Blasters Put Spin on Classic Sounds

The last time they were in our area was Oct. 27, and the Blasters, along with The Beat Farmers and Raging Arb & the Redheads, offered a cultural landslide of beer and boogie as well as a virtual primer in the history of American popular music.

Who can forget Country Dick Montana of the Beat Farmers staggering around on tabletops singing “Baby’s Liquored Up”? Well, Montana, who died Nov. 8, is partying with Elvis, Jimi and Janis now. Meanwhile, the Blasters are back Friday at the Ventura Theatre.

With more than 15 years experience, the Blasters have continued to play and make albums even after abdicating their position as the Next Big Thang in Rock sometime around 1985. Combining rock, blues, country, swing and whatever else they picked up in Downey, the band is the living embodiment of one of its classic songs, “American Music.”

Front man and mathematics professor Phil Alvin will be singing, sweating and making that face he makes all over the big stage.

Opening will be Blue Stew, a band beloved by that legion of swing dancers who frequent its weekend gigs at Hi Cees at Ventura Harbor. Also on the bill are the Jumpin’ Jimes, featuring Mary Kay Burke on vocals, former crooner for the Convertibles.

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Hey, it must be spring--all the fog is back. Thus, Lorenzoni’s Espresso Bar & Cafe at Ventura Harbor, the place with two front doors and all sorts of industrial-strength coffee plus a lip-smackin’ lineup of gourmet sandwiches, is resurrecting its weekend entertainment schedule. Friday evenings it’s acoustic blues from local character and blues guy Bob Jones, and Saturday nights it’s the mellifluous tones of folkie Alan Thornhill. Lorenzoni’s is at 1575 Spinnaker Drive, and I recommend the Southwestern sandwich.

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No matter what the place is called any given week--the Red Onion, Avenues or, at present, Stargate--the cops in Thousand Oaks spell it t-r-o-u-b-l-e. Plagued by fights, gang activity, alleged violent security guards and the usual alcohol-related problems, the T.O. Planning Commission on April Fool’s Day voted unanimously to revoke the club’s permit that allows dancing and sale of alcohol.

According to officials, there have been 54 incidents in the last 10 months, including a March 17 melee that involved 100 people fighting. Owner Emre Sarihan says he inherited the problems when he purchased the restaurant last year and needs more time.

Meanwhile, Sarihan is appealing the decision, and the place, the only viable rock venue in the Conejo Valley, remains open. Thus for live music purposes, it’s Disco Inferno tonight and Urban Dread on Monday nights. Stargate is at 130 W. Hillcrest Drive in the town that’s rapidly running out of oaks but sees itself as “the safest city in the U.S.”

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William Clarke, that Ray-Ban-sportin,’ harmonica-blastin’ blues dude out of L.A., has been forced to cancel a couple of local gigs for good reason. Clarke, 45, suffered a heart attack during a sound check before a scheduled gig in Indianapolis two weeks ago. Last Monday’s bash at Cafe Voltaire featured The Bluesmatics covering for Clarke. And the Bruce Brothers Band will appropriate the April 20 date at Joe Daddy’s in Ventura.

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Big Kenny Bekker, the doorman at Bombay Bar & Grill in Ventura seemingly forever, and about the kindest, gentlest (and biggest) door dude in the 805 area code, has a new night gig--at home with his family. Plus, he works a lot at Office Depot in Ventura. Big Kenny was constantly in danger of giving doormen a good name.