The Claypool Lennon Delirium featuring Les Claypool (bass, vocals), Sean Lennon (guitar, vocals), Mark “Money Mark” Ramos Nishita of the Beastie Boys (keyboards), and Paul Baldi of the Fungi Band (drums) will make a stop at the historic Fremont Theatre in San Luis Obispo on August 4 at 8:00 PM. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 25 at Noon. The show is Thursday, August 4 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $32 and $35. They can be purchase at all VALLITIX outlets including Boo Boo Records in SLO. Charge by phone at (888) 825-5484, or order on line at: www.vallitix.com.
Nine-piece Hawaiian big band-style music group, Kahulanui, will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 26 at the Spanos Theater at Cal Poly. Student and adult tickets range from $38.40-$48 respectively and available at the PAC Box Office, Mondays–Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Call (805) 756-4849 or order online at: www.calpolyarts.org. Kahulanui’s stylings evoke an era of smoke-filled bars alive with Lindy-hopping dancers. Underlying this contemporary take on vintage music is a cultural cohesiveness of enacting “ku’I” — of joining old and new. Sponsored by Claudia Gilbert of Central Coast Printing.
Songwriters At Play presents a new trio –Rob Larkin, Emily Smith, and Albert Sanudo Jr. on Monday, April 4 at The Otter Rock Café (885 Embarcadero, Morro Bay. Albert and Rob first teamed up by playing some full band barn-burner shows together with Rob’s band, The Wayward Ones. Vocalist Emily of Rewined joined the duo making it a new trio. No cover charge, but a tip jar is passed for the featured performers. All ages okay. The showcase starts at 6:30 pm with guest sets followed by the featured act. Arrive early for dinner and a good seat. For more information, visit www.songwritersatplay.com.
Presbyterian Church, 981 Marsh St. (corner Marsh and Morro) is holding a special “Easter Reflections” music show starting at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 9. The show is a $15 donation and will feature w-class organist, Katya Gotsdiner-McMahan, teaming up with the Chancel Choir of First Presbyterian Church and the Choir of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, directed by Becky Falasco. (See: www.KatyaGotsdiner.com.) Pieces from Handel and Mozart, as well as selected movements from Vivaldi’s “Gloria.” The concert will also feature “Shout for Joy to God, Cantata No. 51” by J.S. Bach, performed by Jumi Kim, soprano and Christopher Woodruff, trumpet, string quartet and organ.
The Annual Symphony Ball & Auction is set for Saturday, April 23 at the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly. Cost is $150 per person and $1,200 for a table of eight. Seating is limited and tickets can be purchased online at: SLOSymphony.org. The Ball theme is, “A night Among the Stars,” and features a Champagne reception at 5:50 p.m., an elegant dinner at 7, with local wines, auctions and dancing to Burning James & the Funky Flames. “The Symphony Ball is a primary fundraiser for the organization” said San Luis Obispo General Manager, Francie Levy. “Our guests are our stars as their patronage brings exciting classical music, special guest virtuoso artists, and special concerts to our community. It also supports our orchestra, music education programs that continue to grow and administrative staff that organizes every event.”
Tickets are on sale now for comedian, David Cross, set for 7 p.m. Friday, May 13 at the Fremont Theater in Downtown SLO. Produced by Otter Productions, tickets for the performance are $35 and $45 plus handling fees, and available at the Cal Poly PAC Box Office, call 756-4849 or online at: www.calpolyarts.org; all VALLITIX outlets including Boo Boo Records in SLO and online at: www.vallitix.com or by phone at (888) 825-5484. Named one of the “Top-100 Stand-up Comedians of All Time,” Cross last toured in 2009 after release of his bestseller book, “I Drink for a Reason.” That show was filmed for a special on EPIX and is available on DVD and CD. His previous comedy special, “David Cross: The Pride is Back,” aired on HBO in 1999 and was named one of The-25 best stand-up comedy specials and concert films of all time in July 2015 by Rolling Stone Magazine. He has appeared in such films as “Kill Your Darlings,” “It’s a Disaster,” “Year One,” “Waiting for Guffman,” “Men in Black I and II,” “Ghost World,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Pitch Perfect 2” and “I’m Not There,” and has provided d several animated films, including “Megamind,” the “Kung Fu Panda” series and “Curious George.” Adult content and language; ages 17-older.
New York’s “globalFEST On the Road” will bring, “Creole Carnival,” to the Spanos Theater at Cal Poly at 8 p.m. Friday, April 8. Student and general tickets for the performance are $32 and $40 respectively and available at the PAC Box Office, Mondays–Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Call (805) 756-4849 or order online at: www.calpolyarts.org. The Creole Carnival Tour features three amazing global music artists in a lively and colorful concert honoring the roots of African music along with a fusion of sounds from the Americas, all revolving around Carnival — the pre-Lent Festival celebrated globally. Samba ensemble, Casuarina from Brazil stars plus the reigning queen of Haitian song, Emeline Michel, and guitarist, Brushy One String, who plays with a distinctive Jamaican jam. See: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyZYPOfRv6I for a clip.
SLOFOLKS is bringing folk duo, Mike & Ruthy, to the Central Coast for two shows, Coalesce Chapel, 845 Main St., Morro Bay at 7 p.m. Friday, April 15, and Castoro Cellars Winery in Templeton, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 16. Tickets are $20 a person and available at Coalesce Bookstore, call 772-2880 or Castoro Cellars at (805) 238-0725 or (888) 326-3463 or online at: castorocellars.com/events. Castoro tickets also available at Boo Boo Records (with additional fee). Mike Merend and Ruth Ungar are extremely talented musicians and the driving force behind the innovative group, The Mammals. Hailing out of New York’s Hudson Valley, and touring for now as a duo, they bring a rich, whole-earth sound symbolic of the old folk musician with a modern twist. See: www.mikeandruthy.com for music samples.
The next Downtown Brown Bag Concert at San Luis Obispo’s First Presbyterian Church is set for noon Friday, April 1 and will feature The Beatles! Free! (Nah, April Fool’s) Actually, the show features ‘80s “hair” band, The Bald Spots, an immature-forever, quartet, singing group, and coffee and fair trade chocolates will be available. First Pres is at the corner of Morro and Marsh streets in Downtown SLO.
Folksinger, David Baumgarten, and author, Marianne Kennedy, will play a multi-faceted event at 7 p.m. Friday, April 8 at the Steynberg Gallery, on Monterey Street in SLO. Cost is $10 per person. For reservations call (805) 547-0278. Seating is limited. Radio personality Guy Rathbun will host the show entitled, “Close Encounters.” The show will be a concert, dramatic readings, and video highlights from feature and documentary films. Baumgarten is a folksinger, author, filmmaker and theatrical director, acclaimed by the Associated Press as “one of the finest balladeers of our time.” He recently published a memoir that will be featured on this program. Kennedy has authored and co-authored a novel, screenplays, radio dramas, literary and historical recordings over a long professional career including 35 years in the field of psychology, serving the last 30 as the executive director of The Women’s Shelter Program of San Luis Obispo County. Accompanying Baumgarten will be Judi Brown, Bob Liepman, Sidney Willson Young and Chrisanne Wollett. Actors Chad Stevens and Angela Hutt will perform dramatic readings from the authors’ two books and excerpts from local-product, Zac Efron’s first feature film, “Melinda’s World” will be shown.
The 60th Anniversary Tour of the fast-paced entertainment revue, “It’s Magic,” will come to the PAC at Cal Poly at 7 p.m. Friday, April 30. Tickets range from $14-$48 and available at the PAC Box Office, Mondays–Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Call (805) 756-4849 or order online at: www.calpolyarts.org. Produced by Terry Hill and Milt Larsen “It’s Magic!” features magic and variety acts from Las Vegas, Europe, Asia and Hollywood’s Magic Castle. For a promo video, See: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoEBEStBLSw#t=51. Sponsored by La Cuesta Inn.
A special look into the creative process of Beethoven and his, “Eroica Symphony,” with Dr. Craig Russell is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, April 3 at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2201 Lawton Ave., San Luis Obispo. Tickets are $20 general and $5 students with 12-under free. Tickets available online at: www.uuslo.org or at the door. Dr. Russell will lecture on Beethoven’s creative process using “sketches” of the finished piece that he has also wove together into a four-hands piano piece that will be performed by Terry Spiller and Susan Davis.
There will be a benefit for Dawn Mirabelli on April 10th from noon until 5 PM at Manrock Brewing Co., 1750 El Camino Real, Suite A, Grover Beach. Dawn had emergency back surgery Thanksgiving 2015 and has been in physical rehab since then learning to walk again. There will be a host of local bands and musicians donating their time including the Crisptones, JD Hardy, Madame Cosmo & the Vudu Catz, Surfeza and Dr. Danger. The Green Machine, a reggae band from Hanford will close the show. There is no cover, but a suggested donation of $10. There will also be a 50/50 raffle, an silent auction including vacation packages for Tahoe and Hawaii, and a Cornhole Tournament (sign up in advance at the brewery.)