Guard Juan Toscano sticks his arm up to deflect a pass in the third quarter of the Santa Cruz Warriors’ home playoff game.
It’s Friday night, March, 29, and Toscano corrals the ball, sending his team into a full-on sprint and into its transition offense, with the Warriors hunting for mismatches, and ready to feast on the opposing Oklahoma City Blue’s tiniest of miscommunications. Once he reaches the key, Toscano pitches a pass to Damion Lee, who draws a couple defenders while striding toward the rim. Lee then spins and tosses the ball underhand to Antonius Cleveland, who’s waiting in the corner for a three-pointer. Cleveland hesitates, drawing contact from the nearest Blue defender. He sinks the shot as an official blows his whistle, signaling a shooting foul. Cleveland hits his free throw to complete a four-point play, Santa Cruz’s second of the game, and it puts the Warriors up 94-68 with four minutes left to play in the third quarter.
The team’s big four-point plays epitomized its performance in the Western Conference Semifinals—dizzying skill, mixed with a little bit of luck, for a show-stopping display explosive fireworks. The Santa Cruz Warriors went on to win 117-102 on their home floor at Kaiser Permanente Arena, behind a hot start and impressive shot making.
The team may need more of all that this upcoming week, if it wants to keep its season alive. With Friday night’s win behind them, the Warriors now move on to play the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Tuesday, April 2 on the road in the Western Conference Finals. The winner of that game will go on to play in the development league championship.
Toscano, who finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds, grew up in Castro Valley in the East Bay, not far from Oakland—home to the Golden State Warriors, Santa Cruz’s big-brother NBA affiliate. Toscano’s family and friends showed up Friday night to watch him play, he says, adding that he’s honored to be a part of the organization this year, given his local ties.
“It is a pretty special thing,” he says. “But that’s in the back of my mind right now. I just want to win a championship. And after that, I’ll look back and reminisce.”
Santa Cruz attacked the basket early Friday, repeatedly sprinting the length of the court for transition points, cutting to get open shots and moving the ball. That got the Warriors off to a hot start, giving them a commanding 27-point lead to close out the first half. Santa Cruz Head Coach Aaron Miles says the team wanted to make as big of a statement as possible from the opening tip-off. The Blue had been able to overcome a 23-point first-half deficit in its previous match three nights earlier against the Salt Lake City Stars.
When it came to making shots this past Friday night, the Blue were cold from the start. The Warriors weren’t. The Blue shot 29 percent from three. The Warriors shot 43 percent on three—59 percent in the first half. The team’s strong shooting performance masked some of its lazy transition defense later in the game. Santa Cruz could do well to cut out such lapses when it travels to Texas to take on the Vipers Tuesday night.
The Vipers have long excelled at maximizing their offensive efficiency. They led the league in three-pointers this season, just like they usually do—and just as their affiliate Houston Rockets have at the NBA level.
Averse to long two-pointers, the Vipers have developed a reputation for shooting as many lay-ups and three-pointers as possible. It appears to have paid dividends. The Vipers have seen as much team success as anyone, going 2-2 in the championship game since 2010.
I asked previous Santa Cruz Warriors Coach Casey Hill for his take of the Vipers’ overall strategy back in 2014,, and he told me then that it was one way to approach team-building, but that the Warriors had a different one: Santa Cruz was focused on developing players, whereas Rio Grande Valley was using its unit as a laboratory to develop a system and a philosophy.
As was the case several years ago, that philosophy is helping to power an offensive juggernaut at the development level. Miles, the Warriors’ current coach, says his team has to be ready for that kind of attack, as well as for Viper personnel more than capable of carrying it out.
“Lay-ups and three pointers. And everyone they get—they give them confidence to shoot it, and they move the ball well, and they attack the paint and do kick-out [passes],” Miles says. “No mid-range [shots]. It’s worked for ’em.”
The Santa Cruz Warriors play the Rio Grande Valley Vipers Tuesday, April 2 at 6 p.m. Pacific Time. The game will air on ESPNU.
Buying the right piece of furniture can be stressful, but not if you’re selecting a new piece from the Ekornes’ Stressless line, made to order in Norway.
They focus on selling quality, eco-friendly furniture that lasts a lifetime.
If you are design-challenged, you can hire Lori to help you with your space.
They offer mattress systems, including their Oxygen Pillow and sleep wedges, all designed to deliver deep, restorative sleep.
Many of their home décor items are made by local artists.
Best Home Decorating
Botanic and Luxe
Shop owners and best friends Leilani Kanter and Ariel Carlson grew up in Kaua’i together. They bring the Aloha spirit to every aspect of the store.
If you purchase a plant here, they are very serious about helping you understand what it takes to keep it alive, even if that means helping you find the perfect air plant.
Botanic and Luxe is the perfect gift destination. Just don’t expect to leave without also buying something for yourself.
They will wrap your gift so that it looks like you spent hours getting it just right.
In addition to home goods, they also offer natural beauty products, including hard-to-find OLO perfumes.
7775 Soquel Drive, Aptos, 662-6000; 819 Bay Ave., Capitola, 464-5300; 75 River St., Santa Cruz, 457-5000; 4604 Scotts Valley Drive # 10, Scotts Valley, 461-5000; 595 Auto Center Dr, Watsonville, 761-7600, sccountybank.com
303 River St., Santa Cruz, 219-4122; 311 Capitola Rd. Ext., Santa Cruz, 346-1897; 5310 Scotts Valley Dr., Unit C, Scotts Valley, 777-5711, lloydstire.com
RUNNER-UP Aptos Tire, Pasillas
Toy Store (kids)
Childish
1127 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, 454-8208, childishsantacruz.com
Friends invited us for dinner, and I took a bottle of Verde Vineyards Estate Cabernet Franc for us all to try. It was a hit! Everybody was impressed with the lush flavors of ripe plum, red fruit and chalky old-world tannins, along with heady aromas of plum, pipe tobacco and eucalyptus.
And although Cab Franc pairs well with dark meat and dishes such as braised short ribs, our friends had made roast chicken—and I can only tell you that the 100 percent estate Cab Franc tasted wonderful paired with poulet!
Verde Vineyards is based in Gilroy and owned by George and Lynda Green, who specialize in small-lot, hand-crafted Bordeaux varietals from their estate vineyards. Grapes were hand-picked for the complex 2017 Santa Clara Valley Cabernet Franc, then aged for 10 months in neutral oak. I found this Cab Franc at the Summit Store for $35, and I’ll be back for more.
Other wines made by Verde include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and a Bordeaux blend called Sophie’s Blend. The Greens have built an inviting tasting room (open weekends), and music is featured some Sundays; April 7, May 19 and June 16 will feature Steve Solo on guitar. I suggest you head to the bucolic climes of Gilroy and enjoy the dulcet sounds of Solo and the fine wines of Verde.
Verde Vineyards, 2143 Buena Vista Ave., Gilroy. 408-848-5907, verdevineyards.com.
Four Points by Sheraton
At an event at the new Four Points by Sheraton in Scotts Valley, I was happy to see quite a few local wines on the shelves of the welcoming bar. Alfaro, Windy Oaks, Storrs, Bargetto, Byington, Cinnabar, and J.D. Hurley (made by Martin Ranch) are all available.
Some mighty good cocktails are served up, too. Try the Hwy. 17 made with local Venus Spirits tequila, sage, Casa Migos Mezcal, agave, Triple Sec, and orange juice. The 5030 Restaurant & Lounge is open for breakfast and dinner. Check it out. It’s a great new addition to the thriving scene in Scotts Valley.
A local community-oriented business, Discretion Brewing is operated by generations of the local Genco family and their brewers.
Discretion Brewery uses only organic ingredients in their brews, and also has a beer-centered kitchen operation specializing in snacks and shareable comfort food.
The first brewery in Santa Cruz to invest in solar power to brew its beer.
One hundred percent of all the used grain goes to local pigs instead of in the trash. That adds up to 225,000 pounds diverted from landfills annually.
Discretion hosts “Love Monday” each Monday, where they feature—and donate to—a local non-profit.
Best Live Music Venue
Moe’s Alley
Moe’s features live music four or five nights a week, often from nationally or internationally prominent performers who’ve been making regular visits to Santa Cruz for years. Among those who have played Moe’s often enough to be honorary locals include Dave Wakeling of the English Beat, Jerry Garcia sideman Melvin Seals, reggae stars such as the Mighty Diamonds and Sly & Robbie, and blues greats like Chris Cain and Coco Montoya, among many others.
Moe’s originally opened its doors in 1991, first as a straight blues club to showcase the surviving-but-often-overlooked masters of the mid-century blues boom, such as Pinetop Perkins, Albert Collins and Jimmy Rogers. The club also provided a stage for underappreciated local greats like Bob Lowery and Virgil Thrasher.
The club soon diversified its sound and gave local audiences the opportunity to experience a number of amazing acts they could not see otherwise, like the kitschy Russian surf band the Red Elvises. It also became the home stage for such acts as SambaDa and B-Side Players.
Moe’s was the organizer of the Santa Cruz Blues Festival during that festival’s 20-plus-year run in Aptos. The festival gave locals a chance to experience such giants in concert as Ray Charles, Etta James and B.B. King.
Among the treats in store at Moe’s in 2019 is a two-show night with Los Lobos (pictured), a performance by Shooter (son of Waylon) Jennings, the great California roots rockers the Blasters, and back-to-back shows with Metalachi, the world’s only heavy metal mariachi band.
Five Branches University gets its name from the five branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which seeks to maintain and restore an individual’s harmony with nature: acupuncture, herbology, Tui Na massage, energetics, and Chinese dietary medicine.
Many of Five Branches’ practitioners were educated and trained in China at prestigious TCM colleges and hospitals.
Recognized as one of the nation’s top TCM schools, Five Branches University provides high levels of professional education and health care in Traditional Chinese Medicine and integrative medicine at their two locations, one in Santa Cruz and one in San Jose.
They have study-abroad programs for students wishing to travel to Asia and learn about TCM from the source. Programs include earning a PhD at the Five Branches sister schools in Hangzhou, Tianjin and Shenyang, China.
They offer a variety of specialty educational programs, including nationally accredited Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine programs.
Best Cannabis Dispensary
KindPeoples
Santa Cruz’s first state-legal dispensary, and the first to get eight of 20 state licenses issued by the Bureau of Cannabis Control. Also the largest dispensary in Santa Cruz.
First dispensary to offer a legal and stylish delivery system (via Volkswagen van!) in an effort to increase cannabis access to those with disabilities and transportation issues.
KindPeoples is currently relocating their retail license from DuBois Street to Ocean Street, citing the desire for a more community-centered location closer to downtown Santa Cruz.
Their locations now include express checkout self-service kiosks to expedite and simplify the check out process.
Home to the biggest genetics department in the Monterey Bay, the collective also boasts one of the largest and most diverse seed stocks in California.
Originally from New England, Dr. Thompson came to UC San Francisco for dental school and never left the Bay Area.
Dr. Thompson says that since there are many people who don’t get the dental health care they need, she makes a point to donate a portion of her time and skills. Last year, her son and hygienist travelled to Baja to provide care at orphanages.
She took up outrigger paddling about five years ago. It’s her favorite way to exercise and enjoy the ocean, and she loves working in sync with a small crew to gain speed and explore the coast and the wildlife.
Dr. Thompson’s practice, Seabright Dental Studio, recently added a laser that allows them to provide many dental procedures without getting numb (no needles), and without the sound and feel of the dental drill.
She and her family are big fans of Dr. Who and music—and she sometimes hums or sings in the office.
Best Gym
Toadal Fitness
Opened its doors in March 1996 in Downtown Santa Cruz, and has since expanded across the county to the Westside, Aptos, Live Oak, and Scotts Valley.
Originally named Frog Fitness, the husband-and-wife owners had to change the original name after receiving legal threats from Frog Athletics Club in San Diego.
The name was chosen mostly because the owners are French (the English used to poke at the French by calling them “frogs” during World War II), and because “Frog” and “Fitness” sounded good together.
Prides itself on being a friendly, comfortable and completely normal place to work out for people from all walks of life. Their motto is: a little bit of exercise (not too much) goes a long way.
Toadal Fitness offers a number of classes throughout the week, from group cycling to precision cross training, body sculpt, power core, and many more.
Acupuncturist
Craig Sakimoto
317 Potrero St. Suite C, Santa Cruz, 425-9500, santacruzcore.com
113 Lincoln St., Santa Cruz, 423-3764; 1200 17th Ave. #108, Santa Cruz, 464-3764; 6200 Soquel Drive, Aptos, 475-5979; 2929 Mission St. Extension, Santa Cruz, 466-3764; 269 Mount Hermon Rd., Scotts Valley, 430-9200, toadalfitness.com
Auntie Mame is an exuberant character in a 1958 technicolor comedy based on a novel of the same name. She hosts frequent parties with bohemian guests, and her repeated motto is “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!”
At this classic American breakfast spot, you have a choice between hash browns and home fries.
Health-food trends may come and go, but Auntie Mame’s chicken fried steak and homemade biscuits and gravy is forever.
Kids can order a pancake shaped like a mouse face and play with toys while they wait.
Known for fast and friendly service and generous portions.
Best Brunch
Harbor Café
Harbor Café has one of the biggest patio areas in town, with large picnic tables to accommodate hungry groups.
Start your weekend early with the mimosa specials on Friday, then extend it with $4 Bloody Marys on Monday. Recover on Tuesday with banana pancakes for $2? Yes.
Dogs are so welcome they get their own menu.
Vegetarians and vegans can get their fill here, too, with favorites like the veggie bene and Mexican tofu scramble.
If you have to wait for a table, you can do so with self-serve coffee or a drink from the tiki bar. Try the pomegranate or fresh-squeezed grapefruit greyhound and you’ll hardly notice your wait.
Long before Bon Appetit began featuring the bowl as the superior plating method on their magazine covers, CHK was serving up their signature bowls of rice or noodles, proteins and fresh veggies with savory sauces for only $7.
Charlie Hong Kong, named after the original chef, Charlie Deal, has been serving Southeast Asian street-food-inspired dishes in the heart of the Seabright neighborhood for 21 years.
The building was originally a 1950s ice cream stand.
They are a certified Green Business and passionately support local organic farmers.
CHK owner Carolyn Rudolph maintains a blog on its website, charliehongkong.com.
Best Clam Chowder
Stagnaro Brothers
The Stagnaro family emigrated from Italy in 1913, started their wharf business in 1937, survived the Great Depression, and have been a Santa Cruz staple ever since.
Stagnaro Bros. is the largest fish market in Northern California.
Chowder is served in a cup or an edible bread bowl (the environmentally friendly choice).
Clams have been a source of food on the West Coast of California for thousands of years, and were the primary source of nourishment for the Chumash people native to Santa Cruz.
Located at the end of the Wharf, Stagnaro Bros. has a superb view of the Monterey Bay from their upper-deck lounge.
Almost everything on the menu (including entrées) contains chocolate.
The restaurant grew from David Jackman’s experience as a pastry chef on a farm in Bologna, Italy during the height of the slow food movement in the 1980s.
They serve 10 kinds of hot chocolate, with non-dairy options available.
The natural chemicals in cocoa, called flavanols, have been shown to relax the blood vessels, improve blood flow and thereby lower blood pressure, according to a Harvard study.
The heated, plant-filled patio has become a beloved oasis on Pacific Avenue.
Best Frozen Yogurt
Top A Lot
Ready with 49 toppings, Top A Lot offers a local alternative to plain frozen yogurt.
They have a buy-one, get-one-free special on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-7 p.m.
Flavors vary weekly, but the original fro-yo flavor, Euro Tart, is always available.
Avoid the mall, and get your kid’s picture with Santa at this family-owned establishment instead.
They are open until 10 p.m.—perfect for late-night munchies.
James Beard finalist Miles Macquarrie curated the cocktail program to complement Chef Jeffrey Wall’s cuisine.
Dry-aging beef—like the 60-day-aged steak offered at Alderwood—transforms the enzymes into smaller, more flavorful fragments, and the collagen dissolves into gelatin during cooking, making it more succulent.
Now you don’t have to head over the hill for a steakhouse that delivers on flavor with a unique coastal vibe.
For $10 during one of their two happy hour options (4-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; plus 9:30 p.m.-midnight on Fridays and Saturdays), you can get a delicious burger and a Miller High Life beer–Wall’s nod to service-industry workers—or take advantage of their fresh oysters for $1.25 each.
They do not charge a corkage fee on the first two bottles of wine. For each additional bottle, the fee is $25.
On special occasions like New Year’s and UCSC graduation, Oswald offers special set prix-fixe menus.
Bring your date to Oswald for an unforgettable romantic dinner.
You can always find good spirits and good conversation at the bar.
Always go for the seasonal cocktail, which delivers a burst of (sometimes exotic) fresh-squeezed juice without fail.
It has been argued (including by some in the pages of GT) that Oswald has the best gourmet burger in Santa Cruz.
Best Sushi / Watsonville
Imura
Imura attracts patrons from all parts of Santa Cruz County.
In addition to sushi, Imura offers a full menu of Japanese and Korean dishes.
Imura grew from humble beginnings in 1992 and now employs over 30 people, many of them family members.
Great alternative to a sports bar for having a beer and watching a game.
The crunchy magana is one of the most popular sushi rolls on the menu.
Best Vegetarian
Dharma’s
Originally named McDharma’s for being virtuous (dharma) fast food, but in 1984 McDonald’s began challenging the name in court. The David-and-Goliath battle went on for four years and ended with Dharma’s losing on a technicality in court.
The incident received international media attention, and owner Ben Shapiro says they are still McDharma’s, but the “Mc” is silent.
Rae Dawn Chong and Kenny Loggins are among its fans.
Known for huge portions that have impressed even fervent meat lovers.
All vegetarian, vegan optional. Dharma’s serves nothing with meat, fish or eggs.
1475 41st Ave., Capitola, 475-4646; 1664 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, 462-1919; 102 Rancho Del Mar, Aptos, 688-5656; 222 Mt Hermon Rd. J, Scotts Valley, 438-4646; 1074 S. Green Valley Rd., Watsonville, 724-7575, eriksdelicafe.com
Nat Young is a 27-year-old Santa Cruz surfing icon with a worldwide audience of 143,000 Instagram followers.
When he’s back home in Santa Cruz, Young surfs every day—sometimes two or three times a day. When conditions aren’t good, he’s at the gym training.
Young has always been an athlete. He grew up playing soccer, baseball, golf, and basketball, and competed on Santa Cruz’s junior lifeguard team.
After he stood up on a boogie board at age 5 while on a trip to Mexico, he started surfing Cowells on a pink board. By 6, he graduated to Steamer Lane breaks, and has since gone up against some of the surfing greats, including Kelly Slater.
He surfs goofy-footed, with his right foot forward—the minority stance in the surfing world. GEORGIA JOHNSON
Best Farmers Market
Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Market at Cabrillo College
Features around 65 specialty vendors, most of whom are certified organic or use sustainable farming methods, offering pastured grass-fed meats and poultry, locally produced olive oil, fresh pasta and gourmet sauces, bacon, and tons of local produce.
At the market, you can find unique items that are not commercially grown anymore, like kumquats and rutabagas.
The only farmers market in Santa Cruz County operated by the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets—the oldest and largest farmers market organization on the Central Coast of California.
Presents an opportunity for local farmers try growing different items, such as pluots (a cross between a plum and an apricot), bacon avocados and the local Watsonville “Howard” apples.
There is beekeeper vendor a whose family has been keeping bees for over 200 years. GJ
Best Place to Walk/Jog/Hike
West Cliff Drive
Hovering about 20 feet above the water, West Cliff Drive hosts hundreds of runners, bikers and dog walkers daily.
West Cliff Drive stretches from Natural Bridges to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and the Municipal Wharf, which is the longest wharf on the West Coast.
This area is where surfing was first brought to North America, introduced by three Hawaiian princes in 1885.
The West Cliff bluffs are actually eroding away. As the sea level rises and storms batter West Cliff each winter, it’s unclear how long Santa Cruz’s favorite walk will be around.
The annual Open Streets event draws hundreds to bike, play and dance with a great view on a zoned-off, no-traffic West Cliff Drive. GJ
Beach
Seabright Beach
East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz
RUNNERS-UP Capitola Beach, Twin Lakes Beach
Bike Ride
West Cliff Drive
RUNNERS-UP Nisene Marks, Wilder Ranch
Boardwalk Ride
Giant Dipper
400 Beach St., Santa Cruz, 423-5590, beachboardwalk.com
RUNNERS-UP Carousel, Fireball
Derby Girl
Ima Hotmess
RUNNERS-UP Hermione Danger, Flower Power
Dog Park
Frederick Street
168 Frederick St., Santa Cruz
RUNNERS-UP Aptos Polo Grounds, Its Beach
Farmers Market
Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Market at Cabrillo College
6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos, 728-5060
RUNNERS-UP Downtown, Live Oak
Local Athlete (non-Derby)
Nat Young
RUNNERS-UP Carina Reid, Katie Zaferes, Luke Rockhold
This is a family-friendly festival; just don’t forget a blanket and lawn chairs for everyone to relax on. Get there early for the best spots.
Held every summer at Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton, which is home to century-old steam engines still in operation.
To mitigate parking impacts, the festival now includes a “Sol train” to take attendees to and from Roaring Camp, starting at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
Past headliners include Michael Franti (above), the Wailers, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. They also feature tons of local bands across the three-day lineup.
A variety of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free food options are available from local vendors.
Founded in 2005, Jewel Theatre Company (JTC) operates under a contract with Actors’ Equity Association (the union for professional actors and stage managers in the U.S.) and is dedicated to creating extraordinary productions that explore and advance the art of theatre by entertaining, enlightening and engaging the community.
Led by Founder and Artistic Director Julie James, the company is now celebrating its 14th season entertaining the Santa Cruz community with well-known and new eclectic work that includes dramas, musicals and comedies.
JTC is the only year-round professional theatre company in Santa Cruz County.
JTC opened at their current location in the Colligan Theater on the Tannery Arts Campus in 2015. Jones’ choice for the first production in the space was Guys and Dolls because of its fun, upbeat energy.
Their first production of 2019 was Red Velvet (above). Breaking the Code opened on March 20.
Best Photographer
Devi Pride
Pride has been taking photographs for as long as she can remember. Having won her first camera in a raffle as a child, she began her career extra early on taking photos of her family.
She has been voted Best Photographer in the Best of Santa Cruz balloting every year since 2013.
A former dancer, Pride is passionate about photographing local dancers, including the Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center.
She studied history at the University of Toronto and has always had an appreciation for genealogy and passing memories down through her family portraits.
She does all kinds of photography, from headshots to houses, boudoir to babies, maternity to matrimony. She says she keeps a fresh perspective by doing a wide variety of work.
Local singer-songwriter Lindsey Wall doesn’t remember much about her recent American Idol audition.
“I blacked out a little bit. I was just so overwhelmed,” Wall says. “There was so much excitement leading up to it, and I realized that I’m just a small-town girl a little bit. It was unreal to be in that position. I’ve watched the show so many times. It all hit me when I stood in front of Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.”
The whole process has been surprising. Three months before she got her audition, Wall got an email out of nowhere from someone claiming to be from American Idol. She never imagined herself on the show, even though she was a fan. It was hard to take seriously.
“At first I thought it was spam, because I was like, American Idol? That’s crazy,” Wall says. “I started reading further, and she was talking about how she heard a song of mine called ‘Honey.’ I just wrote that song in my bedroom by myself, and somebody in the music industry is taken by it. That was so cool.”
Some of Wall’s initial shock at being contacted by a show that focuses on singing had to do with the fact that Wall never considered herself a professional singer. She always sang around the house and had written songs since she was a child, but she’d never taken voice or guitar lessons. Being on a singing competition show seemed out of her reach.
“I was so excited, and so humbled. Of course I would take that opportunity if it’s there,” Wall says. “I never really practiced the art of singing that much. But getting that email made me start to practice more.”
“Honey”—which, it turns out, the woman from American Idol heard on Spotify—is a moody, psych-pop original that’s sprinkled with Americana elements. It’s driven with a heavy dose of emotion and builds from a gentle ballad to a ’70s AM-radio pop-rocker.
“One of my first really strong influences was Stevie Nicks. As far as songwriting goes, I was always inspired by her lyrics,” Wall says. “One of the reasons I resonate so strong with her is because she never took any lessons either. It was just her creating her own sound. I love how authentic her writing is.”
Wall had only recorded “Honey” a few months earlier. She dropped out of college in 2016 to pursue music, because she found herself thinking about music when she was supposed to be focusing on her school work. At the beginning of 2018, she created a Kickstarter for what was to be her debut EP, which managed to raise over $2,000. She recorded the songs at a San Jose studio in late 2017, and with the Kickstarter funds, she was able to release the music in February 2018. Kickstarter backers got the whole 5-song EP (and you can get them at shows), but she only uploaded a couple of songs online—“Honey” being one of them.
“I just wanted to pick my favorites, since it was the first time I released an album to the public,” Wall says.
Once she realized that her American Idol audition was very much a real opportunity, she devoted as much time as she could to improving her skills. She even took some time away from work and left Santa Cruz to travel and do some open mics.
She got the call while she was in Nashville that she could audition—but instead of L.A., the logical choice, she needed to fly to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
She’s very happy with her audition, which didn’t air. She got three “yes” votes, meaning she’s going forward to the next stage in Hollywood. Regardless of how far she gets on Idol, it’s already been significant to her.
“I’m very inspired to keep growing and going,” Wall says. “I’m almost halfway through writing for an album. Hopefully it’ll be a full album this time. I’m playing with this new guitar player Paul Kannapolis. We’re trying to get ready to book a tour. I’m really excited about that. I feel like it’ll be a whole new game of playing outside of Santa Cruz.”
Lindsey Wall performs at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 26, at Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, 402 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz. Free. 425-4900.
What you are holding in your hands right now is, as far as I can tell, the largest issue of Good Times in our 44-year history. And I think I speak for everyone here when I say: let’s never do this again.
Just kidding! Of course, we’re incredibly proud of finally presenting what started with the ballot that thousands of you from all over the county began voting on way back in December. That kicked off a process of tabulating the winners and documenting them in these pages. I was trying to figure out the other day how many minute information points required checking and rechecking over the last two months, but when my calculations got too far into the thousands, I gave up, because UCSC creative writing degree. Let’s just say it’s a very large number, and my biggest kudos go to the entire GT staff, to the winners we’ve been obsessing over for all this time, and to every reader who voted for making it all possible. It truly took a village to make the Best of Santa Cruz County 2019 issue.
We’ve tried to make it as user-friendly as possible, and I hope all the guidelines are clear (like, for instance, more than one winner listed—or two runners-up—means there was a tie), but if there’s anything you think we can do to improve things next year, let us know. Now all that’s left to do is enjoy our biggest issue ever!
Susan Cavalieri, on behalf of the Climate Action Network, makes a strong case for our county supervisors and Regional Transportation Commissioners to go farther than simply a climate action resolution (Letters, GT, 3/20). Now is the time to direct taxpayer money to undertake actions that will make a difference sooner rather than later. I agree with her that bus-on-shoulder is something the county needs to initiate on Highway 1, enabling METRO buses more expeditious use of the highway, although she neglects to give consideration to the bridges that cross the highway and limit the ability of the shoulders to serve as an unimpeded throughway. For this, some of the bridges need to be retrofitted and the highway needs to be widened in key locations.
The sustainable transportation supporters seem to think that folks will quit driving on Highway 1 if it becomes more congested and thus they will manipulate people into more climate-protective travel. Unfortunately, making highway travel more difficult will not stop people from driving on the highway (witness the situation we have now). But, as has been the case in many other cities, HOV lanes for buses, electric cars, and cars with more passengers will encourage better transit habits, and possibly pay for these improvements.
Finally, if we want our county supervisors and commissioners to act quickly to reduce greenhouse gases, then a lawsuit to prevent the construction of auxiliary lanes (not likely to begin construction for several years, as things stand now) will not speed things up. Instead, let’s work together to find viable solutions in the near term, like substantial improvements to METRO services (more electric buses, more routes, and more trips, in addition to improved online access) that can be done soon, and with a lot less money.
Nadene Thorne
Santa Cruz
WIDEN HIGHWAY 1 NOW
I would imagine that the folks from Santa Cruz Climate Action Network never have to use Highway 1 during the morning or afternoon commute, or on any summer weekend. If they did, they’d realize how woefully inadequate it’s become in servicing the needs of the county’s growing population. Most of us would agree that we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to fight global warming. If they want to be taken seriously, the folks from SCCAN will need to think more realistically about possible alternatives to current modes of transportation.
The idea that buses could use the freeway shoulders to bypass slow-moving traffic is ridiculous. The shoulders aren’t nearly wide enough in many places to accommodate a bus. And if the shoulders are widened, how is this any different from adding additional traffic lanes that could be used by everyone?
I don’t see how this proposed bus service would help the thousands who commute along Highways 1 and 17 to jobs in the Bay Area anyway. And the same goes for PRT (Personal Rapid Transit). While it may be great for scooting around a college campus, it cannot adequately address the needs of long-distance travelers. Most daily commuters and weekend tourists who clog our freeway cannot utilize public transportation, ride bicycles, use PRT, or benefit from any other pie-in-the-sky ideas for getting where they need to go. Electric vehicles are the best hope for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the near future, but they need roads to travel on.
Highway 1 is long overdue for an upgrade. Gridlocked traffic is spewing huge amounts of pollutants into the air every day with no upside, so let’s stop preaching that everyone should just ride the bus or use a bike, and get real about our transportation future. Our infrastructure needs to keep pace with new high-density development policies aimed at attracting even more people to the county. The freeway needs to be widened, and it needs to happen soon.
Jim Sklenar
Santa Cruz
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GOOD IDEA
There’s a lot happening at Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Santa Cruz County’s support system for foster youth. As it prepares for Child Abuse Prevention Month, the group will hold a presser on Friday, March 29, at 10 a.m. at the CASA house, located at 813 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville. The group has also welcomed four new boardmembers—Linda Bixby, Matt Gianelli, Chris Sheehy, and Andrea Willy—and announced that longtime advocate Lynda Leigh will be taking home one of Watsonville’s Cesar E. Chavez Awards.
GOOD WORK
Last weekend’s “Tribute to John Prine” concert was conceived as a benefit for local music icon William Strickland, who lost his home to the NorCal fires. But it went to the next level when Prine himself heard about it. His wife Fiona Whelan called up Snazzy Productions, who produced the show, and told them that the Prine family wanted to match the money raised at the show dollar-for-dollar. Including that match, an incredible $10,000 was raised for Strickland. That’s the way that the world goes ’round.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“If you are paying attention, then the day is going to be pretty joyful.”
