Positively State Street

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: For those of you who have been neglecting your Facebook updates, last week provided about as much music news as seven days can generate. While Port O’Brien, Richard Swift, and Watercolor Paintings had to pull out of their Thursday night performance at Muddy Waters Cafe, the loss was made up for in no small way by the Wednesday and Friday night extravaganzas put on by Jason Webley and oso, respectively. Both outfits filled and rocked Muddy’s little house, making us almost forget the near-catastrophic cancellation early on in the weekend.

Also out to help ease the pain were the folks at SBDIY, Club Mercy, and UCSB’s Associated Students Program Board. Combined, these three mighty masters of booking managed to wrangle Kimya Dawson to the Biko Garage (April 15), Menomena to Velvet Jones (April 17), Deerhoof to SOhO (May 17), and Fleet Foxes to UCSB’s Hub (April 20)-all in the span of fewer than five days. It seems like times they are a-changin’-and we might actually be getting closer to putting S.B. on that illustrious L.A. to San Fran tour schedule, permanently. Good job, guys.

And yet another short-but-necessary thank you must be given to the young lads of Delta Spirit. The San Diego fivepiece came, saw, and conquered their Saturday night show at Velvet Jones this past weekend. Luckily, there was more than a fair share of fans involved in the Spirit’s takeover (the place was as crowded as I’ve seen it in ages), allowing for plenty of sing-along goodness to accompany tracks like “People, Turn Around” and the near-perfectly arranged “Strange Vine.” The night also provided the band ample time to share some stellar new jams, not to mention showcase the second coming of the once classic rock-inclined The Colour in the form of the night’s impressive opening act, We Barbarians (myspace.com/webarbarians).

GEARING UP: This week, the Santa Barbara Symphony is launching the biggest incarnation of its annual International Guitar Festival to date. And while there’s more than your fair share of rock ‘n’ roll being thrown into the mix, there’s one event in particular that has captured my attention. Prior to his performance at SOhO (1221 State St.), Grammy Award-winning guitarist Laurence Juber (laurencejuber.com) will play a free afternoon show at Jensen Guitar & Music Co. (2905 De la Vina St.) this Monday, March 23, at 3 p.m. Best known for his time alongside Paul McCartney and Wings, not to mention an exceptional solo career, Juber is considered one of the finest axe players in America. For more info on the event, call 563-3200 or visit jensenguitar.com.

BITS AND PIECES: Also on my up-and-coming radar for the week, Santa Barbara’s own Robert Steffen takes to SOhO this Tuesday, March 24, with a full band and guest performers in tow. This one-time actor turned full-time music man plays a mean acoustic and can cover “Chelsea Hotel #2” with some serious heart. For more, check out myspace.com/robertsteffenmusic. For the punk fan in all of us, SBDIY presents The Mae Shi (myspace.com/themaeshi) at Isla Vista’s Pink Mailbox (6668-B Pasado Rd.) on Wednesday, March 25, at 7 p.m. This L.A.-based seven-piece is mixing synth beats, screaming vocals, playful sing-alongs, and loads and loads of electric guitars, calling to mind Architecture in Helsinki, The Boy Least Likely To, and something decidedly more sinister (in a good way). They’ll also be sharing a bill with such notables as Pre (myspace.com/prepreprepre), Koalacaust (myspace.com/koalacaust), and London’s The Homosexuals (myspace.com/thehomosexuals). Visit sbdiy.org for show details. And last but not least, on Thursday, March 26, Particle (myspace.com/particle) will return to SOhO for an extra special night of music. Along with their instrumentally realized, electronica-infused live set, the guys will have special guest guitarist Dan Lebowitz (of Animal Liberation Orchestra fame) along for the ride. Based out of L.A. and known for their trippy blend of jam band funk and electronic beats, Particle’s live set is something to be witnessed-and danced to. For more information, call 962-7776 or visit sohosb.com.