Kim Wilson's Blue Christmas Party
When an artist of Kim Wilson's stature throws a Blue Christmas Party, you don't want to miss it!
And to make it even more special, his son Steven Taylor - a blues guitarist with a sharp band of young bluesicians - will be opening the show for his dad.
As this show is on a Wed. night, it will be a bit more family-oriented, kick off at 7:30, and end at a reasonable hour.
In between though, you can expect some of the finest music by Kim Wilson's Blues Revue, with special guests. Kim will play both Christmas songs and blues numbers while you enjoy an optional dinner - and perhaps an adult beverage.
This show has free parking, is all ages, and takes place in the comfortable PCH Blues Club with cabaret seating and reserved seats.
Here is some background:
Kim Wilson's musical journey started in Goleta, California. At 17 he began playing the harmonica. His influences included Little Walter, George “Harmonica” Smith, Lazy Lester and James Cotton. At the same time, Wilson began singing and was deeply impacted by Bobby “Blue” Bland, B.B. King, Otis Rush, Jimmy Rodgers and Muddy Waters.
In search of other musicians who shared his love of the blues, Wilson headed to Minneapolis. He stayed there for a year and a half, playing locally, before moving to the burgeoning music scene of Austin, Texas. It was there that he met Jimmie Vaughan and they founded the T-Birds in 1974. The band developed a reputation as a compelling live act and subsequently signed a record deal with CBS/Epic Records.
In 1979, The Fabulous Thunderbirds released their first self-titled album. Primarily blues influenced, it became a cult classic.
The album “T-Bird Rhythm” marked a creative turning point for the group as it collaborated with noted producer Nick Lowe. In 1986, The Fabulous Thunderbirds reached a commercial peak with the album, “Tuff Enuff”. The single of the same title as well as the singles “Wrap It Up” and “Look At That”, all went top 40. The song, “Tuff Enuff” was featured in the film “Gung Ho” starring Michael Keaton.
As a side project Wilson formed Kim Wilson’s Blues Revue, a traditional blues band.
Steven Taylor
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to the sensational Steven Taylor, 21, whose dad is Kim Wilson from the Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Totally fabulous on his own, Taylor’s new record Moving On is available on iTunes and he may have a few CD’s with him to personally autograph.
See him with his full band prior to Kim Wilson's show.
Wed Dec 11 2019, 7:30 PM
Buy TicketsLos Texmaniacs y Los Fabulocos - FELIZ NAVIDAD
Los TexManiacs is a conjunto band created by Max Baca in 1997. Baca wanted to create a band that incorporated elements from genres such as Rock & Roll and Jazz while still honoring the roots of conjunto Tejano.
In 2010 Los Texmaniacs won a Grammy Award for Tejano Album of The Year Borders y Bailes.
Members of Los Texmaniacs have changed over the years but current members include Max Baca on bajo sexto, Josh Baca on accordion, Noel Hernandez on electric bass, and Lorenzo Martínez on the drums.
Los Texmaniacs have collaborated with various artists from different genres including Rick Trevino (country music), Flaco Jimenez (Tejano), Los Lobos (Latin).
Los Fabulocos hails from from the Southern California working class neighborhoods of East L.A.
Los Fabulocos music is festive, energetic and crosses over from generation to generation. The band has been received both nationally and internationally with open arms.
Formed in 2004 by accordionist, vocalist, songwriter Jesus Cuevas and drummer Mike Molina (both former members of "The Blazers") they are now joined by former band mate Ruben Guaderrama on guitar, bajo quinto,& Cuban tres, and Ray Aguilar on bass.
In a special Feliz Navidad performance, these two bands will create a special familia atmosphere, with a full menu, dance floor, free parking - and it is all ages!
Reservations recommended. Click on the poster or go to StellarShows.netLos Texmaniacs y Los Fabulocos - Feliz NavidadSat Dec 14 2019, 8:00 PM
Buy TicketsNYE Rockin' Luau Party in Long Beach
The New Years Eve Rockin' Luau Party features a sumptuous Hawaiian Luau Buffet , a champagne toast at midnight - and some amazing music all night long! It takes place inside the venerable Golden Sails Hotel in Long Beach at the PCH Club.
Enjoy a world of tiki culture, hulabilly and rockabilly music in a glamorous setting aimed at ringing in the New Year right!
New Years Eve Rockin' Luau Party hotel reservations: Just $89! Use the codewords "Rockin' Luau Party" when you call for reservations. 562-594-0210 (direct to event reservations)
BIG SANDY & HIS FLY-RITE BOYS
Since forming in 1988, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys have emerged as one of the world's most respected practitioners of American roots music.
They have been on a a wild ride for over 30 years that has taken them around the world countless times, has put them in front of national television audiences, and - most importantly - has given them the opportunity to play the music they grew up having such a passion for: Rockabilly, Rock & Roll, Honky-Tonk, Rhythm & Blues, Soul and Doo-Wop.
The HULA GIRLS
Just when you thought tiki music had to be sleepy instrumental tunes, here come The Hula Girls!
The Hula Girls formed in 2008 and have been busy playing their self-described ‘hulabilly’ music all over Southern California. It’s up-tempo hapa haole, tiki, and surf themed music, all filtered through the late 1950’s and early 60’s rockabilly and rock n’ roll sound!
The Hula Girls are Spike Marble on guitar and lead vocals, Shorty Poole on upright and electric basses, Gary Brandin on steel guitar, and Doug Sanborn on drums! They are always accompanied by their hula-a-go-go dancers - for this special event they are Hula Girls Kiki Flambé & Audrie Loraine.
JASON LEE - Master of Ceremonies
Guitarist Jason Lee fronts the bands Jason Lee & the R.I.P.tides and Jason Lee & The Black Tides Orchestra, both extremely popular among the tiki and surf and exotica music crowds. He also is a writer and composer for network TV & film projects. He is endorsed by Gretsch Guitars.
With his longtime experience making instrumental Surf Music with a twist, Jason Lee brings a broad mix to the culture of Surf Music and the tiki lifestyle..
That is exactly why he is the perfect Master of Ceremonies for our Rockin' Luau Party.
ROBBY RAVENWOOD
Robby Ravenwood is a singer/songwriter, stand-up comedian, social satirist who performs his musical/stand-up act in the sardonic tradition of Tom Leher, Randy Newman and Dan Hicks. He plays piano and ukelele.
Doors will open at 7:30 pm and the show will commence at 8 pm.
Expect surprises galore. Come dressed in your best Hawaiian attire - or something more formal if you prefer!
18 and up, dance floor, optional Hawaiian Luau Buffet, Tropical Drinks, Champagne toast at midnight and party favors. Plenty of free parking too, or use a ride-share service.
Have a safe New Years!.
Tue Dec 31 2019, 7:30 PM
Buy TicketsEric Tessmer & Mike Eldred Trios at PCH Club Long Beach
A pair of terrific blues trios perform for you at PCH Blues Club on a Saturday night in Long Beach.
Eric Tessmer's Texas-Blues Soul-chedelic music rules in Austin, while Mike Eldred's "take-no-prisoners" guitar style and his deep song-writing abilities have earned Mike spotlights in both Guitar Player Magazine and Guitar World Magazine. Both blues maestros play all over the world to great acclaim.
ERIC TESSMER
Tessmer is widely considered one of the most vibrant guitarists to follow in the footsteps of blues-rock legends such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and his namesake predecessors. He was actually named after Eric Clapton. His live shows have captured audiences' attention across the United States as power-packed sessions of wickedly fast and precise licks that can light the house on fire - without the need for lighter fluid.
“This guitar prodigy plays like a man possessed.” – Boston Globe “
Tessmer holds a nightly clinic, a sermon if you will, in Strat manipulation.” – Rank & Revue
“Tessmer is the real deal.’ – The Austinist
MIKE ELDRED
Red-hot Americana roots music from one of L.A.'s premier guitarists backed by the Blasters bassist John Bazz with JR Lozano on drums.
"He's not afraid of blurring lines in American Music. By bending all of his favorite musical styles, Mike has created his own original voice in modern electric guitar playing. HE'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT, BABY!" raved Brian Setzer about Eldred's playing on MET's first CD.
"It’s like listening to what the Clash might have done if they had been born 20 years earlier..." - Blues Blast Magazine
Advance reservations recommended. 18+, free parking, VIP seating, full dinner menu at your table.
Sat Jan 4 2020, 8:00 AM
Buy TicketsRod Piazza and The Mighty Flyers
Rod Piazza has set a standard for harmonica virtuosity that has established him as one of the preeminent blues harp players around. The New York Times said, "Rod Piazza has perfected the rough drive and edgy tone that characterized the classic Chicago blues sound of Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson and others in the 50's."
Piazza is also a master of West Coast jump blues, incorporating elements of Los Angeles' postwar jazz, swing and R&B combos.
He's consistently surrounded himself with players who bring out the best he has to offer, and epitomize the very best in blues: fresh, swinging, tasteful, exciting and creative. His band for the last three decades, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, constantly push the boundaries of the blues while still staying true to the spirit and soul of the music. The band's ability to keep the blues vibrant, fresh and alive has led to countless accolades, awards and nominations over the years, including four prestigious Blues Music Awards as "Blues Band of the Year.”
Renowned for their high level of musicianship and showmanship, they virtually created a new style of blues - a combination of low-down Chicago grit, suave West Coast swing and jazz, and the rhythmic drive of the best early R&B and rock & roll. As Blues Revue put it, "Rod and Honey front one of the most popular blues bands in the world. Whether they play at an intimate club, a packed rock room or a huge festival, the Mighty Flyers share with the audience their passionate love of the blues in every show.”
Piazza's infatuation with blues began at a time when many of the masters were still in their prime years, and in the mid 1960’s when the first blues revival was picking up steam, he was in the thick of it.TheCalifornia native began his musical career in Los Angeles in 1965, when he formed the Dirty Blues Band at the age of 18. They released their first record in 1967, which was quickly followed up by a second album in 1968 on ABC/Bluesway Records. At the same time, he was cutting his musical teeth on local club dates with blues pioneers such as Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, and T-Bone Walker.
Rod then joined his long-time mentor, George "Harmonica" Smith, Muddy Waters' former harmonica player, to form the double harmonica outfit called Bacon Fat. It was through George that Rod learned the power of a dynamic stage performance and developed his prodigious harmonica talents.Says Piazza, "Be yourself, he'd always say."
Rod released two Bacon Fat albums in 1969 and 1970. In 1973 he hired a talented young piano player and Otis Spann disciple named Honey Alexander, who was later to become his wife. In 1976 Rod and Honey began to perform regularly together as the Rod Piazza Blues Band and the Chicago Flying Saucer Band, and by 1980 had become Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers.
Piazza's harmonica technique borders on astonishing - a delicate combination of power and grace that maintains the fattest of tones while alternately evoking classic Chicago styles, interpreting R&B horn lines, or playing his own signature licks.And at this point in his career, Piazza has been recording longer than George "Harmonica" Smith did, or Sonny Boy Williamson (either of them!), or Big Walter Horton. He's been making records for more years than Little Walter was alive.
For more than thirty years now, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers have earned their position in the top ranks of blues acts by putting on crowd-pleasing shows around the world and recording eighteen sterling albums of their earthy originals, rousing jump tunes, earnest boogie, slow blues ballads, and animated instrumentals.
Their commanding performances showcase Rod's searing harmonica, his impassioned vocals and his bar-walking showmanship, punctuated by the two-fisted boogies of pianist Honey Piazza, a highly acclaimed musician in her own right. But any Mighty Flyers show is more than just a harp showcase; it's a group effort by tightly-knit elite musicians whose considerable talents complement one another.
Downbeat explained the Mighty Flyers’ audience appeal as follows: "Harpist Piazza has been leading one of the jazziest of blues bands for years, consistently delivering authentic-sounding blues embellished with a little uptown instrumental class. Piazza's vocal sensibilities and unusually enlightened harp work widen the music still more, creating a distinct and accessible blues approach that doesn't sound like yet another sterile reinterpretation of the tradition."
PCH Club in Golden Sails Hotel - 6285 E. PCH in Long Beach - next to Gaslamp.
Sat Jan 11 2020, 8:00 PM
Buy TicketsPAUL THORN at PCH Club Long Beach
Among those who value originality, inspiration, eccentricity and character – as well as talent that hovers somewhere on the outskirts of genius, the story of Paul Thorn is already familiar.
Raised in Tupelo, Mississippi, among the same spirits (and some of the actual people) who nurtured the young Elvis generations before, Paul Thorn has rambled down back roads and jumped out of airplanes, worked for years in a furniture factory, battled four-time world champion boxer Roberto Duran on national television, signed with and been dropped by a major label, performed [on stages with Bonnie Raitt, Mark Knopfler, Sting, and John Prine among many others, and made some of the most emotionally restless yet fully accessible music of our time.
In 2018, Paul released an album titled Don’t Let the Devil Ride, which he describes as “the culmination of my whole life in music, coming back to my roots.”
It marks his first time recording gospel music - featuring guests such as the Blind Boys of Alabama, the McCrary Sisters, and Preservation Hall Horns - and his creation of a body of strikingly original songs that address the foibles of human relationships without necessarily favoring the sacred over the profane.
With 20 years of writing, touring, and entertaining under his belt, he shows no sign of slowing down with his new record, Don’t Let the Devil Ride, breaking genre barriers and topping charts, putting a new twist on his already-entertaining live show.
So that makes this PCH Club show a definite bucket lister for anyone who appreciates a dash of wry humor with their Americana.
If you know Paul, you will be here.
If you don't know him, then you should. Because this is a unique character on the level of a Mark Twain or a George Carlin - and there just aren't very many of those.
Seated show, all ages, free parking, fine dining, and hotel rooms are available at the Golden Sails on property.