Famous musicians usually don’t hang out

“Our band Back to the Garden is backing Richie Furay for his farewell concert in New Jersey next month,” reports guitarist Marc Intravaia of the group’s upcoming November 14 gig, their second time playing with the famed Buffalo Springfield and Poco musician. That first gig came about after a friend donated money for an upcoming Furay documentary, and was rewarded with a house concert for which local harmonica player (and Furay collaborator) TJ Klay recommended Back to the Garden. “Richie was reluctant — his words later to me — to have us back him, because he’s been burned a few times by assurances that the band would be good. TJ promised him he would be happy, so we learned eight of Richie’s songs. I knew Richie was happy when he sat down after the show with me and my wife Paula and wanted to talk about music and our group. Usually, when you back a famous musician, there is very little interaction, other than the rehearsal and the show, and then they go to their dressing room and don’t hang out. We’ve backed America, Kenny Loggins, BJ Thomas, [and] Juice Newton. They were all very nice to work with. But when the show is over, they are out of there.” Back to the Garden will appear (sans Furay) on December 3 at Ramona’s Olive Pierce Middle School performing arts center. “We’ll perform our Music of Laurel Canyon show with guests Calman Hart and Lauren Leigh Martin. It’s a story concert, sort of like a live documentary, and will be narrated by Robert Hughes, former owner of KPRI.”

Davit Buck, frontman for punk rockers the Homeless Sexuals, claims to have difficulty doing a “normal rock show. It’s hard for me because, once the music starts, I just black out and go into that weird world. Even at practice the other night, I accidentally kicked the mic into the guitarist’s teeth…I even destroyed a guitar amp by climbing on top and spilling beer into it.” After an extended hiatus, the Homeless Sexuals reunited its 2005 lineup for several early 2010 shows. The band splintered again later that year, with Buck going on to form a new band, Zillion Happy Volts. Other members went on to play with Mice and Death Crisis. Within a couple of years, however, the Homeless Sexuals were again recording and turning up around town. February 2020 saw the release of Homeless Sexuals Demos 2004-2006 on Buck’s Full Contact Rock ‘N’ Roll label, named after his local memorabilia shop. The band has two new members: Clint Graham from John Cougar Concentration Camp and the Waste Aways and Billy McCowan from Behind the Wagon. They’ll appear November 19 at Brick By Brick.

“We’re stoked about our new video,” says singer-songwriter Jeff Berkley of the promo clip for his newly recorded song “Wanderlust,” which he says comes from the post-pandemic desire to get back out there and wander around. “Some songs we work on for years and years, but this one was a gift,” he says. “Writing is therapy.” The single is the first song recorded by his new ensemble, Jeff Berkley & the Banned. Tracked live in the studio, it features Berkley on guitar and lead vocal, Dylan Ankney on electric guitar, Jason Cox on percussion, Josh Hermsmeier on drums, Ted Stern on pedal steel, Rick Nash on bass, Cathryn Beeks on vocals, and Josh Weinstein on organ. “There’s this great orchestration in the way everybody plays,” says Berkley. “The dynamic vibe of this band is always quite amazing to me.” Sharisse Coulter worked with Berkley on producing the music video. “She does such great work and has such a great eye, and honestly, she’s a magician in the editing room.” The multi-screen video release party takes place November 6 at Navajo Live, with 2021 San Diego Music Award nominee Stereo Claire opening and a post-screening set from Jeff Berkley & the Banned.

Bassist Nathan East attended Crawford High, where he played in the same school band that spawned local talents such as future Fattburger founder Hollis Gentry, as well as Skipper Ragsdale, Steve Christie, Carl Evans Jr, and bassist Gunnar Biggs, who, upon graduation, was replaced by East in the ensemble. East formed the local funk band Power in 1969, along with Gentry, Evans Jr., and Ragsdale. That band toured with Barry White, Nancy Wilson, Al Jarreau, Joe Sample, David Benoit, and Larry Carlton, among others. After earning his music degree at UC San Diego (where he studied with Cecil Lytle and Bert Turetzky), East went on to play with Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Stevie Wonder, Michael Bublé, Quincy Jones, Kenny Loggins, Rod Stewart, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Michael Jackson, B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Joe Satriani, and many others. He also co-wrote the 1984 Phil Collins and Phillip Bailey hit “Easy Lover.” The star bassist is seen playing with Ringo Starr in the drummer’s new video for “Rock Around the Clock,” featuring East performing on standup bass in a remote recording studio location along with singer-guitarist Joe Walsh.

Founded in Carlsbad, country Americana rockers Trouble in the Wind started off in 2006 as a high school country rock trio called Cactus Bob. After a 2009 name change, they began appearing frequently at the E Street Café in Encinitas. In summer 2012, they won Best Musical Talent in the Musicpalooza talent contest at the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, taking home a $5000 cash prize and an electric guitar donated by Taylor Guitars. Their second full-length album Slide Rock, featuring sixteen songs mixed and recorded by the band and preceded by its first single “Taken,” earned them a Best Americana trophy at the 2014 San Diego Music Awards. Their full-length Lefty won Best Country or Americana Album at the 2018 SDMAs, where they also took home the trophy for Artist of the Year. A 2018 album, Hammer On, was nominated Best Country or Americana Album at the 2019 SDMAs, and the band took home a 2020 San Diego Music Award as Best Country Americana for their All the Boys EP. A new EP was just released in late October, preceded by a single for “Hold On to Your Mind.”