Naka Sushi’s New Location Does Not Disappoint

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Ty McConney and Masao and Keiko Nakagawa, the owners of Naka Sushi, shut their 41st Avenue location at the end of last March, and the transition to their new location in the Begonia Plaza up the street took more than six months longer than expected. The longing on my sushi-obsessed friends’ faces became almost painful to watch as the eagerly awaited reopening dragged on.

Since Naka finally reopened in December, sushi fans new and old have been clamoring to get a seat at the sleek new location—and now that I’ve had a chance to visit, I understand why.

While I would normally order a roll, several longtime customers recommended I opt for sashimi and nigiri at Naka in order to appreciate the chef’s adept techniques. On their advice, my table started with the hamachi sashimi appetizer, a selection of fresh, raw yellow-tail tuna. While I was first hesitant at the $22.50 price tag, the quantities were far more generous than I expected, and the silky texture of the rich, pale pink fish was divine, seeming to melt on my tongue.

Plate after plate of nigiri that followed allowed us to appreciate a range of textures and the chef’s undeniable skill—the effervescent popping of deeply golden tobiko; luscious, slightly oily salmon and light, clean halibut. But to our surprise, the dish that made our jaws drop was the unlikely unagi. When it arrived at the table, it wasn’t the first thing I reached for, simply because I’ve had such unpleasant experiences with freshwater eel before that I assumed I didn’t like it. But the guest that ordered it insisted that I give this one a try. Another skeptical friend and I put a small bite to our mouths and our eyes locked in astonishment. The flesh was unbelievably tender, the texture of soft-cooked egg, and gently smoky—so unlike the chewy, over-grilled product I was familiar with. To say we were floored would be an understatement.

We did also enjoy a couple of Naka house rolls, stuffed to bursting with three or four varieties of impeccably flavorful fish, but the rumors were true—the nigiri stole the show.


1200 41st Ave., Capitola, 479-9620.

Conflict and Chaos Between the Ages

We are completing the month of Aquarius this week. However, Mercury remains in Aquarius and we are entering the Age of Aquarius (ages last 2,500 years). So Aquarius will be with us for a very long time.

Aquarius is the waters of life (information, truth) poured forth for thirsty humanity—information that end the darkness of ignorance. This means an immense cleansing and change.

At this time in our history, we are in a state of transition between two ages, from Pisces to Aquarius. In times of transition, the previous age is withdrawn as the new age comes forth. Transition times bring great conflict, chaos, disruption and breakdown (as there is now). It is a very vulnerable time for humanity. Times of transition can polarize humanity, creating two different camps or states of (mis)understanding. Countries and nations enter into chaos, as one way of life disappears and a new way of life slowly emerges. Chaos and conflict result. Humanity learns through chaos and conflict. This is the Law of Ray 4: new harmony emerging from conflict and chaos.

In transition times, the sign Libra steps in, offering humanity balance, equanimity, poise, Right Relations, Right Thinking, Right Choice, Right Discernment and discrimination. Libra asks us, especially in times of transition, to consider the Hindu word ahimsa, which means “doing no harm in thought, word or deed.” Ahimsa means kindness toward all living creatures. Ahimsa avoids all types of verbal and physical violence. The Vedas (Hindu Holy Scriptures) tell us that “by not harming any living being, one becomes fit for salvation.”  


ARIES: With Mercury in Aquarius, your mind becomes very inventive, scientific, original, strong and humanistic. You become more of a risk taker. You actually become a bit of an eccentric, different than your usual ways of being. You become witty, more socially conscious, wondering who your group is. You are attracted to advanced ideas and begin to ponder the psychology of everything. Perception is the result.

TAURUS: Considering all your gifts and talents, you consider how to be known and then how to bring your work into the world. You have exceptional abilities that serve and assist humanity. You’re practical and know how to accomplish goals, step by step. Don’t bother being competitive with anyone. Only you have the information. It’s very advanced information for humanity. Make plans to move forward later in the year.

GEMINI: Your mind is quite versatile and restless. You always need the freedom to think for yourself. However, it’s easier to think like everyone else. If you do this, following other’s thoughts and ideas, the special light and sparkle of Gemini is extinguished. Know that you are to be intellectually stimulating for other people, bringing changes to their thinking. You are to be a leader, not a follower. Ponder on this.

CANCER: Your mind is probing, resourceful and penetrating. You observe life like an investigator attempting to diagnose and understand the whys and hows of everything. You’re practical, yet very intuitive and interested in mysteries and mysticism at this time. Gardening is important now for each of us. Grow spearmint, mullein, marshmallow and nettles. These herbs, made into a tea, help a sensitive tummy.

LEO: Your mind becomes rational and balanced. You learn how to better compromise. And you begin to think like a diplomat, with language, reasons and arguments that seek justice and right proportion. Allow yourself to be attracted to a new level of literature, new arts and music. Share what you learn with those close to you. Allow them to respond to your ideas. Have conversations where you learn from one another. Have a salon. Listen carefully.

VIRGO: You are logical and diligent in your thinking, detailed and discriminating. You like to learn and evaluate, which allows for analytical, systemic understanding. It’s most important to always refrain from any criticism. And to always maintain a daily level of tending first to the self so you can adequately serve others. Tending to the self with care is an important spiritual discipline needed by all disciples.

LIBRA: Ponder deeply upon fairness and balance in all interactions and with all people, especially family. These virtues create Right Thinking, ease and harmony. Libra is the sign that is to create Right Relations, especially if there is an event, person or time in your life that feels difficult. Ponder deeply on ahimsa, which means doing no harm. Ask yourself if you are living by this precept. It produces beauty, which you need to truly thrive.

SCORPIO: Home and family may be on your mind. Either your original family or a family you’ve created or are creating. Your mind considers where you came from, your ancestry, what you learned about nurturance and loyalty. It’s most important that home is comfortable. It’s where we return for sustenance, security, relaxation and well-being. It is our refuge. You may be more reflective and emotional at this time. Offering you information about yourself.

SAGITTARIUS: Let yourself feel, be and act dignified. Focusing the mind on learning and study allows for the mind to feel honorable, noble, self-respecting and uplifted, as if one were a special messenger with important information to disseminate. There is great learning that will occur at this time simply by asking more questions, having a dialogue and conversations; also by reading and pursuing a new level of education. The arts and artists illuminate you, leading you to new levels of creativity.

CAPRICORN: It’s important right now to focus on values and resources. Be disciplined about money coming in and money going out. It’s also important to see what one’s talents are, and to value the self through this recognition. Venus retrogrades soon. This is important information I am sharing.

AQUARIUS: All of the experiences you are having in your life at this time make you more adaptable. Adaptability is what humanity needs to learn, especially as we prepare for times of change and transition. Aquarians learn things much earlier than most of humanity, because eventually Aquarians will need to teach humanity how to adjust and acclimate to revolutionary times. Your quickness and inventiveness are assets. Everything about you is an asset.

PISCES: The mind of Pisces is a sensing intuitive mind. It becomes strengthened when there is contemplation, adequate solitude and a study of religions and their inner mysteries. Often Pisces are poets, artists or dreamy mystics. But one day they shift and become occultists. That means one who uses the mind along with the heart in order to understand things. Pisces are subtle, deep and mysterious—two fish under a lotus. They are the “jewel in the lotus.”

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology Feb 15—21

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): By my estimates, 72 percent of you Aries are in unusually good moods. The world seems friendlier, more cooperative. Fifty-six percent of you feel more in love with life than you have in a long time. You may even imagine that the birds and trees and stars are flirting with you. I’m also guessing that 14 percent of you are weaving in and out of being absurdly, deliriously happy, sometimes without any apparent explanation. As a result of your generosity of spirit, you may be the recipient of seemingly impossible rewards like free money or toasted ice cream or unconditional tenderness. And I bet that at least ten percent of you are experiencing all of the above.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I am launching a campaign to undo obsolete stereotypes about you Bulls. There are still backwards astrologers out there who perpetrate the lie that many of you are stingy, stolid, stubborn slowpokes. As an antidote, I plan to heighten everyone’s awareness of your sensual, soulful sweetness, and your tastefully pragmatic sensitivity, and your diligent, dynamic productivity. That should be easy in the coming weeks, since you’ll be at the height of your ability to express those superpowers. Luckily, people will also have an enhanced capacity to appreciate you for who you really are. It will be a favorable time to clarify and strengthen your reputation.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Will Giovanni surreptitiously replace Allesandra’s birth control pills with placebos? Will Camille take a hidden crowbar to her rendezvous with the blackmailer? Will Josie steal Jose’s diary and sell it on eBay? Given the current astrological omens, you may have an unconscious attraction to soap opera-type events like those. The glamour of melodrama is tempting you. But I’m hoping and predicting that you will express the cosmic currents in less toxic ways. Maybe you’ll hear a searing but healing confession after midnight in the pouring rain, for instance. Perhaps you’ll break an outworn taboo with ingenious grace, or forge a fertile link with a reformed rascal, or recover a lost memory in a dusty basement.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): All naturally-occurring matter on earth is composed of 92 basic elements arranged in various combinations. Since some of these appear in trace amounts, they took a long time for humans to discover. In the 18th and 19th centuries, chemists were exuberant when they tracked down seven of the 92 in a single location: an underground mine on the Swedish island of Ytterby. That small place was a mother lode. I’m predicting a metaphorically similar experience for you, Cancerian: new access to a concentrated source that will yield much illumination.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The next four weeks will be an excellent time to upgrade your understanding of the important characters in your life. In fact, I suspect you will generate good fortune and meaningful synchronicities whenever you seek greater insight into anyone who affects you. Get to know people better, Leo! If there are intriguing acquaintances who pique your curiosity, find out more about them. Study the oddballs you’re allergic to with the intention to discern their hidden workings. In general, practice being objective as you improve your skill at reading human nature.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In 1787, English captain Arthur Phillip led an eight-month naval expedition to the southeastern part of the continent now known as Australia. Upon arrival, he claimed the land for England, despite the fact that 250,000 Aboriginal people were living there, just as their ancestors had for 2,000 generations. Two hundred years later, an Aboriginal activist named Burnum Burnum planted the Aboriginal flag on the White Cliffs of Dover, claiming England for his people. I encourage you to make a comparably artful or symbolic act like Burnum’s sometime soon, Virgo—a ritual or gesture to assert your sovereignty or evoke a well-deserved reversal or express your unconquerable spirit.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The ancient Roman rhetorician Quintilian authored a twelve-volume textbook on the art of oratory. As ample as it was, it could have been longer. “Erasure is as important as writing,” he said. According to my reading of the astrological omens, that counsel should be a rewarding and even exciting theme for you in the coming weeks. For the long-term health of your labor of love or your masterpiece, you should focus for a while on what to edit out of it. How could you improve it by making it shorter and more concise?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Do you know about the long-running kids’ show Sesame Street? Are you familiar with Big Bird, the talking eight-feet-tall yellow canary who’s one of the main characters? I hope so, because your horoscope is built around them. In the Sesame Street episode called Don’t Eat the Pictures, Big Bird solves a riddle that frees a 4,000-year-old Egyptian prince from an ancient curse. I think this vignette can serve as a model for your own liberation. How? You can finally outwit and outmaneuver a very old problem with the help of some playful, even child-like energy. Don’t assume that you’ve got to be relentlessly serious and dour in order to shed the ancient burden. In fact, just the opposite is true. Trust blithe and rowdy spirits.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your lessons in communication are reaching a climax. Here are five tips to help you do well on your “final exam.” 1. Focus more on listening for what you need to know rather than on expressing what you already know. 2. Keep white lies and convenient deceptions to a bare minimum. 3. Tell the truth as strong and free as you dare, but always—if possible—with shrewd kindness. 4. You are more likely to help your cause if you spread bright, shiny gossip instead of the grubby kind. 5. Experiment with being unpredictable; try to infuse your transmissions with unexpected information and turns of phrase.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The meaning of the Latin phrase crambe repetita is “cabbage reheated, twice-cooked.” I urge you to avoid partaking of such a dish in the coming weeks, both literally and figuratively. If you’re truly hungry for cooked cabbage, eat it fresh. Likewise, if you have a ravenous appetite for stories, revelations, entertainment, and information—which I suspect you will — don’t accept the warmed-over, recycled variety. Insist on the brisk, crisp stuff that excites your curiosity and appeals to your sense of wonder.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Here’s your mantra for the next three weeks: “I know what I want, and I know how to glide it into my life.” Say this out loud 11 times right after you wake up each morning, and 11 more times before lunch, and 11 more times at bedtime. “I know what I want, and I know how to glide it into my life.” Whenever you do this little chant, summon an upflow of smiling confidence—a serene certainty that no matter how long the magic might take, it will ultimately work. “I know what I want, and I know how to glide it into my life.” Don’t let any little voice in your head undermine your link to this simple truth. Lift your heart to the highest source of vitality you can imagine.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “We cannot simply sit and stare at our wounds forever,” writes Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami. “We must stand up and move on to the next action.” That’s your slightly scolding but ultimately inspirational advice, Pisces. According to my astrological analysis, you have done heroic work to identify and investigate your suffering. You have summoned a tremendous amount of intelligence in order to understand it and further the healing. But right now it’s time to turn your focus to other matters. Like what? How about rebirth?


Homework: Imagine you have time-traveled to one of your favorite places in the year 2020. What do you see? I’m at Tr**********@***il.com

Film Review: ‘Comedian’

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Comedy is subjective. So it makes sense that a movie about a stand-up comic will pass muster or not depending on how funny you think the jokes are. On that scale, The Comedian is more successful than not; there are enough laugh-out-loud jokes to keep it going, but they’re interspersed with a lot of material that’s questionable. Not necessarily in questionable taste (forget about taste, this is a movie about comedy), but in terms of jokes that don’t quite hit the mark, and lie there, whimpering.

Fortunately, director Taylor Hackford keeps the pacing steady enough so as not to stumble too much over the misfires. And he coaxes a terrific performance out of star Robert De Niro. Sure, De Niro has starred in plenty of comedies, but stand-up requires a different kind of chutzpah—the presence to command an audience, and the quick wit to get them to trust where you’re taking them. De Niro gets this; his character Jackie Burke is so relaxed onstage, he looks like he’s been doing stand-up his whole life, and De Niro’s delivery and timing couldn’t be better.

The movie was written by a clutch of showbiz insiders: veteran producer Art Linson, comic and roastmaster Jeffrey Ross, Richard LaGravenese, and Lewis Friedman, from a story idea by Linson. And Hackford wisely chooses an atmospheric soundtrack of moody, mellow nightclub jazz. Factor in a boatload of real-life stand-up comics and other celebs in cameos, and it all adds up to—well, not a love letter, exactly, but a wistful salute to the business of show business.

Jackie is a veteran “insult comedian” who had a hit TV sitcom 30 years ago that the public never lets him forget. Now he plays whatever podunk gigs his agent Miller (Edie Falco) can line up. Punching out a burly, bearded heckler at one such gig lands Jackie a community service stint at a homeless shelter. There he meets Harmony (a very effective Leslie Mann), another volunteer with her own anger issues. They bond over shared stories of their assault charges.

Over a few days, Jackie introduces Harmony to the New York comedy club scene, and they provide back-up for each other at family events: the wedding of Jackie’s niece to her girlfriend (Danny DeVito and Patti LuPone score as parents of the bride), and a sketchy birthday dinner with Harmony’s domineering mobster dad (Harvey Keitel).

Real- and reel-life showbiz connections help fuel the dynamic between De Niro and Keitel (40-plus years after Mean Streets), and between Jackie and Billy Crystal (as himself, in a cameo), another former De Niro costar. Cloris Leachman has a choice cameo as an elder stateswoman of the comedy scene enduring a Friars Club roast. And a pointed subtext charts the evolution of comedy from stand-up to scripted sitcoms to the bloodsucking humiliation of reality television, to the power of Youtube to make or jump-start careers. All is poised for an insightful meditation on comedy vs. life. If only there were more laughs.

It’s not that some of the material is “blue” (as one character quaintly puts it). One of the best movies about comedy is the documentary The Aristocrats, in which dozens of comics tell their versions of the most notoriously dirty joke in the business. The punch line is always the same, but the set-up challenges each individual comic to plumb personal depths of scatological depravity, with results that are completely unprintable and hysterically funny.

But when material bombs in The Comedian, it’s generally due to weak comedy writing. Jackie’s routines tend to go on way past their expiration dates. His impromptu appearance at a retirement home in Florida starts out great, with acknowledgement that the seniors in the crowd had lives and careers of their own, before it devolves into an (endless) sing-along about making poop.

The movie’s comic highlight, however, is stand-up pro Jessica Kirson, who trades quips with Jackie from the stage. What we see of her routine is so sharp and funny, it’s pretty clear that she lives the life this movie wants to pay homage to.

THE COMEDIAN

**1/2 (out of four)

With Robert De Niro, Leslie Mann, Danny De Vito and Harvey Keitel. Written by Art Linson, Jeffrey Ross, Richard LaGravenese, and Lewis Friedman. Directed by Taylor Hackford. A  Sony Classics release. Rated R. 119 minutes.

Opinion February 8, 2017

EDITOR’S NOTE

It’s a tradition around here to do something special for Valentine’s Day. A lot of times it’s a story about something snarky, like a really terrible worst date (oh, junk trunk, we remember you) or a rundown of hilarious Valentine’s-related crimes. I know, I know, we have serious issues, but in our defense we did let Lily Stoicheff do that really sweet defense of Valentine’s Day one time.

Anyway, nobody on staff seemed to in the mood for silliness this time around. Except Jacob Pierce—he’s kind of always in the mood for a little silliness, which makes his interview with UCSC grad (and star of this week’s KPIG Valentine’s Day show) John Craigie about all things romantic a lot of fun.

A theme of how love and art intersect snakes through the whole issue. In the cover story, Maria Grusauskas profiles Helen and Newton Harrison, a couple who have dedicated their lives to each other, and to the ecology-themed art and philosophy that made them famous. Famous outside of Santa Cruz, that is. I always like when we highlight locals who are known nationally and internationally, but somehow not right here at home, and the story of the Harrisons’ partnership is a remarkable one.

I also interviewed an internationally renowned Santa Cruz figure this week, Frans Lanting. Anyone who knows Lanting knows that his relationship with Chris Eckstrom is fundamental to his life and work. Since I’ve written specifically about their close bond in the past, I didn’t focus on it in this week’s story. Instead, a different kind of love seemed to rise to the fore as I wrote about their two shows this week at the Rio—like the Harrisons, their passion for the natural world and dedication to preserving it is a relationship model we can all be inspired by this Valentine’s Day.

STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Read the latest letters to the editor here.

Save the ACA

Re: “State of Mind” (GT, 2/1): What a clear, wonderfully written article with such good interviews of Hugh McCormick and Erik Riera.

I really hope that the ACA is not destroyed. So many people needed good care for mental health and substance abuse issues and the ACA finally brought about so many positive changes. A very good article.

Sarah Leonard | Aptos

Reprisals Legal?

Sanctuary reprisals may not be legal, according to Bill Ong Hing, a professor of law at USF and founder of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center: “Ironically, the Republican assault on Obamacare may prove to be the basis that courts use to reject efforts to defund sanctuary cities.” The Supreme Court “struck down one provision of the health reform law that is relevant to whether blocking federal funds to sanctuary cities is legal … Threatening to cut off federal funds to sanctuary cities for not cooperating with federal immigration enforcement runs into the same problem of coercing states to adopt federal regulations as their own.”

I’ve sent this information to our local electeds and gotten some thanks in reply. So let’s hope that our sanctuaries will remain safe, the cities and county not penalized—and let’s have their backs just in case!

Randa Solick | Sanctuary Santa Cruz

Haunted Aptos

Re: “Haunted Santa Cruz” (GT, 10/26): Here is a late tidbit about how the spirits of the past make themselves known:

Mr. and Mrs. Martin Jongeneel were original owners of a small Aptos home built in 1927 where Ma Maison and other restaurants have resided. A newspaper article written in 1948 states in part, “The house, like its mistress, is a gracious place. Here, either singly or by the dozen, Mrs. Jongeneel’s friends drop in for musical evenings, some of her famous soup, or just to absorb a little of her happy spirit.”

When asked if she herself had felt that spirit, Ma Maison owner Janet Le Morvan said, “Sometimes at night when I am closing the restaurant and turning the lights off I feel a presence … I can’t really explain.”

June Smith | Capitola

Online Comments

Re: ‘State of Mind

People who experience mood swings, fear, voices and visions will still be available to each other even if federal insurance fails. The peer-led Client Action Network (mhcan.org) has been a county resource for 20 years. Instead of being 98-percent dependent on federal funding for behavioral health services, let’s continue to diversify our strategies and our income streams.

Thank you for highlighting these important issues.

— Sylvia Caras

Don’t forget the impact on local Marriage and Family Therapists who have a very similar set of skills as Licensed Clinical Social Workers. We can accept Medi-Cal in our private practices and are a crucial part of the new mental health system. I shudder to think of my clients losing their therapist due to repeal of the ACA, and my ability to make a living as a therapist is threatened severely.

— Val Byrne

CORRECTION

The Jan. 25 news story “Designated Drivers” mistakenly reported that San Vicente Road could be an entrance to the Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument. The Bureau of Land Management uses the road, but it’s not being considered for public access.


PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

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


GOOD IDEA

MARCHING GIFT
As congressional leaders show more interest in paying a billion dollars for a wall in the middle of nowhere than protecting women’s health, Santa Cruz activists are springing into action. In response to nationwide Defund Planned Parenthood rallies, supporters of Planned Parenthood are holding a rally of their own. Organizers are asking participants to show up to the wall along New Leaf by Soquel Avenue at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11, wearing pink.


GOOD WORK

HERE’S THE CATCH
All this rain means nothing without some place to put it. The City of Santa Cruz’s reservoir has been full for weeks, and for agencies relying on groundwater, basins can only fill up so fast. That’s why the Scotts Valley Water District used grant funding to install a rain catchment system at the bus station this past fall, and final touches are still being completed. The water is allowed to percolate down into the Santa Margarita Aquifer below.


QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The best thing to hold on to in life is each other.”

-Audrey Hepburn

6 Things To Do In Santa Cruz This Week

 

Green Fix

Celebrating 25 Years of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Birthdays are the best, and this year we have a big one—the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s 25th. Celebrate a quarter-century of conservation, education and recreation with Dan Haifley, former director of Save Our Shores and current director of the O’Neill Sea Odyssey. Haifley will discuss the history of the sanctuary, its relevance today and the importance of conservation in the future.

Info: 10:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8. Porter Memorial Library, 3050 Porter St., Soquel. Free.

 

Art Seen

Contra Cruz

popouts1706-contradance
Contra Cruz at Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Hall

It’s the biggest Vets Hall dance event of the year, and a toe-tapping good time. Celebrate Valentine’s Day weekend with love for the contra dance community with live music, guided dances, decorations and snacks. Contra is a traditional New England style of folk dancing in which each dance is taught and prompted by a caller. They’re high energy, creative, social and playful. No dancing experience necessary and partners are not required.

Info: 2-9 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12. Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Hall, 846 Front St., Santa Cruz. contracruz.org.

$15-$25.

 

Saturday 2/11

Protect Planned Parenthood Gathering

'Stand with PP' Gathering at Downtown Santa Cruz
‘Stand with PP’ Rally at Downtown Santa Cruz

In response to nationwide “Defund Planned Parenthood” rallies that are planned for Saturday, Feb. 11 by the anti-choice group ProtestPP, locals will gather at the Santa Cruz Planned Parenthood location to voice their support for the healthcare provider. Organizers ask participants to wear pink, bring pink signs, “embody the joy of life and affordable health care,” and have fun. Further details can be found online on the Protect Planned Parenthood- Santa Cruz, CA Facebook page.  

Info: 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Soquel Avenue at Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz. Free.

 

Saturday 2/11

Wine 2 Water 4 Africa

The Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center and Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary Club present their fourth annual “Wine 2 Water 4 Africa,” a night of wine tasting, appetizers, African music and dance. A benefit for the Rotary Global Grant for clean water in Lhuhwahwa village of Kasese, Uganda, the event will feature performances by Oumou and Mbor Faye of “Domu Africa,” as well as an auction featuring art by Santa Cruz artists.

Info: 2-5 p.m. Tannery World Dance & Cultural Center, 1060 River St., #111, Santa Cruz. $37-$40.

 

Saturday 2/11

Haunted Santa Cruz

popouts1706-haunted-sc
Haunted Santa Cruz at Scotts Valley Branch Library

Want to find a Valentine’s Day event with a little twist for your sweetie? How about delving into the terrifying haunted history of Santa Cruz’s dark past? Maryanne Porter has stories of paranormal Santa Cruz that involve romance, thwarted or otherwise. She’ll discuss her research into the paranormal with her new book Haunted Santa Cruz, California, which covers centuries of history, including cemetery ghosts and popular haunts such as Brookdale Lodge and Sunshine Villa.

Info: 2 p.m. Scotts Valley Branch Library, 251 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley. fsvpl.org. Free.

 

Sunday 2/12

Pie for the People

Pie for the People at Branciforte Small Schools Campus Multipurpose Room
Pie for the People at Branciforte Small Schools Campus Multipurpose Room

Local families coming together to teach their children about social justice in an action-oriented way and spreading the love of pie? Santa Cruz’s Pie for the People is a seasonal community pie potluck held three to four times a year to benefit grassroots nonprofits. This month, they chose Senderos, a multiservice nonprofit that creates successful pathways for the Latino community of Santa Cruz County through history, dance, music education and more. Senderos youth dancers and musicians will perform. Please bring a sweet or savory pie.

Info: 1-3 p.m. Branciforte Small Schools Campus Multipurpose Room, 840 N. Branciforte Ave., Santa Cruz. pieforthepeople-santacruz.org. $5 donation requested.

 

Sunday 2/12

Together with Love Run/Walk

Together with Love Run/Walk
Together with Love Run/Walk at Lovers’ Point Park

Everybody could probably use a little bit more love after the long year we’ve had—and it’s only February. So get those endorphins pumping, lace up your running shoes and join with community members from the central coast to partake in the annual Together With Love Run/Walk. 10K and 5K races start at 9 a.m. and are open to competitive runners, joggers, and fun-walkers. Funds raised are used to support counseling, crisis intervention services for survivors of sexual assault, and community prevention education programs for children and adults through the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center. Registration required.

Info: 9 a.m. Lovers’ Point Park, 630 Ocean View Boulevard, Pacific Grove. mtryrapecrisis.org. $38-$42.

Are marches and protests effective?

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“If they are big enough and peaceful, they get the message across. ”

Mareike Badstuebner

Santa Cruz
Student

“I think there is a better way to voice your opinion. I think that it’s actually more negative than positive.”

DJ Wright

Santa Cruz
Driver

“Yeah, but it depends on the PR—how it’s presented, the coverage. ”

Jared Hall

Traveler
Tanker Driver

“Peaceful marches and protests are effective. Its when people start causing trouble and destroying people’s property that it’s bad.”

Joe Lynam

Santa Cruz
Unemployed

“Absolutely. It’s a good way to get people united and know that you are not alone in how you feel.”

Donna Bronstein

Santa Cruz
Aquaponics Farmer

Santa Cruz County Music Picks Feb 8—14

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THURSDAY 2/9

ALTERNATIVE ROCK

THE REVIVALISTS

If the Alabama Shakes replaced Brittany Howard with a mid-range white dude, it would sound something like the Revivalists. The seven-piece roots rockers formed in New Orleans in 2007 when lead vocalist David Shaw met guitarist Zack Feinberg on a bike ride. The rest of the lineup features pedal steel guitar, saxophone, bass, drums, keys and trumpet. The band’s latest release, Men Amongst Mountains, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Alternative Albums Chart and caught the attention of Rolling Stone, who hailed the group as “one of the top 10 bands you need to know.” Sharing the bill is another seven-piece, San Francisco’s Con Brio, an upbeat collective with a funky psychedelic-soul sound. KATIE SMALL

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $18/adv, $23/door. 429-4135.

JAZZ

THEO BLECKMANN ELEGY

Roughly speaking, most male jazz singers spring from one of three distinct schools. There are big soul belters who light incense for Donny Hathaway (Greg Porter), bebop-steeped hip cats who worship Mark Murphy (Kurt Elling), and blues-drenched crooners versed in Joe Williams (Kevin Mahogany). And then there’s Theo Bleckmann, the startlingly original German-born vocalist who spent a dozen years performing with ingenious composer and singer Meredith Monk. An accomplished improviser and master of textural subtly, Bleckmann is known for exploring material far outside the American Songbook. He just released a gorgeous program of songs inspired by a near-death experience Elegy (his debut album for ECM), and is touring with largely the same stellar cast of players, including the aptly named Israeli-born pianist Shai Maestro, guitarist Ben Monder, Peruvian-born bassist Jorge Roeder, and drummer John Hollenbeck. ANDREW GILBERT

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

 

FRIDAY 2/10

SKA

ENGLISH BEAT

How is it that the English Beat—a band whose last record was released in 1982—can roll into Santa Cruz every couple of months and sell out whichever venue it plays? It’s a testament to both how vibrant the tightknit community of ska fans is, and also how amazing the group’s songs are. “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Save It For Later,” their cover of “Tears of a Clown”—these tunes never get old. This year, however, English Beat fans will finally get new music from the band for the first time in 35 years, thanks to a recent crowdfunding campaign. AARON CARNES

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

R&B

SEVYN STREETER

On the introduction to her 2015 album, Shoulda Been There Pt. 1, R&B singer-songwriter Sevyn Streeter provides a glimpse into her songwriting style saying, “Honestly, I just write according to how I feel. If I experience it, I write about it.” She promises to let listeners into her life, then delivers bouncy electro-grooves about partying, love, forgiveness and love gone wrong. As she sings on the title track, “I’m going to regret you / I’ma call my ladies / And tell them how you drove me crazy.” CAT JOHNSON

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $18-$65. 423-1338.

MATH ROCK

JOAN OF ARC

The mission statement for Chicago’s Joan of Arc started out as creating music “with no audience.” The initial explanation of this credo sounded familiar: An attempt to go beyond pre-existing genre barriers. Over a dozen albums later, it’s clear that what the group was after was actually to piss off critics and alienate fans—particularly those invested in singer Tim Kinsella’s prior band, emo legends Cap’n Jazz. It is hard to predict just what styles of music will be on a new Joan of Arc album: noise, math, emo, electro-clash, instrumental jams. It’s the group’s snobbish, snickering humor, lackadaisical performances, and excessive noodling that give the whole project a much more, as they say in This is Spinal Tap, selective audience. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $12. 429-6994.

 

FRIDAY 2/10 AND SATURDAY 2/11

BEATLES COVERS

WHITE ALBUM ENSEMBLE UNPLUGGED

As part of its annual Valentine’s Day series, the White Album Ensemble will be playing a full weekend of acoustic Beatles love songs. The group’s song selections will cover the Fab Four’s last seven albums—Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper’s, Magical Mystery Tour, the White Album, Let it Be, and Abbey Road—with an emphasis on “beautiful melodies, acoustic guitars, piano and rich vocal sounds.” KS

INFO: 8 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz. $25/gen, $35/gold. 427-2227.

 

SATURDAY 2/11

OUTLAW COUNTRY/ROOTS

MISS LONELY HEARTS

The Santa Cruz roots music scene is lit right now. We’ve always had great roots bands, but some of our current acts have attracted national and even international attention. Miss Lonely Hearts, a local outlaw country band, was recently nominated for an Ameripolitan Award—as was Santa Cruz’s own Carolyn Sills Combo—and will fly to Austin for the award ceremony on Feb. 15. Before then, however, the band is celebrating in style with a hometown performance along with American punk blues duo Hillstomp and Oakland-based singer-songwriter Willie Tea Taylor. The evening promises to be a rafter-raising, boot-stomping good time. CJ

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

 

TUESDAY 2/14

ALT-COUNTRY

SLIM CESSNA’S AUTO CLUB

Roots music and gothic horror storytelling both swim around in the same southern cultural landscapes, but it’s rare to see these elements combined. That’s what makes Slim Cessna’s Auto Club unique. They comfortably carry the “gothic Americana” label for their adherence to both traditional American roots genres, and a passion for dark, foreboding, apocalyptic imagery. It works surprisingly well, as the group emanates a certain amount of mystery. They aren’t actually Southern (they hail from Denver), and for years, they called oddball punk label Alternative Tentacles their home, which actually makes a lot of sense. AC

INFO: 8:30 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $12/adv, $15/door. 479-1854.


IN THE QUEUE

PAUL BARRÉRE AND FRED TACKETT

Former Little Feat guitarists join forces. Friday at Don Quixote’s

RUSS

Fast-rising hip-hop artist. Monday and Tuesday at Catalyst

CHARMAS

Celtic comedy sing-along. Tuesday at Don Quixote’s

TUCK & PATTI

Love warriors celebrate Valentine’s Day. Tuesday at Kuumbwa

SURFER BLOOD

Indie-rock out of West Palm Beach, Florida. Tuesday at Catalyst

Giveaway: Tickets to Banff Mountain Film Fest

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Now in its 41st year, the Banff Mountain Film Festival has a well-established reputation for inspiring and showcasing the world’s greatest high-adrenaline adventurers and groundbreaking filmmakers. With breathtaking explorations of remote landscapes, profiles of mountain cultures, mind-boggling action sports and more, this year promises to be another unforgettable event. 


INFO: 7 p.m. Feb. 23-26. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $20. 423-8209. WANT TO GO? Go to santacruz.com/giveaways before 11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 20 to find out how you could win four gold circle tickets to the Feb. 23 showing.

Love Your Local Band: Mark Mooney

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Being a rock star was Mark Mooney’s backup plan, or so he says—somewhat cheekily, I might add. For years, he owned a motorcycle dealership, which for him was the dream job. As much as he loved it, he often thought about that backup plan; you know, if things ever got rough.

And then they did. He sold the dealership in 2008 as he was going through a divorce. He released his first album in 2005 (as things were about to crumble), and a second in 2008 (as things were actively falling apart).

Those first two dreamy folk-rock records bring him right back to the pain of divorce, and changed his entire life.

“Everything that I had worked on for my entire life was going sideways. There are songs on both records that go back to that. And the songs are reflective of it,” says Mooney.

Things have been good for Mooney the last few years. He gets to write articles and give lectures in the sports bike industry. Plus, he’s played a lot more music.

His second album, The Beginning of Again, even got a fair amount of press. NPR praised it. And why not? Mooney’s gorgeous songwriting mixed with his surreal singing style—which doesn’t immediately match the music—is intoxicating. His band includes David Roda on percussion and Chris Weinress on bass.

This isn’t his first foray into music. Back in the mid ’70s, Mooney went to L.A. to make it as a musician, and got a lot of positive responses, but didn’t work hard enough to take advantage of opportunities. Now, he’s not wasting any time. He’s currently working on his third record, which should be out sometime in 2017.

“I want to be a singer-songwriter. It does not matter how old you are. Your desires for your life’s journey don’t generally change. I’m coming back to the music gig,” Mooney says. “The new album is going to be good. Now what I’m writing is truly reflective of my life and where I’ve been. I’ve been working on the songs for 10 stinking years.”


INFO: 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $25/adv, $30/door. 335-2800.

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Conflict and Chaos Between the Ages

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Rob Brezsny’s Astrology Feb 15—21

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Film Review: ‘Comedian’

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Well-acted, atmospheric ‘Comedian’ needs more laughs

Opinion February 8, 2017

Plus Letters to the Editor

6 Things To Do In Santa Cruz This Week

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Santa Cruz County Music Picks Feb 8—14

Live music in Santa Cruz County for the week of February 8, 2017

Giveaway: Tickets to Banff Mountain Film Fest

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Win tickets to Banff Mountain Film Festival at the Rio Theatre on Thursday, February 23.

Love Your Local Band: Mark Mooney

Mark Mooney
Mark Mooney plays Friday, Feb. 10 at Don Quixote’s
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