Keyboardist “Mighty Joe” Longa has been a mainstay of the local music scene for nearly four decades, most recently performing with Joey Harris and the Mentals. Recent health issues have racked up significant medical bills for Longa, so local performing artists in the community are coming together en masse to put on a benefit show at Tio Leo’s on Oct. 28. On hand will be a stellar cast, including Mojo Nixon, The Farmers, Private Domain, Chet Cannon and Modern Rhythm. This is a golden opportunity to hear some great music and help one of San Diego’s most beloved musicians at the same time. • ‘Mighty Joe’ benefit: begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28 at Tio Leo’s, 5302 Napa St. 21 and up. Cover TBD. www.tioleos.com Guns and Roses may currently be on tour, but if you want to hear and see what the band was like in their 1980s heyday, you can’t get any closer than tribute band Dust ’n’ Bones, appearing at the 710 Beach Club on Oct. 29. The band plays all the expected hits from “Paradise City” to “Welcome to the Jungle,” but what makes it one of the hottest groups on the circuit is its dedication to the look of the group. From clothes to gear to wigs, Dust ’n’ Bones has meticulously recreated the G ’n’ R experience. At this late stage in the Axel Rose saga with his sidemen, Dust ’n’ Bones may actually be better than the real thing. • Dust ’n’ Bones performs at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, 9 p.m., at the 710 Beach Club, 710 Garnet Ave. 21 and up. Cover TBD. www.710bc.com Anyone looking for music that avoids a template, yet hits all the right notes when it comes to beats, melody and musicianship will want to check out Agave, which performs at the Tiki House on Oct. 30. The band celebrates its first decade this year with work started on a sophomore album, fusing just about anything musical they can find into a mix that’s greater than the sum of its parts — from rock to reggae, calypso to funk and everything in between. It all adds up to a sound that’s as infectious as it is danceable. • Agave performs at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, 9 p.m. at The Tiki House, 1152 Garnet Avenue. Cover TBD. 21 and up. www.agaveband.com San Diego has many living legends in the area, but none works harder than bluesman Tomcat Courtney. Born in 1929, Courtney has been playing San Diego venues since the 1970s in a career that goes back decades before that. In the process he has given countless San Diegan’s valuable lessons in the blues. Though now in his eighties, Courtney still performs three days a week at Café Bar Europa. Whether you’re new to Courtney’s sounds or even if he’s a longtime favorite, these intimate shows are a must for anyone who enjoys good blues music. • Tomcat Courtney performs at 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at Café-Bar Europa, 873 Turqouise St. 21 and up. No cover. www.theturquoise.com/wordpress While concert halls, theaters and clubs are the most obvious places to catch live music, for quieter sounds, one of the best locations in the area is the Pacific Beach/Taylor Library, which offers up a free monthly concert. On Wednesday, Nov. 9, classically trained flute and guitar duo AlmaNova makes a special appearance there. Comprised of Jessica Pierce (flute) and guitarist Almer Imamovic, the duo mixes classical with world music from Spain, the Balkans and Latin America for what amounts to a musical trip around the world, all without leaving your chair in Pacific Beach. • AlmaNova performs at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at Pacific Beach/Taylor Branch Library, 4275 Cass St. Open to all ages. Free. www.almanova.us
