The coolest question that I could get asked is to describe the change that happens to the music when certain perches get ascended to,” says Rushadicus, aka the Cello Goblin.
“Um, like metaphorical perches?”
“No,” he says, calmly. “I mean literal physical perches, like the way it feels to play on top of a tower, or on top of a tree, or up on some railing, or hanging upside down off something, because it changes my feeling, and the music becomes exciting … which I guess becomes metaphorically relevant to the type of the music.”
There are multiple videos on IG and TikTok of the Cello Goblin, or Rushad Eggleston, ascending to many perches, while playing both cello and a kazoo, singing and pattering. That’s right: Rushadicus climbs on tables, flagpoles, chairs, beams, even the cello itself, so that his music—which for lack of a better term I’d call elven speed-metal—can reach new heights.
The show defies genre. It’s not fair to Eggleston’s musical talent to call it performance art, though he creates quite a spectacle in colorful costumes, making odd noises and luring the audience into the moment—whether that involves deep discomfort or profound joy.
His strange and wonderful musical storytelling is entirely improvised, which allows Rushadicus to pull from his extensive personal lore created from years of live performance and online videos. That lore is a rotating menagerie of archetypes—with a cackling, joyous goblin at the center—but there are also tree sprites, rabbits, jesters, clowns, fairies, a very sweet little boy, and a lot of hilarious impressions of “normal” people that I’m not sure he realizes are hilarious. Eggleston insists he is not a comedian, but rather a “rowdy mystic.”
His current tour is an evolution of all the music that has come before. Eggleston grew up in Monterey, where he learned guitar and improvisation, then went on to study classical cello on a full scholarship at Berklee College of Music and delved into the folk genre. But he got bored, and discovered metal. At some point, each type of music that he mastered felt stale and he had the devilish desire to subvert and transcend it.
Thus began the formal phase of what Rushadicus calls “goblinity,” though, he acknowledges, “I’ve always been a goblin. I’ve always been weird. I’ve always made up words.”
One such word is “jick,” which, from what I can tell, is a type of goblin prana or chi. A “vejickment” is a show, and his followers—both online and at his shows—seem to know all about it, making comments like: “nice jick.”
And it’s not like the vejickment is suckitudinal. No, this guy is talented, and could honestly be playing anything anywhere. His manager, Ryan Masters of Heroic Dose, calls him a “legit musical genius.” Rushadicus manages to evoke sounds from a cello and a kazoo that I would have never thought possible—he really does sound metal AF, but also weirdly classical, jazzy, not to mention somewhat feral, and always full of surprises, which are part of the art.
“When people are in disbelief, they get to leave the mundaneness of life and go into an alternative chaotic goblin reality, which is sometimes kind of happy.”
That happiness spreads to fans, one of which gave him some of his most treasured feedback: “You’re doing what I wish I could do, but I can’t, so thank you for doing it.”
The Cello Goblin will be interviewed Aug. 20 on Off the Lip Radio Show (offthelipradio.com) and will perform Aug. 23 at Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. Tickets: $17; feltonmusichall.com.
Bernard Lumpkin and his husband, Carmine Boccuzzi, have been collecting art since 2010, primarily young and emerging artists of African descent, in addition to established names like Mark Bradford, Henry Taylor and Kara Walker, the painter and printmaker famous for her trademark black, cut-paper silhouettes.
Their 400-and-growing works inspired the book Young, Gifted and Black: A New Generation of Artists, edited by Antwaun Sargent—the title an obvious nod to author Lorraine Hansberry, as well as Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone—which then led to a traveling exhibit of the same name. For the first time, viewers can absorb Lumpkin and Boccuzzi’s private collection outside of their New York home.
The organizers chose university museums and small art venues so that their treasures can attract as wide an audience as possible. Launched in 2019 on the East Coast, the traveling show, “Young, Gifted and Black: The Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection of Contemporary Art,” makes its latest stop at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History.
GENDER DIVIDE Henry Taylor’s ‘Split’ is part of a traveling exhibit at MAH. Photo: Courtesy of the Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection of Contemporary Art
“Bernard and Carmine to their credit as art patrons have really localized institutions,” says Sargent, who’s the exhibit co-curator along with Matt Wycoff. “It’s making sure that communities have the fullest expression of what’s contemporary art. It’s a commitment to bring this work to places that are different. Cities and institutions that are not always a part of the conversation. These institutions are very important to the idea of art being able to reach everybody—and ultimately to the artists who want to make sure that they engage with many different types of publics, and not just one kind of public. It allows the audience to encounter this work, so it’s a win-win, because audiences and artists need each other.”
The paintings, photographs, sculpture, embroidery and mixed media by 50 artists explore race, politics, history, family, gender and sexuality. In “Untitled (People’s World),” for example, Sadie Barnette takes pages from a 500-page file the FBI kept on her father, Rodney Barnette, a prominent Black Panther Party member in Oakland. Barnette, one of the some half-dozen California artists in the display, alters and personalizes the papers with blotches of paint and sparkly fuschia spray paint.
D’Angelo Lovell Williams adds a modern twist to Belgian artist Rene Magritte’s 1928 “The Lovers.” In that painting, a couple is kissing while their faces are covered in white cloth. In Williams’ print, also called “The Lovers,” two black men are kissing while their faces are covered in black do-rags, worn backwards. Williams is not only subverting the classics but also making a statement about black queer love in modern art and in the black community.
“It’s a contemporary take on that original image,” Sargent says. “He’s using do-rags to flip the gender and to make you sort of accept same-sex love.”
CONFLICTED In ‘The Great Wall,’ Derrick Adams explores the duality of Mike Tyson’s fame. Photo: Courtesy of the Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection of Contemporary Art
“The Great Wall,” by Derrick Adams—whose paintings have been seen in TV hits like Insecure and Empire—features Mike Tyson standing behind a row of bricks. Undoubtedly one of the biggest black icons in the world, the famous athlete is also a convicted rapist. Adams addresses the duality of his fame and asks whether that wall of bricks protects or imprisons him.
“It’s not just about Mike Tyson, the icon and celebrity,” Sargent says, “but this notion of icons and black figures and the way they operate in popular culture.”
One of the most celebrated artists in the exhibit, Henry Taylor has been the subject of many solo shows and retrospectives, including a recent 2022 survey at L.A.’s MOCA. He also collaborated with Pharrell Williams for last year’s Louis Vuitton collection. In “Split,” he paints a man and a woman standing on the street in front of a brick wall, a typical L.A. scene from the L.A. born Taylor.
“He comes from a long tradition of artists and people who are thinking about Los Angeles on their own terms,” Sargent says. “His painting is just another perspective on California and visualization of California culture.”
MAH is the last scheduled date on the tour, though Lumpkin and Bocucci plan to keep the display running for several more years.
“The audience makes the art,” Sargent says. “My hope for any exhibit I do is that the audience has a rich engagement, whatever that might mean to them. They might be taken by the way Kerry James Marshall renders a portrait, or they might be taken by the way Eric N. Mack uses fabric to think about materiality and history. But I really do think that sort of question is left up to the viewer.”
Young, Gifted and Black: The Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection of Contemporary Art runs Aug. 23–Dec. 29 at MAH, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. The museum is open Thursday-Sunday; $8-$10.
Forthcoming Pete’s Fish House—debuting this Thursday, Aug. 22, per its website—has a lot going for it beyond Hog Island oysters, soft-shell crab sandwiches and a collection of crudo dishes.
It enjoys a central Capitola Village location (231 Esplanade, Suite 102) in the former Sotola, which was Stockton Creek Bridge Grill before that.
It has chef Anthony Kresge (formerly of Reef Dog Deli, among a number of other projects) assembling a team starring chef Desmond Schneider (seen recently at Seabright Social and Alderwood).
It comes from the strategic mind (and palate) of seasoned restaurateur Sarah Orr. After years directing neighboring Margaritaville and Stokes Adobe in Monterey, she knows the hospitality craft and the Capitola community from the kitchen to the clientele.
Perhaps most promising is the fact she’s adding a personal element by naming the place after her late father, who passed on in 2022 after a decorated career in agriculture and restaurants, often partnering with his daughter.
The new PFH website elaborates: “[T]his restaurant is more than just a dining experience—it’s a reflection of cherished memories and Peter’s larger than life legacy. … At Pete’s Fish House, expect a menu that is inspired by the coastal waters and the bountiful local agriculture that Peter was deeply committed to, ensuring a true representation of our region’s culinary heritage.” petesfishhouse.com
FARM REFRESHER
UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Agroecology continues to serve a healthy super source of fuel and enlightenment for local taste-buddies. The bounty of its farmstand (Cowell Ranch Hay Barn, at the base of campus from June to September) and free tours (like the upcoming installment 2pm Sunday, Sept. 1) remain steady. Meanwhile, its classes, compelling enough you gotta be on point to slot a spot—I swear I’m not bitter Superfoods and Spice Blends Workshop sold out by the time I tried to sign up—merit tracking. Up soon: Sept. 8’s annual Farm to Fork Benefit Dinner on the UCSC Farm. Ty Pearce, chef/owner of Busy Bees Cafe & Catering, does the spring rolls, fig crostini, multiple salads, roasted vegetables, grilled tri-tip, Mediterranean chicken and a bunch more, followed by live music, dancing and dessert in the Hay Barn. All the produce comes from the university farm and Chadwick Garden, with wine and beer by Storrs Winery, Madson Wines and Discretion Brewing, as proceeds support the center’s programming and facilities. agroecology.ucsc.edu/
NIBBLE NOTES
The last of the Midtown Summer Block Parties (Midtown Block Party Lot, 1111 Soquel Ave.) rocketh 5-8:30pm the next two Fridays with food trucks, vendors and live acts like Dave Miller followed by Spun (Aug. 23), and Honey Disposition opening for the Alex Lucero Band (Aug. 30), santacruz.org…August is National Catfish Month, and Seafood Watch is embracing the moment to announce U.S.-farmed catfish is the latest on its Super Green List. SW is announcing fresh “super-green” items every month—as in the very best choices for fishery and human health, “no brainers” in SFW verbiage—as part of its 25th anniversary. The other worthy options so far include albacore tuna, rainbow trout, farmed mussels, Alaska flounder/sole and farmed seaweed, seafoodwatch.org…The Eat for the Earth veggie warriors host a PlantPure Nation film screening on Sept. 17, at Santa Cruz Seventh-day Adventist Church (1024 Cayuga St., Santa Cruz), eatfortheearth.org…Spin us forward, Bobby Flay: “Go vegetable heavy. Reverse the psychology of your plate by making meat the side dish and vegetables the main course.”
According to a recent article in USA Today, the wicked combination of post-pandemic residue, social-media-induced loneliness and an overall state of uncertainty have seeded an online therapy boom. Therapists say they have never been busier.
At the same time, reports show antidepressants have become one of the most prescribed medications in the country.
Yet well into this three-year surge in medication and therapy, mental health struggles are still on the rise. Shouldn’t that trend be reversing?
This was the question I asked Leonardo Tozzi, M.D./Ph.D., part of a team at Stanford Medicine Center that has unveiled a breakthrough in depression treatment using a combination of brain scanning and AI.
Right now, typical U.S. health coverage options for those struggling with depression or anxiety boil down to some version of talk therapy or medication—or both.
But this dominant “one-size-fits-all” diagnostic approach to treating anxiety and depression is known to be a lengthy, expensive and frustrating process of trial and error. Up to half of patients don’t respond to first-time or “first line” treatment. This phenomenon is known as treatment-resistant depression or anxiety.
Observing the variability in symptoms among hundreds of patients with depression, Dr. Leanne Williams and her team at Stanford Medicine’s Center for Precision Mental Health and Wellness devoted the past 15 years to devising a more tailored approach to treatment.
One major challenge is having to rely on self-reported symptoms, with no way to test whether depressed or anxious feelings stem from an external or internal cause. And unlike other areas of health, physical conditions such as pain or fever don’t determine proper treatment.
The Stanford researchers used a method that combines brain imaging with machine learning to identify six subcategories of depression that respond differently to each form of treatment. Individualized treatment paths have been determined for three of the six, with more research to be conducted.
The team used Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), a brain scanning technology that measures and maps brain activity. By tracking changes in blood oxygenation and flow, researchers can see which parts of the brain are involved in specific functions, like thinking, feeling or moving.
While fMRI technology has revolutionized our understanding of how the brain works, Stanford Medical’s new standardized image-processing procedure—called the Stanford Et Cere Image Processing System—results in more personalized and effective treatment plans.
These are the six biotypes:
Biotype 1—Overactive Thinking Areas: This group responded best to the antidepressant Effexor.
Biotype 2—High Resting Activity in Three Brain Areas: This group with higher activity in areas linked to depression and problem-solving responded well to talk therapy.
Biotype 3—Low Attention Control: This group with less activity in the brain area that controls attention benefited less from talk therapy compared to other groups.
Biotype 4—Overconnected Emotional and Attention Networks: People with slower emotional and attention responses did better with a combination of behavioral therapies.
Biotype 5—Low Attention Connectivity: This group had trouble concentrating and controlling impulses due to weaker connections in the attention-related brain areas.
Biotype 6—Heightened Emotion Processing: This group had increased activity in brain areas that process both sad and happy emotions. They were more likely to experience severe loss of pleasure and repetitive negative thoughts.
I asked Dr. Tozzi how our readers might benefit from this news. He responded they could participate in the Stanford studies, and that it may be as long as five years before this new technology is available to the public.
In the meantime, the research offers a ray of hope. By recognizing how depression manifests, we move closer to a future where treatment is not just a shot in the dark but a personalized path toward better mental health.
This article was originally published on CaliforniaLocal.com. Eric Johnson is the editorial director of this news and civic engagement site, which is active in 10 counties—including Santa Cruz County.
When President Joe Biden came to California last June to announce that his administration was about to grant hundreds of millions of dollars to coastal communities for climate resilience, Robert Mazurek felt a spark of hope.
That hope was realized last week when the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, which Mazurek heads, was awarded $71 million—the biggest federal grant to a nongovernmental organization in the state’s history.
Biden had chosen to travel to Palo Alto last summer to talk about his administration’s response to the global climate crisis, and the billions of dollars he was committing to that effort via the Inflation Reduction Act. Speaking at a nature reserve on San Francisco Bay, the president announced the launch of the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge, which would provide $600 million to coastal communities for projects confronting climate-related dangers such as sea-level rise flooding, and protecting essential watersheds and other environmental infrastructure.
The very next day, Mazurek decided to try and get some of that money to help communities in the Monterey Bay Area. He knew that he would need help, and he knew that help was available.
“We recognized right away that with the importance of something like this, not one organization could go it alone,” Mazurek recalls. “And so we identified all of the various entities that are working on resilience in the Monterey Bay Area, and established communications and dialogue immediately.”
What happened next will be the stuff of Santa Cruz conservation-community legend. Mazurek recalls that he sent out an email to friends and allies up and down the bay, from the Santa Cruz Mountains to Big Sur. “One week later, last July, in the middle of vacation season, we got 100 people on a Zoom,” Mazurek recalls. “I facilitated, and I just described the fact that the Central Coast has been reeling from these winter storms and fires in recent years, and we really need to put a package together to address our most significant needs.”
Mazurek says he had been working collaboratively and in parallel with these individuals and organizations for more than two decades, and many of the people on the Zoom call were longtime friends and allies.
In January 2000, Mazurek started the Seafood Watch program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. At one of his first jobs in the area, he wrote the management plan for the Elkhorn Slough Research Reserve. He then spent 10 years at the Pew Charitable Trust running a program called Global Ocean Legacy, which worked with countries around the world to set up large marine reserves.
“I spent a decade being away from home for 50 percent of my time,” says Mazurek, who lives in Capitola. But throughout that time, he served on the board of directors of the foundation he now heads. In the three and a half years that Mazurek has served as the foundation’s executive director, the staff has grown from nine to 20 employees, and funding—more than 80 percent of which comes from government grants—has grown significantly.
In this conversation, Mazurek explains what he and the 21 subcontracting organizations intend to do with this extraordinary infusion of resources, and why their work is so important. He also points out the daunting fact that this is just the beginning of a big [piece of work] that needs to be done if we are going to survive. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
When the announcement was made last month, how much of a surprise was it to you? Did you feel like “we’ve got this one in the bag, we worked so hard we’re gonna get this”?
I thought we had about a 20 percent chance of getting it. If it was just a scoring system, I’d say we were as close to 100 percent as we could possibly get. But when NOAA distributes this kind of money it usually goes to state agencies, not NGOs. And I know there were proposals submitted by San Diego and San Francisco, and assuming that only one award would go to California, I wondered how the Monterey Bay was going to beat out cities with such bigger populations.
We didn’t know until Friday when they announced that we were only one of two NGOs in the country to win this award. All of the other winners of the large Track 2 [$75 million] awards were state agencies, except for one tribe, and one NGO that represented a tribal group. And then there was us.
Why do you think you prevailed?
One of the reasons I thought we had a chance of getting this award was because President Biden visited Aptos and Capitola soon after the storms a couple winters ago. And then, a year later, he came back to California, to Palo Alto, to announce the climate resilience adaptation funding.
So the president saw firsthand some of the devastation that we were experiencing. And then he felt a need to come back to California to announce the funding. Because of those two things, I really felt that NOAA, the administration, and the federal government as a whole really understood what the Monterey Bay Area was going through.
WETLANDS HEALTH Part of the $71 million from NOAA will be spent on Elkhorn Slough. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
You mentioned that you had help from folks in addition to the 31 organizations that are subcontracting with you on the grant. Who else is on your team?
There are two partners on this project who, if they were not involved, it would not have happened. One is Susan Robinson, who helped develop the Greater Monterey County Integrated Regional Water Management Program. We’ve worked with her for years, and she will be co-managing the grant with the help of a full-time project manager, who we are in the process of hiring. The other is John Hunt, who has played numerous rules in the Monterey Bay Area over the years, including working for NOAA.
They helped put this alliance together and knew exactly who to go to— and that’s how it snowballed.
Can you tell me about a difficult choice or big decision you made early in the process?
The biggest realization was that even for a close knit area like ours, $75 million—when you’re talking about climate change, resilience and adaptation—doesn’t go very far. Communities like ours and bigger cities are going to need billions and billions of dollars in order to prepare for the effect of climate change.
So, even though you’ve been doing this work locally for decades, you had not calculated the total cost for the entire region?
We’ve never seen it all on one sheet of paper before.
Makes sense. We’re talking about reversing the way things have been done for a couple hundred years. Can you say a little bit about how big of change we are talking about and what it means for the future?
I think the biggest change is the way we think about things. For years and years most of the discussion has revolved around reducing our CO2 and reversing things before they get too bad. That discussion is still valid, because things could get a lot worse than they are now. But at the same time, the thinking has significantly shifted into a new parallel thought process, which is that what we are experiencing right now is not going to be reversed.
We worked for a long time on sea level rise, for instance, and sea level rise now is all about managed retreat. And climate change overall, in the new way of thinking, is about becoming a more resilient society in the face of the inevitable.
So is this something like coming out of denial and recognizing how bad things really are? Like, we thought things were bad and actually it’s much worse?
I don’t know if it’s denial, because the conservation community always knew this was coming. I think the public is catching up with the conservation community with the catastrophic events like over the past several winters we’ve had in this area.
In conservation, we spent a lot of time on education and outreach, and there’s no more effective education and outreach than experiencing wildfire and floods firsthand.
When I heard that the Sanctuary Foundation got a big grant, I expected to see that a lot of the money would be spent underwater—I think most of us think of the sanctuary as something offshore. But I see that the projects in your proposal deal with various ecosystems in the region. Can you talk about those projects, and talk about how they fit into the mission of the foundation?
We have four strategies with this project. One is a regional collaboration and capacity building. Another is workforce development. Third is flood-risk reduction, and the last is wildfire-risk reduction. Our overall mission is a more resilient coast. And all of this plays into the stewardship of coastal watersheds, which are significantly affected by fires and flooding.
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is one of only two marine sanctuaries in the country that has a water quality program. And our foundation has supplied the staff for that water quality program for 20 years. To us, the Sanctuary is everything that flows into it.
This money comes directly from President Biden’s signature piece of bipartisan legislation. Can you talk a little bit about what it’s like having a president that gets it?
Well, when you hear the words “inflation, reduction act,“ climate change, resilience is not the first thing you think about. But climate adaptation and resilience is becoming its own multi-billion dollar industry.
Having an administration that is showing the leadership needed to move these projects forward, even as a down payment, is huge. This administration has vocally recognized that this is something that is of urgency to the national security of the United States.
You mention the nascent multibillion dollar industry… speaking at the Panetta Lecture Series 20-plus years ago, Bill Clinton predicted that if the federal government invested money in solar and other clean technologies, it would spark an industrial revolution that would dwarf the digital revolution. Do you see something like this on the horizon?
Yes, well this is a whole other story for you, but the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation was picked by the Ocean Protection Council to lead the development of environmental monitoring for the offshore wind industry. And right now we have seven or eight different working groups—bird and bat experts, marine mammal and sea, turtle experts, fish experts, habitat experts. They are working in parallel right now to help us develop the environmental and monitoring guidance that ultimately will guide the construction of these huge turbines that are going to be off the coast of California.
This is a hugely important piece of setting us up for the future. For obvious reasons, when you’re creating a completely new industry off the California coast, there’s a lot of challenges. And we are right in the middle of working to make the offshore wind industry as environmentally friendly as humanly possible.
Heartfelt thanks to you and your team for the lovely article in this past week’s Good Times about WIC, our Health Fair and WIC’s 50th anniversary. It was the nicest article I have seen written about our program. I so appreciate your time, support and advocacy for our program.
The Health Fair was a great success … we had over 25 partner tables and @200 participants. Supervisor Hernandez was there as well as Dr. Cal Gordon from the County.
Thank you again for the promotion and for telling our story. I am ever grateful to you.
Dana Wagner | MS RD IBCLC (she/her/hers)
HOMELESS PROBLEMS
In response to the letter advocating for a campground for the unhoused in Sycamore Grove: that experiment has already been tried and it failed miserably. Do we not recall San Lorenzo Park’s lawless, dystopian encampment and the subsequent despoiling of the park and river? SLP also had hygiene stations, access to showers, social services, and places to dump trash, yet camp SLP was still a no-go zone for the public, complete with assaults, tent fires and general mayhem. Plus, let us not forget that after the camp was cleared the City hauled away tons and tons of refuse, with nary a former “resident” being willing to help with restoration. Do we want to go down that road again?
Tim Rudolph | Santa Cruz
ONLINE COMMENTS
RE: GREG KIHN
I’m heartbroken to hear about his passing but so glad that I had the opportunity to see him perform at the Boardwalk.
Julie Krueger | Facebook
My heart is crying. I was a Kihn follower. I went to 15 concerts from free Friday nights at Santa Cruz concerts Beach Boardwalk to San Jose to the Catalyst.
Mike Quinn | Facebook
Sad News. I remember going to concerts in Santa Cruz. Always a great vibe.
A lot of eyes will be focused on Vice President Kamala Harris this week as she receives the nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
She’s familiar to a lot of Santa Cruzans who have known her since her early days in Oakland. In a huge turnaround with historical implications, she moved to the top of the ticket only weeks ago after Joe Biden dropped out July 21.
Locals tell our cover story writer Steve Kettman that a new blue wave will sweep from California to Washington. It’s certainly been a dramatic and fast turnaround in a race that was all but lost.
Democrats may not so desperately need the advice given in Elizabeth Borelli’s Wellness column this week about new treatments for depression, but it’s a problem that plagues everyone and is more prevalent than ever. This column breaks new ground.
We get a first look at the new Capitola restaurant, Pete’s Fish House, in Mark C. Anderson’s Dining column. Check it out.
We’ve got two new music stories, on Mighty Mike Schermer and Rushadicus, aka the Cello Goblin.
On the good news front, we report on a $71 million grant to the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, the biggest federal grant to a nongovernmental organization in the state’s history. It’s a serious effort to save our shores.
One sad note musically is the death of rock and radio star Greg Kihn, who wasn’t a Santa Cruz local but played here all the time. Commuters could also hear his KUFX radio show as they drove over the hill. It was a top show in Silicon Valley thanks to his knowledge and love of music and musicians. It’s a sad loss for all of us. He died at 75 of complications from Alzheimer’s.
We’ve been swamped with notes and letters paying tribute to him.
On a happier note, I caught the “Remain in Light” concert Friday by Talking Heads members Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew at UCSC’s Quarry Amphitheater and got to experience not just a great performance of a 1980s album, but one of the best-kept secrets in the Bay Area.
Our outdoor theater in a natural redwood bowl has perfect sound and sightlines.
If you haven’t attended a show there, it’s a revelation, as good as the heralded Mountain WInery without the pretentiousness. It’s cheaper and funkier, to be sure, but a place for true music and nature lovers. Keep your eyes out for future shows there.
Also, it’s a bit of a chore to get to the venue from the parking lot. You can either take a shuttle or enjoy a sublimely beautiful walk along pastures and forests. But don’t be fooled by the FAQs about the venue. It’s not a flat walk. There are some hills, which were wonderful for us, but could be a challenge for some.
That said, it’s not much more challenging than the trek to the Mountain WInery and it’s way more affordable and just plain beautiful.
Thanks for reading.
Brad Kava, Editor
PHOTO CONTEST
SAILING FREE The Big Brothers/Biography Sisters Regatta on the Bay 8.11.24 PHOTOGRAPH Don Monkerud
GOOD IDEA
Join Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez and Watsonville Mayor Vanessa Quiroz-Carter Saturday for a community bike ride aimed at promoting physical and mental health, fighting climate change, and building a stronger community.
The event starts at East Lake Shopping Center at 10:30am with a bike check and helmet giveaway for the first 50 riders. There is a 2-mile or 6-mile ride at 11am.
Riders can enjoy burritos and share their thoughts with city and county officials on enhancing road safety.
GOOD WORK
Santa Cruz Public Libraries honors the four-year anniversary of the devastating CZU Lightning Complex Fire, by acknowledging grief and loss and celebrating renewal. The program will take place in the Felton Branch Library Community Room Aug. 24 2-4pm.
The “Heavy Lifting Listening Tour” offers healing through dialogue. This introduction to the project opens with a display of Felicia Rice’s artists’ book and the experimental film On Heavy Lifting, followed by conversation with Theresa Whitehill and an invitation for people to share their own work. Information: santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/12542943.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I’ve always been a goblin. I’ve always been weird.”
As Kamala Harris takes the stage in Chicago this week as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, Santa Cruzans see a new kind of blue wave stretching from California to Washington.
“I’m very, very, very excited that she is running for president. Kamala is exactly what we need,” said Elaine Johnson, president of the NAACP’s Santa Cruz County office. “She is what this country needs right now to keep building on what she and Biden have put in place.
“We cannot go backwards, we just can’t,” Johnson added. “As someone of African American descent, I say we just can’t. Vice President Harris’ advocacy and emphasis for key issues such as healthcare, housing, civil rights, economic fairness and education, just to mention a few, is what this country needs. This is the world that I want us to live in.”
From the moment Oakland-born Harris, 59, was pulled by events to the top of the Democratic ticket, an astonishing wave has been unleashed. In politics a “blue wave” has referred to major thresholds reached in seats won, but 2024 could well be the year that “blue wave” gains a broader meaning.
Here’s the amazing thing about those rare times in human history when huge, decisive change comes along: No one sees it coming beforehand. That’s how it was when the Berlin Wall fell in November 1989, and people danced in the Todesstreifen where earlier they’d been shot and killed, and soon the Soviet Union itself was no more. No press prognosticators predicted that then, just as none predicted this now: A vertiginous span of four weeks that shifted U.S. politics as much as any month in our lifetimes, so much so that after years of thinking the U.S. experiment in democracy was on the ropes, it seems to be reviving in front of our eyes.
WHAT WE NEED Elaine Johnson says Democrats need to ‘stay centered and grounded in the truth because it’s the truth that moves the needle.’ Photo: Santa Cruz Pride
Could democracy actually work? Can an anti-democratic movement based on whipping up hate and resentment actually be defeated by joy, (relative) youth, fresh ideas and a sharp sense of humor? It’s starting to look that way. Bizarre as it’s been to accept, suddenly, yes, it’s OK to feel OK. It’s OK to feel joy. And excitement. And belief. And hope. This is not about Democrat and Republican, or blue and red. This is about a fever seeming to break and Harris owning the moment and speaking for the best in us instead of the worst.
Here in Santa Cruz, we are optimistic people, because we believe in the blue wave, we believe in forces that can carry us joyously forward. Sure, we might take a tumble, along the way (“Cowabunga!”), but as Vice President Harris keeps saying, “We’re not going back.” I truly believe that by next year, the MAGA fever may truly have broken, and we can talk about national priorities, and people running for office, without toxic levels of insult and smear.
An honest excitement is in the air. Here’s a remarkable reminder of how historic this election is: If current trend lines continue, based on how poll results have flipped the last four weeks, the United States will elect its first woman president—and that dramatic barrier-busting threshold has hardly even been mentioned.
“I feel such a difference,” Chorel Centers, events director at Bookshop Santa Cruz, told me over the weekend. “I think it’s this shift in energy, just the mood, from a sense of pre-defeat to upswelling possibility. There’s this relief, like ‘She can punch back!’”
On June 27 when Joe Biden had a very bad night at the debate in Atlanta, Centers texted me: “Oy. What are we going to do?!”
I wrote back: “Wish I had a good answer. I’d say: Stay alert! The ground is going to shift a lot, day by day, in dramatic and unforeseeable ways. Opportunities to do something will emerge.”
The ground could well shift some more, and possibly in dramatic and unforeseeable ways, as Centers tries to keep in mind. “After the debate it was so pathetic,” she said. “There was a feeling of weariness about Biden and almost a sense of predetermination about Trump winning. And I was thinking: No, we can’t succumb to this sense of inevitability. Now that the energy has gone 180. it’s almost a sense of inevitability in the other direction, which is also something to be cautious about.”
One huge shift has been the dramatic extent to which young people have been activated by the excitement and sense of promise of the Harris-Walz ticket. As alienating and dispiriting as it was for young voters inclined to vote Democratic to have Joe Biden’s age to worry about, suddenly with Harris at the top of the ticket Trump is the old one, looking older by the day somehow. Harris-Walz rallies have been electric, with a sense of joy, a sense of humor, along with a fearlessness that connects well with younger voters. A Washington Post poll released over the weekend showed that from July to August the Harris-Walz ticket gained among younger voters (under 40) by a whopping 18 percent swing.
FRIEND OF ZACH Outgoing Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend says, ‘Having a personal connection really does amplify the excitement.’ Photo: Todd Guild
The sense of a dramatic difference is particularly powerful here in Santa Cruz, where many in politics have known Harris for years and worked with her when she was deputy district attorney of Alameda County and then district attorney of San Francisco and, later, California’s attorney general. That group includes Santa Cruz Supervisor Zach Friend, a former spokesperson for Obama for America, who has worked with Harris going back to her days as San Francisco district attorney.
“It’s shifted tremendously,” he said. “Not just the fact that there was a change at the top of ticket, but there’s a lot of excitement that this is a candidate who is California’s own. So many of us in Santa Cruz County have worked along with Kamala on different issues, it’s become very personal to make sure that she has an opportunity to serve the people of the United States as president. Having a personal connection really does amplify the excitement.”
Friend emphasized that excitement is not just an atmospheric shift, it’s a development with real on-the-ground importance to how the race might play out. “There’s a renewed sense of optimism, but more important there’s a renewed sense of purpose,” he said. “People want to volunteer to phone bank, they want to volunteer to knock on doors. I’ve had local attorneys here in Santa Cruz ask me how they can do voter protection work in swing states.”
The fact remains that, as much as has been transformed, it remains a distinct possibility that the November election could be very, very close, and two important states are Nevada and Arizona. The more that people in Santa Cruz sign up to do, like volunteering to canvass or make calls in those two states, the more the surge in energy can have practical, tangible benefits. When Harris took over the No. 1 spot, she jumped right in, like Brock Purdy when suddenly called on to quarterback the 49ers, looking like she was born to do this.
“She’s remarkably compassionate and has exceptional emotional intelligence,” said Friend. “I think that folks that have worked with her for the last twenty or so years are not surprised to see the real Kamala on display for the nation now that so many in the Bay Area had known her to be. It’s easy for media narratives to try to box people in, and being vice president is an exceptionally challenging thing. You’re burdened by things that you have no control over. Now that she’s the lead, this is who so many people in the Bay Area have seen. People who have been around her are not at all surprised. She’s the real deal and has the perfect mix of empathy and toughness and intellect and emotional intelligence.”
Jodi Hicks, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, had a sharp warning for people who might underestimate Harris.
“People that know her and have worked with her in California expected nothing less,” she said. “Underestimating women of color is what we do in this country. People definitely underestimated the enthusiasm that Vice President Harris would bring to the top of the ticket. We’ve seen a lot of energy, a lot of inspiration, a lot of joy. We’re from California, so we know Vice President Harris well, we know how much she’s been a champion for women and health care.
“We know she’ll bring that energy and passion and be a real champion for generations to come. We’re living in a state where our daughters have less rights than we did growing up, and we know that’s top of mind for Harris, and always has been. She worked on those issues in California and she’ll work on them at the top of the ticket. We couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Elaine Johnson recalled being at a memorial service where Harris spoke. “She was very personable,” she said. “She was shaking hands. She was saying hi. She gives you the eye contact. She’s just a very strong woman who sees everyone.”
When it came time for a change, Johnson said, she was sure Harris would live up to the moment. “This is something I learned a long time ago from my father. I’m born and raised in New York, and he says, ‘Always know when it’s time to step aside and let somebody else step in,’” she said. “So yes, I knew that Biden was dating past 80 and … he was struggling with the COVID and I said, ‘You know what? It’s time for you to be with your family.’ We have somebody capable. Vice President Kamala Harris is capable to take the baton and continue to do the work that they both built on.”
It’s way too early to look ahead to a President Harris in office, and what that would mean for California, but what we’ve seen in recent months has clearly been a dramatic return of California influence on the national stage. Let’s not forget that when Biden faltered so horribly in Atlanta, it was California Governor Gavin Newsom, there on the scene in Atlanta, who defended him as his top surrogate.
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi played a decisive hand in encouraging Biden to make the necessary move, which was—we should all be clear—his decision and his alone in the end.
Back in June 2018, I wrote a New York TimesSunday Review article under the headline “The Californization of America,” predicting more West Coast influence looking forward. It may have been one of those predictions that turns out to look pretty good on particulars but bad on timing.
“The state is home to a crop of politicians to watch, from Kevin McCarthy on the right to Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris on the left, part of a wave that is likely to dominate American politics for the next generation,” I wrote then.
“It’s also a given that one or more Californians could figure prominently in the 2020 presidential race, including Ms. Harris, a first-term senator who has gained a reputation for her withering examinations of the president’s cabinet nominees.”
So no, Harris did not come out of nowhere, as some have pretended to believe.
She has much to offer that goes beyond politics, according to the people who know her best and have followed her career for years. That does not mean her candidacy—or her tenure in office, should she get that far—will be without setbacks, or fumbles. Of course not. But in choosing in her first weeks at the top of the ticket to emphasize believing in people, and believing in possibility, a move not without boldness and courage, she has already moved the country forward in some ways.
Asked if she thought the Harris candidacy was in some ways bigger than politics, Johnson replied, “Oh, it’s always bigger than what’s in front of us. Always. And what I’m reminded of, as Kamala demonstrates, she’s a woman of class. She can educate you in a way where she’s not hurting and harming or trying to injure your character because she knows that would move the needle. She will educate us in a way where she’s not knocking someone else to appease ‘the other side.’”
Johnson, as we spoke longer, grew emotional, because this hits so close to home.
“You know why?” she asked. “Because there is no other side. This is one country. It’s just one country. And as we continue to witness and celebrate and support her, whatever we have to do for her to get elected, us as individuals have to remember this as we’re sitting at this table. That in the midst of this all, life is still good and great and glorious. That we still honor and love our family and our friends and our sisters and brothers. It doesn’t matter, we can still show up with love in our heart.”
That was the electrifying force of energy she felt taking part in a Win With Black Women Zoom call. “I was part of that 44,000 Black women (Zoom), and I’m telling you I’ve been riding high since then,” she said. “That is what is feeding my soul. That is what is keeping my cup filled. That group was a demonstration, look at the impact of that.”
The Zoom movement has been an unexpected and unforeseen mobilizer of people and energy—and dollars—for the Harris-Walz campaign. There was even a White Dudes for Harris Zoom meeting, featuring a cameo from The Dude himself, actor Jeff Bridges. Former Golden State Warriors coach George Karl is now taking an active role in organizing a Hoops for Harris Zoom for Sept. 4. Anyone is welcome to sign up at hoopsforharris.org. (And I for one would be shocked if current Warriors coach Steve Kerr didn’t make an appearance there, probably along with one or two Warriors stars, possibly a Steph Curry or a Draymond Green.)
“We have all these different people now coming together as one mind, saying regardless of what’s going on, that we’re going to stay centered and grounded in the truth because it’s the truth that moves the needle,” Johnson said. “It’s the lies, judgments and the harm that just sets us back. And so every Sunday I get the opportunity to be with thousands and thousands of other Black women who remind me, one, we deserve to be here. Two, Kamala deserves to be the President of the United States. And three, let’s keep on keeping on to make this world a better place, not just for us, but our youth coming behind us.”
Harris represents a younger generation that comes without some of the baggage, some of that history with all the scars it carries, and can instead tilt toward the future, as the great John Lewis always recommended.
“Kamala doesn’t come with that lens,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to shift these lenses. And that’s why I’m so incredibly grateful that there is a white men for Kamala. I’m glad they have that. I’m glad that they have white women for Kamala. I’m so glad they have that. Because it’s true. My wife is Caucasian. I love her like it’s nobody’s business.
“And we have different experiences. And the reason why we are still together today, 13 years, is because she has been willing and open to learning and understanding my experiences. When we are walking down the street, when we’re walking in a store, when I’m at a certain meeting or board table or whatever. …. You see Kamala, she’s talking and shaking everybody’s hand. She is lifting everybody up. And we have to get to this place where we lift each other up regardless of the color of our skin.”
Santa Cruz’s Gingerbee is breaking all the rules, stereotypes and norms about being a band. First off, the members span the globe. Then there’s the fact they are a self-described beemo group, combining emo, noise pop and bedroom skramz. To make a tour work, the three core members—Dani, Melody and Gus—are joined by a rotation of friends and musicians. Gingerbee will be freshly off tour and rocking out with Grad Nite, With Open Arms, we’rethecurrency and Awakebutstillinbed so they’ll be primed and ready to get down with their hometown (well, one of several hometowns). MAT WEIR
INFO: 6:30pm, SubRosa Community Space, 703 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 426-5242.
Boot Juice
BOOT JUICE
Boot Juice is perfect for adding an extra pep to the step or any occasion to get folks on their feet and dancing. The horn lines and layers of vocals bring the energy of a warm summer day to any moment. Their refreshing mixture of Americana with funk and soul can get anyone to boogie their way to the dance floor. Their energetic and electrifying live shows will clear the clouds of any rainy day. The music will fill the space of any venue, drawing folks to the infectious rhythms. Don’t be surprised to find band members hanging from the rafters or dancing with the audience—even they cannot resist their own music. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
The days of Motown’s thriving girl groups are long past, but the legacy of that time endures, and Miriah Avila is one of the singers who is keeping it alive. Avila’s roots are in Southern California, where she grew up singing at car shows and fish markets, but her sound is unmistakably rooted in ’60s Detroit. In her music videos, she sports a perfectly lined lip and winged eyeliner that would make Brigitte Bardot jealous, singing songs that combine the pathos of Amy Winehouse’s croon with the shoop-shoop catchiness of the Shirelles. She’s modern, she’s vintage, she’s full of feelings. JESSICA IRISH
There is a kind of dreamy, captivating music that feels particularly crafted for riding on a train, watching varied landscapes whip past the window. Dead Nettle, the moniker for Bonny Doon’s own Lindsey Wall, creates just such pensive and enchanting music. Slow, fingerpicked melodies accompany lyrics that feel both intimate and oh-so-relatable. Lines like “I was not your lover/I was a symbol” capture a relational dynamic that’s likely familiar to the heart-wrenched dreamers of the world. Aldous Harding and Neko Case fans will enjoy Dead Nettle’s allusions to the natural world, and everyone will appreciate her vocals. JI
Despite heavy metal having a long, involved history that goes back (in some variation) six decades, it’s still considered a niche genre. This year was the first time the Olympics featured a metal act in the opening ceremony, showing that while it’s becoming more accepted by the masses, it still isn’t as mainstream as Lady Gaga or Celine Dion. Then there are bands like Sacramento’s two-piece blackened death grind act Piss Baptism. Consisting of Flesh Pisser (drums) and Blood Pisser (guitar), this duo is not for everyone, and, most likely, they’re happy about that. For those craving blast beasts, gorrific songs about infected eardrums and brutal, head-splitting riffs performed by two guys in executioners’ masks, they’ll love Piss Baptism. MW
INFO: 8:30pm, Blue Lagoon, 923 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 423-7117.
COMEDY
WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY?
Improv comedy is like the violin: delightful—even beautiful, in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing, and excruciating otherwise. Luckily, four of the best improvisers to riff on a suggestion are coming to town to show us how it’s done. Whose Live Anyway? (a live take on the popular, long-running TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway) stars Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis and Joel Murray presenting an evening of improv games and songs. Who knows, maybe they’ll even invite audience members onto the stage to join ’em. There’s no need for intimidation; the points don’t matter. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN
INFO: 7:30pm, Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz, $60-$77. 420-5240.
ART ROCK
STINKFOOT ORCHESTRA
Frank Zappa’s music is notoriously difficult to play. While undeniably tuneful (at least most of the time), it’s complex and challenging. Years after his passing, Zappa’s music continues to amaze audiences and musicians alike. Bay Area bandleader Nick Chargin’s Stinkfoot Orchestra is a 14-piece ensemble that deftly tackles Zappa’s imposing body of work, bringing its humor, power and excitement to today’s audiences. Providing a strong link with the master and his work, the group features Zappa alums: the Santa Cruz date will feature longtime Zappa vocalist/guitarist Ray White fronting the band. BILL KOPP
INFO: 8pm, Veterans Hall, 846 Front St., Santa Cruz. $25/adv, $30/door. 454-0478.
SUNDAY
ROCK
THE DROWNS
Imagine Motörhead’s Lemmy writing a power-pop Broadway musical paying tribute to the rowdier side of ’50s proto-punk rock and roll for a good sense of how Seattle’s the Drowns hit the ears. It’s a wild mix as they speed through catchy, aggressively upbeat tunes with blistering guitar solos and sing-along choruses. They’re fun with a kind of sincerity that makes one think it would be an absolute blast to lose one’s mind. Lace up the dancin’ boots; their West Coast tour with the Last Gang stops in Santa Cruz on Sunday. KLJ INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, $15/adv, $20/door. 713-5492.
MONDAY
FUNK
FRED WESLEY & THE NEW JBs
The “world’s most famous sideman” trombonist and band leader Fred Wesley is the secret weapon of funk and soul. Wesley established himself as a major force in music early on as a key member of groundbreaking Parliament-Funkadelic in the ’70s. Alongside sax master Maceo Parker, Wesley provided much of the musical firepower for Soul Brother Number One by James Brown. As musical director of that band (the JB’s), Wesley ensured that heavy funk and deep grooves were at the core of Brown’s sound. Today, at 81, he leads jazz-funk heroes the New JBs, drawing on his deep catalog of work, always, always bringing the funk. BK
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $52.50. 427-2227.
The 23-year-old man killed early Saturday morning in a head-on crash in Aptos has been identified as Luke Salem, a Harbor High School graduate who played football for Cabrillo College.
The California Highway Patrol said a 49-year-old man was driving a red 2017 Honda CRV eastbound on Freedom Boulevard at an undetermined speed around 7:35am.
Salem was driving a white 1966 Chrysler Newport westbound on Freedom Boulevard at an undetermined speed.
For reasons still under investigation, the two vehicles slammed head-on into each other killing Salem, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Honda suffered minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Salem began playing for Cabrillo in 2019, Cabrillo Head Football Coach Justin Hansen said. The program was shut down in 2020, but he returned in 2022 and was registered to begin his sophomore year this year.
Hansen described Salem as a kind, open-minded person who was welcoming to new teammates and supportive to those who were having trouble.
While Salem was a skilled wide receiver, Hansen said, it was those qualities that mattered.
“The football stuff doesn’t really matter, he could have been the next Odell Beckham,” he said. “The big picture was that he was a great person inside and out. That didn’t change when he was having a hard time or wasn’t having success. He kept being a great person, and that’s a lot better man than I am, that’s for sure.”
The CHP said it is unknown if alcohol and/or drugs are factors in the crash.
Rushadicus manages to evoke sounds from a cello and a kazoo that I would have never thought possible—he really does sound metal AF, but also weirdly classical, jazzy, not to mention somewhat feral.
“Young, Gifted and Black: The Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection of Contemporary Art,” makes its latest stop at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History.
By recognizing how depression manifests, we move closer to a future where treatment is not just a shot in the dark but a personalized path toward better mental health.
WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN STORY
Heartfelt thanks to you and your team for the lovely article in this past week’s Good Times about WIC, our Health Fair and WIC’s 50th anniversary. It was the nicest article I have seen written about our program. I so appreciate your time, support and advocacy for our program.
The Health Fair was a great success...
A lot of eyes will be focused on Vice President Kamala Harris this week as she receives the nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
As Kamala Harris takes the stage in Chicago this week as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, Santa Cruzans see a new kind of blue wave stretching from California to Washington.
The 23-year-old man killed early Saturday morning in a head-on crash in Aptos has been identified as Luke Salem, a Harbor High School graduate who played football for Cabrillo College.
The California Highway Patrol said a 49-year-old man was driving a red 2017 Honda CRV eastbound on Freedom Boulevard at an undetermined speed around 7:35am.
Salem was driving a white 1966...
