Our picks for the best live music for the week of December 20, 2017.
WEDNESDAY 12/20
NEW ORLEANS/R&B
STAR LA’MOAN
As the story goes, performer Marla Stone adopted the name Star La’Moan for a songwriting contest years ago, and the loose spoonerism stuck. Now bandleader of her own outfit, the Kitchenettes, La’Moan tears through rock, R&B, New Orleans second line, blues, and gypsy jazz with ease. The Kitchenettes includes horns, a “full raucous rhythm section,” and even a bassoon. For this performance, La’Moan and the band welcome local gospel/R&B singer Tammi Brown. CJ
INFO: 8:30 p.m. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $15. 335-2800.
WEDNESDAY 12/20
ALT-ROCK
SMASH MOUTH
Hey Now! You’re an all-star, get your game on, go play! Did you know that song is almost two decades old? And yet, Smash Mouth’s big ’90s hit “All Star” has somehow become one of the biggest memes of 2017. Whether you discovered the song on MTV, on the Shrek soundtrack, or chopped and screwed and mixed with Seinfeld quotes on YouTube, there’s just something undeniably, universally catchy about the song. As they return to Santa Cruz, Smash Mouth has enjoyed a little resurgence as of late, thanks to the internet craze. AC
INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $25. 429-4135.
THURSDAY 12/21
JAZZ/ROOTS
POST STREET RHYTHM PEDDLERS
This dance inducing double bill pairs the Post Street Rhythm Peddlers, a New Orleans-style trad jazz combo, with the country western honky tonkers of Whiskey West. A seven-piece band featuring a tight cast of Santa Cruz stalwarts, the Rhythm Peddlers combine the low-down growls and riffs of brass with the searing, propulsive lines of a string band. ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: 8:30 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $7/adv, $10/door. 427-2227.
THURSDAY 12/21
AMERICANA
ERIC MORRISON AND THE MYSTERIES
“Enjoy the mystery,” Eric Morrison’s bio ominously states. The local musician isn’t quite so ambiguous when he straps on a guitar and sings his heart out. He and his backing band have become one of the most talented American roots rock acts in Santa Cruz. Americana Soul, they call it, which is a fancy way of saying that there’s a little bit of blues, some swamp rock, some country influences, and a healthy heaping of R&B. AC
INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $8. 429-6994.
FRIDAY 12/22
REGGAE
SOULWISE
Local reggae band Soulwise will release their debut record, Good Day, at Moe’s on Friday. It’s a meditative, laid-back reggae record. The single “Paradise” includes a ton of slow motion underwater shots in its music video; the scenery is gorgeous, and the speed of the cameras is never beyond a snail’s pace. It really captures the vibe of the music, which I call “yoga pose.” The group, led by cousins Sean and Kevin Eichhorn, has been working the local scene hard for the past few years, even getting some success on the iTunes reggae charts. They are hoping this record will launch them into a whole new stratosphere. AC
INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $7/adv, $10/door. 479-1854.
FRIDAY 12/22
ROCK
ZEPPELIN LIVE
For years, Led Zeppelin reunion rumors have left fans dazed and confused, but at this stage it seems like there’s been some communication breakdown. Luckily, Zeppelin Live (formerly Heartbreaker) is here with a whole lotta love! These guys are the premiere Zeppelin cover band, and make audiences throughout California do their best Misty Mountain Hop. Legend says if you close your eyes and open your ears just enough, their music can take you up the stairway to heaven and into the houses of the holy for a mind-expanding journey of what is and what should never be. MAT WEIR
INFO: 8 p.m. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $15. 335-2800.
SATURDAY 12/23
ROCK/JAM
EDGE OF THE WEST
If the descriptor “cosmic honky tonk” makes you sit up and take notice, you’ll want Edge of the West on your musical radar. The Santa Cruz-based band, led by hometown-guitarist-done-good Jim Lewin, bridges genres and cultures as it blends a jam band ethos with American roots grooves and rock ’n’ roll foundation. The members have a collective resume that includes stints with Great American Taxi, New Riders of the Purple Sage and Todd Snider. With set lists that include original tunes and “eclectic covers,” Edge of the West is one of the best-kept secrets of the local music scene. CJ
INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.
SATURDAY 12/23
HIP-HOP
ZION I
For more than two decades, Zion I has been a testament to the tenacity of conscious hip-hop. Originally formed in Oakland by Zumbi and Amp Live, they released their 2000 debut album, Mind Over Matter, to critical acclaim. Throughout the years, they continued to delight fans and critics with their ninth album, Shadowboxing, nominated as one of SF Weekly’s “10 Best Bay Area Hip-Hop Records of 2012.” Yet the future remained uncertain when Amp Live announced he would be leaving the duo. But true to form, Zumbi continued to carry the Zion I mantle, releasing The Labyrinth in 2016. MW
INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $18/door. 429-4135.
IN THE QUEUE
JHENÉ AIKO
R&B singer-songwriter. Thursday at Catalyst
WHEELHOUSE
Tribute to the Grateful Dead. Thursday at Don Quixote’s
STORMIN’ NORMAN & THE CYCLONES
Local rock, roots and country. Saturday at Michael’s on Main
EXTRA LARGE
Santa Cruz dance and party band. Saturday at Crow’s Nest
7 COME 11
Organ-driven funk outfit. Tuesday at Crepe Place
