“They need their own lanes.”
“I don’t think it’s right. I think people should have to drive themselves.”
“I know it’s coming, but there is going to have to be a lot more infrastructure created before I’m good with it.”
“A greater potential for reduced parking spaces around town and more spaces for human activity.”
“We’re all screwed.”
Many years back we did a cover story at Metro Santa Cruz about the supposed “Curse of Santa Cruz,” which local legend says was placed on this area by Native Americans who suffered under the truly unwoke, not-at-all-understanding-the-principles-of-their-own-religion Franciscan priests who established the mission here. I remember thinking the oddest thing about this urban legend is that it never really specified what the curse was supposed to do, or who it was supposed to affect.
However, I have a theory. I think whatever bad juju has been circulating around this place over the years disproportionately falls on Santa Cruz musicians, because man it is tough to make it here. I’ve seen so many great bands build up to a critical mass of popularity here in the bubble of the Santa Cruz scene, and then be completely unable to turn that into any kind of meaningful success beyond the city limits. Of course there are exceptions (looking at you, Good Riddance and Devil Makes Three), but it’s happened so many times now I’m not even surprised anymore when a Santa Cruz act that seems primed for bigger success calls it quits in frustration or just kind of fades away.
So if local musicians with big dreams get the chance, they should get out while they can, right? Not necessarily. Many extremely talented musicians have been faced with this choice and decided to stay here and make it work however they can.
This is the dilemma that AJ Lee is up against right now, as Aaron Carnes describes in his cover story this week. She dreamt of moving to Nashville to pursue music-industry success, but then her roots band Blue Summit got big fast on the local scene. The remarkable way that she and the other members of the band have navigated these issues speaks, I think, to a larger point about how truly supportive friendships and artistic collaborations are the real stuff of big dreams.
STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Read the latest letters to the editor here.
Cabrillo Students Deserve Early 71 and 91 Buses
In 2017, the Cabrillo College ballot approved an obligatory fee of $40 per semester, enabling students to have a bus pass whether or not students planned to use the bus. Collectively, the fee accumulates to around $300,000 per year. The objective of the fee is to support the 71 and 91 bus routes for students to access Cabrillo from their home communities. Many students of Cabrillo College are asking for one early 71 bus and one early 91 bus to leave from Santa Cruz toward Watsonville by 6:30 a.m. Though there are several buses leaving Watsonville for Santa Cruz as early as 5:34 a.m., the earliest bus leaving Santa Cruz is at 6:45 a.m. This is an excellent example of services offered to the Watsonville community that could also be offered to help communities of Santa Cruz who regularly use the public transportation system.
Many students of Cabrillo are parents who work and need to be able to bring their families to school before their classes or work begin. Most parents use the Soquel corridor to drop their children in the morning at school or to bring them to doctors’ appointments at the hospital. We are asking please for your empathy, compassion, and to consider how a simple decision can be made to prevent disenfranchisement of student rights, student money, and to ensure that the vote of each student be counted. Please make a wise decision and remember that this decision is in your head, in your hands, in your heart, in your name, and in my name too. Please, we don’t want Proposition 69 [on the state ballot in June], a transfer of the fees paid to the general funds of METRO, because it could hurt our rights.
Ofelia Gomez | Santa Cruz
Unleash!
Re: “Puppy Love” (GT, 2/7): Santa Cruz County is a great place to share life with a dog. You can shop with your dog in Downtown Santa Cruz and Capitola Village; there are more than 50 dog-friendly restaurants, plenty of on-leash beaches and trails, plus our animal rescue organizations are the best. We have some of the most spectacular areas to take our furry friends. Have you been to Byrne-Milliron Forest in Corralitos? It’s off-leash with amazing views.
Being off-leash and socialized has been proven to make dogs better canine citizens. I agree we need more off-leash opportunities throughout the county. Almost half the county households have at least one dog. By the numbers: there are 12 off-leash dog areas throughout the county and around 55,000 dogs (based on 2007 Census). That is 4,584 dogs per dog park! That doesn’t count the “tourist dogs” (37 percent of visitors travel with their pooch).
When we lost off-leash at Its Beach, the City of Santa Cruz stepped up and created little “pocket dog parks” throughout the city, including some permanent agility equipment (check out the “dog walk” in Bethany Curve Park). It would be nice if City Parks would make Mitchell’s Cove off-leash sunrise to sunset. At this point, it is time for the county to step up and provide more off-leash opportunities. So, Eva Rider (Letters, 2/14), if you want to make a difference, go talk to County Parks and the Board of Supervisors about creating more opportunities.
To those who don’t like off-leash dogs: you aren’t getting enough oxytocin! You need a dog!
Whitney Wilde | Santa Cruz
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THIS IS A DRILL
With a proposal on the table to open up the California coast for offshore oil drilling, Save Our Shores is making a final push to get ocean lovers to comment on the plan from U.S. Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke, an appointee of President Donald Trump. A call to action from Santa Cruz’s environmental nonprofit reminds people that they have until Friday, March 9, to express their views on the idea. Visit regulations.gov to comment, or visit saveourshores.org for more information.
BOOK SELVES
The all-volunteer group Free Books for Kids gave away 1,302 books by Theodore “Dr. Seuss” Geisel in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, which fell on Friday, March 2. Malcolm Kushner, a retired teacher who created the group in 2014, says the books went to five elementary schools from Santa Cruz to Watsonville, in addition to the Live Oak Health Center and Santa Cruz Reading Association. The group has now given out more than 88,000 books.
“Everyone has learned how to monetize music except the music industry.”
-Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t seems like the perfect match between performer and role. Transgender actress Daniela Vega makes a triumphant debut in A Fantastic Woman, playing the role of a transgender woman fighting for respect in modern-day Chile. But this is way more than a one-issue movie. Nominated for a foreign language Oscar this year, Sebastián Lelio’s engrossing film is a resonant and stylishly told story about the basic human right to live with dignity and carve out one’s identity in the world.
Chilean filmmaker Lelio (along with his co-screenwriter, Gonzalo Maza) made the zesty woman-over-50 movie Gloria a few years back. They continue to delve into the psyche of interesting females in A Fantastic Woman with protagonist Marina Vidal (Vega), a cafe waitress by day who croons sultry ballads in a bar at night. She shares an apartment in Santiago with her partner of several years, frisky, tender Orlando (Francisco Reyes), a divorced businessman a few decades older than she is.
But one night, Orlando becomes disoriented in bed, stumbling down a short flight of stairs before Marina can bundle him into the car and rush him to the hospital—where, soon after, he dies. And the devastating shock of her loss is just the beginning of her troubles. She has to produce and explain her male ID card (her procedure isn’t quite complete yet) to the cops at the hospital‚ and suffer their insinuating questions about how Orlando died. A policewoman with the Sexual Assault unit, looking to explain Orlando’s bruises as self-defense, orders Marina to strip for nude photos to search for signs of abuse.
Meanwhile, Orlando’s disapproving family closes ranks against her. Only his brother is friendly to her, but Orlando’s ex calls Marina a “perversion,” while his wayward son shows up at the apartment to intimidate her. Not only do they expect her to vacate the apartment and turn over the couple’s car, they refuse to even tell her where the funeral will be held, so she won’t show up and embarrass the family.
That not all of these issues are gender identity-based broadens the film’s scope; Marina’s plight as an outsider forbidden the rights of the legal kinship group is universal. And in Vega’s fearless performance, we get a heroine to root for. Strong-willed, but not “tough” in any clichéd way, she’s determined to hold onto her dignity and her poise as she stoically battles for her rights.
Reyes is charming as Orlando, who continues to pop up throughout the story as a kind of ghost-memory, cheering on Marina. A thread of mystery also runs through the plot, leading to a satisfying surprise, and a terrific, self-empowering finale. (And yes, that is the opera-trained Vega herself singing at the end!)
Lelio makes adroit use of visual metaphor as the emotional story draws us in. As the slights and obstacles pile up in her personal life, Marina is pictured walking down the street at an increasingly rigid angle into what becomes a ferocious headwind—hers is an uphill battle all the way. When she’s alone in her room, Lelio shoots a haunting image of Marina’s face reflected in a small mirror propped up between her legs—inviting us to ponder if this is the only place that defines her identity as a person.
Early on, when Lelio was first turning over the idea of a movie with a transgender protagonist, he was introduced to performer and trans activist Vega. She became his consultant on the film, and his mentor, introducing the filmmaker to contemporary trans culture. But it wasn’t until the very end of the process, when the script was completed and the cameras were ready to roll, that it occurred to Lelio that Vega would be perfect to play Marina.
So the role was not exactly written for Vega, but thank heavens for serendipity—her performance is outstanding.
***1/2 (out of four)
With Daniela Vega and Francisco Reyes. Written by Gonzalo Maza and Sebastián Lelio. Directed by Sebastián Lelio. A Sony Classics release. (R) 105 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Ten of us went to Alfaro Family Vineyards recently to taste their wonderful wines. On this particularly warm winter’s day, Alfaro was packed with folks having a good time. Mingling with fellow tasters over winemaker Richard Alfaro’s wines is an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. Richard’s wife, Mary Kay Alfaro (a certified sommelier), greets customers on weekend wine tastings and helps run the business. The winery is a lovely place to visit and share a glass or two with friends, and you are welcome to bring a picnic, too, and take in views of the vineyards from the deck.
I always appreciate Alfaro’s well-made wines. The Heirloom Clones Estate Pinot Noir ($40) is no exception. Deep ruby in color, its appealing mélange of flavors includes cedar box, black olive, cranberry and anise—with an interesting nose of licorice. Its well-balanced tannins and bright acidity round out this bold and hearty wine. Grapes for this Pinot are harvested from four different estate sites—Lindsay Paige and Ryan Spencer vineyards (named after Richard and Mary Kay’s children) and Alfaro Family and Mary Katherine vineyards.
Alfaro’s wines can be found all over—supermarkets, liquor stores, restaurants, and places like 1440 Multiversity in Scotts Valley.
Alfaro Family Vineyards & Winery, 420 Hames Road, Watsonville, 728-5172. alfarowine.com
Touted as “the nation’s newest learning destination,” 1440 Multiversity in Scotts Valley is a 75-acre campus situated in beautiful California redwoods. Built as a retreat center, it hosts a wide array of classes and speakers. The restaurant, called Kitchen Table, serves fresh and healthy organic food – all local. I was glad to see when I had dinner there that some local wines are carried, too, such as Alfaro, Martella, Cinnabar, and Morgan. Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing also has its beers there. 1440 (named for the number of minutes in a day) is all about inspired culinary creations—and all deliciously healthy.
1440 Multiversity, 800 Bethany Drive, Scotts Valley. 844-544-1440.
When Annie Wolff-Pautsch launched her Santa Cruz County brewery tour company Brew Cruz in 2014, its early success left her with an unanticipated problem. Wolff-Pautsch had originally thought she would fill her refurbished 15-seat 1989 Thomas International school bus, aka “Betty Jane,” with public tours of small mixed groups, but private tours of large celebratory groups quickly filled her schedule. She found herself frequently having to turn down inquiries from groups of two to six people eager to enjoy her novel tour experience. “My intention was to have public tours on Betty Jane à la the Chardonnay, but the popularity of private groups created a need for another vehicle for public tours,” says Wolff-Pautsch.
With that in mind, Brew Cruz added a second vehicle to its fleet last month: a hunter-green-and-white 1964 VW Bus named “Slowboy” to be used for public tours. Minimal updates to the vintage vehicle include hardwood floors, custom blue vinyl seating and a Bluetooth stereo for guests to play their own music. They’ve preserved the tweed interior lining and original dash, where the clock is set permanently to 5 o’clock. A light-up Brew Cruz pyramid logo sits on top of the wooden rack like a party hat. “The thread between both of the buses is a local perspective of the Santa Cruz beer scene,” says Wolff-Pautsch.
Slowboy embarks from the Dream Inn and accommodates four to seven passengers who can reserve their spot online on a first-come, first-serve basis. For $45, guests are shuttled between Shanty Shack Brewing, Santa Cruz Ale Works, Humble Sea, and Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, and receive $1 off their first beer at each establishment, parking validation at the Dream Inn and happy hour prices at the Jack O’Neill Lounge after the tour. Trips currently run on Saturdays and Sundays, but Wolff-Pautsch plans on expanding to at least four days a week by summer and during Spring Break.
So far, she says that while the passengers may start out as strangers, it usually doesn’t stay that way for long. “By the end of the tour they’re all sitting together, discussing the beer and breweries, and happily stumble into the O’Neill Lounge together.”
More info at scbrewcruz.com.
Juniper Arthur is open about the difficulties she’s faced as a transgender woman. How she was told to take antipsychotics as a cure, and that she ought to wear makeup and dresses to look more feminine. Why she felt pressured to pitch her voice up.
“The struggle isn’t about being trans. It’s being confident in being seen, and being happy with who you’re being seen as,” she said.
Arthur spoke at an open mic event that marked the kickoff of a new series of transgender support programs at Diversity Center Santa Cruz County. Though the nonprofit features a series of support programs geared toward the trans community, those groups meet just once a week or twice a month. With the new programs, the center is hosting a monthly event focused on the community’s needs.
The slate of events includes clothing swaps and educational workshops for the community at large. With funding coming from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, one of the biggest additions is a dedicated staffer to meet the needs of people who need support in the transgender community.
That support could be as simple as being available to listen or as complex as wading through the paperwork necessary for a gender transition, according to Sharon Papo, executive director of the Diversity Center.
“We have someone who can be a navigator in the community,” she said.
Ezra Bowen, the new coordinator for the program, said it’s hard to quantify how many transgender people live in the county. But one thing that is certain is that the community needs more support.
“I know that we like to tell ourselves that Santa Cruz is this liberal little hub,” Bowen said. “But I guarantee you if I were to go down to that Safeway down the street, I’d get three old white guys in pickups just glaring at me. Is it because I’m queer? Is it because I’m black? The truth is people don’t like to accept things they don’t know about and are different from them.”
[dropcap]I[/dropcap] pop pills like they’re Skittles. Lemon yellow Clozaril. Lime green Neurontin. Berry blue Celexa. The candy colored cocktail of psychiatric medications I take each night keeps me stable and high functioning, and allows me to live a full and fulfilling life. The drugs I’m on also cause ridiculous weight gain, chronic fatigue, a depressed libido, periods of emotional numbness, and more digestive issues than I can count. Despite all of these serious side effects, every evening for the past 13 years, about an hour before bedtime, I’ve tasted the rainbow.
The moment I heard that world-renowned meditation guru Bill Scheffel was bringing his “Transcending Madness” workshop to Santa Cruz on March 17-18 I marked it down on my calendar. According to Scheffel, I’m special. I dig that. The shaggy haired, goateed 63-year-old—famous for his creative writing (he studied with Allen Ginsberg and Anne Waldman), workshops and meditation retreats in the Tibetan Buddhist and Shambhala traditions—believes that all human beings experience “extreme and challenging” states of mind, and that just as many are “gifted” with non-ordinary states.
“Transcending Madness” kicks off with a free public talk at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 16, followed by a two-day workshop geared for those gifted with and/or struggling with non-ordinary and extreme states—the rainbow spectrum of diagnoses is welcome, from bipolar, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, ADHD, to schizoaffective. Santa Cruz’s own healing-arts masters Annica Rose, founder of the Adaptive Yoga Project, and Aleksandra Wolska, founder of Theater Between, will also teach at the workshop. Scheffel spoke to me about the philosophy behind his workshop.
Can you describe your journey with mental illness?
I had three experiences of ending up in a psych ward after what I call dissociation, which is a natural term. This could be called psychosis or “spiritual emergency.” After the third time, although I’d never had such experiences before in my life, and these happened when I was 58, I accepted the prevailing medical model of bipolar disorder, and was convinced to take psychiatric drugs—antipsychotics—which are really just major tranquilizers. After three years, I decided to go off the drugs to see if I even needed them. After enduring a very difficult withdrawal process, I emerged and realized that the time on the drugs gravely diminished my life force and ability to manifest my life. That led me to realize that I needed to redefine my experience and connect with others who have had similar experiences. In that spirit, I began Transcending Madness—a program to share holistic and alternative tools for mental health.
Is it possible to view mental illness positively?
Your question touches on a number of views. One is seeing people’s experiences not as a disorder, but through the lens of neurodiversity. Neurodiversity arose out of the autism community, in which people did not want to be seen as simply having a disorder, but by having a unique expression of the human experience. If we look at any experience on a spectrum, we see all of us have some of that experience sometimes. Many cultures—especially indigenous ones—have embraced what we call psychosis as an initiatory experience. In those cases, the individual is embraced and guided back toward integration with the understanding that they might have gifts of healing and understanding that they can bring to the community.
What is wrong with today’s mental health system?
Overall, the mental health system has narrowed into a primarily biological model, which tends to insist on the use of psychiatric drugs. Often people’s challenges aren’t deeply explained and they can be misdiagnosed. It’s a view that doesn’t typically embrace the many other models and tools that are available. Another significant problem is that people aren’t always informed about the side effects and other negative effects of psychiatric medications, even though they are so strongly urged to take them, including the insistence that they must be taken. Similarly, with our food, the lobby of the pharmaceutical industry is a very strong influence and tends to dismiss or suppress research and studies critical of drug usage.
What is your opinion on psychiatric medication?
I think the most important need is the full disclosure about the side effects and potential long term problems of psychiatric medications. One of the drugs I took was an anti-psychotic and I learned in hindsight that it had diminished my cognitive capacity, instigated cycles of severe depression, and also diminished my physical strength and sexual vitality.
What’s your favorite part of the Transcending Madness weekend workshop?
Meeting people and finding allies to collaborate with. We get to know each other and learn a lot from each other. The emphasis is on allowing the expression of experience to come forth and be heard. This creates an intimate community, something we’re all hungry for. At the last program I did in December, I met two extremely gifted individuals from the Santa Cruz community—Annica Rose and Aleksandra Wolska. I have invited them to be part of the upcoming program. Annica will teach yoga and Aleksandra will lead us in a creative theater project. I get to share my story and passions, and do what I’ve done throughout my adult life, namely meditation and creative arts. During the morning and afternoon periods, we practice short periods of yoga and meditation, explore mental health subjects, and break into discussion groups. We get to know each other and learn a lot from each other. We also take a break from cell phones.
More info at wisdomcentersc.org.
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t may take a village to raise a child, but sometimes a child can raise the hopes of a community. So it was with Luke Luna, who Santa Cruz County welcomed as a new resident on Dec. 21. While everything went perfectly well, this was no ordinary birth. Weighing in at eight pounds, 11 ounces, little Luke became the first person in the county born in a non-hospital-associated birthing center in 44 years.
“This is significant because it’s all about choices,” says Full Moon Family Wellness and Birth Center founder and midwife Sunshine Tomlin. “It’s about making sure everyone has as many options as possible, because much of the safety lies in the comfort of the family.”
Instead of going for a hospital birth, Luke’s parents—Ben Lomond residents Larry and Licia Luna—chose Full Moon after reading GT‘s cover story one year ago (“Born this Way,” 3/8/17) on the center. The proud new parents said they picked it because of the peaceful atmosphere and the level of independence it gave them.
“I wanted to be in control of my experience,” Licia Luna says, adding that hiring Tomlin as a midwife gave her an experience she could cherish. “Going into birth with someone who you feel is your friend and that you can trust made it really comfortable and easy.”
In addition to welcoming Luke into the world, Full Moon Family Wellness and Birth Centers are celebrating another achievement: their upcoming anniversaries. The Family Wellness Center opened shortly after the lease signing in May 2016, and the Birth Center opened a year later, after receiving all of their permits. Since then, Full Moon has focused on creating a unique and soothing atmosphere for new parents with their trained staff of 10 to 20 employees on call at any given time. Tomlin alone has 21 clients, and says they are expecting seven more births between now and September.
In addition to their midwives and doulas (the latter of whom act sort of like childbirth coaches), Full Moon also offers classes in child development, partner relationship courses for during and after birth, chiropractic and massage therapy and even training in how to swaddle and wear newborns in the plethora of carrying devices currently on the market.
“It can be so overwhelming when you have a baby,” says Luna. “I always thought I’d use a certain type of wrap, but [Luke] doesn’t really like it. And when you go online you realize there’s so many other types.”
“We’re looking forward for this to be a place for people to come for well-being care of all kinds, even if they aren’t pregnant,” Tomlin says. “They can come in for a massage or acupuncture, and it doesn’t have to be related to birth.”
While the fledgling center continues to grow, they are still dealing with some labor pains. When GT last spoke with Tomlin, she was raising money to remodel the center with new amenities including plumbing—adding a shower and birthing tub—along with new paint, carpeting, beds and sheets. Originally estimated at $50,000, Tomlin now estimates they will need $75,000 for the remodel, $24,250 of which has already been raised through their online GoFundMe campaign.
“There’s a company that makes a permanent, ergonomic birthing tub that is willing to give us a discount on their floor model,” she says. “Now we just have to raise the money for actually bringing the pipes into the room, and that will be a large expense.”
This May also marks the one-year anniversary of the county’s Nurse Family Partnership (NFP). The national program began in 1977, and is now featured in 43 states and 22 counties throughout California. Intended for first-time parents, NFP’s local staff of four nurses—two of whom are bilingual—provide long-term care for up to two years after the child’s birth. Patients must enroll within the first 28 weeks of pregnancy and qualify as low-income via MediCal.
“It’s an evidence-based program, and studies have shown it has more of an impact for those who have less means,” program administrator Jennifer Herrera explains.
NFP follows what Herrera calls a “whole person” model. This means providing expectant and new mothers access to job fairs, or linking them to life-assistance programs like electricity bill reduction, food stamps and more. The results add up to long-term savings for local, state and federal governments. By NFP’s own data, more help with independence means lower second birth rates and lower reliance on government programs in the future.
According to the Nurse Family Partnership national website, the impacts are significant. By conservative estimates, NFP saves the government $19,342 yearly per family. Societal benefits include fewer preterm births, fewer infant deaths and a reduction in youth crime and substance abuse.
Although teen pregnancies fell 4.9 percent from 2014 to 2015—with 2015 being the most current census of Santa Cruz County’s birth rate—Herrera admits a majority of the NFP patients range from 15 to 24 years old, although age is not a requirement for enrollment.
The program currently has 60 families enrolled, but Herrera says the NFP can enroll up to 100.
“It’s a ‘home visiting’ program, so nurses are expected to see patients face to face,” she says. “Typically in the home setting, but wherever the patient feels most comfortable. Whether it’s home, Starbucks or the park. ”
Live music highlights for the week of March 7, 2018.
THURSDAY 3/8
HAWAIIAN
The connection between Santa Cruz and Hawaii is strong, with surfing, a laidback lifestyle and a widespread appreciation of music. There’s also an underlying agricultural and rural vibe both places share. Santa Cruz County has no shortage of horses, ranches and farms, and one of the somewhat hidden elements of Hawaii is its rich cowboy (paniolo) culture. Slack key guitar masters George Kahumoku, Ledward Kaapana and Jeff Peterson all grew up in rural Hawaii, surrounded by the beauty and music of the Hawaiian countryside. They’re also all three world-renowned artists sharing slack key and other Hawaiian music traditions with audiences around the globe. CJ
INFO: 7:30 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $30/gen, $36/gold. 423-8209.
THURSDAY 3/8
REGGAE-ROCK
Sublime gets a bad rap. OK, I get it. Any band that names their album 40oz. to Freedom might be due a little scorn, but they were actually a really good bad—you can thank them for the entire reggae-rock explosion. Yet at the same time, if you listen to Sublime’s three albums, it’s a chaotic, diverse hodgepodge of styles ranging from reggae, punk and ska to weirdo rock. And Bradley Nowell could sing. With his untimely passing, if you want the Sublime experience, the closest thing is on-the-nose tribute band Badfish. It’ll be like it’s the ’90s all over again—the good ’90s that is. AC
INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10-$18, 429-4135.
THURSDAY 3/8
CELTIC
An Irish folk band out of County Donegal, Altan has been a force on the international music scene since the late 1980s, winning awards, representing a new generation of Irish musicians and furthering contemporary Celtic music. Possessing a sound that incorporates Irish folk songs, reels and jigs, Altan has a deep commitment to sharing traditional Irish music with music lovers around world—and the band has made quite a name for itself in doing so. Rooted in informal music gatherings and sessions in the pubs of the band’s hometown, Altan has worked with Bonnie Raitt, Ricky Skaggs, Dolly Parton, the Chieftains, Alison Krauss and more. CJ
INFO: 7:30 p.m. Flynn’s Cabaret, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $30. 335-2800.
FRIDAY 3/9
HIP-HOP
In 2014, at the age of 19, San Diego rapper Rob $tone released his first single, “Chill Bill,” through soundcloud.com, taking the iconic whistle from the Kill Bill movies and transforming it into a club hit. The fact that he wrote the track while in the back of a police car definitely added to his hip-hop street cred. Four years later, $tone has two mixtapes under his belt and just dropped his debut album, Don’t Wait For It, last October with his debut video for “Uncle Ben” out last month. MAT WEIR
INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $18. 429-4135.
FRIDAY 3/9
SOUL
An award-winning eight-piece out of Houston, the Suffers is a rocking soul band that’s credited with redefining Gulf Coast soul. Led by frontwoman Kam Franklin, whose soaring vocals take the band into otherworldly territory, the Suffers have caught fire on the roots, soul and retro rock scenes with a contagious mix of gospel, swamp rock, reggae, Latin and more. CJ
INFO: 7:30 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $25/adv, $30/door. 427-2227.
FRIDAY 3/9
ROCK
Those who weren’t lucky enough to see the Jerry Garcia Band while Jer-Bear was alive, dry your tears—the Garcia Project is here. For eight years, the Project has toured the country, delighting Deadheads of all ages and even featuring special guest appearances by former JGB member Melvin Seals and ex-Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten. So bust out your best attire, roll away the dew and if you get confused, listen to the music play. MW
INFO: 8:30 p.m. Michael’s on Main, 2591 S Main St., Soquel. $22. 479-9777.
SATURDAY 3/10
FUNK
A long time ago in a galaxy far far away … oh wait, I saw the name Space Heater and I just assumed it was a science-fiction-themed tribute band. It turns out that is not the case. Local ensemble Space Heater is all about the funk. The band plays it loud and booty-shaking proud. They keep it loose on the dance floor, too, with extended jams and improvised sections—anything that makes it funkier. AC
INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $7/adv, $10/door. 479-1854.
SATURDAY 3/10
INDIE
If slow, dreamy indie jams with the occasional violin solos are your thing, then be sure to get out of bed Saturday night and head over to the Crepe Place to check out San Francisco quartet See Night. It’s got music that is emotionally cathartic and surreal at once, with layers of moody guitars hitting you over the head with introspective finger-picking riffage and lush vocal harmonies. And if you watch the band’s video for “Chasm,” you’ll see the band rip an ethereal string solo. AC
INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.
MONDAY 3/12
CUBAN
The ever-exploratory Cuban pianist Omar Sosa returns to California with the North American premiere of “Transparent Water,” a cross-cultural summit featuring Senegalese griot and master of the harp-like kora Seckou Keita, whose album 22 Strings/22 Cordes (ARC Music) won the 2016 Best Album Award for African and Middle Eastern music from the world music magazine Songlines. Completing the liquious triangle is Venezuelan percussionist Gustavo Ovalles, who recorded a thrilling live duo album with Sosa, 2003’s Ayaguna, and the atmospheric 2016 trio session JOG with German trumpet player Joo Kraus (both on Otá Records). ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: 7 and 9 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $30/adv, $35/door. 427-2227.
IN THE QUEUE
HAUNTED SUMMER
Orchestral pop and electronica. Thursday at Crepe Place
ACHILLES WHEEL & CHINA CATS
Grateful Dead tribute and album release party. Thursday at Moe’s Alley
PAPA’S BAG
Tribute to James Brown. Saturday at Flynn’s Cabaret
PSYCHEDELIC FURS
Legendary post-punk band. Sunday at Catalyst
NORMA JEAN
Metalcore out of Georgia. Tuesday at Catalyst
Formed in the late 1990s, Flogging Molly has carved a niche for itself as a pioneering Irish-American Celtic punk band out of Los Angeles. The band has been around long enough that if you’ve been remotely paying attention to punk, Celtic music or rock, you’ve stumbled upon this rowdy crew that draws as much from Johnny Cash and the Clash as it does the Dubliners. Led by Irish vocalist Dave King from the band Fastway, Flogging Molly now organizes an annual music-fueled cruise called the Salty Dog Cruise. A bit unexpected for a Celtic punk band, but who am I to question a music cruise? Also on the bill: Jon Snodgrass & Friends and Scott H. Biram.
INFO: 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 20. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $35/adv, $40/door, $100/VIP. 423-1338. WANT TO GO? Go to santacruz.com/giveaways before 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 13 to find out how you could win a pair of tickets to the show.
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