December 29, 2018  Augora Hills, Ca—-written by Gina Sigman

Alt rock fans packed into the elegant Canyon Club for an evening with the Gin Blossoms.  Lead singer Robin Wilson proved he can still croon 90’s style and then some, never missing a note on songs like Follow You Down.  Jesse Valenzuela was as impressive on guitar as he was delivering his sweetly familiar harmonies.  The rest of the band, consisting of Bill Leen, and “the Scotts”: Johnson and Hessel, added the essentials needed to complete the whole package.   The band from Tempe Arizona that began in the late 80’s has uh...to use an over-trite pun...blossomed into becoming an iconic marker of the Alt Rock movement of the 90’s and beyond.

March 20th-2018—-Carlene Carter, daughter of the late June Carter Cash and stepdaughter to the legendary Johnny Cash, gave a farewell performance for her fellow Santa Ynez neighbors at the Standing Sun Winery.  With seats filled and only a few feet of standing room between them, well-wishers and fans packed in to the rustic venue to hear her toe-tapping tunes and reminiscent stories of life growing up in the Carter-Cash family.   Her husband, actor Joe Breen, opened the show with the singing of the National Anthem and accompanied her on several songs.  Carlene is the grandmother of seven grandchildren who all live in the Nashville area and says she is moving to be close to them.   Throughout the concert, she showed off her musical prowess, demonstrating the famous “Carter Scratch” technique on the guitar and finished off the performance plucking the strings and bringin’ down the house with the Carter Family heirloom, “Wildwood Flower”.  After the show, she graciously chatted, hugged, signed autographs and posed for pictures with friends and fans.   Her latest cd, a tribute to her grandmother, Maybelle Carter and the entire Carter family legacy is available at www.carlenecarter.net and on Amazon.