PERFORMANCES / An Opinionated Guide

The bands listed here do mostly original rock and they do it very well. This is the “Trust Me This Time” section. If I had a faster car, I’d go to all these gigs.

TONIGHT

* Scott Semple Trio (Lose The Blues, 28888 Roadside Drive, Agoura, (818) 889-8009) Remember Contradiction, those Simi Valley rockers? This is three of them--acoustic, and clearly quieter. (Semple solos at Coffee Connection in Simi Valley on Saturday)

* Ariel (Red Onion, 130 W. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, 371-7835) Snappy three-piece alternative rock band astounds the Conejo Valley mall mice. (Also Friday at the Ojai Art Center)

* Acadiana (The Lobster Trap, 3605 Peninsula Road, Oxnard, 985-6361) These rockin’ realtors play zydeco, Cajun, blues, country and rock dance music.

* J. Peter Boles (Garfields Bar & Grill, 2789 E. Main St., Ventura, 648-1917) This folk singer with the swell voice is trying to get something going at this neighborhood bar on a tough night. (Also Saturday at State and A streets in Santa Barbara)

* Dynamic Pressure (Calypso, 514 State St., Santa Barbara, 966-1388) There are never enough ska bands.

* Cory Sipper, Flapping, Flapping, Flapping (Cominichi’s, 624 State St., Santa Barbara, 965-7917) Flapping slowly in the wind is Flappist Joe Woodard on guitar and writer of provocative prose elsewhere in this fine publication.

* Brad Nack & Eric Eisenberg (Roy, 7 W. Carrillo St., Santa Barbara, 966-5636) Acoustic punk at 11 p.m. by two veteran local guitarists.

FRIDAY

* Randy Rich & the Ravens (Ottavio’s Italian Restaurant, 2799 Townsgate Road, Westlake Village, 373-1993) Jimi Hendrix is dead, but it’s worth the drive to hear guitarist Rich’s tribute tune, “Voodoo Thing.”

* The Buds (Hungry Hunter, 487 Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks, 497-3925) Three guys from a million bands have those rockin’ blues. (Also Saturday)

* The Convertibles (The Keynote Lounge, 10245 Telephone Road, Ventura, 647-9390) One of east Ventura’s favorite dance bands from Oxnard. (Also Saturday)

* Tijuana Hound Dogs (Eric Ericsson’s, 1140 S. Seaward Ave., Ventura, 643-4783) Frank Barajas and Chris Byrd get acoustic all over.

* Ska Daddyz (Bombay, 143 California St., Ventura, 643-4404) These Silver Strand Dodgers fans play here so often they should be part owners. (Also Saturday)

* Bad Brains (Underground, 110 State St., Santa Barbara, 965-5050) These dreadlocks punks with more than a decade of experience play real fast songs.

* Spencer the Gardener (Toes Tavern) “Spy movie music at the beach” is what Spencer himself thinks this is all about.

* Carl Perkins, Roadhouse Rockers (Arlington Theater, 1317 State St., Santa Barbara, 963-4408) It’s a benefit for abused children and also the sixth annual Rockabilly Roundup headlined by Mr. “Blue Suede Shoes” himself, Carl Perkins. SEE UP THE COAST.

SATURDAY

* Buddy Guy, Sonny Landreth (Ventura Theatre, 26 Chestnut St., 648-1888) Old guitar god meets new guitar god. SEE NIGHT LIFE.

* Gasoline, Snot, Quiver (Underground) Incendiary rock by the headliners, long on the verge of being the Next Big Thing.

MONDAY

* Lloyd Jones Struggle, Little Jonny & the Giants (Underground) It’s Blue Monday up the coast.

WEDNESDAY

* JuJu Eyeball, Chucking Worleys, Rook, Wither (Metro Bay Club, 317 E. Main St., Ventura, 652-0100) It’s Round Whatever of that endless Battle of the Bands--all for three bucks. If the JuJu band doesn’t win this round, a pox on this contest.

--Compiled by Bill Locey