2008 Summer Pop & Rock Guide

Extra Golden

KCSB and Arthur Magazine present a unique night of African-meets-American rock ‘n’ roll courtesy this Kenyan band. Thu., June 19, 9pm. Muddy Waters Cafe, 508 E. Haley St. Visit clubmercy.com.

Critic’s Pick:

Los Amigos Invisibles

Dance fiends take heed when Venezuelan disco rockers team up with L.A.’s West Indian Girl for this special Solstice celebration put on by Club Mercy and KCRW. Sat., June 21, 9pm. SOhO, 1221 State St. Call 962-7776 or visit clubmercy.com.

Pine Leaf Boys & JT Nero

Grammy-nominated Louisiana-based collective brings their blend of contemporary and traditional Creole music to the Sings Like Hell concert series. Sat., June 21, 8pm. Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. Call 963-0761 or visit singslikehell.com.

Death Cab for Cutie

Washington State’s hottest indie rock export play the Bowl in support of their sparkling new record, Narrow Stairs. Tue., June 24, 7pm. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St. Call 962-7411 or visit sbbowl.com.

Ashes Divide

A Perfect Circle guitarist Billy Howerdel’s newest band features Nine Inch Nails drummer Josh Freese, and Maynard James Keenan’s son, Devo, on cello. Wed., June 25, 8pm. Velvet Jones, 423 State St. Visit twiinproductions.com.

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Former Led Zeppelin frontman teams up with country chanteuse for a night of tunes off the duo’s critically acclaimed 2007 collaboration, Raising Sand. Wed., June 25, 7pm. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St. Call 962-7411 or visit sbbowl.com.

Todd Snider

Oregon-based alt-country and Americana singer in the vein of Tom Petty. Wed., June 25, 9pm. Stateside Restaurant & Lounge, 1114 State St. Visit twiinproductions.com.

311 & Snoop Dogg

Omaha jazz-funk quintet team up with one of the world’s biggest rap stars and English rockers Fiction Plane for this eclectic night of party tunes. Thu., June 26, 6pm. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St. Call 962-7411 or visit sbbowl.com.

Meiko

Hotel Cafe contributor brings her lush indie pop tunes to S.B. Sat., June 28, 6:30pm. SOhO, 1221 State St. Call 962-7776.

The Everybodyfields, with Jim Bianco

Twangy blues rock quartet from Tennessee share stage time with the Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter. Wed., July 2, 9pm. SOhO, 1221 State St. Call 962-7776 or visit sohosb.com.

• Critic’s Pick:

Port O’Brien

Oakland indie rockers pay a visit to everyone’s favorite coffeehouse in support of the recently released folksy gem All We Could Do Was Sing. Wed., July 9, 8pm. Muddy Waters Cafe, 508 E. Haley St. Visit clubmercy.com.

Surprise Me Mr. Davis

Folkie jamster Nathan Moore teams up with former members of avant rock band The Slip and pays a visit to S.B. with their limited release EP, Only in Montreal. Wed., July 9, 9pm. SOhO,

1221 State St. Call 962-7776 or visit sohosb.com.

James Hunter & Sean Hayes

British bluesman plays a double-header with one of San Francisco’s more notable ambient folkies. Sat., July 12, 8pm. Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. Call 963-0761 or visit singslikehell.com.

Girl in a Coma

All-female Texan trio return to Muddy Waters with their impressive blend of punk and garage rock. Wed., July 16, 8pm. Muddy Waters Cafe, 508 E. Haley St. Visit myspace.com/muddycafesb.

The Melvins

Hardcore punk rockers keep on truckin’, nearly 25 years after releasing their debut EP. Wed., July 16, 8pm. Velvet Jones, 423 State St. Visit velvet-jones.com.

Bitter:Sweet

L.A.-based trip-hop duo la Morcheeba and Zero 7. Sat., July 19, 9pm. Stateside Restaurant & Lounge, 1114 State St. Visit clubmercy.com.

John Mellencamp & Lucinda Williams

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer hits the road with Grammy Award-winning country songstress for a “wild night” of good ol’ American roots rock. Wed., July 30, 7pm. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St. Call 962-7411 or visit sbbowl.com.

James Taylor

Soft rock luminary heads to the Bowl in support of 2007’s One Man Band compilation. Fri., Aug. 1, 7pm. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St. Call 962-7411 or visit sbbowl.com.

Slightly Stoopid

Reggae meets punk rock when these Ocean Beach natives head north with new material off their soon-to-be-released record, Slightly Not Stoned Enough to Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid. Sun., Aug. 3, 5pm. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St. Call 962-7411 or visit sbbowl.com.

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

Everyone’s favorite punksters stop by in support of their newest collection of covers from the 1960s and ’70s. Tue., Aug. 5, 9pm. Velvet Jones, 423 State St. Visit velvet-jones.com.

Steve Miller Band

The Joker himself hits the Bowl for a night of classics that will span Miller’s 40-year recording career. Thu., Aug. 7, 6:30pm. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St. Call 962-7411 or visit sbbowl.com.

Glen Phillips

Former Toad the Wet Sprocket leader returns with new tunes from the recently released Secrets of the New Explorers. Tue., Aug. 12, 8pm. SOhO, 1221 State St. Call 962-7776 or visit sohosb.com.

A Prairie Home Companion, with Garrison Keillor

Keillor takes his variety program from the radio airwaves to the stage with some help from the Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band, Fred Newman, and musical guest Suzy Bogguss. Sat., Aug. 16, 7pm. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St. Call 962-7411 or visit sbbowl.com.

Gipsy Kings

Flamenco pop purveyors set out in support of their 19th studio album, 2006’s Pasajero. Sun., Aug. 17, 7pm. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St. Call 962-7411 or visit sbbowl.com.

The Waifs

Aussie sisters Donna and Vikki Simpson team up with guitarist Josh Cunningham and perform their roots-meets-folk tunes. Thu., Aug. 21, 8pm. SOhO, 1221 State St. Call 962-7776 or visit sohosb.com.

Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals

Singer, songwriter, and best buddy of Jack Johnson makes a quick stop en route to San Fran’s Outside Lands Music Festival. Fri., Aug. 22, 7pm. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St. Call 962-7411 or visit sbbowl.com.

Joshua Radin

Ohio New Folk notable takes to the SOhO stage with his Simon-and-Garfunkel-meets-Iron-and-Winestyle songbook. Fri., Aug. 22, 9pm. SOhO, 1221 State St. Call 962-7776 or visit sohosb.com.

David Olney

An evening of folk and Americana from one of the industry’s best-known singer/songwriters. Sat., Aug. 23, 8pm. Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. Call 963-0761 or visit singslikehell.com.

Sidestepper

Columbian collective fuses electro beats and salsa rhythms to create a sound unlike any other. Sun., Aug. 24, 9pm. Stateside Restaurant & Lounge, 1114 State St. Visit clubmercy.com.

• Critic’s Pick:

Jack Johnson

UCSB alum returns to his alma mater for a grand-scale, eco-friendly concert, complete with discount student tickets, new tunes, and opening sets from Culver City Dub Collective and label mates Rogue Wave. Wed., Aug. 27, 7pm. UCSB’s Harder Stadium. Visit ticketmaster.com.

Patty Griffin

Folk and alt-country mainstay checks in for a very special installment of the Sings Like Hell concert series. Wed., Aug. 27, 8pm. Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. Call 963-0761.

Radiohead

Thom Yorke and his band of cohorts travel across the pond for a night of ambient, electro-tinged alt-rock in support of their 2007 masterpiece, In Rainbows. Thu., Aug. 28, 6:30pm. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St. Call 962-7411 or visit sbbowl.com.

Willie Nelson

Nelson heads out “on the road again” in support of the recently released Moment of Forever. Sat., Sept. 6, 7pm. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St. Call 962-7411 or visit sbbowl.com.

• Critic’s Pick:

Bob Dylan

The prolific and politically minded singer/songwriter will stop by as part of the current leg of his Never Ending Tour, nearly 50 years after he first began recording. This will be Dylan’s first Santa Barbara performance since he played UCSB in 2004. Sun., Sept. 7, 7pm. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St. Call 962-7411 or visit sbbowl.com.