Founded by childhood friends Don Barnes and Donnie Van Zandt in 1974, the Southern rock gods known to us mortals as 38 Special are taking their nationwide tour to Santa Ynez for a Chumash Casino Resort performance on Friday, Nov. 22, at 8 p.m. The group is best known for hits such as “Hold On Loosely,” “Rockin’ into the Night,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Second Chance,” and “Caught Up in You”—the band’s first No. 1 hit, which cracked the Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1982.
The band’s current lineup includes co-founder, vocalist, and guitarist Barnes, keyboardist Bobby Capps, drummer Gary Moffatt, bassist Barry Dunaway, and guitarist Jerry Riggs. Van Zandt reluctantly stopped touring with 38 Special in 2013 due to health issues. Fellow original member Larry Junstrom, the group’s longtime bassist, passed away last month at the age of 70.
Tickets to the upcoming concert, held in the Chumash Casino Resort’s Samala Showroom, range from $29 to $59 and are available in advance at chumashcasino.com. The casino is an age 21-and-older venue and is located at 3400 E. Highway 246, Santa Ynez. Call the resort at (800) 248-6274 to find out more about the performance at other shows scheduled at the venue.
Sunday, bloody Sunday
Rancho Nipomo Barbecue and Deli presents Lydia Pense and Cold Blood on Sunday, Nov. 24, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Known for its signature blend of funk, R&B, and soul, the ensemble features Pense on vocals, Steve Dunne on guitar, Steve Salinas on keyboards, Evan Palmerston on bass, Donny Baldwin on drums, and Rich Armstrong and Rob Zuckerman on horns.
Releasing six albums during the late ’60s and early ’70s, the band gained additional notoriety for touring with Boz Skaggs, Jefferson Starship, and other acts. Formed in 1969, the band is currently touring in celebration of its 50th anniversary. Admission to the concert is $20 and tickets are available in advance at my805tix.com. The restaurant is located at 108 Cuyama Lane, Nipomo. Call (805) 925-3500 for more details.
Going south
Country-rock band Stray Herd performs at the Cold Spring Tavern off of Highway 154 on Friday, Nov. 22, from 6 to 9 p.m. This local group plays a mix of roots and outlaw and modern country tunes. The tavern hosts Green Flag Summer the following afternoon, from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23. This rock and reggae duo, made up of Matt Kustura and Andrew Fedders, is based in Santa Barbara and performs both covers and originals. Blues, jazz, and rock band Spoonful is next on the docket, performing that same evening from 5 to 8 p.m.
The tavern’s weekend lineup concludes with blues and rags duo Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan (from 1:15 to 4 p.m.) and folk rock group Uncle Uncle (from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.) on Sunday, Nov. 24. Entry to all of the venue’s shows is free. Also in the Santa Ynez Valley, Carmen and the Renegades perform at the Maverick Saloon on Friday, Nov. 22, from 8 to 11 p.m. The saloon also hosts Dr. Wu, a Steely Dan tribute band, on Saturday, Nov. 23, from 8 to 11 p.m. Admission to both performances is complimentary.
More music
Guests of the Naughty Oak Brewing Company in Orcutt on Friday, Nov. 22, can look forward to traveling back in time to the 1990s with ’90s grunge and rock tribute band Joe Daddy and the Sumthings. The concert starts at 6 p.m. and the group is scheduled to play through 9 p.m. Admission to the show is free, but gourmet sandwiches and tacos will be available for purchase from AR Catering (starting at 5:30 p.m.).
Singer-songwriter Keith Cox performs at Blast 825 Brewery in Orcutt on Friday, Nov. 22, from 7 to 10 p.m. The brewery also hosts Smokin’ Gunz on Saturday, Nov. 23, from 10 p.m. to past midnight, and About Time on Sunday, Nov. 24, from noon to 3 p.m. Entry to all three shows is free. Also in Orcutt, local solo artist Cyrus Clarke performs at Vino et Amicis Wine Bar on Friday, Nov. 22, from 7 to 10 p.m. Admission to the performance is complimentary.
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote this week’s Local Notes. Contact him at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
The New Times Music Awards results!
Thanks to all who came out to the SLO Brew Rock Event Center last Friday, Nov. 8, for the 2019 New Times Music Awards! The show was a huge success. The final results are listed below for posterity. Congratulations to all the winners, and thanks to all who entered!
Best Album
1) Phil Lee: Phil Lee & The Horse He Rode In On
2) Derek Senn: How Could A Man
3) The Creston Line: Fool’s Gold
Best Songwriter
1) Derek Senn: “Song Mine”
2) Chris O’Connell: “I Know That”
3) The Creston Line: “Waiting Ain’t My Style”
Rock/Alternative
1) Domestic Tiger: “Salt”
2) Golfdads: “Breaking Bad”
3) Chad Land: “The Snake”
Country/Folk/Americana
1) The Creston Line: “The Ballad of David and Caroline”
2) Ynana Rose: “Mendocino Sunrise”
3) Jasper & Jade: “Boneman”
R&B/Blues
1) Danté Marsh: “Jungle Boy”
2) Ezra Henderson: “Paradise”
3) Earls Of Tuesday: “The Way You Talk”
Hip-Hop/Rap
1) Kody Balboa Ft. James Kay: “Witnesses”
2) Famous Deuce Ft. Beezy: “Day Dreamin'”
3) BobbyBeenFresh: “Homesick”
Open
1) The Bogeys: “Dive Jam”
2) Jill Knight and The Daylights: “Match Your Vibration”
3) Echo Canyon: “Interstellar”
Youth
1) Harmony Chabot: “Gold Oceans”
2) The Journals: “Memory Fading”
3) Sacha Carlson: “Bluejay”
Readers’ Choice: Domestic Tiger
Local Legend: Neal Losey of KCBX
Best Live Performance: Danté Marsh.
This article appears in Nov 21-28, 2019.