CASH GETS CREDIT: One of the greatest bits of Johnny Cash lore takes place during his Ojai Valley days. Cash moved to Southern California in the late 1950s, where he eventually settled with his family for a time in Casitas Springs between Ojai and Ventura. In 1965, Cash’s truck caught aflame near today’s Sespe Wilderness, turning the forests of Los Padres into a veritable ring of fire, condors and all. Ever the outlaw, Cash spat at the hefty settlement, saying, “I don’t care about your damn yellow buzzards.”
Though his 805 days were famously among his darkest, the Man in Black shines now in history as one of country’s deepest poets, bard for the underdogs and under-loved. The 7th Annual Roadshow Revival: A Tribute to the Music of Johnny Cash ( roadshowrevival.com ) celebrates the man and his music this Saturday-Sunday, June 27-28, at Mission Park in Ventura. Featured acts include Reverend Horton Heat ( reverendhortonheat.com ), the Texan champions of rockabilly, punkabilly, psychobilly — any damn -billy you could imagine, really; Billy Joe Shaver ( billyjoeshaver.com ), a whole different kind of Billy, the outlaw legend hailing from the same country glory days as Cash; and The Blasters ( theblasters.com ), who many may know from their hit “Dark Night.” Along with them play country mile after country mile’s worth of area and traveling bands, all to revere one of this past century’s greatest musicians.
TRUE BREW: For those who like their live music on the tipsy side — i.e., almost everyone — a few fine area establishments are pairing their pours with performances at summer’s onset. Pure Order has kicked off its Rhythm & Brews series this June, with an upcoming show from The Mustangs ( mustangssb.com ) on June 26. Also on June 26, Zodo’s Bowling & Beyond explores the Beyond with a Red Cross Blood Drive and live music from The Kinsella Band ( facebook.com/thekinsellaband ) alongside a wide selection of beers, which poses the question, how high can your BAC be to donate? Bowl responsibly.