Haley’s CD Cometh

Tonight is probably the best single night of the year for original rock in the area. What follows is an opinionated guide to some of the better attractions this fine Friday night. The biggest problem will be deciding which of these shows to see.

Beginning up the coast in Santa Barbara, Blazing Haley will be joined at the Yucatan Cantina on State Street by several of the best bands in town. They will be celebrating the release of Blazing Haley’s debut CD. Not gawkin’ but rockin’ will be the Ataris, the Lapdancers, Nerfherder, the Ska Daddyz and Buck Wild. With so many bands on the bill, the wingding will begin at 8 p.m.

“Basically, we want to involve all of the bands that have supported us in the past,” said stand-up bass player Dave Kruger. “Every band is going to learn a different Blazing Haley song off the album and play it at the show. Hopefully, they all won’t do the same song.”

The boys in the band, who look as though they stepped out of a ‘50s Sal Mineo movie, include Matt Armor on vocals, Brian Lakey on guitars, Chris Story on drums and Kruger. The bass player is easy to spot. For one, his stand-up bass is so big, he had to buy a ’52 DeSoto just to haul it around. It is also furry, actually carpeted--in purple, even.

“We had three weeks off before a Ventura Theatre gig, and this guy was going to paint flames on it if I did all the prep work,” Kruger said. “Anyway, right before the gig, he hadn’t even started on it, and I couldn’t play it all sanded and primered, so I glued some carpet on it.”

Named for one of the more notorious streets in S.B., not to mention the band’s energy, Blazing Haley is a fine example of truth in advertising.

“One of the guys used to live on Haley Street, and one day, he was sitting in a bar when someone came in and told him his house was on fire,” Kruger said. “So we kinda got the name from that, plus we have a song called ‘Blazing Haley.’ ”

With a name like Blazing Haley, don’t expect a lot of soulful ballads. The band plays loud and fast, with an intensity level up there with the Rev. Horton Heat, the Blasters and the Cramps.

“Basically, it’s high-energy rock ‘n’ roll with some definite influences from rockabilly,” Kruger said. “It’s a hybrid of heavy metal, straight rock and rockabilly that’s done with a sense of humor. It’s not taken too seriously because we like to have fun, and that’s what it’s all about.”

As the current Hottest Band in Town, Blazing Haley attracts more than just the leather-clad, Brylcreem-friendly party animals eager to do the State Street Shuffle.

“When we play in L.A., Orange County or the Bay Area,” Kruger said, “we get a wide spectrum of people. We have every age group, every color, just lots of different people. When we play an all-ages show, we have a mosh pit, and when it’s a 21-and-over show, people are packed right up to the edge of the stage.”

Naturally, every band has a Plan. Here is the one devised by Blazing Haley:

“Our whole philosophy is to build a grass-roots following,” Kruger said. “We want to concentrate on California, play all the small clubs, build up the mailing list and tour, tour, tour. We’ve got the mailing list going, and the Web site going, and we sell merchandise and CDs at the shows.”

Oh, and just in case you can’t make this one, Blazing Haley, along with Big Wheel Deluxe, will be at the Victoria Pub in Ventura on Dec. 12.

* Blazing Haley, Nerfherder, the Ska Daddyz, the Lapdancers, the Ataris and Buck Wild at the Yucatan Cantina, 1117 State St., Santa Barbara, tonight at 8. COST: $10, which includes a Blazing Haley CD, or $6 cover and no CD. (805) 564-1889.

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Also, not far away at the Lobero Theatre, it’s another of those Sings Like Hell concerts, this one featuring David Lindley, former sideman for Jackson Browne and later front man of his own band, David Lindley & El Rayo-X. A master of all things stringed, Lindley is best known for his affinity for world music and his car-friendly rager, “Mercury Blues.” Lindley has a new album, “Twango Bango Deluxe.” Singer and songwriter Lori B will open the festivities. The venue is at 33 Canon Perdido St. (805) 963-0761.

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Thirty miles to the south is perhaps the best show of the night. Two great L.A. bands--the Uninvited and Danny Blitz & the Jet Age Hoods--will be at Nicholby’s in Ventura. The Uninvited, fronted by the Taylor brothers, perform up-tempo and hilarious pop songs with great harmonies. After three do-it-yourself albums, the band recently had its big-label debut on Atlantic Records. Danny Blitz, the guy with hair that could make Brylcreem stockholders salivate, lives up to his name as he blasts through a set of frantic rockabilly-flavored songs. The venue is at 404 E. Main St. (805) 653-2320.

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Just a few blocks away at the Ventura Theatre, it’s hard-core Dodger fan and rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Famer John Lee Hooker, who back in 1932 invented the boogie. Hooker has a new album, “The Best of Friends,” featuring a lineup that reads like a Who’s Who of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Opening will be bluesman John Hammond and also Storyville. The venue is at 26 Chestnut St. (805) 653-0721.

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In the east county in Simi Valley, there will be a benefit concert at Mixer’s featuring about every good band in that town, including Pulley, Wooden Circus, Needful Things, Budget and Flush. Pulley is fronted by former Dodger and now Cardinal left-hander Scott Radinsky.

Flush features former members of April’s Motel Room, and Wooden Circus just released an album on Mercury.

The gig is called Sixty Five Roses and is a cystic fibrosis benefit assisting Kyra Hoolihan, the daughter of Eric and Rachel Hoolihan. Eric is the brother of Mike Hoolihan, former bass player for April’s Motel Room. The venue is at 3281 Tapo St. (805) 520-7787.