Rocks and Rooftops

ROCKS IS ROCKIN’: An increasingly steady
provider of live music these days is Rocks, located where De la
Guerra smashes into State Street. This weekend proves no different,
with Rikka Z this Friday, the Santa Barbara/Ojai
pro photographer who plays the prettiest country music around.
Playing with her will be Reds regular Matt
McAvene, whose visual art will also decorate the stage’s
backdrop. Next up, on Saturday, July 15, is the cock rock of
Shades of Day, who are hitting up clubs near and
far in support of their debut album Mayday. Opening for
them is T.J. Russell, the son of legendary
Leon Russell, so prepare for a memorable weekend.
­­ — Matt Kettmann

TIME MACHINE: You’ve heard your favorite
Zeppelin song on the radio a jillion times, but have you ever heard
it performed live? This weekend(July 15-16), the Libbey Bowl hosts
its third annual Ojai Classic Rock Festival where
11 of history’s most adored bands will be rivived.

On Saturday, fans of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The
Who, Grateful Dead, and Lynyrd Skynyrd
will rejoice as Mama Pearl, Stone Free Experience, The Who
Show, Cubensis, and Nuthin Fancy
reinterpret the music of their heroes. Don’t miss the headliner,
JGB (a k a the Jerry Garcia
Band), featuring original organist Melvin
Seals and new guitarist Stu Allen, who
sounds nearly identical to Garcia.

Sunday’s crowd can expect an aural assault featuring
Gods of Thunder as KISS,
Pump doing Aerosmith, Led Zepplica,
Bonfire’s AC/DC, and The Atomic
Punks’ tribute to early Van Halen.
Tickets are available at Bags Plus (620 State St.), Ticketmaster,
or check out ragejaxfoundation.com.   — Tyler
Blue

ROOFTOP VIBES: Premiere Events, the folks
behind so many of those super-cool film fest parties, are starting
their own weekly series with Sundaze, a bash to be
held every Sunday night on the rooftop pool of the Hotel Andalucía.
“The beach has evolved,” the organizers proclaimed recently,
referencing the Butterfly Beach parties they hosted in the past.
“Think bikinis and high heels.” They promise a poolside bar,
beautiful dancers, and funky DJ tunes, brought to us by the likes
of Joel Patrick, Manabu, and Luis
Roberto throughout the summer. It starts at 4 p.m.
 — MK

LADY DJ: Charissa Saverio, also known as
DJ RAP, turned the tables on gender by moving her
way up to No. 1 female DJ in the world with her blend of trance,
rock, and house music. Simultaneously a producer, recording artist,
and label owner, Saverio’s success began in 1999 with the release
of her first album Learning Curve. On her homepage,
Saverio said she gained success through self-ownership after she
left the law firm where she was training to become a lawyer. “There
are some lessons in life that took me a while to absorb,” Saverio
wrote. “I paid a lot in fees hoping other people would take me
where I wanted to go in my career.” DJ RAP will mix beats Thursday,
July 13, at the Wildcat.  — Megan
Snedden

TO-DO LIST: Among the many musical surprises at
the annual French Festival in Oak Park — check the latest Putumayo
release Paris — the highlight just might be
Bijoux, a Los Angeles three-piece led by
Evan Love that plays kompa music, a
distinctive Haitian blend of West African rhythms and Latin spice.
They’ll be playing in the park Saturday, July 15, in support of
their new album I Wanna Love You. See kompabijoux.com. …
Speaking of Latin island rhythms, check out Songon
at SOhO on Sunday, July 16, for an evening of Cuban, Puerto Rican,
and Dominican jams interlaced with funk, be-bop, and jazz. … If you
haven’t yet, it’s about time you make your way down to La Casa de
la Raza, as the venue is being reborn as a hangout for metal and
hardcore lovers this summer. This Sunday, July 16, Set Your
Goals joins The Distance for an all-ages
show, so check it out before the summer fades away. … At Reds Café
on Sunday, July 16, there’s an all-day barbecue/musical romp with
nearly a dozen bands, including The Republic, Seconds from
a Fall, Peter Something Rakowitz, Roosterfish, Louie
Andrus, and Jesse Rhodes. It starts at 1
p.m. And lastly, The Slow Signal Fade comes from
L.A. to play Legends on Milpas this coming Monday, July
17.— MK