Page 760 – Good Times

Santa Cruz’s Oliver ‘Tree’ Nickell on Bowl Cuts, Selling Out and Hitting the Big Time

Art
Music

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September 5, 2017

Santa Cruz’s Oliver ‘Tree’ Nickell on Bowl Cuts, Selling Out and Hitting the Big Time

We first wrote about Santa Cruz native Oliver “Tree” Nickell in 2013, when his three-song EP Demons became something of a breakout hit. Four years later, he’s already had plenty of ups and downs in the music industry—but at just 24, he’s suddenly reached a new level of national success.

“The failure was crucial, because it was a big part of me learning how to do things right,” says Nickell by phone. “I’ve done things from the ground floor and up on a small scale, and now it’s time for me to do it on a larger one.”

This year alone, he has signed to Atlantic Records, played the Lollapalooza and Outside Lands music festivals, and joined the Good Luck Have Fun collective—a group of Los Angeles artists featuring international acts like Louis the Child.

After moving to L.A. to attend the California Institute of the Arts in 2016 (from which he graduated this year with a B.A in Fine Arts), Nickell reacquainted himself with San-Jose-native-turned-Los-Angeleno DJ Getter. The pair began collaborating on several projects, and released the track “Forget It” in March 2016 through OWSLA, the label owned and operated by one of the biggest DJs in the world, Skrillex. Later that year, they made their broadcast debut on the late-night show Last Call With Carson Daly.

Three months after the release of “Forget It,” Nickell and Getter dropped its video, a cinematic-quality piece about a man so in love with his deceased fiancée, he tries to clone her—only to have each version die unexpectedly. While the video is as unnerving as it is beautifully shot, one aspect of it contains a bit of humor and a part of Tree history.

“That was the start of the bowl cut,” says Nickell, referring to his Beatles-esque mop top. That ’do became famous last month, when Tree was called out for it by rapper Killer Mike—half of the hip-hop group Run the Jewels—at Lollapalooza in Chicago. Nickell, performing the festival with his three-piece group under the name Oliver Tree, was rocking out in front of the stage and Killer Mike couldn’t help but laugh.

“Your fucking haircut is classic, motherfucker,” Mike said on stage, pointing at Nickell. “That beautiful kid, dressed like a weirdo with the haircut … I fucking love you, kid!”

Nickell got a good laugh from it all.

“That was pretty awesome,” he chuckles. “I recently tweeted him and asked if he would cut my hair at his barber shop. He said ‘deal,’ so we’ll see. I might have to go to Atlanta for a haircut.”

However, that probably won’t be happening anytime soon, as the haircut is an essential part of Oliver Tree’s new album, Turbo, and the character which gives the album its title. Nickell describes Turbo as a celebrity underdog—the awkward, anti-sex icon competing with a world of Justin Biebers.

“We all have imperfections, and this character definitely embodies that,” he says. “I mean, he rides a scooter! That’s the underdog of extreme sports. It’s laughed at by all the skateboarders, but people are doing triple backflips on it now.”

This past spring, Atlantic Records signed Oliver Tree to their label and began buying billboard space in Los Angeles with an image of Turbo in front of the words “Welcome to L.A.” Instead of selling a product, Nickell refers to it more as “corporate street art.”

Nickell’s plan for Turbo is to release one song a month online until the album—which has taken him the better part of the past year to make—has been released in its entirety. So far, four tracks have dropped, including a collaboration with Whethan called “When I’m Down.”

Sticking to his roots, the Oliver Tree band consists of Casey Mattson on keys and Amir Oosman on drums, both friends from Santa Cruz.

“It’s great to be able to keep people you grew up with and it helps keep me grounded,” he says. “We’re always honest with each other, and we all push each other to take it one step further.”

Preview: Ana Popovic to Play Moe’s Alley

A&E
Music

Cat Johnson

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September 5, 2017

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Preview: Ana Popovic to Play Moe’s Alley

There is not a big blues scene in Serbia. Small clubs pop up in Belgrade, then they close and others open, but there isn’t a lot of demand for the style in the country. So when Serbian guitarist/songwriter/vocalist Ana Popovic started her musical career playing the blues, she had her work cut out for her.

Her first band spent four years performing blues music that most audience members likely weren’t familiar with. Popovic learned a lot from those early gigs. As she puts it, she got to “experience what it is to entertain the audience.”

“You need to entertain them with songs that are nicely played,” she says. “They don’t know they are listening to blues, but if it’s catchy and a nice stage performance, then they stay.”

While blues may not be big in Serbia, at large, it was a fixture in Popovic’s childhood. Her father, a guitarist with a deep appreciation for the art form, exposed her to Elmore James, Albert King, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ronnie Earl, Jimmy Reed and many more blues artists. He also taught her the art and joy of the jam, as every week he would get together with friends to play and improvise blues tunes.

“I was really drawn to the blues,” says Popovic, who listened to the music even as her friends were listening to Serbian and pop music. “In the household, my sister, who grew up on the same sounds of Elmore James and B.B. King, never really went for it—she liked different music. To me, blues was always a mesmerizing musical form and something that was really close to my home. It was just a musical home.”

Popovic couldn’t wait to get her hands on an electric guitar of her own. She tried playing the keyboards, and started playing guitar on a Spanish classical guitar with plastic strings, but those instruments “didn’t do it” for her—she wanted an electric guitar.

Once she got an electric guitar of her own, she didn’t put it down. She started playing with her dad’s friends and worked to get good enough to solo during the weekly jams. She would sit in the family’s music room, which they called the Blue Room, and play along to recordings of legendary blues artists.

“Just one song after another,” she says. “I wouldn’t stop until I got the solo down, until I learned every phrase. And not just the phrase, but also the feeling behind the phrase—the way it’s played and the texture of the phrase. I would go pretty deep. That’s how I would practice, then I would showcase it at our jams later that week.”

Popovic left Serbia to pursue a career playing blues in the States by way of the Netherlands. Now based in Los Angeles, she has firmly established herself as a favorite among blues fans. Her latest offering, 2016’s self-released Trilogy, is a triple-album that showcases the breadth of Popovic’s talent. The first disc, Morning, is funk and soul, the second, Midday, is rock and blues, and the third, Midnight, is a jazz record.

“I was trying to not sound like one artist,” says Popovic of the project. “I wanted people to hear all different sides of me and my music. I wanted people to listen to my music from early in the morning to late in the night and not feel like they’re listening to the same record.”

When Trilogy was released, it made it into the Billboard top 10, alongside names like Eric Clapton and Bonnie Raitt. The success of the album reflects the loyal fanbase Popovic has built, the quality of her music and a determination that Popovic can trace back to those early days listening to the blues and dreaming of playing the electric guitar—before she was ever allowed to touch one.

“There were a lot of electric guitars in my home when I was a kid, but I couldn’t really pick them up,” she says. “My dad was protective of his guitars. Two little girls wanting to play around his guitars was a no-go. Maybe that helped, that it was kind of a forbidden territory,” she adds with a laugh, “but electric guitar was, right away, my interest.”

Ana Popovic will perform at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9 at Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 479-1854.

Cookbook Author Beth Love Teaches Plant-Based Creations

Christina Waters

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September 5, 2017

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Cookbook Author Beth Love Teaches Plant-Based Creations

We’ve all been eating with our hands since we were toddlers. And many of us still love to do it, hence the popularity of the wrap and all of its siblings. Innovative culinary teacher and cookbook author Beth Love thinks outside the pita when she dreams up her unexpected recipes and designs for wrapped foods, homemade crackers and unexpected dipping strategies.

“When people reach for some type of wrapper or cracker,” says Love, “they often choose foods made with unhealthy ingredients such as refined flour, saturated fats, sugar, high levels of salt, and chemical additives.”

So she aims for the new and different in the next of her hands-on vegan workshops: “Crackers, Wrappers, and Dippers: Raw Vegan Coolinary.” “I teach people how to make delightfully tasty plant-based creations out of fiber-rich, healthy ingredients such as carrots, dark leafy greens, flax and sunflower seeds, and lemons.”

Love says she aims to stimulate new ideas and variations on familiar spreads, flavors, and wrap techniques through her workshop, and while she’s at it she hopes to inspire her participants to choose tasty but good-for-us items, rather than the all-too-easy carb and fat-laced alternatives. For example, she’ll be teaching participants how to make raw seed and veggie crackers, as well as use various tart and tangy leaf wrappers to fill with goodies.

“One of the major motivations for my class topics is my intent to make healthy, plant-based food accessible to as many people as possible,” Love explains. “So a number of my classes offer alternatives to some of the unhealthiest foods people eat.” She also listens to people’s excuses for not eating healthier foods and tries to address those in her classes. “And of course I create classes based upon demand. When enough people tell me how much they love something I make, I create a class around it.”

Her workshop will include a tasting “party” with all ingredients and equipment provided. And Love will send participants home with information about dehydrating, soaking and spreading to achieve intriguing wrappers. If you care about great flavors that maximize the benefits of whole plant foods, Crackers, Wrappers, and Dippers: Raw Vegan Coolinary is for you. To register for this Sept. 9 class (2-6 p.m.; $75, children under 14 free.) crackers-wrappers-dippers2.eventbrite.com.

Unsavory O’Mei

After having enjoyed so many fine meals at O’Mei restaurant over the years, I find it sad indeed to see its doors close as a consequence of the unapologetic support of a white supremacist on the part of its owner Roger Grigsby. It is impossible for me, or anyone, to condone Grigsby’s racist actions. That Grigsby is a skilled and highly educated restaurateur makes this situation ironic.

Fruit of the Week

The Italians call them pomodori, but I call them late-harvest, dry-farmed tomatoes and right now, this very minute, is their zenith. Whether you like to cruise the farmers markets for the freshest seasonal produce, check out the UCSC Farm and Garden Cart, or the irresistible displays at your favorite grocery, this is the time to sink your teeth into the ripest, most sweet and succulent tomatoes you’ll get all year. Feast!

Wine of the Week

I discovered the outrageous Morgan 2014 Pinot Noir 12 Clones at a recent Pizzeria Avanti dinner (they’ve enhanced their menus recently and the new wine list is quite appealing). From Santa Lucia Highlands grapes, this 13.8-percent alcohol beauty offers well-balanced helpings of spice, cassis, plums and star anise. A lively and complex Pinot. $32 at New Leaf.

Event of the Week

Yes, we love the salsa-intensive Mole & Mariachi Festival coming to the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park once again from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 9. You know what to expect—lots of different mole sauces to vote for and taste, plus beer, wine, food, piñatas, music, dancing and a mega-raffle. Free admission. Bring your appetite!

Will Big Business Crush Cannabis Culture?

Cover Stories

Jonah Raskin

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September 5, 2017

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Will Big Business Crush Cannabis Culture?

As a winemaker, sought-after vineyard manager, cannabis aficionado and Deadhead, Phil Coturri has loads of stories to tell about his long, strange trip. Or maybe it’s not so strange, or so long, either. Indeed, in some ways it’s just getting going, especially now with the cannabis industry in upheaval and with so-called experts mouthing off about the irreconcilable differences between wine and weed.

The founder and CEO of Sonoma’s Enterprise Vineyard Management and the co-owner of Winery Sixteen 600, Coturri thinks that wine and weed are compatible in the field and on the dining room table. He’d like to see more pairing of the two, and with food, as well.

But perhaps more importantly, Coturri wants to warn us all of the dangers ahead for the culture of cannabis—before regulators destroy something valuable that has been shaped by growers and smokers, farmers and aficionados for the past half century.

Indeed, he has thought carefully about the repercussions of his words and deeds. He hasn’t forgotten that cannabis is illegal under federal law and that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has put it near the top of his list of drugs to be eliminated.

boutique cannabis culture — Just as wine has its own unique culture, so does cannabis, says Coturri.

I’ve known Coturri for years, not only as a grape grower and winemaker, but also as a cannabis connoisseur. I’ve previously written about him under pseudonyms. That’s the way he always wanted it. He’s only allowed his name to be used in print now because he recognizes that cannabis is in crisis and needs all of the friends it can muster.

As a connoisseur of wine and weed, he’s worried that in the rush to legalize, regulate and normalize marijuana in California, the beauty of the plant and its aromatic flowers that he has known intimately since his college days at Sonoma State University will fall by the wayside. That’s why he’s coming out of the cannabis closet little by little, slowly and steadily. Indeed, he invited me to his office on First Street West in Sonoma because he wanted to sound an alarm, before bureaucrats crush a whole way of life.

Coturri isn’t the only one to sound an alarm. All across Northern California, small growers share his fear that new rules will drive many of them out of business and hand the pot industry over to the guys who have big money and who can afford to hire lawyers and consultants. Then, too, Coturri and his ilk argue, quality will suffer, as weed goes corporate and quantity soars. Some say the quality has already declined and that it’s essential to save the endangered world of boutique pot.

There is concern in Santa Cruz, too.

“We are going to see a big influx of products from these new corporate companies with large gardens and, in general, it will be hard for them to keep the same quality standards,” says Patrick Malo, co-founder of Green Trade Santa Cruz. “They will turn toward less and less organic production and sustainable methods. That’s what we see in conventional agriculture.”

Malo added that though Santa Cruz is comparably better off because of its broad support for independent local business, there will still be challenges with the current business model on the state and county level that are bound to push some smaller businesses out.

Where Wine Meets Weed

In some ways, Coturri seems like the last of the old-school hippies. He grew up and came of age in the counterculture of the San Francisco Bay Area, which thrived on pot, protest and psychedelic rock.

Coturri arrives for our meeting right on time, smelling of the great outdoors and as fresh as one of the many vineyards he manages.

“Come springtime, vineyards take over my life,” he says. He wears glasses, a full beard, boots, shorts and a sweatshirt that reads: “Resist.” Indeed, he’s probably as much of a resister now as he was during the Vietnam War era, and as critical of Trump as he was of presidents Johnson and Nixon.

On the wall of the office are pictures of some of Coturri’s heroes: Janis Joplin; Beat poet Michael McClure; Jerry Garcia; Gary Snyder, the environmentalist and Pulitzer Prize winner; and Owsley Stanley, often described as “the King of LSD.”

Born into a working-class Italian-American family in San Francisco, Coturri is a product of the city’s bohemian and immigrant communities. His father and grandfather both made wine. His brother Tony makes wine. His sons Sam and Max also make wine. It’s in their blood. So, too, is THC.

“I’ve heard people describe cannabis as a threat to wine, but I definitely don’t see it that way,” Coturri says. “I think it’s time to emphasize to the connoisseurs in both worlds—the people who are using both—not to get wasted, intoxicated and high just for the sake of getting high, but to appreciate the flavors, the taste and the aroma. In my world, they’re both familial—something to be shared with the whole extended family.”

Coturri began to smoke cannabis at the age of 14. (He dropped acid, he told me, before he began to experiment with pot.) He grew his first crop on Sonoma Mountain in 1978. All four of the pot plants in his tiny garden were stolen. Still, he wasn’t discouraged, in part because the California artist and longtime bohemian Robert Pearson McChesney showed him the marijuana that he grew in a greenhouse on Sonoma Mountain for his own personal use and the use of his friends.

McChesney was in his mid-60s; Coturri was in his 20s. “I was impressed,” he says. “McChesney built his own house with his own hands, and he cultivated his own weed. Now I’m worried that the cultural descendants of McChesney will have a hard time surviving in the new overly regulated world of marijuana. I want them to be protected. I also want the heritage strains to be protected.”

Still, Coturri says he understands some of the reasons why the industry is being so intensely regulated by the government, more than any other crop in California.

“Every Tom, Dick and Harry is growing pot,” he says. “For the most part, they don’t understand the complexities of the plant, or its medicinal and therapeutic properties.”

These Johnny-come-latelys often don’t know what real pot ought to taste like, smell like and look like, he says.

At the end of a hard day’s labor, Coturri likes to go into his greenhouse and putter with his pot plants as a way to relax, unwind and be at peace with himself and the world. “Marijuana is an amazing plant,” he says. “I enjoy watching the whole growing cycle, from the germination of the seeds to the flowering of the female plants. It has long been a passion of mine.”

This past April, the New York Times published a couple of photos of Coturri. In one, he walks through a vineyard at Kamen Estate, which he manages; in the other, he’s in his greenhouse surrounded by marijuana starts. The article that accompanied the photos describes marijuana as Coturri’s “hobby.”

Maybe that’s the way it looks from New York. In Sonoma, it’s more like a quest for something that’s hard to define and difficult to pin down, but that adds zest to life. The Times article also claimed that Coturri was as “exalted locally” for his marijuana as he was for his vineyard practices. That’s an exaggeration, to say the least. As an icon of the organic and biodynamic California grape and wine industry, Coturri has mostly kept his cannabis connection under his hat and not advertised it.

As an undergraduate at SSU, Coturri read and wrote poetry. Back then, he would have liked nothing better than to be a poet, though he realized that he probably would not have been able to make a living writing verse. Still, his love of poetry hasn’t abandoned him and he hasn’t abandoned it.

“Once a poet always a poet,” he says. “I’m a poet in the vineyard and in the greenhouse, a poet with pot and with Pinot.”

Jonah Raskin is the author of ‘Marijuanaland: Dispatches from an American War.’

Giving—To Make Sacred, Holy and Orderly Again

Risa D’Angeles

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September 5, 2017

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Giving—To Make Sacred, Holy and Orderly Again

Wednesday, just after midnight (West Coast time) is the full moon (timing mechanism). It is also the Virgo solar (sun) festival (14 degrees). Virgo’s festival arrives just after Mercury turned direct at the Leo eclipse point. Reminding us that eclipses bring vast changes. And so, right after the eclipse (dividing the U.S., reflecting our polarized ideologies), the hurricane swept into Texas, producing massive flooding, changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

In times of crisis such as these, humanity is called to serve, to give and to sacrifice. Humanity is called to action, becoming part of the New Group of World Servers (NGWS), working under the Law of Sacrifice, which is the Law of Giving and Group Endeavor. The flooding has given women and men of Goodwill an opportunity to serve, which is the task of Virgo—and to restore order through acts of selfless service.

The Law of Sacrifice means to “make sacred, holy and orderly again.” All of us are asked to give. The after-effects of the flooding crisis in our country will continue for weeks, months and years. Thousands have lost everything. There will be a great long-lasting sense of trauma by the flood victims. The towns and cities will need to be rebuilt. Let us continue to give, and then give some more. Here are ways to give. Giving produces Joy. Visit: consumerreports.org/charitable-donations/best-ways-to-help-victims-of-hurricane-harvey/.

ARIES: You will be asked to share possessions and resources, to drop your personal sense of security for a greater spiritual security. You might attempt to accomplish tasks alone and in solitude. However, you will need to join with others now to face the transformations and reorientations that have begun to change our planet. You can no longer dismiss others’ values. You will move from instinct to intelligence to intuition to sharing.

TAURUS: Relying solely on yourself creates a state of alienation and possible loneliness. It is important to become more sensitive and aware of others’ needs in your life, especially those close to you. You often don’t understand what your partner is trying to communicate. You want to “get things done.” You have a vision for the future. Are all the kingdoms considered? You focus on physical survival. But there are other voices, other needs and planes of reality to consider.

GEMINI: Beware of not tending to practical details, becoming confused, disorganized and avoiding making goals, plans and agendas. It’s important in the next 18 months to create reasonable plans and routines, scheduling in the morning and reviewing the day at night, creating daily goals, seeing them through. Without this (new) order, you may feel out of control and lacking in clear vision. The Soul is orderly.

CANCER: A deep welling up of creativity appears and at times you are the center of attention by those who recognize your intelligence, talents and gifts. They will want to learn from you. You will need to cease worrying if things are good enough. You are always good enough. Come out from under your shell, enter the garden without fear and apprehension. Attempt contact with the devas (garden fairies). You will feel less alienated. The devas will become your friends.

LEO: Realizing you are dependent upon those you love can make you pull back and remain within yourself building your own “interior castles.” You often fear losing individuality when you love. You live a bit within the heresy of separateness. Yes, there’s the need to develop your own self-ness, leadership and ability to rule. However, for life to have meaning, love is all there is for you. You can love deeply without dissolving.

VIRGO: So often you feel the need to take responsibility. This can sometimes, without adaptation which creates fluidity, move into a state of rigidity and then fear of not being recognized adequately. Having a standard of perfection and achievement is important. Beware of becoming too intense, too in control, too fearful of obscurity. Everyone sees you. You are acceptable and good. The unveiling is continuous.

LIBRA: You understand yourself, your worth and values through the eyes of your close intimates. Your daily life may feel somewhat confused, there may be wounding that occurs, along with a sense of things important to you dissolving away. You are in a state of “isolated unity.” With the difficulties, you discover your own values, gifts and talents and establish a greater self-worth. Prayer takes you through any crisis. Someone far-away loves you.

SCORPIO: It will be important to trust your instincts, to stand on the other side of fear, to stand alone, be decisive, asserting yourself while not being overly concerned with whether people think you’re good or not. Peace is a wholesome response which brings forth healing. How do we achieve peace? We have intentions for Goodwill (always) which creates Right Relations which creates the experience and process of active peace. This is the only equation for peace.

SAGITTARIUS: Sometimes we have a dark night of the Soul. Isolation is significant. We feel separate from life. We cry out in the wilderness. No one answers (at first). There comes a day that upon awakening we sense the loss and despair are lessened. We hear the words “Love is all there is.” We wonder where the path of Love is? We realize we’ve been treading it all along. At first, we were asleep. Then, through pain, we awakened. Then love came in a flash. Then it disappeared. We are still on the path.

CAPRICORN: There is a new way of meditation. We must no longer “empty” our minds. We are to “use” the faculty of our minds in order to design, fashion and build, with boldness, the new world. We cannot create with an empty mind. We create through our imagination, the faculty of visualization. Our minds are to be an intensified light of constant imaginative creation. Visualize a future for yourself as part of a community for humanity. Do this daily. See what happens.

AQUARIUS: It’s good to say mantras (holy words) each day. Their sound holds the resonation (vibration) that creates the future. We must realize the implication inherent in the words, “Humanity must create the new future.” Toning, sounding ohms, and reciting ancient mantras helps uplift and purify the present world around us. Out of that purity, and sound, which created the world, the future begins to appear. Doing this creative work comforts us.

PISCES: You want to live in community. You may need to seek out unusual places yet unknown to you. There is something profound occurring with you and groups of people. At times, you feel a deep loneliness. Remember Matthew 21: 22. “Pray and you will receive what you pray for.” Read the story of Mary Gray (Theosophist) meeting Krishnamurti at the train station. Mary took Krishnamurti to Pine Cottage (Ojai) where he lived, studied, taught and grew in light, from 1922 till his death in 1986. From “Lives in the Shadow with J. Krishnamurti,” by R.R. Sloss.

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology September 6 – 12

Rob Brezsny

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September 5, 2017

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Rob Brezsny’s Astrology September 6 – 12

Free will astrology for the week of September 6, 2017.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You’re half-intoxicated by your puzzling adventures—and half-bewildered, as well. Sometimes you’re spinning out fancy moves, sweet tricks, and surprising gambits. On other occasions you’re stumbling and bumbling and mumbling. Are you really going to keep up this rhythm? I hope so, because your persistence in navigating through the challenging fun could generate big rewards. Like what, for example? Like the redemptive transformation of a mess into an asset.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Free your mind and your ass will follow,” sings funk pioneer George Clinton in his song “Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts.” And what’s the best way to free your mind? Clinton advises you to “Be careful of the thought-seeds you plant in the garden of your mind.” That’s because the ideas you obsess on will eventually grow into the experiences you attract into your life. “Good thoughts bring forth good fruit,” he croons, while “Bullshit thoughts rot your meat.” Any questions, Taurus? According to my astrological analysis, this is the best possible counsel for you to receive right now.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): James Loewen wrote a book called Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. He said, for instance, that during the Europeans’ invasion and conquest of the continent, it wasn’t true that Native Americans scalped white settlers. In fact, it was mostly the other way around: whites scalped Indians. Here’s another example: The famous blind and deaf person, Helen Keller, was not a sentimental spokesperson for sweetness and light, but rather a radical feminist and socialist who advocated revolution. I invite you to apply Loewen’s investigative approach to your personal past, Gemini. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to uncover hidden, incomplete and distorted versions of your history, and correct them.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Roger Hodge writes books now, but when he worked for Harper’s magazine, he had an unusual specialty. He gathered heaps of quirky facts, and assembled several at a time into long sentences that had a nutty poetic grace. Here’s an example: “British cattle have regional accents, elephants mourn their dead, nicotine sobers drunk rats, scientists have concluded that teenagers are physically incapable of being considerate, and clinical trials of an ‘orgasmatron’ are underway in North Carolina.” I’m offering Hodge as a worthy role model for you in the coming weeks, Cancerian. Be curious, miscellaneous, and free-flowing. Let your mind wander luxuriantly as you make unexpected connections. Capitalize on the potential blessings that appear through zesty twists and tangy turns.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In Japan, you can buy a brand of candy that’s called the Great Buddha’s Nose Snot. Each piece consists of a rice puff that resembles the Buddha’s nose filled with bits of brown sugar that symbolize the snot. The candy-making company assures customers that eating this treat brings them good luck. I invite you to be equally earthy and irreverent about your own spiritual values in the coming days. You’re in prime position to humanize your relationship with divine influences … to develop a more visceral passion for your holiest ideals … to translate your noblest aspirations into practical, enjoyable actions.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Will a routine trip to carry out an errand take you on a detour to the suburbs of the promised land? Will you worry you’re turning into a monster, only to find the freakishness is just a phase that you had to pass through on your way to unveiling some of your dormant beauty? Will a provocative figure from the past lead you on a productive wild-goose chase into the future? These are some of the possible storylines I’ll be monitoring as I follow your progress in the coming weeks.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Let’s meet in the woods after midnight and tell each other stories about our origins, revealing the secrets we almost forgot we had. Let’s sing the songs that electrified our emotions all those years ago when we first fell in love with our lives. Starlight will glow on our ancient faces. The fragrance of loam will seep into our voices like rainwater feeding the trees’ roots. We’ll feel the earth turning on its axis, and sense the rumble of future memories coming to greet us. We’ll join hands, gaze into the dreams in each other’s eyes, and dive as deep as we need to go to find hidden treasures.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I don’t usually recommend giving gifts with strings attached. On the contrary, I advise you to offer your blessings without having any expectations at all. Generosity often works best when the recipients are free to use it any way they see fit. In the coming weeks, however, I’m making an exception to my rule. According to my reading of the omens, now is a time to be specific and forceful about the way you’d like your gifts to be used. As an example of how not to proceed, consider the venture capitalist who donated $25,000 to the University of Colorado. All he got in return was a rest room in a campus building named after him. If you give away $25,000, Scorpio, make sure you at least get a whole building named after you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Now that you’re getting a taste of what life would be like if you ruled the world, I’ll recommend a manual. It’s called How to Start Your Own Country, by Erwin Strauss. (Get a free peek here: tinyurl.com/YouSovereign.) You could study it for tips on how to obtain national sovereignty, how to recruit new citizens, and how to avoid paying taxes to yourself. (P.S.: You can make dramatic strides toward being the boss of yourself and your destiny even without forming your own nation.)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): There was a time when not even the most ambitious explorers climbed mountains. In the Western world, the first time it happened was in 1492, when a Frenchman named Antoine de Ville ascended to the top of Mont Aiguille, using ladders, ropes, and other props. I see you as having a kinship with de Ville in the coming weeks, Capricorn. I’d love to see you embark on a big adventure that would involve you trying on the role of a pioneer. This feat wouldn’t necessarily require strenuous training and physical courage. It might be more about daring creativity and moral courage.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Science fiction proposes that there are alternate worlds alongside the visible one—hidden, yes, but perhaps accessible with the right knowledge or luck. In recent years, maverick physicists have given the idea more credibility, theorizing that parallel universes exist right next to ours. Even if these hypothetical places aren’t literally real, they serve as an excellent metaphor. Most of us are so thoroughly embedded in our own chosen niche that we are oblivious to the realities that other people inhabit. I bring these thoughts to your attention, Aquarius, because it’s a favorable time to tap into those alternate, parallel, secret, unknown, or unofficial realms. Wake up to the rich sources that have been so close to you, but so far away.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I’m always in favor of you cultivating a robust relationship with your primal longings. But I’ll be rooting extra hard for you to do that during the next 11 months. I hope you will dig deep to identify your primal longings, and I hope you will revere them as the wellspring of your life energy, and I hope you will figure out all the tricks and strategies you will need to fulfill them. Here’s a hint about how to achieve the best results as you do this noble work: Define your primal longings with as much precision as you can, so that you will never pursue passing fancies that bear just a superficial resemblance to the real things.

Homework: Why is this a perfect moment? To hear my reasons why, tune in to my podcast: http://bit.ly/PerfectionNow.

Opinion August 30, 2017

Steve Palopoli

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August 30, 2017

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EDITOR’S NOTE

I tend to think that every city believes their restaurant scene has terrible service, so I was skeptical at first when Lily Stoicheff pitched a story a couple of months ago about why “Service in Santa Cruz sucks” has become such a common refrain among local diners.

But what she had heard about the story behind the story—rumblings of bigger trouble in the service industry that might be affecting local restaurants severely—was interesting enough that we agreed she should look into it.

Over weeks of research, it became more and more clear that the problem is far bigger than we first realized, and that it ties into some of the biggest and most divisive problems facing Santa Cruz County. The resulting story this week about why Santa Cruz restaurants are facing a massive labor shortage should open a lot of eyes to an unexplored consequence of what is unfortunately an all-too-familiar problem in Santa Cruz, and one which many of our stories end up pointing back to: a lack of affordable housing in Santa Cruz for sectors that were once able to provide their workers with a living wage.

To me, this story is an example of one of the most important things a community newspaper can do: take something that locals are saying, like “Service in Santa Cruz sucks,” and start from the simple act of saying “OK, but why?” to build an investigation that ultimately gives readers a clearer picture of what’s happening and how it affects them. I hope this story does the same for you.

STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Read the latest letters to the editor here.

Drive It Home

Re: “Living on the Edge” (GT, 8/23): I’m glad to see your two articles in the most recent Good Times on probably the most pressing problem humanity has ever faced. Given current rattling-sabers over use of nuclear weapons, that is saying something, and it is something that needs to be driven home over and over. I heard Gary Griggs, UCSC Professor from your cover article say publicly that 1) Climate Change is real; 2) it’s us (emissions); 3) it’s Serious; and 4) it’s urgent. We need to get that into everyday consciousness of the ordinary citizen. I’m looking forward to reading Grigg’s new book on sea level rise, a local issue that will affect housing, infrastructure, health, safety and the economy for all. I’m looking forward to our local, state and federal government officials continuing to grapple with best policy to give us what we really need: a healthy climate restored to zero degrees warming. We must “keep fossil fuels in the ground,” and get their unseen emissions out of our overstuffed (with carbon molecules) atmosphere.

Diane Warren

Boulder Creek

Planning for a Crisis

Re: “Living on the Edge”: Congratulations to our local oceanic superhero Gary Griggs on his new book Coasts in Crisis.

My biggest takeaway from last week’s Good Times interview was that “serious impacts” of long-term sea level rise will begin to have effects within just “several more decades” (i.e., 30 years). Gary explains that, “higher sea levels will move up the San Lorenzo River Channel and raise the water table beneath downtown.”

I don’t know about you, but I plan to be alive within the next 30 years.

I motion that the City of Santa Cruz zone two new downtown districts that are outside of the San Lorenzo River Channel: “Westside” and “Seabright.”

The sooner we begin to reorient our infrastructure, the more disaster-proof our community becomes. When the levee breaks, as it surely will, Santa Cruz will long since have grown beyond.

Traffic and neighborhood character are valid concerns, but our zoning code can account for these issues. We can keep cars off the roads by reducing per-unit parking requirements, making it more expensive to park a car, but cheaper to build a unit of housing.

We can preserve and enhance community character by requiring that all new buildings be covered with at least 50 percent of either art, plants, or energy production, giving additional height allowances with reasonable setbacks to account for the extra cost of construction.

Santa Cruz has always been forward-thinking. Our civic planning should reflect that.

We will know our success by a monument to Gary Giggs in one of the new downtown districts carrying the inscription: “We were lucky enough to have him. We were wise enough to listen to him. We will love him forever, Professor Gary Griggs.”

Manu Koenig | Civinomics

ONLINE COMMENTS

Re: Cap and Trade

Two bad “cost” choices to reduce emissions. Even though the extension of cap and trade with AB398, which places the emissions crusade through the free market auctions, is projected to be more cost-effective than SB32 command and control to meet emission goals of 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, through CARB’s regulatory authority, the public will be seeing increases in their costs for energy and products for the foreseeable future.

— Ronald Stein

CORRECTION

Due to a transcription error, last week’s story “Measures for Measure,” incorrectly listed the last name of Rowan Vickers, who plays the Duke, upon second reference. We regret the error.

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

Submit to ph****@go*******.sc. Include information (location, etc.) and your name. Photos may be cropped. Preferably, photos should be 4 inches by 4 inches and minimum 250dpi.

GOOD IDEA

LEAVES BEHIND

The city of Capitola now finally has a city flower, the begonia. Capitola Mayor Stephanie Harlan honored the flower just in time for the 65th annual—and last ever—Begonia Festival, which has delighted people for decades. The final festival runs four days, starting Friday, Sept. 1. The main event, a parade of begonia-coated vessels floating down Soquel Creek, is 1 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit begoniafestival.com.

GOOD WORK

LAG CORRECTION
County educational groups have won a $300,000 grant to address disparities in computer learning. The two-year National Science Foundation grant— awarded to Santa Cruz City Schools and local groups—bolsters directives in Santa Cruz public schools for computer science, a burgeoning field where women, African American and Hispanic students are greatly underrepresented. Research shows that gap begins early, possibly before high school.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I went into a restaurant. The menu said ‘breakfast at any time.’ So I ordered French toast during the Renaissance.”
-Steven Wright

5 Things to Do in Santa Cruz This Week

GT Staff

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August 30, 2017

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Event highlights for the week of August 30, 2017

Green Fix

The Last Capitola Begonia Festival

Begonias, though one of the most popular perennials, are often taken for granted. They are mild-mannered, temperate plants that put up with even the most amateur gardeners. That’s why, for 65 years, the annual Capitola Begonia Festival puts the resilient flowers at center stage. Though the begonia once grew abundantly in Capitola, the supply has since dried up. So after six decades, this year will be the final celebration. Spend Labor Day weekend commemorating the long-standing festival and the flower that started it all.

INFO: Friday Sept. 1- Monday, Sept. 4. Capitola Village. begoniafestival.com. Free.

Art Seen

Erle Loran Show Grand Opening

Paul Cezanne was a founding father of post-impressionism and the beginnings of cubism. He was an inspiration to Picasso and Matisse. But for Erle Loran, inspiration is an understatement. Loran took admiration to a new level by moving into Cezanne’s old studio. Loran was appointed to the Arts Department Chair of UC Berkeley, and drew inspiration from pop art, and modernist abstract art. Around 50 of his paintings will be on display through September.

INFO: Show opens Friday Sept. 1, 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Robert Azensky Fine Art, 3140 Porter St, Soquel.

Wednesday 8/30

Voltaire’s Candide

Humor and sarcasm ages well—and Voltaire’s Candide proves it. Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s acting interns return to round out their final performance of Candide this week, with laughs included. The tongue-in-cheek story follows Candide’s misfortunate though hilarious search of adventure and fortune. Keep in mind that due to some mature humor, the performance may not be suitable for all ages.

INFO: Show starts at 7:30 p.m. The Audrey Stanley Grove in DeLaveaga Park. 501 Upper Park Road, Santa Cruz. santacruzshakespeare.org. $25.

Thursday 8/31-Sunday 9/3

Abbott Square Grand Opening Weekend

The opening of Abbott Square has been a long process. It has been unofficially open for some time now, but this weekend the MAH makes it official, with all of the restaurants and bars putting on their finishing touches and open for business. The weekend begins with Salsa Night on Thursday, followed by a music night on Saturday, and Boogie & Bubbles (aka a kid’s dream) on Sunday. If you haven’t stopped by Abbott Square yet, this would be the time.

INFO: Abbott Square Market, 118 Cooper St., Santa Cruz. abbottsquare.org. Free.

Saturday 9/2

Wings Over Watsonville

At some point, we have all wanted to know what it’s like to fly an airplane. Sadly, this is the closest some of us will ever come. Luckily, there’s a lot to learn about aviation and its history on the Watsonville Municipal Airport tarmac. Free aircraft and helicopter rides for children ages 8-17, intro to flying and skydive jumps as well as food vendors. It’s a wannabe pilot’s dream.

INFO: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Watsonville Municipal Airport. 100 Aviation Way, Watsonville. wowflyin.org. Free.

What should we do with historical statues that some people find offensive?

Columns

Matthew Cole Scott

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August 30, 2017

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What should we do with historical statues that some people find offensive?

“I think they should be dismantled. ”

Zion Otto

Cultivation Florist

“I think that it would be more productive to have a museum enshrine them, as it is a part of our history.”

Ryan Bond

Beer-tender

Santa Cruz

“As a society we need to decide what is historically important and needs to be saved and preserved for future generations, while also respecting the people who were potentially harmed by what they represent.”

Kyle Jouras

Ceramic Artist

Santa Cruz

“If enough people are offended by something than we should listen to them. If it’s a tiny minority and they are getting up in arms about something, maybe it’s not that big of a deal.”

Evan Feenstra

Web Designer

Seattle

“You’re going to find that something offends everybody, and it’s part of our history. You can’t get rid of that. ”

Paul Becklund

Cabinetmaker

Orange County

Music Picks Aug 30 – Sept 5

GT Staff

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August 30, 2017

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Music highlights for the week of August 30, 2017

THURSDAY 8/31

FUSION

WASABI

It’s fine to call Wasabi a power trio, as long as you know that this prodigious triumvirate draws energy from a funk-fusion core of African diaspora grooves. Performing as part of the Jazz Center’s Live and Local series, the Santa Cruz combo continues to evolve, propelled by the huge, pliable sound of Dan Robbins’ bass, the dynamic trap work of drummer Alex Work and the melodically charged guitar of Ron Work. Derek Smith will be adding metallic textures and polyrhythmic support on steel pan, vibes and percussion, making this too-rare Wasabi repast even tangier than usual. ANDREW GILBERT

INFO: 7 P.M. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $20/door. 427-2227.

FRIDAY 9/1

CELTIC

FIDDLE EXTRAVAGANZA

Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser is a renowned musician whose artistry and work as an unofficial fiddle ambassador have made him a household name among Celtic music aficionados. In addition to 16-plus recordings of his own, the Northern California-based Fraser has been a force for reigniting the Scottish tradition of playing dance music on the fiddle (wee fiddle) and cello (big fiddle). On Friday, Fraser hosts the Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School’s 34th annual concert featuring more than 170 “enthusiastic musicians in a lively celebration of music, song and dance.” Featured artists include André Brunet, Evan Price, Natalie Haas, Pazzo Mehling and many more. CJ

INFO: 8 p.m. Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz. $20.50-$24.50. 426-6966.

FRIDAY 9/1

HIP-HOP

¡MAYDAY!

Miami hip-hop crew ¡Mayday! seems to have one mission in mind: to create the best party on the planet. It helps that it’s a crew—as in, there are two rappers, a percussionist, a bassist and a keyboard player in the band. In other words, it’s a band, which is not the norm these days in hip-hop. The group captures the sound of Miami, with a bit of the hard-hitting Southern hip-hop sound mixed into the never-ending party energy. The group’s latest effort, Search Party, is probably the closest the group have ever gotten to introspective. (Spoiler alert: it’s still full of bangers.) AARON CARNES

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $12/adv, $15/door. 429-4135.

FRIDAY 9/1

ROCK

SNAKE OIL SALESMEN

Landing in that sweet spot where the stripped-down neo-old-timiness of Old Crow Medicine Show and the Devil Makes Three overlaps with the drive of the Black Keys and the country soul of Waylon Jennings, the Snake Oil Salesmen simply describe themselves as “Americana.” Formed in Southern California in 2012, the band comprises singer-songwriter, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Clay Coughlin; upright bass player Tristan Cole-Falek, whose skillset includes being a master luthier who built both his bass and Clay’s signature guitar; and Nick Colliflower on drums. If unfiltered American rock ’n’ roll is your thing, don’t sleep on these guys. CJ

INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.

FRIDAY 9/1

REGGAE

ANTHONY B

In 1992, Anthony B, a small-town Jamaican hopeful, headed to Kingston to make it as a spiritual, conscious reggae artist. Only problem: old-school religious roots reggae was out of fashion in Kingston in the ’90s. He managed to impress crowds by incorporating some of the sounds and rapping styles of the popular dancehall style, but what he sang about remained pure and true to any Jah-loving spiritual devotee. He’s released a couple dozen records and thousands of singles, and reigns as one of the leading roots reggae revival artists. It’s not exactly roots reggae revival at this point—but it’s close. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $26/adv, $30/door. 479-1854.

SATURDAY 9/2

ROCKABILLY

KIM LENZ & THE JAGUARS

It’s high praise in the rockabilly world (and music world at large) to be compared to Elvis Presley. The creative force that helped transform popular music is remembered by some as the gluttonous Vegas-style singer, but fans of early rock ’n’ roll know that before Elvis was the King, he was a young musician slinging a style that blended soul, blues, country and pop into what would become rockabilly. Los Angeles-based musician Kim Lenz is in the company of standout artists such as Wanda Jackson and Amy Winehouse in being compared to a young Elvis—and she’s earned the comparison. A dance-floor-packing frontwoman who’s been rocking since 1998, Lenz is one of the real-deal contemporary artists keeping early rock alive. CJ

INFO: 8:30 p.m. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $10. 335-2800.

SATURDAY 9/2

HIP-HOP

BERNER

SF rapper Berner loves weed. Maybe that isn’t a revelatory comment to make about any professional musician. But in the case of Berner, when he’s not spitting verses, he’s busy being a marijuana mogul. He’s created his own strains, and even considers himself a “brand ambassador.” So, in a way, you could view his weed-soaked rhymes as part of the overall product he’s building in the “weed lifestyle” market. Or maybe, he just knows how to make perfect stoner music because it’s his livelihood to get people high. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $35. 429.4135.

SUNDAY 9/3

ROCK

JETHRO TULL’S MARTIN BARRE BAND

The Atlantic recently ran an article calling prog-rock the whitest music ever. (“Audacious, innovative—and awful.”) Awful is a bit extreme, but it certainly is over the top. Still, what’s wrong with that? While we’re on the subject, can you think of a band that exemplifies the outrageous ’70s prog-rock aesthetic more than Jethro Tull? They had a flute in the band, for god’s sake! They also had a guitarist—an amazing one named Martin Barre, who’s known as one of the best soloists ever. If you want to see him rip some solos, or play some crazy overly-complex chops, he’ll be at Moe’s on Sunday. AC

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $30/adv, $35/door. 479-1854.

MONDAY 9/4

HAWAIIAN

KAHULANUI

Hawaiian music was already a firmly established part of the rising recording industry in 1915 when the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco sparked a national craze for ukuleles. At the same time, jazz was entering the American vernacular, and Hawaiian swing evolved naturally on hotel bandstands and cruise ships serving the islands. The roots of Kahulanui, a top Hawaiian swing band, dates back to that fertile era, when lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Lolena Naipo’s grandfather helped lead the ’Iolani Palace’s Royal Hawaiian Band. Featuring a core rhythm section of Patrick Eskildsen on electric bass, lead guitar and vocals, Duke Tatom on ukulele and vocals, Tim Taylor on drums and percussion, five horns, and Hawaiian steel guitar Dwight Tokumoto, Kahulanui delivers a sound that flows from Hawaii’s sweet air and sumptuous light. AG

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $20/adv, $22/door. 335-2526.

IN THE QUEUE

EMI SUNSHINE

Musical prodigy out of East Tennessee. Wednesday at Don Quixote’s

JUDO NO

Electrified world fusion. Friday at Don Quixote’s

CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE

Hall of Fame blues harmonica artist. Saturday at Moe’s Alley

STEEP RAVINE

Bay Area folk, rock and newgrass. Saturday at Crepe Place

STEEL PULSE

Legendary roots reggae group. Sunday at Catalyst

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Unsavory O’Mei

Fruit of the Week

Wine of the Week

Event of the Week

Where Wine Meets Weed

EDITOR’S NOTE

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

GOOD IDEA

GOOD WORK

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Green Fix

The Last Capitola Begonia Festival

Art Seen

Erle Loran Show Grand Opening

Wednesday 8/30

Voltaire’s Candide

Thursday 8/31-Sunday 9/3

Abbott Square Grand Opening Weekend

Saturday 9/2

Wings Over Watsonville

Zion Otto

Cultivation Florist

Ryan Bond

Beer-tender

Santa Cruz

Kyle Jouras

Ceramic Artist

Santa Cruz

Evan Feenstra

Web Designer

Seattle

Paul Becklund

Cabinetmaker

Orange County

WASABI

FIDDLE EXTRAVAGANZA

¡MAYDAY!

SNAKE OIL SALESMEN

ANTHONY B

KIM LENZ & THE JAGUARS

BERNER

JETHRO TULL’S MARTIN BARRE BAND

KAHULANUI

IN THE QUEUE