Guess who’s Bach? Bach again. The Monarch Club, at Trilogy Monarch Dunes in Nipomo, hosts solo cellist Jonah Kim on Friday, Feb. 21, at 5:30 p.m. Presented by Festival Mozaic as part of its Notable Encounter Insight concert series, Kim will cover Bach’s suites for solo cello and Baroque dance movements during this performance.
The event will also include historical discussions on the origins behind each suite, which are generally considered profound staples of the classical genre. Alongside the historical context, Kim will also discuss his own take on learning and performing these pieces. Doors open at 5 p.m., and tickets start at $25.
To find out more about the event, call (805) 781-3009 or visit festivalmozaic.com. The Monarch Club is located at 1645 Trilogy Parkway, Nipomo.
Going south
I don’t know about you, but I’m already counting the days—ONE, TWO—to The Nombres’ live performance at the Cold Spring Tavern off of Highway 154 on Friday, Feb. 21, from 6 to 9 p.m. The tavern also hosts NBC’s The Voice alumnus and Santa Barbara native Will Breman on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 1 to 4 p.m. Pop-folk band Paradise Road quickly follows the solo artist that same evening, with a show from 5 to 8 p.m.
The mountainside venue’s weekend lineup comes to a close with a couple of tavern regulars, blues and rags duo Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan, who perform on Sunday, Feb. 23, from 1:15 to 4 p.m. Admission to every show at Cold Spring is complimentary. The tavern is located at 5995 Stagecoach Road, Santa Barbara. Call (805) 967-0066 or visit coldspringtavern.com for more info.
The Politics of Dancing (or the PODs for short) is bringing its touring dance party of sorts to the Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez on Friday, Feb. 21, from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. This high-energy, six-piece ensemble features Jez Blacker and Joyce Michaels on lead vocals, Ray Pannell on guitar, Michael Lomas on bass, George Friedenthal on keys, and Donzell Davis on drums. The group is best known for covering chart-topping dance numbers ranging from the 1970s to the ’90s.
The saloon also hosts country band Pull the Trigger on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 8 to 11 p.m., and tribute group The Johnny Clashers on Sunday, Feb. 23, from noon to 4 p.m. Entry to each concert at the venue is complimentary—except to its monthly Tales From the Tavern series, which hosts singer-songwriter Michelle Malone, and special guest Peter Case, on Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 7 to 9 p.m. General admission is $34, and tickets are available in advance at talesfromthetavern.com. The Maverick is located at 3687 Sagunto St., suite D, Santa Ynez. To find out more about upcoming artists at the saloon, call (805) 686-4785 or visit themavsaloon.com.
More music
Son Jarocho ensemble Los Utrera performs at the Guadalupe City Hall auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. This free, family-friendly concert is presented by Viva el Arte Santa Barbara, which is dedicated to bringing world-class Latin American instrumental, vocal, and folklorico acts to Central Coast venues. For more info on the concert series, visit the group’s Facebook page (facebook.com/vivaelartesb). Guadalupe City Hall is located at 918 Obispo St., Guadalupe.
O’Sullivan’s Pub in Santa Maria hosts a double dose of alternative Americana on Friday, Feb. 21, from 9 p.m. to past midnight. Mike Healy and The Canaries will open for headlining act Angie and The Nightmares. General admission to the concert is $5. For more info on the show, call the pub at (805) 925-0658 or visit osullivanspub.net. The bar is located at 633 E. Main St., Santa Maria.
Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter AJ Lambert will be performing at The Beach in Lompoc on Friday, Feb. 21, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Central Coast locals Amber Anderson and Emily Wryn will kick off the show. Entry to the concert is free, but beer, wine, smoothies, and other options will be available for purchase. To find out more about the show, call (805) 430-8641 or visit thebeachlompoc.com. The Beach is located at 131 N. I St., Lompoc.
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote this week’s Local Notes. Contact him at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Feb 20-27, 2020.