Bringing traditional music to the masses without losing what makes it special is no easy task. But a group of Mongolian musicians has succeeded on that score, in part by combining the music of their ancestors with a modern form: heavy metal. The Hu come to The Catalyst on Oct. 12.
Members of the Hu are all formally trained musicians, deeply immersed in the historic music of their native Mongolia. Formed in 2016, the group features Galbadrakh “Gala” Tsendbaatar and Enkhsaikhan “Enkush” Batjargal, both of whom play the morin khuur, an ancient bowed fiddle instrument with historical designation from UNESCO.
Nyamjantsan “Jaya” Galsanjamts plays a Mongolian instrument known as the tumur hhuur; Western listeners might call the instrument a Jew’s harp or jaw harp. The fourth member of the group, Temuulen “Temka” Naranbaatar, plays the tovshuur, a handmade plucked instrument similar to a lute. All four musicians sing, often in the traditional and distinctive Tuvan throat singing style. Also known as khoomei, that vocal tradition is known for its creation of overtones, an effect that creates a kind of auditory illusion of multiple singers.
If the Hu’s music went only as far as what those details suggest, it would likely be a kind of fascinating Eastern/Asian folk, rooted in tradition and somewhat foreign- and exotic-sounding to Western ears. Their releases might be stocked in a music store’s “world music” section with artists largely outside of Western musical traditions.
But the Hu stand apart because the group really, really rocks. The Hu seamlessly meld their traditional instrumentation with electric guitar, electric bass and a full drum kit. The result, as heard on a pair of albums (2019’s The Gereg and 2022’s Rumble of Thunder), is Mongolian heavy metal.
Producer and songwriter Bayarmagnai “Dashka” Dashdondog put the group together, selecting top students from the Mongolian State Music and Dance Conservatory in the country’s capital city, Ulaanbaatar. “We were hand-selected by Dashka,” Enkush explains through a translator. “He has 40 years of experience in the music industry.”
As revolutionary and groundbreaking as the idea of Mongolian metal might seem, the Hu aren’t the first group to combine the two disparate styles. Enkush says that he and his band mates grew up listening to Egschiglen and Altan Urag, pioneers in the hybrid form. But neither of those groups had their music distributed in the U.S.
Music is often called the universal language, and the Hu are a testament to the truth of that axiom. While Western listeners won’t understand any of the Hu’s lyrics, the thoughts and emotions at the songs’ core still get through. “I personally don’t think that you guys are missing out on anything,” Enkush says. “Every fan I talk with says that they get the feeling of what we’re trying to say. They understand that we’re singing about inner power and strength as well as the history of our ancestors.”
The group’s live show brings tradition and modernity together. Augmented by four additional Mongolian musicians handling the modern metal firepower, the Hu is currently touring major and mid-sized markets across the U.S. and Canada. And Enkush says that he is constantly surprised by the enthusiastic reaction his band receives. “In every corner of the world, we find people who are passionate about the music that we perform,” he says. Noting that many fans discover the Hu’s music on YouTube, Enkush says that listeners then come to concerts familiar with their catalog, often chanting along with the songs. “Everywhere we go, they chant, and that really fascinates me,” he says.
The music of the Mongolian metallers is proving its appeal even beyond albums and concerts: The Hu has been featured in two popular Star Wars Jedi action-adventure video games. “Our music has no limits,” Enkush says with pride. “We can even create something extraterrestrial.”
The Hu play with the Funeral Portrait at 8pm Oct. 12 at the Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz; 831-713-5492. Tickets: $48.22+. catalystclub.com
Marin-based writer and director Lisa Landers—whose award-winning documentary, Giants Rising, has been on tour and is screening Oct. 14 at the Rio Theatre—is eager to share her excitement about how well the redwoods “play” far beyond California.
“It’s been really cool to see how these trees resonate with people in places where redwoods don’t even exist,” she says.
Originally from New York, Landers has been across the globe in her filmmaking career. Today, however, she finds herself living in a small Northern California redwood grove, where the towering trees inspire her work and daily life.
Landers has always felt a deep connection to redwoods, one that dates back to her childhood. A visit to Muir Woods when she was just 12 years old left an impression she would never forget. “I always knew I’d make a documentary about redwoods,” she reflects.
That early spark of curiosity was fanned into a flame during a pivotal assignment when she was tasked with covering the story of Julia Butterfly Hill. The famous environmental activist made headlines when she lived in a redwood tree for an astounding 738 days, from Dec. 10, 1997, to Dec. 18, 1999.
Hill’s bold act of civil disobedience was a stand against the Pacific Lumber Company’s plan to cut down the tree and the surrounding forest. Her “home” during this protest was a 6-by-8-foot platform, 180 feet above the forest floor. Hill’s activism led to a landmark agreement with the Pacific Lumber Company to protect her beloved tree, Luna, and the surrounding area. As part of the deal, the company paid $50,000 to Humboldt State University for forestry research and established a 200-foot buffer zone around the tree to ensure its protection.
Landers recalls climbing into the canopy to interview Hill. “It really drove home just how much these trees move people on a deep level,” she says. “From leaving your home state to live among them, to dedicating years of your life and taking incredible risks, it’s amazing to witness how far people are willing to go to protect these giants.”
Hill’s story ignited a passion in Landers, pushing her to explore the long history of redwood activism. “People have been putting their lives on the line for these trees since logging first began in the redwoods,” she adds.
By 2018, after covering various facets of the redwood story for years, Landers was ready to weave the pieces together into a single, cohesive narrative. She saw the bigger picture: the redwoods, their profound relationship with humans, and the ongoing movement to protect them. Central to Giants Rising is California’s Big Basin Redwoods State Park, the state’s oldest park and, in many ways, the birthplace of the movement to save the redwoods.
A key storyline in the film is told through the voice of Susan Blake, a state park interpreter who spent 16 years at Big Basin. Blake was living there when the devastating fire of 2020 swept through the park, destroying everything in its path. “She lost her home, her habitat, everything,” Landers says. “We chronicle her story, and it became a centerpiece of the film.” At the time, Landers was working on a short film about the endangered marbled murrelet, a bird species that lives in the redwoods, for the park’s visitor center. Halfway through shooting, she received the call that Big Basin was burning.
Landers and her team returned to the park just a month after the fire, and the documentary took an unexpected turn. “It was one of those moments where you think, ‘This wasn’t the plan, but here we go.’ It became such an important story to tell.”
The film also features a redwood geneticist who grew up exploring Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, where he now studies the rare and mysterious albino redwoods. Giants Rising highlights not only the majesty of these ancient trees but also their remarkable “superpowers”—from their ability to capture carbon and transport water to their resilience to fire and their intricate underground networks that allow them to share resources.
But the filmgoes beyond showcasing the redwoods’ natural wonders. It delves into the profound connections between redwoods and humans, offering insights into how these giants can enhance physical and emotional well-being while providing clues about resilience and longevity.
“I hope viewers leave the film feeling more connected—not just to redwoods, but to forests everywhere,” says Landers. “And I hope that connection leads to more support for conservation efforts.”
She passionately believes that forests hold tremendous benefits for human well-being. “Spending time in the woods impacts our mental, physical, and emotional health—and even our collective well-being. We’re nicer to each other after we’ve been in the forest. We’re more collaborative and compassionate.”
In Giants Rising, Landers speaks with a social psychologist who explains these very effects. “The forest has a way of grounding us
Giants Rising is screening at 7pm on Oct. 14 at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz, narrated by Michael Franti, co-hosted by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, and followed by a discussion with writer and director Lisa Landers.
When I arrived at the 418 Project on my e-bike I wasn’t expecting to be put in a suit and asked to be an extra in a film. So I was pleasantly surprised when Laura Bishop, artistic director of the 418 Project, fitted me in my Humphrey Bogart best and found a spot for me in front of the camera on the 1940s Hollywood red carpet for a filmed version of a noir mystery.
I was transported to a version of Santa Cruz only seen in the black-and-white photographs that fill Abbott Square hallways and the Boardwalk Casino. A jazzy, colorful world of long cigarettes, swanky swing music and the romanticized vibrance of the pre-plastic age.
Who Killed Simon Braggart?—the 418 Project’s fall offering—is an inclusive, funny and thought-provoking 1940s noir. It follows hard-boiled detective Jo Gumption as they find out who killed Hollywood’s most obnoxious film producer, Simon Braggart.
Was it the movie star? The gangster? The madam?
Described by its production team as “a million-dollar project on a shoestring budget,” Who Killed Simon Braggart? opens with an immersive cocktail party and red carpet in the 418’s lobby, then invites the audience into the renovated movie theater for Act One. Utilizing the screen to project a series of short films detailing each suspect’s backstory, writer/director Aaron Stoetzel finds unique and inventive ways to play with theater and the audience.
“Simon Braggart is based on a real person. We can’t tell you who; I tend to write for space, so I use its confines and they give our team an impetus to create. We have no backstage space in this theater, so we just chose that; the actors aren’t going to go backstage during the films—the actors are on stage the whole time,” Stoetzel says.
During pre-production, a great effort was made to reach out to marginalized communities and tell a 1940s-style story through a 21st-century lens, including actors from communities that would not have been represented in that era.
“We’ve been doing active inclusivity for the stage, reaching out for public participation, and saying to our audiences, every time we do a show, you can be in the show. We go a little further. We reach diverse communities. And all of our audition calls say BIPOC and queer and introverts are invited to audition, to make sure that people know that there’s room for them,” explains Laura Bishop, director of the 418 Project.
One of Stoetzel’s goals in writing and directing Simon Braggart was to introduce and captivate new audiences while connecting the worlds of movie theater popcorn and an evening of live theater.
“We have this dream that people that aren’t theatergoers will come out to our shows, whether it’s the guys at the game shop across the street or people who do cosplay. Theater used to be for everybody. Before movies, Americans went to theaters; that was the entertainment people just went nuts for. I like movies—everyone likes movies—but theater is different,” Stoetzel says.
After a pandemic that starved us of human connection and decimated small theaters, as well as raised prices in what is already one of the most expensive places to live, what has emerged is artists and everyday people inspired to find the connection and support they need. Museoffire and the 418 Project are coming out swinging and bringing forth experimental offerings to bring a creative approach to the community and heal the wounds still left behind.
“The last five years have been unlike anything I’ve ever lived through. Especially for theater. We feel like it’s our opportunity now. We own this building and the sky’s the limit. We’re playing and experimenting, and we hope that Santa Cruz comes out to play. This is the first of many shows. We won’t be a conventional theater company. It won’t be conventionally cast. We’re going to take risks and experiment and see what happens,” Bishop says.
So get your bow tie and pinstripes ready for a night of laughs, all original music, cigarette girls and political commentary, because this October you too can be transported, in your Bogart best, to a new take on Hollywood’s golden age.
Who Killed Simon Braggart runs Oct. 18–19 and 25–26 at 7:30pm. Doors open at 7:15pm. Tickets are $30. the418project.org
Will we still need him—when he’s 84? Oct. 9, on John Lennon’s 84th birthday, KSQD presents the special Santa Cruz premiere of Daytime Revolution, a film that documents the week when John and Yoko Lennon hijacked America’s most popular talk show—The Mike Douglas Show—in the apocalyptic election year of 1972. John and Yoko, along with George Carlin, Jerry Rubin, Bobby Seale and Ralph Nader, conquered the airwaves and presented their radical and utopian vision of what America could be. Followed by a Q&A with the film’s director, Erik Nelson, and local writer Wallace Baine. BRAD KAVA.
INFO: 7pm, Del Mar Theatre, 1124 Pacific Ave., #4415, Santa Cruz. landmarktheatres.com
THURSDAY
COMEDY
IAN IRA ROUSSO
Self-described as “curmudgeonly, yet charismatically loud,” New York City native Rousso has built a sustained career as a stand-up comic, scoring high-profile opportunities and building upon them. Rousso launched a podcast, The Ian Ira Rousso Show, in 2022. The show’s format includes his stand-up and conversations with fellow creative/entertainment figures. He also self-released his debut album, Sorry Again, in 2023. This current run of live dates is Rousso’s second national tour; his stand-up has been featured in clubs nationwide. BILL KOPP
INFO: 9pm, Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. $17.85. 431-8666.
FRIDAY
JAZZ
JAY SI PROOF
As the four-piece Portlander band Jay Si Proof states, “Don’t stop, let it vibe, let it breath[e], and just dance!” Eccentric and wildly entertaining, Jay Si Proof’s performances are as unique as they are boisterous and lively. Trombonist-vocalist Jeff Chilton leads drummer Lucas James, guitarist Corey Heppner and JD Erickson on the sax and flute in producing some seriously fun contemporary indie-jazz music, as showcased on tracks like “Irl” and “Motion Picture.” Fearless, funky and refreshingly weird, Jay Si Proof is one-hundred-percent DIY, having independently published their first two EPs and 12-track LP, Care About It, a more indie-leaning record with plenty of moments of the jazz improvisation they’re notorious for. MELISA YURIAR
The 2024 Festival of Monsters opens with a night of free events for all ages. There’s a reading at 5 p.m. at the Museum of Art & HIstory by Kiersten White, the author of the best-selling Hide. She will read from her new book Lucy Undying about vampires. At 6pm one of the most famous mask makers in the world, Chris Zephro will talk about his Santa Cruz company, Trick or Treat Studios and display his masks. At 7pm Circus of the Moon will perform Pluto’s Labryinth, a twisted journey of shadow and demons featuring aerialists, acrobats and ensemble dance. BRAD KAVA
INFO: 5pm on at the Museum of Art & History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. Free admission.
SATURDAY
ROCK
BEN OTTEWELL & IAN BALL (OF GOMEZ)
Sometimes, fate has a funny way of intervening. They didn’t have a name when Ian Ball, Ben Ottewell, Tom Gray, Paul Blackburn and Olly Peacock played their first gig in ’96 at the Hyde Park Social Groove in Leeds, England. But they did have a mutual friend going to the gig whose family name was Gomez. So, to make sure he didn’t miss it, they left a sign out front with an arrow that read “Gomez in here.” People assumed it was the band’s name, and the rest is history. This weekend, Ottewell and Ball celebrate the 25th anniversary of Gomez’s sophomoric LP, Liquid Skin, with a special North American tour. MAT WEIR
PinUp Presents is bringing the heat with UnityTX, Mugshot, Silly Goose and Parasite on a night that promises to leave fans sore the next day. The curse of Covid struck UnityTX when they released an album—2019’s Madboy—right when the pandemic reset the world. But like the best bands in today’s scene, they channeled their energy and rage into 2023’s Ferality and haven’t looked back, cranking up the gas and dropping not one but two EPs this year (Playing Favorites and Masticate). Unlike other bands in the hardcore scene, UnityTX blends hardcore, industrial, rap and metal into an all-out assault on the senses. MW
INFO: 6pm, Vets Hall, 846 Front St., Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 454-0478.
MONDAY
DOCUMENTARY
GIANTS RISING
Despite humans exploring the world for eons, much remains to learn. The giant redwood trees on the East Coast are one such area. The redwoods are over 3,000 years old, and the documentary Giants Rising discusses uncovered mysteries and newly discovered information about the ecosystem, including our relationship with the forest and the dangers and challenges of preserving it. Compelled to make the documentary by her deep connection with the forest, director Lisa Landers will hold an onstage discussion after the screening of Giants Rising. Attend the screening and learn how the trees can communicate not only with each other but also with us and the rest of their environment. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 7pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 423-8209. See the Arts feature by … in this issue.
TUESDAY
BLUES-ROCK
ETRAN DE L’AÏR
Etran de L’Aïr (stars of the Aïr region) is a family band composed of brothers and cousins hailing from Agadez, Niger, where guitar bands are an integral component of the city’s social fabric, playing at occasions as joyful as weddings and serious as political rallies. Drawing elements from cultural influences like Northern Malian blues-rock and high-energy Congolese soukous, Etran’s desert rock is dynamic, engaging and rooted in celebration, evoking the jubilation felt at an Agadez wedding. Current band leader Moussa “Abindi” Ibra was only nine years old when he formed the band in 1995, and today, Etran de L’Aïr continues expanding musical palettes and stirring delight at venues worldwide. MY
LESS THAN JAKE Tuesday at The Catalyst. PHOTO: Gavin Smith
LESS THAN JAKE
Born in the early ’90s, Less Than Jake was right on time to surf the “third wave” of ska sweeping the US. They found a following quickly, growing with each album until Anthem, their fifth, absolutely exploded with singles “She’s Gonna Break Soon” and “The Science of Selling Yourself Short” getting heavy radio and MTV airplay. The Jakes have impressively managed to keep the show on the road as they’ve transitioned successfully from the majors to an indie label, back to a major, and finally to their own label. There’ve been bumps and some lineup changes, but they’ve stayed true to their vision and are bringing the pop-punk ska goodness to service all your skanking needs. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN
A decade ago Santa Cruz was caught up in Durbin Mania. Restaurants and bars were packed with people watching our local heavy metal kid rising through the ranks of television’s American Idol season 10. A former cupcake shop handed out Durbin cakes to crowds at Pizza Hut on 41st Ave as fans cheered his performances of Carole King’s “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and Muse’s’ “Uprising.”
He placed fourth in the TV contest, but was a winner here.
His homecoming concert at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk drew 30,000 fans, the largest concert ever held in Santa Cruz.
Writer Kristen McLaughlin set out to find out where he is now for our cover story. And the answers are surprising, from making soundtracks for an exercise bike to playing in eight bands, to working with one of the top music producers in the business, Alan Parsons, who engineered Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.
He’s returned home to our county and in a great success for a musician—particularly one whose career started by selling pizzas at Domino’s—he’s bought a house in Watsonville.
“I love finding new ways to make music a career,” he says. “My entire philosophy ever since I knew I wanted to do music for a living, I knew I didn’t want to live on tour. I want to be a working musician, supporting my family and doing what I love.”
.Looking for a green new meal in Felton? You’ll want to read Andrew Steingrube’s Foodie File about Emerald Mallard, a French-accented high crust dining establishment gunning for some Michelin stars.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more exotic blend of music than that served up by the Hu, Mongolian musicians adapting their traditional sounds to heavy metal. If you check out Bill Kopp’s story you might wonder if they should enter American Idol. Why not?
Where do the Monarch butterflies go in the summer and why do they come to Santa Cruz, aside from all the dispensaries and home brews? You will get the answers in Richard Stockton’s article about the upcoming Monarch celebration at Natural Bridges State Park. You’ll also get good news on the new bridge that restores the plural to the park’s name.
You can not only see the 1940s history of Santa Cruz come to life, but you can travel back in time to be a part of it, when you see Who Killed Simon Braggart?—the 418 Project’s fall offering, written about by Mathew Chipman.
Check it out and be a star, which we know you already are.
Thanks for reading.
Brad Kava | Editor
PHOTO CONTEST
ON THE FENCE Four amigas hanging out at Arana Gulch. Photograph by Maria Choy.
GOOD IDEA
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved a two-year pilot program to permit Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKOs) to operate in Santa Cruz County. MEHKOs are small-scale food service operations that can serve and deliver food from a home after meeting certain requirements and obtaining a Health Permit.
MEHKO accepts applications starting Jan. 1.
“This is an exciting opportunity to support our residents in their efforts to earn additional income and share their culinary talents with the community,” said Supervisor Bruce McPherson.
GOOD WORK
Cabrillo College will host Hostile Terrain 94, a free exhibit focusing on the humanitarian crisis at the border. Participants can share stories about how they have been impacted by U.S. border enforcement policies and migration. It has been exhibited in more than 120 locations across five continents.
Dr. Jason de León, UCLA professor and director of the Undocumented Migration Project, will speak. He has written two books, The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail and Soldiers and Kings.
Cabrillo will feature the exhibit at its Aptos campus Oct. 14–Dec. 6. A reception and artist’s talk will take place Oct. 16 followed by a book signing and viewing of the exhibit. Free and open to all.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I don’t understand why saying unhoused is better than saying homeless.” —comedian Josef Anolin
We in the San Lorenzo Valley deserve a leader like Monica Martinez. Monica has run complex, grant-funded nonprofits while developing extensive partnerships. She can navigate the complex bureaucracies of the County and Sacramento to deliver lasting value for our community.
She will leverage her decade + of managing large, complex nonprofits, where she dealt with similar challenges. Our water infrastructure is outdated and one disaster after another has damaged them further: drought, fire, windstorm, flood and landslides. Water outages mean kids miss school or businesses cannot serve customers.
We need to build partnerships and bring resources into our community. Monica knows how.
We are not ready for the next big fire: Most of our fire hydrants lack adequate pressure. We need to upgrade 25 miles of waterlines and several tanks to be fire-ready. We need to rebuild a major supply line to be ready for the next drought.
Large state and federal grants will be key to this work. Monica has done that for years. We must help our neighbors who still cannot rebuild after the 2020 CZU Fire. Customers of private companies like Big Basin Water and nonprofits like Forest Springs Mutual need our help. Without formally connecting to San Lorenzo Valley Water, families cannot demonstrate they have the water supply needed to rebuild.
Consolidating will require complex legal agreements and partnerships. Monica has done that, too. Bringing our infrastructure up to date and rebuilding our communities will require expertise navigating issues across the local, state and federal levels of government. Let’s elect Monica to get it done.
Bryan Largay | Director San Lorenzo Valley Water District
(Views are my own and not necessarily the District’s)
CUT NEW GROWTH TREES
I have been to National Parks across the entire state of California with my family. We have enjoyed the natural beauties of Yosemite, Pinnacles, and Redwood National Park, whose beauty is all due to the long-standing and ancient trees that reside in these parks. I would hate to see the places that I cherish so deeply be destroyed due to the logging of old growth trees.
These trees create the vibrant ecosystem of much of California and provide a home for a diverse array of wildlife. Not only will getting rid of old-growth trees be detrimental to the wildlife the trees support but they also have a great effect on the absorption of carbon waste. So how can the logging of these ancient plants be prevented? Instead of cutting down old trees, cut down the new ones. The Forest Service policy must apply to all old-growth and mature trees and forests on federal forest lands and completely end the sale of old-growth to timber mills. As a voice for CALPIRG, I urge the Biden administration to take action to preserve the beauty of California’s forests and slow the rise of carbon emissions.
On this beach I wander while I’ve got no sense of time with my feet in Capitola, cold Corona twist of lime. No worries on my shoulders while I’m rolling with the tide Come with me if you want to, Capitola on my mind
—James Durbin, “Capitola on my Mind”
In the Lost Boys, Santa Cruz native James Durbin sings classic rock covers. Durbin Unplugged is a solo acoustic show. In the self-titled band Durbin, he rips out heavy metal originals and the occasional cover of Judas Priest’s “The Ripper” from 1976’s Sad Wings of Destiny album.
Closer to home, James Durbin has a new song out, and a New Year’s Eve event that is not to be missed. This year will be a rebranding of the event and a roaring ’20s theme. “We are really looking forward to that,” Durbin says.
With a multi-octave vocal range and enigmatic and powerful stage presence, singer/ songwriter/ musician Durbin, 35, has plenty of irons in his sonic fire.
“I love finding new ways to make music a career,” he says. “My entire philosophy ever since I knew I wanted to do music for a living, I knew I didn’t want to live on tour. I want to be a working musician, supporting my family and doing what I love.”
This approach has enabled Durbin to carve out a diverse career with not only live concerts but also a lucrative record contract, voiceovers and even a gig with Peloton, the bike software company.
Durbin currently sings in eight bands, “eight different active projects,” he said. Among those bands are Tainted Love in the Bay Area, Mustache Harbor in Sacramento and the Lost Boys in Santa Cruz. “About half are consistently performing,” he said. “That keeps me super busy.”
Joining him in the Lost Boys is a new lineup of musicians: Dylan Rose on guitar, Ian Babcock on bass and Conner Bruce wielding drumsticks.
TEARING IT UP James Durbin and new Lost Boys guitarist Dylan Rose. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
Singing across the genres from ’80s pop to prog rock to heavy metal, he’s also an international recording artist, signed to a multi-record deal with Italian record label Frontiers Music SRL. He has toured all over the United States and the world, including the Philippines (Araneta Coliseum in Manila), Italy, Canada, Nova Scotia, Mexico, Dominican Republic and a USO show in Kyrgyzstan.
Indeed, Durbin has secured steady work in the music industry ever since he set foot on the stage of American Idol, Season 10, where he was a finalist in the Top 4 with iconic performances including Carole King’s “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and Muse’s’ “Uprising.”
Asked about his most memorable performance on Idol, Durbin said it is probably King’s hit tune. “That was a game changer because I was so intent on being the rock guy,” he says. Starting the song a capella, it really stands out, although there have been a couple other contestants who took the same approach.
Durbin says he was fortunate to receive union wages through SAG/AFTRA on American Idol and the American Idol Live! summer tour. All contestants who make it past the auditions are compensated for their televised performances. “It was probably a six-figure year that first year,” he says. That’s earned, not netted, he notes. “It was also more than it is now.”
After wrapping up the American Idols Live! summer tour in 2011, Durbin was a featured guest artist with Santa Cruz’s White Album Ensemble, released several albums on his own, and in 2018 he became the lead singer of Quiet Riot, touring with them for more than two years.
More recently, he recorded a collaboration with international music producer Alan Parsons (the Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Alan Parsons Project).
Some gigs are more unlikely than others. Durbin does voice-over work for Disney and Amazon; most notably he voiced Turbo Man, a toy from the movie Jingle All the Way, for a doll released by Funko two years ago. “It’s Turbo Time!” James says in his best superhero voice, batteries not included.
Another somewhat niche gig, Durbin currently works from home as a Level Designer creating soundtracks for Peloton, the fitness and software company based in New York City. “I’m making workout levels set to music look like a video game using Pro Tools,” he says. As an independent contractor for a production company, Cape Corpus Creative, Durbin uses musical input tools like MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) to design the levels using rhythm and different velocities, he says. Not too shabby for a boy from Live Oak who used to sing karaoke at a bowling alley.
Local Roots
Currently living in Watsonville with wife Heidi and their three children, Durbin grew up entirely in Santa Cruz, attending Live Oak Elementary School and Shoreline Middle School.
He got involved in theater at an early age. “I went to Soquel High specifically for their theater program when my older sisters were involved,” he says. “I was in the Soquel High productions when I was 10 and 12 years old when they needed a little kid. They taught me how to sing in French.”
After Soquel High theater director Maggie Kline retired, Durbin switched schools and began acting locally with All About Theater and Kids on Broadway. Durbin performed as Tony in West Side Story, the beast in Beauty and the Beast and Oscar in Sweet Charity.
“He is one of the most talented vocal singers we’ve had,” says Lindsay Chester, executive and artistic director of All About Theatre. “James just commanded the stage with a presence that one could only really compare to one of the greats, as if he was born to be on the stage.”
Chester described working with Durbin, who was diagnosed with both Tourette syndrome and autism, as a celebration of individuality and talent. “One of the things that really stood out to me is he was an advocate for people with Tourettes.
“He shifted the narrative from James Durbin with Tourette to James Durbin the artist,” she says. “The fact that he did that seamlessly, almost without thought, I think that changed the culture behind the stigma with Tourette.”
Durbin’s talent was not only empowering, but accepting of that narrative. “Some people sing from pain and stuff, challenges, deep and passionate love,” she says. “James knows how to experience life.”
Last spring, Chester started working with the next generation of Durbins in the theater program for his daughter Kinzee’s school, Watsonville Charter School of the Arts. Last spring, Kinzee, 9, played Nigel, the leading pelican in Finding Nemo. “She is her own unique person, very natural on stage,” Chester says. “It is just beautiful to see that handing off to the next generation.”
A Father’s Inspiration
Durbin draws a lot of inspiration from his father. “My first guitar was a hand-me-down from church when I was about 9,” he says. “My dad was a musician. I wanted to do all the things he couldn’t do because of his addictions.”
James’ father, Willy Durbin, was a local bass player until his untimely passing in 1998. “For him once he got off stage he needed to keep that validation from people,” Durbin says. “I don’t need that. I get it when I step through the doors and see my kids and wife.”
Even in death, his father continues to surprise him. Recently, James tracked down a vinyl pressing that his father played on with Steve Marriott from Humble Pie.
“I’ve actually gotten to know him more in death than I feel like I would ever have had the chance to in life,” Durbin says. “I’ve sought him. I’ve gone to great lengths to find albums that he’s played on, get a sense of his passions and his character as an individual.”
After his father passed away, James’ grandmother purchased a memorial bench on Capitola Esplanade, and that is where Durbin has always gone to feel a connection with his dad.
Ode to Capitola
Durbin’s songwriting occasionally invokes the Santa Cruz locale. In 2013, he wrote a song about Santa Cruz when he was in Nashville. A music video followed, produced by local promoter Matthew Swinnerton, all funded privately and locally, Durbin says.
“Capitola on My Mind” made its debut at the Crow’s Nest Beach Party July 11. After his band The Lost Boys played the Capitola Art & Wine Festival on the Capitola Esplanade, Durbin sat down with his ukulele on the beach and penned the opening lyrics. “I just wrote it right there,” he says. “The thing with ukulele is you can simplify the songwriting process. It’s tiny. I’ve got bigger fingers than the frets.”
The introspective “Capitola on My Mind” draws heavily on memories in the village, such as meeting his wife at the Fog Bank, singing karaoke and getting banned from the beach for wearing dinosaur masks and claws to scare tourists. “I got a bout of inspiration and wrote. It’s very personal to me. It’s twice as personal,” he says. “I just put a melody to it.”
Durbin reconnected with Swinnerton to produce a music video for “Capitola on My Mind.” They recorded the demo, and will release that single sometime next year.
NEWLY FOUND James Durbin with the Lost Boys. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
Eight Bands and a Record Deal
Even though he left Quiet Riot in 2019, their label decided to keep Durbin under contract. Italy-based Frontiers Music SRL has produced albums over the years for legacy bands including Journey, Scorpions, Dokken and Quiet Riot.
“During the pandemic I was writing an album, and I was forced to write it alone,” Durbin says. “I said, ‘OK let me just write the coolest mix of Dio, Priest, Maiden and put all of my heavy metal influences in a soup.” The first album, Durbin, came out in 2021 and a second album, Screaming Steel, followed in March. “It’s gotten some great traction,” Durbin says. “And Frontiers is an internationally based record label. With their reach, it’s gotten some worldly traction.”
In addition to his heavy metal work in Durbin, he is the frontman/utility man of Clean Break, a Frontiers studio band, which will release “American Warrior,” a metal single and lyric video Oct. 10 from the album We Are the Fire.
Mustache Harbor is a zany mix of “’80s hair and ’90s flair,” Durbin says, a “yacht rock” tribute band. If you’re not familiar with the genre, “yacht rock” is smooth-sailing and soft rock such as the Beach Boys, Steely Dan, Elvin Bishop and Toto. “In that, I don’t appear as myself,” Durbin says. “I appear as Sandy Ravage.” It’s been a longstanding and successful touring band playing large halls, venues and casinos nationwide.
Rounding out his roller coaster of bands is the Disney-mixed-with-hair-metal band, Metal Street Boyz, a mix of “good ideas that could go any direction,” Durbin says.
Another Santa Cruz connection
More recently, Durbin has been recording with Grammy-winning mix engineer Alan Parsons of the Alan Parsons Project. Around 2010, through his work with Dale Ockerman, Durbin collaborated with musician Julian Colbec, who was working on a DVD course with Parsons called the Art & Science of Sound Recording. “They brought me in and had me sing on one of Alan’s songs. It’s basically like a how-to course,” Durbin says.
A decade later and with another creator Armand Ruby, Durbin went into ParSonics, Parson’s recording studio in Goleta. “I think I went in and sang on someone else’s song, and Julian proposed the idea that we do a song,” Durbin says.
They recorded “Give ’em My Love” for Parsons’ new album, From the New World (2022). “I was just there a couple of weeks ago doing another song I wrote,” Durbin says. “I first worked with him when I was 19 or 20 and now I’m working with him at 35.”
Since Parsons, too, is signed with Frontier Music, the label was “really happy about that,” Durbin added. “They get a little bit more return on their investment from both of us.”
Ockerman, 71, has known Durbin since he was a teenager, as James was a student at Ockerman’s Musicscool. Ockerman is a founding member of the White Album Ensemble, a Beatles concept band that still performs.
When Durbin’s homecoming concert took place after leaving American Idol, Ockerman was the guy who arranged a backing band before 30,000 fans, the largest concert ever held in Santa Cruz.
As Ockerman tells it, he first met Durbin after he and his wife, Connie, were watching a Kids on Broadway performance of Beauty and the Beast. “All of a sudden the Beast comes out and he’s just singing his tail off,” Ockerman says. “Connie said, ‘It’s like a new Elvis.” He also heard James singing with a band of kids at an event in Bonny Doon.
James would eventually attend Musicscool on a scholarship. “So I taught him some blues harmonica like the way Mick Jagger would play that rock harp,” Ockerman says. “This was in the back of a music store in Santa Cruz. He sounded like Steve Perry or Bon Jovi. He was just being himself.”
Ockerman was very proud of Durbin’s achievement on American Idol. “He was always very courteous,” he says. “He was surrounded by his sisters and mom. He loves metal, which is unique. When they wanted him to sing Neil Diamond, James would say, ‘I’d really rather do ‘Heavy Metal,’ a song by Sammy Hagar. He always knew what he was doing.”
In his 20s, Ockerman was performing Top 40 songs with different bands. A multi-instrumentalist, he toured with the Doobie Brothers (1988-1996), Chuck Berry and sometimes played with Durbin’s dad. “He was this really excellent bass player,” Ockerman says. “He could just play all the styles. I really had fun playing with him. I thought he was the best bass player in town.” Like they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Durbin is playing solo at Cottage Creek Vineyards in Morgan Hill Oct. 13. Check out Durbin’s new song “Capitola on My Mind” on Youtube and Facebook. And ring in the New Year with James and Heidi Durbin at the Lost Boys New Year’s Eve celebration Dec. 31 at the Back Nine at the Inn at Pasatiempo, 555 Highway 17, Santa Cruz. Tickets go on sale this month.
It’s ideal for me when it’s a little overcast, a little gloomy. I like being comfortable in a sweatshirt but also taking it off. A breeze is good when you go out and the leaves aren’t gone yet, but they’re all orange and red and pretty to look at.
Ronan Johnson, 19, Barista at Lulu Carpenter’s on Pacific
CLAIRE
I like the leaves falling, and I like that it’s not Summer anymore, it gets way too hot in the Summertime. It makes walking home from school easier.
Claire Madsen, 15, Student at Pacific Collegiate School
KIM
Right now, is a perfect October day. October has the best weather for Santa Cruz — it’s predictably warm and sunny. It’s not the New England Fall with the crisp nip in the air, but I’d rather have this.
Kim Madsen, 58, Contract Negotiator
NATALIE
Gray and foggy all day, so I don’t feel like I’m dying all the time in my room.
A perfect October day would be overcast, a nice crisp temperature, and I get to spend it inside drinking a warm beverage like a nice, spicy, seasonal chai.
Odessa Cross, 30, Library Assistant at Santa Cruz Public Library.
Through Oct. 20, art lovers in Santa Cruz County can take a peek inside the studios of working artists as part of the 39th annual Open Studios Art Tour.
The event spans the county. This weekend, from 11am to 5pm, South County artists will put out the welcome mat. And Oct. 19–20, tours will happen across the whole county.
The 2024 tour includes 307 artists who will showcase works in glass and jewelry, ceramics, wood furniture, drawings, paintings, sculpture, textiles and more.
“The show looks great this year,” says Open Studios Coordinator Ann Osterman. “There are 45 first-time artists this year, loads of veterans and everything in between.”
New this year are satellite shows at the Porter Building in Watsonville and the Santa Cruz Art League in Santa Cruz.
“They are a great way to show artwork from our more remote parts of the county, from places in Watsonville Corralitos, Bonny Doon, Davenport, Soquel hills and elsewhere,” Osterman explains.
“It’s really a nice partnership,” Osterman says. “Judy (Stabile) was generous enough to reach out and be a part of the show. It’s a great way to give a little bit of love to artists who don’t usually get a lot of traffic because of their location. It’s really a jump start to the entire tour.”
The Porter Building show—under the umbrella of Pajaro Valley Arts—runs through Oct. 20 and features 35 artists from La Selva Beach, Watsonville, Davenport,Bonny Doon, San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley. The Porter Building is located at 280 Main St., Watsonville; visit pvarts.org for schedule.
The Santa Cruz Art League will also feature work by many artists, also through Oct. 20. The Art League is located at 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz; visit scal.org for schedule.
Created in 1972, the DC Comic Anti-Hero Swamp Thing tells a story about the conflict between humans and the environment. When making decisions about the natural world, Swamp Thing challenges our human-centered belief that we alone possess intrinsic value. Godzilla may be our dystopian climate change epiphany, as the monster we awakened in the sea stomps ashore; but as for embracing our wetlands to make our shore sustainable, the ecological Swamp Thing is the monster we need to heed.
This is not a DC Comic image. I asked Chatgpt4.0 to draw me a picture of the spirit of the wetlands. Why would we want to drain this guy’s home?
I gotta come clean. For months I’ve resisted hiking the Watsonville wetland trails because I had a preconceived notion that they were nasty places, not meant for humans. There could be hidden creatures that slither and wiggle around your legs. Bugs, crawling and flying things that sting and bite. A step into a marshy place can have mud skoosh up around your foot and creates a sucking sound when you struggle to pull it out.
But I kept reading that wetlands, these swamps, play an enormous role is helping us with climate change. It didn’t take long for my stroll on the paths of the Watsonville wetlands to convince me how fundamental these damp, spongy places are to the struggling organism we call Earth. I’ve turned into a swamper.
What is Watsonville Slough like to hike?
It’s cool. You often walk under a heavy tree canopy, on wide, smooth dirt paths, along running creeks and winding rivers, by buzzing ponds, lakes ringed with dark pools of ferns and tulles. The feeling of peace I get when I stare at that slowly moving river turns off my brain. I imagine Huckleberry Finn and Jim drifting by on a raft. Here’s a river I could float away on. I’m pretty sure this is where Swamp Thing would live. The place feels vibrantly alive, every life form tuned in to every other. Walk beside these rivers, streams and swampy pools and you can feel how these wetlands are a source of ecological vitality. It is no surprise to learn that wetlands play a huge role in our ability to manage risks from climate change. They clean polluted water, they can store floodwaters, they can recharge groundwater, and they are essential habitat for keeping endangered species alive (ecology.wa.gov).
Regarding the “Drain the Swamp” crowd…
Since Ronald Reagan, conservative politicians have campaigned to “drain the swamp.” They don’t get it that to call the federal bureaucracy a swamp is an insult to swamps. Donald Trump wanted to “drain the swamp” so he could hire whatever he found at the bottom; that turned out to be climate change denier Scott Pruitt, whom Trump put in charge of the EPA. That’s like hiring The American Tower Corporation to run the California Coastal Commission. That’s why Swamp Thing is my preferred monster: he does not put up with anyone screwing with his wetland home.
Wetland turns out to be essential for our eco-system and is one mid-range solution to “coastal squeeze.” Santa Cruz County Planner David Carlson tells me that coastal squeeze is when structures, like sea walls, prevent natural coastal habitats from migrating inland as sea levels rise. Passive erosion is how beaches stay alive; you gotta have erosion if you want your beach. Restoring our wetland is a natural way to absorb flooding from sea level rise and makes our coast more resilient.
Here is what is happening in Watsonville: the $599 million Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project is designed to give 100-year flood protection to Pajaro and Watsonville. Barry Baker of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County says, “Wetlands work for controlling flooding by absorbing floodwater and by allowing more space for the water to flood takes pressure off upstream resources” (South Bay News, CBS).
Gary Griggs, a distinguished professor of earth and planetary sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, wrote in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, “The ocean is a thread in the background, trying to push onto the land, and we try to push it back. Native people didn’t have hotels or malls, they just migrated.”
Beach Flats in Santa Cruz used to be a wetland at the mouth of the San Lorenzo River. The Awaswas Nation (Ohlone) lived here for 12,000 years and understood that wetlands are a critical working part of the whole. Geomorphologist Dr. David Revell said, “The ocean is the most powerful force on the planet; why would we pick a fight with it? It’s going to be rising for the next several thousand years, and to hold a line in the sand is crazy. We need to ask, ‘How do we get out of the way?’”
Walking in Swamp Thing’s Footsteps
I park in the Harkins-Slough Road parking lot at the south end of Ramsay Park, 1301 Main St., Watsonville. Harkins Slough is the largest and most north-reaching slough in the Watsonville system (watsonvillewetlandswatch.org). I walk into the park to find massive earth moving projects, construction is everywhere. This 26-acre Community Park is going to become the center of south county; what they are building is amazing. It’ll have a baseball/softball field, basketball courts, a bicycle pump track, children’s and tots’ playgrounds, a family center, tennis courts, volleyball courts, a skate park, soccer field, and access to the trails and the levee. The Watsonville Slough Connector Trail Project at Ramsay Park will establish urban trails within the park and add a trail between Main Street and Harkins Slough.
This is the brand-new Ramsay Park Pump Track, or maybe it’s a flat parking lot and my camera lens was on shrooms. One hundred yards beyond the track is the Watsonville Slough Trail.
Just 50 steps away from the Ramsay parking lot I encounter a houseless guy camped out in a big blue tent. He has a solar panel above the tent. He is camping in an unauthorized place, and will not let me photograph him, but he says that he is a wetlands scientist immersing himself in the environment he’s studying. I ask him if there is a spirit in the swamp.
“There is a spirit here and it moves at night on two legs.”
OK, so he is crazy and houseless … but still, the guy has a solar panel hanging over his tent.
A hundred yards from the parking lot I encounter a high-tech homeless camp, solar panel and all.
The Watsonville Wetlands and Godzilla Rising
Godzilla is our dystopian epiphany, an embodiment of the revelation that by destroying natural balance with CO2 emissions we have awakened a monster that has arrived upon our shores. In our time of climate change, Godzilla is the perfect monster to represent the consequences of our actions.
Harkins Slough is the largest and most north-reaching slough in the Watsonville system. I’m pretty sure this is where Swamp Thing would live.
Godzilla treats us and our communities with the same distain we do. Now when we see the giant beast rise out of the ocean and trudge toward the shore, we bear the weight of a lifetime of missed chances to do something. As the hot air burns our lungs, we wonder why we didn’t do more, or why we didn’t do fucking anything.
That’s why I see Swamp Thing as our redemptive monster. A living embodiment of power and truth in our environment, Swamp Thing protects both us and the environment, from each other. He shows us how to get out of the way. The Awaswas Nation who lived here migrated, and eventually so will we.
According to Watsonville’s city website, these are the top 5 reasons to visit the wetlands of Watsonville:
• Great spot for birding with over 220 species of birds.
• One of the largest remaining freshwater wetlands in the Central Coast of California.
• Over seven miles of walking, biking, and jogging trails for the whole family with 29 easily accessible trail entrances.
• Diverse wildlife to discover, including muskrats, bobcats and tree frogs.
• Free guided nature Walks offered every Sunday through the City Nature Center located in the back of Ramsay Park at 30 Harkins Slough Road
Watsonville Wetlands hiking info: With a total 8.3-mile point-to-point trail near Watsonville, it’s lowland flat, a popular trail for mountain biking, running and walking. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. Dogs are welcome and may be off leash in some areas.
“A million-dollar project on a shoestring budget,” Who Killed Simon Braggart? ...finds unique and inventive ways to play with theater and the audience.
We are not ready for the next big fire: Most of our fire hydrants lack adequate pressure. We need to upgrade 25 miles of waterlines and several tanks...
With a multi-octave vocal range and enigmatic and powerful stage presence, singer/ songwriter/ musician James Durbin, 35, has plenty of irons in his sonic fire.
