Page 772 – Good Times

5 Things to Do in Santa Cruz This Week

GT Staff

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July 19, 2017

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Event highlights for the week of July 19, 2017

Green Fix

Shark Science Week

With their cold, black eyes; powerful, sleek movements; razor-sharp teeth and blood-smelling abilities, sharks aren’t exactly the teddy bears of the sea. But the fear factor has been overhyped in Hollywood’s ongoing obsession with them, so the Seymour Center is hosting a science-themed Shark Week of its own. Dive into numerous fascinating topics like the incredible shark senses, reproduction, their relation to skates and rays, and more.

Info: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, July 22. Seymour Center Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz. $6-$8.

Art Seen

Little People’s Repertory ‘Peter Pamilton’

It’s the scrappy, flying orphan that we all know and love, but with a twist. Peter Pamilton has been spending time away from Neverland, visiting the Darling home, where three enlightened sisters tell him stories about freedom and equality. Peter convinces Angelica, Eliza, and Wendy to fly back with him and battle the tyrannical Captain Hook. Little People’s Repertory Theatre of Ben Lomond presents this original rock musical by Jannine Chadwick, with a cast of local children ages eight to 14, singing and dancing to more than 25 parodies of modern pop, rap, and rock hits.

Info: Thursday, July 20-Sunday, July 30. Park Hall, Community Center, 9400 Mill St., Ben Lomond. lprt.org.

Wednesday 7/19

Outdoor Storytime Summer Series

There’s only one thing that’s better than storytime: storytime in the great outdoors, where tales come to life and imaginations can run wild. Join Billie Harris in Bookshop Santa Cruz’s outdoor reading series at one of their newly commissioned “artful reading benches.” Designed by local artist Denise Davidson, this bench was dedicated to the city of Santa Cruz at Garfield Park in 2016, with the intent of creating reading spots for children in our local parks. An actress with Shakespeare Santa Cruz and Cabrillo Stage, Harris has lent her soothing voice and theatrical training to memorable storytelling since her weekly morning radio show on KUSP.

Info: 10-11 a.m. 634 Almar Ave., Santa Cruz. bookshopsantacruz.com. Free.

Sunday 7/23

#RAW Day

Robert Anton Wilson predicted “things will continue as they always have, getting weirder all the time.” Wilson wrote 35 books and published more than 1,500 articles. He co-authored the underground classic The Illuminatus! Trilogy, winner of the 1986 Prometheus Hall of Fame Award, and his works include Schroedinger’s Cat Trilogy which was called the “most scientific of all science fiction novels.” In 2003, Santa Cruz mayor Emily Reilly proclaimed July 23 Robert Anton Wilson Day. This year, celebrate his life and legacy with a day of talks by Christina Pearson, Daisy Campbell, Erik Davis, Richard Rasa, and music by the creator of the Super Weird Happenings.

Info: 2-9 p.m. Museum of Art and History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. santacruzmah.org. $23.

Sunday 7/23

45th Annual Wharf to Wharf

Each year the fourth Sunday of July is taken over by 16,000 runners from across the U.S. and around the world. They converge on Santa Cruz for the annual six-mile race to Capitola which first got its start in 1973. This year’s race begins at 8:30 a.m. and starts at the Santa Cruz Wharf. Registration is limited to 16,000 people.

Info: 8:30 a.m. Santa Cruz Wharf, Beach St. & Cliff St., Santa Cruz. wharftowharf.com. $45.

Vacation Rental Debate Doesn’t Cool Down at Planning Commission

Local News

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July 19, 2017

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Vacation Rental Debate Doesn’t Cool Down at Planning Commission

In a tourist economy that draws visitors from around the world, real estate agent Derek Timm says talk of further regulating, possibly even voiding, a few hundred vacation rentals around Santa Cruz makes for a bad look.

“I think it’s really ugly,” says Timm, a Scotts Valley planning commissioner. Timm built a vacation rental on Front Street near the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf and has his Montalvo Homes and Estates office in the same building. “Rather than looking at those people as good actors and encouraging them to continue, they are being blamed for a problem that is not of their own creation.”

Anyone guessing the debate over short-term rentals might soon cool down would probably be wrong. Although heated subcommittee meetings wrapped up in April, the first planning commission meeting had the intensity of a pressure cooker. At a five-hour June 29 evening meeting, which adjourned after midnight, members of the subcommittee said they did not recognize the recommendations that city staffers had drafted—even suggesting that planners had ignored their hard work altogether.

Brion Sprinsock, a supporter of tighter vacation rental regulations, gave a presentation on the impact of sites like airbnb.com on housing stock. Sprinsock, who served on the Short-Term Vacation Rental Subcommittee, has created an informational site called unfairbnb.net and posted flyers in neighborhoods like Beach Hill that “Airbnb is destroying our city.” In the city council chambers people held up signs that read “our neighborhoods need your help” and “we need housing,” while proponents argued about a property owner’s right to rent their space.

Timm, who also gave a presentation, has launched his own website, sccrva.com, which stands for Santa Cruz County Rental and Visitor Alliance.

There are currently 303 short-term rentals registered with the city, but opponents say the real number is much higher, citing a San Francisco Chronicle article published in April 2016, that found roughly 76 percent of short-terms in San Francisco operate illegally, with big impacts on neighborhoods and rents, they argue.

Sprinsock, a local homeowner and landlord, says that by compiling listings from the top five vacation sites and cross-referencing them, he has counted 572 active rentals in Santa Cruz, and suggests the number could keep growing. He cites a Morgan Stanley Research survey from November 2016 in which 18 percent of the roughly 4,000 people polled had recently used Airbnb, a 25-percent increase over the year before.

Sprinsock, who owns the Hinds House Extended Stay Hotel, also points out that, according to the Stanley survey, 98 percent of those questioned would’ve stayed in other lodgings if vacation rentals were not available.

Timm pins most of the town’s rising rents on UCSC, where enrollment has risen a little more than 3,000 students in the last 10 years, according to the school’s website. He says he’s done an informal survey, which found that the vast majority of vacation rental owners would not convert their spaces to long-term housing, even if the city banned online short-term rentals.

“The city is saying, ‘This is a solution to our housing problem,’ without any data or knowledge of what is out there,” he says.

By the end of the meeting, exhausted commissioners agreed to cap the number of short-term rentals at 400, with one short-term rental per owner. They also agreed to phase out non-hosted rentals over the next decade and allow nonconforming rentals—those not registered with the city—to start complying with city regulations over the next five years. They’ll keep working on the details at their next 7 p.m. meeting on Thursday, July 20, when the commission will keep working on recommendations they’re eventually sending to the Santa Cruz City Council.

Is cannabis a performance-enhancing drug?

Columns

Matthew Cole Scott

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July 19, 2017

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Is cannabis a performance-enhancing drug?

“Yes. If you are an artist or musician and looking for creative inspiration, it can enhance those aspects.”

Tyler Hopkins

Santa Cruz

Surfboard Shaper

“Not at all. It’s going to demotivate anyone from doing anything.”

Ronnie Garcia

Santa Cruz

Graphic Designer/Sales

“Yes, but not in the heat of the moment. As an athlete you could smoke pot and be relaxed the next day.”

Matt Stevens

New York

Writer

“I don’t think so, not performance enhancing, but it is good for eliminating pain.”

Gail Greenwood

Santa Cruz

Retired Teacher

“I would say no. It tends to make me a little lazier. It’s like the opposite. ”

Joe Martin

San Jose

Wiring Technician

Music Picks July 19-25

GT Staff

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July 19, 2017

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Live music highlights for the week of July 19, 2017

WEDNESDAY 7/19

HAWAIIAN

LEDWARD KAAPANA

Ledward Kaapana is as smooth a fingerpicking guitarist as you’ll find. The Hawaiian slack key master’s casual style and sly sense of humor disarm even the toughest heart. His wicked technicality and mastery of many stringed instruments—resonator ukulele, anyone?—place him in the top few names of contemporary island artists. The recipient of numerous Grammy awards, and a beloved artist who’s known around the world, Kaapana is an ambassador of aloha, friendship, humor and music. CJ

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $17/adv, $20/door. 335-2800.

WEDNESDAY 7/19

COUNTRY

CADILLAC GRAINERS

The Cadillac Grainers’ slogan is “Heartsick dirtbags warbling solid gold hits from the heyday of traditional country music.” Though “heartsick dirtbags” may not be your thing, the “solid gold hits” bit is quite enticing when applied to country music. This Santa Cruz-based four-piece takes on the classics, such as “Frankie and Johnny,” “Travellin’ Blues,” and “Lonesome Whistle,” and delivers them in the no-frills, heartaching style they were meant to be delivered in. CJ

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

WEDNESDAY 7/19

REGGAE

KATCHAFIRE

For 20 years, the New Zealand act Katchafire has been rocking audiences around the globe with its roots reggae style. Formed by guitarist Grenville Bell and his two sons, singer Logan bell and drummer Jordan Bell, the band began when Grenville moved in with his boys so they could jam whenever they felt like it. Today Katchafire has expanded to eight members with four albums under their belts, along with multiple awards and much love from other reggae artists such as Damian Marley and Steel Pulse. They’ll be joined by Iya Terra and Jordan T for a night that Moe’s Alley warns you should buy early tickets for, because Rasta Cruz will be in full effect. MAT WEIR

INFO: 8:30 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $30/adv, $35/door. 479-1854.

FRIDAY 7/21

ROCK

ERIC BURDON AND THE ANIMALS

The ‘60s British Invasion brought a whole lot of amazing bands to the States besides just the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. One of the top bands was the Animals, whose foreboding 1964 hit “The House of the Rising Sun” would become a staple on classic rock stations, karaoke bars, and in Guitar Centers all across the country. As times got more psychedelic, the band evolved, billing themselves as Eric Burdon and the Animals. The version of the band playing Santa Cruz will cover all of the group’s classic ‘60s hits including “Don’t Bring Me Down,” “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” “See See Rider,” and of course that one about a house in New Orleans. AARON CARNES

INFO: 6:30 & 8:30 p.m. Beach Boardwalk 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz. Free. 423-5590.

FRIDAY 7/21

GYPSY JAZZ

JOHN JORGENSON QUINTET

A regular act at “Djangofests” around the world, the John Jorgenson Quintet loosely plays gypsy jazz, but more accurately plays a fiery fusion of Latin, Romanian, classical, rock, jazz and Greek music that has been described as “21st century world music.” The quintet is led by renowned Hellecasters and Desert Rose Band guitarist Jorgenson, who also plays mandolin, mandocello, dobro, pedal steel guitar, piano, upright bass, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone. As a whole, the band is a fantastic platform to showcase Jorgenson’s insane guitar chops and visionary compositions. CJ

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $26/gen, $40/gold. 427-2227.

FRIDAY 7/21

REGGAE

EXPANDERS

Much of the California reggae revival, known as Cali-reggae, has a certain reggae-rock fusion sound influenced in large part by Sublime. L.A.’s the Expanders, which formed in 1999 when many of the Sublime copy bands were first hitting the scene, take an entirely different approach. The band goes back to the source—that includes all the Jamaican music in the ‘60s and ‘70s, with an emphasis on laid-back, light-as-a-feather grooves and sweet spine-tingling harmonies. Their latest, 2015’s Hustling Culture, is a reggae gem that pays tribute to the Jamaican greats that came before them. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10/adv, $14/door. 429-4135.

SATURDAY 7/22

ROOTS

IGUANAS

When people say “American roots music,” they should include Chicano musical traditions that have developed here, as many Latin subgenres were literally invented in the U.S. The Iguanas, who hail from New Orleans and formed in 1989, has always been an interesting case. On one hand, it’s a band that draws on the Tex-Mex sounds carved out in the American Southwest. But they’ve always taken a much broader approach to the music. Their last album, Juarez, mixes these Latin elements with R&B, blues, garage, and swamp rock. It all mixes together quite naturally. AC

INFO: 8:30 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way. Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $20/door. 479-1854.

TUESDAY 7/25

ROCK

VANESSA SILBERMAN & CARISSA JOHNSON

Those who think rock is dead clearly haven’t heard Vanessa Silberman or Carissa Johnson. Luckily, both women will be performing together at the one and only Blue Lagoon on Pacific Avenue, this Tuesday. Hailing from Los Angeles and Boston respectively, both women throw down hip-shaking tunes with an in-your-face punk rock attitude that makes the staunchest of squares grasp their ears in disbelief. As if that’s not enough of a reason to attend, rumor has it Silberman will be joined by Reed Mullin from Corrosion of Conformity and Johnson will be performing a rare acoustic set. The ladies will also share the stage with local favorites the Jolly Llamas, Bananarchy and Major Powers. MW

INFO: 9 p.m. Blue Lagoon, 923 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $5. 423-7117.

IN THE QUEUE

COFFIS BROTHERS

Local roots-rock favorites. Friday at Moe’s Alley

BREAKFAST KLUB

‘80s tribute band. Saturday at Don Quixote’s

DAYSHELL

Rock trio out of Southern California. Saturday at Catalyst

STEEP RAVINE

Bay Area newgrass. Saturday at Crepe Place

FEMINA

Patagonian world-fusion. Monday at Kuumbwa

Giveaway: Amadou & Miriam

A&E
Music

Cat Johnson

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July 19, 2017

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Blending rock, traditional Malian styles, electronica and blues, Amadou & Mariam is a standout of the world music scene—and one of the more interesting stories around. Guitarist and vocalist Amadou Bagayoko met vocalist Mariam Doumbia back in 1975 at the Malian Institute for the Young Blind in Bamako, where they were both members of the Eclipse Orchestra. They immediately fell in love, and have been making music ever since. Like most acts, the two started out performing locally, but over the years have grown an audience that stretches around the globe. The duo’s sound is broadly described as Afro-blues, but it fuses genres, sounds and traditions in unexpected and sublimely danceable ways.

INFO: 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $27.50. 423-1338. WANT TO GO? Go to santacruz.com/giveaways before 11 a.m. on Friday, July 28 to find out how you could win a pair of tickets to the show.

Love Your Local Band: Space Heater

A&E
Music

Aaron Carnes

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July 19, 2017

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There’s a little bit of psychedelic rock in local group Space Heater, but mostly it’s a funky dance band. So why is the name about as spacey as you can get?

Well, strapped for a name—they sent more than 400 texts—the members settled for one that bassist Steve Rogers and guitarist Mason Hicks had used years earlier for a totally out-there psych-rock band. Now as a five-piece that also includes Ron Work on guitar, Mike Spooner on percussion, and Joaquin Spengemann on drums, it’s all about making dance music. But there’s still a little bit of experimentation in there.

“We really wanted to keep it funky. That was definitely number one. But also stretch out and see where the music takes us,” says Rogers.

Nowadays, they play bars and private gigs (weddings, funerals, etc.) with a mixture of covers (Maceo Parker, James Brown, Sharon Jones) and some originals. Recently, they’ve been focusing on writing, and they’ve got more than 30 original songs in their arsenal at this point.

“We record every practice. So a lot of times we’ll find ourselves in a groove. We’ll go back to it and be, like, ‘let’s turn that into a song,” Rogers says. “We don’t want to be boxed in as far as any particular style, or tied down to any particular idea. If something takes off, we’ll follow it. If it feels good to keep it funky and straight and danceable, we’ll go with that too. A lot of it’s based on feel.”

INFO: 8 p.m. Friday, July 21. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $10. 335-2800.

The 1440 Multiversity Campus, a Place for Wellness and Learning

Local News

J. D. Ramey

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July 19, 2017

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The 1440 Multiversity Campus, a Place for Wellness and Learning

As we traverse the landscape of 1440 Multiversity in Scotts Valley, Scott Kriens of Juniper Networks talks about 800,000 pounds of Sierra granite boulders that his team gathered to build a creek bed. Along the way, he points out Indonesian teakwood chairs, custom hand-fabricated steel railings, and wooden ceiling beams air-blasted with walnut shells.

Built on a 75-acre spread formerly occupied by the abandoned Bethany Christian College, 1440 is a new learning destination, a place where numerous high-profile teachers are just now starting to book classes. People from all over the world show up to reevaluate their inner mechanisms.

Named after the exact number of minutes in a day, 1440 Multiversity is already open, but construction is still unfolding as Kriens takes me around the campus. We see yoga studios, redwood lodges, meeting and spa facilities, an organic kitchen and black limestone stairways. 1440 is a wellness center, an immersion learning destination, a cooking school, an integrative healing retreat, a hiking getaway, and a corporate meeting facility for groups who value contemplative traditions. The first shovel hit the ground in summer 2014.

The entire campus, Kriens says, is the logical expansion of the work he and his wife started with the 1440 Foundation, an effort to support “compassionate communities leading generative lives” to better their relationships with themselves and others, or in other words, help people contribute to the world by creating more energy than they consume.

“Joanie and I started the foundation in 2010, not yet with any plan for all of this, but really around a belief that we still share, which is that there’s a whole world of growth and learning to be developed inside of ourselves,” he tells me. “In some ways it’s kinda the new frontier all over again.”

Some of the buildings on the campus retain elements of the abandoned Bethany campus, while other structures have been totally rebuilt. The administration building and check-in area, for example, was formerly a drab 1950s-era concrete structure. It’s been taken apart and repurposed as a craftsman style building to now look like a Rocky Mountain ski lodge. Elements of Canadian cedar, stone, slate and copper give the interior an earthy vibe. Some of the wooden beams came from Melvin Belli’s old Nob Hill mansion in San Francisco.

Kriens solicited numerous collaborators in the process of constructing every single component, straight down to 40-million-year-old fossils ingrained in the stone masonry work, all of which was done entirely by hand, piece after piece. As we continue to trip around the property, a minute doesn’t go by without him pointing out similar levels of detail at every single structure.

“To be consistent, that means building with a real staff also,” Kriens says.

In another mind-blowing scenario, a building now called the Sanctuary was the original main chapel at Bethany University. The front portion of the building, formerly the choir riser, is now a retail space filled with yoga supplies, books, jewelry and gifts. Kriens points to a table made from 1,200-year-old redwood, plus chic rubber flooring and hanging lamps made from repurposed PA system horns that the church used 50 years ago. The rest of the building, formerly the main church area, is now repurposed as a studio for yoga classes, meditation, movement therapy, trauma desensitization exercises and a variety of introspective healing practices. The property goes on and on.

A teaching kitchen will feature classes, alternative food instruction and 12 stations where students can work hand-to-hand with chefs. A hi-tech lecture hall already provides hi-quality audio and video recordings for every teacher who presents here. They get copies of the video for free. The legendary Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield recently taught a class of 300 people from 17 different countries. The list of future faculty reads like an international who’s who of mindfulness, self-discovery, nutrition, growth psychology and healing arts disciplines.

“What we’re out to do is to create this learning destination that invites people to both rest and recharge, but also maybe integrate some things about ourselves,” Kriens says. “Not just the physical self or the intellectual self—that’s what we all got taught in school—but the emotional, relational self.”

From that integration, he adds, we become “a little bit more whole, and then take that out, and share it with those that matter most in our lives.”

To learn more about 1440 Multiversity, go to 1440.org.

Kitchen Witch Bone Broth Develops its Monthly Cleanse Program

Tara Fatemi Walker

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July 19, 2017

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Kitchen Witch Bone Broth Develops its Monthly Cleanse Program

Over the last couple of years, I’ve increasingly thought about doing a cleanse, knowing it could do my body good. But a fear of extreme hunger kept me from ever taking the plunge—until last month, when I signed up for one of the monthly cleanse programs offered by local company Kitchen Witch Bone Broth.

For five days, I drank bone broth twice a day, which is said to soothe and coat the digestive tract, and ate their savory soup three times a day. Each morning, the first thing I consumed was fresh lemon juice with two ounces of warm water, and each day I received email support and tips.

Kitchen Witch co-founder and cleanse leader Magali Brecke, LAc., refers to the program as a “genuine hush period for the gut.”

“While we do use the word ‘cleanse,’ we like to skew more toward the idea of a ‘reset,’” says Brecke, who started Kitchen Witch Bone Broth in November 2015 with Rhiannon Henry, LAc and Missy Woolstenhulme. “Our modern world bombards us with fake foods, environmental toxins, and unnatural stress that affects us from birth to death.”

One of the main goals of the cleanse program, which they launched in February, is to reduce inflammation, which can be caused by factors like stress and poor eating. Like a few others in the cleanse, I added “optional foods” when I absolutely needed to, like steamed veggies and salad, and made sure to avoid gluten, dairy, sugar, grains, legumes and nightshades—anything with a possibility of being inflammatory. The cleanse leaders offer simple “infusion ideas” to add if people crave a little more sustenance or variety. After experimenting, I mostly added grass-fed butter and cinnamon. While I was hungry some of the time—especially during the first two days—overall I had a positive experience. I felt much lighter and more energetic afterward.

The Kitchen Witch Bone Broth soups and broths provide macronutrients, protein from bone broth, healthy fat from coconut oil, some carbs in veggies, “and crazy-high antioxidants and minerals,” says Brecke.

Aside from the five jars of organic bone broth—our choice of chicken, pastured ginger pork, beef or “almost veggie”—we received a personalized combination of 15 jars of soup. The soups were satisfying and flavorful, with choices like Healing Greens—which contains cilantro, ginger, Meyer lemon, kale, broccoli and Japanese white sweet potato—and the beautiful orange “Warm Glow,” which includes coconut milk, carrots and turmeric. The varieties rotate, and all are made with organic bone broth, plus fresh organic vegetables from Santa Cruz farmers markets, herbs and spices, and coconut oil. After cooking the soups, Kitchen Witch purees them for easy absorption and easy transport—they travel well in thermoses.

Brecke developed the broth and soup recipes, which she continuously refines, and all three of the Kitchen Witch founders have a background in traditional Chinese medicine.

“The gut reset was born from my practice as a private anti-inflammatory chef, and the desire to give people a true gut-healing space, rather than a sugary juice cleanse,” says Brecke.

As the Reset evolved, she made changes, including adding superfoods (which she calls “soup-er foods”) like reishi, beets, turmeric, and chlorella to each soup. “These ensure a dose of antioxidants and micronutrients in every jar, three times per day,” says Brecke.

During the cleanse, I occasionally felt a bit foggy, which I noticed when driving or doing other activities requiring concentration. I emailed Brecke, and she explained this was likely mild detoxification setting in, and recommended activities like dry brushing, and adding small meals.

I also noticed that my body doesn’t need as much food as I thought it did—I was hungry during the cleanse, but after the cleanse I wasn’t eating as much as I had been prior to it. Also, my body wasn’t craving sweets and sugar, which was a nice surprise. I slept a lot better on the cleanse, and even for a few days after.

I plan to do the Reset again in the future, utilizing more of the suggestions that Kitchen Witch provides for cleanse enhancement, like dry brushing and tongue scraping, and “bulletproof drinks” (a couple tablespoons of coconut milk with ghee/grass-fed butter/coconut oil and a pinch of cinnamon added to teas, since drinking coffee on a cleanse isn’t desirable.).

Sandra Kenzler, a four-time cleanse participant, says this cleanse helped her reset patterns and rhythms, and she was even able to do the program when training for a race.

“I have tried other cleanses, but with this one I didn’t feel so hungry, and had energy to sustain the physical and mental activities that I needed to participate in,” says Kenzler. “I was surprised that I felt so energized in the morning like I could pop right out of bed.”

Kenzler likes the fact that the results last, and that she discovers something new about herself each time. She now knows the impact that foods like dairy and bread have on her body, and doesn’t crave sugar or sweets. Also, her normal eating patterns, exercise, and healthy sleep cycles have returned. This aligns with one of Brecke’s goals— that people will learn that their health is in their own hands.

“When we take a pause from three-square-meals, we nudge our body to reset the barometers for satiation, for sweet, and for nutrient rich foods. That reset can be long-lasting, and the beginning of bigger change,” says Brecke.

Info: Price for cleanse is $275. Offered once a month. Visit kitchenwitchbroth.com/cleanse/ for more information.

The Legacy of George A. Romero

A&E
Film

Steve Palopoli

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July 19, 2017

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When I interviewed horror legend George A. Romero several years ago, he had recently been sent a script about the life of Edgar Allan Poe. He had been interested in directing it, and in an attempt to get across to me how Hollywood works—or more accurately, doesn’t work—he explained why he didn’t get the job.

“They said, ‘Well, we think it needs a little rewrite, but we’d love for you to do it. We think you’d be good for it, blah blah,’” Romero told me. “Every fact in it, about dates and where he lived and everything, it was just completely wrong. I knew a lot of that, and I said, ‘Oh boy, I’ve got this gig sewn up.’ So I called back and pointed a lot of these things out, and they said, ‘Oh, we know that. It’s just not the way we want to go.’”

His sheer head-shaking disbelief at the way that deal didn’t go down was Romero through and through. When he died Sunday at the age of 77, the horror genre lost not only an iconic writer and director, but also a man who had served as its moral compass for almost five decades. He had integrity, smarts, loyalty and a strict ethical code. He was an indie filmmaker before indie filmmaking existed, and stuck to making most of his movies in his longtime adopted city of Pittsburgh (he later moved to Toronto), despite the fact that it puzzled and probably infuriated Hollywood execs. He didn’t have a lot of use for them, anyway.

“I guess I just don’t fit in the Hollywood system”, he told me. It was a hell of an understatement, all things considered. The downside of it was that the movies he didn’t get to make far outnumbered the movies that he did. But the ones he did? They made it all worth it.

As he is eulogized this week, and hopefully long after, people will focus almost entirely on his zombie movies. That’s fair enough—he literally invented them. Zombie movies as we know them, with legions of the reanimated dead seeking the brains and/or flesh of the living, simply did not exist before his 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead. He created the most potent movie monster of the modern era, with the mindless undead a metaphoric blank slate onto which audiences and critics could project endless meanings. And they did, right through its sequels, 1978’s Dawn of the Dead, 1985’s Day of the Dead, 2005’s Land of the Dead, 2007’s Diary of the Dead, and 2009’s Survival of the Dead. His scores of zombie imitators and successors stretch from gory exploitation flicks like 1979’s Zombi 2 (better known in the U.S. as Zombie) to later big-budget blockbusters like 28 Days Later and World War Z—not to mention, of course, The Walking Dead.

But none of his zombie flicks were actually his favorite of his own films; that honor fell to a little gem of a vampire movie he made in 1978 called Martin. A raw, violent and eerily realistic look at a young man (played by Romero regular John Amplas) who thinks he is a vampire, the film nimbly sets up the question of whether he really is one, and then finds ways to turn that question on its head over and over. Martin is still moving, shocking and unique today, and is the perfect example of how strange and wonderful Romero’s filmmaking was, especially early in his career.

“I would say Martin is my favorite”, he told me. “First of all, we really had, as my First Assistant Director would say, ‘gelled as a unit.’ We knew more of what we were doing, and it was terrific. I just loved it. I think that film comes closest of anything that I’ve done to matching what was on the page and what was in my mind when I was putting it on the page.”

While any time is a great time to revisit Romero’s zombie films, the “Godfather of the Dead’s” contributions to the horror genre ran even deeper, and I hope film fans take the time to revisit his other works like Martin, as well.

Friday Night Music at Stockwell Cellars

Josie Cowden

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July 19, 2017

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Feel like partying on a Friday night? Then head to Stockwell Cellars. Not only does the expansive tasting room offer well-made wines, but they also feature music most Fridays—a fun way to start the weekend. From 5 p.m. on July 21 there will be Music in the Cellar with Toby Gray.

So, what I’d recommend on a warm summer’s afternoon is a nice glass of Stockwell’s 2015 Sauvignon Blanc while taking in some good music. Grapes for this crisp wine are sourced from Riverstar Vineyards in Paso Robles and turned into a fruity libation with “hints of lemongrass, pink peppercorns and kiwi on the nose.” It comes with “mouthwatering expressions of lemon meringue, white pluot and clementine,” says winemaker Eric Stockwell, “with a finish of marzipan, chalk dust and pear skin.” The finish of marzipan is subtle, but adds depth to this superstar wine. Try it with ceviche or oysters for a delicious pairing. This Sauvignon Blanc ($24) is also a perfect picnic wine as it comes with a screw-cap top.

Eric and his partner Suzanne Zeber-Stockwell, along with Eric’s daughter Jessica Stockwell, will give you a warm welcome in their busy tasting room. The family participates in many local events —and Eric will be featuring his wines at the next Route 1 Farms farm-to-table dinner on Aug. 13. Visit route1farms.com for more information.

Stockwell Cellars, 1100 Fair Ave., (entrance on the Ingalls Street side of the building), Santa Cruz, 234.2178. Open 2-9 p.m. Fridays, and from 2-7 p.m. Saturdays. Visit stockwellcellars.com for more info.

Hawaii Days

Celebrate Hawaii Days with the Summit to Sea Wineries, including Burrell School Vineyards, Loma Prieta Winery, MJA Vineyards, and Wrights Station Vineyard & Winery. Wrights Station will have live music, and Bill the Oyster Man will be there with his ultra-fresh bivalves on July 23. You’re invited to a taste of Hawaii, featuring the music and decor of the islands—so dress in festive island garb and be prepared to get “lei’d!” Raffle prizes include a basket of Hawaiian-themed treats, including a ukulele. The event is noon to 5 p.m. July 22 & 23. Visit summit2seawinetrail.com for more info.

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