Some people talk about building a wall. (OK, one fool in particular.) The perfect antidote to that mentality is The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. This beguiling and bittersweet documentary chronicles the efforts of the renowned cellist to found a performing group of international musicians from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, whose entire existence is dedicated to both cultural diversity and common humanity. Filmmaker Morgan Neville won an Oscar for the fabulous 20 Feet From Stardom, giving back-up singers—the unsung heroines of rock ’n’ roll—their well-deserved moment in the spotlight. He knows a great music doc needs to feature not only wonderful music, but also dynamic personalities to perform it, and The Music of Strangers is incredibly rich in both. In 2000, Yo-Yo Ma got the idea to search the world for masters of traditional instruments for a workshop and performance he wanted to stage at the prestigious Tanglewood Music Festival in Massachusetts. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and raised in the U.S., Ma embodies the spirit of internationalism. His idea was to follow the ancient “Silk Road” trade route, from Venice to China, scouring the world for master musicians. And what an ensemble he came up with, fascinating in the ways their various instruments, and their playing, as well as their diverse personalities, mesh. Music is the defining element in all their lives, and none has been unscathed by political upheavals. Kinan Azmeh, a clarinetist from Damascus, brings dozens of wooden flutes to children in Syrian refugee camps. Wu Man survived Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China by her skill on a lute-shaped string instrument called the pipa. Iranian Kayhan Kalhor is master of another traditional stringed instrument, the kamancheh. When “the revolution” (he says, derisively) hit Iran, he had to leave the country, on foot, with only a backpack and his kamancheh. A rootless loner for years, making his living from an instrument no one outside of Iran had ever heard of, he was able to go home in 2009, where he unexpectedly fell in love and married. But, unable to stomach the government’s repressive policies, he left again. Now he and his wife carry on their ardent relationship via Skype. Then, there’s earthy and raucous Spaniard Cristina Pato, who plays—bagpipes. If, like me, you thought that instrument was exclusive to Scotland, think again. “If you are from Galicia,” she laughs, “you have the choice to either play soccer, or play the bagpipes!” And she plays them like no one else—swaying her hips, stamping her feet, half-singing around the mouthpiece, coaxing out exotic, hypnotic melodies. Fun flashback footage shows her as a young woman with green hair playing the pipes in a rock combo. After Tanglewood, the players were looking for an excuse to keep up the ensemble, beyond the fact that it was just so much fun playing together. One year later, 9/11 happened. In a world turned instantly xenophobic, Yo-Yo decided it was more important than ever to maintain and promote the cooperative spirit of the ensemble. “My father doesn’t think of himself as a cellist,” says his son, Nicholas. “He wants to change the world; he just happens to have a cello in his hand.” Six albums and several globe-trotting performances later, the Silk Road Ensemble continues. Insightful commentary is provided by the musicians themselves, other musical observers, and various composers who have written for the ensemble. “We don’t all necessarily speak perfect English,” says Chinese composer Tan Dun. “But we all speak perfect music.” And the musical performances are mostly thrilling, whether on a concert stage, or in an open courtyard in Venice, or around a dinner table, where the musicians start exuberantly chiming their wine glasses. These folks understand that music can’t “stop a bullet,” or “feed the starving.” And some critics complain they are “diluting” cultural music traditions by blending them in the ensemble. But the film demonstrates how the ensemble helps its members keep their individual musical identities alive, while challenging the fear of the “other” so prevalent in today’s world.
THE MUSIC OF STRANGERS: YO-YO MA AND THE SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE (***1/2) out of four With Yo-Yo Ma. Directed by Morgan Neville. An Orchard release. Rated PG-13. 96 minutes.
We are in the month and sign of Cancer. Looking around our world, we might see images that pertain to Cancer; crab, scarab, tortoise, gates, waters, mother with child, angels (the Cherubim who protect mothers and children). There are always three levels to everything in our world: personality, Soul and Spirit. On the personality-building level, Cancer is about mother, birth, family, nurturing and nourishment of all life. On the Soul level, Cancer is about developing the mind (lower and higher) and intelligently working in harmony and Right Relations with all Earth’s kingdoms (mineral, plant, animal, human). These are the foundations upon which the new culture and civilization, the Aquarian new world, is created. Because Cancer is the sign of humanity (the masses, ruled by the moon) and the sign where Spirit (new ideas) enters matter (the “gate in”), during the month of Cancer we ponder upon world events as they affect the people of the Earth. We also prepare for the coming seasons, autumn and winter. With Sun, Moon Mercury and Venus in Cancer, we find we are imitating the crab. We’re in and out of water. We retreat into the salty brine, but cannot survive there. We’re deeply sensitive, feeling intensely the world’s psychic currents. Unconsciously, we seek our mother’s womb (collective waters of life). Yet greater is the urge to cultivate our personal, individual self. We hear ourselves saying repeatedly, “I want, I need,” feelinghunger on many levels. We swim, glide and dance, part of the Family of Man (Sanskrit for the “thinking ones”). The moon rules us (at first). Then Neptune, with his trident.
ARIES: The sign Cancer focuses Aries on home and family—past, present and future. You are to build a lighted house wherever you live. A spiritually oriented house filled with light and love, creating a new environment. Assume kitchen duties, nurturing others through food. Aries works fast in the kitchen or interest and energy are lost. Don’t give up. Make contact with family far away. Build, tend to or fix a gate. TAURUS: You have family memories, especially of mother. Memories help us better understand and appreciate our origins. Although still influenced by childhood patterns (we all are), a new sense of self-liberation is also occurring. You may find yourself in a car driving somewhere far away, seeking a new natural and balanced way of life. Keep driving. GEMINI: Are you pondering upon finances? New ideas appear on how to use resources wisely and for a future goal. Create an imagination journal. Write down that each day you receive $1,000. That’s $31,000 per month. Each day you must spend $500. What would you spend it on? It’s always good, with money, to tithe first. With so much suffering in the world today, where would you tithe? CANCER: Cancer always seeks to expand self-identity. What would expand your self-awareness, self-identity and self-esteem? Do you need new clothes, shoes, a new style? Does daily life need plans reorganized, initiating a new phase of life? When environments are ordered a new fertile field appears, and Spirit enters matter more easily. During this month a gate opens. Plant happy flowers. Happy Birthday. LEO: You may have been in a sort of solitude. Gradually you realize your need for closer contacts, communication and love in your life. A seed is being planted concerning goodwill toward others, something that’s in your heart but not always in your actions. Sometimes you’re shy. Allow yourself a little phase of moodiness and non-discipline. Then be willing to activate love/wisdom. VIRGO: Have new ideas been impressing your mind with new possibilities? Remember to balance your mind’s activity with physical activity. After daily walks looking at gardens, consider a change of appearance—clothes, hair, shoes. Inner and outer apparel. Find the finest, best-made and most comfortable. This is a part of your new, well-dressed creative self. LIBRA: There’s so much to do behind the scenes. Each day, accomplish one task at a time. Eventually everything will be completed, and you will feel the pride of accomplishment. You’re so busy that travel may be an unavailable luxury. However, should you take to the road, share information—take photos, write about what you see, experience, discover, like, don’t like. Include parks, people, architecture and foods you eat. Everyone’s interested. You’re interesting. SCORPIO: Deep within, where no one really sees or understands, you have a perennial question. You wonder where and what your purpose and place are. As you observe others, they seem to know something you don’t (not true). Is there someone in your life who listens deeply? Now is the time to speak with them. It’s a good time to take short trips, absorbing new ideas, towns, people and cities. Instead of you finding the answer, what you are seeking finds you. SAGITTARIUS: Careful with spending, as you could assume a large debt or overspend very easily. On the other hand, you may finally begin to be more practical concerning how to use money and resources. When you do so, a lifetime-after-lifetime lesson will have been learned. Know at first we stumble and simply overdo things. Then we finally learn how to balance and harmonize all that we have. You’re in between. CAPRICORN: Do you feel a desire to travel, to expand, to study and learn new things? Your life’s focus is on those close to you. They are your responsibility. And Capricorns are the zodiac’s responsible ones. It’s most important now to offer greater nurturance, kindness and care through practical discipline. Discipline can be given calmly, words spoken over and over. Discipline nurtures. Sometimes others don’t know how to nurture. Well, then, you’re to teach them. One more task toward freedom. AQUARIUS: Your life is most likely very unusual, with a unique sort of reality and different ways of doing things. You’ve taken the road less traveled, which is courageous to some, but for you, your only choice. While freedom is your priority, friendships offer significant meaning to your life. They’re your resource, and when giving to them, you’re nurtured. It’s good to know and recognize this. Goodness sheds your Aquarian values all over everyone. PISCES: Ask yourself what plans make the most sense concerning your future care and safety. You will experience new revelations concerning your self -identity and as new needs arise, new realizations concerning how you live will become relevant. In the meantime, you need a daily environment that includes balance and beauty. Create a home journal, and place in it photos of all that you love. Include a garden surrounding a warm natural pool. Surround all your hopes, wishes and dreams with Goodwill.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Events in the coming week may trick your mind and tweak your heart. They might mess with your messiah complex and wreak havoc on your habits. But I bet they will also energize your muses and add melodic magic to your mysteries. They will slow you down in such a way as to speed up your evolution, and spin you in circles with such lyrical grace that you may become delightfully clear-headed. Will you howl and moan? Probably, but more likely out of poignant joy, not from angst and anguish. Might you be knocked off course? Perhaps, but by a good influence, not a bad one. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In the book A Survival Guide to the Stress of Organizational Change, the authors tell you how to raise your stress levels. Assume that others are responsible for lowering your stress levels, they say. Resolve not to change anything about yourself. Hold on to everything in your life that’s expendable. Fear the future. Get embroiled in trivial battles. Try to win new games as you play by old rules. Luckily, the authors also offer suggestions on how to reduce your stress. Get good sleep, they advise. Exercise regularly. Don’t drink too much caffeine. Feel lots of gratitude. Clearly define a few strong personal goals, and let go of lesser wishes. Practice forgiveness and optimism. Talk to yourself with kindness. Got all that, Taurus? It’s an excellent place to start as you formulate your strategy for the second half of 2016. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Normally I’m skeptical about miraculous elixirs and sudden cures and stupendous breakthroughs. I avoid fantasizing about a “silver bullet” that can simply and rapidly repair an entrenched problem. But I’m setting aside my caution as I evaluate your prospects for the coming months. While I don’t believe that a sweeping transformation is guaranteed, I suspect it’s far more likely than usual. I suggest you open your mind to it. CANCER (June 21-July 22): As I gaze into my crystal ball and invoke a vision of your near future, I find you communing with elemental energies that are almost beyond your power to control. But I’m not worried, because I also see that the spirit of fun is keeping you safe and protected. Your playful strength is fully unfurled, ensuring that love always trumps chaos. This is a dream come true: You have a joyous confidence as you explore and experiment with the Great Unknown, trusting in your fluidic intuition to guide you. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “You can only go halfway into the darkest forest,” says a Chinese proverb. “Then you are coming out the other side.” You will soon reach that midpoint, Leo. You may not recognize how far you have already come, so it’s a good thing I’m here to give you a heads-up. Keep the faith! Now here’s another clue: As you have wandered through the dark forest, you’ve been learning practical lessons that will come in handy during the phase of your journey that will begin after your birthday. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): My devoted contingent of private detectives, intelligence agents, and psychic sleuths is constantly wandering the globe gathering data for me to use in creating your horoscopes. In recent days, they have reported that many of you Virgos are seeking expansive visions and mulling long-term decisions. Your tribe seems unusually relaxed about the future, and is eager to be emancipated from shrunken possibilities. Crucial in this wonderful development has been an inclination to stop obsessing on small details and avoid being distracted by transitory concerns. Hallelujah! Keep up the good work. Think big! Bigger! Biggest! LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): After years of painstaking research, the psychic surgeons at the Beauty and Truth Lab have finally perfected the art and science of Zodiac Makeovers. Using a patented technique known as Mythic Gene Engineering, they are able to transplant the planets of your horoscope into different signs and astrological houses from the ones you were born with. Let’s say your natal Jupiter suffers from an uncongenial aspect with your Moon. The psychic surgeons cut and splice according to your specifications, enabling you to be recoded with the destiny you desire. Unfortunately, the cost of this pioneering technology is still prohibitive for most people. But here’s the good news, Libra: In the coming months, you will have an unprecedented power to reconfigure your life’s path using other, less expensive, purely natural means. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In high school I was a good athlete with a promising future as a baseball player. But my aspirations were aborted in sophomore year when the coach banished me from the team. My haircut and wardrobe were too weird, he said. I may have been a skillful shortstop, but my edgy politics made him nervous and mad. At the time I was devastated by his expulsion. Playing baseball was my passion. But in retrospect I was grateful. The coach effectively ended my career as a jock, steering me toward my true callings: poetry and music and astrology. I invite you to identify a comparable twist in your own destiny, Scorpio. What unexpected blessings came your way through a seeming adversary? The time is ripe to lift those blessings to the next level. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Do you remember that turning point when you came to a fork in the road of your destiny at a moment when your personal power wasn’t strong? And do you recall how you couldn’t muster the potency to make the most courageous choice, but instead headed in the direction that seemed easier? Well, here’s some intriguing news: Your journey has delivered you, via a convoluted route, to a place not too far from that original fork in the road. It’s possible you could return there and revisit the options—which are now more mature and meaningful—with greater authority. Trust your exuberance. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I love writing horoscopes for you. Your interest in my insights spurs my creativity and makes me smarter. As I search for the inspiration you need next, I have to continually reinvent my approach to finding the truth. The theories I had about your destiny last month may not be applicable this month. My devotion to following your ever-shifting story keeps me enjoyably off-balance, propelling me free of habit and predictability. I’m grateful for your influence on me! Now I suggest that you compose a few thank-you notes similar to the one I’ve written here. Address them to the people in your life who move you and feed you and transform you the best. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): After an Illinois man’s wife whacked him in the neck with a hatchet, he didn’t hold a grudge. Just the opposite. Speaking from a hospital room while recovering from his life-threatening wound, Thomas Deas testified that he still loved his attacker, and hoped they could reconcile. Is this admirable or pathetic? I’ll go with pathetic. Forgiving one’s allies and loved ones for their mistakes is wise, but allowing and enabling their maliciousness and abuse should be taboo. Keep that standard in mind during the coming weeks, Aquarius. People close to you may engage in behavior that lacks full integrity. Be compassionate but tough-minded in your response. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Can water run uphill? Not usually. But there’s an eccentric magic circulating in your vicinity, and it could generate phenomena that are comparable to water running uphill. I wouldn’t be surprised, either, to see the equivalent of stars coming out in the daytime. Or a mountain moving out of your way. Or the trees whispering an oracle exactly when you need it. Be alert for anomalous blessings, Pisces. They may be so different from what you think is possible that they could be hard to recognize.
Homework: Imagine that thanks to scientific breakthroughs and good luck, you’re alive in 2096. What’s your life like? freewillastrology.com.
“You see a lot of the same ideas introduced in Sacramento and Washington,” says Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), speaking on parallel gun-control efforts ongoing in California and Congress—efforts that are in the spotlight following the Orlando mass-shooting on June 12. The big difference? In California, the state legislature actually passes a pretty regular raft of gun-control bills that have teeth to them, and Gov. Jerry Brown even signs some of them, as he did on July 1. The state has some of the toughest gun laws in the country and has enacted limits on, for example, the magazine capacities of assault-style weapons that include the AR-15, a version of which was used in the Orlando massacre. California has extensive background-check procedures, while Congress won’t move to close a loophole in gun shows that undermines the background check. Congressional Democrats took to the floor last week, conducting a sit-in protest of legislative inaction on gun control, led by Georgia Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis. Rep. Sam Farr (D-Carmel) took part in the protest along with more than 150 other House Democrats, plus a few colleagues from the Senate, who even brought their comrades some “munchies” to snack on, Farr tells GT. Farr, who represents Santa Cruz, says he was at the 25-hour protest until about 4 a.m. before deciding he should try to get some sleep. While on the floor, Farr spoke proudly about California’s laws banning the sale of assault weapons and limiting the number of ammunition rounds in a magazine—and called on other states to do the same. Shortly after, Gov. Brown signed new gun bills, further restricting magazine rounds and requiring background checks to buy ammunition statewide. California may have tough gun laws, but its border with other states is even more porous than its border with Mexico, which makes it difficult to cut off the flow of illegal weapons. “In Sacramento, they can actually move forward on these bills,” says Huffman, “but the problem is they don’t have much effect if there’s no federal law.” And where Congress has notoriously refused to fund a study on the negative health impacts of gun violence on society (the Center for Disease Control hasn’t done a comprehensive study in two decades), California has drafted a state bill that would do just that. “We’re working from the same playbook,” says Huffman of gun-control efforts in California and Congress. “We’d like to see certain military-style assault weapons banned, high-capacity ammunition systems banned. We’d like to see far better safeguards and background checks. We’d like to see safety systems, locking systems, biometrics—that’s why you see similar ideas being introduced in the two bodies. The difference is, in one place they go there to die.” After a heartrending filibuster led by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, designed to push Senate Republicans to a vote on gun control, Huffman last week co-signed a bill that aims to patch a hole in the nation’s effort to protect itself from attacks committed under the flag of terror, if not ISIS itself. Under the bill, no one on a terrorist-watch list will be able to buy a gun without the FBI getting a notification. The Senate shot down a similar bill, along with three others, and refused to vote on the House version—part of what prompted the sit-in, which was broadcast on Facebook and Periscope. Huffman defends the bill, often called “No Fly, No Buy” as being limited, and necessary. “We’re only talking about a notification process,” he says, “and I don’t think that’s a huge intrusion into due process or privacy. I don’t have a problem [with notification] for someone who is investigated for terrorist ties if they go out and buy an AR-15.” Of course, perfectly innocent people have, at times, ended up on those lists when their only transgression is having the same name as a bad guy. And although Huffman concedes it’s often easier to get on a list than to get off one, there is an appeal process. It seems that every time there’s a mass shooting, the battle over gun control takes a predictable arc that sees the issue become bogged down in semantic details, like proper ways to describe the weapon. Even as a gun owner who supports the Second Amendment, Huffman says he has “fallen into that trap” and been attacked by gundamentalists for skewing the difference, for example, between a clip and a magazine. Northern California gun owner Keith Rhinehart says he knows how, in the aftermath of mass-casualty shootings, the fixation with nomenclature tends to obscure realities. “Most NRA members, like myself, are pretty sane, normal people who don’t believe you should be able to go to a gun show, buy a gun and walk out,” says Rhinehart, who finished third in the District 1 Sonoma County Supervisor race. Rhinehart supports closing the gun-show loophole and in “cooling off” periods for someone who wants to buy a weapon. “I honestly can’t figure out why they are so militant about no restrictions on firearms, or on waiting lists, or on people who are on the terror lists,” he says. “Most of the NRA members, like myself, do believe that these restrictions should be in place. The image problem of the NRA has more to do with the leadership than the membership.” Robert Edmonds is a Sonoma County gun owner and an anarchist—a philosophy that is, for him, creative, community-based and noncoercive. Edmonds owns several guns and was raised in a house where his father once threw away a toy revolver because he pointed it at someone. “That was imprinted in me,” says Edmonds. “You never point a gun at anyone, even a toy gun.” Edmonds says he hasn’t fired any of his weapons in over a year and a half, and that was just plinking at pie tins. He has also given some thought to the obsession over proper nomenclature. “If you have a steadfast position, you develop your body of research and wind up with ultra-refined arguments that support your case,” he says. “That becomes a justification to throw out all reasonable arguments if someone is inaccurate.” Huffman and Farr both stress that no one in Congress wants to discuss taking draconian steps, like repealing the Second Amendment. “We’re willing to go down with this ship,” Farr says. “But in our case, we feel like we’re going to launch this ship into a better place with reasonable gun legislation. And all we’re doing is setting limits. We’re not taking people’s guns away. We’re not wiping out. We’re not repealing. We have a lot of gun owners who are tweeting us who support us.”
There’s a country and Americana music scene in Texas that’s big enough to keep artists touring year-round without ever leaving the state. Folk Family Revival grew out of this rich musical environment, and its members embrace the Texas sound wholeheartedly. But they also add a heaping dose of rock ’n’ roll—which has the country music puristssomewhat skeptical. “Every festival you go to that’s not in Austin has these same Texas country names,” says frontman Mason Lankford. “If you don’t sound like that, people say, ‘Oh, these guys are different. They sound like something you’d hear in California.’ Then you go to California and people say, ‘Oh, that’s got a Texas flavor to it.’” The members of Folk Family Revival—Mason, his brothers Barrett and Lincoln, and their family friend Caleb Pace—aren’t too concerned with what people call their country/roots/psychedelic/folk/rock music. They tour the West Coast regularly and understand that they aren’t an easy fit for the Texas country scene. One listen to the band, however, and you can hear the rough-around-the-edges perspective that makes the Texas sound a favorite of roots fans. The latest Folk Family Revival album, Water Walker, showcases its different dimensions. It kicks off with “If It Don’t Kill You,” a rocking tune about surviving love, which is followed by “Sunshine,” a sweet song full of vulnerability and self-reflection. Then comes “I Drew a Line,” which circles back to outlaw-style country and has the memorable line, “My mama used to tell me, ‘Don’t do drugs unless you do ’em with your friends.’” Growing up, the Lankford brothers picked up music early. Their dad played bass and always had a few instruments lying around. By the time Mason was 12, he was in his first group and performing in local coffee shops. The music the brothers played in their younger years was “More what people wanted to hear than what [we] wanted to play,” says Lankford, but the experience served as a foundation to grow from. “It wasn’t really what we enjoyed, but it was what we did for where we were at the time,” says Lankford. “Now, we’ve got a record collection that fills up a room pretty good. It’s full of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Doors, the Band. That’s what we shape our sound like. We use a lot of vintage gear and old techniques.” At the heart of Folk Family Revival is family—and the definition goes beyond blood relations for these guys. The band is rooted in a growing community of people that includes other musicians, fans, artists, and friends. Mom and pop Lankford’s house is a bustling place where people come to play music, sleep on the couch, hang out with new and old friends, eat, and connect. The house is homebase for the ever-expanding family. “Sometimes people come up and say, ‘I was going through a hard time and you really helped me with that song,’” says Lankford. “We’ll say, ‘Hey, you need to give me your number and come to the house. You’re one of the dudes that we want to hang out with.” He adds, “We bring in people that strengthen the family.” This spirit of openness and collaboration extends to the music, as well. The members make a point of trying new ideas and changing songs up to keep things fresh. It’s an improvisational approach that doesn’t always work out, but they don’t dwell on that. “There are plenty of messups,” says Lankford, “But you just laugh it off and find a way to play with the crowd. There’s no point in getting hung up on it, you just make sure the next song goes off without a hitch.” In the end, the organic approach to making music aligns nicely with with the band’s approach to friendship, life and family. “We’ve learned a lot about love and acceptance and those kind of things,” says Lankford. “In life, hopefully everybody’s searching for some kind of betterment and trying to make themselves a better person. The family has helped so much with that.”
INFO: 7:30 p.m., Monday, July 11. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. 335-2800. $10.
Burning Man was made for Keith Muscutt, so perfectly in synch are the missions of the annual desert potlatch and the arts-and-tech conceptualist. Growing up with one foot in academia and the other on the Gonzo trail, Muscutt is arguably a latter-day Indiana Jones. For the past two decades he has led expeditions into the Andes, exploring and discovering lost pre-Columbian ruins, he pioneered pop-up performance events in the ’70s, and for the past nine years has been an active participant in Burning Man installations. For the 2016 installment of Burning Man, Muscutt and his 2-Lanterns Camp collaborators have come up with something both environmentally and artistically provocative. Riffing on Ant Farm’s celebrated Cadillac Ranch installation of 10 gorgeous gas-guzzlers half-buried on Route 66 (Ant Farm founder Chip Lord was a colleague of Muscutt’s at UCSC), Muscutt has planned nothing less than an homage involving virtual electric cars rising up out of the searing desert floor. “I’ve always had this idea kicking around,” admits the tanned, silver-haired conceptual artist, “of the globe with a car inserted on one side and exiting on the other.”
“We were sitting around talking and I mentioned this whimsical idea of mine. They loved car culture, and had been involved in automotive design.” — Keith Muscutt
That idée fixe led to the current project, a whimsical response to Cadillac Ranch. “People have done various riffs on that installation, and I thought, ‘well, this is the place to do it,’” says Muscutt. Given that the idea of finding 10 Cadillacs of that vintage was “a bit of a stretch,” he grins, “we had to come up with something else.” Electric Renaissance is the name of the project, which when launched will not only form a visual homage to the iconic automotive burial, but will also allow Burning Man participants to sit inside fabricated Tesla-inspired electric vehicles, offering interactivity as well as a witty echo of the now-historic automotive installation. A U.K. native, Muscutt came to Santa Cruz after his Master of Fine Arts work in dramatic arts at UC Davis. When his exchange-program visa ran out, he traveled in Latin America, worked in England and Canada, and came out to UCSC to help set up their fledgling film and electronic music facilities in the late ’70s. He also managed to concoct proto-hippie art happenings and inflatables, complete with sound and light show design, in his psychedelically saturated spare time. Between electronic art design and archaeological treks, Muscutt held down a day job as UCSC Assistant Dean of the Arts until his retirement in 2007. That year marked his first journey to Burning Man. Two years ago Muscutt’s Burning Man team, largely tech directors from UCSC, met up with a group of architects and engineers from Aachen, Germany. “They knew all about Chip and Cadillac Ranch,” Muscutt says of his new German colleagues. “We were sitting around talking and I mentioned this whimsical idea of mine. They loved car culture, and had been involved in automotive design.” His eyes light up. “At first they suggested burying 10 Priuses.” Then it just morphed into using the Tesla trope. Admitting that “it doesn’t make sense to do a half-million-dollar project for just one week,” Muscutt and Co. are planning a long term version of the Electric Renaissance as a permanent installation. “The time to do it is 2024, the 50th anniversary of Cadillac Ranch. Imagine 10 virtual Teslas on I-80, the route from Silicon Valley to New York.” And in the “be careful what you wish for” category, last October Muscutt submitted a letter of intent to the Burning Man Arts group, which promotes, funds and manages art projects at the celebrated desert gathering. “We got a grant from them in February—Burning Man Arts has been fabulous,” he contends. “It’s the most artist-friendly group I’ve ever seen.” But now the rest of the funds have to be raised—for materials, to fabricate, transport, and site-install the homage to Cadillac Ranch. “Come hell or high water we’re going to make it happen.” The actual fabrication will take place in the Santa Cruz Makerspace in the old Wrigley building. Idea Fab Labs, part of the maker movement, will be fabricating the assembled prototypes—all cut by computer. “And then we’ll burn it!” he adds, with relish. This year marks Muscutt’s ninth year of participation in Burning Man, which he describes as “the best of the Summer of Love, all over again—with intellectual integrity.” Once this project is completed, Muscutt’s lifelong restlessness will doubtless re-emerge. “Whatever happens, next summer I will for sure be back in Peru,” he says with the serious playfulness that seems to inflect every project he touches. “I’ve always said I wanted to do everything—once.” _______________________________ Find Electric Renaissance on Facebook, and their crowd-funding campaign on indiegogo.com.
Schools of silver fish swim along the ceiling of the glamorous new Splash, echoing the silver glints of sun reflecting on the water outside. The long-awaited brainchild of Germaine Akin (owner of Red and 515) and Martin Drobac, opened softly last weekend to spectacular views of surfers, swimmers, and sailboats—and even the water below the wharf, thanks to embedded glass “viewpoints” in the restaurant’s floor. Two bars—a third if you count the oyster bar—greet patrons, the front bar lined with aquamarine lava lamps, the back featuring, yes, a rotating floor, which means that everyone sitting at this showcase circular bar has a view of the ocean. Akin left no detail unattended in appointing her latest restaurant. Serpentine banquettes curve deeply enough to mimic private booths, smartly upholstered in hypnotic abstract patterns. A long table welcomes large parties in the center of the dining room, next to a hemispherical booth big enough to hold eight. With Martin’s brother Peter Drobac greeting the invited group of guests last week, the soft opening went brilliantly. And gorgeous cocktails (we’d expect no less from the mixology standards set by the 515 and Red) were the rule. We started with a fine Caesar salad and munched on warm beer-battered artichokes. Fab with house tarragon ranch dressing. The fried chokes arrived in a yellow enamel, napkin-lined colander. Katya’s entree of New York steak was done exactly as requested, and arrived with scalloped potatoes and pencil-thin steamed asparagus. My lobster mac and cheese involved gooey, delicious orecchiette pasta oozing with Gouda, Swiss and Parmesan cheeses embedded with fat chunks of moist tender lobster. The menu, so far, sticks to updated seafood house classics. The views of the water are unsurpassed, but there are so many sweet details at Splash, from aquatic murals on the ceiling to sleek recycled wood on floors and lots of other chic touches. Dreamy and exciting all at once. And, thanks to the digital ocean projections after dark in the lounge area, Splash is bound to make an after-hour ripple. On our way out, we took a moment to gawk at the bronze fountain of decoratively interlocking octopuses, by UCSC foundry star Sean Monaghan. All in all, we liked what we saw and tasted. Splash was worth the wait. Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, open daily 11 a.m.-10 p.m. 466-9766.
Inspired Surf Food Stop
From the restless culinary genius of Fran—The Truck Stop—Grayson, comes an idea that was way overdue in the West Cliff Drive neighborhood. Now there’s a place to sit, grab some super delicious power food and drink, and check out the waves at the same time. It’s Steamer Lane Supply, designed and built by the super-clever Grayson. Those inviting aqua chairs out front are your invitation to scarf down a serious quesadilla or poke bowl with fruit drink, and refuel after a morning on the waves. Even if you’re just walking from the wharf over to Lighthouse Point, you’re sure to spot this low-key cafe right next to the shower and parking lot. From Tuesday through Sunday, from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. (expanded hours coming soon), the sleek little kitchen, counter and outdoor seating offers freshly made easy-to-eat items, plus the killer orange “S” logo is visible from a mile away. If you’ve ever fallen in love with Grayson’s Truck Stop-enlightened fresh fish tacos, you’ll be mad for Steamer Lane Supply. It does just what it says. Inspired street food is now inspired surf food. Come by and hang out.
Wine of the Week
The bold Tannat-Merlot-Zinfandel blend from Uruguay’s Artesana (available at Soif), offers the tannic glamor of Uruguay’s top red grape, softened brilliantly by Merlot and Zinfandel. Both graceful and yet robust, this supple beauty is capable of partnering pasta and barbecue with style. Try the 2013, at Soif, priced in the low 20s.
Lighthouse Field, the 38-acre coastal meadow on West Cliff Drive, is one of several wooded places in the city where the homeless sleep at night. In a way, the field is a perfect respite. Low-slung cypresses and pines create private nooks, where people can hide from the trails. There’s less foot traffic than there is downtown, so anyone sleeping there is unlikely to be woken at night. The field, a state park, also has fewer patrols than it used to. The California Department of Parks and Recreation reluctantly bought the field in 1981 after a failed development project, and as part of the deal, the city began managing the park, with financial help from the county. In 2007, the deal expired and the city and county decided the $200,000 annual maintenance cost was too high. Management of the field fell to the cash-strapped state parks system. A walk around the field’s eastern half reveals at least six makeshift latrines under the trees, littered with used toilet paper, feminine pads and human waste. Needles, spoons and other evidence of drug use are also regularly found by maintenance crews. Former city councilmember Mike Rotkin lives next to the field, and says every night someone sleeps in a car on his street. Around sunset, when the rangers close the field’s parking lots, he sees people with packs and sleeping bags walk through his neighborhood toward the field. “The average numbers are probably around 15 to 20 people,” Rotkin says. “And it ranges from a person who plops down a sleeping bag to people who drag mattresses and trash and camp stoves and bicycle parts and all that kind of stuff.”
What Lighthouse Field Means to Santa Cruz
In 1972, plans were approved for a high-rise hotel, convention center, shopping mall and condominium complex in Lighthouse Field. A group of concerned residents quickly formed the Save Lighthouse Point Association, which began meeting in living rooms to figure out how to stop the behemoth project. They hired Gary Patton, then a young environmental lawyer, who realized that nobody except the city council, developers and business leaders, wanted construction. LIGHT SOURCE The Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse, which now houses the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, was built in 1967, and is now one of Santa Cruz’s most iconic buildings. “Most people thought it was a horrible idea, but they didn’t know there was any way to stop it,” Patton says. He wrote a 1974 ballot measure—the first initiative to go on the ballot since the city’s 1948 charter—that passed decisively, eliminating any city funding of the proposed development. Around the same time, the newly formed California Coastal Commission rejected the project, another nail in the coffin. Patton, who became a county supervisor in 1975 and served two decades, says the Lighthouse Field victory completely changed local politics. At the time, the county was the fastest-growing in the state and the fifth fastest-growing in the nation. There were plans for a freeway through the city’s center and for high rises for the entire Eastside. The county’s goal was to have a population of half a million by the year 2000, which of course, was never realized. Before the movement, Patton says, “Nobody believed that the people could actually be in charge of the government. In other words, the elected officials—really, it’s not unlike what’s going on in the national campaign right now—the official elected representatives really didn’t represent the people. They represented the people who had money—the business community and the developers.” Local politicians were known for being pro-growth and pro-development, until Patton won his board of supervisors race in 1974. “What happened right then is that the public woke up that we were headed to be like Silicon Valley and nobody here wanted that,” Patton says. “And there was something we could do about that. We could change local politics.”
“What happened right then is that the public woke up that we were headed to be like Silicon Valley and nobody here wanted that. And there was something we could do about that. We could change local politics.” — Gary Patton
Other prominent local politicians came out of the movement: Katherine Beiers, Bert Muhly, Sally DiGirolamo and Carole De Palma, members of the Save Lighthouse Point Association, joined city council. Andy Schiffrin, another association member, became Patton’s administrative analyst. John Laird, also a member, joined city council in 1981 and later became a state assemblyman. “Everybody who had sort of assumed there was nothing that could be done, decided, wait, maybe if we got involved in local politics, we could change the way things are happening,” Patton says. “So that was what was so significant. It galvanized approximately 20 years of very intense political involvement.” Today, Lighthouse Field is one of California’s last remaining coastal headlands in an urban area. It has a protected area for migrating monarch butterflies, which nest in clusters on eucalyptus trees at the field’s northern edge. A historic red brick lighthouse overlooks Steamer Lane, a world-class surf break, at the field’s southern edge. Dog walkers, families, tourists and others hike its network of trails, and in June, Steamer Lane Supply, a sandwich and ice cream shop, opened in the field’s existing building. Since the 1980s, plans for sports fields and other facilities in Lighthouse Field have been presented, but each idea failed. “It’s fair to say that the natural park, while it takes some maintenance, takes less than if it were not,” Patton says. “There was an overwhelming public sentiment to keep it natural. I hear it from people all the time who remember that I had something to do with it, and they always say, ‘Thank god you saved Lighthouse Field just natural.’”
A New Deal?
But can it be saved now? Every so often, rangers sweep for illegal campers, as they did in early June, with off-hour patrols. The first morning, they found 15 homeless people, directing them to services and issuing citations. By the week’s end, they found only one or two, as word of the patrols spread, according to Bill Wolcott, state parks public safety superintendent. Many of those displaced went to Seabright State Beach. The patrols required extra funding and were meant to be short-lived, according to state parks staff. When the patrols stop, the homeless will most likely return.
“I’m a firm believer in local government and local control. And when the city and the county were providing the resource in managing the park, they were never very far from the people, and when you have issues, people address them.” — John Laird
State parks crews are ill-equipped to deal with waste left by illegal campers, with a six-person crew maintaining not just Lighthouse Field and the neighboring Its Beach, but also Wilder Ranch State Park, Natural Bridges State Beach and the Santa Cruz Mission. Five years ago, that crew was twice as large. Santa Cruz resident John Laird is now California’s secretary for natural resources and oversees the California Department of Parks and Recreation. He says the agency doesn’t have the resources that the city and county had when they were in charge. “In other places, there were long-established relationships in management, and this was thrown into the state budget in its 31st year of operation as a park,” Laird says. “And it probably has not gotten the attention financially from the state that it should have once the city and the county stepped away.” When the Lighthouse Field deal expired in 2007, Laird was a state assemblymember. He brokered a deal that would have allowed the city to buy the field for $1.3 million, but the city balked, believing it would have to pay another $1 or $2 million for an environmental review, says Laird. “I did the most impossible thing you can imagine,” Laird says. “I got language into the state budget that allowed for the state to sell the state park to the city. I can’t tell you how hard that was.” It’s only happened one other time in history, he says. Since it’s written in law, a deal is still possible if the city ever wanted to step forward. Likely, part of the reason the city was wary of a deal in 2007 was that in 2003, the city was sued by opponents of off-leash dog hours at Its Beach. The city lost, and was directed to conduct an environmental study to continue off-leash hours. The city declined, and began issuing citations for off-leash dogs. The field was better managed by the city, says Laird. “I’m a firm believer in local government and local control. And when the city and the county were providing the resource in managing the park, they were never very far from the people, and when you have issues, people address them,” Laird says. “And I think when you have a broad parks system and you have a whole region and you have to patrol the beaches on the north coast or Henry Cowell or Nisene Marks or New Brighton Beach or Manresa or any of the other parks in the system, it’s all about allocating resources.”
Sleeping Problem
Nearly every Tuesday for a year, a group of homeless people and protesters have slept outside the city council chambers, hoping to gain political attention. They call themselves the Homeless Freedom Sleepers, and they’re fighting for the right to sleep outside, which is currently illegal in Santa Cruz. The city is increasingly ticketing people for illegal camping, but resources for homeless people are not improving, says Keith McHenry, co-founder of Food Not Bombs, one of the movement’s organizers. Since the Homeless Services Center cut its programs last July, the transient community has had a rough year, McHenry says. Now fewer than two dozen emergency shelter beds exist for hundreds of homeless people in Santa Cruz. They have no choice but to sleep outside, then are woken several times a night and told to move—what he calls a “cruel and unusual punishment.” The Freedom Sleepers have not been able to change any laws. On March 8, Councilmember Don Lane introduced legislation that would allow people to sleep outside, but not in a blanket or sleeping bag. Lane wrote in his report that illegal-camping laws and park curfews are necessary. But if shelters don’t exist and people have nowhere to go, citing people for sleeping criminalizes homelessness, he said. “I continue to wonder what the harm is from the act of sleeping or wrapping oneself in a blanket on a cold night,” Lane writes. “And, more importantly, I wonder what the harm is when a government penalizes people for behavior they cannot and should not avoid.” His proposal was voted down, a major blow to the Freedom Sleepers. Then on June 28 the council outlawed overnight parking of oversized vehicles on city streets and lots, except for residents with permits. The law targets homeless people who park their RVs along the coast. Mayor Cynthia Mathews says the ordinance was formed after years of complaints about the trash and waste left by people in RVs. It’s part of a varied approach to the problem, which includes a subcommittee tasked with prioritizing resources for the homeless and a treatment program for repeat offenders, she says. However, exactly how much the city and county has spent on homeless services is unclear, since funding is tracked only for each program, and not homeless services as a whole. What is clear, however, is that it’s getting harder for homeless people to sleep outside in the city. Since 2012, the city Parks and Recreation Department has increased fencing and security at its city parks. In 2014, a curfew was approved for Cowell Beach, which neighbors Lighthouse Field. “The purpose was to reduce the number of needles, glass, feces, and other misconduct that was occurring during the night,” reads a city parks report. The same year, the city council also passed an ordinance allowing city officers to order cited users to vacate the park or beach for 24 hours. This year, a new ranger position was also added. From 2012 to 2014, the number of citations issued by park rangers increased by more than six-fold. Mathews says that the increase in citations is not due to a city initiative, but to public complaints. Residents are increasingly reporting homeless people to 911. Once in a while, the city sweeps its encampments, clearing trash and issuing citations in the city’s greenbelts. “There’s no conscious moving of people from point A to point B,” Mathews says. “Enforcement of camping prohibition is done by complaint in the more populated parts of the city, and it’s done for environmental cleanup and protection in our open spaces.” Martín Bernal, city manager, agrees. “I don’t think the city is pushing people out at night. The city’s just responding,” Bernal says. “We don’t really have a choice. If somebody calls and complains about illegal activity, we’re sort of forced to do that. But again, I don’t think that’s a solution. I don’t think we want to do that. We need to provide places for people to go, alternatives, whether it’s housing, whether it’s services. And that’s what’s lacking.” The city’s influence on public health issues is limited to decisions on funding for the few local nonprofits. For example, the city doesn’t administer the needle exchange or housing for the homeless. It partners with existing groups. “We don’t have a health department or a human services department. We don’t get money to do that, so we’re kind of removed from the expertise and the programs and issues around that. We tend to do what we have at our disposal, which is enforcement,” Bernal says. But until better solutions are found for Santa Cruz’s homelessness issues, its problems in Lighthouse Field are not likely to go away, either. “We’d rather focus on helping people get out of homelessness than giving people a ticket,” Bernal says. “We realize that’s not solving the problem. It’s just moving it.”
A country rocker in the vein of Linda Ronstadt and early Emmylou Harris, Michaela Anne is an up-and-coming songwriter whose classic sound, smooth voice, and simple approach to storytelling have endeared her to fans and critics, alike. But don’t be fooled by the sweetness. A recent transplant from Brooklyn to Nashville, Anne increasingly taps into all the aspects of herself—sweet and otherwise. “[My] new record reflects the strength and ballsiness that I was trying to push myself toward with the songs,” she told Rolling Stone. “There’s a lot of diversity behind me that hasn’t come through in my music yet, a lot more attitude.” CAT JOHNSON INFO: 8 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $8/adv, $12/door. 479-1854.
THURSDAY 6/30
R&B
JACQUEES
Atlanta R&B singer Jacquees is one of the hottest new R&B singers out right now whose music brings to mind the smooth, feel-good R&B sound from the ’90s. But if he wanted, he could be a rapper. He’s got the flow—he spits verses every once in a while in his tunes—but more so, he’s got the swagger. In one Spin article, he told the interviewer that he “doesn’t need to sing,” because his presence on stage alone riles up a crowd. Damn! His mixtape Mood, released earlier this year, is what really put him on the map. It’s sweet—Jacquees isn’t a softy, and his songs can get raunchy, but it feels like it’s coming from a place of love. AARON CARNES INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $18/door. 429-4135.
FRIDAY 7/1
EXPERIMENTAL
CUDDLEFISH
Not to be mistaken for the cuttlefish, a cephalopod that resembles a squid, Cuddlefish is a local duo whose experimental tendencies have made them one of the area’s more interesting—if underexposed—musical acts. Comprising Val Hall and Peter Koht, Cuddlefish draws from world music, dub, jazz, rock, and found sounds to create something odd and lovely that morphs and grows on its own, without being restricted by genre, stylistic confines, or anything that has gone before. On Friday, the duo hits the Rio Theatre. CJ INFO: 8 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $5. 423-8209.
PUNK
RIBSY’S NICKEL
Any Santa Cruzan worth their weight in the music scene knows the name Ribsy’s Nickel. For two decades, this quartet has played its blend of reggae, punk and surf, sharing the stage with other quintessential local acts like the Chop Tops and Expendables. Whether it’s surfing, skating or just kicking back at the Point with a few beers, Ribsy’s Nickel is the perfect soundtrack for every summer party. This Friday they’ll be joined by another decades-running Santa Cruz act, Spun, for a Fourth of July kick-off party. MAT WEIR INFO: 8:30 pm. Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $10. 335-2800.
SATURDAY 7/2
GYPSY JAZZ
BESO
A few weeks ago Beso Negro helped kick off the San Francisco Jazz, transforming a Hayes Valley intersection into a raging street party. Now a stripped-down version of the string-powered band brings the high energy punk-inflected Gypsy jazz sound to a much cozier setting. Billed simply as Beso, the trio features Adam Roach on guitar and vocals, Cheyenne Young on upright and electric bass, and Ethan Turner on drums and vocals. Focusing on originals songs, the combo combines the coiled energy of a power trio with the exuberant flair of true Djangophiles. ANDREW GILBERT INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.
FUNK
FUNKANAUTS
You probably could have guessed that the bio of a band called Funkanauts would say they were “Brothas From Planet Funk.” But what you probably wouldn’t guess is the level of variety they bring to the funk. They play it slow or fast, with elements of rock, psychedelic, pop and reggae. It’s like a cross between later Fishbone, Parliament and Sexual Chocolate, the incredible band in the Eddie Murphy’s film Coming to America. Their funk is all over the map. Remember when Arsenio Hall had a show and he used to call to his bandleader to give him (insert random crazy description) style of funk? Well, that’s Funkanauts. AC INFO: 9 p.m. The Pocket, 3102 Portola Drive, Santa Cruz. $7. 475-9819.
ELECTRONIC HIP HOP
THE PATH TO NORTHERN NIGHTS
Hold on to your festy hats, because this one’s a doozy! With the three-day Northern Nights Festival on the border of Mendocino and Humboldt Counties just around the corner, the good people at the Catalyst and Euphoric.net have teamed up to throw a free pre-party this Saturday. Along with Portland DJ Tiger Fresh and Santa Cruz’s own duo AB.CLU, the Path will also feature the sounds of Californians Trevor Kelly and Lafa Taylor, who recently collaborated on several new songs with artists like Bassnectar and Beats Antique. MW INFO: 8 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 429-4135.
REGGAE
SPAWNBREEZIE
Before he was even in grade school, Spawnbreezie was playing the piano and drums and was on his way to picking up the guitar and bass, as well. This well-roundedness has served the multi-instrumentalist artist well as he crafts reggae, hip-hop and a laid-back sound into what he describes as “island hip-hop.” A hit on the mainland as well as across the South Pacific, Spawnbreezie is an emerging star of the positive, island reggae scene. Also on the bill is House of Shem, a reggae harmony trio out of Aotearoa, New Zealand. CJ INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $25/adv, $30/door. 479-1854.
IN THE QUEUE
APOTHESARY
Metal out of San Francisco. Wednesday at Catalyst
PARADISE SOUL SAVERS
Santa Cruz-based funk and soul outfit. Thursday at Crepe Place
BLUE SUMMIT & WILD IRIS
Local bluegrass and roots music double-bill. Thursday at Moe’s Alley
LIBERATION MOVEMENT
Tribal dub, reggae and beats. Friday at Moe’s Alley
TSUNAMI
Classic rock from the ’60, ’70s and ’80s. Saturday at Crow’s Nest
Set in Prohibition-era Chicago, Chicago is the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, and is considered one of Bob Fosse’s greatest works. Based on the 1926 play of the same name, Chicago tells the tale of “merry murderesses” Velma Kelly, who murdered her husband and sister when she found them in bed together, and Roxie Hart, who murdered her lover. The two women pursue fame, fortune and acquittal, as Cabrillo Stage puts its always-fantastic touch on the beloved production.
INFO: 8 p.m. Friday, July 8. Cabrillo Stage, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos. $16-$40. 479-6154. WANT TO GO? Go to santacruz.com/giveaways before 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 6 to find out how you could win a pair of tickets to the production.
