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There won't be a caravan of big rigs lining the street outside the venue, nor will there be an army of roadies, groupies, managers or people selling overpriced T-shirts. There probably won't be much of a guest list either, so save your breath trying to get your girlfriend's cousin's boyfriend in for nothing.
Usually these affairs are cheap, if not free, often transacted at eateries or more likely coffeehouses, where "jangle"--as in the thing that happens to nerves from great quantities of caffeine--is spelled with a capital "J."
These are the solo artists, the owner-operators, the one-man or one-woman bands who, however little they get paid, at least don't have to divide the take each night. These low-budget artists have certain advantages over the more traditional groups. Solo artists are seldom bothered by creative differences, and they may go away, but they never break up.
Here then, is an alphabetical, opinionated guide to some of the more fashionable, formidable, ubiquitous, and in some cases, pretty darn cool, solo artists to be found on any given evening in any part of Ventura County. Check our listings pages to find exactly when and where their performances will take place.
* Babette: Much like Madonna, Sting or Godzilla, Babette has achieved one-named fame. A solo acoustic guitar singer-songwriter type, she put out a tape a few years back, "Rough Cuts," although there's nothing rough about those pipes of hers.
* J. Peter Boles: These days, he usually has a backup band, but as a solo performer, Boles is an engaging folkie with a million stories to tell.
* Wendy Bucklew: A former Santa Barbarian, now residing in Ventura, got it going in the Atlanta folk scene a decade ago and ended up touring with Indigo Girls. Doing the coffeehouse tour these days, the acoustic-guitar-carrying Bucklew has recently released her third album, "Asleep in the Swing." She does mostly Serious Girl Stuff about relationships--the good, the bad, the ugly or the lack of same. Bucklew has Big Hair and a voice to match.
* Ken Clench: He's an acoustic guitar kind of guy with a pleasant voice. Clench does covers and originals, usually at Latte 101 in Ventura.
* Sus Corez: She does the folky thing with a clear,...