THURSDAY 8/27
LITERARY
HOW TO LIVE A MEANINGFUL LIFE Dave Evans, co-founder of the Life Design Lab at Stanford University, will be discussing his new book How to Live a Meaningful Life: Using Design Thinking to Unlock Purpose, Joy, and Flow Every Day. Finding purpose, clarity, and connection does not necessarily require sudden, big changes. Sometimes all that is needed is to rethink and realign our relationship with everyday life. Focus on what matters. Bring wonder and joy to the daily routine. Build up a caring and supportive community. Everyone deserves a meaningful life, and Evans’ book gives insight into how to build it. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 7pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. Free. 423-0900.
JAZZ FUSION
SIMON PHILLIPS & PROTOCOL 6 Simon Phillips is widely known in the rock world for his peerless drumming on albums by Toto, The Who, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Michael Schenker, and Joe Satriani. Rock fans might not know that Phillips’ interests and skills have long been directed toward jazz as well. Phillips launched his long-running Protocol project with a self-titled album in 1988 and has followed up that tour-de-force with four more albums. The collective’s current lineup (dubbed Protocol 6) features keyboardist Otmaro Ruiz, Alex Sill on guitar, bassist Ernest Tibbs and saxophonist Phillip Whack. BILL KOPP
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $42-$53. 427-2227.
FRIDAY 8/28
ROCK
TOM KENNY & THE HI SEAS It’s not every day someone can claim they’ve seen SpongeBob SquarePants, Adventure Times’ Ice King and Rick and Morty’s Squanchy front a rock ‘n roll band. However, this Friday that’s exactly what is going down at the Crepe Place with Tom Kenny & the Hi Seas. When he’s not singing the blues, Kenny is the award-winning voice behind all of those characters. Added to the mix are The Damselles, a girl group trio that adds the sultry behind Kenny’s sounds for a throwback to real, true-blue rock ‘n roll. Opening for them is the Bay’s own Michael Michael Motorcycle, an eclectic mix of Americana, indie rock and high-octane weirdness. MAT WEIR
INFO: 7pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $15-$20. 429.6994.
AFRO LATIN SOUL
MESTIZO BEAT There’s something about the Santa Ana winds, the crystal blue skies, and the proximity to the border that infuse LA bands with a certain viscosity. Mestizo Beat is an ensemble whose well-oiled collective brings the sounds of the early 1970s to life. The brothers Magaña, Lito and Gus fill out the guitar and drums. The groove is hard, raw, fierce, and steady. Jose Castro on bass looks like he time-traveled here from ’72. Those three alone could bring any room to its feet. Add in Pedro Flores on percussion and the horn men, Mestizo Beat is world-class and ready to engage. DNA
INFO: 9pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Drive, Santa Cruz. $25. 479-1854.
SATURDAY 8/29
REGGAE
THE HOLDUP By now, anyone from the Bay Area should be at least semi-familiar with The Holdup. After all, for 20 years this San Jose band has been delivering their blend of reggae, hip hop and rock like munchies to hungry ears. Despite breaking up in 2020, the band is currently working on Buying Time, a four-part release of re-recorded, re-produced and updated versions of old songs. Luckily for fans, they are also taking it on the road and this weekend they’re hitting the Santa Cruz mountains for a night of Irie fun. MW
INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. $32. 704.7113.
ELVIS TRIBUTE
THE KING’S MEN TRIBUTE BAND Ubiquitous today, the tribute band phenomenon can trace its roots back to celebrating the music and personality of Elvis Presley. Focusing on the “golden era” of Elvis’ career, Bay Area-based The King’s Men Tribute band is fronted by singer Lloyd Aron Douglas, an Elvis tribute artist since 2012. The group boasts an all-classic repertoire of nearly three dozen songs popularized by and/or associated with the undisputed King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. This two-hour performance of this one-night-only engagement features an optional VIP experience ($10 addition to general admission ticket) that includes a post-show meet-and-greet with “the King.” BK
INFO: 7:15pm, The Landing, 251B Kings Village Rd., Scotts Valley. $30-$40. 438-3251.
MONDAY 8/31
ALT ROCK
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL With fuzzy, high-energy strings and harmonic, layered vocals, the Eagles of Death Metal have sunk their roots into American rock since 1998. Once described by drummer Josh Homme as a mixture of “bluegrass slide guitar mixed with stripper drum beats and Canned Heat vocals,” their genre humorously makes a detour away from Death Metal, an idea developed when guitarist and founder Jesse Hughes wondered what a cross between the Eagles and death metal would sound like. With interactive, highly engaging performances, Hughes often wanders into the crowd to play. Their sound is a revved-up and riff-heavy version of rock that is tactful and passionate. SHELLY NOVO
INFO: 9pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $31-$56. 713-5492.
ACAPELLO
ROCKAPELLA If you are of a certain age, you played the video game, and might have even hooked into the PBS show Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? The PBS show only ran from 1991-1995, but it was a hit. The mostly-for-children game show had school-age kids trying to solve international crimes, training tiny Interpol agents who would win a jet trip around the world. The house band, known as Rockapella, continued on for 40 years, with international tours and a bunch of albums. Not a children’s band anymore, Rockapella is for those still young at heart. DNA
INFO: 7pm, Audrey Stanley Grove in DeLaveaga Park, 501 Upper Park Road, Santa Cruz. $40. 460-6399.
TUESDAY 9/1
ROCK
REHASH Formed by high school friends in 2023, Rehash is glowing with youthful energy, angst, and “cool.” While young, they have a ’90s grunge, punk edge to them. Layering with reverb, melodic strumming, and tight rhythms, they began as a DIY bedroom project; their expansion into a four-piece band with dream-like live sets has earned them performances on Audiotree Live and other top-notch gigs. Their most recent album, Mock, takes a Shoegazey approach, dipping a toe into Bossa Nova or floating into pop. Wondering about love and heartbreak, apathy and empathy, there’s a Rehash lyric anyone can sing along to with full conviction. SN
