Why does the Corralitos Cultural Center (CCC) feel like a creative vortex? Could be it is what happens when musicians, artists, builders and scientists keep running into one another – Corralitos is literally a wide spot in the road. Could be it’s the back-to-the-land ethos where collaboration is the common coin. Regardless, the Corralitos Cultural Center has become one of those rare local institutions that has grown beyond being a venue into an expanding community experiment that thrives on imagination.
They invite us to gather with them Saturday, June 6 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm in their jewel of an outdoor theater, The Backyard, behind the CCC at 127 Hames Road, in Watsonville. Called Raise the Roof!, it’s a benefit to replace the roof; with a wide-ranging silent auction, free Corralitos Market and Sausage Company sausage with admission, and musical performances by Formerly Alien, Fox & Kail and Ripatti Rose. The silent auction offerings will range from guitars to four hours of log-splitting labor donated by CCC board vice president Tom Tatum.
Tatum says, “It was a Baptist church built around 1959. It needs repair. Lots of things need to be done, but the primary thing that needs to be done is the roof needs to be fixed.” The fundraiser is very Corralitos: save the gathering place, save the music, save the roof.
Over the last ten years, the center has evolved from a beloved, modest open-mic venue into something much broader: part music hall, part community commons, part creative incubator. The stunning Backyard now hosts a weekly Farm & Garden Market, live music, drum circles, clothing swaps, art classes, youth camps, songwriter gatherings, and guitar classes for every kind of player, from beginning to accomplished. Tatum describes the transformation as a kind of cultural second act. “We survived Covid, but we were in the doldrums. Now, we’ve shifted into a different gear.”
Part of that shift came from younger artists and organizers bringing in new energy. Among them are musicians Andy Barr and Amy, with Formerly Alien. Tatum credits Barr with modernizing the CCC’s online presence while helping expand its vision beyond the “friendly old guy with guitar” era that once defined the center’s open mic scene.
Tatum says Andy and Amy will perform as Formerly Alien, who blend shimmering space-folk, Americana warmth, and dreamy cosmic storytelling. They’ll be joined by Scott Kail and JoJo Fox, Fox & Kail, who perform with powerful energy, exquisite lyrics, and delicate harmonies. The show will also include local favorite Ripatti Rose, that delivers a warm, road-worn blend of Americana, folk-rock, and roots music.
Barr, speaking by phone while preparing for a performance in Pennsylvania with the band America, describes the CCC as a hidden cultural anomaly. “There’s some unexpected genius in the musicianship in Corralitos and in Santa Cruz in general,” Barr says. “We just fell in love with the CCC, particularly how welcoming it was and what a generous and loving atmosphere it is.” Barr says he and Amy first encountered the center through the Sunday farmers market and the Friday night open mic.
“The audience support is incredible,” he says. “It has a special, open quality to it.” That openness has become central to the center’s identity. Artists are invited not just to perform there, but to experiment there. Barr says that after meeting local musician Scott Kail, Formerly Alien was invited to collaborate, rehearse and eventually produce its own shows at the venue.
The spirit of collaboration extends beyond music. Barr says Amy’s increasingly popular Clothing Swap operates on a simple philosophy: “Bring what you have, take what you need.” That may excite one’s Marxist inclinations, and Amy’s Clothing Swap proves it works. Andy says, “I brought three shirts that I don’t wear anymore, and I took a shirt that I wear three times a week. We got involved because we love the place and we want more people to have a chance to experience it.”
The June 6 fundraiser aims to preserve exactly that kind of improbable community chemistry. Tatum’s silent auction contribution may unintentionally capture the CCC better than any mission statement ever could. Amid the guitars and specialty items, he’s offering four hours of personal log-splitting labor. “I’ll show up and split your logs.”
The Raise the Roof! benefit concert takes place Saturday, June 6, from 5–8 p.m. at the Corralitos Cultural Center. 127 Hames Road. Suggested donation is $20–$50 and includes Corralitos Market sausage barbecue and a beverage.
