie@talsamusic.com).
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Nov 12-19, 2026.
