J.C. Smith Band

Friday, January 1
First Show: 6:30 PM | Doors @ 5:15 PM
Second Show: 9:00 PM | Doors @ 8:30 PM
Admission: $30 - $60

JC Smith has shared bills with B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Hubert Sumlin, and his band has been named West Coast Blues Band of the Year, with Smith honored as Male Blues Performer of the Year. The Monterey Jazz Festival booked the JC Smith Band for its 2025 lineup, and Metro critic Jim Harrington once wrote that Smith's richly distinctive voice is reminiscent of B.B. King.

The San Jose bandleader spent years behind the drums, founding the Tough City Band in 1984 and anchoring the Back to Back Blues Band for about a decade, before stepping out front with a guitar around 2000. His 2001 debut, The Midnight Creeper, was produced by San Francisco Blues Festival founder Tom Mazzolini. Since then Smith has toured Russia, Chile and Costa Rica, cut a live album in Argentina, and has long hosted blues radio on KKUP as Johnnie Cozmik. Ring in 2027 with him on New Year's Day, and grab your seats before they go.