Dave Mason | Photo: S.K. Peeples

Thursday night, Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Famer Dave Mason drives his “Traffic Jam” tour into the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons. Mason was founding member of the influential British alternative rock band Traffic in 1967. He toured and recorded with Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, and recorded with Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, George Harrison, Cass Elliott, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac and more. As a solo artist, he scored gold and platinum with albums like “Alone Together” and “Dave Mason,” and hit singles like “Only You Know and I Know” and “We Just Disagree.”

In Santa Clarita, Mason and his three-piece band will deliver Traffic classics and choice solo hits spanning his colorful career. I caught a preview Tuesday night at the Grammy Museum, and he’s in great voice. Tickets for the Performing Arts Center show are $45 to $55, and some good seats were still available at press time. Visit canyonspac.com or call the PAC box office at 661-362-5304.

Saturday afternoon, the Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society throws down its annual battle of the bands at the Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas. Seven local blues bands will play, and one of them will win the honor of representing the SCV at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis next year. Doors open at 11 a.m. and the music starts at 11:30. Previous winner and SCVTV “House Blend” alum T.J. Sullivan is the emcee. Tickets at the door are $15 for adults, $12 for Blues Society members, and $8 for fans younger than 12. Save a few bucks on advance tickets at scvblues.ticketleap.com. Get the complete lineup and more details at the SCV Blues Society’s Facebook event page.

Speaking of “House Blend,” tune in Saturday at 10 p.m. for an encore telecast of our memorable show featuring All Strings Attached. That’s the Shemanski family bluegrass band from Leona Valley on “House Blend” hosted by yours truly on SCVTV and streaming everywhere at scvtv.com.

Santa Clarita journalist Stephen K. Peeples is a features writer and photographer for AM 1220 KHTS Radio News and the station’s award-winning website (HometownStation.com), and for SCVTV’s SCVNews.com. Peeples also hosts and co-produces SCVTV’s acclaimed “House Blend” music and interview program, and posts more entertainment news and reviews on his own site at http://www.stephenkpeeples.com.