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Slacktone is widely recognized as America's best surf instrumental band. Their sound is a hyper-kinetic mix of melody, speed and jaw dropping technical skill. Formed in Los Angeles in 1995 from a group of surf band veterans, they have since released four albums and toured Europe six times. Slacktone's music is featured in TV shows like the WB's Summerland, MTV Real People, Fox Sports Network, Boardwild, and they were the house band for the MTV's "Rock N Jock Superbowl Party". They wrote and produced music for 5 Slim Jim extreme sports commercials, and also worked with Subaru for the release of their new sports vehicle, Baja. They have played at numerous outdoor sporting events including the US Open and OP Pro surfing events, NORBA mountain bike races, and several snowboarding events.

Guitarist and songwriter Dave Wronski is a career studio musician and has been featured in Guitar Player magazine. Drummer Dusty Watson has played with Dick Dale, Agent Orange and The Supersuckers. Sam Bolle on bass has played with Agent Orange and also with Dick Dale.

A Celebration of the Life and Music of Buddy Holly

It's hard to believe, but it's been over 60 years since the world lost Buddy Holly in a plane crash. On Friday February 18, the cream of the Southern California roots music scene will gather at Campus Jax in Newport Beach for Winter Dance Party, to celebrate Buddy's incredible music and his amazing life.

Holly was only 22 years old on that bitter cold night in February 1959, when the light plane he was traveling in crashed in a corn field outside Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all on board, and putting an end to one of the most creative and prolific careers of the rock and roll era. He left behind nearly 100 recordings, among them some of the greatest in the rock and roll canon. Though we lost Buddy, songs like "Peggy Sue", "Rave On", "That'll Be the Day", and "It's So Easy" live on through the years.

Award-winning singer and Buddy Holly super-fan J.P. McDermott will host the show, featuring Buddy's music all night long, with diversions into the songs of Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper who also perished in the same plane crash.

J.P. has assembled an incredible lineup of guest stars to join him for this show, including Big Sandy, Carl Sonny Leyland, Miss Mac (The Moontones), Lil Sue (Lil Sue & The Cowtippers), and Tommy Harkenrider.

Campus JAX is a supper club, and patrons are required to purchase an entree (starting at $10 a plate). There are no drink minimums.

Doors open at 6 pm, show kicks off at 7:30.

J.P. McDermott & Western Bop to Host

J.P. McDermott is an award-winning singer with an abiding love for Buddy's music; he has hosted Holly events for many years, including a lecture at the Smithsonian on Buddy's life and musical legacy. He says that one of the high points of his life was playing a show at the Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock, TX on what would have been Holly’s 75th birthday. Meeting members of Buddy’s family and the real-live Peggy Sue made the day especially memorable. J.P. says, "I’m really happy to host this event. Every time I’ve done this it’s been a blast -- we get to play all this fantastic music, share some of Buddy's story, and explore some of the connections and influences he had on rock and roll through the years.”

Very Special Guests to Perform

J.P. has assembled an incredible lineup of guest stars to join him for this show:

Big Sandy is a hugely talented singer and band leader; whether solo or with his band Big Sandy and the Fly-Rite Boys, he’s been bringing his own brand of swinging rhythm & roots music to audiences around the world since 1988. He has appeared on The Grand Ole Opry, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and headlined festivals in America and all across Europe. A Member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and a two-time Ameripolitan Award winner, authenticity is the key to Big Sandy’s music. Whether it’s Rockabilly, Western Swing, Doo-Wop, Rhythm & Blues, or a beautiful blend of them all, Big Sandy is faithful to the music of the past while keeping a foot firmly in the present. His latest release is the highly acclaimed "Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys Sing & Play The Songs of Freddy Fender" on the Baldemar label.

Carl Sonny Leyland is an expert purveyor of American musical styles. He first heard boogie woogie as a teenager in England, and was inspired to make the piano his career. He came to New Orleans in 1988, building a solid reputation in the clubs there. In 1997, he relocated to California to play rockabilly and western swing with Big Sandy & His Flyrite Boys for several years. Since then, he has been touring and recording both solo and with his own trio, performing a vast repertoire that includes ragtime and early jazz. Leyland is highly regarded by critics and is one of the top attractions at jazz and rockabilly festivals around the world, performing with such notable artists as Janis Martin, Ruth Brown, Billy Lee Riley, & Carl Mann.

Miss Mac has been performing in one way or another for over 25 years. Born in Minnesota, she began in dance at a young age; musical theatre came next, where she discovered a penchant for singing. Among her many inspirations are Etta James, Laverne Baker, and Keely Smith. When not on tour, you can find Miss Mac singing all over Southern California with The Moontones, a 7-piece jump blues and swing band with a full horn section.

Lil Sue is a popular Country singer from Southern California, fronting her own band, Lil Sue and the Cowtippers. Says Sue, "My debut performance was singing "Elvira" by the Oak Ridge Boys for the family at Christmas when I was 3.... I've been hooked ever since. I’ve been searching for my own Honky Tonk Band all my life and now? Now I have all the cowboys, boots, and red lipstick I've ever wanted!" With great original tunes solidly staked in good old-fashioned honky tonk, Lil Sue is carrying on the best in traditional Country music.

Tommy Harkenrider is a sparklingly talented guitarist specializing in all forms of American Roots music, Tommy was born in Las Vegas and has been a fixture on the Southern California scene for many years. Says Tommy, “I have been also lucky enough to perform and tour with Southern California's most influential blues and roots artists; people like James Harman, Lynwood Slim, Phil Alvin, Junior Watson, Kid Ramos, and Ray Campi to name a few.” When not touring, Tommy is in demand as a teacher both locally and world-wide via skype.

Make a reservation today for this cabaret-style show with 4-star menu, full bar and fast, efficient service.

Not a bad seat in the house at Campus JAX

3950 Campus Dr in Newport Beach near John Wayne airport.

Those who know and love Corb Lund are people who appreciate the hilarity of his songs.

Listen to the lyrics of "Cows Around" or "Bible On The Dashboard."

These are not simply great lyrics; they are so tongue in cheek as to be masterpieces of the genre. An award-winning artist like John Prine would be proud to put his name on some of Corb Lund's songs - he is that good.

Unlike Prine however, Corb has a rockin' great honky tonk band, the former Hurtin' Albertans backing him up on this tour.

That alone should be enough to pry you loose from a few bucks to go see this show! But bring some friends if you don't want to be describing what a great show it was over and over the next day.

More facts:

Lund is an award-winning, vintage country performer, who spent his twenties, interestingly, in an indie rock band. He embraces his rich and rustic western heritage with a style that’s unique, honest and resolute, while touching on a range of cowboy themes both past and present — from rough-and-tumble tales of lawless frontier saloons, to the sombre realities of running a modern family ranch. He sings about a life that he and his ancestors have lived themselves, paired with his quick-witted, wry observations of today’s world. As a result, his writing resonates emphatically with rural and urban audiences alike. It’s a classic sound with a twist, something of a rarity these days, but one that evokes the spirit of the American West, winning over appreciative audiences at rodeos, fairs, festivals and other events where tales of fearless explorers, determined homesteaders and committed cattle ranchers still holds a powerful sway.

Backed by his long-time honky tonk band, the Hurtin’ Albertans — Kurt Ciesla, bass; Grant Siemens, guitar; and Brady Valgardson, drums — Lund effectively amplifies those themes and fires up the crowds. It’s little wonder that the Vegas Seven noted, “Like Willie Nelson before them, they bring out the shit-kickers and hipsters in equal measure.”

“There aren’t many artists still making this kind of Western music,” Lund suggests. “Personally, I feel like I still have a real stake in it. That’s why I believe that the people that admire a vintage approach really appreciate what we do. And for us, it’s really gratifying to be able to perform it for them.” In a very real sense then, Lund has become a true musical courier as far as that authenticity is concerned, a traditional troubadour who’s determined to keep that rugged and restless spirit alive. “It seems to have developed that way,” he nods. “I didn’t necessarily plan it, but it feels really good that that’s how it’s evolved.”

The upcoming tour is a precursor to a series of new projects Lund has planned for the coming year. He promises a carefully curated EP of unexpected cover songs that will resonate with ranchers and rockers alike, and an album of original material to follow soon after. With nine studio albums under his belt, multiple CCMA, Juno, and international award nomination and wins, Lund is well recognized as a musical force to be reckoned with.

His seventh album, Cabin Fever, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Canadian Charts; he has three gold records; and his latest release, Things That Can’t Be Undone, cemented his status as one of the best contemporary country singer/songwriters working today.

The press agrees: Rolling Stone declared him one of the “10 New Country Artists You Need to Know” and NPR remarked, “The album is a high mark of a long career. ”Rolling Stone Country said of Things That Can’t Be Undone that it “finds Lund flirting in fresh sonic waters, while still keeping his sardonic mix of eerie lyrics and deceptively joyful vamps well intact.”

For its part, Popmatters proclaimed, “ 'Things That Can’t Be Undone' furthers the case for Corb Lund as one of the best contemporary country songwriters.”

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT LAUREN MORROW

"Top Ten Country Artists to Watch in 2020." - Paste Magazine

“With her self-titled solo EP, Morrow has struck out on her own, debuting four songs that showcase her tender songwriting and inward-looking artistic vision.” — Rolling Stone

“Lauren Morrow—known best as one-half of Nashville-by-way-of-Atlanta duo Whiskey Gentry—puts lyrical fire behind a classic country sound on her four-song solo debut.” — Garden & Gun

“As she starts a new era of her career, she needs something to advantageously represent herself that isn’t The Whiskey Gentry, and this is what she accomplishes with these four songs. But most importantly, these four songs are really good.” — Saving Country Music

After over a decade as the centerpiece of popular Americana band The Whiskey Gentry, Lauren Morrow packed her bags, her dogs, her cats, and husband and moved to Nashville to pursue a career as a solo artist and grow her craft as a songwriter and performer. Within months, she released her first solo EP to widespread critical acclaim and landed on many Best of 2018 year ends lists from Rolling Stone to Garden & Gun, quickly launching her already budding career and sending it into hyperdrive. Over the next year, Morrow filmed an episode for PBS’ Bluegrass Underground and toured the US playing festivals such as Pickathon and Bristol Rhythm & Roots to name a few. In November 2019, Morrow began recording her first solo, full-length album at the legendary Nashville studio, Sound Emporium. Set to release in 2020, Morrow’s new album showcases her flawless vocals and intricate songwriting, but also her willingness to take risks — an edge that makes her stand out from the Nashville norm. Whether she’s singing an alternative/indie rock banger, a classic-country cooner, or a traditional lovesick ballad, there’s a unique impression she leaves that lingers and is unlike anything you’ve heard before.