Good news for Wolf Jett fans. The band is poised to release Letting Go, their new album, on April 2, and its 10 tracks have been worth the wait. I’m going to go ahead and say “Don’t Give Up On Me Now” is my favorite. It’s a song about perseverance.
“One damn thing I know for sure, honey, this life ain’t over till it’s over, and I know that someday we’ll get to see what it all means. And until I get unlucky, baby, I’ll just keep on rolling till I see you on the other side. Don’t give up on me now. Don’t give up on me now. Been down so many roads, seen so many lives come and go by the wayside. Baby, it’s no joke. Can’t you see I’m broke, but I feel like I can give it my all just one more time. I know you’ve been waiting for me to say … don’t give up on me now.”
Such a hooky chorus, and the groove grease organ mixed with the viral Instagram guitar solo performed by Benjamin Andrews are magic. Frontman Chris Jones’ soulful, rootsy, rustic voice! Damn! Great song.
The band fuses folk, soul, and Americana into what they call “cosmic mountain music.” It’s the fruit of a lifelong musical collaboration between Tennessee-born Jones and drummer Jon Payne’s groovy rhythm section. The pair have been playing together since they were 12 years old.
Add in Duncan Shipton on bass, female vocalist Allyson Makuch, electric guitarist Rory Cloud, and Alex Benjamin on keys/percussion, and yowza! These guys are at the top of their game.
Good Medicine and Numbskull present Wolf Jett at The Siren on Friday, March 27 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $24.41 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Bella Rayne opens.
Also this week at The Siren …
Moonstone Band plays a free matinee show on Saturday, March 28 (2 to 5 p.m.; 21-and-older). The Cambria-based group comprises seasoned musicians who play classic rock covers and some originals.
“We stay true to the original songs that made them popular, and we create a sound that resonates with people at our shows because of the emotional connections they have with the songs,” the band announced.
The Morgan Wallen Experience, a tribute to Morgan Wallen, plays on Saturday, March 28 (8 p.m.; 21-and-older; $23.77 at tixr.com). Wallen has a bit of a bad-boy rep for eschewing COVID protocols in 2020, using a racial slur in 2021, and then that little incident when he tossed a chair off a Nashville rooftop bar and plead guilty to two counts of misdemeanor reckless endangerment. Oops! The Morgan Wallen Experience brings the singer’s energy and music to the stage, but you’re probably safe from a thrown chair.
Scott Cooper & the Rosebud Band returns for a free afternoon show on Sunday, March 29 (3 to 6 p.m.; 21-and-older). The band is Cooper’s side project from his Grateful Dead tribute act China Cats. Rosebud mixes originals and covers from the Dead, Dylan, Beatles, and more.
Austin-based indie and surf rock band Tigers Eye plays on Tuesday, March 31 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). Formed in 2023 by friends Jeremy Baker, Nicholas Hamner, and Jayden Martinez, this up-and-coming act has won over Austin and now is ready to win over the world. They’re touring in support of their 2025 EP, Josephine, and they just dropped a new EP, Daydreams, in mid March. Salty Strings opens.
Whiskerman with Gene Evaro Jr., “a rock-and-roll overture to our great unraveling,” plays on Thursday, April 2 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $13.17 at tixr.com). According to their bio, “Over the last seven years, the Oakland band has developed an underground reputation for tackling the sublime with their ambitious songwriting, thunderous stage show, and acute lyricism. They have since emerged as an engine of the Bay Area’s revitalized psychedelic and festival scenes.”
The band includes frontman Graham Patzner (vocals, guitar, violin, and piano), Will Lawrence (bass), and Charles Lloyd (guitar and sitar), Dan Schwartz (drums), and Jeremy Lyon (guitar). Special guest Gene Evaro sings and plays lead and conjures comparisons to everyone from Stephen Stills to Prince.
What’s in a name?
Apologies to William Shakespeare and his idea that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, and sure, names are essentially arbitrary, blah blah blah, but for clarity’s sake, I sure wish SLO Brew or Rod & Hammer or The Rock would pick a freaking name and stick with it.
Whatever you want to call it, the venue out by the airport has some cool shows this week starting with Vince Cimo’s Hot Fire on Friday, March 27 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $17.91 at my805tix.com). The high-energy funk ensemble is led by multi-instrumentalist Vince Cimo, whose love of classic funk, soul, and R&B combines with his sense of old-school rhythm and interest in modern electronic infusions. Two other local R&B acts, The Loving Mosh and Sweet Spots, open.
Originally scheduled for the Fremont Theater, Nick Lowe and The Cactus Blossoms has been moved to Rod & Hammer Rock on Saturday, March 28 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $40.14 at prekindle.com). Nick Lowe’s newest, Indoor Safari, finds the British singer-songwriter and pop royal in excellent form.
Denver-based funk, soul, and jazz-inflected group The Motet plays on Sunday, March 29 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $34.42 at ticketweb.com). They’ve been together for 28 years, led by drummer and bandleader Dave Watts. They’ve been through a few members over the years, but they added their new singer, Sarah Clarke, in 2023, when they released their latest album, All Day—their ninth.
“We’re not in this for money or fame,” Watts said in press materials. “We just want to be able to write songs and play shows. The fact we can travel as far as we do, go through everything as a team, and play music we wrote together is humbling. To see people coming out to shows, smiling, singing, dancing, and sustaining our careers is nothing short of a miracle.”
Michael Wilbur opens.
Legacy
Cal Poly Arts presents The Ravi Shankar Ensemble at the Performing Arts Center in SLO on Thursday, April 2 (7:30 p.m.; $39 to $66 at calpolyarts.org). The ensemble is a multi-generational collective that features Shubhendra Rao (sitar), Anubrata Chatterjee (tabla), B. C. Manjunath (mridangam), Ravichandra Kulur (flute), Padma Shankar (violin, vocals) and Aayush Mohan (sarod).
Ravi Shankar, born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury (1920-2012), was a sitar virtuoso and father to American singer Norah Jones and sitar player Anoushka Shankar. Ravi’s wife, Sukanya Shankar, and their daughter, Anoushka, “have curated a thoughtful collection of Ravi Shankar’s repertoire for the six-piece ensemble,” according to organizers. “The program will focus on the maestro’s notable devotion to both tradition and creativity while building understanding and love of Indian classical music with audiences worldwide.”
Hot jazz comin’ atcha!
The Basin Street Regulars Hot Jazz Club presents the Yosemite Jazz Band on Sunday, March 29, at the Pismo Beach Veterans Memorial Building (12:30 to 4 p.m.; all ages; $15 general, $10 members, or $5 for musicians wanting to join the 11 a.m. jam session at my805tix.com). The Cabrillo High School Jazz Band opens.
The Basin Street Regulars continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary by hosting The Yosemite Jazz Band, which is celebrating its own 32-year legacy. Founded in October 1993 by trumpet and flugelhorn player Berl Howell, the band has become a cornerstone of the California jazz circuit.
Protest songs
Local music duo Bay Love is lending their talents and politics to the upcoming No Kings protest on Saturday, March 28, near the government center on Monterey Street in SLO.
“We’ll be performing at the rally downtown between 10 a.m. and noon and will also be facilitating group sing-alongs with Singing Resistance Central Coast from the main stage, with my fellow song-leaders singing with folks along the march,” singer-songwriter Linda Martin explained. “We’re excited to bring this Minnesota-born movement here to SLO County!
“Additionally, we’ll be hosting a No Kings After Party at Morro Bay’s The Savory Palette that evening between 6:30 and 9 p.m. Oops, and I forgot to mention that additional Singing Resistance Central Coast song leaders will be singing and marching with attendees at the Atascadero No Kings event at The Sunken Gardens on Saturday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to noon.”
Make your voices heard.
Still no definitive word …
Good Vibez has New Jersey-based indie rockers The Happy Fits booked at the Fremont Theater on Thursday, April 2 (doors at 6, show at 7 p.m.; all ages; $37.05 at ticketweb.com). The show’s currently listed on the venue’s website. Tickets are being sold. No idea if the theater will be open yet, so proceed with caution. Indie rocker BEL opens the show … if there is one. ∆
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in March 26 – April 2, 2026.