PERFORMANCES AN OPINIONATED GUIDE

THURSDAY

Leo Downey (The Ketch, 514 State St., Santa Barbara, 564-3231) Tonight, Leo’s band will be a trio, and find out why he has more female fans than anyone.

Children’s Day, Far Cry (The Pub, UCSB, Isla Vista) Is this what education is all about--new music at the bar on campus?

FRIDAY

Urban Dread (Charlie’s, 362 California St., Ventura, 648-6688) Industrial strength comes to the beach.

Paul Cotton, Leo Downey (Ventura Theatre, 26 S. Chesnut St., Ventura, 648-1888) Cotton used to be in Poco; Downey is still from Santa Barbara.

Mojo (Ojai Art Center, 113 S. Montgomery St., 646-0117) This is going to be some sort of rain dance. Who knows if that’ll work, but the hardest-working blues band from Thousand Oaks will create plenty of their own moisture-sweaty dancers.

Spencer the Gardener (The Ketch) Santa Barbara pop rock at its finest--also the evening’s best party. If you’re a first-timer, chances are excellent you’ll buy both of Spencer’s tapes.

SATURDAY

Leo Downey Band (The Ketch) Doesn’t this guy ever stay home?

Modern English (The Pub) English pop rockers still milking their first hit “I Melt With You.” Nothing wrong with that.

SUNDAY

Urban Dread (Eric Ericcson’s, Seward and the beach, Ventura, 643-4783) These reggae rockers are taking their act south, a couple of miles down the beach.

MONDAY

Leo Downey Band (Charlie’s) Yup, it’s him again. Buy his two CDs--give this man a day off.

The Pontiax (Alexander’s, 1050 Schooner Drive, Ventura, 658-2000) Perhaps the best blues band on the West Coast provides the soundtrack for this Blue Monday presentation.

TUESDAY

Plato’s Cat (Charlie’s) Feeling philosophical? Like cats? Never mind, it’s more Ventura pop rock.

Oingo Boingo (Santa Barbara County Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St., 966-2727) Oingo Boingo brings its quirky rhythms to the tree-lined bowl--once again, no Tracy Chapman covers, just plenty of maniacs dancing as if their shoes were on fire.

WEDNESDAY

Michael On Fire (Hungry Hunter, 487 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks, 497-3925) Is it folk blues, folk rock or what?

Spencer the Gardener, Nothing (Hornblower’s, 1559 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, 658-2202) A new venue for local bands! Spencer and Brad Nack (the Something of Nothing) used to be partners in the ultimate Santa Barbara power-pop rock band, the Tan. So much for history lessons.