THURSDAY 8/6
JAZZ
SYLVIA CUENCA’S BRIDGING GENERATIONS In 2026, jazz is often considered an old person’s genre. Let’s face it, it’s not like the jazz clubs are the hot spots all the kids are clamoring to get into. However, Sylvia Cuenca is trying to change that. A powerhouse drummer from the San Francisco and New York scenes, Cuenca is bringing together multiple generations of musicians to play original numbers as well as standards throughout America’s past. Featuring saxophonist Rico Jones, pianist David Kikoski, Wallace Roney Jr. on trumpet, and bassist Essiet Okon Essiet, they are showing every generation why jazz will never go out of style. MAT WEIR
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $19-$37. 427-2227.
FRIDAY 8/7
ROCK
MAN MAN Singer Honus Honus (born with the comparatively conventional name Ryan Kattner) fronts Man Man, a deeply experimental rock project that features multiple musicians playing a wide array of instruments. The band debuted with 2004’s The Man in a Blue Turban with a Face. Songs like “10lb Moustache” defy easy categorization but feature elements of cabaret and music hall. Subsequent releases were no more mainstream, showcasing Honus’ distinctive and idiosyncratic approach to music. The group’s latest release is a skewed take on country-folk, “So it Goes,” a collaboration with Fingers & the Outlaws (who are, fitting enough, actually Man Man). BILL KOPP
INFO: 9pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $34. 713-5492.
HISTORY
A HISTORY OF JUG BAND MUSIC BY THE TROLLEY DROPS Jug band music is often just seen as goofy, but it also has a rich history. It was born in the 1910s in the Southern United States. It blends African, European, and American styles of music. It can be played casually on a corner or a porch or professionally at large events like the Kentucky Derby. The genre even saw a revival in the 1950s. Today jug band music has expanded to include those who play the original jug band songs or people who use homemade instruments to make music. Members of the jug band Trolley Drop, Greg Meyer and Peter Thomas, will be diving deep into this fascinating and colorful history at the MAH. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 6pm, The MAH, 705 Front St, Santa Cruz. Free. 429-1964.
SATURDAY 8/8
SINGER-SONGWRITER
SHAWN COLVIN South Dakota-born Shawn Colvin broke out in a big way right from the beginning of her recording career. Colvin’s remarkable debut album, 1989’s Steady On appeared on the Billboard 200 chart, spawning a hit single and earning her a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Since then, Colvin has continued to cultivate an ardent fan base, one that includes critics and a diverse audience of music lovers. Two more Grammy Awards, an ASCAP Pop Music Award and an Americana Trailblazer Award have all followed. These days Colvin concentrates more on live performance than recording. Her last release of new material was 2018’s The Starlighter. BK
INFO: 8pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $40. 423-8209.
AFROBEAT
PHAMILY TIME! Summertime in Santa Cruz means several things: lots of sun, catching waves and tons of tourists. However, there might be a new tradition in town: Phamily Time. Hosted and headlined by Afrobeat artist Phreeborn, Phamily Time is a daylong festival dedicated to afrobeats, afrofood and afrofashion. The “phamily” referenced in the name refers to the collective of artists performing like DJ Monk Earl, Tiedye and Rubiroux along with the makers selling their goods like Aaron Samuel Mulenga and Eldenwa Designs. And since it’s held at Woodhouse Brewery, it’s actually all ages so attendees can bring their whole families as well. MW
INFO: 4pm, Woodhouse Blending & Brewing, 119 Madrone St., Santa Cruz. $10. 313-9461.
RAP
MICKEY AVALON Mickey Avalon has no shortage of street cred or endless raw raps about male prostitution or smoking crack. Avalon’s early home life reeked of addiction, and he left his father for the streets of Hollywood, California. Slinging weed and trying to find purpose, Avalon even dabbled in orthodox Judaism (his grandmother is a holocaust survivor). A marriage and a family got pushed aside for their own personal raging heroin addiction. But Avalon’s story and music is all about overcoming the odds and pushing past great struggles. Ever since Avalon showed up on MySpace Records with the single, “Jane Fonda,” he have been on the frontline of music’s edge. Punk, Hip Hop, Rap, Glam and Mickey Avalon. DNA
INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton, $34. 704-7113.
TUESDAY 8/11
LITERARY
CLIFFORD HENDERSON Award-winning novelist Clifford Mae Henderson returns with Lost in Sound: A Mystery, a thrilling whodunit set in the fictional coastal town of Tres Ojos. A mystery unravels in this unlikely sleepy beach town where tech millionaires brush past homeless encampments. When a neurodivergent landlocked pirate, Captain Eddie, is accused of murder, an unlikely and delightfully eccentric crew bands together to help the captain. The case spirals into a high-profile circus when the victim turns out to be the estranged sister of a country music legend. Henderson brings warmth, wit, and a deep social conscience to the page. SHELLY NOVO
INFO: 7pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 423-0900.
ROCK
THE BEAT FARMERS Classic guitar riffs, bright percussion, and twangy vocals, The Beat Farmers’ discography holds a seminal place in the 1980s Roots Rock and Americana scene. Beginning in 1983 in San Diego, the band played bar gigs, refining their craft before catching the attention of a Los Angeles audience. Carrying a sense of play, often leaning into goofy lyricism and a boozey stage-presence, their musicianship shines through uninhibited sets. The original lineup was spearheaded by legendary Country Dick Montana, who passed in 1995. The band carries on his spirit with Joey Harris leading vocals, Jarry Raney on guitar, Rolle Love on bass, and Joel Kmak on drums. SN
INFO: 8pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $25-$30. 479-1854.
WEDNESDAY 8/12
COUNTRY
JOHN-ROBERT Sometimes, musical prodigies pop up in unlikely places. John-Roberts made his first TV appearance at 13-years-old on The Ellen Show. The last two years have been locked in at warped speed and John-Robert is traveling the stages of the world. Playing traditional folk and Appalachian country and peppering it with the vernacular of the 21st Century, the songs range from stripped down ballads into sonic explorations. This isn’t the Cosmic Cowboy of The Burrito Brothers, but more the cool Lyle Lovett of younger years. John-Roberts makes it all his own with vocals that crackle and sparkle. With Maryland singer/songwriter MyKey. DNA
