Photos and words by Logan Martin
On Wednesday, August 26, I made the sunset drive up the Central Coast to see WITCH with Omar Velasco, live at SLO Brew. The dual brewery and live venue has consistently hosted great acts over the years as a staple in the community, so I was stoked to check it out for the first time!
With some help from friendly bar staff, I made my way to the back of the SLO Brew property, where I encountered a warehouse-style event space complete with a bar, chairs lined against each wall, dim lights, and few people. Just ten minutes before the opener, I sat in a corner fiddling with my camera gear, where I saw someone spinning around dancing to the reggae tunes on the speaker, who I would later learn is the de facto house photographer of the venue.
Omar Velasco, a soulful singer-songwriter based out of Buellton, California, opened the night with a heartfelt full-band set. A true 805 local who’s been living peacefully on a friend’s ranch in the “Home of Split Pea Soup”, Velasco appeared to have drawn a few fans up the coast. Folks were calling out the band members by name and singing along throughout the performance. He bantered with the audience, asking them at one point if they had any ideas for what to name the band, with one person calling out “Omar and the Omars”.
Velasco and his band performed several songs from his new album, “Over the Hill,” which is available to stream and purchase under Inner Cults Records! There was a clear passion from all the musicians on stage, with great attention and care for their craft. I enjoyed the brief solo performance Velasco did at the end of the set, potentially because one of the members of WITCH was late to arrive at the venue (it happens).
WITCH stands for We Intend To Cause Havoc, both a warning to rival bands and an indicator of their original sound. WITCH was formed in the heat of musical revolution in early 1970s Zambia, where bands drew from global sensations like Black Sabbath, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and The Rolling Stones, blending European and African sounds. Naming himself “Jagari” as a way of separating himself from the “Jagger” nickname he acquired in early years of touring, frontman and founding member Emmanuel Chandra stands as the final member of the original group still playing today.
Facing great difficulties in the’70s and ‘80s due to sociopolitical turmoil, a changing scene and other factors at home in Zambia, frontman Jagari Chandra left the band in 1976 due to creative differences, and WITCH broke up in 1984. The band’s sound saw an upsurge in popularity in the 2010s, alongside a reissue of old WITCH recordings under Now-Again Records, leading to the band’s revival in 2012 with a lineup of primarily new members. Many tours and three albums have come since then, including Their 2025 LP Sogolo, and they still rip to this day.
On stage, Jagari Chandra told the audience that the band’s acronym should no longer be We Intend To Cause Havoc, since all of their former rivals are gone and they have nobody to compete with. Instead, We Intend To Cause Hope, as they continue to record and spread positivity on stage. The crowd certainly felt the sunshine radiating from the stage, giving space to dance freely, young and old. There were plenty of kids there as well, despite being a weeknight show, and Chandra made sure to give the little rockstars fist bumps between songs.
The band performed like veterans of the stage. Chandra’s lively energy contrasted the cool demeanor of his bandmates. He didn’t seem to have lost any of his love for performance, bantering with the other musicians and even taking the drummer’s sticks for a minute of playing. His erratic movements confused and faked out photographers, as he jumped, lunged and marched back and forth across the stage.
Good lighting truly does make a show, especially for photography. This was one of the best lit stages I’ve had the chance to shoot, so I want to give huge props to the sound and light techs at SLO Brew for keeping the music crisp and the musicians perfectly lit throughout the night. “House” photographer Arrin Dilbeck let me know that every so often, he would give signals to the lighting guys to get some interesting colors and angles on the artists, which he said was a huge perk of building rapport with the back of house at local venues. Alongside friendly photographers like Arrin, the space as a whole was a great environment for photography, with a wide stage, and pockets on the sides for photo angles. Plus the crowd left a couple feet at the front of the stage for the first few of WITCH’s songs to make it easier for us to move back and forth.
Huge thank you to (((folkYEAH!))) and SLO Brew Rock for supporting international music! WITCH are legends, and I was so stoked to see an 805 local and Zamrock legend on the same bill. I had an overwhelmingly positive experience for my first time up at SLO Brew, and hope to make it back again soon. Also, shoutout to the AS Media Center for renting out quality camera gear to use for these trips, giving me the chance to capture these artists! WITCH gave a captivating, high-energy set to a packed out audience, and I’m sure everyone had as much of a blast as I did.
