Santa Cruz aviation company Joby on Monday became what is likely the first in the nation to deliver an air taxi designed for vertical takeoff and landing.
Joby Aviation delivered the aircraft to the U.S. Air Force at Edward Air Force Base as part of a $131 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense.
The delivery came six months ahead of its promised date, Joby said in a press release.
A second electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is planned to be delivered to Edwards in early 2024.
With a range of up to 100 miles and a top speed of 200 mph, the Joby aircraft is capable of transporting a pilot and four passengers quickly and quietly with zero operating emissions, the company said.
The aircraft will be used for missions such as cargo and passenger transportation.
In addition, NASA will also use the aircraft for research on how eVTOL aircraft might someday be used for transportation nationwide.
Joby’s agreement with the Air Force—called the AFWERX Agility Prime contract—includes providing up to nine aircraft to the U.S. Air Force and other federal agencies.
AFWERX is the Air Force’s technology and innovation arm.
The aircraft was built on Joby’s Pilot Production Line in Marina. It will be stationed at Edwards Air Force Base for at least one year.
The U.S. Air Force and Joby will train its pilots and ground crew, and conduct joint flight testing and operations to get a feel of the aircraft’s capabilities in realistic mission settings. The year-long test run will give the U.S. military a sense of how it might incorporate eVTOL aircraft into its arsenal, and give Joby experience as the company prepares to launch commercial passenger service in 2025.
“We’re proud to join the ranks of revolutionary aircraft that first demonstrated their capabilities at Edwards Air Force Base,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby.
Joby first partnered with the Department of Defense in 2016, when it granted both early funding and access to test ranges.
“The arrival of Joby’s aircraft at Edwards AFB is an important step towards achieving this objective,” said Col Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and Chief Commercialization Officer for the Department of the Air Force.
When it comes to skateboarding, no brand is more iconic than Santa Cruz Skateboards.
Whether it’s the ubiquitous yellow lettering against the red dot or the savage, blue, screaming hand, Santa Cruz Skateboards (SCS) is known throughout the smallest corners of the world. Its apparel and brand transcend the world of skateboarding, often repped by people who don’t even skate but want to look cool just the same.
The art of Santa Cruz Skateboards has been exhibited in 20 cities across the world in traveling art shows and Jim Phillips, the creator of the brand’s quintessential art, is recognized as a high-end artist with collectors around the globe willing to pay top dollar for anything they can get.
Last week Santa Cruz Skateboards celebrated its 50th anniversary with three, tricked-out days of art, music and skating. On Thursday there was a private screening of the upcoming Jim Phillips documentary Art and Life: The Story of Jim Phillips at the Rio Theatre which was followed the next day by two separate, invite-only parties. The first was for NHS employees past and present, a who’s who of world-famous skaters, and fellow industry names. They gathered for the festivities complete with special edition skate deck giveaways, food and speeches from company higher-ups.
In honor of the momentous occasion, representatives from the City and County of Santa Cruz, the California State Assembly and Senator Laird’s office all bestowed recognition proclamations to Richard Novak, one of the company’s founders.
That party ended with a head thrashing set by local metal/punk crossover act Dusted Angel. Singer Clifford Dinsmore is also the frontman for legendary 1980’s punk band, Bl’ast! featured in the infamous Santa Cruz Skateboard ad with a young Rob Roskopp, launching over the band.
“I also worked in the wheel department for two years, maybe three before I bailed to go to school,” Disnmore remembers. “I have this vague memory of it being very surreal with all these gnarly chemicals everywhere.”
Friday night the party moved to Moe’s Alley where anyone lucky enough with a wristband saw rock, surf and punk acts The Bone Shavers (featuring Bob Denike, more on him in a minute), Screaming Lord Salba and his Heavy Friends (featuring the infamous skater, Steve “Salba” Alba), and San Jose’s three decade running pop punks, The Odd Numbers.
Saturday was the grand finale, an open to the public celebration bouncing from two skate parks to land at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk where pro-skaters demonstrated their skills. The night wrapped up in a ribbon of rock with a free concert by pillars in the underground, Dinosaur Jr.
“They were the soundtrack for Alien Workshop [Skateboards] videos of the 1990’s,” explains retired pro-skater and current NHS Inc. CEO and CMO (Chief Marketing Officer), Jeff Kendall. “So it was easy to pick those guys especially since they’re available and on tour right now. We got lucky.”
How did a small skateboard company started by three friends in the sleepy, surf town of Santa Cruz, become the oldest running skate company in the world? And how did it practically create the entire skating industry as we currently know it?
“Killer product, killer team riders, great brand identity, and great graphics backed up by R&D [research and development],” proclaims NHS Executive Chairman, Denike. With the company for 36 years, he spent the last two decades as NHS’ CEO, stepping down only last year.
Yet before grinding into what makes Santa Cruz Skateboards the most influential brand for half a century, a bit of context and history is needed. It’s a history that’s well documented and repeated many times before, so this will be as brief as possible.
BIRTH OF A BRAND
“They were literally in the skateboard business by accident and overnight,” Denike says.
The “they” he speaks of are local surfers Richard Novak, Doug Haut and Jay Shuirman.
They began in 1969 as a reinforced plastics company selling raw materials to manufacturers and making their own boards as Santa Cruz Surfboards.
“Doug was making surfboards throughout the whole beginning,” Novak recalls. “But we [Novak and Shuirman] were running his retail shop.”
It’s the same retail shop where the Santa Cruz Boardroom stands today on 41st Avenue in Capitola.
Novak says he made skateboards prior for personal use. But in 1973 a friend from Santa Cruz–Jimmy Hoffman, Shuirman’s surfing protege or “grem” as they called them back then instead of “groms”–went to McCully Bicycle & Sporting Goods in Hawaii. After talking with them, the sporting goods store challenged the Santa Cruz company with an order of 500 skateboards.
They quickly fulfilled the order with fiberglass decks and unused stock material they had around the shop. Soon after, McCully ordered another 500 that also sold-out almost immediately. That’s when Novak, Shuirman and Haut had their “A-ha” moment. That year they founded NHS Inc. (an acronym of their surname initials) and Santa Cruz Skateboards was born.
“The only reason we did those businesses is because it allowed us to surf all day,” Novak chuckles. “When I saw the skateboard deal going down I thought, ‘Wow, we could build a business in this.’”
He and Shuirman were the two main drivers behind SCS, allowing Haut to continue his surfboard business while maintaining his retail store.
Realizing they wanted to have the best skaters riding the best products to represent their company, NHS Inc. dedicated themselves to constant innovation and created an entire industry around their products.
VINTAGE SKATEWORK The Capitola Classic was a racing competition in
Capitola from ’73-’83. The artwork on those is Jim Phillips. Photo: Mat Weir
ENGINEERING AN INDUSTRY
The first of those innovations was the game changing Road Rider Wheels of 1974. Until that time, skateboards were made with roller skate ball bearings, which were loose balls in the wheel. NHS was able to get a different size balls for much cheaper and installed them as sealed precision bearings. This allowed the rider to have more control with a smoother, faster ride.
Throughout the decades the innovations would come in different forms.
They began making decks, first out of five ply then seven ply maple wood for lightness and durability. Inspired by Formula One race cars, they built the first independent suspension truck for a skateboard and created the Independent Truck Company–the most used trucks in the sport to this day. Santa Cruz Skateboards were also the first to have Everslick, a thermoplastic covering the bottom of the board that allowed riders to slide easier for longer distances. They were the first company to have full art prints on grip tape, the first stackable risers–called Cellblocks–and one of the first to make boards concave instead of flat.
All industry standards to this day and most of them came from the engineering mind of one man, Tim Piumarta, NHS’ Director of Innovation in the R&D department.
“I always tell Bob that when I was 14 I was one of the lucky few in my generation that knew exactly what he wanted to do in life,” Piumarta explains.
“And that was to make skateboards, but make them better, stronger, faster and last longer than before,” he says.
In this spirit, NHS Inc. was the first skateboard company to have an R&D department and continues to be one of the only companies who still does to this day. When Shuirman tragically died in 1979 at the age of 40 from leukemia, it was Piumarta who filled his shoes.
No stranger to the sport, by the time he started working in R&D Piumarta was already an established all-around skater. He applied this knowledge to his life’s mission. Armed with the motto, “You can’t improve what you can’t measure,” he currently holds five U.S. patents with another five pending.
When asked how many he has internationally, Piumarta is at a loss for words.
“I don’t know, a lot” he says.
“Two dozen?,” replies Denike.
Piumarta’s eyes grow wide in amazement before he sincerely exclaims in almost disbelief, “Is it really? Wow!”
Unlike the warehouse and other NHS offices which are covered in art, photos, skateboards, magazine cutouts, clothing and more, Piumarta’s room is a sanitized white with bare walls. Instead of decorations, massive machines designed to test and measure the strength, successfulness and durability of the different skateboard parts fill the room. Walking in feels like being transported to an entirely different world apart from the rest of the company.
“I’ve walked through the door here for about 11,500 days,” he says. “Every time I walk out the front door it’s never ‘Oh no’ but ‘What did we learn today?’”
When asked about Piumarta, Novak doesn’t mince words.
“He’s probably done more for skateboarding than anybody but he doesn’t get credit for it,” he says.
As the saying goes, every dog has its day and for the 50th anniversary, the R&D lab was officially dedicated to Piumarta. However, he doesn’t take all the credit.
“If it hadn’t been for the vision of Richard and Bob to invest in this starting in the 1980’s, we wouldn’t be here.”
What’s Piumarta’s favorite of his innovations?
“The concave skateboard with the upturned nose but I have a lot I’ve forgotten,” he chuckles.
INNOVATION IS KEY
Product innovation isn’t the only way Santa Cruz Skateboards changed the industry. Simply put, there wouldn’t be an industry without the hometown brand.
“Jay and I thought that if you could take skateboarding and make it an international business, all we’d want is a small piece of the pie,” Novak explains. “We didn’t want the whole thing, just a small piece and we’d be ok. So we needed a discipline that would appeal to Europe and Asia, and that was racing.”
Today’s groms might not know this, but before kids were serving tricks on the streets and in backyards, most of the competitions in the early days were around racing. In the 1970’s Santa Cruz Skateboards began sponsoring racing competitions, determined to have the best racers on their team. Those early teams allowed SCS to become a powerhouse in the sport with riders like John Hutson, Mike Goldman and Denike himself.
“We took the money from Road Rider Wheels and dumped it back into Santa Cruz Skateboards,” Denike says.
Even as skateboarding fell out of the mainstream and went underground–sometimes referred as “The Great Collapse”–and SCS went from a multimillion dollar company to almost broke, they somehow survived to thrive.
“1979 was the worst year of my life,” Novak admits. “That was the year Jay died, the industry slowly collapsed and I only had three people who stayed with me.”
SCS was able to reinvent itself and pivot with the trends when backyard pool–or bowl–and street skating filled the void. This was the era of the late Jeff Grosso, Rob Roskopp, Salba, Duane Peters, Eric Dressen, Keith Meek and more. It was also the era of Jeff Kendall, who went pro with SCS from 1986 to 1992.
“I retired at 25 and at that time I was like, ‘Well, now I really have to figure out what my next job is going to be,’” he says.
Kendall has spent the last 37 years with Santa Cruz Skateboards, first as a rider, then as an NHS employee. For 30 of those years he worked in a multitude of positions starting as a team manager to brand manager, marketing director, vice president, chief marketing officer and finally CEO last year.
“I always knew [professional skating] wasn’t going to last forever but I wasn’t considering a job in the industry,” he says. “I was paid to ride this damn thing, how am I going to beat that?”
It was also in the 1980’s when Thrasher magazine, the sports’ monthly bible for everything skateboard related, was founded. While Santa Cruz Skateboards as a brand technically had nothing to do with its creation, Thrasher was founded by Novak, Kevin Thatcher, Eric Swenson and Fausto Vitello initially to promote Independent Trucks, which Swenson and Vitello helped create with Novak and Shiurman.
The magazine’s tagline, “Skate and Destroy” still lives today as stickers, t-shirts and tagged on the walls of skate parks around the world.
Santa Cruz Skateboards used the turmoil of the 1980s to change their signature style to something that would rocket them onto a completely different level than the competition.
Enter the psychedelic world of Jim Phillips.
PHILLIPS’ HEAD
“I always felt the skateboard was my gallery,” Phillips says with his signature smile. “The skateboards are out there all around the world every day. Why do you need a gallery at all?”
Prior to working for them, Phillips was already friends with Novak, Haut and Shuirman through the local surf scene.
“In fact there’s an old story about how Novak kicked me off the beach the first time I surfed Pleasure Point,” he remembers. “I was with my friend Big John Evenson when Rich and another surfer came up and said, ‘You can’t surf here!’ I was ready to go but Big John stood there and said ‘Why can’t we? You guys are surfing down at The Hook, there’s nobody out.’ They said some running words and walked away.”
“The only reason why we gave him permission is because his buddy was bigger than me!” laughs Novak.
Phillips became the art director for NHS and Santa Cruz Skateboards in 1975. It was his artistic brilliance that created the classic Santa Cruz logo in collaboration with Shuirman, who told Phillips to add the important detail of a red dot behind the lettering. At that time SCS graphics were more conservative with patterns of lines or lettering and the company’s name or logo in wholesome, clean font.
So by the 1980’s when punk rock was exploding, do-it-yourself ramps and backyard pools became the new skateparks and kids were looking for more extreme action, the classic Santa Cruz style started to feel dated.
In 1985 that all changed when Phillips designed the first Screaming Hand for NHS’s SpeedWheels line. It was an overnight hit and has become one of–if not the–most recognizable images in skate culture and around the world.
A self-proclaimed workaholic, by the end of the decade Phillips had his own art studio cranking out designs for NHS’s various brands and individual Santa Cruz Skateboard team riders. He used bold lines, bright colors and psychedelic cartoon imagery that perfectly balanced a railslide of humor, gross-out fun and badass imagery.
Kendall’s End of the World board, the Salba Witch Doctor and Claus Grabke’s Exploding Clock are only a few of the plethora of pieces that were sought after. Today, these designs are just as popular with some receiving reissues while originals sell to collectors for hundreds and even thousands of dollars online.
He draws his inspiration from an array of wells of artists like Hieronymous Bosch, Walt Disney, The Fleischer Brothers, Salvador Dali (who Jim co-painted the inside ceiling of a limousine with once) and others. The “mad artists” as Phillips says. However, his greatest inspiration is much closer to home.
“My wife Dolly, we’ll have been married 56 years next month,” he says, smiling. “We’re madly in love. She’s also helped along with some of my creations, gives me lots of advice, and critiques my work when I’m done.”
Phillips’ designs are so popular that in 2013 NHS Inc.won a copyright infringement dispute with New York fashion designer, Jeremy Scott, after his runway show collection blatantly copied Phillips’ Roskopp Face design without permission.
However, Phillips’ personal favorite design might be a surprise.
“I always liked the Slasher,” he says, referring to the design he made for Keith Meek, who also worked in the art studio under Phillips.
“He’s a character more than the Screaming Hand, but I had to talk [NHS] into both.”
Phillips’s world grew much smaller in 2011 when he was diagnosed with not one, but two forms of cancer: bone and melanoma. He retired that year to focus on his health when he was initially only given months to live. Now, 12 years later, he’s as energetic as ever, filled with love and gratitude for every day.
In honor of the private screening of his documentary last Thursday, Philips decided it was time for his next move, unretiring. Attendees to the film were privileged to see the first Jim Phillips piece in 12 years: two slimy aliens holding surfboards at the beach done in a familiar style. The new work will receive a limited run of 66 prints, numbered and signed by the big kahuna himself.
“It’s Dalí-esque,” he says with pride. “I put 200 hours into it.”
SCREENING HAND
As essential as those are to the history of Santa Cruz Skateboards, the company’s innovation in art isn’t just content, but also application. They were the first brand to print on previously ignored things like the wheels and they’re the first to print a full board from nose to tail including the concave dips.
“That’s probably one of the most raddest things I ever got to invent in my life,” says NHS Production Manager, Dave Friel. After 38 years with the company, it’s safe to say that Friel has most likely swiped the ink on anyone’s favorite design from that era, including the original Slasher boards.
“I thought I was the coolest fucking dude on the planet,” he remembers of the run. “I printed 400 boards, all four colors [cyan, magenta, yellow and black] on a white board in one day. That had never been done before.”
Yet to be able to print on an entire concave board without ruining the image, Friel had to create a new type of screen. This one had jigs in the corners with braces that stretched the screen to fit the curves of the board. For years it was a secret design exclusive to NHS and SCS.
“[Our competition] kept going after the idea that something abstract, some weird movement had to make it work,” Friel says. “However we were already onto the next thing. I innovated the silkscreen to a level nobody imagined.”
TO FIFTY AND BEYOND
Today, as the company reaches middle age, Santa Cruz Skateboards shows no signs of slowing down.
“The one thing I want to do before I go is make the seven ply board obsolete,” Novak divulges. “Any sport that you want to innovate, progress and move forward with, the equipment has to get better and better.”
They have experimented with everything from nylon boards to a plastic in 1994 they called NuWood which was an injection-molded board that not only was nearly Indestructible, but it was recyclable (when skaters were done with it they could return it to NHS who would grind it up to make a new one).
This year they launched a crossover collaboration with Pokémon that featured different characters on the decks with some being more limited–and therefore more collectible–than others. However each board was individually wrapped in a foil package (like a pack of Pokemon trading cards) so buyers had no idea which board they were buying until they opened it. They sold out online in less than five minutes.
“As a brand, Santa Cruz has also been working on reissues for the past 20 years,” Kendall says. “I have boards with my names on them that are still selling to this day which blows my mind.”
Like his first, End of the World board which was recently reissued.
“I’m really proud of the people I have working for me, especially the last 20 years,” concludes Novak. “They are NHS.”
Lindsy Valdez, 38, Manager at Hapa’s Brewery, Los Gatos
“Have I seen a UFO? Yes! I was with friends around a bonfire, and it was this pretty large light in the sky that just appeared, not blinking, not moving, just hovering there, not making any sound. It lingered for maybe ten minutes, and then disappeared. But I’m not scared of aliens—they just seem like people.”
Kamran Aghevli, 11, Student
“I think the aliens are a life force, not like with three eyes or whatever. They’re probably thinking of a chance to strike soon, waiting for when we’re vulnerable.”
Jeannie Liu, 36, Physical Therapist
“There might be endless numbers of parallel universes that technology hasn’t detected, so anything is possible. The Air Force pilots have seen things, but our perceptions will change under stressful situations. Also, illusions happen, like how a camera exposure can make it look like there’s a ghost behind someone. So, it’s hard to say if they saw a UFO—but I’m open to the possibility.”
Evan Bacon, 18, Barista / Student of Economics at UCSC
“There’s too much talk about UFOs at this moment for it to be real. It’s a distraction from what’s really going on. It’s unrealistic to think we’re the only beings to figure out space travel, but little gray men are a bit far-fetched. If aliens were real, why would they look like they do in movies? I think there’s some truth in what the Air Force pilots saw, but they could be mistaken in what they are seeing.”
Susan Trinity, 60, Self Employed
“I haven’t seen one, but I know someone that has. He was in the Army—he dealt with it, and he said it really messed him up. I do know they are out there, and I consider that we came from UFOs, we are descended from aliens, we came here. There we go!”
Jeff Fitzgerald, 35, IT Consultant
“I’ve seen the videos and the guy who testified in Congress. It’s pretty exciting that they’ve acknowledged it publicly. It’s intriguing, but there’s so many things that it could be. If there is an alien species capable of faster than light travel, if they wanted to do something terrible to us, they probably would already have done it. And what could we really do about it?”
If you wanted to design the perfect incubator for a jazz musician, it might look a lot like the Santa Cruz scene Donny McCaslin grew up in, circa 1980s.
There was a percolating, local jazz marketplace in those days, with steady gigs for musicians, a renowned jazz program at Cabrillo College and in 1975, the opening of the Kuumbwa Jazz Center, provided an unshakeable stage for both local players and traveling icons.
McCaslin returned to familiar turf last week. He and his quartet played the West End stage at the Monterey Jazz Festival, where he played several times while still in high school.
He started learning the saxophone at age 12.
The quartet will play music from his new album “I Want More,”out on Edition Records.
McCaslin’s late father, Don McCaslin, was at the epicenter of the scene as a steadily gigging, dedicated pianist and vibraphonist who sometimes played as many as 13 gigs in a week.
In those days, jazz people were known to hold down long-running, standing gigs and Don had a lot of them. He played 17 years outdoors at the Cooper House before it was wrecked by the Loma Prieta earthquake.
Don also played almost 20 years at the Wharf House in Capitola and nearly 25 at Severino’s in Aptos. He had long runs at the 2525 Club in Soquel, the old Bayview Hotel in Aptos, and the New Riverside in Capitola, along with steady bookings at places like the Crow’s Nest, the Balzac Bistro, and many other clubs that live in memory.
His son Donny McCaslin, now based in Brooklyn, has early memories of going to his dad’s Cooper House gigs to help him set up and watch the show.
Thinking back, McCaslin thinks his interest in the tenor sax might have been sparked by his father’s tenorman, Jesse Braxton, “a very charismatic player.” Once he decided on the sax, McCaslin started taking lessons from the still-active sax player Brad Hecht and later Paul Contos, who has a prominent position in the education department at SF Jazz in the Bay Area.
“My dad gave me so much info that was brand new to me, about players like John Coltrane and Michael Brecker and I started exploring the jazz language,” McCaslin says.
The younger McCaslin didn’t take long to achieve fluency. Living with his mother in Happy Valley after his parents divorced, McCaslin attended Aptos High School and got an early start with its renowned jazz program.
McCaslin auditioned with the jazz band at Cabrillo College and found he wasn’t ready, but soon after started participating in Cabrillo band rehearsals several days a week.
He started sitting in with his dad’s bands several days a week at the recently-opened Kuumbwa Jazz, a place where he once saw jazz titans like Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner play.
“All those elements gave me a real immersion in the music,” he says. “I had the opportunity to make some mistakes and learn from the best.
His father “really worked hard at music, but for him it wasn’t just a job. He knew a million songs and the whole word of music was a huge part of his identity.”
McCaslin’s adolescence as a developing musical prodigy wasn’t always smooth sailing, with the emotional turmoil of his parents’ split weighing on him.
But “Musically, it was an ideal environment,” he says. Thanks in part to scholarships he won in soloist competitions, McCaslin was able to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 1984. In his sophomore year, he turned down an offer from drum icon Buddy Rich to go on tour, deciding he wasn’t ready for the big leagues.
In 1990, he moved to the center of the jazz world, NYC, where he freelanced with a long list of top players, among them Cuban pianist Danilo Perez and bassist Eddie Gomez.
Along the way McCaslin started composing original music and became a bandleader.
“The composing happened organically because of the instrument I play,” he notes. “Sax is a lead instrument.”
McCaslin’s career took a major leap around 2015 when the late David Bowie heard him solo with the Maria Schneider Orchestra. Bowie’s people came to hear McCaslin’s combo. “The next day [Bowie] emailed me asking to record some music,” he says.
Bowie’s epic final album, 2016’s “Blackstar”, was the result. The record won multiple Grammy awards and McCaslin shared the spotlight. The experience influenced his own first album, which blended elements of alt-rock with jazz.
Dipping further into the pop music waters, McCaslin spent part of this summer touring with Elvis Costello and the Imposters, as part of a three-piece horn section. Since the Bowie project, McCaslin says his phone has been ringing more often with frontman opportunities. He’s been touring in Europe and Japan with a new album, which he will perform in Monterey with his quartet. Playing alongside him will be pianist Jason Lindner, bassist Tim Lefebre and drummer Nate Woods.
Using the music he helped Bowie create as “a jumping off point,” McCaslin has also developed a Blackstar symphony that includes his band, a 75-piece orchestra and three vocalists. It debuted last year in Tel Aviv. A Pacific Northwest tour starts in November and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. is slated for early next year.
Despite his success, McCaslin always came back to jam on familiar grounds. Unfortunately, in January, 2020, he played his last gig with his father, who was struggling with health problems. Two months later he died of congestive heart failure at the age of 93.
He hasn’t forgotten what he considers the most important lesson his dad passed on to him. It wasn’t about riffs and chords, but rather the personal finance tightrope-walk of the jazz life.
“He often said to me, ‘if you’re going to go into something, do it because you really love it, not to become affluent,’” McCaslin says.
BEAT FARMERS By now, everyone is used to bands mixing any and every genre together. But in the ’80s, it was unusual for bands to blend elements like Americana, punk and jangle pop. There were some brave, underground bands that challenged people’s ideas of genre lines. One of the greats was Southern California’s Beat Farmers. The band flirted with mainstream success, but were ultimately a little too strange for pop radio. They were a lot of fun and their loyal fanbase knew that. They played Northern California all the time back during their original run. San Jose greats Grey Matter are reuniting for this show as well. AARON CARNES
MAC SABBATH Sometimes when I’m grabbing some late night burgers and fries, I think to myself, “Damn this is so metal.” Maybe my association with metal and burgers is due to the most metal band out there: Mac Sabbath, a demented version of Ronald McDonald and friends that play sick and twisted fast food-themed renditions of Black Sabbath tunes. Yeah, it sounds silly, but wait till you see Grimace bite the head off of a bat and spit its blood into the audience! I’m not saying that will happen at Mac Sabbath’s upcoming show, but it’s that kind of metal intensity. And burgers and fries. AC
HARMONIZING VOCALS Robinson Rohe,
Into the Night. Photo: Aidan Grant
ROBINSON & ROHE Fifteen years ago Liam Robinson and Jean Rohe got together over their mutual love for folk music, song-swapping and wordplay. However, they wouldn’t release their debut album, Hunger, until 2017. Their harmonizing vocals, sharp but playful lyrics and rich melodies are the perfect soundtrack for the forests of Boulder Creek and the intimate setting of Lille Aeske Arthouse. They will be playing songs off their latest album, Into the Night, released this past May and will bring audience members a “portrait of togetherness and honest, defiant joy in a messy world.” MAT WEIR
PRÓXIMA PARADA In December 2022, influencer Matt Firestine put Próxima Parada’s song “Musta Been a Ghost” on one of his TikToks, and it went viral. The attention has been intense, but the ever-sunny band—formed among friends at Cal Poly in 2012—met the massive swell with a strong foundation and a lot of joy. Nick Larson drives the project with his playful delivery of deep themes in a spirit reminiscent of funk and blues contemporaries like Alabama Shakes, Leon Bridges, Lake Street Dive and Vulfpeck. Last year, as his life changed overnight, he said, “We’re just getting started.” ADDIE MAHMASSANI
MOUNTAINFILM ON TOUR Each year the outdoorsy cinephiles of Mountainfilm, who are based in Telluride, pack up the proverbial reels from their Memorial Day festival and hit the road to bring the country a new selection of award-winning wilderness documentaries. Focused on environmental, cultural and social justice issues, this year’s films rove from a mini-history lesson on an unsung defender of Title IX to a profile of Hermosa Beach legend Frank Paine, who overcame his agoraphobia with the help of the surfing community. A portion of ticket sales will go to Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship, helping maintain the trails around the city where adventures happen daily. AM
INFO: 7pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz. $20. 423-8209.
ROCK
POWER STRIP It’s not common to find a band that can cover classic rockabilly artist, Roy Orbison and the short-lived, Los Angeles punks, The Germs, but that’s the beauty of Power Strip. Formed in 2010, the dynamic duo of Sayaka Yabuki and Tait Reed–long-time locals might remember Reed from Noise Clinic–Power Strip is their version of a cover band but with a twist. This week these two highly seasoned musicians will play their most stripped down set yet with only guitar, violin, synth and vocals. As uncommon as it is to find a band with a repertoire like Power Strip, it’s just as rare to see Power Strip play these days, so grab a pint of Discretion and let the good times roll. MW
YELLOWJACKETS Combining crossover appeal with improvisational prowess, Yellowjackets has been pushing musical boundaries since its beginnings in the 1970s as guitarist Robben Ford’s backing band. When Ford went his own way in pursuit of a vocal-oriented style in 1983, the band focused on instrumentals and quickly garnered recognition as one of the top jazz-fusion outfits in the country. With 25 albums and 17 Grammy nominations to their name (plus 2 wins!), Russell Ferrante, Bob Mintzer and William Kennedy—along with their latest addition, bass player Dane Alderson—continue exploring the adventurous sonic landscape born of melding traditional jazz with funk groove and rock rhythm. AM
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $52.50/adv, $57.75/door. 427-2227.
CLASS
ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS Modern society is overwhelming. Between the traffic noise, constant television in every room, restaurant and bar, multitudes of social media, emails, text messages, videos, soundbites, music streaming and more, it’s easy–and sometimes necessary–to mentally check-out, in order to process everything. But in the mess of modern life the skill of active listening often becomes dull or dwindles altogether. This Saturday, SubRosa Community Space and Free Skool Santa Cruz is offering a class on how to give all of your attention to someone and actively participate in listening and conversing for improved mutual understanding. MW
INFO: 1pm, SubRosa Community Space, 703 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 426-5242.
TUESDAY 10/3
AMERICANA
VALERIE JUNE There is no voice like Valerie June’s, and wow is it a good one. But June is more than her vocals—deep sound, moving in both its layered complexity and its tributes to musical traditions of the past. June’s songs scratch the itch for anyone seeking the spiritual experience of collective ecstasy that only beautiful music can create. She’s on the bill for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the greatest, freest (literally and figuratively) music festival in the Bay Area, but a Hardly Strictly set only lasts for so long. Those who crave more Valerie June can find her at the Rio Theatre. JESSICA IRISH
INFO: 8 pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz. $34. 423-1854.
This is not the obituaries section. But I am here to announce 24-hour spots in Santa Cruz are pretty much…dead.
There is one shining exception, however, which goes round the clock unless it runs out of product: Ferrell’s Donuts on Mission. A place where the sprinkle cake donuts, Boston creams, bear claws, old-fashioneds and jalapeño-ham-cheese croissants remain godsends at any hour. (The other Ferrell’s locations keep normal-ish hours).
I asked a staffer—an extremely welcoming and helpful staffer, who offered me a free and fantastic cronut hole—what the scene is like around 4am.
“When it’s 4, things return to normal,” she said. “1am to 3am is when it gets interesting.”
This quest was a challenge issued by one-time night owl and local harmonica rocker Brad Kava (also Good Times’ editor), and Surf City native Jeanette Bent (managing editor) who wrote, “There used to be lots of 24-hour eateries. Now, there doesn’t seem to be any, let alone ‘late night’ places to eat that aren’t fast food. Are there?”
So I went out and yes, found the options aren’t robust, but they are there and will require at least two installments to cover.
Here appear a few other lessons that emerged, with more to come next week.
COUNT ON A CLASSIC
Good Times readers’ vote for Best Late Night Eats, Charlie Hong Kong, just celebrated 25 years, but is all about reverse aging—thanks to organic produce, tofu and chicken in life-giving dishes like Goddess of Springtime salads, Vietnamese pho ga and Chiang Mai noodles. It shutters at 10pm, which doesn’t qualify as all that late in most cities. Here it’s somewhat rare. Other excellent members of the 10pm crew: Hula’s Island Grill, Parish Publick House, Santa Cruz Diner, Sante Adarius/Bookie’s Pizza, and Back Nine Grill & Bar. Bonus until-10pm outlets: Sesame Korean Grill, Tacos El Chuy and Taqueria Jalapeños.
CENTRAL ALSO WORKS
Tick the clock to 10:30pm and even on a Friday the options slim, but do include more stalwarts. Among them is El Palomar, which presents such a bankable, spacious and central space in the heart of Pacific Street that perhaps locals take it for granted. I emerged from the friendly service with thin and freshly fried house chips and the enchiladas especiales. The huachinango (charbroiled whole snapper) looks promising too. Additional 10:30pm alternatives not far from El Palomar include the time-honored Jeffery’s; breakout newbie Namaste Grill & Bar (paneer pizza!); old standby Rosie McCann’s Irish Pub & Restaurant (open till midnight, though its underrated kitchen closes at 10:30pm); and Munch for cheesesteaks, hot dogs and burgers, until 10:30pm Friday only.
THERE’S MORE IN STORE
Full disclosure: this is not intended to be an exhaustive report. It’s a starting point. Please DM any recs to @MontereyMCA on Instagram, and maybe we can make this one-two punch a three-part combo. Up next week: 11pm stars (Special Noodle! Upper Crust! Gobi Mongolian!), midnight riders (Pizza My Heart! Britannia Arms! The Reef Bar & Grill!) and beyond.
Cruz Kitchen & Taps, replacing the old Saturn Café, was opened in 2022 by co-owners Mia Thorn and Dameon DeWorken. Thorn, an oncology nurse, looked for a bright side during Covid and found herself wanting to be more involved in the celebratory side of life.
She approached Dameon, an experienced chef she had known for years and whose food she loved and had been following for over a decade. He was on board for her idea of a Santa Cruz-forward spot.
Thorn says the ambiance is all about local art paired with Asian influenced California cuisine. Chicken wings and an unexpected smoked white fish highlight the appetizer choices, and entrée favorites include braised beef short ribs and grilled salmon with smoked paprika garlic ginger sauce. For dessert, the Peanut Butter Cake is a must. It’s like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and Butterfinger cake baby. Hours are Mon/Wed/Fri from 4-8:30pm and Sat/Sun from 12-9:30pm (closed Tues/Thurs).
Tell me about your commitment to local art?
MIA THORN: What’s cool about Santa Cruz is that it’s filled with talented people, and I feel like my job is to coordinate, feature and uplift them. Beyond Dameon showcasing his culinary art and talent on our guest’s taste buds, we also have each table designed by a different local artist, as well as the rotating wall artwork.
How do you feel about the future of downtown?
We are really hopeful and glad to see more housing being built, which the town really needs. I know it’s controversial and the noise and hassle that comes with major construction has been a hardship. However, we are excited for the future of our business, and downtown generally, to continue to thrive and evolve.
As much as Santa Cruzans buck against big business, I think it’s also very important to support small businesses like us that are going through this.
145 Laurel Street, Santa Cruz, 831-713-5173; cruzkitchenandtaps.com
I stopped by Alfaro Winery recently for a tasting and was smitten with the 2021 “Whole Cluster” Pinot Noir ($48). Fortunately, Ryan Alfaro, son of Richard and Mary Kay Alfaro who started their wine operation back in 1997, was on hand to tell me all about this wine. As winemaker of the “Whole Cluster” Pinot, Ryan certainly knows the ins and outs of it.
Ryan said the Pinot is selling at a brisk clip, not surprisingly. Gaining a wealth of knowledge from his winemaker father Richard Alfaro, the expertise that Ryan shows in his winemaking skills is certainly revealed in this well-made Pinot. The velvety-textured wine has well-integrated tannins and acidity, making it a perfect pairing with fatty foods such as salmon, or roasted chicken and pasta dishes.
The wine was made with 100% whole clusters, hence the name, with grapes from the Lindsay Paige Vineyard (named for Ryan’s sister). The inclusion of stems during fermentation leads to an abundance of floral and spice on the nose, and ripe Bing cherry and blackberry elements on the palate. It is aged for 10 months in neutral French oak barrels—the end result being an outstanding Pinot to enjoy right now.
It’s very easy to find Alfaro wines. They are sold in many local markets and restaurants and the family participates in wine-related events far and wide.
If you have never experienced a Vine to View dinner at Chaminade, then the time is ripe! These seasonal dining extravaganzas are held outdoors, complete with a panoramic vista of the Monterey Bay. The next dinner is Oct. 20 featuring Calerrain Wines. Visit Chaminade.com for info.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Author Diane Ackerman says it’s inevitable that each of us sometimes “looks clumsy or gets dirty or asks stupid questions or reveals our ignorance or says the wrong thing.” Knowing how often I do those things, I’m extremely tolerant of everyone I meet. I’m compassionate, not judgmental, when I see people who try too hard, are awkward, care for one another too deeply or are too open to experience. I myself commit such acts, so I’d be foolish to criticize them in others. During the coming weeks, Aries, you will generate good fortune for yourself if you suspend all disparagement. Yes, be accepting, tolerant and forgiving—but go even further. Be downright welcoming and amiable. Love the human comedy exactly as it is.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus comedian Kevin James confesses, “I discovered I scream the same way whether I’m about to be devoured by a great white shark or if a piece of seaweed touches my foot.” Many of us could make a similar admission. The good news, Taurus, is that your anxieties in the coming weeks will be the “piece of seaweed” variety, not the great white shark. Go ahead and scream if you need to—hey, we all need to unleash a boisterous yelp or howl now and then—but then relax.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Here are famous people with whom I have had personal connections: actor Marisa Tomei, rockstar Courtney Love, filmmaker Miranda July, playwright David Mamet, actor William Macy, philosopher Robert Anton Wilson, rockstar Paul Kantor, rock impresario Bill Graham and author Clare Cavanagh. What? You never heard of Clare Cavanagh? She is the brilliant and renowned translator of Nobel Prize laureate poet Wisława Szymborska and the authorized biographer of Nobel Prize laureate author Czesław Miłosz. As much as I appreciate the other celebrities I named, I am most enamored of Cavanagh’s work. As a Gemini, she expresses your sign’s highest potential: the ability to wield beautiful language to communicate soulful truths. I suggest you make her your inspirational role model for now. It’s time to dazzle and persuade and entertain and beguile with your words.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): I cheer you on when you identify what you want. I exult when you devise smart plans to seek what you want, and I celebrate when you go off in high spirits to obtain and enjoy what you want. I am gleeful when you aggressively create the life you envision for yourself, and I do everything in my power to help you manifest it. But now and then, like now, I share Cancerian author Franz Kafka’s perspective. He said this: “You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait. Do not even wait, be quite still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked. It has no choice. It will roll in ecstasy at your feet.”
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Let’s talk about changing your mind. In some quarters, that’s seen as weak, even embarrassing. But I regard it as a noble necessity, and I recommend you consider it in the near future. Here are four guiding thoughts. 1. “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” —George Bernard Shaw. 2. “Only the strongest people have the pluck to change their minds, and say so, if they see they have been wrong in their ideas.” —Enid Blyton. 3. “Sometimes, being true to yourself means changing your mind. Self changes, and you follow.” —Vera Nazarian. 4. “The willingness to change one’s mind in the light of new evidence is a sign of rationality, not weakness.” ―Stuart Sutherland.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “The soul moves in circles,” psychologist James Hillman told us. “Hence our lives are not moving straight ahead; instead, hovering, wavering, returning, renewing, repeating.” In recent months, Virgo, your soul’s destiny has been intensely characterized by swerves and swoops. And I believe the rollicking motion will continue for many months. Is that bad or good? Mostly good—especially if you welcome its poetry and beauty. The more you learn to love the spiral dance, the more delightful the dance will be.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If you have ever contemplated launching a career as a spy, the coming months will be a favorable time to do so. Likewise if you have considered getting trained as a detective, investigative journalist, scientific researcher or private eye. Your affinity for getting to the bottom of the truth will be at a peak, and so will your discerning curiosity. You will be able to dig up secrets no one else has discovered. You will have an extraordinary knack for homing in on the heart of every matter. Start now to make maximum use of your superpowers!
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Have you been sensing a phantom itch that’s impossible to scratch? Are you feeling less like your real self lately and more like an AI version of yourself? Has your heart been experiencing a prickly tickle? If so, I advise you not to worry. These phenomena have a different meaning from the implications you may fear. I suspect they are signs you will soon undertake the equivalent of what snakes do: molting their skins to make way for a fresh layer. This is a good thing! Afterward, you will feel fresh and new.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): According to legend, fifth-century Pope Leo I convinced the conquering army of Attila the Hun to refrain from launching a full-scale invasion of Italy. There may have been other reasons, in addition to Leo’s persuasiveness. For example, some evidence suggests Attila’s troops were superstitious because a previous marauder died soon after attacking Rome. But historians agree that Pope Leo was a potent leader whose words carried great authority. You, Sagittarius, won’t need to be quite as fervently compelling as the ancient pope in the coming weeks. But you will have an enhanced ability to influence and entice people. I hope you use your powers for good!
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Singer-songwriter Joan Baez has the longevity and endurance typical of many Capricorns. Her last album in 2018 was released 59 years after her career began. An article in The New Yorker describes her style as “elegant and fierce, defiant and maternal.” It also noted that though she is mostly retired from music, she is “making poignant and unpredictable art,” creating weird, hilarious line drawings with her non-dominant hand. I propose we make Baez your inspirational role model. May she inspire you to be elegant and fierce, bold and compassionate, as you deepen and refine your excellence in the work you’ve been tenaciously plying for a long time. For extra credit, add some unexpected new flair to your game.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian author and activist Mary Frances Berry has won numerous awards for her service on behalf of racial justice. One accomplishment: She was instrumental in raising global awareness of South Africa’s apartheid system, helping to end its gross injustice. “The time when you need to do something,” she writes, “is when no one else is willing to do it, when people are saying it can’t be done.” You are now in a phase when that motto will serve you well, Aquarius.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I invite you to spend quality time gazing into the darkness. I mean that literally and figuratively. Get started by turning off the lights at night and staring, with your eyes open, into the space in front of you. After a while, you may see flashes of light. While these might be your optic nerves trying to fill in the blanks, they could also be bright spirit messages arriving from out of the void. Something similar could happen on a metaphorical level, too. As you explore parts of your psyche and your life that are opaque and unknown, you will be visited by luminous revelations.
It’s staggering how our somewhat small city is a brand name across the globe. You travel anywhere and you are likely to see the words Santa Cruz on shirts, guitars, mountain bikes, a pickup, cookies…and the most famous skateboard company in the world.
I mean, you don’t see branding like this for way bigger cities like Des Moines, Fresno, San Jose…run down the list. How did our little county (25th in the state with 264,000 people) and city (61,000) get such notoriety?
One answer is in Mat Weir’s cover story tracing the history of the 50-year-old Santa Cruz Skateboards, which has created art and logos so popular that even non-skaters wear them. They are virtually everywhere.
But it wasn’t always always an easy haul. Mat traces the company from its high, to almost going broke and then, like a boarder flying over the lip, back to the top again.
That company says everything great about our community. They make great products, they support the community in so many ways (including building local skate parks), they put us on the map with color and art and a vibe that screams SANTA CRUZ.
You have to read Mat’s story whether you care about skating or not. This is quality business writing and reporting on the level of Rolling Stone or the New York Times. I’m so proud to be publishing a piece like this and it’s given me the kind of joy that skaters have with their incredibly cool boards. I hope you share the joy. (There is a longer version at Goodtimes.sc)
There is so much great stuff in this issue, with features on cool things for students, profiles of important musicians and restaurants and our phenomenal street talk column where you get to hear from your neighbors, this week about UFOs. We’ve also got serious news about a new speech learning center and what is in the future for our beloved, if rough around the edges, downtown.
Enjoy and figure out where you want to go for your good times.
Brad Kava
Photo Contest
TAKE A HIKE Walking the trails in Scotts Valley. Photograph by Jo Gliddon.
Good Idea
October is museum month for Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Museum Partnership is making it easy to visit Santa Cruz Area Museums. In October, the partnership will be offering free and reduced admission to our local museums. Just pick up a Museum Month Pass at Wonderland Toys in Aptos, or at other locations sponsored by First5. Find the full list of locations at: museummonth.santacruzcountymuseums.org
Good Work
Last Friday, Santa Cruz METRO Board of Directors approved the purchase of 57 hydrogen-powered, fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs)— the largest acquisition of FCEBs in North American history. The new buses will start taking passengers in late 2024, mostly servicing the Watsonville area. The new vehicles will replace aging gas and diesel buses, converting 59% of METRO’s fleet to zero-emissions—all in support of one day transitioning to a 100% zero-emission technology fleet.
Quote of the Week
“Aging is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person you always should have been.”
mes to skateboarding, no brand is more iconic than Santa Cruz Skateboards. Whether it’s the ubiquitous yellow lettering against the red dot or the savage, blue, screaming hand, Santa Cruz Skateboards (SCS) is known throughout the smallest corners of the world. Its apparel and brand...
Have I seen a UFO? Yes! I was with friends around a bonfire, and it was this pretty large light in the sky that just appeared, not blinking, not moving, just hovering there, not making any sound. It lingered for maybe ten minutes, and then...
ator for a jazz musician, it might look a lot like the Santa Cruz scene Donny McCaslin grew up in, circa 1980s. There was a percolating, local jazz marketplace in those days, with steady gigs for musicians...
There is no voice like Valerie June’s, and wow is it a good one. But June is more than her vocals—deep sound, moving in both its layered complexity and its tributes to musical traditions of the past. June’s songs scratch the itch for anyone seeking the spiritual experience of collective ecstasy that only beautiful music can create.
This is not the obituaries section. But I am here to announce 24-hour spots in Santa Cruz are pretty much…dead. There is one shining exception, however, which goes round the clock unless it runs out of product: Ferrell’s Donuts on Mission. A place where...
Cruz Kitchen & Taps, replacing the old Saturn Café, was opened in 2022 by co-owners Mia Thorn and Dameon DeWorken. Thorn, an oncology nurse, looked for a bright side during Covid and found herself wanting to be more involved in the celebratory side of life.
Ryan Alfaro, son of Richard and Mary Kay Alfaro who started their wine operation back in 1997, was on hand to tell me all about this wine. As winemaker of the “Whole Cluster” Pinot, Ryan certainly knows the ins and outs of it. Ryan said the Pinot...
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Author Diane Ackerman says it's inevitable that each of us sometimes "looks clumsy or gets dirty or asks stupid questions or reveals our ignorance or says the wrong thing.” Knowing how often I do those things, I'm extremely tolerant of everyone I meet. I’m compassionate, not judgmental, when I see people who try too hard,...
It’s staggering how our somewhat small city is a brand name across the globe. You travel anywhere and you are likely to see the words Santa Cruz on shirts, guitars, mountain bikes, a pickup, cookies…and the most famous skateboard company in the world. I mean, you don’t see branding like this for way bigger cities like Des Moines, Fresno, San Jose…
