Page 772 – Good Times

Thanks For Not Calling Us Back, Roger Grigsby

Local News

Jacob Pierce

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September 6, 2017

Thanks For Not Calling Us Back, Roger Grigsby

In our time at GT, plunking away at computers and answering phones over the years, we like to think we’ve learned a lesson or two through this whole journalism thing.

One tidbit is that sometimes a guy or gal will have a perspective that seems so evil and vile from afar—either through word of mouth or pure conjecture—and yet once you hear them explain their side, that person’s point of view is pretty much never as bad as you imagined it in your head.

That’s the reason, as we mentioned last week, we were disappointed to not hear from Roger Grigsby, owner of O’mei, a Chinese restaurant on Mission Street. Grigsby donated $500 toward the white supremacist David Duke’s meager attempt at a U.S. Senate campaign in Louisiana last year, inciting outrage around Santa Cruz when the community learned of it this summer. Or at least we thought we were disappointed.

But after our story was published, Grigsby talked to reporters from KPIX and the Santa Cruz Sentinel (shortly after his whole wait staff apparently walked out), saying that he supports Duke for the former KKK leader’s record of “defending the civil rights of European-Americans,” adding that the backlash against him and his now-closed restaurant is all part of a “war on whites.”

Congrats, Roger. You proved our theory wrong! We now actually appreciate your not returning our calls, and sparing us from what would have been a conversation much, much worse than we were even imagining.

The saga got picked up all over, including, of course, at Breitbart, where one commenter wrote, “The time has come to fight the fascists on the left. If Santa Cruz is ground zero, so be it.”

Uh, OK then. If “fascists on the left” means “people who dislike racism” … well, bring it.

Music Picks September 6 – 12

GT Staff

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September 6, 2017

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Live music highlights for the week of September 6, 2017.

WEDNESDAY 9/6

UKULELE

JAKE SHIMABUKURO

I recently showed my six-year-old niece a video of Jake Shimabukuro playing his ukulele. I’ve also shared videos of him with my 71-year-old mom and a friend whose musical taste rests firmly in metal. Shimabukuro transcends music in a way that’s tricky to describe. He’s so damn good at his craft that things like genre and even medium fall away to reveal a creative and technical master. His latest album, Nashville Sessions, is a jazz album that pushes Shimabukuro’s skill set further still. If you have an appreciation for the little uke, you’re likely already familiar with Shimabukuro. If it isn’t something you’ve gravitated to before, but you have a taste for artistic mastery, check this guy out. CJ

INFO: 8 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $37/gen, $52/gold. 423-8209.

THURSDAY 9/7

HAWAIIAN

GEORGE KAHUMOKU JR.

Hawaiian cowboys and cowgirls are a thing—and an interesting aspect of Hawaiian history and music. Slack key guitarist/songwriter/storyteller George Kahumoku Jr. fully embraces the paniolo/paniola culture—he raises goats and grows taro on his farm on Maui—and is one of its most beloved musical ambassadors. In 2015, the multiple Grammy-winning artist released Paniolo Slack Key: Songs of the Hawaiian Cowboy—his latest offering in a long list of outstanding albums. A regular visitor to the Santa Cruz area, Kahumoku shares the rich Hawaiian music tradition in all of its forms with audiences around the world. CJ

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

FRIDAY 9/8

PSYCH-SOUL

MONOPHONICS

Psychedelic soul. It sounds like the kind of music you listen to after your second or third dose of acid, when the Grateful Dead jam has finally started to bore you. But really, bands like Monophonics proudly wave this genre’s flag, because it highlights their diverse influences—everything from Pink Floyd to Funkadelic. In other words, a couple tabs of acid will go nicely with this groove-heavy, deeply layered music. With San Francisco’s Monophonics, expect things to fall less on the Pink Floyd freakout-jam side of things, and more on the laid-back groove side. AARON CARNES

INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $20/door. 479-1854.

SATURDAY 9/9

PUNK

STIFF LITTLE FINGERS

There’s a scene in the 2000 indie film High Fidelity where a record store hipster, in an attempt to impress a girl, plays her a taste of Green Day, then a snippet of virtually unknown ’70s U.K. punk band Stiff Little Fingers. Indeed, Stiff Little Fingers laid the groundwork for what Green Day was doing. Back then, obscure but highly influential bands like Stiff Little Fingers were the darlings of such hipsters. Nearly two decades later, all of us have become internet savvy music historians. But that doesn’t make Stiff Little Fingers any less incredible and remarkably influential. This is their 40th anniversary tour. How amazing is that? AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $22/door. 429-4135.

SUNDAY 9/10

ROCK

STEVEN GRAVES BAND

This past June, a federal judge granted the Lakota people a major victory in their on-going battle with the U.S. Government over the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline. However, the nearly year-long protest and months of litigation required major funding for legal representation—which local musician Steven Graves hopes to help with. This Sunday, Graves and his six-piece band will play a benefit for the Lakota People’s Law Project and the Standing Rock Legal Defense Fund. Make sure to catch their latest single, “Stand For the People,” which is currently being considered Song of the Year for this year’s Native American Music Awards. MAT WEIR

INFO: 7 p.m. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $12. 335-2800.

SUNDAY 9/10

GYPSY/SWING

CAFÉ MUSIQUE

California five-piece Café Musique plays gypsy, swing, tango, folk and something the members have dubbed “wild classical.” Comprising Brynn Albanese—whose resume includes work with the Boston Symphony and the Hague Philharmonic—on violin and vocals; former pub owner Duane Inglish on accordion; Craig Nuttycombe, who toured with Jimi Hendrix and Canned Heat, on guitar and vocals; multi-genre and multi-instrument master Fred Murray on bass and vocals; and Eric Williams, who has worked with Tori Amos and Taj Mahal, on guitar, ukulele, bouzouki and vocals, the group is a musical treasure of the Central Coast and beyond. CJ

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $25/gen, $32/gold. 427-2227.

SUNDAY 9/10

ROCK

THE MAGPIE SALUTE

Most bands would be blown away to hear that their first show sold out. While we’re sure the Magpie Salute was thankful to fans, it didn’t hurt that they were formed by Rich Robinson, Marc Ford and Sven Pipien, all members of the world-renowned Black Crowes. Joining the trio are Matt Slocum, Adrien Reju, Katrine Ottosen and Joe Magistro—all from Robinson’s solo project—for a rock ’n’ roll experience that draws on influences from the Small Faces to Sly and the Family Stone. MW

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $27/adv, $30/door. 429-4135.

MONDAY 9/11

JAZZ

AVISHAI COHEN

Israeli-born, New York-based trumpeter Avishai Cohen possesses a gorgeous, warm, glowing tone and uncommonly poised sense of structure. During his six-year run with the SFJAZZ Collective, he often stood out with smart, elliptically lyrical compositions, and his concept seems to have evolved in interesting directions since then. His recent album, Cross My Palm With Silver (ECM), is a striking, quietly dramatic journey featuring rising 21-year-old Israeli pianist Gadi Lehavi, veteran Israeli bassist Barak Mori, and drummer extraordinaire Marcus Gilmore (a longtime member of pianist Vijay Iyer’s trio). ANDREW GILBERT

INFO: 7 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $25/adv, $30/door. 427-2227.

MONDAY 9/11

AMERICANA

RYAN JOSEPH ANDERSON

In 2014, Ryan Joseph Anderson was the talk of several Americana-loving music blogs for his debut solo record The Weaver’s Broom. The songwriter was already known from his group Go Long Mule. But his solo outing married a certain grittiness with a warm simplicity. “Straight to the point” is an understatement. His new record City of Vines is a much lusher example of his songwriting. Indeed, he told Glide Magazine that he went from a four-piece band to a 10-piece band for this record. He still evokes the emotion of the gruff Everyman, but it has the anthemic quality of all those heartland rock ’n’ roll artists that seem to be so popular in the rust belt. AC

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

IN THE QUEUE

WESTERN CENTURIES

Seattle-based country, rock and bluegrass group. Wednesday at Don Quixote’s

SINNE EEG

Renowned Scandinavian jazz vocalist. Thursday at Kuumbwa

SWEET PLOT

Indie folk and rock outfit from San Francisco. Saturday at Crepe Place

HELL’S BELLES

All-woman AC/DC tribute band. Saturday at Catalyst

GOLDEN STATE/LONE STAR REVUE

Blues artists Mark Hummel, Anson Funderburgh and more. Sunday at Moe’s Alley

Giveaway: Radical Reels

A&E
Film

Cat Johnson

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September 6, 2017

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Each year, the best mountain sports films from the annual Banff Mountain Film Festival are collected into a traveling film festival dubbed Radical Reels. And every year, mountain sports enthusiasts come out in droves to see outrageous footage of mountain climbers, skiers, snowboarders, kayakers, cyclists and more on the big screen. This year’s films include tales of free ascent climbing in Canada, French free falling flyers, skiing in the Swiss Alps and more.

INFO: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $18. 423-8209. WANT TO GO? Go to santacruz.com/giveaways before 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 15 to find out how you could win a pair of tickets to the films.

Love Your Local Band: Reverend Stephan Sams

A&E
Music

Aaron Carnes

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September 6, 2017

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Love Your Local Band: Reverend Stephan Sams

Stephan Sams is the lead singer for local garage-rock band the Redlight District. He’s also a Reverend. You could call him Reverend Stephan Sams, if you were so inclined—in fact, that’s what he calls himself when he plays solo.

But he really is a Reverend. He got his license online when Prop. 8 was getting repealed so that he could be ready to marry LGBTQ couples pro bono.

“That was one of the great wonders I’m sure the internet was created for,” says Sams.

Sams has been playing solo a lot more lately, a product of quitting his day job at a factory, and wanting to find more ways to make money.

“I said to my bandmates, ‘I don’t get much respect there. If I’m going to be disrespected, I’m going to at least be disrespected doing something I love,’” says Sams. “Like a good ex-Catholic.”

Even before Sams started the Redlight District, he was writing solo songs on his guitar, so this is no new thing for him. His solo tunes are a bit more blues influenced, and you can really see his fondness for expressing himself in symbols and folk stories, something he attributes to his Mexican and Native American heritage.

The decision to quit his job, he says will give him a chance to explore his creativity. In a few months, he’ll be moving to L.A. to take the next step in pursuing his dream of being a professional musician. He’s hoping people will dig his Reverend self down there.

“I feel reverential when playing,” he says. “You know, I think that there’s some credence to that title, so that’s why I went to it.”

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

Film Review: ‘The Trip to Spain’

A&E
Film

Lisa Jensen

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September 6, 2017

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If you’ve never tagged along on the culinary adventures of comic actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, eating and joking their way through England and Italy in the first two The Trip movies, it may take a few scenes to get in the groove with this third installment, The Trip to Spain. But if you’ve already acquired a taste for the deadpan improv style and freewheeling mimicry of these guys on the road, make sure your passport is in order, and get ready to laugh.

Part foodie porn, part travelogue to gorgeous locales, the series revolves around two guys named “Steve Coogan” and “Rob Brydon,” lightly fictionalized versions of the real-life actors. As they drive around, eating at fancy restaurants, ostensibly writing a Sunday piece for The Observer, they do occasionally discuss the food placed before them. But mostly, they talk about life in all its complications, which, increasingly, as the series progresses, turns to issues of aging, family, relationships, and showbiz.

But there’s nothing ponderous about the talk in these movies. Even serious subjects are handled with fizzy drollery as these two accomplished comedians ping ideas off each other, working themselves (and the audience) up to crescendos of extreme hilarity. The show began as a six-part BBC TV series that was condensed to feature-film length by director Michael Winterbottom in 2011. Winterbottom has also helmed the two subsequent television series, first to Italy (2014) and now to Spain, from which the films are compiled; each movie is like a highlight reel of the TV productions.

Fact and fiction form an uneasy relationship in these films. The private lives of onscreen Steve and Rob are reinvented by director Winterbottom, with actors playing the parts of the wives, girlfriends, and agents they interact with—usually via phone—on their travels. A darker introspection threads through the comedy as Steve tries to solidify his fame in the U.S. (many pointed asides are made to the movie Philomena, for which the real-life Coogan was Oscar-nominated as co-writer and producer), while Rob’s contentment with his popularity on British TV irritates Steve.

But story takes a back seat to the fun of turning these guys loose in a rental car over miles of glorious Spanish scenery as they read guidebooks, re-imagine history, attempt the Spanish language, and visit tourist destinations—from the majestic Alhambra to a roadside dinosaur park. Inspired by their surroundings, they reference vintage Monty Python routines (“Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!”), and compare themselves to Don Quixote and Sancho Panza: “two middle-aged men looking for adventure.”

Since both actors are gifted impersonators, they take along an entire supporting cast of other Brit celebrities. Discussion of the Spanish Moors inevitably leads to Rob’s imitation of Roger Moore as James Bond (with a little Sean Connery thrown in.) Coogan does an amazing Mick Jagger, complete with hand-clapping gestures, and Rob counters with David Bowie. But they also indulge in less-often-mimicked celebs like John Hurt (Coogan’s take is brilliant), Ian McKellan, and Anthony Hopkins playing Picasso.

Other bits of inspired silliness include an a cappella duet of the bouncy instrumental “Tijuana Taxi” while driving through the mountains. Discussing King Ferdinand, who expelled the Moors in the 15th Century, Coogan calls him the “Catholitic Converter.” Waxing poetic over the vagaries of age, Coogan declares, “Time flies like a spear—but fruit flies like a banana.”

And, oh yes, now and then they do actually pay attention to the food—from chorizo to mussels in carrot juice. (Spearing one pink bivalve on his fork, Rob says, “The good news is, it’s benign.”) A plate of scallops prompts a funny confrontation between James Bond and a silky villain over who can dupe the other into eating the first one.

The effect of the comedy is cumulative: bits build to past their expiration date, then either fizzle out or soar into irresistible heights of absurdity. With such sharp, witty travel companions, you might as well enjoy the ride.

THE TRIP TO SPAIN

*** (out of four)

With Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Directed by Michael Winterbottom. An IFC Films release. Not rated. 108 minutes.

Santa Cruz Heritage Food Project Releases Book

Food & Drink

Lily Stoicheff

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September 6, 2017

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Santa Cruz Heritage Food Project Releases Book

When I first heard that a group called the Santa Cruz Heritage Food Project was researching stories about the food history of Santa Cruz County, I was instantly excited—and jealous. Excited because learning about the agricultural products that have shaped this community sounded absolutely fascinating to me, and jealous because, as a history major, I wish I could have been there, slowly uncovering the recipes and stories of the past.

The journey to uncover the ag history of the area started when Live Oak native Sierra Ryan discovered her great-grandmother’s recipe book, which dated back to when she and her husband moved to Santa Cruz in 1911. Four years of dusty archives and glowing microfilm later, Ryan and fellow amateur historians Liz Birnbaum, Jody Biergiel Colclough and Katie Hansen—who playfully refer to their collective as “the Heritagistas”—are releasing their findings in Harvesting Our Heritage: Bite-Sized Stories from Santa Cruz County History through the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. Underneath the beautifully designed cover, reminiscent of a vintage almanac, lies chapters on wine, wheat, potatoes, beer, dairy, sugar beets, apples, artichokes, berries, poultry, Pismo clams and dry-farmed tomatoes—all of which left a distinct mark on Santa Cruz County. At the end of each chapter are local recipes from when each crop was in its heyday, allowing readers to experience the flavors of local history in their own kitchens. Although most of the agricultural products discussed in the book are no longer produced locally, readers learn how each has left a geographic and cultural mark on local communities.

Ryan hopes that the Heritage Food Project will connect people living and eating in Santa Cruz County today with the history of the region, and inspire an appreciation for the events that took place to make Santa Cruz the foodie hub we know today. “We think it’s important because it brings the reader a fresh new understanding of the place they care about, the foods [previous residents] loved, and the relationship between the two,” says Ryan. “We hope people experience a few ‘aha’ moments as they read about their neighborhood, or their favorite local produce.”

Available at the MAH, Bookshop Santa Cruz, and local museums. More info at scheritagefood.wordpress.com.

Sarah’s Vineyard Tasting Room Exclusives

Josie Cowden

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September 6, 2017

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Sarah’s Vineyard Tasting Room Exclusives

Summer is winding down, and it’s time to appreciate the last of the summer wines, so to speak.

This pretty, pale pink Vin Gris Estate 2016 ($22) is all you could ever need for a picnic on a warm day, with its subtle aromas and flavors of tea-rose, sage, watermelon, strawberry and cranberry. Produced by Sarah’s Vineyard proprietor and winemaker Tim Slater, who calls himself a “mad scientist,” it’s made by using traditional techniques to craft handmade wines.

“Vin Gris is the traditional name for a Rosé of Pinot Noir,” says Slater. “This estate-grown-and-bottled wine is bone-dry with crisp acidity for hot-summer sipping.” Particularly elegant and well structured, this lovely dry wine immediately reveals its nuances of flavor and fruit-forward mouthfeel.

It says on Sarah’s website that this Vin Gris (pronounced “vahn gree”) is a “tasting room exclusive,” along with other varietals such as Charbono (which I love), Barbera and Gewurztraminer.

So, your best bet is to head to Sarah’s for a tasting. Slater makes top-notch wines and his Chardonnay is one of my all-time favorites.

Sarah’s Vineyard, 4005 Hecker Pass Highway, Gilroy. 408-842-4278, sarahsvineyard.com. Open daily.

Pizzeria La Bufala

A recent event at the Museum of Art and History showcased the newly opened Abbott Square, where I shared a La Bufala pizza with a couple of friends at Pizzeria La Bufala. And what a fantastic pizza!—one of the best I’ve had in some time. I put it all down to the dough, which is made from a blend of Italian and American flours and achieves just the right texture. Toppings are fresh and delicious, with many of them coming from local farms such as Route 1 and Happy Boy. Owner Sandro Costanza, who comes from the Calabria region of Italy, has perfected the craft of pizza making—and it shows. Pizzeria La Bufala, Abbott Square Market, 725 Front St., Santa Cruz. 999-0301, pizzerialabufala.com.

Website Correction for British Toffee Jacks

I wrote about British Toffee Jacks—crunchy oats and butter treats made by Rany Prambs—for the Good Times issue of Aug. 16, and gave the wrong website. The correct website is culinarybible.com.

A Moss Landing Man’s Shakespeare Sanctuary

Local News

Mat Weir

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September 5, 2017

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A Moss Landing Man’s Shakespeare Sanctuary

Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s season ended Sunday night with the final performance of The Two Gentlemen of Verona. But even as our premier local Shakespeare company goes dark until next summer, there’s a little-known spot not too far down Highway 1—in Moss Landing, of all places—that continues to celebrate the Bard year-round. It’s easy to speed past it, but tucked away in this community of barely more than 200 residents, as of the last census, is the Shakespeare Society of America.

The sign above the door at 7981 Moss Landing Road declares the SSA the “New Shakespeare Sanctuary.” Inside, mannequins are adorned with elaborate Elizabethan costumes, while leather-bound tomes fill bookcases along the perimeter of the room. A maze of glass cases display coins, elaborate knives and other artifacts, and a glance upward reveals framed woodblock prints and aging playbills. It’s hard to know what to make of it all, and indeed, the story of the SSA and how it got here is as offbeat as its collection would suggest.

“In 1967, the Shakespeare Society began as a group of culturally active, like-minded individuals who were dedicated to instructing and advancing the works of William Shakespeare,” says SSA President/CEO and museum docent Terry Taylor. “It was based out of a Tudor mansion on Alta Loma off Sunset Boulevard, near Mel’s Diner in west Los Angeles.”

In those days, a different Taylor ran the SSA. Under the leadership of R. Thad Taylor—Terry’s uncle—and John D. Uhley, the Shakespeare Society became a nonprofit in 1968.

“Let me tell you about Thad,” says SSA Board Member Francis Hamit. An author, journalist and playwright for more than five decades, Hamit says Thad Taylor told him much about his life over the years. “He was a merchant sailor who got ahold of the Complete Works of Shakespeare. He read it to pass the time, and it changed his life.”

Taylor and Uhley planned on building an Alta Loma Shakespeare Center on 20 acres of land, but could not raise the money. Instead, they moved out of their location in 1972, and into a quonset hut on Kings Road in West Hollywood.

“The museum aspect helped a lot,” remembers Hamit. “Thad had all this stuff he had collected over the years, and he would put it out in the lobby.”

Taylor and Uhley would eventually turn the hut into the world’s first replica of the interior of Shakespeare’s 1599 Globe Theater. They built it as a half-scale model, based on meticulous study through hundreds of primary documents and original drawings. Between 1976 and 1979, the SSA performed all 38 plays by the Bard outlined in the First Folio—known as the Shakespeare Canon. A monstrous task, the endeavour required more than 600 producers, actors and directors, with 200 supporting staff. Between 1981 and 1984, the society would repeat the Canon, along with the Apocrypha—plays attributed to Shakespeare but never verified—and the Sonnets.

The SSA’s work has reflected the constantly evolving understanding of Shakespeare’s writing, and the mystery that continues to surround the playwright. Details around everything from his birth to his “lost years” to his death continue to be disputed—not to mention the very question of whether he actually authored many plays attributed to him. Just last year, Oxford University Press announced they will begin printing copies of Henry VI with a new addition: a co-authorship for Christopher Marlowe, who was the subject of a 1988 play by Hamit called Marlowe, which debuted at the SSA’s Globe and is currently in the pre-production stages of being adapted into a feature film, Christopher Marlowe.

“Writers in Shakespeare’s lifetime were very collaborative, and jointly worked on numerous projects,” Santa Cruz Shakespeare Artistic Director Mike Ryan tells GT via email. “In some ways, they were more like today’s television and film writing teams than contemporary playwrights.”

Debates over authorship aside, Hamit thinks there is a reason that Shakespeare’s plays continue to be re-imagined for every new generation.

“He has universal appeal,” says Hamit. “Shakespeare had the talent of tapping into human consciousness, even if he wasn’t always 100 percent original.”

Northern Star

Between the 1990s and the early 2000s the SSA continued its mission to reproduce Shakespearean productions for audiences of all ages.

“An estimated 10,000-plus actors and actresses crossed the stage,” Terry says.

It was in 2006, when Thad Taylor died, that the SSA found itself wondering what to do, and where to go. Hamit was asked to rejoin the Board of Directors, which he did out of dedication to Thad and the company, and Terry was elected president and CEO.

A native of the Bay Area, Terry decided to move the SSA to Moss Landing in 2008. He notes his uncle was a “feverish collector,” and the elder Taylor left behind a rare book and reference collection of more than 1,000 museum and memorabilia items, as well as a visual arts collection containing more than 1,000 pieces.

While the sanctuary can’t house everything in the SSA’s archives, it’s home to some of Terry’s favorites from the collection. Among them are the eight-foot sculpture of Shakespeare holding a torch, commissioned by the SSA for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and the 1805 printing of the Complete Works of Shakespeare owned by legendary actor John Barrymore.

The “New Sanctuary” has hosted more than 10,000 tourists in the last decade. Like many nonprofits, they still struggle financially and with staffing.

“Terry has gained progress, but he’s only one man,” says Hamit. “He really needs volunteer help that will stick with it.”

Hamit says Taylor and the Board have recently been going through and selling Thad’s collection of non-Shakespeare-related items, in order to raise funds to keep the sanctuary going. Another clever way the society has been raising money is through a unique merchandising line of playing cards called “Shakespeare’s Flowers.” The playwright mentioned 181 plants and flowers in his plays and sonnets, so British company Heritage Playing Cards released a line dedicated to the Bard’s love of nature. The deck features 54 different plants, along with Shakespeare’s quote on the items and the reference to where it can be found in his work. The SSA is the top retailer of the deck in the U.S., and they recently gained permission to reproduce the floral prints on mugs, greeting cards and even an 8-by-11-inch coloring book.

The SSA also plans to begin digitizing their folios and prints, making their archive accessible to a global audience.

“The SSA is one of the most unique cultural education organizations in the world, with an unparalleled stage legacy and physical artifacts,” Terry says, “[with a] publishing empire in a room full of master copies unseen by the world.”

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

Art
Music

Mat Weir

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September 5, 2017

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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.

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