by Tomm Carroll

Friday, April 27-Thursday, May 3--Springtime is definitely upon us and there’s lots of live music in bloom on the Westside. And in keeping with the warm weather, the outdoor concert/festivals are beginning to start. First up is the 10th annual Santa Monica Festival, sponsored by the City of Santa Monica’s Cultural Affairs division and the Environmental and Public Works Management department, at Clover Park in Santa Monica on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

A free fest which annually honors the unwritten ethnic history of Santa Monica, as well as the rich environmental resources that sustain it, the Santa Monica Festival presents an eclectic array of traditional and contemporary music and dance on several stages, as well as hands-on arts and environmental workshops, demonstrations, a crafts marketplace and much more.

Among the featured artists are L.A.’s legendary "All-American Jewish Lesbian Folksinger" Phranc, swing band Roscoe and his Rascals, Hawaiian outfit Keali’i O Nalani, Francis Awe and the Nigerian Talking Drum Ensemble, the Viver Brasil Dance Company and Mexican musical group Conjunto Hueyapan with the Folklorio del Pacifico dance troupe.
	Phranc

Speaking of Santa Monica, that city’s native daughter, Perla Batalla, performs at the Madison campus of Santa Monica College at 2 p.m. on Wednesday. Rusty’s Surf Ranch on the Santa Monica Pier brings out its big guns this weekend. The ever-popular Siberian surf-abilly quartet, The Red Elvises return to Rusty’s stage Friday night for another evening retro-Ruskie-kitsch. Opening the show is the redundantly named singer-songbird Alison Allison. On Saturday, Rusty’s welcomes back recent regular and R&B expert and exponent, Billy Vera with The Beaters, for 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. shows

The ‘80s are back this week as well! Synth-pop band Berlin, featuring sexpot singer Terri Nunn performs for a night at the races Friday at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, while former new wave fixture Gary Myrick resurfaces at Temple Bar in Santa Monica Thursday night, sharing the bill with Kim Hill and Tre. Saturday at Temple Bar, reggae outfit Mongoose joins Psydecar for a double bill. Mongoose, of course, performs every Wednesday at the West End in Santa Monica.

Cover-band fans who miss the weekly tribute shows at the now defunct Scruffy O’Shea’s can take heart; there’s a double-tribute scheduled for 14 Below in Santa Monica Wednesday night. The performers are The Well Respected Men (specializing in Kinks kovers) and the John Lennon-ites Working Class Hero. On Friday night, 14 Below has Munkafust, Soulcracker, Jeremy Kay and (Band Name of the Week) Tongue Dried Sun. Peter DiStefano (Porno for Pyros) now performs every Saturday at Lush in Santa Monica. Get there early, because the club goes disco later on in the evening!

Harvelle’s in Santa Monica has the quintessential one-two blues punch this weekend, with Ramfunkshus’ TGIF party on Friday followed by the rollicking Blowin’ Smoke and His Fabulous Smokettes on Saturday. The Gig in West L.A. welcomes back Japanese hip-hop group Culturhythm on Saturday, and G-Mack and Mackadelic on Thursday. The Rincon Ramblers mix Celtic, Cajun, bluegrass and more in their eclectic show at Culver City’s Boulevard Music on Friday night.

On the jazz front, Leana Greene is joined by the Jackson Jazz and Blues Quartet for a couple sets at Lunaria in Century City on Friday. Homer Broadmax and the Resurrection Band perform at the supper club Saturday night. And over at the Jazz Bakery in Culver City, Sphere, featuring Kenny Barron, Buster Williams, Gary Bartz and Ben Riley, opens a six-night stand on Tuesday evening.

LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III McCABE’S GUITAR SHOP SATURDAY, APRIL 28 7:30 AND 9:30 P.M.

Now that ol’ Loudo’s got himself a role on a new sitcom ("Undeclared," coming soon to a tube near you), he’s in town all the time, so the New York folksinger and lyrical wit is able to perform in L.A. a lot more often. The father of both Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Loudon’s been a fixture on the folk scene since the early 1970s, and his songwriting and observational skills, not to mention his dry sense of humor, have only sharpened with age.

Social Studies (Hannibal/Rykodisc), Wainwright’s most recent release, was one of the best albums of 1999. A collection of social and pop culture commentaries set to songs, the disc was also one of the best records of his career. Yes, even including "Dead Skunk (in the Middle of the Road"), his inadvertent 1972 hit.

But it is on stage that Loudo really excels (for evidence, check out his live set on Virgin, Career Moves), and these two shows at McCabe’s are sure to add to that legacy. One song we’re practically assured of hearing tonight is his "One Man Guy," which was recently recorded by son Rufus for his brand new release.