Texas-Size Portfolio

Next to Ross Perot, Little Joe Hernandez must be the smallest guy with the largest resume in the Lone Star State. Little Joe y La Familia will bring nearly 60 albums worth of material to the big stage at the venerable Ventura Theatre for a gig tonight.

After nearly 40 years in show biz and all those albums (plus a Grammy in 1992) Little Joe is known as “The King of the Brown Sound.” His Tex-Mex songs cover a variety of styles and are sung in both English and Spanish--an American form of Chicano music.

A Little Joe show is a celebration of Chicano culture and family; more than a few of his songs are dedicated to field workers, many of whom live in abject poverty. Joe would know. He was born in 1940, the seventh of 13 kids. His parents were farm workers.

La Familia tours continuously, traveling all over the world. Little Joe has played the Smithsonian, worked with MADD, scored movies and tried some acting. His press kit is so extensive it comes with its own table of contents. He has done everything except get much taller. From his home in Temple, Texas, Little Joe discussed the latest:

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How many musicians have been in La Familia over the years?

Right now, there’s six musicians with my brother and I fronting as vocalists. But oh man, there’s been a few over the years--a lot of good musicians to learn from. My 57th album just came out and I’m working on two other projects--one in Spanish and one in English.

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Most bands don’t last long enough to paint their names on the drums. How do you account for your longevity?

I think I’m still here by the grace of God--he knows some of the predicaments I’ve been in. I came to the Bay Area in California in the late ‘60s when the hippie movement was happening. I saw a lot of drug use and I saw a lot of people overdose. But I always felt responsible for those around me, which kept me from going over the edge. When I got to the edge, I always pulled back. After awhile, I learned to take care of myself and my health has always been good. I can’t afford to get sick anyway, plus I love and enjoy what I do.

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How did winning a Grammy change things for you?

I don’t have to audition any longer. The recognition helps a lot. It took a couple of years to really understand the importance of the whole thing. I lost my kid brother, Jesse, in a car accident in 1964. He was only 20 years old. This whole thing was his ambition, his drive--and he was very, very talented. I made a vow at the graveyard that I would continue his dream and make this a full-time job. I really dedicated myself to music and I dedicated the Grammy to Jesse’s memory.

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When did you know you wanted to be a musician?

I was sort of forced into it. I was a shy, skinny kid. My parents lived way out in the boondocks, then they moved to Temple, Texas, which had about 25,000 people then. I was born in a garage with a dirt floor. You can’t go down any further than that unless they bury you. From that day to this, I’ve had all these wonderful opportunities. I think we can all try to be better people. I’m continually trying to be a better person, a better husband, a better father, a better musician.

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Who goes to a Little Joe show?

All kinds of people. It’s a family-oriented show for all ages and all races. The music has developed over the years. My heart has always been with big band jazz, but we add this Texas thing. But no matter how good it gets, the harder it gets. I’ve went onstage with a headache, a backache and the worst ache of all, heartache. But once you get onstage, the people make it magic. I feel so free when I’m up there. And over the years, the people have been so loving and gracious.

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Why are there so many good musicians from Texas?

I don’t know, maybe it’s because Texas is the Third Coast. We get influenced from the East Coast and the West Coast, plus we have that cowboy thing. There’s definitely a lot of talent here. I hope one day I’ll be considered a part of it.

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So, the band has played the Ventura Theatre many times before?

Yes, we have. There’s a beautiful bunch of crazy people there. We sell the place out every time. I’d like to do a live album from that venue because we hit it hard and there’s such a great audience.

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What was the strangest gig you ever played?

Eight or nine years ago, I was doing a string of Farm Aids with Willie Nelson and we did a show in Swanson, N.H. Now who the hell has ever heard of Little Joe in Swanson, N.H.? All these bikers and mountain people showed up--they’d never seen our show, but they loved us. I discovered that it’s easier to play for people that have never seen you before because . . . there’s no expectations.

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What advice would you give aspiring musicians?

To be honest to themselves. The overnight sensations don’t always last. The experience makes the whole difference and you have to have the will to endure. Also, learn music correctly. I don’t how to read music. Learn those 12 or 13 notes--how many ever there is--and you can go to Japan, Europe and Ventura and people will understand you. Music says it all--you don’t have to know the language.

BE THERE

Little Joe y La Familia at the Ventura Theatre, 26 Chestnut St., 8 tonight; $22. 653-0721.

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The Uninvited is not just a 1944 ghost movie starring Ray Milland. Falling under the description of uninvited are red lights in the rear view mirror, the ex calling to describe her latest sucker, telemarketers calling in the ninth inning, tourists taking your parking spot, and the big one--parents arriving home early. Yup, the Uninvited are all of these things and more, but is also about the best pop rock band that tours through these parts. The Uninvited, a tight quartet with a bunch of albums, returns to Nicholby’s in Ventura tonight with locals Chris Jay & the Army of Freshmen opening.

The Uninvited features a pair of guitar playing brothers John (J.T.) and Steve Taylor. Not only have they written a bunch of hilarious and catchy songs, but they harmonize most convincingly. While most bands have no good singers, the Uninvited has two.

The band got signed to Atlantic, which released a greatest hits album last year, but the album wasn’t a hit, proving once again the truth of H.L. Mencken’s observation that “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.” So Atlantic continues to sell Phil Collins albums, and the Uninvited is a free agent once again. The band should take the stage around 11 o’clock.

DETAILS

The Uninvited and Chris Jay & the Army of Freshmen at Nicholby’s, 404 E. Main St., Ventura, tonight, 9:30 p.m.; $6. 653-2320.

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So what’s the sound of Silver Strand? It’s the roar of perfect tubes crashing on the shores of the once-blue Pacific in this Oxnard beach community where “duuuuude” is a three-syllable word. It’s also the howl of foreign finheads fleeing for their worthless lives once the local surfers, more territorial than jilted junkyard dogs, find out the visitors have the wrong ZIP Code.

In addition to all these waterlogged wahoos, Silver Strand has a long (and loud) musical tradition that stretches back to the early ‘80s when a bunch of punk bands started the Nardcore scene. The tradition continues Saturday with four bands playing at the largest legal wingding in these parts, the second annual Ugly Hawaiian Shirt Party, which kicks off at high noon.

Providing the soundtrack will be the Strand’s finest: Banned From the Beach, No Regrets, Finnhead and the Ska Daddyz, who will headline, accompanied by a laser light show. For refreshments, 60 kegs of Firestone Ale should help to wash down 3,000 hamburgers. In short, for 10 bucks it’s music, beer and food.

The necessary permits have been taken care of and the cops know about the whole thing; in fact, they’ll be there. Ray Junge, an electrical contractor with apparently too much money, is to blame for this, and he insists this affair will be better than last year’s. Or maybe it just took him a year to recover.

“Last year, I spent $10,000 on an old girlfriend--this year, the party will cost $23,000,” said Junge. “There will be 25 security guards at the party as well as the sheriffs. Last year, we had one fight that lasted three minutes--this year, we won’t have any.”

Inviting the cops is usually a sure way to end a party. But the event will be limited to 3,000 people; 1,800 tickets had been sold by the beginning of this week. Last year’s party attracted 2,300 people and there were no DUIs. To insure a repeat performance this year, numerous cabs will be available at a reduced rate. And finally, since this is a Hawaiian party, the dress code will be enforced: Gaudy shirts for the guys and Polynesian attire for the ladies. For real. Junge is as serious as 60 kegs of beer.

“Last year, this guy showed up in a Rolls-Royce with a $200 bottle of rum and the guards wouldn’t let him in--no Hawaiian shirt,” said Junge. “Also, last year there were six girls to every guy, and so far this year, 80% of the ticket sales have been to women.”

Kowabunga, dude!

BE THERE

Second annual Ugly Hawaiian Shirt Party with Ska Daddyz, No Regrets, Finnhead and Banned From the Beach at 257 Highland Drive, Silver Strand Beach, Saturday, noon. $10 advance only. 985-7430.