Cold Spring Tavern presents roots rock duo The Hubcap Stealers

To say the apple didn’t fall far from the tree would be an understatement in the case of Neal and Ian Sowers, aka The Hubcap Stealers. This father-and-son duo got its start in 2012, when son/apple Ian was only 11 years old, although he had already been drumming since age 4. 

click to enlarge Cold Spring Tavern presents  roots rock duo The Hubcap Stealers
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HUBCAP STEALERS
SINS OF THE FATHER: Father-son duo The Hubcap Stealers, featuring guitarist Neal Sowers, performs at Cold Spring Tavern on Friday, June 21.

Watching Ian develop as a talented drummer over the years, father/tree Neal, a guitarist and songwriter, had a vision of the two performing together as a roots rock duo. I’m not sure when stealing hubcaps entered the equation, but maybe that’s why Neal refers to the duo’s unique brand as “outlaw roots ’n’ roll,” an off-kilter style he’s described as a tad bit grittier than traditional roots. 

It was their first EP, Bad Ground, that caught the attention of rockabilly icon Reverend Horton Heat in 2014. The Reverend enjoyed the EP so much that he invited Neal and Ian to open for him during one leg of his tour, performing at the Ventura Theater.

click to enlarge Cold Spring Tavern presents  roots rock duo The Hubcap Stealers
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HUBCAP STEALERS
PRODIGY: The Hubcap Stealers, featuring drummer Ian Sowers, perform at Cold Spring Tavern on Friday, June 21.

Over the last five years since then, the duo has performed at various venues and festivals throughout Ventura and Los Angeles counties, including Sans Souci in Ventura and the Ink ’n Iron Festival (aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach). In between touring, Neal and Ian have also made time to record their original material. Their latest studio album, Bibles for Bullets, was released earlier this year and is available online at hubcapstealers.com. 

One of The Hubcap Stealers’ next live performances takes place at the Cold Spring Tavern off Highway 154 on Friday, June 21, from 6 to 9 p.m. Soul and funk artist Cheyenne Skye takes the tavern’s stage the following day, Saturday, June 22, from 5 to 8 p.m. Influenced by artists like Patsy Cline, Nina Simone, and Janis Joplin, Skye performs both love ballads and stomp-along anthems alike. Americana and classic rock group Oddly Straight open for Skye, performing from 1 to 4 p.m. 

Cold Spring’s weekend lineup concludes with blues and rags duo Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan (from 1:15 to 5 p.m.) and genre benders Spencer the Gardener (from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.) on Sunday, June 23. This eclectic group performs big band, indie, mariachi, pop, surf and other genres. Admission to each concert, including The Hubcap Stealers, is free. Call (805) 967-0066 or visit coldspringtavern.com to find out more.

In the days of my youth

click to enlarge Cold Spring Tavern presents  roots rock duo The Hubcap Stealers
PHOTO COURTESY OF VANILLA ICE
ICE, ICE BABY: Vanilla Ice performs at the Chumash Casino Resort on Friday, June 28.

A night of nostalgia awaits attendees of the I Love The ’90s Tour, featuring Vanilla Ice and Sugar Ray lead vocalist Mark McGarth, at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez on Friday, June 28, at 8 p.m. Guests can expect to hear various chart-topping hits of the decade, including “Ice, Ice Baby,” “Every Morning,” and “Fly.” Tickets to the show range from $49 to $79. All I know is, if Vanilla Ice’s “Ninja Rap” from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze soundtrack isn’t included, I’m staying in my shell for the night.

Also in Santa Ynez, The PODs, aka Politics of Dancing, perform at the Maverick Saloon on Friday, June 21, from 8 to 11 p.m. This six-piece dance band covers popular anthems from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. Tickets start at $5 and are available at my805tix.com. The nostalgia thread doesn’t stop there though, as Lynette SheByrd, a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band, takes over the saloon’s stage the following evening, Saturday, June 22, from 8 to 11 p.m. While everyone else is requesting either “Free Bird” or “Sweet Home Alabama,” I’m just gonna keep harping on “Ninja Rap.” Don’t hurdle my turtle!

More music

click to enlarge Cold Spring Tavern presents  roots rock duo The Hubcap Stealers
FILE PHOTO COURTESY OF AMARIS LAURETTE TAYLOR
LOCAL ARTIST: Indie singer/songwriter Amaris Laurette Taylor performs at Moxie Cafe on Friday, June 21.

Naughty Oak Brewing Company in Orcutt presents local rock artist Joe Daddy on Friday, June 21, from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission is free, but food from Barbecue in the Stix will be on site and available for purchase. Also in Orcutt, Tu Chez performs at Vino et Amicis Wine Bar on Thursday, June 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. SLO-based singer/songwriter Kevin Graybill plays at the bar the following night, Friday, June 21, from 7 to 10 p.m. Admission to both performances is complimentary.

Moxie Cafe in Santa Maria presents solo guitarist Bob Clark on Thursday, June 20, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The cafe also hosts indie singer/songwriter Amaris Laurette Taylor on Friday, June 21, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and local artist Yael Gott on Saturday, June 22, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. All three performances are part of the cafe’s ongoing free weekly concert series. Also in Santa Maria, Lompoc-based singer/songwriter Jacob Cole performs at Blast 825 Brewery on Friday, June 28, at 6:30 p.m. Complimentary live music at the brewery continues with classic rock, blues, and country artist John Alan Connerley on Sunday, June 30, from noon to 3 p.m. 

Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote this week’s Local Notes. Send information to [email protected].

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