AJ Lee and Blue Summit
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLEAJ LEE AND BLUE SUMMIT AJ Lee and Blue Summit made their first appearance in Santa Cruz in 2015. Led by singer, songwriter, and mandolinist, AJ Lee, the bluegrass band has performed all over the world, but finds home in California’s Bay Area. The latest full length project, I’ll Come Back, debuted August 2021 – with national touring in support of the record ongoing. Although falling loosely under the bluegrass label, AJLBS generally plays sans banjo, with Sullivan Tuttle and Scott Gates on steel stringed acoustic guitars, AJ on mandolin, Jan Purat on fiddle, and Chad Bowen on upright bass – a configuration effectively used to create unique space and texture in the arrangements not as commonly found in the music of their peers. Drawing from influences such as country, soul, swing, rock, and jam music, the band uses the lens of bluegrass as a vessel through which to express and explore the thread that binds and unifies all great music.81 DRIFTERS Hailing from the scenic landscapes of Appalachia, the 81 Drifters weave a tapestry of sounds ranging from singer-songwriter originals to bluegrass, western swing, old country, and classic rock. Whether they’re playing intimate venues or taking center stage at festivals, they captivate audiences with their infectious energy, skillful musicianship, and passion for the music they create. The band features multi-instrumentalists and songwriters Nick Colavito (Guitar/Banjo/Harmonica), Chad Brown (Mandolin/Guitar), Kristina Miller (Fiddle) and Hunter Andrus (Bass). Find their first two singles “Moved to the City” and “Headed on my Way” on all streaming platforms.
Tanner Usrey: The Crossing Lines Tour w/ JD Clayton
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYTANNER USREY Guitar in hand and mic turned up loud, the tunes do the talking for Tanner Usrey. The Texas-born singer, songwriter, and guitarist pairs straight shooting storytelling with country grit, rock ‘n’ roll energy, and Americana eloquence. As such, he channels a classic spirit from a personal perspective. After piling up tens of millions of streams, packing hundreds of shows, and landing syncs on the likes of Yellowstone, he bares it all on a series of 2023 singles for Atlantic Records and much more to come. “I let the songs be what they’re going to be, and I pride myself on that,” he notes. “Musically, it ranges from southern rock to country to Americana. When it comes to songwriting, I want to focus on what’s real – I don’t shy away from saying the hard things.” Growing up in the small town of Prosper, TX, he gravitated towards music as a little kid. By five-years-old, he constantly belted out Alan Jackson songs around the house much to his family’s chagrin. “Everyone used to tell me to shut up,” he laughs. “I was the kid who sang all the time.” Inspired by everyone from George Strait, Tom Petty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Rolling Stones to his favorite band Whiskey Myers, he wrote countless songs and cut his teeth at gigs anywhere with a stage. In between holding down a job as a skip tracer, he carefully honed his signature style. Quitting his job in 2019, he unveiled the Medicine Man EP. “Come Back Down” generated 19.1 million Spotify streams followed by “Beautiful Lies” with 18 million Spotify streams. During 2021, he tirelessly gigged in between releasing the SÕL Sessions EP. “The Light” also notably soundtracked the finale of Yellowstone Season 4. Along the way, he cemented himself as an electrifying and energetic live presence with over 180 shows in 2022. “When we’re on stage, our goal is to have the audience clinging to the edge of their seats,” he shares. “I get to play with a bunch of badasses, and I don’t take it for granted. We pounded the pavement and put at least 100K miles on the van in a year-and-a-half.” Signing to Atlantic Records, he kickstarted 2023 with “Take Me Home,” cracking 10 million streams and counting. On its heels, the single “Give It Some Time” threads together dusty acoustic guitar and unfiltered lyrics as he pleads, “Give me something to believe in, baby, because I’ve been losing my mind.” Against an organ-laden beat, it builds towards an emotionally charged guitar solo that’s as scorching as his delivery is. Ultimately, Tanner’s music might just say everything you need. “I hope you hear what you want to hear, enjoy it, resonate with it, and know it’s real,” he leaves off. “It’s been a wild ride. I’ve busted my ass. I started off doing all of this on my own, so it’s crazy to see how this and the team around me have grown. People are going after real music right now, and that’s great. I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes next.” JD CLAYTON
Loving w/ Fog Lake
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYLOVINGLoving is the musical collaboration of David Parry, Lucas Henderson and Jesse Henderson. The band formed by way of a long-distance recording project (Victoria – Toronto) that resulted in the creation of their debut self-titled EP. After the unexpected embrace of this work, the band reconvened in Victoria, BC to begin playing live shows and work on new material.Following in the path of their debut EP, If l am only my thoughts was home recorded and represents a deeper exploration of the band’s creative process – a process marked by an appreciation for the generative limitations of recording to tape. The resulting album constructs a warm and dreamy sonic landscape kept adrift by existentially oriented lyrics and an unspecified all-encompassing sense of nostalgia.At present, their live performances showcase the talents of Evan Cheadle (guitar), Justin Devries (drums), and Patrick Rendell (bass+backup vocals). Previous touring members include Bren Davidson of Subject (RIP), and Keenan Mittag-Degala of Elan Noon. LOVING is currently working on a new LP to follow up their 2020 release, If I Am Only My Thoughts. FOG LAKE Fog Lake is the solo project of Newfoundland, Canada artist Aaron Powell. Over the last ten years, his lo-fi recordings, described as “harrowing nostalgia,” have explored the dark valleys where everything has settled and must be understood. On his new album, Tragedy Reel, he reflects on small-town alienation and loss spanning his years living in rural Newfoundland. Lost friends, lost love, addiction and vignettes of high school disillusionment are interwoven in Powell’s somber yet hopeful melodies, which combine the soaring highs of nostalgia with the sinking feelings of disappointment and regret. The album was recorded in the summer of 2020 during a 3-month stint in his hometown (population: about 2,000.) Powell combines downtrodden acoustic guitars with muffled pianos, and enveloping synth work by Warren Hildebrand of Foxes in Fiction, who also mixed the record. Across these songs, Powell uses music as a vehicle for healing, repentance and forgiveness in order to craft something deeply personal and therapeutic for himself, and hopefully in turn for others.
That 1 Guy
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYTHAT 1 GUYWith an extensive and amazing track record of unique and imaginative performances featuring his curious instrument and copious amounts of originality, Mike Silverman, a/k/a That1Guy, has set himself apart as a true one-of-a-kind talent that rivals any other artist currently in the entertainment industry. Averaging 150-200 shows a year all over North America and Canada, he has been a consistent favorite at such festivals as: Wakarusa, Electric Forest, Big Day out, All Good Music Festival, Bella, High Sierra Music Festival, Summer Meltdown, Montreal Jazz Festival, and many more. He was also the ʻTap Water Award’ winner at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for best musical act. His legendary collaboration and multiple tours with Buckethead performing as The Frankenstein Brothers has further cemented his virtuoso story as a creative visionary. Silverman’s back-story is similar to many musicians that have come before him. He grew up a self-proclaimed music geek, soaked in the influence of his jazz musician father, and enrolled in San Francisco Conservatory of Music before joining the local jazz scene himself as a sought-after percussive bassist. This is where the similarities end though and where That1Guy truly began. “In my case, being a bass player, I just felt very restricted by the instrument itself,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to sound different and have my own sound. I was headed that way on the bass, but for me to fully realize what I was hearing in my head sonically I was going to have to do it my way”. His influential and innovative double bass style eventually evolved into what we see today as That1Guy and The Magic Pipe. As his story continues to develop, Billboard has famously noted, “In the case of Mike Silverman’s slamming, futuristic funk act… the normal rules of biology just don’t apply.” In addition, Silverman also has new music and videos in the works for 2015 that will further validate his status as an industry trailblazer. “I like being my own person”, he says. “I didn’t set out to be a weirdo, but I’m starting to embrace it”. Ultimately, his motivation can be encapsulated as this: “Human beings do our best work when we’re challenged and pushed up against the wall”. That1Guy goes on to further explain, “By nature, we’re hunters and gatherers, spending each day looking for their next meal. It’s easy to be lazy when you don’t have to come up with something creative right away.”
OUTPOST: Dave Desmelik
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLY- RAIN OR SHINE- FREE SHOWDave Desmelik is a singer-songwriter and instrumentalist whose musical focus is on original compositions. What attracts listeners to Desmelik’s tunes, old and new, is the element of authenticity incorporated in them. There is no sugar coating involved. His songs are not wrapped in false smiles, rather they are stark and open and tend to settle on the pulse of everyday life. An unclosed and evolving journal of thoughts set to music and melodies in prose and instrumental performance. If you listen to Dave Desmelik’s songs, whether lyrical or instrumental, you may become pleasantly fixed in the simplistic realness of them and if you hear Desmelik in a live setting you may realize that there are no tricks, just a genuine venture into the highs and lows of life.
Sicard Hollow
ALL AGES – STANDING ROOM ONLY SICARD HOLLOW Nashville’s psychedelic punk-grass rockers, Sicard Hollow, grew up sick of any existing institution telling them who and what to be. Now, as they navigate adulthood, they’re equally tired of the music institutions telling them what their music should sound like— so they dunked it in patchouli and a skate-and-destroy ethos that brings an enduring sound into the modern age. Before the band met in 2018, none of the members ever considered playing bluegrass. Matt Rennick (violin) was working on electronic music, Will Herrin (mandolin/vocals) was playing guitar in rock bands, and Alex King (guitar/vocals) was barely playing music at all. After a few jam sessions, the bluegrass just kind of happened. Since adding Parrish Gabriel (bass) in the Fall of 2019, the band has been on a journey of self discovery within the genre while challenging themselves to make it their own. Whether it was skateboarding or chasing jam bands, singer/guitar-player Alex King always had a fierce desire to succeed on his own terms. He spent years as an artist without an art-form, searching for a home by pouring every bit of his sweat and heart into anything he was doing. “It took years for me to land on music,” King says, referencing “This I Know” from the album, “but when I found that fire inside my heart, I found my home.It just so happened that finding that home coincided with the shutdown of live music due to the pandemic that canceled the entire release tour supporting their debut studio record, ‘Secret of the Breeze.’ During that time, the band turned inward to reflect on their identity and how they could add their generation’s voice to a timeless genre of music. The result, with the help of producer John Mailander (Billy Strings, Bruce Hornsby) and Recording/mixing engineer Dan Davis (Billy Strings, Zac Brown Band, Dierks Bentley), was a combination of pop-punk melodies, psychedelic instrumental breaks, and existential song-writing all packaged as a bluegrass quartet dressed in tattoos and tie-dyes.Tracks like Herrin’s “Escape the Unknown,” wrestle with staying true to yourself in a world seemingly fueled by mob-mentality. This positive skepticism toward the main-stream permeates the entire record. Songs like “Forecast of Life” and “Where I’m At” impress a new-American-Zen that dances through the chaos with a smile on your face. If unapologetically being yourself is the key to finding the “Brightest of Days” ahead, then you’ll hear it here first from Sicard Hollow. THE TALISMEN The Talismen formed in 2015 in Montgomery, Alabama, during the band members’ high school years. Over the past eight years, the band has evolved and progressed as a highly creative, powerful force; entertaining audiences across the country. With a combination of energy and sophistication beyond their years, The Talismen approach each performance as a totally unique experience featuring an expansive catalog of soulful, funk-filled originals, along with a constantly evolving rotation of covers. The Talismen released their debut album, Jar Full of Something, in February 2019. The album has since totaled over one million streams via Spotify. In March of 2020, the band released a four-song EP, Extra Vehicular Activity, which was recorded and produced by Kevin Scott (Gov’t Mule / Jimmy Herring). They have since released two live albums (Live From The Bunker, Live From Saturn), as well as a series of singles.
Jontavious Willis
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE JONTAVIOUS WILLISJontavious Willis is reshaping the blues scene with his own unique style. Hailing from Greenville, Georgia, his deep connection to his rural Americana and black heritage infuses his artistry with authenticity and character.Jontavious occupies a unique position as a child of the 90s whose artistic canvas, the blues, is among the most vintage of American art forms. His work provides an avenue for modern audiences to access a part of history all too often deemed inaccessible. On tour and in the studio, he is captivating audiences with his unique perspective, leaving an indelible mark on the world of music, breathing new life into one of America’s greatest contributions to music and culture.His debut album, “Blue Metamorphosis,” received critical acclaim and was honored with the Best Self-Produced CD Award by the Blues Foundation. His second album, “Spectacular Class,” produced by Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’, solidi ed his status as a rising star, and earned him a Grammy nomination. Currently, Jontavious is working on his upcoming album, which will showcase his evolution as an artist. The project is a product of Jontavious’ relationship with Georgia. He is working hard in his home state, drawing inspiration from both the historical and contemporary, to produce an album that will make its’ mark on the state’s musical tradition.JODY CARROLLJody Carroll is a blues & Roots performer and songwriter who effortlessly creates bold interpretations of old Blues and American Folk music, his own songs, stories and improvisational musical journeys. He is a Finger style/slide guitar master and amazingly soulful singer blending flavors of old Blues, Folk, Mountain music, Jazz and Rock all together into a true power packed gumbo.
Evan Dando (of The Lemonheads) solo
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLEEVAN DANDO (OF THE LEMONHEADS) SOLOEvan Dando is currently at work in São Paulo, Brazil on the first album of original songs from The Lemonheads since 2006. After playing anniversary tours for It’s A Shame About Ray and Come On Feel The Lemonheads, Evan is embarking on a US solo tour in Spring 2024 to play shows with an eclectic mix of Lemonheads classics, new material, and covers. A new single from The Lemonheads, “Fear Of Living”, which was co-written by the late Dan Lardner (of QTY) and Evan, was just released digitally on November 14th, 2023 via Fire Records, and will be available for sale on 7” vinyl at the upcoming February and March shows.“For most writers, it’s extraordinarily difficult to catch and hold feelings of pathos, idleness, hunger, a kind of hazy but manageable melancholy. Dando’s songs are short (many are under or around two minutes), with choruses and hooks so easygoing, so suffused with nonchalance, that it feels as though they must have arrived fully formed and without struggle.” – The New YorkerWILLY MASON
Blonde Redhead
– ALL AGES- STANDING ROOM ONLYBLONDE REDHEAD“Life changes fast,” Joan Didion once wrote. “Life changes in the instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.” In the spring of 2020, Blonde Redhead singer and multi-instrumentalist Kazu Makino encountered this passage from Didion’s 2005 memoir of grief, The Year of Magical Thinking, in which the author reflected on the devastating experience of witnessing her husband’s sudden death at the dinner table. Amid the profound uncertainty of those early pandemic months, Makino was thinking of her own parents far away in Japan; the then-lost ritual of congregating for dinner with family; and the heavy, omnipresent feeling that life could change in the instant for any of us. With plainspoken language and incandescent melodies, Makino narrated these feelings on a pair of songs, “Sit Down for Dinner Pt I” and “Sit Down for Dinner Pt II,” which helped title the tenth full-length from Blonde Redhead. “Sit Down to Dinner Pt II” thematically transcends time: “It’s sort of about death, but the music is so alive and groovy,” Makino says. Yet, the title Sit Down for Dinner has a separate resonance for the Italian members of Blonde Redhead, the Milan-born twin brothers Amedeo Pace (singer / multi-instrumentalist) and Simone Pace (drummer). “Culturally, dinner is important to us,” Simone says of the nonnegotiable family ritual. “It’s a moment for us to sit down and have time with each other. We grew up that way. I know a lot of people eat and run, eat in front of their TV, or don’t care about it too much—and that’s OK—but we really do.” Dinner has long been a sacred ritual for Blonde Redhead as a band as well; when they’re on tour or rehearsing, they always share a meal, no matter what. Releasing Sit Down for Dinner in its 30th year, Blonde Redhead’s perseverance partially came in realizing that the process of making the record should necessarily be fun. “Usually I agonize and it’s painful for me to write music, but on this one, I didn’t suffer as much,” says Makino. “I wanted to put my foot down and say: we can have a nice time together. The record sounds quite optimistic.” Amedeo adds, “We do really respond to each other. We depend on each other for inspiration. Kazu completes what I start; Simone completes both with rhythm.”BIBI CLUB Like a song through an open window, it feels like we’ve been waiting a long time for Le soleil et la mer. The debut release by Bibi Club, aka real-life lovers Adèle Trottier-Rivard and Nicolas Basque, is sun-kissed and wave-washed, shimmering and chic, a bilingual party overdue after two years that have felt (to everyone!) like winter. The pair named themselves “Bibi Club” for the discothèque in their living-room, where the couple’s bibis—their loved-ones—come and dance. With kids at home, Nico and Adèle had to sneak away to make music: five minutes here, two hours there. Accordingly, their songs imagine that a family’s everyday enchantments might be loaned to the dancefloor, to the nighttime, to a place that’s still thumping as the day breaks. Bibi Club’s debut album is out August 26 via Secret City Records.
Billy Jonas Band ‘Pre-New Year’s Eve’ Family Concert
– ALL AGES- SEATED SHOW- EARLY SHOW BILLY JONAS BAND Fun for All Ages! Bring the family, and prepare to ring in the New Year at an afternoon show on Dec. 31. The Billy Jonas Band loves to engage and delight both young and adult audiences. Whether performing for adults, families, school groups, faith communities, or a mix, they strive for a musical excellence that inspires, entertains, and moves people literally and figuratively. With “wild winded word magic” (Dirty Linen Magazine), homemade “industrial re-percussion” instruments, exquisite 3 and 4 part vocal harmonies, plus guitar and bass, they love to create community through song and story. Their specialty: finding and pushing your “wonder” button.In 2010, the Billy Jonas Band was honored with a performance at the White House!
