THURSDAY 7/17
FOLK
AARON BLYTH
Singer/songwriter Aaron Blyth grew up playing in the surf of Hawaii and tramping about the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, two very different regions of America. Still, both are known for their beauty and their stubbornly independent identities. He split the difference and settled in California, where he’s spent the last decade strumming and singing into microphones, building a following and honing his sound—an eclectic upbeat mix of folk, blues, rock, and even funk, stripped down and set behind his heartfelt and hopeful lyrics. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN
INFO: 5:30pm, Discretion Brewing, 2703 41st Ave., Suite A, Soquel. Free. 316-0662.
ROCK
JANE WIEDLIN
Can you hear them? They’re talkin’ about Jane Wiedlin. The legendary guitar player for the 1980s multi-hit group the Go-Go’s is coming to this town (which is our town), Santa Cruz. Presented by Event Santa Cruz along with the Museum of Art and History and author Jennifer Otter Bickerdike, Wiedlin is the first guest in a new series called “Legends Live & Local.” The night kicks off with cocktails and visuals, followed by a candid discussion with Wiedlin about growing up in the Los Angeles punk scene. Then, Wiedlin will perform a special three-song set. Get the beat and finish the night off with a New Wave Rave dance party. MAT WEIR
INFO 6:30pm, Santa Cruz Museum Art & History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. $33-$54. 429-1964.
FRIDAY 7/18
INDIE ROCK
SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE
Philly-born Spirit of the Beehive combine a standard rock band setup with a well-constructed pool of samples to create a lush, almost symphonic, psychedelic sound. They are wildly experimental with touches of ambient veering into noise, complementing their core shoegaze-indie-rock sound. The finishing touch is their richly textured voices, earthy and ghostly all at once. Bass player Rivka Ravede has a voice that’s easy to imagine being conjured by laying a microphone on a Ouija board and asking the right questions. They’re joined by Her New Knife and Sour Widows. KLJ
INFO: 8pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $32. 479-1854
THEATRE
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
In a magical forest filled with meddling fairies, love triangles and enthusiastic thespians, and peppered with quippy dialogue and whimsy, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream remains a classic for a reason. The play brings a lot of laughter in the interplay between reality and fantasy, the absurdity of human behavior, and Nick Bottom’s famous transformation into an ass. Although it seems all chaos ensues, the morning brings new clarity, a trio of marriages, and a delightfully amateur play performance—all brought to life by Santa Cruz Shakespeare with direction by Paul Mullins. The show runs through Aug. 31. SHELLY NOVO
INFO: 8pm, Audrey Stanley Grove, 501 Upper Park Grove, Santa Cruz. $23-$86. 460-6399.
JAM
CHUM
To the unconverted and unconvinced, the enduring popularity of Phish remains an impenetrable mystery: Didn’t, one might well ask, the Grateful Dead say everything that needed to be said within that particular musical idiom? But for the faithful, the appeal of Phish—who effectively co-opted much of the Dead’s fan base—is beyond question. And while Phish remains active, the foursome from Burlington, Vermont, can’t be everywhere all the time. That helps explain the existence of an estimated 20-40 active Phish tribute bands across the country. And at the head of that pack is San Francisco-based CHUM, pleasing, er, “phans” since 2010. BILL KOPP
INFO: 7pm, Woodhouse Brewing, 119 Madrone St., Santa Cruz. Free. 313-9461.
SATURDAY 7/19
ROCK
BOBBY JOE EBOLA AND THE CHILDREN MACNUGGITS
Ever think, “Life is excellent? The tap water tastes like excrement. The skies rain poison, but I gotta pay the rent?” Bobby Joe Ebola has and even wrote an incredibly catchy song about this dystopian late-stage capitalist society called, well, “Life Is Excellent.” Formed in 1995 by singer Corbett Redford and Dan Abbott after Redford tried to impress a girl in high school by telling her he had a band (he didn’t), Bobby Joe Ebola is an Americana style rock act with a knack for satirical humor. Their song titles say it all: “This is How We Get Ants,” “Naked Beach Party (On The White House Lawn)” and “Spending Christmas on Crack.” MW
INFO: 8pm, Blue Lagoon, 923 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 423-7117.
HIGHLIFE
GYEDU-BLAY AMBOLLEY
Ghana-born musician, singer, band leader and composer Gyedu Blay Ambolley is the originator of Simigwa-Do, a hybrid of funk, soul, jazz, proto-rap and West African highlife. Ambolley was among the first artists—perhaps the very first—to bring rap to the mainstream worldwide. His pioneering single “Simigwa-Do” predates the Sugarhill Gang by more than half a decade. A prolific recording artist, Ambolley has released nearly three dozen albums, among which his 1975 debut Simighwa is held in the highest esteem. For his first-ever tour of the U.S., Gyedu Blay Ambolley and his band will perform that landmark work in its entirety. BK
INFO: 7:30pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $70. 427-2227.
TUESDAY 7/22
LITERARY
BRIDGET A. LYONS
The natural world has so much to teach. Lyons asks thoughtful questions about plants and animals while providing a provocative literary examination of them. In doing so, she reveals how all our lives are entangled. The choices humans make impact their lives. Because of this, it is imperative to make choices to preserve the planet. The essays in her new book, Entwined, give room to relate to and build empathy for even the most foreign creatures. Lyons will further discuss how to build empathy for nature. Together, we can find new ways to think about even the most ordinary of animals. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 7pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 423-0900.
WEDNESDAY 7/23
BLUES
PAUL THORN
In true Americana fashion, Paul Thorn takes listeners beat by beat through true stories of love, heartbreak, hardship and humor. Lines about sweeping the floor, eating ice cream with a buddy, or buying a first-date dinner on a 2-for-$20 coupon reveal the beauty in simplicity. The son of a Pentecostal pastor, Thorn includes glimmers of gospel roots in his newest album, Life Is Just a Vapor, which includes guest appearances by New Testament and the Shoal Sisters. Enjoy Thorn’s ruddy voice, rock rhythms and country guitar all mixed with a bit of lyrical encouragement. SN
INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton, $57, 704-7113.
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