Double Take

To the uninitiated television viewer, country guitar picker Junior Brown is that guy in commercials who wears a seriously Texan-style dip-and-roll brim cowboy hat while playing a double-necked guitar.

But devotees of the performing songwriter admire Brown for his musical wizardry on his self-made “guit steel” (guitar).

The baritone’s style evokes the influences of Chet Atkins, Elvis, Bob Wills and rock music’s best “shredders” rolled into one. And Brown’s quirky lyrics (“you’re wanted by the police and my wife thinks you’re dead”) married to the best genre-melodies of the Hot Rod Lincoln school of songwriting have earned him accolades from Nashville’s music royalty and country music common-folk alike.

Listen for twist-’n’-twang tunes like “Rock-A-Hula Baby” off his latest release, “Long Walk Back,” on the Curb label.

The man, the hat and the guitar appear in concert at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Coach House, 110 Santa Barbara St. in Santa Barbara.

Tickets are $25; doors open at 6 p.m.; preferred seating is available with a dinner reservation. For more information and tickets, call 962-8877.

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Also up the coast, Caught Red Handed will play for dancing at 9 p.m. today and Saturday at the Galleon Room in Goleta. And on Thursday at 9 p.m., the Mike Shelton Trio will take the stage. The club is at 5925 Calle Real. For more information, call 967-0128.

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Members of the California Old-Time Fiddlers Assn. will meet from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday in Oak View to play acoustic and amplified country music. People of all ages are invited to jam with their instruments, sing, dance or just listen.

This family-oriented hoedown takes place at the Oak View Community center, 18 Valley Road. For more details, call 646-1583 or 486-8744.

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The Iron Mountain Boys, a group of musician-educators, will play bluegrass music from 7 to 9 p.m. every Thursday this month at Frulatti’s in the Ventura Harbor Village.

For more than 13 years, this ensemble has been performing a mixture of traditional mountain ballads and lively instrumental music on acoustic instruments of the period. They keep the kids interested with narrative history of the instruments and stories about the legendary figures of this timeless music.

Follow the banjo music to 1559 Spinnaker Drive in Ventura. For more information, call 644-0169.

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Square dancers, take note. For this month only, the “Buckles & Bows” square dance club has a change of venue. The club’s dance--featuring alternating tips in mainstream and plus levels and singles rotation--will be held from 7:30 to 10:45 p.m. Saturday at Sequoia Middle School, 2855 Borchard Road in Newbury Park.

The guest caller is Charlie Robertson. Rounds will be cued by Cindy Mower from 7:30 to 8 p.m. and between tips. Cost: $5 per person. For details, call 499-2920 or (818) 889-5781.

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A best bet for midweek dancing starts at 8 p.m. Thursdays at Cinnamon’s Restaurant, 4815 Calle Alto in Camarillo. One-man-band Raywood and the Unseen plays, sings and knows how to call the dances for his loyal following.

The crowd is friendly and glad to help newcomers find their footing. And this casual venue provides an equal opportunity for line dance and couples format. For more information, call 388-1436.

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For your listening or dancing pleasure, performing songwriter Steve Hill is an entertainer worth your time. Hill takes the stage at 8 tonight and Saturday at Logsdon’s Restaurant, 824 E. Santa Maria St. (at the airport) in Santa Paula. For more details, call 525-1101.

Robyn Loewenthal can be reached by e-mail at drrkl@juno.com.