Two Weekends, chockfull o' festivals, plus concerts & much more -- June 8 edition, 2013

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BUEHLER... BUEHLER... BUEHLER...
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We add, up-front, some
LATE ADDITIONS, since this edition went to press.
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Saturday, June 8, additions:
(added to the HUGE number of events in the Guide, as published, and which follows)...
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LATE ADDITION...
Sat, Jun 8, in Seal Beach:
6:30-9 pm STEVE NOONAN, a folksinger with plenty of good material, plays Bogarts Coffee, on Ocean St near Main, across from the Seal Beach Pier. Steve reports, "My last gig for a while -- got some surgery items that need to be attended to -- so come on down."
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Sat, Jun 8, in Lakewood:
6:30 pm Weekly "BLUEGRASS CONCERT" at Me N Ed's Pizza Parlor, 4115 Paramount Bl, Lakewood 90712; 562-421-8908.
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Sat, Jun 8, in Newhall ( Santa Clarita):
7:30 pm  GRATEFUL DUDES play their weekly bluegrass residency at Vincenzo's Pizza, 24500 Lyons Av, Newhall 91350. Sometimes VERY impressive guests sit-in with the Dudes.
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Sat, Jun 8, in San Diego:
7:30 pm IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY plays the "AMSD Concerts" series at 4650 Mansfield St, San Diego 92116; 619-303-8176. Options include dinner or just the show.
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Sat, Jun 8, in Covina:
8 pm  CHRIS DARROW plus ROBB STRANDLUND, PAT BRAYER, and EDDIE CUNNINGHAM, at the Fret House, 309 N Citrus Av, Covina 91723; 626-339-7020.
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Sat, Jun 8, in SFV (Northridge):
8 pm  RUFUS WAINWRIGHT plays the Valley Performing Arts Center, 18111 Nordhoff St, Northridge 91330; 818-677-3000.
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Sat, Jun 8, in L.A.:
8 pm  TODD LINCOLN RICHARDS plays Genghis Cohen, 740 N Fairfax Av, Los Angeles 90046; 323-653-0640. Venue is known for their Chinese food. Be sure they seat you in the music hall.
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Sunday, June 9, additions:
(added to the HUGE number of events in the Guide, as published, which follows)...
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Sun, Jun 9,
MUSIC CAMP,
in Northern Cal:
Annual "CALIFORNIA BLUEGRASS ASSOCIATION MUSIC CAMP" at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, 11228 McCourtney Rd, Grass Valley 95945; 209-588-6031.
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Sun, Jun 9, in Altadena:
12:30 pm Monthly "BLUEGRASS JAM" at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena 91001. Free to listen or participate. No reservations taken.
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Sun, Jun 9, in Tehachapi:
3 pm LAURENCE JUBER, Grammy-winning guitarist from Paul McCartney's WINGS, plays all-acoustic at Fiddler's Crossing, 206 East F St, Tehachapi 93561; 661-823-9994.
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Sun, Jun 9, in Carson:
5 pm "SUPER SUMMER GOSPEL FEST" is a concert with performances by LEE WILLIAMS & THE SPIRITUAL QCS , and PAUL BEASLEY & THE GOSPEL KEYNOTES, at Carson Community Center, 801 E Carson St, Carson. For info, call Lily, at 323-646-7802.
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Sun, Jun 9, in SFV (Woodland Hills):
6 pm SURFIN’ SAFARI® plays a "Beach Party" for the "Concerts on the Green" summer series in Warner Center Park, 5800 Topanga Canyon Bl, Woodland Hills; http://valleycultural.org.
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SURFIN’ SAFARI®, a tribute to The Beach Boys, is unrivaled in their sound, presentation, and professionalism as a faithful recreation of The Beach Boys live, in concert, in their prime, with their vocal harmonies, the crashing back beat of Dennis Wilson’s drums, the soaring surf guitar of Carl Wilson, and the joy of Brian Wilson’s music. The uniband choreography, the Fender guitar line up, the famous custom striped shirts, right down to the black suede Beach Boy boots, it’s all here. It's fun, fun, fun 'til our Daddy takes the T-Bird away. Free concert.
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Sun, Jun 9, in Culver City:
9 pm THE GET DOWN BOYS play their weekly residency at Bigfoot West, 10139 Venice Bl, Culver City 90034.
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Sun, Jun 9, in Santa Monica:
11 pm Weekly "ACOUSTIC CORDIALE" showcase wraps-up the weekend, at 14 Below, 1348 14th St, Santa Monica 90404; 310-451-5040.
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NEXT WEEKEND
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Sat, Jun 15,
FESTIVAL,
in Ventura Co (T.O.):
1-10 pm Annual "OAK HEART COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL" features performances by big Nashville stars and benefits charity, at Conejo Creek Park South,1300 E Janss Rd, Thousand Oaks 91362.
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LineUp:
• Tracy Lawrence
• Jason Michael Carroll
• Steel Magnolia
• Shoemaker Brothers
• Ann Marie Boskovich
• Herrick Just Dave Band
• Justin Honsinger
• Cheap Rodeo
• Barbie Mabee
• The Walking Phoenixes
• Brad Kirsch
• Jameson Bass
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The festival is a non-profit charity event presented by The Rotary Club of Westlake Village. It is the largest annual country music festival in Ventura County.
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This year features a full day of live country music on 2 stages, with12 Artists, a 21-and-over full bar area, a huge dance floor, food trucks, games and activities, a Kids Zone, local vendors, line dancing all day  and special performances, raffles, and giveaways throughout the day.
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All-ages event. Tickets on sale now at event website. Adults $35, kids under age 12 get in free.
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Now, on to the CHOCKFULL original edition,
as published...
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Only two local festivals this weekend run both days, and they are a fun HAWAI’IAN FESTIVAL in San Dimas and a classical-and-more festival in OJAI. Saturday only, there’s the brand-new MAKE MUSIC DOWNEY, a fun fest on the SANTA MONICA PIER, a RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL with period music at the Getty, and a vast array of concerts and other musical events that await you this weekend.
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And, CRIMANY mate, we aren’t even to FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND (a week away) when the festival scene goes completely berserk (don’t worry, that’s all in here, too). In fact, it’s ALL within…
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So, awaaaaay we go!
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First a quick roundup of
FESTIVALS
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Keeping track of all those MUSIC FESTIVALS: The Guide’s updated listings (DETAILS are in the Guide’s daily write-ups. And we add to this list all the time...)
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THIS WEEKEND’s MUSIC FESTIVALS
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Details follow, in the "Festivals" sections of daily listings:
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• OJAI MUSIC FESTIVAL (Jun 6-9, Ojai)
• PADDLEBOARD RACE & OCEAN FESTIVAL (Jun 8, Santa Monica)
• SAN DIMAS HO'OLAULE'A HAWAIIAN FESTIVAL Jun 8 & 9, San Dimas)
• MAKE MUSIC DOWNEY (Jun 8, Downey)
• GARDENS OF THE RENAISSANCE FAMILY FESTIVAL (Jun 8, L.A.)
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MUSIC FESTIVALS COMING UP SOON (and LATER):
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• HOLLYWOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL (Jun 13-30, Hollywood)
• LIVE OAK MUSIC FESTIVAL (Jun 14-16, NE of Santa Barbara)
• HUCK FINN'S JUBILEE at its new Ontario, California venue (Jun 14-16, Ontario)
• ROADSHOW REVIVAL JOHNNY CASH TRIBUTE FESTIVAL (Jun 14, Ventura)
• CLAREMONT FOLK FESTIVAL (Jun 15, Claremont)
• OAK HEART COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL (Jun 15, Thousand Oaks)
• FRINGE FESTIVAL (main events, Jun 20, Hollywood)
• BIG BEAR COWBOY GATHERING (Jun 21-24, Big Bear)
• LONG BEACH BAYOU FEST – 27th Annual (Jun 22-23, Long Beach)
• NOHO MIDSUMMER NIGHTS COFFEE HOUSE & MUSIC FESTIVAL (Jul 20, North Hollywood)
• CITRUS CLASSIC BALLOON FESTIVAL (hot air balloons, Jul 26-27, Santa Paula)
• DAY OF THE COWBOY & COWGIRL (Jul 27, Autry Museum of the American West, L.A.)
• LONG BEACH CRAWFISH FESTIVAL (Aug 3-4, Long Beach)
• WAVELENGTH FESTIVAL OF MUSIC (Aug 22-25, Costa Mesa)
• CINECON 49 CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL (Aug 29-Sep 2, Hollywood)
• HARVEST FESTIVAL OF DULCIMERS (Oct 5-6, Culver City)
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FESTIVALS ELSEWHERE:
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If you're headed EAST, there’s
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• KERRVILLE FOLK FEST (May 28-Jun 4, near Kerrville, Texas)
• MYSTIC SEAPORT SEA MUSIC FESTIVAL (Jun 6-9, in Connecticut)
• STRAWBERRY PARK CAJUN ZYDECO FESTIVAL (Jun 6-9, in Connecticut)
• TELLURIDE BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL (40th annual, Jun 20-23, in Colorado)
• SUMMERFEST (Jun 26-30 & Jul 2-7, Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
• WATERFRONT BLUES FESTIVAL (Jul 4-7, Portland, Oregon)
• WILDLIFE WEST FEST (Jul 20, in New Mexico)
• NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL (Jul 26-29, in Newport, Rhode Island)
• RHYTHM & ROOTS FESTIVAL (Aug 30-Sep 1, in Rhode Island)
• AMERICANA MUSIC FESTIVAL (Sep 18-22, Nashville)
• HARVEST FESTIVAL AT MULBERRY MOUNTAIN (Oct 17-19, in Ozark, Arkansas)
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Up NORTH, there’s
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• WATERFRONT BLUES FEST (Jul 4-7, in Portland, Oregon)
• AMERICAN RIVER MUSIC FESTIVAL (Sep 13-15, in Central Cal)
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More info and more festivals added all the time, so check again.
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AND check the Guide’s write-ups on each festival. Use our site's "search" function at the top of the “full web edition” page, or scroll to find ’em by the dates. Be sure you get tix before they sell-out – some will! We cover a LOT of details, but sometimes the link for a festival’s site has esoterica we didn’t have at press time, like provisions for jamming, where the best jams happen, early-bird discounts, volunteer opportunities that get you in free, extra-fare VIP seating, camping or lodging info, reserving shuttles / transport to avoid parking hassles, and more.
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NOW, here's the day-by-day for the acoustic and Americana music scene, for the weekend and a big ol’ long goodly stretch to come.
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Saturday, June 8
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Saturday's Sections:
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1) Saturday's MUSIC CAMP
2) Saturday's FESTIVALS
3) Saturday's CONCERTS, CLUB GIGS, SHOWCASES, & other LIVE events
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1) Saturday's MUSIC CAMP:
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Sat, Jun 8; Thu-Sun, Jun 6-9,
MUSIC CAMP,
on the Central Coast:
Annual "SUMMERSONGS WEST" in Cambria, CA, is a songwriting, singing, and series of instrument and performance workshops, and performances for attendees.
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Teachers include Sloan Wainwright (from the famous Wainwright family), Teresa Tuduri (described as a “force of nature” by more than a few), Penny Nichols, Severin Browne, David Roth (co-writer of “To The Light” with Severin Browne & Freebo), Dale LaDuke, and more.
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Severin describes it as "an extended weekend of bliss," and adds, "we’d love to share it with you." Registration is currently available for its winter counterpart.
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Info at http://summersongs.com/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=62
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2) Saturday's FESTIVALS:
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Sat & Sun, Jun 8 & 9,
FESTIVAL,
in San Dimas:
Annual "SAN DIMAS HO'OLAULE'A HAWAIIAN FESTIVAL" brings two days of Polynesian music, dance and culture in a benefit festival for the Nature Center at the San Dimas Regional County Park; event held at San Dimas Canyon Nature Center, 1628 N Sycamore Canyon Rd, San Dimas 91773; www.sandimascanyonnaturecenter.com.
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A beautiful natural setting with the "Spirit of Aloha" will, as they say in Hawai'ian Creole (aka Pidgin) "make-a you feel like you in da islands." "Come have good fun, say your Hawai'ian cousin."
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Continuous live music, dancing and other entertainment with top local artists & halaus both days. Merchandise vendors, ono food from islands-style food vendors, nature crafts, animal displays, animal sanctuary, play area and more. Free parking. Runs Sat 10 am-8 pm, Sun 10 am-4 pm.
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More info, 818-437-7132 or hawaii@hawaiiuncleroddy.com; http://HawaiiUncleRoddy.com.
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Sat, Jun 8,
FREE FESTIVAL,
in Downey:
11 am-6 pm Inaugural "MAKE MUSIC DOWNEY" on multiple stages in the area of Downey Av & 7th St, Downtown and "Around Town" Downey.
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Downey will join hundreds of other cities in an annual global celebration of making music. First organized in Paris in 1982 as "Fete de la Musique," these one-day music festivals, around the time of the Summer Solstice, have grown in international popularity.
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Here are the acts we think you'll like:
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Clearly the headliners are SLIGO RAGS, taking a day off from playing their residency at Disneyland; they're on the Main Stage with their Celtic-jazz-rock-with-bluegrass-flavor, 5–6 pm.
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One up-and-coming roots music act to catch is HONEY WHISKEY TRIO (www.honeywhiskeytrio.com) playing the Mambo Grill, 12:15-1 pm. That venue looks good all day, with Russ Lewark doing folk / blues / country / rock 11–11:30; LadyFingers playing "variety oldtime Americana" 1–1:30; Backporch Symphony doing Celtic / Americana 2:15–3; Sweetwater Creek playing bluegrass / folk / gospel 3–3:45; Cross Your Fingers playing Acoustic Americana / bluegrass /oldtime 3:45 –4:30; Back Home playing Americana / contemporary / folk / gospel 4:30 –5:15; New Blues Revolution playing blues / rock 5:15 –6.
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Another act to catch is ukulele-playing parody folksingster / protest singer GEO. McCALIP at Downey Music Store, 12:30-1 pm.
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The Stay Gallery stage has Dog Park Pickers playing buegrass / oldtimey 11–11:30 am;
Terry Guzwa doing folk tunes / classical 11:30-noon; Hana Hou sharing Hawaiian music noon-12:30; Bob Flynn playing old standards on piano 12:30 –1; Westside Quartet playing chamber-classical 1–1:30; Lars Clutterham mixing pop / classical piano / singing 2–2:30;
Coto Creek playing roots / pop / folk / standards 3:45 -4:30; Tom Norman doing his acoustic singer-songwriter / blues / alternative 4:30 –5:15 pm.
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The stage at Super Stacked Burgers has Mike San Juan, a singer-songwriter 11–11:30 am;
Robby Ravenwood doing musical comedy (think Randy Newman / Tom Lehrer) 11:30 am–noon; Sharon Leighton Joyner singing country / country gospel noon-12:30; Buffalo Bryan singing western / cowboy 12:30 –1;
Larry Lewis, a singer-songwritter 2–2:30;
Christie & Jamie, singer-songerwriters 2:30 –3;
Cat Rabbit doing alternative folk / pop 3–3:30; an Open Mic (3 songs or 10 minutes) 3:30 –5 pm.
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The Downey Music Store stage also offers Gabriel Armenta noon-12:30; Dan McVay playing folk 1:30-2; Guitar Eddy singing da blues 2–2:30; and an Open Mic 4:45-6 pm.
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Save your visit to The Epic Lounge to hear The Barrelhousers play rock / blues / psyched / folk 5–5:30.
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A few other Main Stage acts look interesting: Warren High School Glee Club Show Choir 11:45-noon; South American Music by Marco Barrios noon-12:45; Steve Robeson doing country 12:45 –1:30; Long Beach Ukulele Club playing pop, rock, & Hawaiian music 1:30 –2; Downey Marching Band 2:45 –3; Gramps with Amps playing surf / oldies / rockabilly 3:30–4:15.
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Full schedules and info at
www.MakeMusicDowney.org
and.
www.downeyarts.org
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The main stage is on the front lawn of the First Presbyterian Church at 10544 Downey Av (at Seventh St).
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CDs and artist merch available. Family-friendly atmosphere.
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There is a City parking structure next to Super Stacked Burgers and the Krikorian Theater. It's the closest parking for the Epic Lounge venue. Some venues -- Mambo Grill, the Stay Gallery and Downey Music -- have parking behind their buildings. The local farmers market runs until 1 or 2 pm, complicating parking but helping festival attendance in this first year. There's also street parking.
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Sat, Jun 8,
FREE FESTIVAL,
in L.A.:
10 am-6 pm "GARDENS OF THE RENAISSANCE FAMILY FESTIVAL" brings live performances of period music, dance, and storytelling, at The Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr, Los Angeles; http://www.getty.edu.
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It's a free, daylong family festival celebrating the exhibition of the same name, on view now in the Getty Center's North Pavilion.
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Delight in the sounds of madrigals from the 15th and 16th centuries, enjoy English country dancers in period costume, and take-in tales of distant kingdoms with renowned storytellers.
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Interactive workshops allow you to create your own Renaissance garden, mail a garden-themed postcard, and fashion a beautiful wreath adorned with fresh flowers to wear around the festival.
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Family festivals offer a day of celebration and discovery inspired by exhibitions at the Getty Center. Each unique festival features performances by local dance and music groups, storytelling, art-making workshops, and gallery activities.
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Musicians and storytellers are active all day.
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COURTYARD STAGE
AD HOC CONSORT, 10:30–11:15 am & 2:30–3:15 pm. The Ad Hoc Consort is an eclectic group of musicians that enjoy playing and performing music from the Renaissance and medieval periods on instruments from those eras. Recorders, krumhorns, sackbuts, viols, shawms, and serpents make up what you'll see. Come experience the true sounds of the English Renaissance.
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BRIGID'S DAUGHTER, Noon–12:45 pm & 3:45–4:30 pm. Brigid's Daughters features Colleen Russell, Stephanie Molen, and friends. Dressed in beautiful Italian gowns, these performers set to entertain and delight you with music written in the Renaissance era in six different languages.
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COUNTRY GARDEN DANCERS, 1:15–2 pm & 5–5:45 pm. A high-energy troop of English country dancers performs leaps and lifts in a swirling flash of color and sound. Join these lively lads and lasses in a step or two.
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Free; no reservations required.
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Sat, Jun 8,
FESTIVAL,
in Santa Monica:
7:45 am-4:30 pm 4th Annual "PADDLEBOARD RACE & OCEAN FESTIVAL" includes hula dance troupes and live bands on Santa Monica Pier.
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Info, www.santamonicapierpaddle.eventbrite.com.
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It's an annual, all-day, family-friendly celebration of decades of surf, paddleboard and lifeguard history. The event benefits Heal the Bay and the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium and its public marine education facility. In addition to the music and hula, there are Paddleboard Races, a Lifeguard Dory Race, team events, and Relay & Club Challenge races on and in the water. Partake in the kids beach, ocean, waterway stewardship and trivia contests. Help raise money for Heal the Bay.
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Some event highlights:
• Pop-Up Museum of antique surfboards and paddleboards, historic photographs, artifacts and authors
• Heal the Bay "Ocean Stewardship Trivia Contests"
• Classic cars from California Beach Culture
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A few schedule notes:
• 7:45 am Hawaiian Blessing
• 8 am One Mile Ocean Swim
• 8:45 am Lifeguard Dory Race
• 9:15 am Paddleboard 5.5 Mile Long Course & Elite Race
• 9:25 am Live Hula Performances Start
• 10:30 am Beer Garden & Rum Lounge opens
• 11:40 am Lifeguard Dory - Surf Race
• 1 pm Youth Soft-top Surfboard Race
• 1:30 pm Luck of the Draw Relay Race
• 1:45 pm Tommy Bahama Team Challenge Relay Cup
• 3 pm Live Music with the FuDogs
• 3:15 pm Final Awards - Elite Race and SUP Relays
• 3:30 pm Live Music with the FuDogs
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FREE admission, but expensive parking; ride a transit bus from somewhere you can park free.
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Sat, Jun 8; Thu-Sun, Jun 6-9,
FESTIVAL,
in VC (Ojai):
67th Annual "OJAI MUSIC FESTIVAL" in Libbey Bowl, Ojai; info, www.ojaifestival.org.
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This is a truly eclectic music festival, using the word as it was meant before a certain Los Angeles radio station made "eclectic" a euphemism for weird.
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Here's a sample of who is performing:
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Mark Morris is the Festival's 2013 Music Director.
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The Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG), formed in 1980, gave its first concert that year in New York City, and has maintained a vigorous touring schedule ever since.
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MMDG Music Ensemble, formed in 1996, performs with the Dance Group throughout the season at home and on tour.
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American String Quartet and its members Peter Winograd, violin; Laurie Carney, violin; Daniel Avshalomov, viola; and Wolfram Koessel, cello; are internationally recognized as one of the world’s foremost quartets.
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TheBadPlus and its three members, Reid Anderson, Ethan Iverson and David King, have, for the past ten years, broken-down the walls of jazz convention.
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Colin Fowler, piano / organ virtuoso, hails from Kansas City, Kansas and began studying piano at the age of five. The Interlochen Arts Academy, academic honors and fame followed.
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Gamelan Sari Raras, founded and co-directed by Midiyanto and Ben Brinner, is an ensemble in the Department of Music at U.C. Berkeley. (Gamelan is a music form from India.)
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Joshua David (J.D.) Gersen, conductor, is the winner of the prestigious 2011 Aspen Conducting Prize and the 2010 Robert J. Harth Conducting Prize, and he takes the baton for part of the festival.
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Ethan Iverson is best known as one-third of The Bad Plus (TBP), a game-changing collective with Reid Anderson and David King, celebrated by the New York Times.
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redfishbluefish, founded 15 years ago, is called, by The New York Times, a “dynamic percussion ensemble from the University of California.”
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Eva Soltes, filmmaker / performing arts producer has, over the course of her decades-long career, produced, directed and / or written nearly one thousand music, dance, and theater productions.
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Yulia Van Doren, Russian-American soprano, is consistently singled-out by critics for her “perfect baroque voice” (Seattle Times), and has established herself as a rising star.
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Jamie Van Eyck, young American mezzo-soprano, brings polished, elegant vocalism and committed dramatic portrayals on-stage, appealing to audiences and critics alike.
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Douglas Williams, bass-baritone gets lots of press, as “The gifted young bass-baritone...” (Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times) combines a “formidable stage presence” (Seattle Times) with “a bass voice of splendid" calibre.
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Series and single passes are now on sale at the festival's website. Choose passes for individual concerts to fit your interests. Single passes range from $35 to $120, and the festival also offers lawn seating for only $15.
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Sat, Jun 8; Jun 6-9,
FESTIVAL,
in Connecticut:
Annual “STRAWBERRY PARK CAJUN ZYDECO FESTIVAL” in Preston, CT, has a Cajun-zydeco lineup that includes CURLEY TAYLOR & ZYDECO TROUBLE, GENO DELAFOSE & FRENCH ROCKIN’ BOOGIE, STEVE RILEY & THE MAMOU PLAYBOYS, THE PINE LEAF BOYS, LIL’ WAYNE & SAME OL’ 2-STEP, SAVOY FAMILY BAND, JESSE LEGE,JIMMY JO, & PLANET ZYDECO. Go to www.strawberrypark.net/festivals/cajun-zydecofestival for details.
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Sat, Jun 8; Thu-Sat, Jun 6-8,
FESTIVAL,
in Oklahoma:
The American Heritage Music Festival's "FIDDLE FEST" is at Grove on Grand Lake, Oklahoma. Three stages of non-stop talent, big prize money for contests. Clogging on separate stage.
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This one bills itself as "Great fun celebrating our American music - enter the competitions, sign up for open stage, fun contests, OR just listen to super talents, enjoy great food, be inspired and relaxed by the beauty of Grand Lake, with friendly folks all around!"
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Events Thu and Fri evening at the host campground stage at Snider's Camp are open to the public, FREE of charge.
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Check-out www.grandlakefestivals.com/ahmf.htm for schedule, info, online registration, and tickets, or call 918-786-8896.
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Sat, Jun 8; May 23-Jun 9,
FESTIVAL,
in Texas:
Annual "KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL" brings three weeks (not just weekends) of Kerrverts making Folk-Americana music Texas style. Top nu-folk and trad folk artists and legendary all-night jams are all part of it. Info and schedules, www.kerrville-music.com/festival_Info.htm.
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3) Saturday's CONCERTS, CLUB GIGS, SHOWCASES, & other LIVE events:
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Sat, Jun 8, in OC (Orange):
9 am-1 pm WIMBERLEY BLUEGRASS BAND plays the “Farmers and Artisans Market” in Old Towne Orange, 304 N Cypress St (corner of Cypress St &Palm Av), Orange. It features fresh homegrown produce, delicious locally baked goods, and free coffee. The Wimberleys tell us, “There are tables and chairs set up where you can partake of the good food while we play for you, or you can walk around and shop and we'll provide the music.”
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Sat, Jun 8, in Pasadena:
1-3 pm BRANDON SCHOTT hosts "SUMMER SATELLITES," a new summer performing songwriter series in conjunction with his new residency at Jones Coffee Roasters, 693 S Raymond Av, Pasadena 91105; 626-564-9291; www.the bestcoffee.com.
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Brandon says, "We've got a tremendous lineup of guests confirmed for this series, with lots of cross-set interactions and special guests along the way. Family friendly, great vibe, great coffee and of course great music."
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Performing guests:
June 8: Steven Wilson, David Vito Gregoli
June 15: Marvin Etzioni, Jaspr Byrnes
June 22: Joel Martin of The Running Jumps, Honeychain
June 29: Bill Reveles, Jeremy Blietz
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More guests to be announced soon. Keep track at https://www.facebook.com/events/510384762352475
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Sat, Jun 8, in Marina Del Rey:
2-5 pm Weekly "FISHERMAN'S VILLAGE FREE CONCERT" in the Plaza at Fisherman's Village, 13755 Fiji Way, Marina Del Rey 90292.
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FREE outdoor family fun, salty air, and live music. 2 hours free parking with validation (or park at Dock 52 which is Free all day) http://www.visitmarinadelrey.com/events/events-listing
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Fisherman's Village is a collection of shops and restaurants along the docks in Marina del Rey. Enjoy the waterfront, a bite to eat, some local shopping, walking or biking through the scenery, and live music.
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Today, SOUL DOGS is back, 2-5 pm. The band is Sharon Benson (7-string Viper violin, guitar, vocals); Steve Kaufman (acoustic, electric & resonator slide guitars, vocals); Gary Fitzgerald (stand up & electric bass); Leslie Daniel (drums, percussion). More at www.souldogs.com.
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Sat, Jun 8, in San Pedro:
2 pm SAN PEDRO CITY BALLET performs "THE SLEEPING BEAUTY" at the Warner Grand,
Tickets: $15-$20
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Choreographed around the timeless theme "Sleeping Beauty," San Pedro City Ballet and its corps de ballet showcase new, intermediate and advanced students in all genres of dance.
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Sat, Jun 8, in Glendora:
4 pm TEDROW & VREELAND play the American Cancer Society’s “RELAY FOR LIFE” event at Louie Pompei Sports Park in Glendora. Music is free. It’s a fundraiser to fight cancer so bring some cash to spread around. Directions: 210 Fwy to Sunflower, go south (away from the hill), turn left at the traffic light (Gladstone), turn left on Valley Center. The street ends at the parking lot.
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Sat, Jun 8, in Altadena:
7 pm PAT DONOHUE, star guitarist and songwriter from “A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION,” makes his much-anticipated return to the Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena 91001; reservations 626-798-6236 (10 am-10 pm); venue phone 626-398-7917; info www.coffeegallery.com. (“the venue named by the Guide’s editor, writing in FolkWorks, as L.A.’s best intimate acoustic listening room venue”).
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Pat used to grace us with an annual show here, when GARRISON KEILLOR and his radio troupe played their once-a-year show. But the past few years, it hasn’t worked out with Pat’s schedule. He always delivers a wonderful show. This’ll sell-out. Try for the waiting list.
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Sat, Jun 8, in Pasadena:
7-11 pm New "SECOND SATURDAYS" music series at Jones Coffee Roasters, 693 S Raymond Av, Pasadena 91105; 626-564-9291; www.the bestcoffee.com. This series was launched with accomplished Folk-Americana acts, though it purports to be eclectic. Their website eventually lists upcoming acts. Series runs second Saturday of the month. $5 cover, but you can get 2-for-1 if you buy in advance.
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Sat, Jun 8, in San Diego:
7-10:30 pm T-LOU AND HIS SUPER HOT ZYDECO BAND sponsored by BTSC Presents, perform for listening and dancing at War Memorial Hall in Balboa Park, 3325 Zoo Dr, San Diego 92101.
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A leading light of the Los Angeles zydeco scene, singer and accordionist T-Lou was born Louis Joseph Eaglin in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. The son of sharecroppers, he taught himself guitar at the age of 15 and later played bass in a high school R&B combo. Upon graduating high school, he relocated to Houston before settling in California. T-Lou attended a Clifton Chenier concert and fell under zydeco's sway, soon learning accordion and forming the Los Angeles Zydeco Band. After issuing his 1985 album, “T-Lou & His Los Angeles Zydeco Band,” he continued playing regularly along the West Coast in the years leading up to the release of 1993's "Super Hot," which established him in the genre.
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More at http://www.icajunzydeco.com. Doors at 6 pm. Dance lesson is 6:20-7 pm. Open dancing 7-10:30 pm. $10 cover.
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Sat, Jun 8, in Venice:
7-10 pm “GRASSROOTS ACOUSTICA” celebrates its 6th Annual “Pride Edition” with performances by JUDE JOHNSTONE, DUDLEY SAUNDERS, AND STEWART LEWIS, at the The Talking Stick, 1411c Lincoln Bl, Venice 92091; www.thetalkingstick.net; 310-450-6052.
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JUDE JOHNSTONE is an audience fave, always brings an outstanding band with her, has exceptional new CD (her 6th) called “Shatter.”
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DUDLEY SAUNDERS has new CD produced by Ed Tree called “Monster.”
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STEWART LEWIS lives in Washington DC, has had many of his songs placed on film & TV, and is a published author with his latest young adult novel hitting stores next week.
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No cover - all donations at this show benefit Frontiers Education & Awareness Foundation.
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Sat, Jun 8, in OC (San Juan Capistrano):
7-10 pm BETH FITCHET WOOD plays a solo singer-songwritet night at Harlow's Fine Cuisine & Cocktails, 31111 Rancho Viejo Rd, San Juan Capistrano. It's across from the Marbella golf course. Fancy cocktails and very nice "farm to fork" food.
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Sat, Jun 8, in Palmdale:
Time tba MELANIE DEVANEY plus MAYDE IN IRELAND play Butler's Coffee, 40125 10th St West, Palmdale; 661-272-9530; www.butlerscoffee.com.
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Singer-songwriter MELANIE DEVANEY's music has been described as "an organic picnic in a city park" -- a combination of folk-rock, Americana and pop dashed with a little cosmopolitan flair -- but all you really need to know is that she's an awesome talent, an engaging and captivating performer who not only writes crunchy, melodic, sharp-eyed blasts of truthiness but knows how to sell them to a crowd. If you ain't nodding your head in agreement, laughing in self-recognition or humming a melody or two by the time Melanie's set is over, you ain't been listening, man.
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Plus,
MAYDE IN IRELAND, who, with their easy-going charm and a repertoire that ranges from delicately played old traditional Irish and Scottish pastoral ballads to romping stomping Banshee-wailing modern day shenanigans from the likes of The Pogues and Great Big Sea, have never left a crowd doing anything but yelling for more. We're never quite sure what they want more of (Painkillers? Coffee? Restraining orders?), but suffice it to say that Randy (vocals, guitar), Dave (persussion, vocals) Mac (bass) and Frosty (fiddle) know how to throw one musical brouhaha.
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No cover. One-purchase minimum.
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Sat, Jun 8, in OC (Mission Viejo):
7:30 pm THOM BRESH plays the second of two nights for the "Lord Of The Strings Concert Series," this one at Mission Viejo Civic Center; 949-842-2227 or 949-244-6656.
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THOM BRESH, son of legendary guitarist Merle Travis, and an award-winning, Grammy-nominated entertainer / guitar picker / singer on his own, is rated as one of the top guitarists in the world. He's a singer with a voice firmly rooted in the deep south, and a great live performer who has recorded and performed with Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Merle Haggard, Doc Watson, Tommy Emmanuel, and of course his late father, Merle Travis, and many others.
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His show Friday night at the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena was a total crowd-pleaser. That venue's impresario, Bob Stane, says, "Thom Bresh NEVER fails to bring the house down. Hit songs, comical impersonations, virtuoso guitar pickin', all wrapped together in this highly seasoned performer's dynamic stage presentation is an ABSOLUTE MUST. You'll have a blast."
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"The Breshman" was born in Hollywood, California and raised in the middle of guitar royalty. Roy Lanham, Thumbs Carlisle, Jimmy Bryant, Curly Chalker, Joe Maphis, and Leo Fender. Not to mention the members of this elite guitar court who, in life, would become his close friends and peers. Chet Atkins, Ernie Ball, James Burton, Marcel Dadi, Nokie Edwards, Scotty Moore, Les Paul, and Jerry Reed. The list keeps going and growing.
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Now let’s put in "part three" of this equation -- the genes. His father, Merle Travis, was the most influential American guitarist of the 20th Century. With this sort of heritage and upbringing, what do you have? As Chet Atkins put it, "Thom Bresh is a guitarist that deserves to be heard.” (And as John McEuen says, Merle Travis invented Chet Atkins style guitar.")
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In every performance, Bresh pays tribute to his father when he straps on his custom D’Angelico “Thom Bresh Special”. When he lays into his father’s thumbpickin’ classics, he and that guitar leave the Travis-style pickers hungry and the rest of us breathless.
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Buster B. Jones sums it up like this: “Bresh is a drop-top version of his daddy with a souped up engine and a whole lot more chrome.”
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But there is even more in the Bresh entertainment arsenal than singing and playing a guitar. His quick comedic timing and sharp ear have made him an incredible impressionist. That led to two HBO Specials. Thom has hosted his own TV show and guest starred on numerous others. Behind the scenes as a producer, he has received two Grammy nominations and one for an Academy Award.
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This is a must-see artist.
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Sat, Jun 8,
STORYTELLING EVENT,
in Long Beach:
7:30-9:30 pm "LIARS, THIEVES & CHOCOLATE: AN EVENING OF STORY" brings adult storytelling to please both the intellect and the appetite and delight people ages 10 and up, at the El Dorado Nature Center, 7550 E Spring St, Long Beach.
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This evening will showcase local storytellers, including Laura Beasley, Laura Bosworth, Ina Buckner-Barnette, Ron Chick, Marcia Harris, Padraic Keohane, Linda King Pruitt, and David Whiting, who will perform individually for the audience with their own brand of storytelling.
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Admission is $5 per person, with free parking and refreshments. The concert is indoors. Call the Nature Center for reservations: 562-570-1745.
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Sat, Jun 8, in Torrance:
7:30 pm ANDY & RENEE play a House Concert in Torrance. Light dinner served, byob. Doors at 6:30 pm, show at 7:30 pm. $20 donation requested. Reservations get directions at andyhillmusic@hotmail.com.
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ANDY & RENEE and their band HARD RAIN were voted 2013 "Best of the Beach." That's especially appropriate, since the award logo takes the acronym "BOB" and these two and their band produce the annual Bob Dylan Festival, "DYLANFEST."
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Sat, Jun 8, in Covina:
8 pm "CLAREMONT SONGWRITERS" concert with CHRIS DARROW, ROBB STRANDLUND, PATRICK BRAYER, & EDDIE CUNNINGHAM, at the Fret House in Covina.
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These four local Inland Empire singer-songwriters have enjoyed chart-topping and commercial success either as artists or songwriters.
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Chris Darrow, a 45-year veteran of the music business, has been writing songs and recording since the sixties. He was a member of Kaleidoscope, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and has had a long and extensive career as a multi instrumentalist and solo, recording artist. He has performed and recorded with the likes of Linda Ronastadt, James Tayler, Leonard Cohen, John Fahey and Hoyt Axton, to name but a few. His classic song, Whipping Boy, was covered by fellow Claremonter, Ben Harper, on his first album.
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Robb Strandlund, has written a couple of number one records, "Already Gone" for the EAGLES and "I Can Tell By the Way you Dance" for Verne Gosdin. He has had songs covered byBen such artists as Johnny Lee, Gary Morris, The Osborne Brothers, Mickey Gilley, and Tanya Tucker. He has performed extensively over the years as a solo artist, with The Flying Burrito Bros. and Pinkard and Bowden.
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Patrick Brayer is a very successful songwriter. Two of his songs, "So Long, So Wrong," and "The Boy Who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn," covered by Alison Krauss and Union Station. The first was voted "Song of the Year" by the IBMA. Then, Alan Jackson recorded Patrick's classic "Good Imitation of the Blues," which reached #1 on the Country Music charts in 2007.
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Eddie Cunningham is a veteran of the Los Angeles singer-songwriter scene and has written with Desmond Child, Wendy Waldman, Jeffrey Steele and A. l. "Doodle" Owens and has had songs covered by Ben E. King and Moe Bandy.
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The audience will get a chance to hear these fine singers and writers present their material on stage together in an intimate song sharing experience.
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Doors at 7:30 pm for the best seats. Tix, $15.
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Sat, Jun 8, in Arcadia:
8 pm KENNETH BRIAN BAND from Alabama, plus LOOKIN' FOR TROUBLE play the Arcadia Blues Club, 16 E Huntington Dr, Arcadia.
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Great food, generous portions, full bar with drink specials. Take earplugs. Seriously. The sound system here is nice and clear, but LOUD. .
Cover is always very reasonable.
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Sat, Jun 8, in San Pedro:
8 pm JEFF RICHMAN GROUP plays Alva's Showroom, 1417 W 8th St, San Pedro 90732; 800-403-3447 for reservations and info.
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Jeff Richman's extensive professional background includes performing on guitar, composing, arranging and recording music in many genres,and teaching in academic and private settings. He has produced 16 solo albums and toured worldwide with notable musicians over a 35-year career. Jeff is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston. As a student, he studied privately with Pat Metheny, Mick Goodrick and William Levitt and was influenced by talented classmates Mike Stern, Bill Frissel, Al DiMeola and Vinnie Colaiuta to name a few. After graduating, he lived and performed in New York City where he was further influenced by attending live performances of renowned legends Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Charlie Mingus, and other greats. These early influences inspired Jeff and helped him to develop his own voice while striving to make his original compositions meaningful, purposeful, and with an honesty that comes from his heart.
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Alva's Showroom is striving to be a a premier listening room for the Los Angeles region. Complimentary coffee, tea, hot cocoa and "Alvas" bottled water are provided. You are invited to pay the cover and bring your own food & drinks. (Several local food purveyors are nearby.) Tix, $20.
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Sat, Jun 8, in Los Feliz:
8-11 pm THE NE'ER DUWELLS, the all-star Irish band with KEN O'MALLEY, returns to the Tam O'Shanter, 2980 Los Feliz Bl, Los Feliz (L.A.) 90039; www.lawrysonline.com/tam-oshanter.
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Enjoy an evening of traditional and original music and the full menu and full bar in the pub area. This charming Scottish-themed restaurant has been here as part of the Lawry's family, an L.A. area landmark since 1922. No cover, all ages.
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Sat, Jun 8, in Mt. Washington (L.A.):
8 pm BRUCE FORMAN TRIO plays a house concert in the Mt. Washington district of L.A.; reservations get directions. Bruce says, "There is a catch, seating is limited, so when you make your reservation, I can provide you with a map to the secret location." Email Bruce at bruceforman@yahoo.com.
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Bruce Forman is widely known as the leader of COW BOP and as Artist-in-Residence at USC's Thornton School of Music. Tonight he shows another side if his considerable talent.
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Bruce says, "For those of you who are interested in hearing my jazz trio in a great listening environment, this is your opportunity. We have a bunch of special tunes and arrangements, and wine will be provided too." $15.
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Sat, Jun 8, in Grand Terrace (Riverside area):
8 pm JAMIE LAVAL, U.S. National Scottish Fiddle champion, performs a Celtic concert and stories at Azure Hills Church Fellowship Hall, 22633 Barton Rd, Grand Terrace; Advance tix $20 general, $12 students; $22 at door. Advance tix, www.brownpapertickets.com/event/388285.
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Sat, Jun 8, in Santa Monica:
8 pm BLAME SALLY plays McCabe's, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-824-4497; www.mccabes.com. Tix, $20.
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Sat, Jun 8, in L.A.:
Time tba "ANNA DAVID'S TRUE TALES OF LUST & LOVE" returns for its 18th edition at The Mint in L.A.
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This week's show features an all-male lineup with Paul F. Tompkins (Best Week Ever / Mr Show), Dave Ross (Tosh.0 / WOMEN), Eric Martin (This American Wife), Brian Finkelstein (writer - Ellen), DC Pierson (DERRICK) and of course, Ms. David herself.
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Sat, Jun 8, in L.A.:
9 pm THE BOB MALONE BAND plays The Mint, 6010 W Pico Bl (2 blks E of La Cienega), Los Angeles.
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Bob Malone is a fine showman and superbly talented musician who crafts original songs that should be classics. You've seen a lot of him lately on TV, performing as JOHN FOGERTY's keyboard player.
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Dinner reservations recommended, at 323-954-9400. Advance tix at www.themintla.com. More on the show, and what's up with Bob, at www.bobmalone.com.
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Tix, $15.
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Sunday, June 9
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Sunday's Sections:
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1) Sunday's MUSIC CAMP
3) Sunday's FESTIVALS
4) Sunday's CONCERTS, CLUB GIGS, SHOWCASES, & other LIVE events
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1) Sunday's MUSIC CAMP:
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Sun, Jun 9; Thu-Sun, Jun 6-9,
MUSIC CAMP,
on the Central Coast:
Annual "SUMMERSONGS WEST" in Cambria, CA, is a songwriting, singing, and series of instrument and performance workshops, and performances for attendees.
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Teachers include Sloan Wainwright (from the famous Wainwright family), Teresa Tuduri (described as a “force of nature” by more than a few), Penny Nichols, Severin Browne, David Roth (co-writer of “To The Light” with Severin Browne & Freebo), Dale LaDuke, and more.
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Severin describes it as "an extended weekend of bliss," and adds, "we’d love to share it with you." Registration is currently available for its winter counterpart.
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Info at http://summersongs.com/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=62
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2) Sunday's FESTIVALS:
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Sun, Jun 9; Sat & Sun, Jun 8 & 9,
FESTIVAL,
in San Dimas:
Annual "SAN DIMAS HO'OLAULE'A HAWAIIAN FESTIVAL" brings two days of Polynesian music, dance and culture in a benefit festival for the Nature Center at the San Dimas Regional County Park; event held at San Dimas Canyon Nature Center, 1628 N Sycamore Canyon Rd, San Dimas 91773; www.sandimascanyonnaturecenter.com.
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A beautiful natural setting with the "Spirit of Aloha" will, as they say in Hawai'ian Creole (aka Pidgin) "make-a you feel like you in da islands." "Come have good fun, say your Hawai'ian cousin."
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Continuous live music, dancing and other entertainment with top local artists & halaus both days. Merchandise vendors, ono food from islands-style food vendors, nature crafts, animal displays, animal sanctuary, play area and more. Free parking. Runs Sat 10 am-8 pm, Sun 10 am-4 pm.
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More info, 818-437-7132 or hawaii@hawaiiuncleroddy.com; http://HawaiiUncleRoddy.com.
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Sun, Jun 9; Thu-Sun, Jun 6-9,
FESTIVAL,
in VC (Ojai):
67th Annual "OJAI MUSIC FESTIVAL" in Libbey Bowl, Ojai; info, www.ojaifestival.org.
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This is a truly eclectic music festival, using the word as it was meant before a certain Los Angeles radio station made "eclectic" a euphemism for weird.
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Here's a sample of who is performing:
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Mark Morris is the Festival's 2013 Music Director.
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The Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG), formed in 1980, gave its first concert that year in New York City, and has maintained a vigorous touring schedule ever since.
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MMDG Music Ensemble, formed in 1996, performs with the Dance Group throughout the season at home and on tour.
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American String Quartet and its members Peter Winograd, violin; Laurie Carney, violin; Daniel Avshalomov, viola; and Wolfram Koessel, cello; are internationally recognized as one of the world’s foremost quartets.
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TheBadPlus and its three members, Reid Anderson, Ethan Iverson and David King, have, for the past ten years, broken-down the walls of jazz convention.
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Colin Fowler, piano / organ virtuoso, hails from Kansas City, Kansas and began studying piano at the age of five. The Interlochen Arts Academy, academic honors and fame followed.
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Gamelan Sari Raras, founded and co-directed by Midiyanto and Ben Brinner, is an ensemble in the Department of Music at U.C. Berkeley. (Gamelan is a music form from India.)
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Joshua David (J.D.) Gersen, conductor, is the winner of the prestigious 2011 Aspen Conducting Prize and the 2010 Robert J. Harth Conducting Prize, and he takes the baton for part of the festival.
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Ethan Iverson is best known as one-third of The Bad Plus (TBP), a game-changing collective with Reid Anderson and David King, celebrated by the New York Times.
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redfishbluefish, founded 15 years ago, is called, by The New York Times, a “dynamic percussion ensemble from the University of California.”
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Eva Soltes, filmmaker / performing arts producer has, over the course of her decades-long career, produced, directed and / or written nearly one thousand music, dance, and theater productions.
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Yulia Van Doren, Russian-American soprano, is consistently singled-out by critics for her “perfect baroque voice” (Seattle Times), and has established herself as a rising star.
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Jamie Van Eyck, young American mezzo-soprano, brings polished, elegant vocalism and committed dramatic portrayals on-stage, appealing to audiences and critics alike.
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Douglas Williams, bass-baritone gets lots of press, as “The gifted young bass-baritone...” (Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times) combines a “formidable stage presence” (Seattle Times) with “a bass voice of splendid" calibre.
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Series and single passes are now on sale at the festival's website. Choose passes for individual concerts to fit your interests. Single passes range from $35 to $120, and the festival also offers lawn seating for only $15.
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Sun, Jun 9; Jun 6-9,
FESTIVAL,
in Connecticut:
Annual “STRAWBERRY PARK CAJUN ZYDECO FESTIVAL” in Preston, CT, has a Cajun-zydeco lineup that includes CURLEY TAYLOR & ZYDECO TROUBLE, GENO DELAFOSE & FRENCH ROCKIN’ BOOGIE, STEVE RILEY & THE MAMOU PLAYBOYS, THE PINE LEAF BOYS, LIL’ WAYNE & SAME OL’ 2-STEP, SAVOY FAMILY BAND, JESSE LEGE,JIMMY JO, & PLANET ZYDECO. Go to www.strawberrypark.net/festivals/cajun-zydecofestival for details.
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Sun, Jun 9; Thu-Sat, Jun 6-8,
FESTIVAL,
in Oklahoma:
The American Heritage Music Festival's "FIDDLE FEST" is at Grove on Grand Lake, Oklahoma. Three stages of non-stop talent, big prize money for contests. Clogging on separate stage.
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This one bills itself as "Great fun celebrating our American music - enter the competitions, sign up for open stage, fun contests, OR just listen to super talents, enjoy great food, be inspired and relaxed by the beauty of Grand Lake, with friendly folks all around!"
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Events Thu and Fri evening at the host campground stage at Snider's Camp are open to the public, FREE of charge.
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Check-out www.grandlakefestivals.com/ahmf.htm for schedule, info, online registration, and tickets, or call 918-786-8896.
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Sun, Jun 9; May 23-Jun 9,
FESTIVAL,
in Texas:
CLOSING DAY of Annual "KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL" brings three weeks (not just weekends) of Kerrverts making Folk-Americana music Texas style. Top nu-folk and trad folk artists and legendary all-night jams are all part of it. Info and schedules, www.kerrville-music.com
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3) Sunday's CONCERTS, CLUB GIGS, SHOWCASES, & other LIVE events:
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Sun, Jun 9, in Malibu:
12:30-3:30 pm THE BLIND BLAKES with fiddler CHRIS MURPHY play Calamigos Ranch, 327 Latigo Canyon Rd, Malibu 90265; 818-540-2400.
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The Blind Blakes play an eclectic mixture of retro style originals: gypsy, jazz, Irish, bluegrass, world music, and more.
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No cover, all ages.
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Sun, Jun 9, in Long Beach:
3-7 pm JOE SANDS FONTENOT Traditional Creole Dance at the Golden Sails Hotel, 6285 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach 90803.
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Admission: $10 at the door. Gumbo and chicken & rib bar-bq (by Joe Fontenot) is a $5 suggested donation. Info, contact Dempsey at 562-396-1132 or bontemppappion@aol.com; or David at 909-527-0926 or davidsousa@verizon.net
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Kids, families, singles welcome. Tasty food also available at reasonable prices at the hotel restaurant which opens at 5 pm.
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Sun, Jun 9, in San Pedro:
3 pm ZHENA FOLK CHORUS performs at the Grand Annex. Tickets: $15 advance / $20 day of show / $25 Table Seat*
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In authentic and resplendent dress, Zhena Folk Chorus brings to life the unique and hauntingly beautiful folk songs of Eastern Europe. With opening act: Soul of Anatolia
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Sun, Jun 9, in Pasadena:
3:30 pm BARRY McGUIRE & JOHN YORK play a benefit concert for homeless families in a specially-crafted “HURT & HOPE” version of their “TRIPPIN’ THE ’60s” show, at 1st Church of the Nazarene, 3700 E Sierra Madre Bl, Pasadena 91107.
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In 1965, BARRY McGUIRE sang about a world of hurt in his landmark delivery of the #1 Billboard Hit (and banned from the radio) song, “Eve of Destruction.” In 2013, he sings about his journey to hope.
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JOHN YORK is a former member of THE BYRDS who has toured the world as an accomplished performing songwriter.
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It’s a benefit for the homeless, with proceeds going to Family Promise of San Gabriel Valley. More on the event at www.conta.cc/ZaAROW
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Advance tix $30 at 626-675-1316. Tix at door, $35.
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Sun, Jun 9, in San Pedro:
4 pm THOM BRESH, solo fingerstyle guitar master, plays Alva's Showroom, 1417 W 8th St, San Pedro 90732; 800-403-3447 for reservations and info.
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Thom Bresh was the 2001 inductee into the Thumbpickers Hall of Fame. Thom is a country music singer. He is the biological son of Merle Travis. Bresh did not begin his music career until his adult years. From age 3 to age 17, he worked as an actor and stuntman at Corriganville, where such programs as The Lone Ranger and the Billy the Kidd trilogy were filmed.[4] He later gained stage experience singing, doing impressions and playing guitar in a country-pop lounge band led by Hank Penny, an old friend of Travis's. Finger-picking in the style made famous by Travis, he brings the Travis legacy to new audiences. Bresh is a singer, songwriter, impressionist, and instrumentalist, whose instrument of choice is his custom-made two-sided Langejans SuperDualette (see photo at right), which he calls "my band." He has performed alongside performers ranging from Bob Hope to Chet Atkins to Gordon Lightfoot. Bresh hosted a weekly television variety show of his own creation, Nashville Swing, has been a regular on the Merv Griffin Show and Dinah, and made a guest appearance on the TNN special A Salute to the Country Greats. As a producer, he has been employed by Country legend Jerry Reed, Classical guitarist Valerie DuChateau, and Merle Travis. As a videographer, Bresh has shot, produced, and edited projects for Hank Thompson, Lyle Lovett, Brooks & Dunn, George Jones, Tanya Tucker and Jerry Reed.
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Alva's Showroom is striving to be a a premier listening room for the Los Angeles region. Complimentary coffee, tea, hot cocoa and "Alvas" bottled water are provided. You are invited to pay the cover and bring your own food & drinks. (Several local food purveyors are nearby.)
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Tix, $20.
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Sun, Jun 9, in Echo Park (L.A.):
4:30 pm Weekly "GRAND OLE ECHO" starts an hour earlier today for a set by JAVIER ESCOVEDO at the Echo, 1822 W Sunset Bl, Echo Park. (Just E of Glendale Bl undercrossing.)
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This is L.A.'s best free series if your tastes run in the direction of alt-country / honky-tonk type Americana music.
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Here's this evening's full lineup:
• Javier Escovedo, 4:45-5:15
• TV Mike & The Scarecrows, 5:30-6:15
• Michael Ulbadini, 6:30-7:15
• Rich Mahan, 7:30-8:45
Plus,
Year of Suns performs on the backporch between mainstage sets
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Here are some deets on the acts:
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• JAVIER ESCOVEDO
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is a Southern California musician who is best known as the singer, guitarist and chief songwriter of the legendary seventies punk rock band The Zeros (Bomp Records). That group was known for its infectious, spirited songs; its raucous, lively shows and a handful of fabulous singles that are now valued collectors’ items.
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During the eighties, Javier relocated to Austin, Texas where he joined his brother Alejandro Escovedo in the True Believers (EMI Records), one of America’s finest rock bands operating during the period. The group’s two albums on a single compact disc, "Hard Road." (Rykodisc Records) is well worth searching out.
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In fact, the Escovedo family is full of talent: older brothers Pete and Coke recorded and toured with Santana and Herbie Hancock; younger brother Mario was in The Dragons, and niece Sheila E often works with Prince. Meanwhile, since the break-up of The True Believers, Alejandro has been kept busy with a solo career that has garnered much critical acclaim.
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Javier's songwriting is internationally known. The Nomads (Sweden) have recorded two of his songs. "Black and White," a song from The Zeros, was a Number Two record in Sweden for the group Sator. The Hoodoo Gurus of Australia and French sensation Calvin Russel have also recorded Javier's songs.
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It is a complete mystery why Javier, a man with so much ability, is just now releasing his first solo album, "City Lights" on F.O.L.C. Records Spain, but here it is, and it’s a fine one, packed full of intelligent, straight-ahead rock songs that might just be instant classics.
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At this shows the band will be Brian Young, Andrew Mckeag (Presidents of the USA), Joe Bass, and Javier Escovedo. More at www.facebook.com/pages/Javier-Escovedo/159138260784123
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• RICH MAHAN & THE COCKTAIL HEROES
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are of course led by Rich, who smiles when he sings. And it’s not just because the songs on the Nashville artist’s freewheeling solo debut "Blame Bobby Bare" are laced with ribald humor and 101-proof wisdom.
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The biggest reason for the guitarist/singer-songwriter’s ear-to-ear grin is that his album features several musicians he listened to growing up in St. Louis and Los Angeles. Music City legends like harmonica master P.T. Gazell who played for years with Johnny Paycheck and pedal steel guitarist Robby “Man of Steel” Turner who’s worked with everyone from Waylon Jennings to Frank Sinatra.
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Also appearing on the album and providing background vocals is Bekka Bramlett, a solo artist, former member of Fleetwood Mac and daughter of ’70s rockers Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett. “When I was a teenager, I saw Delaney play at Trancas in Zuma Beach in the late 80’s. He had a fantastic singer with him, and I remember thinking she was giving Bonnie a run for her money. Not long ago, I was hanging out with Bekka and asked, ‘Was that you singing with your daddy back then?’ She just laughed and said, ‘You think?’ Turns out, I was enamored with her singing even before I knew who she was.”
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Everyone Mahan invited to take part in the recording sessions said yes. “Even more unbelievable,” he says, “Each of these super heavy players dug recording these songs so much that they offered to come and play live too.”
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They agreed to join Mahan and producer/engineer Brian Harrison (Shelby Lynne) based largely on the strength of songs like “Mama Found My Bong,” “Rehab’s for Quitters” and “Tequila Y Mota,” which mix country and rock in a way that recalls the outlaw country movement of the ’70s. “P.T. indirectly paid me a huge compliment after a recent gig,” Mahan recalls. “He told a couple of the other band members that these songs reminded him what he was doing with Johnny Paycheck back in ’78.”
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The warm, natural sound at the heart of "Blame Bobby Bare" is deliberate, says Mahan, who insisted that the album be recorded with vintage analog gear. Tracked to 24-track, two-inch tape, the music was then mixed and mastered to preserve the music’s natural dynamics (i.e., no brickwalling). “I truly believe music sounds better when it ebbs and flows. Much of that’s been lost today where loudness is king, which is why so many albums sound like a shouting match instead of a conversation.”
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That emphasis on dynamics highlights the tasteful arrangements, which provide ample space for the instruments to shine. Mahan says his approach was influenced by Grammy-winning producer Billy Sherrill (George Jones, Charlie Pride). “His productions were so great at stating a theme at the top and then having different instruments take turns riffing through the song — guitar under the verse, pedal steel for the chorus and then harmonica for the solo. It’s about focusing on what serves the song best and getting rid of everything else.”
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As you would expect from its title, one of the album’s primary influences is Bobby Bare, a legendary country artist whose hits span nearly three decades and range from the playful (“Tequila Shelia,” “Quaaludes Again”) to the poignant (“Streets of Baltimore,” “How I Got to Memphis.”) For this album, Mahan chose to cover “Put A Little Lovin’ On Me,” a hit for Bare in 1976 from his album "The Winner and Other Losers."
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“Growing up, I remember how stressed my dad would get from work. But on the weekends, he would cut loose and crank these great records by Bobby Bare. Those songs made him so happy. I wanted to tap into that power and make a record that makes people feel good.”
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As for Bare, Mahan believes the Nashville legend will appreciate the album, even if it does “blame” him. “I hope a copy finds its way to him and he gets a kick out of it,” Mahan says. “Who knows, maybe we’ll end up fishing together and I’ll get a chance to thank him for all the smiles he’s given me and my dad over the years.”
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More at www.richmahan.com
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• MICHAEL & THE LONESOME PLAYBOYS
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are all about keepin' country real in their CD, "Bottle Cap Sky," delivering a record for fans that want an alt country alternative to the stock Nashville slick pop sound.
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As series producer Kim Grant observes, "There’s an underground scene in every city and for Los Angeles, that scene is Americana / Roots music. Old and young, there is no generation gap; everyone is pulled together by a common thread—good music and musicians that know how to play it."
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One of these musicians is Michael Ubaldini, of Michael and the Lonesome Playboys. Disillusioned with the pop slick sounds that mainstream country music has been churning out, Ubaldini has written an antiphon to this music called, "Bottle Cap Sky." The 15-song record is rooted in the traditional sounds of honky tonk, rock n’ roll and blues, but with 21st Century lyrics and an attitude of early Dylan and Kerouac and the influences Hank Williams and The Clash. (Joe Strummer was actually a fan of Ubaldini’s and would show up for his L.A. gigs when able).
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Dylan and Kerouac are heavy names to be throwing around, but backing up these lyrical claims is the fact that Ubaldini has written a book of poetry, “Lost American Nights: Lyrics and Poems” which is now in its 2nd edition.
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Along with strong lyrics, Michael & The Lonesome Playboys recorded "Bottle Cap Sky" live without auto-tuning or a lot of tracking. So, what you hear are musicians who have mastered their instruments. Or, as Ubaldini likes to joke, “My records have no Botox.”
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His band on the record includes two members of his live performance band, Rob King on bass and Gary Brandin on pedal steel and dobro. Michael plays lead guitar and acoustic and adds blues harmonica to the mix. Guest musicians included Candy Girard on fiddle (Jerry Garcia, Mason Williams) and Jeremy Long on piano. Jim Doyle (Charlie Terrell, Jesse Harris) is Ubaldini’s new live drummer, but on the record, several guests keep the beat: Mickey Wieland, Kip Dabbs, Jerry Angel and Mitch Ross.
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The songs on "Bottle Cap Sky" were influenced by Ubaldini’s life, a few of them written from a hospital bed in 2010 where he was fighting for his life from endocarditis. (CNN did a news story on Ubaldini during this period about his recovery). They are full of characters from what he calls his “circus style” of existence -- outlaws, Texas oil tycoons, crooked lawmakers and false prophets. “Basically, my wild life and the road to its salvation.”
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“Walk through Fire” is a kicking Memphis blues tune that is both soulful and has a groove. It’s about facing down death with a strong will to survive. “Moon Dog Mad” is a honky-tonk Armageddon of a song where you find your toes conversely tapping to the lyrics, “there’s blood on the moon and things are looking real bad.” The gears shift for the ballad, “Lonesome when you’re Gone” and “Three Cheers for Heartache” is a melodic rock n’ roll song with a country feel with the lyrics saluting the outcasts of the world. “Rosewood Night” is a haunting country tune about betrayal, and yet hope holding out for a love’s return.
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Whether it’s love, betrayal, sex, rebellion, sin or salvation, Michael Ubaldini’s got it covered. “The songs all mean something to me,” he says, “I’m usually jacked up on caffeine in an all-night diner or cheap motel when I’m writing them. I try to be in the moment, so the story or sense of place is in the songs. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t gone through what I had to write a particular song, but if it helps someone out in their own dire situation and can give hope, well that means a lot to me.”
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Los Angeles and Nashville have been taking notice—recently Dwight Yoakam hand-picked the band to open for him on a Southern tour and they are in their 6th year of traveling to the famous Bluebird Café, where they are annually asked to play. Ubaldini’s last record, Last of the Honky Tonks garnered rave reviews stateside and entered the Mojo Magazine charts at #6 and it topped the CMP charts in the UK.
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When asked about his core fan base, Ubaldini says, “We tend to get a lot of hard-core Americana music fans and people I would call outcasts. And by outcasts I mean the current generation of country music listeners who are displaced. There are a lot of young people who are exploring traditional country music and also looking for something fresh.” He continues, “I have kids coming up to me all of the time and telling me they like my music. I feel proud when they say it made them look at the genre of honky-tonk and roots music in a new light.”
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In this culture of reality television where artists beg to be approved by a panel of judges, Ubaldini is a breath of fresh air. Citing Blake Shelton as an example, Ubaldini claims that country music has “devolved not evolved”. “People should pay attention to the call of the music and not kowtow to industry insiders”, he says, “Just imagine if the Beatles let any suits convince them that guitars were on their way out, or if Dylan listened to the critics who told him that he can’t sing.” “ I just love to write and I love music—that’s what drives me—the drive to create. It’s what I do. I just go where the wind and the music take me.”
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Michael & The Lonesome Playboys will celebrate the release of "Bottle Cap Sky," opening for David Allan Coe on August 10th at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. But you can catch 'em here, for free.
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More at www.rocknrollpoet.com
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• T.V. MIKE & THE SCARECROWS
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are outsiders with insight. With one foot in the same Bay Area bayou that the Fogerty brothers once walked, and the other foot in, well, the same Bay Area bayou that birthed The Grateful Dead, these mostly-Hoosier transplants have been known to make a stir from Mendocino to the San Joaquin, to every honky-tonk and hipster bar in between. With Swagger to spare they steer a course between Beachwood Sparks' cosmic-country and the more trad. bluegrass leanings of The Avett Brothers, with both of whom they have shared stages.
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More at www.bravescarecrow.com
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• YEAR OF SUNS
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from the onset, should be thought of in the context of dreams -- only in the fact that the band and its music slid into consciousness like a featherlight haze.
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This music made itself apparent to a fellow by the name of Chris Matthews, who then approached his friends Jon Wubbena and Chris Weisson to help him make sense of the new material. After recording a seven song demo in a little yellow house made of light, things changed a bit for the "group". Chris Matthews moved out to California to fulfill his wanderlust, and Chris Weisson followed. Serendipitously, Jon moved out to the west coast as well. And it seems they have decided to see things through.
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More at www.yearofsuns.com
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No cover, all-ages show. Venue has full bar, and basic bbq fare is available out back.
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Sun, Jun 9, in Santa Monica:
5-8 pm THE BRACKEN BAND with fiddler CHRIS MURPHY plays Finn McCool's Irish Pub, 2702 Main St, Santa Monica; 310-452-1734.
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They play traditional and contemporary Irish, Celtic, folk and originals featuring Chris Murphy on the fiddle & Marian Thomas Griffin on guitar and vocals.
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No cover, all ages.
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Sun, Jun 9, in Santa Monica:
5 pm KATHLEEN GRACE QUARTET plays the "Jazz Vespers" series at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, 1343 Ocean Park Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-452-1116; office@mtolivelutheranchurch.
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"Grace borrows from several genres in her writing and arranging, combining virtuosic jazz with the textures of indie folk / rock."
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Kathleen Grace is a delight, a marvelous vocalist and pianist. Her band is Antony Wilson on guitar, Erik Kertes on bass, and David Steele on guitar.
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Jazz vocalist Kathleen Grace has made a name for herself on the national scene as a lyrical vocalist with a desire to push boundaries. She has performed at festivals in the U.S., Europe and South America including the Montreux Jazz Festival and the SXSW Music Festival. A product of the fertile music scene in Los Angeles. The result is music played at the highest level and enhanced by eclectic instrumentation and vocal harmonies.
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“Pure-toned jazz vocalist …stepping into her own as an incisive tunesmith” -- San Francisco Chronicle.
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More at www.kathleengrace.com
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Jazz Vespers is a monthly event at Mt. Olive that features local Los Angeles musicians of prominence. The acoustics in the Mt. Olive sanctuary are hauntingly beautiful and each month hundreds of Santa Monica residents line up for the freewill concerts that continue to gain notoriety and praise.
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Freewill offering. Free parking and childcare provided.
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Sun, Jun 9, in Newhall (Santa Clarita):
5 pm Monthly "OPEN BLUES JAM" hosted this month by WUMBLOOZO and presented by the "Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society," at Vincenzo's Pizza Newhall.
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Sun, Jun 9, in Ventura:
7 pm THE SALTY SUITES, one of the best young acoustic bands in roots music, playing tonight as a foursome with Elaine, Chuck, Chelsea and Scott, at Zoeys Cafe, 185 E Santa Clara, Ventura; reservations 805-652-0091. Food is great, the drinks are cold, and tonight the listening room is warm and tunefully "Suite."
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Sun, Jun 9, in Santa Monica:
8 pm PATTY LARKIN plays McCabe's, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-824-4497; www.mccabes.com. Tix, $20.
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Sun, Jun 9, in Hollywood:
8 pm MANDY PATINKIN in Concert with the PASADENA POPS at the Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Bl East, Hollywood 90068; 323-GO1-FORD (323-461-3673); www.FordTheatres.org; box dinner orders available for some shows at 310-652-3797. [aka John Anson Ford Amphitheatre.] Come early and bring your own picnic to enjoy at tables & chairs in the “leafy entryway” by the waterfalls (you can bring your own wine or other beverage, and grounds open 2 hours before show time for picnicking). Food & drink are available on-site, though they always run out of hot cocoa when it’s chilly.
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Noted for his award-winning roles on Broadway (“Evita” and “Sunday in the Park with George”) and beloved for his roles on screens big (“The Princess Bride,” “Yentl”) and small (
Homeland,” “Chicago Hope,” and “Criminal Minds”), Mandy Patinkin dazzles in this musical adaptation of popular song and Broadway classics. Conducted for this concert by ERIC STERN, the Pasadena POPS is an ensemble of Southern California’s most sought after musicians. With extensive credits in the film, television, recording and orchestral industry, the artists of Pasadena Symphony and POPS are the most heard in the world.
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Reserved seating tickets: $95, $75, $55.
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After June 9…
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Wed, Jun 12, in L.A.:
All day - Opening day of "RINGO: PEACE & LOVE," a debut exhibition at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. Tix and info, 213-765-6800; www.grammymuseum.org.
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This is the first major exhibition to explore the life and extraordinary career of 7-time GRAMMY Award® winner and iconic BEATLE RINGO STARR and the first major exhibit ever dedicated to a drummer.
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The GRAMMY Museum, in cooperation with Ringo Starr himself, is debuting this major new exhibition, opening June 12, 2013. The one-of-a-kind, LIMITED-RUN exhibit will offer visitors an unprecedented in-depth look at all aspects of Starr’s musical and creative life –- as a musician, artist, actor, and as the man the world knows and loves simply as "Ringo."
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Important to Ringo, it also aims to propel his "universal message of peace and love."
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The scope of the exhibit spans Ringo’s early life growing up in Liverpool, from RAVING TEXANS turned RORY STORM, from THE BEATLES to becoming a solo artist, and then to the ALL STARRS with whom he continues to tour. The unique collection brings together diverse artifacts, rare and never before seen photographs, documents, personal letters and film and video footage.
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"Ringo: Peace & Love" will be located on the second floor in The GRAMMY Museum's Special Exhibits Gallery and will include:
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• The drum kit Ringo played on "Let It Be," "Abbey Road," and "The White Album"
• The drum kit he played on "The Ed Sullivan Show"
• Ringo's "Sgt Pepper" Suit
• The cape he wore in "Help!"
• The red jacket worn during the filming of The Beatles' rooftop concert
• Personal letters, photographs and documents from the Starkey family and Ringo's days with The Beatles
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It also includes an innovative interactive exhibit, the kind of thing for which the Grammy Museum is renowned, "where visitors can take a drum lesson with Ringo."
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"With this exhibition, the Grammy Museum becomes the only museum in the world to host major special exhibitions dedicated to each member of THE BEATLES," said Museum Director Robert Santelli earlier this year when he gave the Guide a heads-up that this was coming.
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The entrance to the GRAMMY Museum, in the L.A. LIVE complex, is on Figueroa, just S of Olympic (official address is 800 W Olympic Bl, Suite A245, one block from STAPLES Center), Los Angeles 90015. You can walk from the Red Line subway or the Blue Line light rail's Chuc Hearne Station and avoid expensive parking fees in the area.
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Advance tickets strongly recommended for opening day. (Contact info above.)
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Tue, Jun 11 in L.A.:
7 pm SOKO, from France, plays Sonos Studio, 145 N La Brea, L.A.
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SoKo at Sonos: Join the French musician-actress SoKo for an intimate performance of selections from her debut album “I Thought I Was An Alien,” being released June 11 on Community Music. More at www.s-o-k-o.com.
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Tue, Jun 11, in Altadena:
7 pm “DAVID HARVEY PRESENTS” is a fine showcase this month, with performances by TRACY NEWMAN, LISA TURNER, CHAUNCEY BOWERS, and JAMES HURLEY, with spoken-word artist DYLAN BRODY, at The Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena.
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Tickets are $10 at the door but seating is limited, so it's a good idea to get there a bit early.
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Wed, Jun 12, in Santa Monica:
9:30 pm-1:30 am THE DEVIL'S BOX with fiddler CHRIS MURPHY plays original bluegrass, country, blues and more, at The Basement Tavern, 2640 Main St, Santa Monica; 310-396-2469.
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The Devil's Box specializes in bluegrass tunes featuring the fiddle, bass, guitar, mandolin, and percussion.
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No cover. Venue is 21+.
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Thu, Jun 13,
FREE WORKSHOP for ARTISTS,
Online:
1 pm (Pacific) "PIANO CLINIC" with DAVE LIMINA, presented as an exclusive "Berklee Online Event."
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Join Berklee Piano Professor Dave Limina for a FREE half-hour online clinic covering concepts and techniques from his online courses, "Blues and Rock Keyboard Techniques" and "Pop/Rock Keyboard." Dave's clinic will cover "How to play a rock and roll piano solo;" "Making simple chord progressions;" and more interesting New Orleans piano techniques for classically trained pianists.
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Register in advance at https://www.berkleemusic.com/openhouse-signup/?id=37&pid=5250&mkt%5ftok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRokuKXIZKXonjHpfsX56e4pUaCwlMI%2f0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4CScJqI%2bSLDwEYGJlv6SgFTrnCMadl0rgJWBE%3d
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Jun 13 -30,
FESTIVAL,
in Hollywood:
Annual "HOLLYWOOD FRINGE FESTIVAL," the largest celebration of the performing arts in Los Angeles, brings an eclectic array of music performances. Tickets are on sale now. It's too vast to sort-out for you, and the Folk-Americana music offerings are not abundant. Check it out at www.hollywoodfringe.org.
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Thu-Sun, Jun 13-16,
FESTIVAL,
in Tennessee:
Annual “BONNAROO MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL” this year has a decidedly AMERICANA music spirit and is SOLD OUT. Whether or not you can go, check out the new 26-song "Americana Bonnaroo" playlist on Spotify, at:
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http://open.spotify.com/user/maquilato/playlist/7pWxXxFLa1CdlfKGL6ldLO
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Everything you want to know about the festival itself is at www.bonnaroo.com
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Thu, Jun 13, near UCLA:
3-6 pm "WESTWOOD VILLAGE FARMERS MARKET" includes live music, today by THE SOUL DOGS, at 1083 Broxton Av, Los Angeles 90024.
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SOUL DOGS is Sharon Benson (7-string Viper violin, guitar, vocals); Steve Kaufman (acoustic, electric & resonator slide guitars, vocals); Gary Fitzgerald (stand up & electric bass); Leslie Daniel (drums, percussion). More at www.souldogs.com.
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Thu, Jun 13, in SGV (Covina):
8 pm THOM BRESH, “Merle Travis-Style Guitar Master,” plays The Fret House, 309 N Citrus Av, Covina 91723; 626-339-7020; www.frethouse.com. Doors at 7:30 for the best seats. More at www.bresh.com. Tix, $15.
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Thu-Sat, Jun 13-15, in OC (Costa Mesa):
8 pm THE MIDTOWN MEN (originally the leads in the Tony Award-winning musical "Jersey Boys") play the final concert of the 2012-13 Pacific Symphony's Pops season, led by Principal Pops Conductor Richard Kaufman, in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa.
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Called “Ambassadors of the ’60s,” the four stars of The Midtown Men bring their Broadway talent, top-shelf choreography and unique onstage chemistry to three nights of orchestra-backed performances. Taking the world by storm as the original cast of the Broadway hit “Jersey Boys,” the talented quartet reunites as The Midtown Men.
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They perform favorite 1960s hits from The Four Seasons, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Motown and more, all backed by the lush sounds of the full symphony orchestra.
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Tony Award-winner Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard and Tony Award-nominee J. Robert Spencer share their old-school singing style in a one-of-a-kind concert experience celebrating the music that defined the ’60s.
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The concert runs Thursday through Saturday. Advance tix at www.pacificsymphony.org.
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Fri-Sun, Jun 14-16,
FESTIVAL,
in Ontario:
37th Annual “HUCK FINN'S JUBILEE,” the national award-winning Father's Day Weekend event, changes towns this year, moving to Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park, 800 N Archibald Av, Ontario 91764.
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The popular bluegrass-themed festival is moving from its original location at Mojave Narrows Regional Park in a bittersweet decision for the family of event founder DON TUCKER, who passed away after suffering a stroke in October.
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The festival’s new home, Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park, is a 150-acre venue with green grass stage area, bountiful trees and two stocked lakes for fishing. The park is surrounded by a variety of hotels and offers quick and easy access from the I-10 freeway. They even offer motorhome rentals. Check out the festival video at www.promo.huckfinn.com and get all the details, including early-bird discount tix, camping, etc, at www.huckfinn.com.
+
Complete schedule of performances for each day are now available at www.huckfinn.com/overall-schedule/
+
This festival also features LIVING HISTORY. Go back to a time when mountain men still roamed America's frontier. Let the mountain men at Huck Finn take you on a journey into the past where you can experience the sights and sounds of what used to be, creating memories for any age.
+
Under Don Tucker’s leadership, Huck Finn achieved multiple recognitions as one of the finest family-friendly music festivals in America. We expect his family will carry on with the same commitment and continue to produce a model event.
.
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.
Fri-Sun, Jun 14-16,
FESTIVAL,
in Santa Barbara Co.:
Annual “LIVE OAK MUSIC FESTIVAL” at Live Oak Camp, in the Coast Range, NW of Santa Barbara is the annual benefit for Santa Barbara / Central Coast public radio, and a superbly well-produced all-ages event with a gently bohemian feel. Get out your tie-dyes, or buy them there.
+
The lineup is almost complete and they brag (with real justification) “we have some amazing acts coming your way for the 25th Annual Live Oak Music Festival Father's Day Weekend!”
+
Performers include:
+
• JERRY DOUGLAS, 13-time Grammy winner, three-time CMA Musician of the Year and "The King of the Dobro."
• ROBERT EARL KEEN, Texas singer-songwriter and called "One of our nation's finest musical storytellers."
• STOOGES BRASS BAND, winners of the 2010 New Orleans Street Kings competition and Best Contemporary Brass Band at the 2011 Big Easy Music Awards
• RUTHIE FOSTER, rootsy rhythm, soul, rock & blues powerhouse who has also recorded a roots-of-bluegrass album.
• RUPA & THE APRIL FISHES
• DEAD WINTER CARPENTERS
• JOE CRAVEN TRIO
• RANCHERS FOR PEACE
• LA SANTA CECELIA
• TOM BALL & KENNY SULTAN
• INGA SWEARINGEN
• PHIL SALAZAR & THE KIN FOLK and still more to come.
+
Order your adult full-festival pass while they’re still available (they do sell-out) or your single-day tickets at www.liveoakfest.org, or 805-781-3030 (Mon-Fri, 8 am-5 pm).
.
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Fri, Jun 14, in Santa Monica:
8 pm RUTHIE FOSTER plays McCabe's, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-824-4497; www.mccabes.com. Tix, $17.50.
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.
Fri, Jun 14, in VC (Newbury Park):
8 pm “FIRESIDE CONCERT SERIES” brings KEN O’MALLEY with his authentic and original Irish music, fabulous voice, multi-instrumental prowess, and storytelling, for a solo performance; plus, another act, tba, at Borchard Community Center,190 N Reino Rd, Newbury Park 91320; more online at www.crpd.org/parkfac/borchard/fireside_concerts.asp.
+
Hosted by Bob Kroll, sponsored by Conejo Recreation & Park District. Info, contact Bob at 805-499-2930 or folksgr1@aol.com.
+
A good series; adults only, no children. Arrive early for a good seat. $9 at the door.
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Fri, Jun 14, in San Pedro:
8 pm FULLONTHROPY plays Alva's Showroom, 1417 W 8th St, San Pedro 90732; 800-403-3447 for reservations and info. Alva's Showroom is striving to be a a premier listening room for the Los Angeles region. Complimentary coffee, tea, hot cocoa and "Alvas" bottled water are provided. You are invited to pay the cover and bring your own food & drinks. (Several local food purveyors are nearby.)
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.
Sat, Jun 15,
FESTIVAL,
in Claremont:
10 am-9 pm 30th "CLAREMONT FOLK FESTIVAL" at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont; www.rsabg.org.
+
Performers, on two stages, are:
David Lindley, Henry Rollins, Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys, Leon Mobley & Da Lion, Moira Smiley & Voco, Round Mountain, Gonzalo Bergara Quartet, The Black Tongued Bells, Rick Shea / Tremoloco, Ross Altman, Peter Harper, & Phoebe Bridgers.
+
Workshops happen, grouped in three time slots.
+
Workshops Session 1, 11:30 am:
Folk Singing: Moira Smiley & VOCO
Bottleneck Slide Guitar: Rufie Barnes
Mosaic Making Studio: Leigh Adams, Artist-in-Residence at the L.A. County Arboretum
Monotype Printing: Todd Smith
Puppetry: Charmaine Fujioka
Cajon drumming: Homero Chavez
Harmonica: Kevin Marin
+
Workshops Session 2, 12:45 pm:
Protest Folk Songs: Ross Altman
Mosaic Making Studio: Leigh Adams
Monotype Printing: Todd Smith
Songwriting: Rick Shea
African Drumming: Leon Mobley
Didgeridoo: Steve Goode
+
Workshops Session 3, 3:15 pm:
Ukulele: Janet Klein
Mosaic Making Studio: Leigh Adams
Monotype Printing: Todd Smith
Puppetry: Charmaine Fujioka
Gypsy Guitar: Gonzalo Bergara
Drum Circle: The Wahlbangers
Beginning Banjo: Kent Besoke
+
We welcome back this landmark festival after its two-year hiatus. More at http://folkmusiccenter.com/folk-festival
+
Tix, $25 adults, children age 12 and under are free.
.
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.
Sat, Jun 15,
FESTIVAL,
in Ventura:
5th Annual "ROADSHOW REVIVAL" brings 15 bands on two stages to the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura.
+
What began as a "TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH" now features top acts in the rockabilly and acoustic roots genres.
+
Performers include:
CHRIS SHIFLETT & THE DEAD PEASANTS
JUNIOR BROWN
ROBERT GORDON
THE BLASTERS
SIDESHOW PREACHERS
CASH'D OUT
THE WALKING PHOENIXES
DAVE GLEASON
THE AMERICANS
JASON CRUZ & HOWL
THE CASH FIX
CHARLES LAW & JAGGED
ZIPPY JOSH & THE RAG TAG BAND
THE VONETTES
ALEXANDRA STARLIGHT
and more.
+
Here are profiles of a few of the bands, of particular interest to the Guide's readers:
+
CHRIS SHIFLETT & THE DEAD PEASANTS are led by the guy best known as the lead guitarist for the rock band Foo Fighters since 1999. When Shiflett was 11, he started learning how to play the guitar, and was in his first band at age 14.
+
The group's self-titled debut album shows a new, perhaps unexpected side of the longtime Foo Fighter lead guitarist: his skill at writing slightly dialed-down, infectious Americana-laced rock songs. The album is chock-full of soulful pedal steel- and twang guitar-accented songs steeped in his longtime appreciation of classic country artists Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, & Hank Williams, rockabilly practioners Gene Vincent, Elvis, & Eddie Cochran, and deep-rooted rock bands like The Replacements, The Rolling Stones, and X. The album, "Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants," sets aside Shiflett’s big guitar / distortion pedal / loud amp in favor of twangy electric guitars and his beloved Martin acoustic.
+
The Dead Peasants can be traced back to preparation for a 2008 performance at the "Hootenanny," a punk-rockabilly festival in Orange County, CA. A short while after, friend Joey Cape (of Lagwagon) asked him to open on an acoustic tour. Inspiration struck, he began writing songs, and the repertoire would become the material for Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants.
+
Plus,
+
JUNIOR BROWN
Born in 1952 in Cottonwood, Arizona, Junior Brown showed a music affinity at an early age. Discovering a guitar in his grandparent’s attic at age seven, he spent the next several years woodshedding with records and the radio. Junior was also able to tap into music he couldn’t hear at home which older, college aged kids were listening to. This was possible as a result of his father’s employment at a nearby campus in 1958. Armed with this broad spectrum of source material, he had developed some formidable chops by the end of his teen years.

Brown’s passion for Country and Western music had intensified by the late 1960’s. With many prominent figures as his inspiration, he spent his nights further sharpening his musical skills in small clubs across the southwest. “I played more nights in honkytonks during the 70’s and 80’s than most musicians will see in a lifetime…I did so many years of that, night after night, four sets a night, 15 minute breaks; I mean after that, you gotta get good or get out.” Brown still prefers to refer to his music as “Country and Western” as it was called when he began his career.

Junior knew he could play and sing almost anything, but he had yet to explore his potential as a songwriter. “I realized no one was going to walk into a club and discover me…so I started hanging out with some songwriters who I’d played some gigs with, and they showed me how to support myself by writing and publishing.” With his songwriting coming together by the mid 80’s, Brown upgraded his gear in a way that no artist had ever done. Struggling through each show with the back and forth switch between the six string guitar and its steel counterpart, he had a dream one night about the two instruments mysteriously melting into one. The result was Brown’s unique invention, the “Guit- Steel”, a double-necked guitar combining standard guitar with steel guitar, allowing him to switch instruments quickly in mid-song while singing. There are other Guit-Steel players now, but Junior was the first, and for many years the one and only.

In the early 90’s Brown and his band (including wife, Tanya Rae) relocated to the fertile Austin, Texas music scene and landed a weekly gig at the Continental Club. His unique and entertaining combination of singing, songwriting, instrumental skills and producing led to a seven record deal with Curb Records that began with “Twelve Shades of Brown” in 1993. He later released two albums on the Telarc label.
+
Plus,
+
• THE BLASTERS blend of self-described "American Music" has always been a blend of blues music, rockabilly, early rock n' roll, punk rock, mountain music, and rhythm & blues.
+
So it isn't right to call The Blasters a rock and roll music group. They were formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin (vocals and guitar), with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman. Dave long ago moved on to a solo career and various notable ensemble projects abd touring groups. But The Blasters and their ultra-loyal fan base remains.
+
They have consistently received positive critical reviews, but have earned only limited mainstream success. Critic Mark Deming wrote of them, "the Blasters displayed a wide-ranging musical diversity [and] were a supremely tight and tasteful band with enough fire, smarts, and passion for two or three groups."
+
Plus,
+
• THE AMERICANS perform traditional American music and original rock & roll -- on banjo, resonator guitar, mandolin and 6-string. Formed in 2010, the Americans have toured all over the United States and shared billing with the likes of T Bone Burnett and Patti Smith. The band accompanied Grammy- and Oscar-winner Ryan Bingham on his Junky Star and Tomorrowland tours in 2011 and 2012.
+
The Americans recorded "Sweet & Low," an original composition, for the ANTI- Records album "Sons of Rogue's Gallery," released in February 2013. Executive produced by Johnny Depp, the album features new music by Keith Richards, Macy Gray, Tom Waits, and Dr. John.
+
The Americans' music is featured in the Michael Mann-produced film "Texas Killing Fields," starring Sam Worthington and Chloë Moretz. The soundtrack includes two original compositions by the band, "Kiss Your Eyes" and "When The Blaze Is Blue."
+
In 2011 the Americans performed at the wedding of Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth, accompanying the newlyweds' first dance with a rendition of Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love," followed by a set of original songs, early blues, and rockabilly.
+
The Americans are Patrick Ferris (vocals, guitar), Zac Sokolow (electric guitar, banjo), Jake Faulkner (bass), and Tim Carr (drums).
+
Plus,
+
• ZIPPY JOSH & THE RAG TAG BAND are a three-piece rockabilly / all-acoustic punk group from Ventura County, led by guitarist and singer-songwriter Josh Handley.
+
Over Zippy Josh’s 17 plus years in existence, a number of very gifted and talented band members have supported him. The Current Line up consists of Tim Kirkland (Special Day Class, victory33) on a stand up drum kit that's complete with pots, pans, bells and whistles; and, holding up the bottom end of things on upright bass and giving the music that rockabilly feel, Johnnyboy Flores (Keep Right, sector7g, victory33, theWAY).
+
Although rooted in punk rock, Josh has always related with the style and sound of American classic folk. His influences include Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, The Violent Femmes, Social Distortion, and The Reverend Horton Heat. The combination of Josh’s strength as a writer and the technical and passionate expertise of the band as a unit gives their music integrity.
+
The trio released their debut album, “Stupidville” on Screaming Giant Records in 1999. A few years later they independently released a fun 5 song EP titled “Excess Baggage” and after a long absence from the studio, are looking to lay down some new tunes with the current lineup.
+
Plus,
+
• SIDESHOW PREACHERS are not quite a revival, but a revival of American roots music generated by devotees of artists as diverse as Julie Miller and Gillian Welch, Gram Parsons, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Melba Montgomery, Hank Penny, The Louvin Brothers, Kasey Chambers, Ralph Stanley, Jimi Hendrix, The Davis Sisters, Emmy Lou, Ryan Adams, Lattie Moore, Dorsey Burnette, Nick Lowe, Jolie Holland, and Freakwater. Of their music, it's been observed, "Odd sounds seem to be coming from a dusty tent."
+
Plus,
+
• DAVE GLEASON proves that timelessness can’t be manufactured. Music either cuts across the years, feeling right at home in yesteryear AND the unfolding now, or it doesn’t. From the get-go, Dave Gleason has crafted songs and executed them in a way that hums timelessly, making country rock that’d fit in fine on a scratchy old turntable at Merle Travis’ house, blasting from an 8-track player in Waylon Jennings’ pickup truck, or serenading crowds during intermission at a Tom Petty show today.
+
Gleason strikes down to country’s hard-beating heart and draws out the stuff that’s made folks turn to this music for comfort and delight since it wandered out of the Appalachians in the 1930s.
+
Gleason’s new long-player, 'Turn and Fade,' coalesces his many charms into his strongest, toughest song-cycle to date. This is music for living on the ground, a soundtrack to carry us from paycheck to paycheck and coax a smile from the most down-turned days.
+
"Turn and Fade" moves Gleason into the company of enduring stalwarts like Chuck Prophet, Peter Case and Kevn Kinney, as well as solidifying his place as one of the torchbearers for Merle Haggard, the Louvin Brothers, The Byrds and other country pillars.
+
Not everyone can sell a line like, “If you’re going through hell, then stop by and see me.” Dan Forte, writing in Vintage Guitar Magazine, says of, “Turn And Fade," "… throughout, Gleason offers enough new wrinkles to stake his claim as more than merely another 'new traditionalist.'”
+
Advance tix $25 gen'l, $5 youth, $150 vip.
Tix & more at www.roadshowrevival.com.
.
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.
Sat, Jun 15; Fri-Sun, Jun 14-16,
FESTIVAL,
in Ontario:
37th Annual “HUCK FINN'S JUBILEE,” the national award-winning Father's Day Weekend event, changes towns this year, moving to Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park, 800 N Archibald Av, Ontario 91764.
+
The popular bluegrass-themed festival is moving from its original location at Mojave Narrows Regional Park in a bittersweet decision for the family of event founder DON TUCKER, who passed away after suffering a stroke in October.
+
The festival’s new home, Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park, is a 150-acre venue with green grass stage area, bountiful trees and two stocked lakes for fishing. The park is surrounded by a variety of hotels and offers quick and easy access from the I-10 freeway. They even offer motorhome rentals. Check out the festival video at www.promo.huckfinn.com and get all the details, including early-bird discount tix, camping, etc, at www.huckfinn.com.
+
Complete schedule of performances for each day are now available at www.huckfinn.com/overall-schedule/
+
This festival also features LIVING HISTORY. Go back to a time when mountain men still roamed America's frontier. Let the mountain men at Huck Finn take you on a journey into the past where you can experience the sights and sounds of what used to be, creating memories for any age.
+
Under Don Tucker’s leadership, Huck Finn achieved multiple recognitions as one of the finest family-friendly music festivals in America. We expect his family will carry on with the same commitment and continue to produce a model event.
.
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~
.
Sat, Jun 15; Fri-Sun, Jun 14-16,
FESTIVAL,
in Santa Barbara Co.:
Annual “LIVE OAK MUSIC FESTIVAL” at Live Oak Camp, in the Coast Range, NW of Santa Barbara is the annual benefit for Santa Barbara / Central Coast public radio, and a superbly well-produced all-ages event with a gently bohemian feel. Get out your tie-dyes, or buy them there.
+
The lineup is almost complete and they brag (with real justification) “we have some amazing acts coming your way for the 25th Annual Live Oak Music Festival Father's Day Weekend!”
+
Performers include:
+
• JERRY DOUGLAS, 13-time Grammy winner, three-time CMA Musician of the Year and "The King of the Dobro."
• ROBERT EARL KEEN, Texas singer-songwriter and called "One of our nation's finest musical storytellers."
• STOOGES BRASS BAND, winners of the 2010 New Orleans Street Kings competition and Best Contemporary Brass Band at the 2011 Big Easy Music Awards
• RUTHIE FOSTER, rootsy rhythm, soul, rock & blues powerhouse who has also recorded a roots-of-bluegrass album.
• RUPA & THE APRIL FISHES
• DEAD WINTER CARPENTERS
• JOE CRAVEN TRIO
• RANCHERS FOR PEACE
• LA SANTA CECELIA
• TOM BALL & KENNY SULTAN
• INGA SWEARINGEN
• PHIL SALAZAR & THE KIN FOLK and still more to come.
+
Order your adult full-festival pass while they’re still available (they do sell-out) or your single-day tickets at www.liveoakfest.org, or 805-781-3030 (Mon-Fri, 8 am-5 pm).
.
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.
Sat & Sun, Jun 15 & 16,
FESTIVAL,
in New York:
Annual "CLEARWATER FESTIVAL" at Croton Point Park on the Hudson River. This one was founded by PETE SEEGER. Info, www.clearwaterfestival.org
+
On May 15, ALBERT NEJMEH died. He was a former captain of the Hudson River Sloop “Clearwater,” the ship that is the festival’s namesake. Al was a lifelong firefighter. A story in the Tacoma Washington newspaper has an embedded video of Al singing a song he wrote for a fellow firefighter:
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/06/28/2198439/record-setting-career-with-tacoma.html
+
We expect a tribute to Al will be included at the festival.
.
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.
Sat, Jun 15, in Altadena:
3 pm "A HISTORY OF IRISH MUSIC" performed by KEN O'MALLEY as the latest of his masterful music and storytelling themed shows, at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena; reservations (10 am-10 pm) 626-798-6236; info, www.coffeegallery.com/showsat.htm.
+
The history of Irish music has been influenced throughout the centuries by spirituality, religion, wars and emigration. As a country on the edge of Western Europe, it had both the isolated position of its island heritage and the constant flow of merchants, sailors, mercenary soldiers, and itinerant musicians from near and far to add the color and the vibrance that became the music and dance of Ireland, and by extension, much of America.
+
Ken will give the audience a broad look at what has remained one of Ireland's greatest treasures...its music.
+
With songs in both English and Irish Gaelic, a Ken O'Malley performance is suitable for all ages and has something for everyone. As one longtime fan says, "the songs Ken sings touch all of us, Irish or not, to the very core of the human heart."
+
Tix, $18 (includes a $2 discount coupon for next show).
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.
Sat, Jun 15, in Altadena:
7 pm NEW WEST "Together Again - One Night Tour" at the “Big Hat House Concerts” series in Altadena. Reservations get directions at big.hat@sbcglobal.net
+
This dynamic trio featuring award-winning songwriter MIKE FLEMING, renowned lead guitarist RAUL REYNOSO, and the incredibly talented DAVID JACKSON on bass will make their Big Hat House Concerts debut on Saturday, June 15. Winner of three best song awards from the Academy of Western Artists and The Western Music Association, and the Will Rogers Award for Best Western Group, New West has been a featured act at the Elko National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival, the Strawberry Music Festival in Northern California. Together, this trio of accomplished artists deliver songs that create vivid images of a true and timeless west.
+
For those of you not familiar with New West, get a taste of their music with this YouTube video.
+
Watch "New West: Buckaroo Dream" on YouTube, at the sold-out annual Shubb Capo Concert at the 2013 NAMM Show:
+
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APXA4-9HNrc&feature=youtube_gdata_player
+
If you've been long-time New West fans, you'll agree that it has been way too long since we've had the opportunity to enjoy this fine trio performing their songs that pay tribute to the men and women of the American West.
+
"There's something about being at your house in that lovely atmosphere at sundown that is hard to replicate. Thank you for all you do in providing a lovely evening! Looking forward to New West."
+
"We just love these gatherings—we are hooked!!"
+
Door at 6 pm. Performance at 7 Light refreshments served. $25 per person suggested cash donation requested at the door. Advance reservations required. Seats are limited and going fast.
.
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.
Sat, Jun 15, in OC (Anaheim):
7:30 pm FREEBO and SEVERIN BROWNE play a co-bill at the "Living Tradition Concert Series" at the Anaheim Downtown Community Center, 250 E Center St, Anaheim; www.thelivingtradition.org; reservations 949-646-1964.
+
Admission, $16 ($13 for Living Tradition members); one child under age 18 is free with each paid adult.
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.
Sat, Jun 15, in Santa Monica:
8 pm DAN NAVARRO at McCabe's, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-824-4497; www.mccabes.com. Tix, $17.50.
.
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Sat, Jun 15, in San Pedro:
8 pm GOLDEN STATE POPS ORCHESTRA performs at the Warner Grand in San Pedro, continuing its tribute to record label Varèse Sarabande with a concert of favorites from composers JOHN WILLIAMS and JOEL McNEELY. Tickets: $21-$60.
.
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.
Sat Jun 15, in San Pedro:
8 pm CHARGED PARTICLES plays Alva's Showroom, 1417 W 8th St, San Pedro 90732; 800-403-3447 for reservations and info. Alva's Showroom is striving to be a a premier listening room for the Los Angeles region. Complimentary coffee, tea, hot cocoa and "Alvas" bottled water are provided. You are invited to pay the cover and bring your own food & drinks. (Several local food purveyors are nearby.)
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.
Sat, Jun 15, in Hollywood:
8:30 pm "FOREVER FLAMENCO" presented by the Fountain Theatre at the Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Bl East, Hollywood 90068; www.fordtheatres.org
+
MARIA BERMUDEZ, one of the featured artists of the evening, shares her inspiration for becoming a flamenco dancer and the continous journey it has led her on:
+
"I grew up with flamenco in the background of my childhood. My older brother Alfonso was bit by the flamenco bug after seeing his first flamenco show passing through town; that was it for him. He went on to study with the masters in Spain and became a promising flamenco dancer. Alfonso danced with an exquisite sensitivity. I believe dance was an escape for him. He was a gay man—not an easy situation in our household. He suffered on many levels. The freedom that flamenco – that art--brings to your life; it’s a place of sanctuary.
+
"Alfonso’s life was cut short. He succumbed to cancer at the age of 27 and died two years later. I was 16 years old. My interest was also in the arts but as an actor and singer. After his passing I suddenly wanted to study Flamenco. It was as though Alfonso wanted… needed to continue dancing and I became his vessel. All who knew him would say the love of his life was his dancing.
+
"I became obsessed with the art form and after only six months of preparation, I packed my bags and was off to Spain to learn to dance. Or so I thought. I discovered I needed to go much further and deeper, metaphorically and literally, to the place, the source of flamenco. This took me to the deep south of Spain, to gypsy territory, a place I have called home for the last 20 years.
+
"This journey, which I am still on, has been full of heart aching challenges and absolutely gratifying moments of triumph. From being treated as an outsider to falling in love with a gypsy and then marrying him. But drip of sweat by drip of sweat, I began winning respect through my dedication and total immersion into the culture.
+
"The amount of emotion involved in flamenco is unparalleled. I feel the freedom of expression through the cry of the singers and the music and through the beauty of the dance. It’s euphoric! The best part is the audience’s connection with flamenco on levels unexpected to them. The response is always love, love, love! It’s all worth it.
+
"Flamenco continues to be the source of my inspiration in life. There is a universal cry that we all can relate to -- maybe we all have a gypsy spirit in us.
+
"I aspire to inspire, until I expire." -- Maria “ChaCha” Bermudez.
+
Tix, $45-100, at http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase.
.
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.
Sun, Jun 16; Fri-Sun, Jun 14-16,
FESTIVAL,
in Ontario:
37th Annual “HUCK FINN'S JUBILEE,” the national award-winning Father's Day Weekend event, changes towns this year, moving to Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park, 800 N Archibald Av, Ontario 91764.
+
The popular bluegrass-themed festival is moving from its original location at Mojave Narrows Regional Park in a bittersweet decision for the family of event founder DON TUCKER, who passed away after suffering a stroke in October.
+
The festival’s new home, Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park, is a 150-acre venue with green grass stage area, bountiful trees and two stocked lakes for fishing. The park is surrounded by a variety of hotels and offers quick and easy access from the I-10 freeway. They even offer motorhome rentals. Check out the festival video at www.promo.huckfinn.com and get all the details, including early-bird discount tix, camping, etc, at www.huckfinn.com.
+
Complete schedule of performances for each day are now available at www.huckfinn.com/overall-schedule/
+
This festival also features LIVING HISTORY. Go back to a time when mountain men still roamed America's frontier. Let the mountain men at Huck Finn take you on a journey into the past where you can experience the sights and sounds of what used to be, creating memories for any age.
+
Under Don Tucker’s leadership, Huck Finn achieved multiple recognitions as one of the finest family-friendly music festivals in America. We expect his family will carry on with the same commitment and continue to produce a model event.
.
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~
.
Sun, Jun 16; Fri-Sun, Jun 14-16,
FESTIVAL,
in Santa Barbara Co.:
Annual “LIVE OAK MUSIC FESTIVAL” at Live Oak Camp, in the Coast Range, NW of Santa Barbara is the annual benefit for Santa Barbara / Central Coast public radio, and a superbly well-produced all-ages event with a gently bohemian feel. Get out your tie-dyes, or buy them there.
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The lineup is almost complete and they brag (with real justification) “we have some amazing acts coming your way for the 25th Annual Live Oak Music Festival Father's Day Weekend!”
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Performers include:
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• JERRY DOUGLAS, 13-time Grammy winner, three-time CMA Musician of the Year and "The King of the Dobro."
• ROBERT EARL KEEN, Texas singer-songwriter and called "One of our nation's finest musical storytellers."
• STOOGES BRASS BAND, winners of the 2010 New Orleans Street Kings competition and Best Contemporary Brass Band at the 2011 Big Easy Music Awards
• RUTHIE FOSTER, rootsy rhythm, soul, rock & blues powerhouse who has also recorded a roots-of-bluegrass album.
• RUPA & THE APRIL FISHES
• DEAD WINTER CARPENTERS
• JOE CRAVEN TRIO
• RANCHERS FOR PEACE
• LA SANTA CECELIA
• TOM BALL & KENNY SULTAN
• INGA SWEARINGEN
• PHIL SALAZAR & THE KIN FOLK and still more to come.
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Order your adult full-festival pass while they’re still available (they do sell-out) or your single-day tickets at www.liveoakfest.org, or 805-781-3030 (Mon-Fri, 8 am-5 pm).
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Sun, Jun 16, in the mountains above Arcadia:
4 pm TEDROW & VREELAND play in the mountains at Adam’s Pack Station in Chantry Flats. Directions: 210 Fwy to Santa Anita Ave offramp. Go north (toward the mountains) about 6-7 miles from the freeway. The parking lot is obvious.
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Sun, Jun 16, in San Pedro:
4 pm NEIL ALEXANDER Presents "THE RITE OF SPRING" for Solo Piano at Alva's Showroom, 1417 W 8th St, San Pedro 90732; 800-403-3447 for reservations and info. Alva's Showroom is striving to be a a premier listening room for the Los Angeles region. Complimentary coffee, tea, hot cocoa and "Alvas" bottled water are provided. You are invited to pay the cover and bring your own food & drinks. (Several local food purveyors are nearby.)
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Sun, Jun 16, in Echo Park:
Time tba PETER CASE doing a special full-band show with DEEP ELLUM at the Echoplex in Echo Park. More later.
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Jun 16-Aug 24, in Pasadena:
Free "SUMMER CONCERTS UNDER THE STARS" in Memorial Park happen in two series, the first beginning tonight. This, the primary one, is the "Levitt Pavilion" series, running multiple nights each week (Wednesday, for example, is children's night.) The other music series is the "Pasadena Senior Center Concert Series," which is NOT exclusively for older people. Both series' use the bandshell that was re-christened as one of two Levitt Pavilions in the L.A. area.
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Bring beach chairs or blankets and a picnic (no alcohol allowed) and sit on the lawn. Some bench seating is available, primarily for seniors. Info on the Levitt concert series is at www.levittpavilionpasadena.org.
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We'll bring you info on the other series held there when we know. Meantime, plenty on various events in Pasadena is at www.visitpasadena.com.
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You can avoid expensive parking by riding the Gold Line light rail to the Memorial Park Station.
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Sun, Jun 16, in Santa Monica:
SOLD OUT: 8 pm JUNIOR BROWN at McCabe's, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-824-4497; www.mccabes.com. Tix, $26.
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Tue, Jun 18,
BENEFIT CONCERT,
in SFV (Encino):
7:30-11 pm Benefit for "SAFETY HARBOR KIDS" brings "DIEF & FRIENDS," a star-studded concert with DAN DIEFENDERFER, members of LITTLE FEAT: SUGAR RAY RAYFORD, BASSIST FRED WASHINGTON, SAXOPHONIST GARY HERBIG, DRUMMER/PRODUCER TONY BRAUNEGAL, & DAVID Z, at The Gate, 16925 Ventura Bl, Encino 91316.
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CELEBRITY SUPPORTERS of this event are Reese Witherspoon, Jim Belushi, Shelia E, Billy Idol, Jimmy Webb, Peebo Bryson, Jeremy Piven, and Mel Gibson. "Together we are breaking the cycle of poverty, homelessness and prison that ensnares our youth".
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Advance tix, or to sponsor a child or donate, go to www.safetyharborkids.org or call 800-277-0497.
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Doors at 5 pm. Reserve tix in advance. Gen'l $25, VIP $50. Sponsorship opportunities available.
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Thu, Jun 20, in Venice:
8-9 pm CAREY APPEL plays Witzend, 1717 Lincoln Bl, Venice 90291; if eating dinner, reserve a table at 310-305-4792; advance tix $10, at www.witzendlive.com.
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The "Roots Music Report" weekly chart for May 17 brought this comment from another musician: "VERY HAPPY that "Blue Collar" is at #4 and now Carey Appel's "House of Cards" vaulted up to #7. I co-wrote 10 of those songs, so I am VERY happy to see this. Way to go Carey and producer Lisa Nemzo, who produced BOTH CDs." -- Marc Platt.
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Carey promises "New songs - Special surprise" at this show, and she advises, "If eating dinner, call to reserve a table."
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Advance tix $10 at venue's website.
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Sat & Sun, Jun 22 & 23,
FESTIVAL,
in Long Beach:
27th Annual “LONG BEACH BAYOU & BLUES FESTIVAL” at Rainbow Lagoon Events Park, Long Beach.
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This fun event features Blues, Zydeco & Cajun Music with:
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PETER TORK & SHOE SUEDE BLUES, 13-year-old guitar phenomenon RAY GOREN, BIG JAY MCNEELY, SHERRY PRUITT, SWEET BABY J'AI, the Grammy nominated PINE LEAF BOYS, BRIAN JACK & THE ZYDECO GAMBLERS, and more.
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There’s Cajun & Creole cuisine, dance instruction & continuous dancing, a daily Mardi Gras Parade, activities for kids and teens. Known as a popular family event, the festival brings both the party atmosphere and the food delicacies of a New Orleans Mardi Gras to Long Beach.
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Hours are 11 am-9 pm Saturday, 11 am-8:30 pm Sunday. Info, 310-217-4196, www.longbeachbayoufest.com.
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Advance tickets at their website or 310-217-4196. Tix: adults $25 / day, advance; $30 / day at gate; Seniors (60+) and Students (18+) are $20 / advance, $30 at gate; Young Person rate (ages 13-17) is $15’ Children age 12 & under are free. A VIP ticket is $65, and includes backstage access, seating, 1 meal and 2 drinks.
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Sat, Jun 22, in T.O. area:
7 pm THE KOLES, plus TRACY NEWMAN & THE REINFORCEMENTS , play the "WESTLAKE CANYON HOUSE CONCERT SERIES" in Westlake Canyon 91361; reservations get directions at sculptingirl@yahoo.com.
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Stunning outdoor venue, weather permitting (dress accordingly). If indoors, the vaulted ceilings and wood floors make for fantastic acoustics. Potluck finger food /dessert at intermission. Anything you bring to share is "greatly appreciated, but not required. No glass please!" Doors at 7 pm, concert at 7:30 pm.
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Tracy Newman is a TV writer and producer. She started as a staff writer on "Cheers." In 1997, she won an Emmy and a Peabody Award for co-writing the groundbreaking “coming out” episode of Ellen. In 2001 she co-created the ABC comedy, "According to Jim." Tracy has been playing guitar and writing songs since she was 14. Her first CD, with her band, was “A Place in the Sun,” (2007.) Her new CD is “I Just See You,” (2012). More at www.tracynewman.com.
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The Koles - In her relatively short singer-songwriter career, Arlene Kole has made an impact on the scene. She has twice made the annual "Music Connection Magazine" HOT 100 List (2009 & 2012, December issues). The list names the top live unsigned artists in the nation.
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Arlene & Bill Kole believe that the heart of a society is reflected in the value they place on art, saying, “Art nourishes the soul while inspiring us all to see the good in the world and in ourselves."
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Expect music that supports that sentiment.
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Sat Jun 22, in Venice:
7-10 pm “GRASSROOTS ACOUSTICA” presents a “bonus show” (two times in June), this one called “GRASSROOTS ICONICA,” at the The Talking Stick, 1411c Lincoln Bl, Venice 92091; www.thetalkingstick.net; 310-450-6052.
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Locals ALAN ROY SCOTT, BLISS BOWEN, EARL GREY, JANE BOLDUC, LAUREN ADAMS, LISA JOHNSON, MARK ISLAM, STEVE SMITH, & WENDY CONRAD sing Kris Kristofferson, Todd Rundgren & Cyndi Lauper songbooks on the artists’ birthday. Tonight’s house band is notable: CARL BYRON – keys, ED TREE – guitars, KEVIN JARVIS – drums, TED RUSSELL KAMP – bass.
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The show benefits Grassroots Acoustica Foundation, a California non-profit that inspired musicians & music fans to make a measurable difference in LA's charitable community through benefit concerts.
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Sat, Jun 22, in Altadena:
7 pm TOULOUSE ENGELHARD, master fingerstyle guitarist, and JOHN YORK, former member of THE “BYRDS.”play The Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena 91001; reservations 626-798-6236 (10 am-10 pm); venue phone 626-398-7917; info www.coffeegallery.com. (“the venue named by the Guide’s editor, writing in FolkWorks, as L.A.’s best intimate acoustic listening room venue”).
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Toulouse Engelhardt, often called the “Segovia of Surf”, returns to the Coffee Gallery Backstage in June. He is an award winning fingerstyle guitar “Monster”, who was the last member of the legendary “Takoma 7,” an elite group of fingerstyle guitar innovators that recorded for John Fahey’s Takoma Records from 1959-1976. John Fahey and Leo Kottke were his label mates!
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“Jimmy Page meets John Fahey! Toulouse Engelhardt’s music transcends genres and is dazzling in it’s prismatic range of complex moves and emotions.”…Jimmy Page News; Music Industry Today
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Cheeck out his playing at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nd9DTllf0U
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Opening the show is JOHN YORK, singer-songwriter and former member of the legendary folk-rock band, THE BYRDS. John York is currently touring with Barry McGuire, and has played with The Mamas and the Papas, Dr. John, Johnny Rivers, Rick Danko, Gene Clark, Richard Manuel, The Sir Douglas Quintet, Rolling Stones keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, and Blues legend Lightin' Hopkins.
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"John York is the last pure voice of the Silver Sixties.".....Kim Fowley
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Toulouse says; “Both John and I are really stoked about these performances. I am always honored to work with him. I have been a huge fan of his work since his days with the Byrds. John is a very talented singer-songwriter with a sweet, mellow voice and deep lyrical expression. John adds his thoughts: "What a pleasure to be sharing the stage once again with Toulouse Engelhardt. It's a chance for music fans to see the world's fastest guitar player with one of the world's slowest guitar players!
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For more detailed information on each of these veteran performers go to: www.toulousemusic.com and www.johnyorkmusic.com
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Sat, Jun 22, in NoHo:
7:30-10 pm RASPIN STUWART & DUANE THORIN in concert at the Secret Rose Theatre, 11246 Magnolia Bl, North Hollywood 91601; reservations 323-436-7546.
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It's two of L.A.'s best theatrically-styled singer-songwriter music performers, true troubadours of this decade, each original and soulful. Doors at 7:30. Tix, $12.
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Sat, Jun 22, in L.A.:
8 pm "AN EVENING WITH IRIS DeMENT and RT N' THE 44s" inside and outside in the courtyard at the First Unitarian Church, 2936 W 8th St, Los Angeles 90005; www.uula.org. All ages.
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Show is presented by Spaceland, The Grand Ole Echo, and LA Weekly.
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IRIS DeMENT says of that elusive inspirational spark, "I didn't know when or if I'd make another record. I gave up on trying to steer it or force it and decided to just make myself available in my heart and mind as much as I could and leave the rest up to fate."
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Sixteen years after the last collection of DeMent songs, that time has come. "Sing The Delta" presents twelve self-penned compositions from an artist whose first three albums established her as one of the most beloved and respected writers and singers in American music.
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DeMent, the last of 14 children, born in Arkansas and raised in Southern California, grew up immersed in gospel music and traditional country. She was somewhat of a late bloomer as an artist, writing her first song at age of 25. Her first release, "Infamous Angel," initially issued on Rounder in 1992 before being picked up by Warner Bros., immediately established her as a promising and talented artist.
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Its 1994 follow-up, "My Life," earned a GRAMMY nomination in the "Contemporary Folk" category. Her 1996 album, "The Way I Should," addressed political as well as personal themes and earned another GRAMMY nomination.
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Along the way, several of DeMent's songs became cultural touchstones. "Let The Mystery Be" found its way to MTV "Unplugged" as a duet by DAVID BYRNE and NATALIE MERCHANT. "Our Town" was played over the farewell scene in the series finale of "Northern Exposure." MERLE HAGGARD, who said of DeMent, "She's the best singer I've ever heard," invited her to sit-in as his piano player touring with his legendary band THE STRANGERS. Haggard subsequently covered two of her songs, "No Time To Cry," and the gospel-tinged, "The Shores of Jordan."
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DeMent has remained active as an artist, despite the long absence of new CDs in her name. She sang four duets with JOHN PRINE on "In Spite of Ourselves" and had a minor role in the motion picture "Songcatcher," as well as contributing a song to its soundtrack. She continued playing live shows, and in 2004, she recorded an album of gospel songs, "Lifeline," which included her rendition of "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms." In 2010, the Coen Brothers chose that song for the closing credits when they remade the classic western, "True Grit."
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Still, DeMent never took for granted the arrival of an album's worth of new songs. "Songs would come along here and there and I'd go out and sing them for people, but for a long time, I just didn't know what would become of any of them. Then last year, a door kinda opened up, and a handful of songs walked through and a few unfinished ones came together, and I knew I had a record."
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As with "Lifeline," DeMent is releasing "Sing The Delta" on her own label, Flariella Records. It was recorded at Richard McLaurin's House of David studio in Nashville with co-producers Richard Bennett and Bo Ramsey, with a supporting cast that included Bryan Owings on drums, Dave Jacques on bass, Al Perkins on pedal steel, and Reese Wynans on B3 organ, as well as horn players Jim Hoke and Steve Herman on a couple of numbers.
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Of the time it took, DeMent says, "Some of these songs I've had around awhile, but I needed time to grow into them. I guess you could say I just wasn't ready to deliver them in the way that they deserved. I'm glad I waited. It's taught me to surrender… to trust the natural flow and order of things and not worry about it."
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It's an instinct she's learned to trust ever since she first sat down to write her first couple of songs at age 25 and found "Our Town" spilling out onto the page. "It was like somebody walked right into that room and said, 'There you have it, Iris' — I knew then and there that I had gotten my calling," she relates.
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She continues, "I had always been taught in church that God, or spirit, if you will, calls us to a life work. I got mine that day. Whether I write one song a year or ten, it doesn't matter. It's a 'knowing' that I have that hasn't left me since that day. That's what I check-in with, and as long as that's there,the rest of it doesn't matter. The time it takes is just the time it takes."
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More on Iris DeMent at http://irisdement.com.
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Plus,
RT N' THE 44s (outside in the courtyard). They are a self-descrobed "Folk Noir band" created by singer-songwriter RT VALINE. Founded in 2009, the band originated in Los Angeles, alongside local bands Leslie and the Badgers,Spindrift, Gwendolyn , and Ruthann Friedman.
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Every one of them has a claim to something unique, but this band has "unique" cornerned. Not since JOE CRAVEN have we seen musicians using an array of instruments crafted from tin, 2x4's and salvaged parts. RT simply says that RT N' THE 44s was born out of "an attempt to make listenable music from junk."
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They have been described as a "vintage country band with dark obsessions." The band is often seen busking at various locations throughout Los Angeles and Pasadena in the tradition of Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston.
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As members of the "New L.A. FOLKFEST," the band has performed with John C. Reilly, Tom Brosseau, T-Model Ford, and Red Simpson, among other notable acts. RT N' THE 44s performs annually at The "ROOTS ROADHOUSE FESTIVAL" and at the Autry National Center.
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The band has recorded three full-length albums for the independent label Rabid Rabbit Records, and has been featured "live in studio" on KUCI's "Freedom Radio" program.
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More at www.rtnthe44s.com
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More on the event at www.spaceland.tv/event/237999, or call 213-985-4333.
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Tix, $23-$25; advance tix at www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/237999.
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Tix at door, day of show, are subject to availability and will have $2 facility fee applied. Seating is first come, first get.
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Sat & Sun, Jun 22 & 23, in Santa Monica:
SOLD OUT: 8 pm DAVE ALVIN at McCabe's, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-824-4497; www.mccabes.com. Tix, $22.50.
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Wed-Sun, Jun 26-30, & Jul 2-7,
FESTIVAL, in Milwaukee WI:
Annual "SUMMERFEST" is absolutely massive and includes a bewildering array of music genres, and some acts welcome by Folk-Americana fans. The EAGLES perform Jul 7.
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As of late May, you can get admission to all 11 days of Summerfest for only $60, delivering $187 of admission value with their "Power Pass."
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It is quite an event. If you'll be in the area, check their website, www.summerfest.com.
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Wed, Jun 26, in South Pasadena:
6 pm "TROUGH RECORDS 20th ANNIVERSARY SHOW" and recording of a live album, at the Fremont Centre Theatre, 1000 Fremont Av, South Pasadena 91030.
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Trough Records is a dandy little artists' co-op label. They invite you to "Celebrate our 20th Anniversary with us as we record a LIVE ALBUM with ALL of our artists!"
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Performing are indie acoustic artists:
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• Mark Humphreys
• Lisa Johnson
• Andrew Lorand
• Dave Morrison
• Brett Perkins (here from Denmark to perform)
• David Piper
• Piper~Grey
• Puppets of Castro
• Rod Sphere (aka Rod Smear)
• Tedrow / Kaye
• Tedrow / Vreeland
• Phil Ward
• Paul Zollo (bestselling author AND a musician)
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All ages welcome. Tickets $20, and each ticket includes a copy of the live album when it's released.
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Reservations strongly recommended. This will likely sell-out when more people become aware of it. Reserve your seats by calling Lois Tedrow at 626-969-0778.
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Fri, Jun 28, in Santa Monica:
8 pm MARIA MULDAUR at McCabe's, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-824-4497; www.mccabes.com. Tix, $24.50.
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Sat, Jun 29, in San Diego Co (Encinitas):
7 pm KEN O'MALLEY brings his authentic and original Irish music, fabulous voice, and multi-instrumental prowess, for a solo performance at the “SAN DIEGO FOLK HERITAGE” series at San Dieguito United Methodist Church, 170 Calle Magdalena, Encinitas; www.sdfolkheritage.org.
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Sat, Jun 29, in Santa Monica:
8 pm GRANT LEE PHILLIPS at McCabe's, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-824-4497; www.mccabes.com. Tix, $22.50.
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July, 2013 (Early Look)
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Jul 4-7, FESTIVAL, in Oregon:
Annual “WATERFRONT BLUES FEST” in Portland, Oregon brings 75 bands, from blues to swing and a Zydeco lineup includes CHUBBY CARRIER & THE BAYOU SWAMP BAND, LIL’ WAYNE & SAME OL’ 2-STEP, THE PINE LEAF BOYS, HORACE TRAHAN & THE OSSUN EXPRESS, TOOLOOSE, & ATOMIC GUMBO. Most of the 75 blues & swing bands had yet to be posted at press time. The fest is in Waterfront Park in downtown Portland, and brings over 20,000 attendees each day.
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Our Cajun-zydeco dance friends tell us, “If flying in, best to avoid a rental car & parking fees in downtown. Options for rooms include www.hotwire.com for a 3-star hotel ($68) at the airport (with shuttle from terminal) within walking distance to the Cascade light rail station. To / from downtown takes 45 minutes, and drops you 4 short blocks from the fest. [Another option is the] University Place Hotel (www.uplacehotel.com) for $113 / night, including tax & breakfast, ten blocks from the fest.” They also suggest the PSU campus dorm rooms with bath & amenities, $56 to $66 / night, 12 blocks from the fest; www.pdx.edu/conferences/stay-us, where you can click on “individual stay contract” for details.
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Hotels across the street from the fest include the Marriott and Hotel 50. Both are over $150 / night. The Hilton Hotel (6 blocks away) may be willing to bargain if you arrive without reservations and they have empty rooms.
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Sat, Jul 6, in Hollywood:
10 am LAS CAFETERAS play the family "Big! World! Fun!" series at the Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Bl East, Hollywood 90068; www.fordtheatres.org.
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This exciting band performs on a variety of indigenous acoustic instruments from Latin America, making quite agreeable and exciting music.
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Tix $5 adults, kids free.
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Fri, Jul 12, in Santa Monica:
8 pm THE MELODIC at McCabe's, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-824-4497; www.mccabes.com. Tix, $10.
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Sun, Jul 14, in Ventura:
2 & 5 pm RASPIN STUWART plays "The Winery Concert Series" Listening Room, at 4517 Market St, Ventura 93003; 800-350-7787; www.concertartshows.org. Advance tix, $14.95 show only, or $26.95 with dinner; at door, $20 and $32.
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Thu, Jul 18, in Santa Monica:
9 pm IAN McLAGAN plays a special late Thursday show at McCabe's, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-824-4497; www.mccabes.com. Tix, $20.
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Fri & Sat, Jul 19 & 20, in Santa Monica:
8 pm PATTERSON HOOD plays two nights at McCabe's, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-824-4497; www.mccabes.com. Tix, $22.50.
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Sat, Jul 20,
FESTIVAL,
in New Mexico:
Annual “WILDLIFE WEST FEST” includes performances by LISA HALEY & THE ZYDEKATS at 3 & 8 pm, plus workshops, at Wildlife West Nature Park, 87 N Frontage Rd, Edgewood, NM 87015. This festival benefits a charity for injured wild animals. More at www.wildlifewest.org/bluegrass.html.
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Sun, Jul 21, in Santa Monica:
8 pm I HEAR VOICES, plus TRACY NEWMAN &THE REINFORCEMENTS opening, at McCabe's, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-824-4497; www.mccabes.com.
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I HEAR VOICES is Bobby Kimmel's new group. Tracy Newman says of them, "Bobby Kimmel is an old friend of mine, and by the way, he's the one who started up this prestigious concert series at McCabe's in the first place. Bobby was also in the '60s group called The Stone Poneys, which made a star out of Linda Ronstadt with the Mike Nesmith song 'Different Drum.' The late, great Kenny Edwards was in that group, as well. There's some pedigree here."
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This will likely sell-out; advance tix, http://store.mccabes.com/search.php? mode=search&page=1
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Tix, $16.
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Fri-Mon, Jul 26-29,
FESTIVAL,
in Rhode Island:
Annual “NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL” in Newport, Rhode Island, with IRIS DEMENT, TROMBONE SHORTY, JIM JAMES. THE LUMINEERS, BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY, COLIN MELOY, BLACK PRAIRIE, BETH ORTON, TIFT MERRITT, THE MOUNTAIN GOATS, SHOVELS & ROPE, ANDREW BIRD, SPIRIT FAMILY REUNION, THE FELICE BROTHERS, and more.
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Held at historic Ft. Adams on the edge of Narragansett Bay, the Newport Folk Festival offers three stages of music, plus surprise performances around the grounds -- and history and heritage.
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Sat & Sun, Jul 27 & 28,
FESTIVAL,
in Long Beach:
Annual "LONG BEACH CRAWFISH FESTIVAL" brings Cajun & zydeco and blues, including top bands from Louisiana, at Rainbow Lagoon Events Park, 400 E Shoreline Dr (between Shoreline Village Dr & Linden Av), Long Beach 90802. More, soon.
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August, 2013 (Early Look)
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Fri, Aug 2, in Santa Monica:
8 & 10 pm JOHN HAMMOND at McCabe's, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-824-4497; www.mccabes.com. Tix, $24.50.
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Sat & Sun, Aug 3-4, in Long Beach:
20th Annual “LONG BEACH CRAWFISH FESTIVAL” at Rainbow Lagoon Events Park in Long Beach. Full info, www.longbeachcrawfishfestival.com/lbcentertainment.php
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Saturday lineup includes STEP RIDEAUX, ANDRE THIERRY, BONNE MUSIQUE ZYDECO, ROYAL GARDEN DIXIELAND BAND. Sunday’s lineup includes CYDRIL BALOU, REUBEN MORENO, THE BAYOU BROTHERS. Each day THE NEW ORLEANS HIGHSTEPPERS lead the “LA to LA” (Louisiana to Los Angeles) club of Second Line Dancers in conga lines throughout the festival. Plus, A.J. GIBBS, “THE MYDECO KING,” conducts line dancing on the dance floor.
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$28 advance ticket gets the festival goer admission and a THREE POUND Crawfish Meal. (Highly recommended!)
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Sat, Aug 3, in Santa Monica:
8 pm ALBERT LEE at McCabe's, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-824-4497; www.mccabes.com. Tix, $24.50.
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Sat, Aug 17, in Santa Clarita:
7 pm LISA HALEY & THE ZYDEKATS play the “SANTA CLARITA SUMMER CONCERT SERIES” in the park at 27150 Bouquet Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita 91351; http://arts.santa-clarita.com/Index.aspx?page=42.
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Aug 22-25, FESTIVAL, in OC (Costa Mesa):
Times tba “WAVELENGTH FESTIVAL OF MUSIC” brings performances by BONNIE RAITT, THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT with PACIFIC SYMPHONY, The Music of PINK FLOYD: “THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON” played live in its entirety with Pacific Symphony (with KCRW’s Jason Bentley announcing), at the OC Fair & Event Center at Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa.
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Over four summer evenings, Wavelength features a diverse array of contemporary musicians, in most cases performing with members of the PACIFIC SYMPHONY. It’s a key part the symphony’s 35th anniversary season initiatives, and described as “the launch of a new musical endeavor.”
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Sat, Aug 24, in Ventura:
7:30 pm Cajun blues band PORTERHOUSE BOB & DOWN TO THE BONE play the “MUSIC UNDER THE STARS” series at historic Olivas Adobe, 4200 Olivas Park Dr, Ventura; www.cityofventura.net/mus. Reservations recommended, these events always sell-out.
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Aug 30-Sep 1, FESTIVAL, in Rhode Island:
Annual “RHYTHM & ROOTS FEST” in Ninigret State Park, RI. Go to www.rhythmandroots.com for info.
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September, 2013 (Very Early Look)
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Sat, Sep 7, in Ventura:
7:30 pm LISA HALEY & THE ZYDEKATS play the “MUSIC UNDER THE STARS” series at historic Olivas Adobe, 4200 Olivas Park Dr, Ventura; www.cityofventura.net/mus. Reservations recommended, these events always sell-out.
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Sep 13-15, FESTIVAL, in Central Cal:
Annual "AMERICAN RIVER MUSIC FESTIVAL" at 950 Lotus Rd, Lotus CA. PAUL THORN plays the fest on Sunday, here from Mississippi with his bluesy, rockin' Southern roots music. His 2012 release, "What the Hell’s Goin’ On," came in at #2 in the Top 100 Roots Rock records in the Roots Music Report.
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Sep 18-22,
FESTIVAL,
in Nashville:
Annual "AMERICANA MUSIC FESTIVAL" and
"AMERICANA HONORS & AWARDS" return to Nashville, with the awards in the historically cool Ryman Auditorium on September 18, 2013. The Americana Music Festival runs September 18-22, 2013 at venues throughout Music City.
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The iconic Jim Lauderdale will once again host the Honors & Awards, while the phenomenal Buddy Miller will lead the All-Star Band.
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Described by Paste Magazine as “…the worlds best awards show…,” the Americana Honors & Awards have featured once-in-a-lifetime moments, unforgettable performances and legendary collaborations.
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Tickets for the Honors & Awards show come with the purchase of Americana Music Festival & Conference Registrations. Info at http://americanamusic.org/store/conference-registration.
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October, 2013 (Very Early Look)
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Sat & Sun, Oct 5 & 6,
FESTIVAL,
in Culver City:
Annual “HARVEST FESTIVAL OF DULCIMERS” sponsored by Southern California Dulcimer Heritage. Details when we get them. More on the festival and other dulcimer-based bands and dulcimer-related events throughout the year at the organization’s site, www.scdh.org.
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Sat, Oct 5, in Pasadena:
8 pm CHRIS PROCTOR plays the “PASADENA FOLK MUSIC SOCIETY at CALTECH" series in Beckman Institute Auditorium (aka “Little Beckman”) on the Caltech campus in Pasadena; 626-395-4652. Park in either of two lots at the end of Michigan Av, south off Del Mar.
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Oct 17-19,
FESTIVAL,
in Arkansas:
8th Annual "HARVEST FESTIVAL AT MULBERRY MOUNTAIN" in Ozark, Arkansas.
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This festival, this year, brings one of the best roots-Americana lineups on the nationwide festival circuit.
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Acclaimed neo bluegrass quartet YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND are hosts. The town is home to two nationally celebrated festivals - Wakarusa and Harvest Festival - and Mulberry Mountain stands as one of the country's most remote and scenic live music venues.
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Presenting the festival for the fourth year-in-a-row, YMSB rounds-up some of today's biggest names in bluegrass, folk and Americana, an array of lauded singer-songwriters and standout festival-circuit favorites.
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INITIAL ARTIST LINE-UP:
Yonder Mountain String Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Les Claypool's Duo de Twang, Railroad Earth, Beats Antique, JJ Grey & MOFRO, Kacey Musgraves, Justin Townes Earle, Turnpike Troubadours, Greensky Bluegrass, Everyone Orchestra, Darrell Scott & Tim O'Brien, Gangstagrass, Steep Canyon Rangers, Elephant Revival, Hot Buttered Rum w/ Allie Kral, Cas Haley, Zach Deputy, Rayland Baxter, Delhi 2 Dublin, The California Honeydrops, Carolyn Wonderland, The Dirty River Boys, Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, Kopecky Family Band, Ha Ha Tonka, Wheeler Brothers, American Aquarium, Andy Frasco, Uncle Lucius, Mountain Sprout, Dirtfoot, Head for the Hills, Hot Club of Cowtown, Star & Micey, Quiet Corral, Samantha Crain, Afrolicious, Shook Twins, Roadkill Ghost Choir, Useful Jenkins, Rosco Bandana, Kris Lager Band, The Deadly Gentlemen, Good Gravy, She's A Keeper, Wood & Wire, Grant Farm, Ugly Lion, Deep Fried Pickle Project
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Opportunities to purchase tickets on-line for Harvest festival begin at 10 am CST, June 3.
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More at the new and soon-to-be-improved Harvest Festival website, www.yonderharvestfestival.com
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Sat, Oct 26, in Santa Monica:
Time tba THE NE'ER DUWELLS, the all-star Irish band with KEN O'MALLEY, plays the Santa Monica History Museum, 1350 7th St, Santa Monica 90401.
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The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
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Check OFTEN for updates; we’re always adding more!
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