Thirteen-time Grammy Award-winner Bonnie Raitt plays Vina Robles Amphitheatre on Sept. 18 

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You'd think with more than five decades in the music business that Bonnie Raitt might be slowing down a bit, but it seems the opposite. Her 2022 album, Just Like That ...—her 18th studio album—proves she's just as vital a hitmaker as she's been throughout her long and storied career. She won three Grammy Awards at the 65th annual ceremony last February and an Americana Music Award this past September, making her newest album's title track, "Just Like That," the first composition to win Song of the Year at both ceremonies.

Now 74, her touring schedule has also been robust. She decided to extend her current tour by more than 30 dates after headlining 75 concerts in 2022 and another 50 in 2023, across the U.S., Australia, the U.K., Scotland, Ireland, and Canada. The singer-songwriter and guitarist blends blues, R&B, rock, and pop, delivering huge hits like "Nick of Time," "Luck of the Draw," "Something to Talk About," "I Can't Make You Love Me," and many more.

She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and Rolling Stone magazine named the slide guitar player No. 54 on its recently updated list of the "250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and ranked her No. 50 on the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time." She's also a lifelong social activist long involved with involved with MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy) and environmental movements.

Bonnie Raitt on her Just Like That ... tour plays Wednesday, Sept. 18 (8 p.m.; all ages; $80 and up at ticketmaster.com). The always amazing U.K. soul singer and guitarist James Hunter opens. His band is awesome!

"We're very much looking forward to kicking off the night for the great Bonnie Raitt, so bring your dancing shoes and we'll get you warmed up for a memorable evening of live music," Hunter said in press materials.

Fremont Theater

Legendary blues, soul, and rock musician The Robert Cray Band appears on Friday, Sept. 13 (8 p.m.; all ages; $44.50 to $74.50 at prekindle.com). "Born in Georgia and raised in Washington, Cray was inspired to pick up the guitar after seeing The Beatles on TV and later witnessing Jimi Hendrix perform live," his bio explains. "Over the past 50 years, Cray has established himself as one of the most singular artists in American music, selling millions of albums, winning five Grammy Awards, and being inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame."

After appearing in National Lampoon's Animal House as part of the Otis Day and the Knights band, he went on to record and release his own albums starting in 1980 with Who's Been Talkin' right on through his 19th album, That's What I Heard in 2020.

Rodrigo y Gabriela play on Tuesday, Sept. 17 (8 p.m.; all ages; $44.50 to $99.50 at prekindle.com). This world-renowned acoustic guitar duo from Mexico fuses rock, flamenco, and classical guitar styles.

"Starting their musical journey as street performers in Dublin, Ireland, Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero quickly gained recognition for their fiery performances and intricate guitar work," according to their bio. "Over the years, they've released critically acclaimed albums, performed at major international festivals, and collaborated with artists like Hans Zimmer."

Rod & Hammer Rock

SLO Brew Live and (((folkYEAH!))) present Inner Wave on Thursday, Sept. 19 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $39.05 at ticketweb.com). The three founding members of the LA-based synth pop band started playing together as middle schoolers. Now in their 20s, they've released four studio albums, most recently 2021's Apoptosis. Like most bands, the COVID-19 pandemic threw them off course.

"We were in a position where we felt we were at a high, and then sunk to a really dark low, not knowing what's going to happen—not just with us, but with the world," guitarist-vocalist Pablo Sotelo recalled in press materials. "Coming out of this pandemic, having gone through so much and restructuring our team, we reverted back to being very hands-on—like we were for 11 years. Now I feel very confident: We're like a musical tank."

The Siren

The Siren's big show this week is soft rockers Yachty By Nature, who'll bring their yacht rock sounds to Morro Bay on Friday, Sept. 13 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $24.71 at tixr.com). The sextet plays "groovy soft yacht rock tunes from the late '70s and early '80s," the band said. "We are a yachtical tribute to your favorite artists like Michael McDonald, Hall and Oates, Boz Scaggs, Steely Dan, Toto, Christopher Cross, and so much more. We are the yacht rock tribute you've been looking for, and we're bringing the yacht party to you!"

The Clark Center

It's tribute week at the Clark Center when the venue hosts two cover acts. See Ronstadt Revival, a tribute to Linda Ronstadt featuring Shannon Rae, on Saturday, Sept. 14 (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $44.50 to $65.50 at clarkcenter.org). This is a seven-piece live band including fiddle and pedal steel and bringing you "the true authentic sound of the Ronstadt catalog," organizers announced. "Real, raw, and 100 percent live music."

Prince Again: A Tribute to Prince happens on Sunday, Sept. 15 (7 p.m.; all ages; $54 at clarkcenter.org). You'll hear authentic re-creations of hits such as "Little Red Corvette," "1999," "Kiss," "Cream," "Diamonds & Pearls," "I Wanna Be Your Lover," and "Purple Rain."

More music ...

Baltimore-based trans-apocalyptic galaxy rockers, Darsombra, return to SLO on Friday, Sept. 13, at A Satellite of Love (8 p.m.; all ages; $10 at the door). This cinematic conceptual rock duo features guitarist-bassist-vocalist Brian Daniloski and filmmaker-synth-player-percussionist-vocalist Ann Everton. According to their bio, they walk the line "between glam-prog-psych-stoner metal and site-specific installation performance art. Live, their carefully crafted songs and videos create a hallucinogenic synesthesia for the audience, as Everton and Daniloski build a temporary reality from sound, sight, and movement."

"People still haven't come down from their last gig at Mee Heng Low in 2022," said organizer Abe Gibson.

Frequent Weaver and The Succulent Marrow open the show.

If you're out in Baywood on Friday, Sept. 13, get your boogie blues on when The Cliffnotes play Niffy's Merrimaker (8 to 10 p.m.).

"No hockey masks [will be] involved as our circus of blues and fun returns," bandleader Cliff Step said. "[Bandmembers] Val and Al [vocalist Valerie Johnson and guitarist Al B Blue] will be fresh back from some shows in Philly where they were debuting a mini doc about our very own legendary Al B Blue. By the time we hit the stage at the Merrimaker, Al will be more legendary than ever!"

Singer-songwriters Jody Mulgrew and Gary Garrett will play Morro Bay's St. Peter's by the Sea on Saturday, Sept. 14 (3 p.m.; all ages; $20 at the door or online at brownpapertickets.com).

"I will be making a rare appearance with my old friend Jody Mulgrew," Garrett announced. "Jody is a highly respected, award-winning local singer-songwriter and teacher, with an angelic voice and touching, beautiful songs. He and I have given many memorable house concerts and public shows over the years. We will each share a set of our own music (I will play several new songs), and then we'll play a set of our favorite duets—'Flying Dream,' 'The Cove,' ''Til My Peace Be Made,' a little Simon & Garfunkel—it will be a special show. I hope to see you there!"

Numbskull and Good Medicine's only thing this week is a DJ event called Brat Night on Saturday, Sept. 14, in SLO Town's Libertine (9 p.m.; 18-and-older; $13.60 at goodmedicinepresents.com). Expect to hear music inspired by Charli XCX's album Brat Summer. Expect a mix of Y2K nostalgia and bratty confidence.

When I checked on Sept. 10, there were still tickets left for the Whale Rock Music & Arts Festival up at Paso Robles' Castoro Cellars on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 14 and 15, but organizers warn it will probably sell out, so by the time you read this, it may be too late but visit whalerockmusicfestival.com for the complete lineup and to see if any tickets remain. Saturday's headliner is funk act Vulfpeck and Sunday's is indie folk act The Head to the Heart.

NYC's Ben Rosenblum Trio plays the next Famous Jazz Artist concert at Cambria's Harmony Café this Sunday, Sept. 15 (5 to 7 p.m.; $25 ticket at [email protected] and with a $10 food and beverage minimum). Rosenblum—a pianist, accordionist, and composer—and his bandmembers will be joined by series producers Charlie and Sandi Shoemake on vibes and vocals.

The Bunker has a show lined up for next Thursday, Sept. 19, when Amsterdam-based performer Bhajan Bhoy (aka Ajay Saggar) makes a stop on his West Coast tour to promote his latest album, Peace Frequencies / Healing Frequencies (6 p.m.; all ages; $12.56 at my805tix.com). Expect cosmic psychedelia as Bhajan Bhoy mixes raga guitar, spaced-out drone, blissed-out electronics, and more. Frequent Weaver and The Succulent Marrow open. Δ

Contact Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey at [email protected].