Nothing to Dread

Yah mon, it’s back. The biggest party in the Conejo Valley, Reggae Fest 2000, is up and running at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza Hotel.

Once again, one of the area’s favorite bands, Urban Dread, will play all those danceable reggae songs for the large crowds expected to gather tonight and every Friday night through Labor Day around the hotel’s outdoor pool.

A poorly kept secret for the third year in a row, the venue is easy to find for any potential dancers. Get off the Ventura Freeway at Westlake Boulevard. There’s a big sign. If this whole affair was any more convenient, they’d hold it in your living room.

Once again, promoter Dave Hewitt, of DMH Enterprises, is the man behind the party. He seems convinced it will be bigger and better than ever.

“The hotel has a different general manager and a different beverage manager this year, and they’re both really with it,” Hewitt said. “Things will be more streamlined this year. There’s going to be more bars open and when you buy a ticket to get in, you can also buy drink tickets at the same time instead of standing in line twice.”

No one wants to stand in line once, let alone twice, even in an area as nice as the Hyatt’s spacious patio.

The concert area is screened from the parking lot by a backdrop of pine trees and oleanders, plus a few philodendrons. The stage is near a waterfall and set next to a large cement slab, which also serves as a dance floor.

A large lawn area is covered with tables and chairs, which become packed with more than a few music lovers sipping their supper. And by the third set, the dance floor is packed.

Since Reggae Fest 2000 begins long before dark, Conejo Valley locals generally wear shades and summer clothes. And since this is a hotel, this is an all-ages affair, but generally the clientele is from 20 to 50, with most of them young urban professional types.

These beautiful people spend plenty of time rubbernecking one another, with more ladies than gentlemen present. An enterprising chiropractor could make some serious dough here treating neck strain.

A large part of the success of this event has to do with the soundtrack. Urban Dread is about the hardest working reggae band anywhere. Gone more often than at home, the band has gigged incessantly all over L.A. since the members began cultivating those fake Jamaican accents back in 1988. Also, they have local history. The band’s first gig was in Westlake at a place called Sergio’s, which is now the Yucatan Cantina on Thousand Oaks Boulevard. Thus, all seem pleased with this event, especially Hewitt.

“This event just gets bigger every year--this is our third year--and it’s stronger than ever,” he said. “It’s still the place to go in the Conejo Valley. It’s a destination, like going to the river. People plan for it and Urban Dread is better than ever. It’s like a giant Happy Hour.”

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DETAILS

Reggae Fest 2000 with Urban Dread at Hyatt Westlake Plaza Hotel, 880 S. Westlake Blvd., 6:30 tonight. COST: $8. CALL: 497-9991.

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When “Stairway to Heaven” comes on the radio and you’d sooner run down Bambi than hear one more note, then Led Zepagain may not be for you. The Deer Lodge in Meiners Oaks will be packed Saturday night with classic rock fans who disagree.

Since Led Zeppelin broke up many years ago, the choice is simple: oldies radio or Led Zepagain, an accomplished tribute band with a whole lotta love.

It has been said that if you’re going to steal, then steal from the best. Led Zeppelin, led by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, surely made an impact on rock music and still has a vast legion of fans.

The group’s “Stairway to Heaven” still gets continuous airplay. Ventura’s Led Zepagain started a decade ago, but there have been numerous personnel changes, even as the set list remained the same.

According to founding member and Jimmy Page stand-in Tracy Longo, the song remained the same too long.

“I was getting tired of being a parody of a parody.”

These days, Led Zepagain looks like this: Lenny Mann is the Page substitute on guitar, Swan Montgomery is Plant, Daryl Johnson portrays drummer John Bonham (except that Johnson’s still alive) and Stan Taylor is bass player John Paul Jones.

“The guys that left wanted to settle down, so they settled down,” said Johnson.

“We’ve played more in the last year than Led Zepagain did in their whole history. We just got back from Alaska--we’re going to Europe in August--plus a five-month tour of the states is coming up. We’re talking world tour here. This is serious.”

They don’t play locally much, so this is a relatively rare event. The last Led Zepagain landing at the Deer Lodge wasn’t a disaster by any stretch. Apparently, everyone had a blast except for the deer heads mounted on the wall.

“My friends own the Deer Lodge and they made it really nice,” said Johnson. “We bring a lot of people. When we played there about a month ago, and it was so crowded, they had to rotate to see the band.”

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DETAILS

Led Zepagain at Deer Lodge, 2261 Maricopa Highway, Meiners Oaks, Saturday, 9:30 p.m. COST: $5. CALL: 646-4256.

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After a three-year hiatus caused by front man Scott Weiland’s well publicized heroin problems, Stone Temple Pilots released “No. 4” last fall, and certainly will perform selections off that one, plus the three prior hit albums, when they play the tree-lined Santa Barbara County Bowl on Wednesday night.

When they’re running on all cylinders, the band is a hard rocking, hit-making machine, having sold more than 16 million albums and won a ton of awards, including a Grammy for their song “Plush.”

The first three albums all went platinum--a metal beloved by record labels everywhere.

In the midst of Weiland’s troubles, the band temporarily broke up.

The other three guys did their thing, and Weiland, in and out of jail, released a solo album. The self-destruction scenario continued as Weiland was in jail when “No. 4” was released.

But things are finally swell on the Stone Temple front these days. Weiland has been clean for more than eight months, and his favorite team, the Lakers, are on a roll.

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DETAILS

Stone Temple Pilots at the Santa Barbara County Bowl, 1122 Milpas St., Wednesday, 7 p.m. COST: $32.50 or $28.50. 962-7411.