Virginia-born artist Eli Cook grew up in Albemarle County, amid the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. If I was on Jeopardy and one of the Daily Double categories was “mountain ranges,” there’s very little chance I’d bet anything higher than zero—unless the question pertains to the Disneyland trinity (Space, Splash, and Thunder). That’s why it surprised me how familiar the name Blue Ridge sounded to me, until finally realizing it’s the mountain range John Denver sings about in “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”
Alex, is it too late to change my bet? I’m having a Slumdog Millionaire moment that I’d like to take advantage of.
Like Denver, Cook dabbles in more than a few genres, including country and rock. But blues is the sound Cook’s most known for, though he often combines his stylings with genres as seemingly diverse as grunge. But that specific pair isn’t as eclectic as most might assume in Cook’s opinion. He has described both genres as offering mutual, authentic expressions of angst.
With that philosophy in mind, it makes sense that Cook first picked up a guitar at one of the angstiest ages of all—13—after watching his older brother play. By 15, he was already performing solo shows, without ever taking a single formal lesson. At 18, the young artist found himself opening for blues legend B.B. King. Cook would go on to record six studio albums, all before turning 30. At 31, he released his seventh and latest album, High-Dollar Gospel.
“I was brainstorming ideas that would evoke the imagery of the American South,” Cook said in press materials on coming up with the album’s title, which basically means “profitable church music” if interpreted literally.
“The two phrases [high-dollar and gospel] together can have several connotations, but the one I think of is the feeling of disillusionment that seems to be more and more pervasive,” Cook said. “I think a lot of young people feel a sense of apathy and a loss in direction, generally speaking. People need inspiration, and it seems like that is becoming harder to come by.”
Cook will be performing an acoustic concert at the Radisson Hotel in Santa Maria on Sunday, April 28. The show starts at 3 p.m. in the hotel’s main ballroom. The performance will include animated projections provided by locally owned media company Yippee Ki-Ay Blues. General admission is $20. Tickets for seniors, military, and veterans are $10. A portion of the concert’s proceeds will be donated to Generation Blues, a music scholarship offered by The Blues Foundation. Visit blues.org/generation-blues to find out more.
The Radisson Hotel is located at 3455 Skyway Drive, Santa Maria. For tickets and more information, visit yippeekiayblues.com.
Take the high road
Surf and folk rock group Hoodlum Friends will cover a variety of upbeat and recognizable instrumentals at the Cold Spring Tavern on Friday, April 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. The tavern also hosts singer/songwriter Sean Wiggins on Saturday, April 27, from 1 to 4 p.m. Wiggins performs originals and covers from various genres including pop, rock, country, and R&B. Americana and soft rock band Paradise Road—known for their mellow vibe reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac, Amy Mann, and Carole King—perform the same day from 5 to 8 p.m.
The weekend concludes with blues and rags duo Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan on Sunday, April 28, from 1:15 to 4 p.m., followed by jazz/swing band Spencer the Gardener, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Admission to each performance at Cold Spring Tavern is free. Call (805) 967-0066 or visit coldspringtavern.com for more details.
More music
Vino et Amicis Wine Bar in Orcutt presents soul artist Will Bremen on Friday, April 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. The bar also hosts rock cover group Sun Dragons on Saturday, April 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. Also in Orcutt, local singer/songwriter Kenny Taylor will perform at Naughty Oak Brewing Company on Friday, April 26, at 6 p.m. Admission to the concert is free, but food from BBQ in the Stix will be available for purchase. Only a few miles north, solo artist Logan Landress will perform at Moxie Cafe in Santa Maria on Thursday, April 25, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The cafe also hosts pop rock cover band The Wavebreakers on Friday, April 26, and alternative rock/indie folk group Carter on Saturday, April 27, with both shows from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Head the opposite direction to catch Americana band Angie and the Nightmares at Sort This Out Cellars in Solvang on Friday, April 26, from 7 to 10 p.m. Influences of this Lompoc-based group—formerly known as The Luck—include Willie Nelson, Patsy Kline, Lily Allen, and Ben Folds. Blues/rock band Hot Roux will take the tasting room’s center stage the following day, Saturday, April 27, from 7 to 10 p.m. Also in the Santa Ynez Valley, The Bryan Titus Trio performs at the Maverick Saloon on Friday, April 26, at 8 p.m. The saloon also hosts Dusty Jugz on Saturday, April 27, at 8 p.m.
Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote this week’s Local Notes. Contact him at cwiseblood@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Apr 25 – May 2, 2019.