Page 805 | Good Times

Love Your Local Band: Urban Theory

A&E
Music

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December 21, 2017

On local indie group Urban Theory’s debut release, 2015’s Perpetual Summer, the members blast through ethereal, moody tunes. Between the rhythm guitar, second guitar, keys, and vocals, there are a lot of layers of music going on at once. There’s rock and tender balladry at play, with a lot of heart-on-sleeve moments. John Mayer is a big influence for all of the group’s members.

In 2018, the band plans to release its follow-up, but this time people will hear a leaner, and more guitar-driven sound. For the past year, the band has been a quartet: vocals, two guitars, bass and drums.

“We definitely have more space nowadays. It’s left a lot of room for us each to do things,” says singer/guitarist Ryan Cummings. “Before, when we had a keyboardist, we were like, ‘OK guys, let’s make room for the keys to come in.’ Now we all have that room to play with. It leaves us with a lot of room to express ourselves, which is really crucial.”

The band formed in 2011 and has gone through several members, but the latest lineup has been in place for a year. Cummings assures me their upcoming EP is going to be a phenomenally recorded batch of songs. The first single, “We Rise” will be coming out in January or February, with the rest of the record following later next year.

“We’re kind of digging how it’s been sounding so far. We’re trying to revamp as a four-piece. It sounds really full,” Cummings says. “We’re excited to release our music to the public.”

INFO: 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.

A Unique Touriga from Quinta Cruz

Josie Cowden

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December 21, 2017

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If you haven’t tasted any of Jeff Emery’s Portuguese varietals, then you should hurry to his tasting room on the Westside. It’s thanks to Emery that we have beautiful wines such as his 2012 Touriga, San Antonio Valley Pierce Ranch ($24)—a blend of Touriga Nacional (64 percent) and Touriga Franca (36 percent).

“We feel that this wine, more than any other in the Quinta Cruz brand, shows off why it is that we focus on these almost-forgotten native varieties of Portugal,” says Emery. “You will find all kinds of aromas and flavors that you probably have never experienced in a wine before.”

Emery says the Touriga offers striking aromas of berry pie in the oven, “all the way down to the warm, fresh bread-dough character, warm butter and hot, juicy berries.” And its subtle floral elements, including rose petals, violets and lavender, will make you want to add this unusual wine to your table over the holidays.

Emery’s other Portuguese wines include Tempranillo, Graciano, Rabelo, Souzão, and Albariño.

Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard and Quinta Cruz, 334-A Ingalls St., Santa Cruz, 426-6209. santacruzmountainvineyard.com. Tasting room open daily.

Pacific Coffee Roasting

Co-owners Dena and Tom Hope have filled their cozy Aptos coffee shop with some wonderful goodies for Christmas: namely, all kinds of holiday ceramics—mugs, bowls, plates—along with delicious local chocolates from Ashby Confections; caramels, peppermint bark in beautiful packaging, holiday candies, tea towels, an assortment of loose teas, tea pots, and more. They also carry lovely gift bags for your purchases—some made of canvas—and, of course, freshly roasted coffee. Dena says Tom roasts nearly every day, so it’s nice to purchase coffee right before the holidays.

Pacific Coffee Roasting, 7554 Soquel Drive, Aptos, 685-2520 (in the Aptos Center near Outside-In, Aptos Natural Foods, and Zameen Mediterranean Cuisine).

True Olive Connection

Giving food and wine as gifts at Christmas is a safe bet—who doesn’t love good olive oil and balsamic vinegar?—snd True Olive Connection has an amazing selection. They also carry Greek and California olives, pickles, spices, and more. True Olive has a store in downtown Santa Cruz and another in Aptos. Visit trueoliveconnection.com for more info.

New Owners Share their Vision for Bruno’s Bar and Grille

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December 21, 2017

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New Owners Share their Vision for Bruno’s Bar and Grille

Bruno’s BBQ was a Scotts Valley staple, but Bruno’s BBQ is no more. In its place is Bruno’s Bar and Grill. With the new name comes new owners Rogelio and Joanne Guzman, who’ve owned and operated the restaurant since August. They’ve been slowly easing themselves into the restaurant’s new identity, a little at a time. In the future, expect lots of new items and other tweaks on the menu. Joanne took the time to give us a little sneak peek.

What’s the new Bruno’s like?

JOANNE GUZMAN: We talked about, “What does Scotts Valley need?” A lot of restaurants have been sold and are under new ownership, like Don Quixote’s and Malone’s. Scotts Valley really needed fine dining, and they are taking care of that. The concept of our restaurant is really [to be] a fun place for adults and families. People can come in and have a good time. We pulled the BBQ off of the name, and we changed it to Bruno’s Bar and Grill. The reason we did that was because Bruno’s has some loyal fans that we didn’t want to disappoint. We kept most of the items on the menu, and then added some of my husband’s recipes. We went from one owner to us in one day. She had it July 31, we took it Aug. 1.

What’s something you’ve added that you’re excited about?

My husband is really good with sauces, glazes, dressings. We’ve added a raspberry chipotle barbecue sauce for the ribs. You can go with the Bruno’s traditional, or you can do the raspberry chipotle. He also does an excellent chimichurri. So we’ve got a chimichurri steak. He’s also got this sauce he calls “naughty sauce” that we put on some things. We have some naughty fries that people love. It’s a mayo-based sauce, but it’s got a pretty big kick to it. It’s spicy. It’s traditionally used with tapas and potatoes. He introduces specials throughout the week to see if people like his recipes. That’s how we’re doing it, just checking, and we will be tweaking the menu as we go. And his Bloody Marys. He made his Bloody Marys famous at Coasters at Boardwalk Bowl—people would come from San Jose to have a Bloody Mary. Now he had to kick it up a notch, ’cause they’re still using his recipe over at the bowling alley. He’s added a pork slider and a chicken wing, in addition to bacon and shrimp.

What’s an old item you will likely always keep?

Definitely the baby back ribs. People love the baby back ribs. We’re also one of the only places where you can get beef ribs. We’ve kept those.

230 Mt. Hermon Road, Scotts Valley, 438-2227.

Film Review: ‘Wonder Wheel’

A&E
Film

Lisa Jensen

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December 21, 2017

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If the new Woody Allen movie Wonder Wheel was a musician, he would be tone-deaf. This angsty tale of lives of not-so-quiet desperation on the boardwalk at Coney Island seems unable to decide from scene to scene what kind of movie it wants to be. Because the preview trailer emphasized comic one-liners and vivid colors (the setting is the 1950s), viewers might expect a nostalgic coming-of-age comedy in the vein of Radio Days.

And Allen’s storytelling instincts are indeed so steeped in comedy, he resorts to a lot of the same shtick, even when he’s trying to tell a serious story. Here he trots out the usual suspects—a perpetually aggravated protagonist, romantic misadventures, a pretty but disruptive young woman, scary mobsters. But the problem with Wonder Wheel isn’t that the comic and serious elements can’t coexist; the problem is the story is emotionally uninvolving, whichever way it’s told.

Our narrator is Mickey (a jaunty Justin Timberlake), a handsome young lifeguard at the beach. After a stint in the Navy, he aspires to become a writer, and so is well-positioned to observe the characters in the story—until his own part in the drama turns out to be not so dispassionate. Mickey has recently begun an affair with Ginny (Kate Winslet). A careworn waitress at the clam house who once dreamed of an acting career, she blossoms under Mickey’s attention.

But Ginny is married to a big lug named Humpty (Jim Belushi), who operates the carousel. Humpty is a recovering alcoholic who took in Ginny and her young son after her first husband left her. She’s grateful to him, but disappointed in the marriage, now stuck in the “honky-tonk fairyland” of Coney Island, in a crummy walk-up apartment on the boardwalk itself (metaphor alert: the building used to house the freak show), under the neon glow of the Wonder Wheel Ferris wheel.

So things are already tense when Carolina (Juno Temple) arrives. Humpty’s daughter by his first marriage, Carolina became estranged from her father when she fell in love with a slick mobster at age 20 and ran off with him. Now the Feds are closing in, and Carolina is a “marked woman,” on the run from Mafiosi out to silence her before she can testify. Her enmity with her father was so well-known, she figures that’s the last place they’ll look for her. More problematic is the fallout when Carolina meets Mickey.

But the tone is off from the start, beginning with Carolina’s arrival, where she, Humpty, and Ginny argue about her marriage and what they’re going to do now. It feels like improv, where the actors have been coached in what kinds of things to say, but not given a script, so they just keep repeating the same points over and over. It happens again when Ginny pesters Carolina about what happened in a chance meeting with Mickey, and keeps saying the same thing again and again.

Also, we’ve seen most of these characters and incidents before, done better—mostly by Allen himself. With a career as long and prolific as Allen’s, of course there’s going to be some overlap in thematic content. But he doesn’t bring anything more meaningful to the story this time around. When Ginny has a full-on Blanche DuBois moment of romantic delusion, complete with fancy gown and jewelry, it’s as if Allen forgot he already did his own take on A Streetcar Named Desire in Blue Jasmine.

Allen gets a lot of mileage out of the setting (a giant poster “Coney Island Barrel of Laffs” is a nice, ironic touch). And it’s shot beautifully by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro—especially when Ginny is transformed by soft lighting and warm colors in her scenes with Mickey. (Although a scene when her face is bathed in shifting neon colors from outside in the middle of a big speech is a little distracting.)

But the weird rhythms of the dialogue and the familiarity of the characters finally keep us from ever feeling invested in their story.

WONDER WHEEL

**(out of four)

With Kate Winslet, Jim Belushi, Juno Temple, and Justin Timberlake.

Written and directed by Woody Allen. An Amazon Studios release.

Rated PG-13. 101 minutes.

After Cannabis is Legal, Could Magic Mushrooms be Next?

David Jay Brown

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December 21, 2017

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After Cannabis is Legal, Could Magic Mushrooms be Next?

Now that cannabis is becoming legal statewide on Jan. 1, some folks are wondering if psychedelic fungi—i.e. “magic mushrooms”—will be decriminalized next.

On Aug. 25, Marina mayoral candidate Kevin P. Saunders and his fiancée Dimitric “Kitty” Merchant filed a revolutionary proposal that would legally exempt everyone in the Golden State over the age of 21 from California’s Health and Safety Codes 11390 and 11391; i.e., any penalties for ingesting, possessing, growing, selling, or transporting the drug psilocybin, which is the primary psychoactive component of “magic mushrooms.”

Sound a bit far-fetched? On Nov. 6, California’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra gave the green light for organizers to begin the process of psilocybin decriminalization.

If Saunders and his supporters can gather the necessary 365,880 voter signatures by the end of April 2018, then the California Psilocybin Legalization Initiative will be placed on the statewide ballot next year, and voters will decide its fate. When one considers how many passionate magic mushroom enthusiasts there are here, a giddy feeling erupts, as there just may be enough psychedelically minded voters for this locally based initiative to actually succeed.

The current efforts are focused on decriminalizing the primary psychoactive component of magic mushrooms, psilocybin, not the fruiting fungal bodies themselves. There are actually around 180 different species of mushrooms known to contain psilocybin and they’re all currently illegal.

Saunders believes that now is the right time to act on this historic proposition, because the enchanted fungus can be used to help bridge the political divide in our country and restore its sense of community. He also told me, “2018 will be an off-year election, and there’s going to be a lot of interest in making a statement against Donald Trump, so we’re going to see a heavy turnout at the ballot box.”

This initiative may be the beginning of a larger movement. A similar proposal is currently underway in Oregon, led by the Oregon Psilocybin Society, for a 2020 ballot measure there, which would allow voters to decide about decriminalizing the natural psychedelic molecule in the Beaver State.

Since 2006, more than a dozen psilocybin studies have been conducted at Johns Hopkins University and elsewhere that show great therapeutic promise with little risk. Studies have shown that psilocybin can substantially reduce unhealthy addictive behavior, such as tobacco smoking, and lead to increases in the personality domain of openness, as well as lasting feelings of positive well-being.

Studies have also been shown it to produce a more interconnected brain, enhance creativity, and even foster spiritual experiences that are indistinguishable from those reported throughout history by religious mystics.

Despite the possibility of some people having psychologically disturbing experiences—or, in rare cases, having some transient delusions or panic—it’s important to point out how generally safe psilocybin mushrooms are. According to last year’s Global Drug Survey, they are the very safest of all drugs in terms of the number of people who require emergency medical treatment.

Merchant described other benefits that the Golden State would receive. She said, “It would reduce the cost of law enforcement, with people no longer being arrested, incarcerated and persecuted.” A recent analysis by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, concluded that legalizing magic mushrooms could reduce law enforcement costs by millions of dollars, while aiding the state with millions in taxes, so it appears that this might be a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Psychedelic mushrooms have been growing in popularity over the past few decades, and now even have their own holiday. Sept. 20 has been designated “Psilocybin Mushroom Day,” as an educational “day of action,” and the celebrations appear to be growing in size every year since its inception in 2014.

Scientific studies show that psychedelic experiences can substantially increase ecological awareness, which is so desperately needed to save our polluted biosphere from the onslaught of climate change—and that’s the primary reason why I think this initiative is so vitally important.

If you’re a California voter and would like to help psilocybin become decriminalized, you can start by following the CPLi Facebook page.

David Jay Brown was voted ‘Best Writer’ in the annual Good Times and Santa Cruz Weekly Best of Santa Cruz polls in 2011, 2012, and 2013. He is the author of more than a dozen books, including ‘Dreaming Wide Awake’ and ‘Women of Visionary Art.’

Storage Locker Plan for Homeless Shelved by City

Local News

Mat Weir

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December 21, 2017

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Storage Locker Plan for Homeless Shelved by City

Word on the street was that a new Santa Cruz storage locker for the homeless was on track to open earlier this month, as mentioned in GT.

We were surprised to learn that opening day—which was originally scheduled for Friday, Dec. 1, according to homeless advocate Brent Adams—never came.

City analyst Susie O’Hara, who’s been working on the program, told us she didn’t even know when a new facility might open, although the Sentinel has since reported that the city’s aiming to move its homeless encampment to 1220 River St. in the Harvey West neighborhood by mid-January, with storage on-site for the campers.

Storage was considered one of the simplest goals within the 20-solution homeless strategic plan approved by the Santa Cruz City Council this past May.

For now, the current encampment at San Lorenzo Park is still something resembling home. But Chief, a 63-year-old homeless man from Moss Landing, says it’s difficult keeping track of all of his personal belongings all of the time—although local services do their best to help out. “It’s still hard biking everything to new destinations every day,” he says.

City staffers were working out the details last month, and contacted the nonprofit Warming Center Program to help facilitate. Adams, the Warming Center’s co-founder, says staffers contacted him for a Dec. 1 launch, slated for after a clean-up of the controversial current encampment at San Lorenzo Park.

Adams says that the camp cleanup ended up going through Monday, Dec. 4, with volunteers like himself pitching in—and then they heard the city had decided to hold off on the next steps.

Adams finds it unfortunate that even though he spent several days cleaning the park with Warming Center volunteers, the nonprofit didn’t hear from the city about the new approach until pretty late in the game. The center had even interviewed candidates and chosen one to run the storage facility, he says.

Adams, who’s toured encampments from San Diego to Seattle, has advocated for more of a sanctuary-type camp that provides a supportive and tightly knit community. He worries that the new emergency-type shelter in Harvey West doesn’t jibe with the recent homelessness recommendations, and that it won’t offer the needed support to help campers transition into more permanent housing. He’s holding out hope that the city commits to a storage setup that’s open to everyone experiencing homelessness—more along the lines of what the City Council approved in its recommendations this past spring.

Wings Homeless Advocacy Aims to Secure Basic Needs to Newly Housed

Local News

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December 21, 2017

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Wings Homeless Advocacy Aims to Secure Basic Needs to Newly Housed

For 10 years, 72-year-old Ernest Keller was homeless. A few of those years, he was able to crash at people’s homes, but for most of them, he was living in his own “cardboard castle,” as he puts it.

Eventually, 180/2020, the local nonprofit fighting to end chronic homelessness, got him a case manager and a home inside of St. Stephens Senior Housing, where he’s been living the past six months. When he moved in, he had nothing. He was sleeping on an old outdoor patio lounge chair that a friend gave him—still an improvement from the “rock and pebbles and cardboard” that he says he was used to sleeping on.

Shortly after being housed, Keller received a call from Wings Homeless Advocacy. Volunteers brought him a brand new bed, among other things, including a welcome basket, with basic home supplies like a toothbrush, toilet paper and a plunger. They asked Keller what else he needed, and he told them: a dresser, a dining room table and some chairs, all of which they took care of getting for him.

“I felt like, ‘Gee, I’m starting to feel like I have a home,’” Keller says. “I feel like I won the lotto. I feel like I got a brand-new life, even though I’m 72.”

Wings, an organization participating in this holiday season’s Santa Cruz Gives fundraising drive, supports the needs of the newly housed. It takes a lot of work to get Santa Cruz County’s homeless into permanent housing. But that isn’t the end of what can be a major transition. Without assistance, many of these folks can wind up right back on the streets.

“Say you’ve been on the street for 10 years, you get a new house. What do you do now? You don’t have any furniture. You don’t have any toothpaste, or a toothbrush, soap or shower curtain. Those basic things. Those add to your stress,” says Wings executive director Jil Castagnola. “Sometimes the stresses of everyday life get to them. We’re hoping to reduce their amount of stress to make sure they have a forever home.”

Wings is one of eight nonprofits in Santa Cruz Gives this year fighting homelessness—a list that also includes Community Action Board, Downtown Streets Team, Homeless Garden Project, Homeless Services Center, Pajaro Valley Shelter Services, Warming Center Program and Rising International.

Through Santa Cruz Gives, Wings is focusing on fundraising for its “big idea”—Beds and Baskets, the program that specializes in the basic needs of those just getting off of the streets and moving into a home.

“It seems inhumane to give someone the key and say, ‘they’re housed,’ and just move on. We are of the opinion that people deserve a bed to sleep on and the welcome basket has things like dishes, toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, things that we take for granted. They have none,” Wings co-founder and board president Peggy Benedum says. “Each person’s situation is very complex. They usually have multiple things that have to all line up to be successful all at once for them to be able to get in to housing and stay there.”

There are various aspects to Wings’ mission, including its commitment to offer rides wherever the people need to go. That can be to the doctor, grocery shopping or even just downtown to get some coffee. After living on the streets and being part of that community, it can be challenging to adapt to life in a home. Wings not only provides physical items, but also emotional support, mentorship and encouragement to let folks know that they are on the right path and there are ways to meet their needs.

The idea for Wings came to Benedum and Jim Young after participating in Project Homeless Connect Santa Cruz, an event where homeless individuals have access to various resources. Benedum and Young volunteered as advocates and mediators for those looking for help navigating the services. At the end of the day, they felt like they could do so much more.

“Truth is most of the people on the street are way more versed on the resources available to them than we were,” Benedum says. “We helped them get an ID card, we helped them get some food and clothes, but we didn’t help them get out of homelessness.”

Wings operates directly with case managers at organizations that find homes for people living on the street. The case managers, who are typically overwhelmed, contact Wings, looking for assistance. Currently, Wings is able to assist approximately a total of 50-55 case managers from three separate organizations. As Wings grows through fundraising, Benedum and Castagnola hope to work with case managers in places on the outer edges of Santa Cruz County like Watsonville.

Wings has what it calls a “no guilt” volunteer program, meaning that if someone signs up to help, they’ll be on a list to be contacted to help give rides, deliver beds or offer whatever service is needed. If the volunteers are unable to help on any given day, no explanation is required on their part. The more people on their list, the better they can serve the people they are trying to help.

“If we can increase our volunteers we’d be able to serve more individuals and support those individuals more,” Castagnola says, “and hopefully be one of the major forces of reducing the amount of homelessness we see in our community.”

For more information on Santa Cruz Gives, or to donate, please visit santacruzgives.org through Saturday, Dec. 31.

Gifts for the Signs—Practical, Useful, Small & Sustainable

Risa D’Angeles

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December 20, 2017

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Gifts for the Signs—Practical, Useful, Small & Sustainable

Christmas day is different this year. Let’s be different, too, in the giving of gifts this year. Let’s be creative, thinking small (under $5), economical, sustainable, long term, renewable, ecological, plantable (seeds), storable, alchemical, astrological, and the giving of tithes. Instead of buying gifts, consider handmade items that are baked, sewn, knitted, planted, sprouted, canned, tinctured, bottled and/or dried. Instead of store-bought gift bags and wrapping papers, let’s consider alternative and creative ways to wrap gifts (wrapped in towels or prayer cloths, placed in cups, bowls, flasks, bottles, ampoules, basins, planters, baskets, hampers, etc.).

In our times of economic reorientation, it’s essential and wise to think practical, useful, beneficial, functional and local—keeping money circulating within our local towns and villages. Gift certificates from local businesses keep money within the community.

Another idea—no gifts this year. Giving only to those in need (homeless, refugees, especially children). Giving through the Heifer project where we can give bees and ducks, cows, sheep and goats (real things) that build a sustainable way of living for a community. Giving in this way creates the seeds of the new Sharing Economy. When we give appropriately, what we need magically appears, “So we can give and give again.” Then we experience the true (hidden) miracle of this holy season. Happy “giving,” everyone. Creating Peace on Earth, Goodwill to everyone.

Should we be giving gifts to each other, the gift suggestions below provide an atmosphere and architecture of how to think astrologically. Recognizing the qualities of each sign (and persons), we better understand their essential needs and thus what to offer them. And so, give to …

ARIES: Things daring, innovative and new; intelligent and quick, impatient and bright red; sporty and casual; big, energetic, bold yet fleeting. See that it has gears, goes Vrooom! shielding them from anything deep or involving them in long-term follow-up. Eventually offer several dictionaries and a thesaurus. Kites and all types of hats, old and new. Running shoes.

TAURUS: Things easy and uncomplicated; sensual yet practical, simple and effortless; comfortable and calm; the very best quality, something planned, cozy, able to be stored for generations to come; something from a financial institution; and most of all, things they can’t share. Things made of fine wool. Cashmere scarves, cashmere anything, several miniature cows and bars of gold.

GEMINI: Anything to help them think and use their hands at the same time; intelligent things like puzzles; something that comes in the mail monthly or weekly (The Week magazine, The New Yorker, Llewellyn’s Astrological Guide); things quick, easy to wash and tend to; a casual party, party sparklers, stars for their bedroom, butterfly-attracting plants. People magazine.

CANCER: Anything traditional and that nurtures, which means nostalgic; used copper cooking pots and barbecue tools, heirloom seeds, antiques, what’s cozy and homey, comfort foods, small family gatherings, scrapbooks, picture frames, photo albums, baskets, boxes, bins, vases, holders, cases, small tubs and even a vat. Handmade non-lye soaps and warm sweaters. Holy oils.

LEO: Anything that lets them win, be first, ahead of everyone else and be the leader. Things providing them with attention, recognition and applause; things extravagant and large; jewelry, gold, games, mirrors, and whatever is heart shaped. A photo session. A gift in their name to the Heifer Project sending bees, ducks, geese, cows or goats to families in need in developing countries. A paint box.

VIRGO: Anything assisting in their quest for perfection, knowledge, serving and tending to; pets, books, health foods, ears of corn, sheaves of wheat, pomegranates; things that organize, structure, order, and bring forth detail; white countertops, gardens of flowers, natural cleaning products; anything biodynamic, and multiple and various ways they can serve. And words of gratitude.

LIBRA: Whatever offers them harmony, equality and balance; things artistic, poised and beautiful; sets of scales, weights and measures, jewelry, flowers; things well designed, tickets to orchestras, plays, ballets and the theater; an outdoor fire pit, a planned party with friends, mirrors, paintings, money, and a course in practical economics for world good. European chocolates.

SCORPIO: Designer sunglasses, big and black; things mysterious, private, under the surface, intense and powerful; clothes in dark shades with a gold something tucked inside; mystery novels, psychological novels, classes in astrology and Ancient Wisdom; luxurious bedding, screens, curtains, veils, shrouds, masks, cloaks and drapes. A cave with deep paramagnetic waters and secrets to discover. Anything that locks.

SAGITTARIUS: A pilgrimage over hill and dale that’s adventurous, risky, exciting and philosophical; things swift, moving, or looking like a horse; a real horse or pony (for a Sag child); bow and arrows, a new town to move to, trip to an artistic desert town; music, musical instruments, publishing their writings; loungewear; a photo of the Galactic Center (Sag); and the plant Sagittaria.

CAPRICORN: The Capricorn icons—a ladder and sturdy mountain boots; anything from a mountain store; hiking and camping equipment; stories of treks to the top of Mt. Everest; images of unicorns and the rising Sun; an Ashram; yoga classes; bone-building vitamins; a course in biodynamics, requesting them to design, build and craft something beautifully useful. A craft set and anything successfully indulgent.

AQUARIUS: Greenhouses in an intentional community with tilapia ponds in a biosphere and bio-shelter on a farm with green-roofed straw bale houses in the country away from large towns, with friends and loved ones. If impossible, then books about each of these along with a jar of real tupelo honey. Things gadgety, technological, electrical or giving to a good cause toward assuaging the suffering of “thirsty humanity.”

PISCES: Cashmere socks, supple boots, comforting shoes; plush slippers, a warm and private saline pool; visits to a spa; health club membership; monastery retreat, a course in permaculture; a gardener, wooden shelves and bureaus, incense, lavender oil, fish in a fishbowl, Persian rug, children’s books, rosary, prayer book, a dome cottage, being tended to and understood. A home.

Music Picks Dec 20-26

Cat Johnson

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December 20, 2017

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Our picks for the best live music for the week of December 20, 2017.

WEDNESDAY 12/20

NEW ORLEANS/R&B

STAR LA’MOAN

As the story goes, performer Marla Stone adopted the name Star La’Moan for a songwriting contest years ago, and the loose spoonerism stuck. Now bandleader of her own outfit, the Kitchenettes, La’Moan tears through rock, R&B, New Orleans second line, blues, and gypsy jazz with ease. The Kitchenettes includes horns, a “full raucous rhythm section,” and even a bassoon. For this performance, La’Moan and the band welcome local gospel/R&B singer Tammi Brown. CJ

INFO: 8:30 p.m. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $15. 335-2800.

WEDNESDAY 12/20

ALT-ROCK

SMASH MOUTH

Hey Now! You’re an all-star, get your game on, go play! Did you know that song is almost two decades old? And yet, Smash Mouth’s big ’90s hit “All Star” has somehow become one of the biggest memes of 2017. Whether you discovered the song on MTV, on the Shrek soundtrack, or chopped and screwed and mixed with Seinfeld quotes on YouTube, there’s just something undeniably, universally catchy about the song. As they return to Santa Cruz, Smash Mouth has enjoyed a little resurgence as of late, thanks to the internet craze. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $25. 429-4135.

THURSDAY 12/21

JAZZ/ROOTS

POST STREET RHYTHM PEDDLERS

This dance inducing double bill pairs the Post Street Rhythm Peddlers, a New Orleans-style trad jazz combo, with the country western honky tonkers of Whiskey West. A seven-piece band featuring a tight cast of Santa Cruz stalwarts, the Rhythm Peddlers combine the low-down growls and riffs of brass with the searing, propulsive lines of a string band. ANDREW GILBERT

INFO: 8:30 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $7/adv, $10/door. 427-2227.

THURSDAY 12/21

AMERICANA

ERIC MORRISON AND THE MYSTERIES

“Enjoy the mystery,” Eric Morrison’s bio ominously states. The local musician isn’t quite so ambiguous when he straps on a guitar and sings his heart out. He and his backing band have become one of the most talented American roots rock acts in Santa Cruz. Americana Soul, they call it, which is a fancy way of saying that there’s a little bit of blues, some swamp rock, some country influences, and a healthy heaping of R&B. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $8. 429-6994.

FRIDAY 12/22

REGGAE

SOULWISE

Local reggae band Soulwise will release their debut record, Good Day, at Moe’s on Friday. It’s a meditative, laid-back reggae record. The single “Paradise” includes a ton of slow motion underwater shots in its music video; the scenery is gorgeous, and the speed of the cameras is never beyond a snail’s pace. It really captures the vibe of the music, which I call “yoga pose.” The group, led by cousins Sean and Kevin Eichhorn, has been working the local scene hard for the past few years, even getting some success on the iTunes reggae charts. They are hoping this record will launch them into a whole new stratosphere. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $7/adv, $10/door. 479-1854.

FRIDAY 12/22

ROCK

ZEPPELIN LIVE

For years, Led Zeppelin reunion rumors have left fans dazed and confused, but at this stage it seems like there’s been some communication breakdown. Luckily, Zeppelin Live (formerly Heartbreaker) is here with a whole lotta love! These guys are the premiere Zeppelin cover band, and make audiences throughout California do their best Misty Mountain Hop. Legend says if you close your eyes and open your ears just enough, their music can take you up the stairway to heaven and into the houses of the holy for a mind-expanding journey of what is and what should never be. MAT WEIR

INFO: 8 p.m. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $15. 335-2800.

SATURDAY 12/23

ROCK/JAM

EDGE OF THE WEST

If the descriptor “cosmic honky tonk” makes you sit up and take notice, you’ll want Edge of the West on your musical radar. The Santa Cruz-based band, led by hometown-guitarist-done-good Jim Lewin, bridges genres and cultures as it blends a jam band ethos with American roots grooves and rock ’n’ roll foundation. The members have a collective resume that includes stints with Great American Taxi, New Riders of the Purple Sage and Todd Snider. With set lists that include original tunes and “eclectic covers,” Edge of the West is one of the best-kept secrets of the local music scene. CJ

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

SATURDAY 12/23

HIP-HOP

ZION I

For more than two decades, Zion I has been a testament to the tenacity of conscious hip-hop. Originally formed in Oakland by Zumbi and Amp Live, they released their 2000 debut album, Mind Over Matter, to critical acclaim. Throughout the years, they continued to delight fans and critics with their ninth album, Shadowboxing, nominated as one of SF Weekly’s “10 Best Bay Area Hip-Hop Records of 2012.” Yet the future remained uncertain when Amp Live announced he would be leaving the duo. But true to form, Zumbi continued to carry the Zion I mantle, releasing The Labyrinth in 2016. MW

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $18/door. 429-4135.

IN THE QUEUE

JHENÉ AIKO

R&B singer-songwriter. Thursday at Catalyst

WHEELHOUSE

Tribute to the Grateful Dead. Thursday at Don Quixote’s

STORMIN’ NORMAN & THE CYCLONES

Local rock, roots and country. Saturday at Michael’s on Main

EXTRA LARGE

Santa Cruz dance and party band. Saturday at Crow’s Nest

7 COME 11

Organ-driven funk outfit. Tuesday at Crepe Place

5 Things to Do in Santa Cruz Dec 20-26

Things To Do This Week

GT Staff

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December 20, 2017

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Event highlights for the week of December 20, 2017.

Art Seen

‘Oberufer Shepherds Play’

popouts1751-art-seen The shepherds from the nativity story never get any credit. No one ever asks what they thought about going to see the birth of Jesus, or of an angel sporadically appearing out of thin air. Plus, the trip to Bethlehem couldn’t have been easy without lights, cars or maps. At least now we can all know and appreciate how they felt, thanks to the Oberufer Play. The sweet, heartwarming play tells Christmas stories from the perspective of shepherds. This year, the annual event includes an entirely new addition of the Paradise Play, and will again feature local performers and musicians.

INFO: 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23. Louden Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz. 301-325-1566. Adults $12/Children $8.

Green Fix

First Day Hikes

Start your year off right and take a hike. State parks across the country host First Day Hikes to encourage people to get outside on New Year’s Day, and there are few better places than Big Basin State Park to begin a new year. Big Basin is California’s oldest state park, and the birthplace of efforts to save old-growth redwood forests. For First Day Hikes, there will be a four-mile guided tour to Sempervirens Falls and old-growth redwoods. Don’t forget water, snacks and comfortable shoes, but let your pooches know they have to sit this one out.

INFO: 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 1. Visitors Center at Big Basin Redwoods State Park. 21600 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek. stateparks.org. 338-8860. Free, parking $10.

Thursday 12/21

Celtic Christmas

If you’ve been searching for an annual dose of Irish culture beyond St. Patrick’s Day, Tomáseen Foley’s “A Celtic Christmas” tour is stopping in Santa Cruz. Now in its 20th season, Foley and UCSC lecturer/alum William Coulter create a show that has roots as old as time—historically far surpassing The Nutcracker and giving the A Christmas Carol a run for its money. The show is set in the 1950s, and is complete with traditional tap dancing, folk music and holiday songs.

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Resource Center for Nonviolence. 612 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. tomaseenfoley.com. 464-9778. $30/$35.

Saturday 12/23

Las Posadas Celebration

Posada means “inn” or “shelter” in Spanish, and Las Posadas is a nine-day Latin-American holiday tradition commemorating the story of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem, and their search for a place to stay. Las Posadas is also a reminder that there are thousands around the globe without shelter, and an event to both give thanks and help those in need this holiday season. The event usually begins with a candle lighting and Christmas carols, and includes reenactments of the story and biblical imagery. Of course, there are tamales, music and dancing, too.

INFO: 6 p.m. Calvary Episcopal Church, 532 Center St., Santa Cruz. cityofsantacruz.com. Free.

Wednesday 12/20

Holiday Macaron Baking Workshop

Wow your coworkers, family and friends with your unparalleled macaron baking talents as you learn how to make the cute meringue-filled cookies that are the epitome of French dessert elegance—and ideal for any holiday party or stocking stuffer. They will be free of artificial coloring and flavors, since attendees will use superfoods to color and flavor their cookies. This workshop is sure to please any gluten-free guests, and you will come away with a box of your very own treats.

INFO: 6 p.m. New Leaf Community Market, 1101 Fair Ave., Santa Cruz. newleaf.com/events. $38.

Good TimesGood Times

Good TimesGood Times

Pacific Coffee Roasting

True Olive Connection

WONDER WHEEL

STAR LA’MOAN

SMASH MOUTH

POST STREET RHYTHM PEDDLERS

ERIC MORRISON AND THE MYSTERIES

SOULWISE

ZEPPELIN LIVE

EDGE OF THE WEST

ZION I

IN THE QUEUE

Art Seen

‘Oberufer Shepherds Play’

Green Fix

First Day Hikes

Thursday 12/21

Saturday 12/23

Las Posadas Celebration

Wednesday 12/20