By Bruce Smith-Peters

The traditional summer lull in the music calendar reaches a low of just five concerts this month, but each one matches the summer heat.

Things start off on July 11 as The Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Big Room again offers its stage to a local band. This time it’s Swamp Zen, the veteran six-piece that blends soul and rock and funk and more into hugely danceable jams. Opening the show is The Funnels, a Chico-based band that’s been kicking around for more than 30 years dishing out a mix of originals and ‘80s-‘90s covers.

On July 19, Lost on Main host Chilean reggae star Quique Neira. Neira rose to prominence fronting Gondwana, a foundational band in the Chilean reggae scene. But he’s been a solo artist for more than two decades, headlining shows around the world and collaborating with some of reggae’s finest. The positive vibes get going that night as Bay Area singer-composer-producer Elenah opens with show, featuring songs from her upcoming album “Momento.”

Returning to Lost on Main on July 24 is the wildness that is MarchFourth. Local audiences are familiar with the Portland-based troupe that offers music, dance, acrobatics, stilt walking and other visual performance. Laying the groundwork for all the movement to come, Chico’s Freebird aerialists will captivate and amaze with the artistry of pole dancing.

The next night Ozomatli returns to the Big Room for a sold-out show. Over a 30-year career, many have said the six-piece offers a soundtrack (and political conscience) of its Los Angeles home. Blending varieties of latin music with funk, hip hop, reggae and world music that captures the positive energy of L.A. Debajito opens the show.

Finally, Paul Thorn makes his annual return to the region with a stop at the Paradise Performing Arts Center on July 29, the final date on a two-week swing around the West. Thorn’s entertaining brand of bluesy country Americana represents his Tupelo, Mississippi roots. He and his band — guitarist Chris Simmons, keyboardist, Micheal “Dr. Love” Graham, bassist Ralp Friedrichsen and drummer Jeffrey Perkins — are touring in support of their latest album “Life is Just a Vapor,” released in February.