SHOW ME THE MONEY: If your idea of sitting through a fundraiser in support of a public media outlet involves images of stuffy, tuxedo-clad fiftysomethings pleading with you to call the number at the bottom of your screen and dole out some cash to some B-list celebrity phone operator eagerly standing by, then you obviously haven’t seen the tradition done in true Gaucho fashion. On Sunday, November 4, UCSB’s sole independent radio station, KCSB, will jump-start a weeklong fundraising drive with its Annual Pledge Drive Kick-Off Party at Muddy Waters (508 E. Haley St.). The event will feature a diverse collection of all indie-and predominantly local-acts, including the veteran hip-hop outfit Limbz, Napa-based experimental noisemakers Planets, and the free-form jazz duo of Colter Frazier and Rob Wallace, among others. The show is set to begin at 6:30 p.m., and the pledge drive runs from Monday, November 5 through Wednesday, November 14. To make a donation, visit kcsb.org, or call 893-2424. -Joel Aurora
FOR MUSIC’S SAKE: Head on down to Isla Vista’s own Biko Co-Op Garage (6612 Sueno Rd.) on Thursday, November 1, for Santa Barbara’s bimonthly experimental music night, featuring Solar Guitar and Brad Rabuchin. Started solely for the sake of booking local artists who had nowhere else to play, this experimental music night occurs the first and third Thursdays of every month. Solar Guitar is a psychedelic musical act headed by Grady Runyan, owner of Grady’s Record Refuge in Ventura. This week’s other featured performer is Brad Rabuchin, the headliner of the Santa Barbara-based outfit that features jazz aficionados Colter Frazier, Jim Connolly, and Rob Wallace. Well-versed in many musical genres, Rabuchin has worked with musicians such as Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, and Ray Charles. Much like giving to a deserving charity, we encourage you to come out and support your local artists. Visit myspace.com/biko_garage for details. -Stephanie Flint
WEEN ON ME: Ever since their conception in a small suburb outside Pennsylvania, Ween have created a head-scratch inducing-yet decidedly intriguing-sound that has satisfied the palate of many desperate, indie-seeking music lovers for more than two decades. They may be classified as “alternative rock,” but Ween are too eccentrically eclectic to be labeled. If anything, Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo (aka Gene and Dean Ween, respectively) could very well be the proof that aliens do roam among us. Part Frank Zappa. Part Sex Pistols. Part parody masters. Ween promise an otherworldly experience unlike any you’ve seen before. Honoring the release of their eleventh studio album, La Cucaracha, Ween will make their way to the Majestic Ventura Theatre (26 S. Chestnut St.) on Tuesday, November 6. Call 653-0721 or visit venturatheater.net for info. -Jessica Small
WE GOT THE BEAT: Let the British invasion begin again-this time with some late ’70s punk influences. When The English Beat was born in 1979, the six-member band dashed into the English ska scene during a time of high social, political, and musical upheaval. Leaning on their reggae and soul influences, The Beat was able to infuse a bouncy punk-meets-ska form with ’80s tech reverberation, resulting in an upbeat, groovy dance party that quickly caught on. Now on tour with his original ska backing band, lead singer Dave Wakeling plays The Beat’s favorite hits, along with classic covers that he replicates with almost eerie ability. The English Beat will play at SOhO on Friday, November 2, along with KJEE radio personality and Santa Barbara mainstay, DJ Matt Armor. Advance tickets are available via SOhO’s online ticket page. Admission is $20 for the show, or $15 with dinner. Visit sohosb.com for details. -Bianca Calhoun