by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
As of press time, the 2023 Ventura County Fair had not announced their entertainment yet, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t entertainment to be had at the fairgrounds in the meantime. First off, Surfer’s Point Live will host Boots & Brews in the parking lot with headliners Chris Young and Joe Nichols on Sunday May 7.
And then…Anderson .Paak announced on April 25 that .Paak House 23 will be held at the fairgrounds on Friday, May 12. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, .Paak, aka Brandon Paak Anderson, grew up in Oxnard and attended Foothill Technology High School. Two of his albums were named Oxnard and Ventura, both produced by Dr. Dre, the latter earned him a Grammy for Best R&B Album. The fact that .Paak could hold this event anywhere, but chose Ventura, speaks volumes about this talented homegrown artist. Find out more about .Paak House and the Brandon Anderson Foundation at PaakHouse.org.
The new season kicks off at Libbey Bowl with Beth Hart on Saturday, May 6 performing an intimate pared down show. Her back stories are entertaining enough, but I’m sure she’ll be really putting it out there without a full band backing her up.
And speaking of Libbey Bowl, the Ojai Music Festival dates include several concerts at Libbey Bowl. The festival runs Thursday June 8 through Sunday, June 11, with Rhiannon Giddens, Music Director, at the helm. I noticed at least one event has already sold out, so don’t wait until the last minute to try to snag a ticket. Find out more at OjaiFestival.org.
Bombay Bar and Grill will host a celebration of life in honor of Chris Husted who passed away last month. Chris was so a great guy, so well respected throughout the music scene. He had been doing sound on the road with Yachtley Crew recently. Friends will gather on Saturday May 13 from 2-8 with music from Shawn Jones, Guy Martin, Brion Shearer and more. 20% of the sales will go to the Chris Husted fund.
Quick Notes: Rey Fresco plays Tony’s Pizzeria Thursday, May 4; The Knotty G’s from South Carolina make a stop at Surfers Point Café on Sunday, May 7; there’s a free show featuring Old-Timey Country Bluegrass at Poinsettia Pavilion on Sunday, May 7; an in store meet & greet with Ohgeesy will be held at Salzers on Wednesday, May 10; it’s all about the punk rock on Friday, May 12 when Youth Brigade, Stalag 13, False Confession, The Afraid and Crucial Thought play the Oceanview Pavilion; Julie Christensen will perform an intimate show at the Ojai Underground on Saturday, May 13; and new dates added to the Ventura Music Hall calendar include Grateful Shred on June 15, Save Ferris on July 29, and Powerman 5000 on October 20.
Do you have any music-related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing? Please send all information short or long to [email protected], and for updated music listings daily, go to www.VenturaRocks.com.
