Prime Time Thursday

In the never-ending search to find a successful strategy for slow nights, club owner Nick Taylor of Nicholby’s in Ventura may have actually come up with a plan that will work. Good bands every Thursday night. That’s how the Uninvited got its start, en route to becoming a once-a-month house-packing operation. Having a bunch of good songs such as “Successful Vegetarian” doesn’t hurt, either.

Lately, Nicholby’s has been hosting national touring acts that are big on the college radio circuit. Tonight, it’s something new (and louder than usual) for the venue. The Bronx-based 24-7 Spyz, whose new album is “Heavy Metal Soul by the Pound,” will be arriving in Ventura. Silly Rabbit will open the 9:30 p.m. show.

24-7 Spyz, one of the first bands to do heavy metal soul, or funk punk rock, began about a decade ago, about the same time as Primus, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Living Colour, all of whom have more money these days than this group.

A fiver will get you through the door. Next week, it’s the Toyes, forever known for that reggae classic “Smoke Two Joints.” The venue is at 404 E. Main St. Call them at 653-2320.

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More Nicholby’s: The recent two-day epic 2nd Annual Monsters of Swing Weekend at Nicholby’s was a hit. “It was huge,” said event organizer Lee Moore. “There were three times as many people as we had last year.”

The winners of the couples dance contest were Rick Pendleton and Tyra Youland of Los Angeles. In the finals of the Jack & Jill dancing contest, Dave Frutos of Ventura was the winner while Heather Welser of Ventura and Roxanne Stern of Santa Barbara tied for first.

Bummer of the weekend (besides all that cigar smoke): Flattop Tom of Flattop Tom & His Jump Cats broke his ankle Saturday night at the event while doing his thing on the dance floor during the grand finale.

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Meanwhile, a block down the street, is the Rendezvous, a Ventura club that has been around for a long time. Current proprietor Janie Robinson has owned it for 35 years. Well-known for the elbow-bending prowess of its regular clientele, it’s now a rock ‘n’ roll venue, with about half a dozen gigs so far. The next is April 19 when Cocktails From Hell performs at 9 p.m. in an inspired pairing of band and venue.

Tommy & the Demons played over the weekend. The band’s local appearances are rare, despite the fact that they live just a few blocks away. Members play bluesy rock, not unlike the 13th Floor Elevators, the Shadows of Knight and Charlie Pickett & the Eggs.

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Over in the east county: What once was a neighborhood bar in Simi Valley called Schooner Time is transformed on the weekends into the Craze--finally a place where local bands can play. Friday, it’s Tree of Love, Wooden Circus and Rubberneck. Saturday, it’s Feeb, Mr. Ahnold and Cenotaph.

Call 578-9916 for booking information. The venue is at 5710 E. Los Angeles Ave.

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The Suicidal Tendencies show, scheduled for Friday night at Ventura Theatre, was over before it started. Since there had been trouble at previous shows at the theater, the management, fearing more difficulties, decided to cancel the show.

Suicidal Tendencies front man and Camarillo resident Mike Muir has seen it all before. “A lot of times, we’d show up to a gig at 3 o’clock in the afternoon and there’d already be 20 cops cars there. We just played Pomona last March 14 and everyone thought there was going to be a riot. . . . There was no trouble at all at the show and the cops themselves ended up buying eight shirts.”

The final show for the Gary Folgner regime at the Ventura Theatre will be a Sunday night gig featuring guitarist Eric Johnson. Opening will be the husband-and-wife team of Roy and Daphne Jones, who do rockin’ blues. Folgner, meanwhile, is reportedly seeking a new place to play in Santa Barbara.

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Look Out: New releases to look out for include “There Comes a Time” by Jimmy Adams & Friends, who will have a CD release party at Cafe Voltaire on April 25. And Chris Hillman, Ojai local and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member, will play the venue April 23.

The Rincon Ramblers will have a CD release party May 4 at 66 California in Ventura. With some of the best musicians from the county doing country folk and bluegrass, the Ramblers include Alan Thornhill and Bill Flores on guitars, Dan Wilson on bass, Jon Wilcox on mandolin and Phil Salazar on fiddle.