PERFORMANCES: AN OPINIONATED GUIDE

THURSDAY

* Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan (The Grill, 1279 Coast Village Road, Montecito, 969-5969) All the yuppies and all the acoustic blues you can stand.

* Leo Downey Band (The Ketch, 514 State St., Santa Barbara, 564-3231) All original rock by a guy who doesn’t have a shirt with sleeves in his entire closet. The women, apparently, love that sort of stuff.

FRIDAY

* Ambrosia, Hollander (Ventura Theatre, 26 S. Chestnut St., Ventura, 648-1888) The headliners are so lightweight they have to wear steel shoes, lest gravity take over. Hollander is a local trio of corporate-style rockers.

* Lion I’s (Charlie’s, 362 California St., Ventura, 648-6688) Local reggae rockers who know about keeping the dance floor packed. Even those sea gulls on the pier (the ones too stupid to find the dump) will be dancing.

* Sonic Youth (Campbell Hall, UCSB) They’re young; they’re loud; they’re from New York--here they are.

SATURDAY

* Tim Buley Band (Charlie’s) Rockin’ blues on the beach.

* Chris Isaak, The Havalinas (Ventura Theatre) Isaak, with one of the best voices in rock, is Roy Orbison reincarnated in Liberace’s suit.

MONDAY

* Blues For Breakfast (Alexander’s, 1050 Schooner Drive, Ventura, 658-2000) This week’s Blue Monday presentation features guitarist Randy Rich from Mojo Hand.

TUESDAY

* Expression, Ariel (Charlie’s) Gnarly, original guitar rock and new-wave pop rock, respectively.

WEDNESDAY

* Mojo Hand (Hungry Hunter, 487 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks, 497-3925) The best blues band in Thousand Oaks (if not the county) will play through Saturday.

* Michael On Fire (Hornblower’s, 1559 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, 644-2041) Exceptional rock, folk, blues, what-the-heck, featuring all original tunes plus a guitarist in the Texas Guitar Hall of Fame. Don’t miss this one.

* Official Resistance (Charlie’s) Hard rockers from Santa Barbara with enough tattoos to reshoot “The Illustrated Man.”