Newbury Park Band to Celebrate New CD

The Newbury Park band majority DOG, which has few case or punctuation skills but three good singers, will host a CD release party Friday night at Borders Books in Thousand Oaks.

The DOG group, which a year or so ago was the first rock band to play Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, also usually plays the third Friday of every month at Two West Coffee Company in Ventura.

The band’s newest release, “Nevada,” which features 17 new songs by front man Brian Wurschum, “is more rock-oriented probably, with more electric stuff and less acoustic stuff,” said the man himself. “We’re looking forward to a total circus of joyous mayhem Friday night.”

Borders is at 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd. Call 497-8159 to find out more about this free show at 7 p.m.

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Joe-Joe’s Brewing Co. in Simi Valley, the place that serves award-winning homemade brewskis, will host its first anniversary party Saturday night. The Copy Cats will provide the soundtrack, doing their classic rock thing at this free performance.

Joe-Joe’s is at 1397 E. Los Angeles Ave. Call 522-7725 for information.

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So how would you like to dance your way back to Louisiana for some serious derelict party activity? Sounds like more of an effort than it’s worth? It’s not. Everyone’s favorite rockin’ Realtors, Acadiana, will hold a Cajun dance contest at 6:30 p.m. April 28 at the “Taste of Ventura Food and Wine Festival” at Channel Islands Harbor.

The winner gets round-trip tickets to Lafayette, La., for the Festivals Acadiens on Sept. 20-22. The second-place finishers get to go to Long Beach, making for quite the contrast. Actually, there’s a Long Beach Cajun Festival, but Louisiana would be infinitely more fun.

So what does any of this have to do with this week? Well, Acadiana, that peerless purveyor of Cajun, country, blues, rock and zydeco music will play tonight at the Lobster Trap Restaurant in Oxnard, a week earlier than usual, and affording a last chance to practice.

“Cajun dancing is one of the freest, most primal forms of dancing there is,” says one of the judges, Jimmy “Bad Feets” Harvey. Along with his partner and fellow judge, Carrie Eller, the duo provides dance lessons before every Acadiana gig.

Ever the optimist, Harvey insists there’s plenty of time to learn and practice. The final judge is Franklin Zawicki, a promoter of Cajun festivals around the nation.

The contest is the ever-affordable free, but you must be at least 18. That’s it. Pretty simple or what?

Acadiana gigs start at 7 p.m. at the Lobster Trap, with lessons before that. A 6:30 p.m. arrival time would not be unwise. The venue is at 3605 Peninsula Road in the Channel Islands Harbor. Call them at 985-6361 or call the band at 984-7661.

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This week’s famous blues dude (especially if you live in Texas) is none other than W.C. Clark, who will be doing the Sweet Thursday thing tonight at Alexander’s in Ventura. Clark, “the Godfather of Austin blues,” is touring in support of his third and latest album, “Texas Soul.”

Wesley Curley Clark is an Austin local who took up the guitar when he was a lad of 14 and began playing the local clubs in the ‘60s, influencing among others, Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan, Angela Strehli and Marcia Ball.

Alexander’s is at 1050 Schooner Drive in Ventura. Tickets are $7 for the 8:15 p.m. Call 646-7230 for information.

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The Bruce Brothers Band, pushing their latest recording, “Little Hound Blues,” will perform at a 9 p.m. gig Saturday at Joe Daddy’s in Ventura. Fronted by Bruce Campbell, the band contains from half a dozen to 11 members, depending, but always enough to pack the stage, regardless.

The band members, tight-session guys one and all, have played with everyone from Ray Charles to Frank Sinatra. What makes this band go, and packs the dance floor as well, is the horn section.

The album contains originals and covers by such names as Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and T-Bone Walker. Originally, this was to be a William Clarke gig, but he suffered a heart attack and is recuperating.

Joe Daddy’s is at 211 E. Santa Clara St. Call 643-3264 to find out more about this $5 show.