Guitarist Jerad Fox, 43, could not have been more surprised to get the call that day.
It was from Matthew Swinnerton, owner of Event Santa Cruz, letting Fox know he’d been hand-picked by Jane Wiedlin for a “super group” that will perform with the Go-Go’s guitarist at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History July 17 as part of a new event series called “Legends Live & Local.”
“I wasn’t aware it was even happening. And I didn’t know I was in the running,” says Fox, who is also a guitar teacher. “It was a big surprise.”
That same happy surprise reverberated throughout Santa Cruz County as five more musicians also learned they’d been selected.
Two of the musicians are just teenagers: Marek Fulo-Furlano, 18, on guitar and Dylan Von Elgg, 15, who plays drums. They both attend Be Natural Music School and were nominated by owner and music director Matthew Pinck. “I’m so proud of these kids,” Pinck says. “They work their tails off. And this super group is such a great opportunity to build a generational bridge…across all ages…with music.”
Fulo-Furlano was blown away when he got the text letting him know he was in the group. He started playing the guitar at 8 years old, but “got serious” at 10 and has been playing ever since. “It’s very fun—never a chore to practice,” he says. “I always do it.” During Covid, he says, he played “all day.”
Von Elgg—who has already performed live with Fulo-Furlano and others at Abbott Square, Felton Music Hall, Woodstock’s Pizza and Woodhouse Blending & Brewing—says it “feels awesome” to perform. “It’s an adrenaline rush.” He adds that “you have to work really hard.” Asked if he envisions a future playing large shows and stadiums, he doesn’t miss a beat. “I would love to rock out!” he offers enthusiastically.
The Legends Live & Local event series is the brainchild of Swinnerton and Live Oak native Jennifer Otter Bickerdike, Ph.D, a rock ’n’ roll cultural historian and author. “We wanted to create a series of events that can help make Santa Cruz a hub for media and creativity on the Central Coast,” Otter Bickerdike says. “It’s about creating an ecosystem of talent, from musicians to sound engineers, videographers, and content creators. If you need it, we want to have it here in Santa Cruz.”
Gabi Bravo, 34, from Watsonville, who will be on vocals, expressed her deep gratitude for being included. Earning the title of Musician of the Year at the NEXTies earlier this year, Bravo is considered a “rising star with a cinematic, soul-stirring sound that fuses Latin influence and indie pop.” Bravo says, “I’m proud to represent women in music because it can be hard out there for us. Especially as a solo artist. There are extra barriers. I am so down…so stoked to be highlighted and to have this opportunity.”
Rounding out the super group are Swan Porter, 28, on keyboards and David De Silva, 42, who plays bass.
Porter, an independent singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Santa Cruz native, says, “Music is my religion, my therapy and my meditation. Being invited by Jane is a huge honor. I respect her fierce dedication to music and her fearless ability to uphold her values in the music industry.”
De Silva adds: “I think it’s great that this event celebrates new generations of musicians.” A veteran on the Santa Cruz music circuit, De Silva is fresh off of playing at the Crow’s Nest Thursday Beach BBQ partyJuly 3 with the Ripatti Rose Band. For more than 20 years, De Silva has done whatever it takes to make a living as a working musician. “I played with a traditional Bolivian band for a year. I’ve played Bollywood, cumbia, merengue. I would not understand life without playing music. It just would make no sense to me.”
The day before the big show at the MAH, the musicians will meet up to practice three songs chosen by Wiedlin in an intimate rehearsal session, offering an opportunity for each performer to receive one-on-one mentoring and meaningful collaboration with a rock ’n’ roll legend.
“Event Santa Cruz is proud to launch Legends Live & Local as a groundbreaking new series that brings legendary creatives to town to inspire, collaborate and uplift our vibrant local community,” says Swinnerton.
The evening will begin with an on-stage conversation with Wiedlin; the group will then perform three songs. The event concludes with “New Wave Rave,” a 90-minute DJ set featuring dance classics from the 1980s.
An Evening with Jane Wiedlin takes place July 17, 6:30–10pm, at the MAH, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. $38.09. EventSantaCruz.com.
