Aficionados privy to the Santa Maria and Lompoc music scenes may know songwriters Weston Scott and Christian Schmidt for their work as the pop parody duo The Friendos, who celebrated their inaugural album release in 2017. If you’re curious about what they’ve been up to for the last two years, head on over to iTunes, Spotify, Bandcamp, or any other platform to download JFK ’n Me—which becomes available on Monday, May 27.
Before you start trying to interpret the title, just know that this is a musical about a time traveler going back to 1963 to stop President John F. Kennedy from being assassinated. The concept for the show originated with Scott and collaborator Adam Niemann—who co-wrote the book for JFK ’n Me with Scott and sings as more than 30 characters on the album.
“One of the hardest things about musicals is getting all the people in the room. They usually have large casts, and orchestras, and the whole nine yards,” Scott said. “So my friend Adam and I came up with an idea for a two-man musical, where it’s just us onstage for the whole two hours.”
“I don’t remember the actual moment of ‘it should be about preventing the assassination of John F. Kennedy,’” he continued. “But as soon as we came up with the title, we were off to the races.”
Scott and Niemann finished the first draft of JFK ’n Me in 2017. Schmidt was brought on board to compose the show’s songs, with lyrics by Scott.
“I always write lyrics first; I think about the style of the song I want to use—whether it’s a ballad or an up-tempo—and then I write a really rough draft of what the song could be,” Scott said.
During the songwriting process, Scott and Schmidt were more than 400 miles apart—with Scott working in Berkeley at the time and Schmidt residing in Long Beach. Scott would send the lyrics to Schmidt, who would then crank out a demo for the song and send it back.
“And then we went back and forth until we were happy with the sound,” Scott said.
The show opened in 2018, and Scott and Niemann have been performing it on and off ever since. The next live performance takes place on Friday, May 24, at PianoFight in San Francisco. A more local showing has yet to be announced, but at least we’ve got the album release to hold us over until then.
Scott—a Santa Maria native and PCPA alumnus—returned to the Central Coast earlier this year to record the album at Certain Sparks Music in Lompoc.
“Adam and I popped into the studio for two days and recorded all of our tracks during that time. Oddly, it was the least stressful recording session I’ve ever been in,” Scott said. “I always feel much better when I’m playing a character. Trying to sing authentically takes a lot more work than singing as a character in a musical.”
Wiggin’ out
Blues, rock, and country artist Sean Wiggins performs at Zaca Mesa Winery in Los Olivos on Saturday, May 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. Known for her solo career as well as performing alongside Cyndi Lauper, Montgomery Gentry, and others, Wiggins has spent more than a decade touring the country—from New York to California.
“Sometimes the driving gets long and crazy, but it is worth it in the end,” Wiggins said in press materials. “Can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Wiggins will also be performing at Cold Spring Tavern off Highway 154 on Sunday, May 26, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. The tavern also hosts rock/country group The Nombres on Friday, May 24, from 6 to 9 p.m. The Robert Thomas Band takes the stage on Saturday, May 25, from 1 to 4 p.m., followed by Rankin’ File, from 5 to 8 p.m. Paradise Road will headline a Memorial Day concert at the tavern on Monday, May 27, from 4 to 7 p.m. Tina Schlieske and The Graceland Exiles will open the show, from 1 to 4 p.m.
More Music
Vino et Amicis Wine Bar in Orcutt hosts musical duo Bender and Jack on Friday, May 24, from 7 to 10 p.m. Also in Orcutt, indie/folk artist Conner Cherland performs at Naughty Oak Brewing Company on Friday, May 24, from 6 to 9 p.m. Cherland will also be performing at Andrew Murray Vineyards in Los Olivos the following day, Saturday, May 25, from noon to 3 p.m.
Local singer/songwriter Amaris Laurette Taylor will be performing at Moxie Cafe in Santa Maria on Thursday, May 23, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The cafe also hosts pop rock cover band The Wavebreakers on Friday, May 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and solo guitarist Yael Gott on Saturday, May 25, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
The Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez presents The Bryan Titus Trio on Friday, May 24, at 8 p.m. The saloon also hosts Pull the Trigger on Saturday, May 25, at 8 p.m. The weekend lineup concludes with solo artist Wil Ridge (1 p.m.) and Teddy Spankee and The Tex Pistols (8:30 p.m.) on Sunday, May 26.
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote this week’s Local Notes. Contact him at cwiseblood@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in May 23-30, 2019.