Los Poncho Tones
Red Dog SaloonEast San Antonio Drive, Los Angeles 90807
Los Poncho Tones bring their three-piece Hi-Desert sound to Red Dog Saloon in Pioneertown. The bill does not specify a theme, guest, release, or special format for the night, so expect the group as they are known: Denny Weston Jr. on drums, Jon Ossman on bass, and Josh Sonntag on guitar. Their approach leaves room for improvisation, with a repertoire that can move between originals and reworked covers.
The trio comes from the Joshua Tree Hi-Desert area and calls its sound “Greasy Tumbleweed”: “swampy New Orleans rhythms and dusty desert tones” shaped by blues, rock, soul, psychedelia, and other textures. They have backed fellow Hi-Desert performers including Matt Ellis, Rosa Pullman, Jesika Von Rabbit, and Jessie Payo. Individually, the members have toured or recorded with Paula Cole, Chris Botti, the Kooks, Santana, Draco Rosa, and Gustavo Santaolalla. Joshua Tree Voice heard them back 12 original artists “impeccably, as if they’d been playing their songs for years,” while the Coachella Valley Independent called their live sets “a sonic journey” and their blues-rock “scorching-hot” and “sweaty.”
Red Dog Saloon occupies one of Pioneertown’s original working buildings, created in 1946 as part of a Western movie-set town that grew into a real community. Today its oversized wooden bar and timber interior make a fitting home for live bands and vinyl DJs, with some shows moving onto the outdoor patio. Expect a relaxed evening built around music, drinks, and Tex-Mex food, including tacos and queso; the saloon serves craft beer and cocktails. Events range from regular honky-tonk Sundays to band nights and DJ sessions, so check the listing for your show’s time and setting. The venue’s current website lists it at 53539 Mane Street in Pioneertown and gives daily opening hours, supporting that it remains in operation.