The slice of Highway 1 that crumbled to the sea (and multiple subsequent mudslides) have made travel in and out of Big Sur a mess for more than a month now, and meant that a number of music events have been moved out of the county or canceled altogether. As Highway 1 travel shifts from pipedream to pipeline, though, it comes just in time for arguably the most blockbuster summer season the South Coast has ever seen. But the action isn’t limited to Big Sur, as the following preview indicates:


Santa Cruz-based Camper Van Beethoven is set to play its classic album, Key Lime Pie, in its entirety, plus other material June 5 at Henry Miller Library. The seminal LP – featuring the dark and pensive “All Her Favorite Fruit” and the infectious cover of Status Quo’s “Pictures of Matchstick Men” – has become an indie cult classic fueled by massive amounts of psych-guitar and sweltering violin.


Meanwhile, this year’s Monterey Bay Blues Festival (June 24-26 at the Fairgrounds) already has succulent ingredients simmering. Headlining standouts include the always dynamic songstress Millie Jackson, the inspirational and timeless Mavis Staples, and the crude, homestyle blues of Magic Slim and the Teardrops. 


The Woodsist Festival, on July 30 at Fernwood and July 31 at Henry Miller, will bring more than 10 bands well-versed in the art of lo-fi, punk and noise rock – including Fresh & Onlys, Woods, Real Estate, Thee Oh Sees, Sic Alps and Sun Araw – to celebrate its upstate New York-based record label with two days of music, beards and skinny jeans under the forgiving redwoods that see all. 


The West End Celebration (Aug. 26-27 in Sand City) brought East L.A. Latin rockers Los Lobos to town last year, so organizers knew they had to follow up the internationally renowned act with some heavy hitters. They may have smacked a homerun by snagging deadhead favorite Jackie Greene, and Chris Robinson-produced American roots rockers Truth & Salvage Co. Local heavies honeymoon (voted the Weekly’s Best Local Band of 2010) and the eternally entertaining Tornado Rider were also brought on board. Raising Cain, John “Broadway” Tucker, Red Beans & Rice and the Blues in the School Honor Band will be on hand as well.


Trace Adkins’ America-loving country music helped win him a spot at the Donald’s boardroom table on The Celebrity Apprentice in 2008. But his voice won him the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at the 2010 Superbowl in Dallas and the hearts of thousands of fans and a featured slot at the Monterey Fairgrounds Aug. 19.


One of the greatest modern minimalist composers, Philip Glass eases local audience’s into the summer’s end Sept. 1 at Hidden Valley and Henry Miller Library. As part of the Days and Nights Festival, Glass and his ensemble will jangle the surrounding foliage with the gothic sounds of “Dracula,” written by Glass as the score to accompany Tod Browning’s 1931 cinematic take on the bloodsucker. 


Other notable shows to heighten the summer season: Persephone’s Bees, Blank Tapes and Big Eagle (May 7 at Fernwood), Acoustic/Electric Series: Forrest Day’s first free Monterey show (May 14 at Carbone’s), Alela Diane and Dylan LeBlanc (July 1 at Henry Miller Library), Blonde Redhead (July 3 at Henry Miller Library).


If only this summer were endless.