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The Dan Grimm Band brings a unique Flip Floppytonk sound blending vintage guitar rock with California country, folk and progressive story telling. Hints of Tom Petty, Black Crowes and Blind Faith influences can be heard in the craft and love for live invention. The band features double lead guitars by world-class guitar players over tight rhythm, Rhodes keys and vocal harmonies. With original songs that stick in your head, smoke and honey vocals, and players forged onstage with the likes of Robben Ford, Dwight Yoakam, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Dave Mason, the Dan Grimm Band brings both history and invention to the stage.

"Corvus Crow" features B Willing James and Rick O'Shay from Shades of Day, along with Dan Grimm Band guitar player Ian Hutchinson.

The Dan Grimm Band is one of the many acts performing this Saturday in Ojai at the 2nd Annual Salute! Beer Festival. The festival is outdoors at Ojai Beverage Company, 2:00-6:00 p.m., at 655 E. Ojai Avenue, (805) 646-1700. Tickets to the festival include unlimited beer and food samples, souvenir 4-ounce tasting glass and live entertainment.

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The Wahya Consort makes their debut with a première of “Mingus and Beyond” on Sunday June 12, 2011 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Ojai Arts Center located at 113 South Montgomery Street in Ojai.

The Wahya Consort includes vocalist Ellen Johnson of Ojai, pianist Bevan Manson, percussionist Brad Dutz and bassist Rick Shaw performing original, creative and improvised music with elements of jazz, classical, and world music. The name “Wahya,” Cherokee for wolf, was specifically chosen by the group to represent the extraordinary beauty and expressions of nature through their musical compositions.

The Consort is supporting the Ojai Music Festival, occurring the same day, by providing a discount to their concert for people attending the June 12th performances of composer and conductor Maria Schneider’s 18-piece big band and the world premiere of “Winter Morning Walks” with soprano Dawn Upshaw. Single tickets for the Wahya Consort are $15.00 for regular admission and $7.00 with an Ojai Music Festival pass or students with a current ID. To reserve or purchase single tickets for the Wahya Consort performance call 805-272-8125 or visit www.jazzinojai.com. To purchase Ojai Music Festival passes and receive a discount on the Wahya Consort concert, go to www.OjaiFestival.org.

The Wahya Consort will be donating the proceeds of their performance to the Humane Society of Ventura County.

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Julija Zonic (pronounced Yooleeya) is a Croatian-born singer, songwriter and actress now living in Ojai. A professional entertainer since childhood, her rich, sweet vocals and dynamic range cut across all song styles to move audiences around the world. 

Smitty West is an Ojai-based keyboardist, vocalist songwriter and film scorer. He is the 2009 MAVRIC award winner for song of the year, comedy, and was triple-nominated for song of the year, acoustic, foreign
language, and comedy. Smitty is well-known throughout Southern California for his versatility. Smitty is the founder of Ojai Songwriters Anonymous, and the producer of two full-length CDs, Smitty West "Your World" and Myridian "Prime Myridian. "

"Shining Angel" is a track off Smitty's CD "Your World." Smitty and Julija will perform together today, Sunday, June 5th, at Libbey Park during Ojai's Day of Music.

Day of Music is a celebration of Ojai's artists and the community's dedicated efforts to build the new Libbey Bowl. It is a FREE one-day event in Libbey Park showcasing the arts of Ojai, from music and dance, to theater and storytelling. From morning ‘til night, the new Libbey Bowl stage, Libbey Park and downtown Ojai will come alive with entertainment, community booths, and activities for Ojai Valley residents and visitors to enjoy, celebrating the community's generous spirit during the Bowl's rebirth. This FREE one-day event happens Sunday, June 5th from 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Libbey Park.

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Robbie Sheppard began singing at Ojai Valley School in the 50's. She became a songwriter when she started her family, and discovered her husband's abandoned guitar under the bed. "Honeybee" is from her CD called "Wild Strawberries."

Robbie will perform today, Sunday, June 5th, at Libbey Park during Ojai's Day of Music.

Day of Music is a celebration of Ojai's artists and the community's dedicated efforts to build the new Libbey Bowl. It is a FREE one-day event in Libbey Park showcasing the arts of Ojai, from music and dance, to theater and storytelling. From morning ‘til night, the new Libbey Bowl stage, Libbey Park and downtown Ojai will come alive with entertainment, community booths, and activities for Ojai Valley residents and visitors to enjoy, celebrating the community's generous spirit during the Bowl's rebirth. This FREE one-day event happens Sunday, June 5th from 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Libbey Park.

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Julie Christensen, a veteran of Leonard Cohen's bands of the 1988 and 1993 tours and 15-year resident of Ojai, has made four of her own well-regarded CDs of mostly original material in the interim, performing regularly with top musicians in Southern California. She's also been a voice-slinger for hire in the studio with the likes of Robben Ford, John Doe, Steve Wynn, and Exene Cervenka, as well as Van Dyke Parks.

Julie was a featured member of the Cohen song projects produced by Hal Willner. The "Came So Far for Beauty" concerts (on which the documentary film "Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man" was partly based) had four installments over four years. In Dublin, Julie performed a fiery Joan of Arc with Lou Reed.

Featured here is her song "Something Pretty" from her album "Where the Fireworks Are," and album that chronicled a tour of Julie's emotional landscape during these difficult times of war and trouble. Julie's planning a more stripped-down acoustic project next, with Jeff Turmes (of Mavis Staples' band, and his own Americana/Blues albums) at the producer's helm.

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We Govern We touts an unconventional background; their members hail from places as far apart as Alexandroupolis, Greece, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and California via Prague and Athens. Anna Karakalou (lead vocals) and Panos Scourtis (lead guitar) cut their teeth in the music industry with various projects before finally finding themselves as fellow band members of internationally acclaimed alternative electronic rockers Sigmatropic, where they collaborated with Carla Torgerson of the Walkabouts, opened for acts like Moby, Sonic Youth and Nick Cave, and eventually felt ready to do their own thing. The road to the West Coast saw them shooting two music videos, getting offers from various record labels, and arriving to their current incarnation with John Boutin (drums) and Adrian Burke of Ojai (bass).

The featured song here is "Fields," from their debut album, "Reznor's Orchid." Pay attention, so you can say you knew of them before they hit it big. After all, if Daniel Ash (Bauhaus, Tones On Tail, Love & Rockets), who is guiding the production, thinks they are good enough it probably means you should, too.

We Govern We will perform live on Sunday, June 5^th at Libbey Park in Ojai during Day of Music.

Day of Music is a celebration of Ojai's artists and the community's dedicated efforts to build the new Libbey Bowl. It is a FREE one-day event in Libbey Park showcasing the arts of Ojai, from music and dance, to theater and storytelling. From morning ‘til night, the new Libbey Bowl stage, Libbey Park and downtown Ojai will come alive with entertainment, community booths, and activities for Ojai Valley residents and visitors to enjoy, celebrating the community's generous spirit during the Bowl's rebirth. This FREE one-day event happens Sunday, June 5^th from 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Libbey Park.

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Listen to the band's 2009 Radio Ojai interview here.

Twice voted Most Popular Band by the readership of the Ojai Valley News, The Household Gods (left to right: Charlie Bosson, Peter Bellwood, Jim Lashly and J.B. White) are dedicated to celebrating and reinventing popular songs. Their repertoire covers everyone from Stephen Foster to Bing Crosby to The Kinks to Prince -- with a healthy smattering of folksy originals. Here's a song that will make you want to (slow) "Dance":

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The Household Gods will perform live on Sunday, June 5^th at Libbey Park in Ojai during Day of Music.

Day of Music is a celebration of Ojai's artists and the community's dedicated efforts to build the new Libbey Bowl. It is a FREE one-day event in Libbey Park showcasing the arts of Ojai, from music and dance, to theater and storytelling. From morning ‘til night, the new Libbey Bowl stage, Libbey Park and downtown Ojai will come alive with entertainment, community booths, and activities for Ojai Valley residents and visitors to enjoy, celebrating the community's generous spirit during the Bowl's rebirth. This FREE one-day event happens Sunday, June 5^th from 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Libbey Park.

With earthy vocals and guitar-based tunes interspersed with harmonica, piano, banjo, mandolin and strings, Jon Swift's homegrown indie-folk pays homage to his influences without pinning him to one genre. At times reminiscent of Townes Van Zandt or Will Oldham, Jon's pared down guitar and harmonica tracks have also drawn comparison to the songwriting of Bob Dylan. Jon's rich and thoughtful lyrics evoke the solitude and adventure of the American West as he explores in verse the frontiers of personal introspection, relationships and intimacy.

 

Catch Jon’s performance on Sunday, June 5^th at Libbey Park in Ojai during Day of Music.

 

Day of Music is a celebration of Ojai's artists and the community's dedicated efforts to build the new Libbey Bowl. It is a FREE one-day event in Libbey Park showcasing the arts of Ojai, from music and dance, to theater and storytelling. From morning ‘til night, the new Libbey Bowl stage, Libbey Park and downtown Ojai will come alive with entertainment, community booths, and activities for Ojai Valley residents and visitors to enjoy, celebrating the community's generous spirit during the Bowl's rebirth. This FREE one-day event happens Sunday, June 5^th from 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Libbey Park.

Listen to Jon Swift's "Old Dark Road" here, and I promise you won't forget that old dark road, either: 

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Laurie Hope is a psychotherapist living in Ojai who writes songs to keep from going crazy. Her CD entitled TALES OF THE INSECT WOMEN is a collection of songs about dancing centipedes, bikini waxes, Prozac, Lorena Bobbitt and more. This highly entertaining collection of original music exemplifies Hope’s motto: “Give me levity or give me death. No, wait… I didn’t mean that.” Her CD THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE is a collection of lovely acoustic melodies with heartfelt and meaningful lyrics. Eight Ojai female vocalists joined her on 16 tracks of original songs. Her website is www.laurie-hope.com. Her featured song is MY OLD MAN. That's her on vocals and slide guitar, and Tom Ball on blues harp. David West did the mixing. Laurie does not perform in public, but would love it if someone else performed her work.

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"California songwriter Matt Zeltzer paints a desolate, yet love-torn America, just as much influenced by Cormac McCarthy and John Steinbeck as by Neil Young. Mediating a soul torn between fatalism and romance, he weaves folk, blues, and soul idioms, acknowledging his predecessors, while staring blindly into the future of American music. Zeltzer rarely finds room for the ornate in his writing, nor in his music, known for its simple, organic production, preferring to leave the cracks and inequalities exposed. Led by his torn, soulful voice, it is the intense energy, vibrancy, and unusual honesty that transform Zeltzer's music into profound and compelling art." 

Zeltzer's "Delilah" was recorded in October of 2009 in the Chapel at Reed College. Don't listen to it unless you want to fall madly in love again! Catch one of his upcoming performances, 4/20 at The Village Jester in Ojai, and 4/28 at Zoey's in Ventura (opening for Emy Reynolds as a part of Ventura music week).

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I've seen Cindy Kalmenson perform a couple of times at Ojai's Village Jester, and have always been struck by her intense vocals backed by the soothing riffs of her acoustic guitar. Though she sounds an awful lot like a folksy Sheryl Crow, make no mistake, she is one of a kind. She came out last Sunday to perform a set for OjaiAid. "Where's Your Hero Now?" - a track from her CD "I'm Not Leaving" - was one of the songs she sang, and it was more than fitting for the occasion. Cindy often hosts Girls With Guitars, something she's been doing since her days (and nights) in Nashville. The next GWG out west will be April 27th at 9:00 p.m. at the Village Jester with featured artist Kyler England. You can catch Cindy with her band the Lucky Ducks on April 1st at the Wrec Room in Ojai, and the 2nd and 4th Wednesday at the Village Jester, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Her voice is one of many featured in the compilation CD for OjaiAid, available soon for a minimum $10 donation to Direct Relief International.

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Radio Ojai sends condolences out to Mark Solomon  of Ojai. He wrote this sweet song for his mother who passed recently.

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The Eskimo Record Label has two artists playing at The Village Jester in downtown Ojai on Friday, January 28th. The Black Watch has released 16 CDs to considerable indie acclaim. Ojai band The Ultra Violet (lead singer Kesha Rose is pictured) has an EP coming this spring. Here is an alt-pop track from The Ultra Violet called "Doll Face." Does it remind you of The Sundays? More at www.myspace.com/theultravioletgroup & www.myspace.com/theblackwatch

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And in case you didn't catch it, Radio Ojai got a mention this week in the VCReporter!