Free Will Astrology

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ARIES March 21-April 19

In the days before lighthouses, some coastal communities used โ€œfire beaconsโ€โ€”elevated structures where people tended open flames to guide sailors. In the coming weeks, Aries, I invite you to be like both the keeper and the flame. People will be drawn to your brightness, warmth and persistence as they navigate through their haze and fog. And surprise! You may find your own way more clearly as you tend to othersโ€™ wayfinding. Donโ€™t underestimate the value of your steady, luminous signal. For some travelers, your presence could be the difference between drifting and docking. So burn with purpose, please. Keep your gleam strong and visible.

TAURUS April 20-May 20

The ancestors of my American friend Arisa lived in Ukraine, Indonesia, the Choctaw nation and the Great Lakes region. Her new husband Anselme is of Japanese, Italian and French descent. Their wedding was a celebration of multicultural influences. Guests delivered toasts in five languages. Their marriage vows borrowed texts from three religious traditions. The music included a gamelan ensemble, a band that played Ukrainian folk music, and a DJ spinning Choctaw and Navajo prayers set to Indian ragas. I bring this to your attention in the hope you will seek comparable cross-fertilization in the coming weeks. Itโ€™s an excellent time to weave richly diverse textures into your life.

GEMINI May 21-June 20

I predict a future when women will hold half of the leadership roles, when their income and time devoted to childcare will match menโ€™s, when womenโ€™s orgasms are as common as menโ€™s, and when most guys know that misogyny is perilous to their health. Until the bloom of that wonderful era, I invite Geminis of all genders to invoke your tender ingenuity as you strengthen female opportunities and power. In my view, this work is always crucial to your maximum spiritual and psychological healthโ€”but even more so than usual in the coming weeks. Boost the feminine in every way you can imagine.

CANCER June 21-July 22

In Yoruba cosmology, ase is the sacred life force that animates the universe. Itโ€™s divine energy that can be harnessed by humans to make things happen, to speak and act with ardent intention so that words and deeds shape reality. I am pleased to report that you Cancerians are extra aligned with ase these days. Your words are not casual. Your actions are not mild or minor. You have the power to speak what you mean so robustly that it has an enhanced possibility to come into being. What you command with love and clarity will carry enduring potency.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22

In medieval bestiaries, unicorns were said to be fierce, wild creatures. They were very real but also hidden. Only people with pure hearts could see or commune with them. I suspect you now have the chance to glide into a potent โ€œpure heartโ€ phase, Leo. My fervent hope is that you will take this opportunity to cleanse yourself of irrelevancies and rededicate yourself to your deepest yearnings and most authentic self-expressions. If you do, you just may encounter the equivalent of a unicorn.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22

Some Buddhist monks create mandalas on floors from colored sand. They work meticulously for days or weeks to build intricate, symmetrical masterpieces. Once their beautiful work is done, however, it typically doesnโ€™t last long. The creators sweep it away either immediately or soon. The sand may be disposed of, perhaps poured into a river or stream. Whatโ€™s the purpose of this strange practice? Most importantly, it displays a reverence for the impermanence of all thingsโ€”an appreciation for beauty but not an attachment to it. I recommend you consider taking a cue from the sand mandalas in the coming weeks. Is there anything you love that you should let go of? A creation you can allow to transform into a new shape? An act of sacred relinquishing?

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Glassblowers shape molten sand with breath and fire, knowing the material can only be formed while itโ€™s hot and glowing. If they wait too long, the stuff stiffens, turns brittle and resists change. But if they push too soon, it collapses into a misshapen blob. In this spirit, Libra, I urge you to recognize which parts of your life are now just the right temperature to be reshaped. Your timing must be impeccable. Where and when will you direct the flame of your willpower? Donโ€™t wait until the opportunity cools. Art and magic will happen with just the right amount of heat applied at just the right moment.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21

โ€œI have often been racked by obsessive urges that plague me until I act them out.โ€ So says my Scorpio friend Fatima, a conceptual artist. โ€œFortunately,โ€ she continues, โ€œI have finally retrained myself to focus on creative obsessions that fuel my art rather than on anxious, trivial obsessions that disorder my life. Iโ€™d be an offensive maniac if I couldnโ€™t use my work as an outlet for my vehement fantasy life.โ€ I recommend Fatimaโ€™s strategy to Scorpios most of the time, but especially so in the coming days. Your imagination is even more cornucopian than usual. To harness its beautiful but unruly power, you must channel it into noble goals.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21

The Igbo people of Nigeria have a term: ogwugwu na-adแป‹ nโ€™ulo. It means โ€œthe medicine is in the house.โ€ Itโ€™s the belief that healing doesnโ€™t necessarily come from afar. It may already be here, hidden among the familiar, waiting to be acknowledged or discovered. Dear Sagittarius, your natural instinct is to look outward and afar for answers and help. But in the coming weeks, you should look close to home. What unnoticed or underestimated thing might be a cure or inspiration youโ€™ve been overlooking? How can you find new uses for what you already have?

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

I invite you to celebrate the holiday known as Be Your Own Best Helper. How should you observe this potentially pivotal transformation in your relationship with yourself? Divest yourself of yearnings to have someone clean up after you and service your baseline necessities. Renounce any wishes you harbor for some special person to telepathically guess and attend to your every need. Vow that from now on, you will be an expert at taking excellent care of yourself. Do you dare to imagine what it might feel like to be your own best helper?

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18

In the ancient practice of astronomy, the stars were considered โ€œincorruptible.โ€ Unlike the planets, their movements were unchanging, their lights stationary, their destinies steady and stable. We human beings are the opposite of all those descriptors, of course. Thereโ€™s no use in hoping otherwise, because constancy just isnโ€™t an option for us. The good news, Aquarius, is that you are now poised to thrive on these truths. The inevitability of change can and should be a treasured gift for you. Youโ€™re being offered chances to revise plans that do indeed need to be revised. You are being invited to let go of roles that donโ€™t serve you. But what initially feels like a loss or sacrifice may actually be permission. Evolution is a tremendous privilege!

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

The axolotl is an amphibian that never outgrows its larval form. Unlike most creatures, it retains its youthful traits into adulthood. Amazingly, it can regenerate its limbs, its spinal cord and parts of its brain. Letโ€™s make the axolotl your inspirational animal, Pisces. What part of your โ€œyouthโ€ is worth keepingโ€”not as immaturity, but as righteous design? Where are you being asked not to evolve past a stage, but to deepen within it? And what might be regenerated in you that seemed to have been lost? Your magic will come from being like an axolotl. Be strange. Be playful. Be ageless and original and irrepressible.

Homework: Can you figure out a way to have more fun while you do your work? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

ยฉ Copyright 2025 Rob Brezsny

Things to do in Santa Cruz

THURSDAY 7/10

LITERARY

MEG WAITE CLAYTON

Eight-time New York Times bestseller Meg Waite Clayton just released her newest novel, Typewriter Beach. With thoughtful commentary on human nature and romantic depictions of the coast, Clayton weaves a tale of two women, separated through time, yet tied together through a Carmel cottage. In the 1950s, aspiring starlet Isabella Giori and blacklisted screenwriter Leon Chazan form an unlikely friendship. Flash forward to 2018, Chazanโ€™s granddaughter prepares to sell the cottage and finds a hidden safe of secrets about her grandfatherโ€™s past. Clayton will discuss the book. SHELLY NOVO

INFO: 7pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 423-0900.


FRIDAY 7/11

NORTHERN SOUL

THE INCITERS

Northern Soul is meant to be done big, and The Inciters are doing it up right with a minimum of 10  people on the stage, including a full horn section, three vocalists, drums, guitar, bass and occasional surprise guests, all dressed to the nines in their retro mod finery. The excitement is so irresistible, even wallflowers get caught tapping their toes. The Inciters celebrate the release of their latest record, I Give You My Soul, by playing a hometown show this week with power pop friends Autos and rocksteady outfit The Tectonics. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN

Info: 8:30pm, Moeโ€™s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $25. 479-1854.


ROCK

REDWOOD EXPRESS

Redwood Express is only for those who like their rock bluesy, their beats funky and their vibes groovy. This five-piece is a local super group, featuring members from the China Cats, Rosebud, and Grandpaโ€™s Chili. Their bio says they draw inspiration from Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers and Little Feat, but thereโ€™s definitely some Hot Tuna, Manassas and, of course, Grateful Dead thrown in there. This past May, Redwood Express dropped its debut album, Sanctuary, available on its website and featuring nine original tracks all from the heart of the forest. What better way to celebrate than with a free, all-ages record release show at Woodhouse Brewery? MAT WEIR

INFO: 7pm, Woodhouse Blending & Brewing, 119 Madrone St., Santa Cruz. Free. 313-9461.

SATURDAY 7/12

BURLESQUE

SIN SISTERS BURLESQUE AND DRAG DISNEY SHOW

Drag is dragged (yeah, pun intended) into the political arena, and itโ€™s up for the fight, but beyond all the red-faced boys who are proud of something, lord knows drag is fun. Thatโ€™s why it wins. It laughs at power. It laughs at itself. It puts lipstick, false eyelashes and high heels on our sacred cows, and it has fun. Who better to get a nice drag makeover than Disney, that campy realm of fairies and evil queens? Sin Sister Burlesque and Drag performers will showcase many of your favorite characters and songs from Waltโ€™s playbook. Fun! KLJ

 INFO: 7:30pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $35-$45. 423-8209.

REGGAE

BARRINGTON LEVY

Barrington Levy is a pioneering Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist, known for his distinctive vocal style and major influence on the genres. Levy debuted on record with 1979โ€™s Bounty Hunter. His work with famed producer Henry โ€œJunjoโ€ Lawes was creatively and commercially successful. His worldwide breakthrough came with Englishman, one of four albums he released in โ€™79. That record featured the Roots Radics rhythm section. Levy has been at the forefront of combining reggae traditions with modern electronic textures. His work has been sampled by Kanye West, Notorious B.I.G., Sublime, Olโ€™ Dirty Bastard and many others. BILL KOPP

INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $35-$38. 713-5492.

SUNDAY 7/13

DOG FASHION SHOW

DRESSED TO THE K-9โ€™S

Bow Wow! These dogs look fabulous! Connecting to a current exhibit at the MAH, HOWL: The Art & History of Pets, adoptable pups will prance down the runway showing off the latest head-turning canine couture. The dogs are all adoptable through the SCSPCA, and there will also be a silent auction with proceeds benefiting the SCSPCA. Attendance is included with admission, but for those who want to enhance their experience, a โ€œTop Dog VIP Ticketโ€ is available, which gives access to wine, beer, hors dโ€™oeuvres, and music along with front-row tickets to the glamorous fashion show and an exclusive meet and greet with the models. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE

INFO: 3:30pm, The MAH, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. $8-$45. 429-1964.

MONDAY 7/14

JAZZ

LEW TABACKIN TRIO

Lew Tabackin is a master of the flute and tenor saxophone. Since the 1970s, he has led (with co-leader and spouse Toshiko Akiyoshi) a succession of acclaimed big bands. Tabackin has a deep catalog and has worked as a sideman with Donald Byrd, Benny Carter, Shelly Manne, Maynard Ferguson, Freddie Hubbard and many others. A true original, Tabackin is equally at home as a soloist, in a big band context or anywhere in between. For this special performance at the Kuumbwa, Tabackin will lead a trio featuring the rhythm section of bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Jason Tiemann. BK

INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $37-$42. 427-2227.


TUESDAY 7/15

ROCK

FRANKIE & THE WITCH FINGERS

This Los Angeles-based psych garage act has been a favorite of rockers for years with their chaotic mess of never-ending fuzz-punched grooves and high-octane fueled live performances. The words of the late, great Hunter S. Thompson come to mind when talking about Frankie & the Witch Fingers, โ€œOne of Godโ€™s own prototypes. A high-powered mutant of some kind, never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, too strange to die.โ€ Their latest album, Trash Classic, can only be described as if Devo dropped acid, took a hit of speed, and then decided to write songs about the end of the world as AI launched the bombs outside the garage window. MW

INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $27. 704-7113.

WEDNESDAY 7/16

NOISE ROCK

TORPEDO

Gut-punching poetry accentuated with gritty drums and screaming guitar, Torpedo presents an opera of their own design. The trio from Lusane, Switzerland, seeks to challenge and transform the listener, blending elements of post-punk, industrial, and proto-punk. Beginning as a duo in 2016, Carro Loubere on scratchy guitar and Jay Liseron with bass and drum machines churned together psychedelic songs before adding drummer Drew Hammer and solidifying the bandโ€™s live-wire, heady energy. Their newest record, What the Fucked Do We All Do Now? | – Light, is a cathartic dive into the realities of our treacherous and broken world. SN

INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $20. 429-6994.


Tapped In

Letโ€™s get the toasts in place up front.

First, to the purveyorsโ€”the 30 craft brewers, the 10 cider makers, the exponential VW enthusiasts displaying their rides, the bands banging it out on stage and the food slangers among themโ€”for giving Hop โ€™N Barley (11amโ€“5pm Saturday, July 12) mad depth of flavor.

Then to the attendees, who not only tote along the entire fam and good energy, but also bring dogs in backpacks, dogs with beer T-shirts and dogs with beer goggles.

And to the organizers, for free music in a huge park that requires no ticket and, for simplicityโ€™s sake, calling it Hop โ€™N Barley and not its (more accurate) name of Hop โ€™nโ€™ Barley โ€™nโ€™ Cider โ€™nโ€™ Car Show โ€™nโ€™ Merch โ€™nโ€™ People Watch โ€™nโ€™ Food Truck โ€™nโ€™ Craft Arts โ€™nโ€™ Merch Party.

Itโ€™s not easy to cultivate this sort of annual celebration, let alone keep it evolving every go round.

For 2025, some fresh elements include new producers like Alvarado Street Brewing (pouring its gold medal Mai Tai PA and an unreleased new creation), standout Oakland outfit Hop Sun Fat (and its 10-piece Ethiopian-jazz-funk), and a closing DJ-driven hour (by Monk Earl of Afrobeats Nite).

Oh, and new by-the-glass optionality for those who want to have a serving of wine or beer and bounce rather than wade in for the full tasting experience.

And a new place called Cider City, in a specially designated space, which co-organizer Patrick Grube flags as further evidence the idea is to year-over-year tack on value-added elements.

โ€œLike an event within an event,โ€ he says.

The cumulative intrigue creates the vibe, which ultimately defines the event, as operations chief Katie Sabolek notesโ€”even as she downplays her work recruiting vendors and brewers from the Pacific Northwest to Westside Santa Cruz.

โ€œIt feels uncurated in a really fun way, an organic experience that is incredibly family- and dog-friendlyโ€”it doesnโ€™t feel like a bro fest,โ€ she says. โ€œItโ€™s very Santa Cruz to me, honestlyโ€ฆthe most Santa Cruz thing Iโ€™ve been a part of.โ€ hopnbar.webflow.io

DID SOMEONE SAY VERY SANTA CRUZ?

Happy half century, good olโ€™ Good Times. And what says good times over 50 years better than, well, you know. That materializes in the shape of a hang outside GTSCโ€™s riverside office 4โ€“7pm Friday, July 11 (107 Dakota Ave., Santa Cruz). The lineup is legit: music from J.A.M, Kentucky Mule and Eyes Like Lanterns; food trucks including Girasol Pizza, Taquizas Gabriel and Izzy Ices; photo booth, live painting, bubble art, water stations and community contributors like Coastal Watershed Council, Hindquarter Bar & Grille, Om Soul, Santa Cruz Skateboards and Togoโ€™s too.

NIBBLES AND DRIBBLES

The Santa Cruz Warriors, the four-time NBA G League Franchise of the Year, is about ball. But more. Theyโ€™re about branding, and apparently fans are too: The SeaDubs are 2024-25 NBA G League Retailer of the Year, the league announced last week, noting the Warriorsโ€™ annual Chase Center game on March 9 against the Mexico City Capitanes, which saw the Sea Dubs set a franchise high in single-day merchandise salesโ€ฆSpeaking of S.F., KQEDโ€™s Check, Please! sends its 20th season south to the Monterey Bay Area with a July 17 episode visiting Hanloh Thai Food(1011 Cedar St., Santa Cruz)โ€ฆโ€œWine, Charcuterie, and Crushpad Concertโ€ flows at Roberts Ranch in Ben Lomond with Samba Cruz on July 19, for under $15 (!), robertsranchvineyards.comโ€ฆDave Barry, take it from here: โ€œNot all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer.โ€

Otter Fodder

Still in its pup phase, Salty Otter Sports Grill was born two months ago to owner and general manager Rachael Smith. In addition to work in the legal and marketing fields, her restaurant industry career spans 33 years as a bartender, manager and owner, and her ZIP code rรฉsumรฉ is just as varied with time spent in London, Las Vegas, New York City and Orlando. But her favorite place of all was always Santa Cruz, which she fell for at age 14 during a coastal trip with mom. Smith moved here in 2020 and began looking to open her own restaurant, eventually finding the beloved former 99 Bottles space where she used to frequent as a customer.

Smith describes Salty Otterโ€™s dรฉcor as modern, coastal and industrial, punctuated by a 22-foot photographic mural of Santa Cruz. The American sports bar fare menu features classic breakfasts served all day, headlined by a pinch-me-Iโ€™m-dreaming breakfast burger with beef patty, smoked Gouda and American cheeses, over-easy egg, crispy bacon and honey barbeque sauce between a funnel cake waffle bun.Lunch/dinner succulent starters include a tomato-based Bermuda fish chowder, a hanging large soft pretzel with zesty cheese dip and housemade tortilla chips with pineapple pico de gallo. Main dish favorites are build-your-own burgers, fish & chips and seasonal glazed salmon selections. The highlighted dessert is white chocolate raspberry cheesecake along with rotating specials.

What makes you swoon for Santa Cruz?

RACHAEL SMITH: I loved California, but especially here because there is so much to do with the ocean, swimming and surfing, skateboarding, hiking and a lot of live music. I really just love that I could be on the beach and then 15 minutes later be hiking amongst redwoods in the forest. And I also love that itโ€™s dog friendly and close to major cities, but isnโ€™t one.

Whatโ€™s next for the Salty Otter?

We just got a pool table and opened the upstairs lounge for activities like karaoke, comedy, darts, sports game watching and special events like birthday parties. A passion of mine too, we also plan to showcase live music on our main floor and have the vibe and sound spill out onto the street like in Nashville. And we plan on expanding the menu and letting customer feedback shape our evolution.

110 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz, 831-200-8069; saltyottersportsgrill.com

Classy Pass

Summer is vacation seasonโ€”full of sunshine, spontaneity, and that long-awaited time to sit back and relax. But even with all the fun and freedom, I still find myself craving my wellness routines. So when I found myself in San Diego recently, I decided to drop into a yoga class. That is, until I saw the drop-in fee: $28 for a basic 60-minute session. Not at a luxury spa or celebrity gymโ€”just your everyday yoga studio.

I nearly walked out.

Thatโ€™s when my daughter introduced me to ClassPass, a fitness and wellness membership platform that lets you access thousands of studios, gyms and wellness services across the globe. Instead of paying per class, you buy credits each month and use them however youโ€™d likeโ€”on yoga, barre, strength training, Pilates, even massage or infrared sauna.

While not every town has a good set of offerings, Santa Cruz definitely delivers. The day I got home, I opened the app and counted more than 45 different local classes offered that same day.

As a yoga teacher, I already receive discounted rates at the studios where I teach. But Iโ€™d been intrigued by the option to try something new, like outdoor fitness at G.O.A.T., barre at Pleasure Point, reformer Pilates, and some of the newer downtown spots. So with ClassPass offering a 14-day free trial, I dove in headfirst.

First stop: Barre Fusion at Pleasure Point Studio, led by the teacher Lisa Baretta. Her energy was infectious, the mirrored studio inviting, and the transitions from mat to ballet bar seamless. We used resistance bands and light weights to sculpt and toneโ€”exactly the kind of strength training I tend to skip (and need more of).

Next, I ventured into Reformer Pilates at Toadal Fitness. Surrounded by clearly dedicated regulars, I joined in a core-focused session with teacher Natalia that was both challenging and fun. The small group setting made it approachable, and the vibe was refreshingly friendly. If youโ€™re looking for alignment-based strength work with a bit more feedback, this is a great pick.

Then came G.O.A.T. Santa Cruzโ€”Group Open Air Trainingโ€”launched in the thick of the Covid shutdowns and built on community, resilience, and fresh air. On a sunny Sunday morning, I joined a BODYCOMBAT class, a non-contact, martial arts-inspired cardio session with influences from karate, kickboxing, Muay Thai and more.

The energy was sky high. The music was loud and motivating. And the students ranged from 20-somethings to silver-haired fighters, all whooping and kicking in sync. I may have arrived two minutes late, but I left feeling like I fit right in. I even picked up a few self-defense moves along the way.

A few days laterโ€”after teaching and some much-needed restโ€”I reopened the app to explore what was next. The list was both exciting and overwhelming.

There was Santa Cruz Parkour, which looked like an adult jungle gym playground and promised โ€œfreestyle movementโ€ for building agility and confidence. Ballroom dancing at the Palomar piqued my interest, as did the Tropical Fusion dance class at Pleasure Point.

I briefly flirted with the idea of trying CrossFit and WODs (Workout of the Day), but decided those were better suited for more intense training days. I ended up choosing Sculpt at Fit Together Studio, a cozy women-focused studio located inside the Center Street Arts Building. Instructor Chelsea led a supportive, challenging class that hit the sweet spot between energizing and accessible. (Pro tip: give yourself extra time for parking!)

By the end of the week, I was still flying high on my ClassPass adventure. But suddenly, the class options on the app began to shrink. No more sculpt, no more reformer, no more dance. I messaged customer support and learned that the free trial has limitsโ€”either time- or usage-basedโ€”and I had officially maxed out most of my options.

Fair enough. Iโ€™d taken full advantage of the trial and loved every minute. Still, with so many classes left to explore, I decided to go ahead and subscribe at the lowest tier. Itโ€™s affordable, flexible, and perfect for supplementing my regular studio routine with something new each week.

At the end of the day, Iโ€™m a loyal studio-goer. I love the relationships, the consistency, and the familiarity of my yoga community. But ClassPass gave me something I didnโ€™t know I needed: variety, inspiration, and that energizing thrill of trying something new.

So whether youโ€™re away on vacation, hoping to shake up your summer fitness routine, or simply looking to sample what our vibrant local movement scene has to offerโ€”ClassPass might just be the nudge you didnโ€™t know you needed.

And who knows? You might even find your new favorite class in the process.

Prices range from 8 credits for $19 a month to 125 credits for $249 a month.

Elizabeth Borelli is an author and Mediterranean lifestyle expert. Visit her website for free resources, news and events.

Jam at the Grange

The stage is set for a full day of pickinโ€™ and grinninโ€™ as the Northern California Bluegrass Society hosts an all-day jam and potluck supper Saturday at the Live Oak Grange.

Headlining the Santa Cruz gathering is Brianna Colliard and the Desert Marigolds, โ€œthe hottest new band in the South Bay/Monterey Bay Area,โ€ says Michael Hall, president of the Northern California Bluegrass Society. โ€œThey are from the Carmel Valley mountains, the non-ocean side of Big Sur.โ€

Colliard and her band recently played on the main stage of the Strawberry Music Festival, a multi-day camping and folk music gathering at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley.

Warming up the crowd will be the Keith Holland Bluegrass Band, โ€œa group of jammers who get together once a week in Los Gatos,โ€ Hall says, followed by the Post Folk Revivalists, and Eric Burman and the Brookdale Bluegrass Band, host band of the evening, playing a mix of original and bluegrass music.

For the closing jam at 7pm, Hall says, โ€œThere will be people with instruments both inside and outside so anybody who comes with an instrument can participate.โ€

A Tennessee native, Redwood City local and retired lawyer, Hall has served with the society for more than 35 years. โ€œMany, many years on and off,โ€ he says.

โ€œThis is the fourth time that we have done this event,โ€ Hall explains. โ€œThe first time was in Hollister, and the past two times were in Loch Lomond. This year weโ€™ve decided to move it into town and hold it in Santa Cruz.โ€

Musicians, listeners or those interested in becoming a volunteer or member of the nonprofit Northern California Bluegrass Society are welcome to attend this free event.

On Aug. 7โ€“10, the society also hoststhe Good Olโ€™ Fashioned Bluegrass Festival, a four-day fiesta with music, workshops and camping at San Benito County Historical Park.

The Northern California Bluegrass Festival jam takes place 3โ€“8pm on July 12 at the Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. scbs.org

Guiding โ€˜Lighthouseโ€™

0

Some things feel so serendipitous itโ€™s hard not to believe thereโ€™s some purpose in everything coming together at the right place, in the right time, with the right people.

Thatโ€™s certainly the case with Lighthouse, the debut album by local rock band Career Woman. Released on June 6, Lighthouse has been a long time coming, but it took those three ingredients above for it to be fully cooked.

To celebrate, Career Womanโ€”a once solo act, now full band led by frontwoman and recent UC Santa Cruz graduate Melody Caudillโ€”is throwing an album release party on July 17 at the Crepe Place with Dolly Creamer and Hearsing.

โ€œMy first year in college was pretty rough,โ€ Caudill explains. โ€œSo it was hard to get to the place where I am now. Itโ€™s rare to have band members you connect withโ€”on a personal and musical levelโ€”let alone to have a community of bands, photographers and artists. Itโ€™s so special.โ€

The community sheโ€™s talking about is the new wave of Santa Cruz bands bubbling to the surface of attention. Dubbed by Santa Cruz Recording Studio wizard and platinum record producer Jim Wirt as โ€œSanta Cruz Surf Punk,โ€ the scene includes bands like Trestles, Plumskin, Hearsing (which Caudill is also in) and others.

But itโ€™s those three bands in particularโ€”along with Oakland indie pop act Small Crushโ€”that Caudill has formed a bond with since moving to Santa Cruz.

โ€œIt was a โ€˜meant to beโ€™ situation because I had been introduced to my bandmembers, who are also in Small Crush, before I even chose to go to UC Santa Cruz,โ€ she says, adding she met her bandโ€”Jackson Felton, Allen Moreno and Joey Chavezโ€”through her record label, Lauren Records.

Label owner Aaron Kovacs introduced her to Small Crush, who is on legendary Bay Area label Asian Man Records.

โ€œThey were only a few years olderโ€”and there arenโ€™t many people my age on either labelโ€”so [Kovacs] connected us to make some songs,โ€ she remembers. โ€œThat went so well that when I moved to Santa Cruz they joined my band.โ€

Caudill is no stranger to the music world. She grew up in a musical family and has been writing songs since she was a child. Throughout her teenage years she wrote and recorded singles with her father, who is also in indie rock bands. In 2023โ€”at the age of 19โ€”Caudill released Career Womanโ€™s debut EP, Grapevine.

But Lighthouse marks Caudillโ€™s first, proper, full-length album. Itโ€™s also the first time sheโ€™s released anything on physical media, previously only going through streaming services. However, this time fansโ€”new, old and soon-to-beโ€”can purchase the album on CD or light blue vinyl.

The album โ€œcame at a great, pivotal time in my life,โ€ she says. โ€œIโ€™m 21, just graduated college and now have my first album. A lot of things Iโ€™ve worked on my whole life have culminated right now.โ€

For fans of dreamy indie pop with pop-punk undertones, itโ€™s easy to see what sheโ€™s talking about. Career Womanโ€™s songs are fully fleshed-out songs with a clear path and written with obvious intention from start to finish. Pulling the themes from her life, Caudill is still able to tell stories that everyone can relate to without making them too personal or murky, while still conveying the ups and downs of being young in America.

Take the opening track, โ€œPiano Song,โ€ in which Caudill writes about being a twentysomething in college, โ€œflirting with boysโ€ and โ€œforgetting my keys.โ€ Then thereโ€™s these linesโ€”โ€œI am living in the present /and I am in good companyโ€โ€”followed by a list of affirmations that conclude, โ€œBut If you ask me if Iโ€™m ready/ Iโ€™d say โ€˜I donโ€™t knowโ€™/I wouldnโ€™t trust my own instincts/if they were stuffed down my throat.โ€

That juxtaposition of confidence while acknowledging her distrust in herself is such a universal feeling, even if most wonโ€™t admit it. After all, being a child is thinking adults know what theyโ€™re doing. Being an adult is realizing nobody knows what the hell is going on.

Then there are the singles, โ€œBoyfriendsโ€ and โ€œMelโ€™s Drive In,โ€ both of which have videos conceptualized and directed by Caudill.

In โ€œBoyfriendsโ€ she sings, โ€œMe and my friends/we donโ€™t like men/but we got boyfriends,โ€ a perfect representation of how many young women feel in a country where men try to legislate what they canโ€”and canโ€™tโ€”do with their bodies and women-hating incels have emerged from their parentsโ€™ basements and entered the mainstream as somehow acceptable ideologues.

The other single, โ€œMelโ€™s Drive In,โ€ was almost a throwaway: unfinished and about a painful subject in Caudillโ€™s life. But thatโ€™s when the right personโ€”drummer Jackson Feltonโ€”stepped in at the right time.

โ€œHe was like, โ€˜No, this is the best one, just trust me,โ€™โ€ she says. โ€œAnd then it became my favorite song that weโ€™ve ever written.โ€

Career Woman plays at 8pm on July 17 at the Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.

New Tradition

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For the past two decades, local artists have participated in Santa Cruzโ€™s First Friday every month. Now, creative types in the Pajaro Valley are gearing up to start their own tradition: a Second Saturday Art Tour.

The free, monthly event is built on this theme: โ€œBring your family, bring your neighborsโ€”letโ€™s make downtown Watsonville the heart of community connection, creativity and culture.โ€

A soft launch is set for 1โ€“4pm July 12, on Main Street and surrounding blocks.

โ€œWeโ€™re aiming to help make downtown Watsonville an arts district,โ€ said Kathleen Crocetti, who has been working with Miriam Anton, executive director of Pajaro Valley Arts, and Jessica Beebe, recreation supervisor of Watsonville Parks and Community Services, in creating the event that is modeled after Santa Cruzโ€™s popular event.

The lead artist on scores of outdoor mosaic projects around the county, Crocetti says, โ€œIt is time for all of us to choose a date and bring our arts together so we can co-market and grow and share our audience. This is not only to celebrate Watsonville but all of Santa Cruz County where we can create a bigger buzz around our growing culture.โ€

What to expect:

  • Live performances by local musicians, dancers and theater groups.
  • Kid-friendly activities, including arts and crafts, face painting and story time.
  • Local shopping with pop-ups from downtown retailers and artisan vendors.
  • Interactive art installations and tours of community murals.
  • Connection to local nonprofits and community resources.

Crocetti said organizers want to choose a day that people of all ages and families can take part in a free monthly arts and culture celebration.

Organizers also want to incorporate local brick-and-mortar restaurants that will offer Second Saturday-specific discounts.

โ€œThe City of Watsonville is one of our biggest partners,โ€ Crocetti said. โ€œJessica Beebe has been a tremendous boost. Weโ€™re super excited about how many activities we are able to offer for this first event, which we hope will continue every second Saturday for years to come,โ€ Crocetti said.

Among the many participants are the following: a performance by Watsonville Taiko, 1-2:30pm at Watsonville Plaza, 358 Main St.; a tour of the Annieglass factory, 1:30pm, 310 Harvest Dr.; Estrellas de Esperanza folklรณrico performance, 3-3:30pm, at Watsonville Center for the Arts, 375 Main St.; and the Pajaro Valley Arts Paint Jam, 1-4pm, at the Porter Building, 280 Main St.

For more information, visit watsonvillesecondsaturdays.my.canva.site.

The Editor’s Desk

Santa Cruz California editor of good times news media print and web
Brad Kava | Good Times Editor

Sometimes I wonder if a town can have too much culture. For a city of 60,000 people and a county of less than 300,000, we have more things to do on any given week than the city over the hill of a million or so people.

Weโ€™ve got more plays, live music, poetry, comedy and lectures than almost any place Iโ€™ve been.

Sometimes I wonder how our local artists survive with so much competition. On any day or night you can find stellar entertainment around the county, either national or local artists. If thereโ€™s one shortcoming, itโ€™s that we donโ€™t have as many top-tier national artists as we used to.

The Civic used to have a full lineup with the likes of Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Shakti and more, but its offerings are much smaller now.

Except, that is, for the Santa Cruz Symphony and the upcoming Cabrillo Festival of New Music, which has two weeks of internationally known avant-garde classical music at the end of July into August. (Look for our cover story on it coming soon.)

And we keep adding events. Downtown Santa Cruz has a new Thursday night music offering at the site of the new farmers market; it also has a Tuesday night series on the Wharf and last Saturday it added a concert series at the Lighthouse that was blissfully packed. Thereโ€™s also the Friday Midtown Festival, which draws a full house for local artists.

I think the city is moving in the right direction by bringing more entertainment and I think they are planning for the future. People in all those new housing developments downtown are going to need something to do.

In our cover story, Santa Cruz Shakespeare artistic director Charles Pasternak is buoyant with optimism for our arts scene.

โ€œI really do believe in a town like this a rising tide lifts all boats,โ€ he tells Christina Waters. โ€œIf our musical does well, it will only excite more of our audience to go check out Cabrillo Stage, and perhaps for their audience that loves what they do and hasnโ€™t been much interested in Shakespeare, offering them something musical will perhaps bring them into our theater. So I do not see any competition or negativity.โ€

All that entertainment has helped keep this publication running for 50 years and we want to share it with you. Friday from 4-7pm we have some great up-and-coming local bands performing outside our building at 107 Dakota Ave. Itโ€™s free. Hereโ€™s a link to an invite, which will help us know how many goodie bags to make and will show you our lineup. caltix.com/e/goodtimes-50year-anniversary-party

Thanks for reading.

Brad Kava | Editor


PHOTO CONTEST

THE LIFEGUARD Taken at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. Photograph by Tatiana Lyulkin


GOOD IDEA

In connection to the MAH exhibition HOWL: The Art & History of Pets, the Santa Cruz SPCA is sponsoring a canine fashion show 3โ€“5pm Sunday at the Museum of Art & History that will showcase adorable adoptable pups prancing down the runway in head-turning canine couture. Admission is included with the $8 museum entry fee or you can purchase a VIP pass for $45 that includes adult beverages and front-row seats. Thereโ€™s a great silent auction with too many local businesses to mention to benefit the shelter. Advanced tickets are available at Eventbrite.

GOOD WORK

Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired announces the grand opening of its new office in Santa Cruz, marking a major milestone in its ongoing commitment to serve individuals with vision loss across the Central Coast. To commemorate this expansion, Vista Center will host a Ribbon Cutting & Networking July 31, 5:30โ€“7:30pm, with the official ceremony beginning at 6:15pm.

The event welcomes funders, donors, elected officials and community members to tour the new facility, enjoy light refreshments, and connect with local professionals and community leaders.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

โ€˜Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.โ€™ โ€“Winston Churchill

Expansion Mode

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Weโ€™re talking to Charles Pasternak, entering his third season as Santa Cruz Shakespeare artistic director. Pasternak talks about the festivalโ€™s first musical offering, his choice of Pericles, which he is directing. He opens up about adding a fourth play in September, and his plans for expanding the season as far as it will go.

Youโ€™re adding a musical this season. Isnโ€™t that Cabrillo Stage territory?

Charles Pasternak: I really do believe in a town like this a rising tide lifts all boats. If our musical does well, it will only excite more of our audience to go check out Cabrillo Stage, and perhaps for their audience that loves what they do and hasnโ€™t been much interested in Shakespeare, offering them something musical will perhaps bring them into our theater. So I do not see any competition or negativity.

Talk about Into the Woods.

CP: Itโ€™s probably the musical Iโ€™ve known well the longest. My sister did it, I think, in eighth grade, and she played Little Red and I loved it. I love the original Broadway production.

I really do believe a season itself should be a piece of art, that all the plays I choose should be in conversation with each other, so that our audience that sees all the plays can be a part of that conversation. The conversation between Into the Woods and Midsummer seems so clear to me. Iโ€™ve had one or two people say to me, you know, for your first musical, you picked up, you picked a tough one, and it is tough, but we have a brilliant music director, Luke Shepherd, who is truly incredible.

And thereโ€™s more expansion with Master Harold as the fourth offering.

I think itโ€™s a masterpiece. Fugard died this year. I was getting excited to produce a living playwright, but now Iโ€™m excited to honor his legacy so quickly. I have my eyes on continued expansion. Further down the line, I have my eyes on the possibility of adding another show maybe summer, maybe fall, I donโ€™t know. Weโ€™re doing well, but weโ€™re not sitting on our laurels. Two Shakespeares are always going to be our backbone. Iโ€™m not touching thatโ€”but as we add, I can offer more and more.

Maybe more Tennessee Williams?

The response to Menagerie was overwhelming. If thereโ€™s any Williams I have my eye on next, it might be Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. But I love Chekhov. Weโ€™ve done it once in our history. I love Shaw. We havenโ€™t done it in ages. I love Noel Coward. And Thornton Wilder.

How might expansion work, especially given the outdoor setting of the Grove?

Yes! Ideally a year-round program and weโ€™re working toward that. We already have a winter holiday show, A Christmas Carol. Expanding into the fall is one thing since we still have the space available, right? Finding out how we expand into the spring is more troublesome. For some months the weather wonโ€™t allow it. And weโ€™re caretakers of the land. We winterize that whole space. Itโ€™s a huge amount of work.

What about the Colligan?

Because of the history of the Jewel, our audience loves it. I thought Julie did wonderful things. I have so much admiration for how she managed it. But itโ€™s just not workable for us. The Colligan seats under 200, and for Christmas Carol we had an audience of 280 plus. So thatโ€™s a lot of seats lost. Weโ€™d have to up the price. We have to keep the doors open. We have to keep access available. Weโ€™re so lucky in the scope of this country to live in a community that loves and values its theater and its art. And thatโ€™s not true a lot of places. Weโ€™re going into our third straight year of record ticket sales. Our percentages right now are above last yearโ€™s.

Youโ€™re committed to repertory theater.

I think more theaters in this country would be doing better if they were to return to a real repertory model. I need to bring artists from outside Santa Cruz, because I want to present a world-class company, and I need to find them outside of it. But I want to find great artists in Santa Cruz as much as I can. I want to invest locally. And so finding Jordan [Best] and Lori [Schulman], realizing I had these two incredible artists in my backyard, and for our first musical, they were both excited and available.

I should make a distinction when I say every year we have a company of 20 plus actors, and what Iโ€™m talking about is formalizing a company in the range of, letโ€™s say, 10 artists that I want back every year. So I donโ€™t want the community to think theyโ€™re going to see the exact same 20 plus people every year. Theyโ€™re not. But a core group that will return, those who like to work with each other, that bring positivity to this theater, that get to invest in this community, that love this community. And know how to work on this stage.

This year we do four shows on one company. Artistically that company gets to stretch themselves. You get to see Mike Ryan in one kind of role, and then in another role.

I think one reason this theater has done so well is because itโ€™s had actor/artistic directors leading it. The community has gotten invested in Paul Whitworth, and has gotten invested in Mike Ryan, partly because they lead the company, and I hope to be in that same vein. And I think that that model can extend to the other artists in the company.

Youโ€™re taking a chance on Pericles, arenโ€™t you?

Well, I hope the production will convince you, but I will say that I like Pericles, Winterโ€™s Tale and Cymbeline, this trio of late plays that go beyond comedy and tragedy, that go beyond black and white, that go into the gray. Part of Shakespeareโ€™s greatness is always his ambiguity to me, and these three plays magnify that ambiguity. And theyโ€™re about forgiveness, and theyโ€™re about rebirth and theyโ€™re about miracles. Pericles punishes all extremities. There are extremities in play, from its opening ugliness. And in the end, it takes sacrifice. It takes two people seeing each other across the divided years, recognizing each other, a family coming back together, a literal rebirth. I think there is a true miracle in the play, and itโ€™s a fabulous sort of fantasy adventure. Six countries, two shipwrecks, two storms at sea. I think itโ€™s magnificent.

Iโ€™m often interested in the lesser-knowns. But I have a financial responsibility to this company to cover my risk, right? So Pericles, I accept, probably wonโ€™t sell as well, but itโ€™s playing behind Midsummer and Into the Woods. Now I hope itโ€™s a surprise hit, but if itโ€™s not, even if it just does okay, weโ€™ve gotten Into the Woods.

Santa Cruz Shakespeareโ€™s 2025 season runs July 18โ€“Sept. 20 in repertory with Into the Woods, A Midsummer Nightโ€™s Dream, Pericles and Athol Fugardโ€™s Master Harold…and the Boys. santacruzshakespeare.org

Read Christina Waters’ cover story about Santa Cruz’s Summer of Sondheim

Free Will Astrology

Astrology, Horoscope, Stars, Zodiac Signs
ARIES March 21-April 19 In the days before lighthouses, some coastal communities used โ€œfire beaconsโ€โ€”elevated structures where people tended open flames to guide sailors. In the coming weeks, Aries, I invite you to be like both the keeper and the flame. People will be drawn to your brightness, warmth and persistence as they navigate through their haze and fog. And...

Things to do in Santa Cruz

Frankie & the Witch Fingers, the L.A.-based psych garage act, has been a favorite for years with their high-octane fueled live performances. Tuesday at Felton Music Hall.

Tapped In

dining review photo
Happy half century Good Times in the shape of a hang outside GTโ€™s office at 107 Dakota Ave., Santa Cruz 4โ€“7pm Friday, July 11, with live music and food trucks.

Otter Fodder

foodie file photo
Salty Otter's pinch-me-Iโ€™m-dreaming breakfast burger has smoked Gouda and American cheeses, over-easy egg, bacon, honey bbq sauce on funnel cake waffle bun.

Classy Pass

ClassPass is a fitness and wellness membership platform that lets you access thousands of studios, gyms and wellness services across the globe.

Jam at the Grange

A&E photo
The stage is set for a full day of pickinโ€™ and grinninโ€™ as the Northern California Bluegrass Society hosts an all-day jam and potluck supper Saturday at the Live Oak Grange.

Guiding โ€˜Lighthouseโ€™

Career Womanโ€”a once solo act, now full band led by Melody Caudillโ€”is throwing an album release party on July 17 at the Crepe Place

New Tradition

Creative types in the Pajaro Valley are gearing up to start their own tradition: a Second Saturday Art Tour.

The Editor’s Desk

Editor's Desk photo of Sweeney Todd cast
Sometimes I wonder if a town can have too much culture... we have more things to do on any given week than the city over the hill of a million or so people.

Expansion Mode

Cover sidebar photo
Charles Pasternak talks about Santa Cruz Shakespeare's first musical offering, Pericles, adding a fourth play, and expanding the season.
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