THURSDAY 8/13
JAZZ
MARINA CROUSE To say that singer Marina Crouse is a jazz musician is technically true. However, it’s also a vast understatement of her talents. This Bay Area musician can sing the poetry of jazz, the emotions of the blues and the romance of traditional Mexican boleros. Her 2022 album Canto de Mi Corazon (Song of my Heart) is a testament to that. It’s her first all-Spanish album and it dares anyone with ears not to shed a tear at least once while listening. It’s beautiful, sad, ecstatic, and timeless, much like the artist herself. This evening, be prepared for a true Bay Area gem. MAT WEIR
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $16-$32. 427-2227.
FRIDAY 8/14
HIP HOP
ATMOSPHERE When it comes to the underground hip hop greats, there are several lists one can compile, but all would include Atmosphere. Formed in 1996 by rapper Slug and DJ Ant in Minneapolis, Atmosphere has been dropping bars, knowledge and beats to hip hop lovers throughout the world. They were part of the original collective that would later form Rhymesayers record label, which would later sign acts like Living Legends, Murs, Aesop Rock, Brother Ali, Evidence, and Dilated Peoples. To see them is a blessing, but to see Atmosphere with the Bay’s The Pharcyde, DJ Abilities, Abstract Rude, and Plain Ole Bill is one night people will be talking about for years to come. MW
INFO: 6:30pm, Quarry Amphitheatre, 1156 High St., Santa Cruz. $56-$91. 459-4184.
THEATER
NEW WORKS WEEKEND Mountain Community Theater’s New Works Weekend is a celebration of local storytelling through eight original ten-minute plays. This year’s lineup spans comic farce, dark comedy, and supernatural romp, with writers tackling everything from a psychic radio show and the ghost of Mae West to an escaped memory care patient, a time-traveling surgeon, and Old King Cole’s throne room. Featured readers include MCT veterans Naomi Bowers, Tiffany Cesarin, Shireen Doyle, and Hannah Eckstein. Each performance is followed by a talkback with the writers, directors, and readers, offering a rare window into the craft behind the curtain. Goes until Aug 16. SHELLY NOVO
INFO: 8pm, Mountain Community Theatre, 9400 Mill St, Ben Lomond. $10. 336-4777.
SATURDAY 8/15
FOLK
THE MUSERS The Musers are the rascal Megan McLaughlin, bass sage Tom Kuhn, and lilting Leslie Jackson. Together they provide a safe space to get goofy. The Musers harken back to The Banana Slug String Band and even farther back to The New Zoo Revue. But instead of Freddie, Henrietta and Charlie, it’s Megan, Tom and Leslie. The Musers intentionally seek a playful level of songwriting and engagement with the audience. The Musers are a great palate cleanser, like a mouthful of lime sorbet to replace the banter of monkey chatter that takes up our days. Time to expand your joy with music. DNA
INFO: 7pm, Ugly Mug, 4640 Soquel Drive Soquel. $30. 652-5241.
SINGER SONGWRITER
ANI DIFRANCO Ani DiFranco was indie before it was cool. The New York-born singer-songwriter was an independent artist before it was practical for most. But DiFranco has always done things her way, with artistic principle rather than profit as a foundational goal. She’s a hero to her legion of fans both for her outside-the-machinery approach to her art as well as her dedicated activism, and of course her emotionally direct lyrics. With two dozen studio albums (and even more live releases) to her credit, DiFranco has a deep catalog from which to draw at her lively, engaging shows. Valerie June opens. BILL KOPP
INFO: 8pm, Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz. $68. 420-5260.
SUNDAY 8/16
SURF ROCK
TWIN FIN Surf rock traces its roots back to Southern California in the late ’50s and early 1960s. Country and western has a much lengthier pedigree. Honolulu’s Twin Fin draws proudly from both of those musical traditions, finding additional inspiration in pop of the ’60s and more modern sources like ’90s alternative rock. Combining those varied textures into an original blend, the group began releasing singles in 2022. A pair of EPs followed: 2023’s Bandaid and Saint of Summer in 2024. After that, it was back to singles, and in 2026 Twin Fin recorded another EP, the playfully titled Songs I Never Wrote. Circle Change opens. BK
INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $28. 705-7113.
BLUEGRASS
BROKEN COMPASS JUBILEE Onstage, Broken Compass seems like they possibly arrived at the wrong gig. They’re too young, but from those first sweet notes you know you’re witnessing blossoming talent. Mix tradition with innovation and make it tight, tight, tight with harmonies and wicked pickin’. This is a six-hour celebration with multiple bands, including locals Diggin’ Trails who bring a raw, almost rockabilly style of bluegrass music that pairs perfectly with this afternoon of top-notch vibes. Locals Blue Dream Bluegrass provides a softer, dreamier sound between the fire and brimstone. Broken Compass is exquisite. DNA
INFO: 12pm, Woodhouse Brewing, 119 Madrone Street, Santa Cruz. $30. 313-9461.
MONDAY 8/17
THEATER
APPRENTICE NIGHT As the latest show for the Santa Cruz Shakespeare Fringe Series, the acting and management apprentices will be putting on their own special performance! They will be showcasing their talents in a staged reading, which will center the show on the performers themselves and the dialogue rather than on costumes and set designs. The audience will be able to glimpse the potential of these hardworking, up-and-coming theater apprentices. It is an intimate performance that will enthrall the audience and show just what is possible when people allow their creativity to flow. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 7pm, The Audrey Stanley Grove at Delaveaga Park, 501 Upper Park Road, Santa Cruz, $15-$86. 460-6399.
TUESDAY 8/18
POETRY
KATE O’NEIL The depths of the soul, poured onto the page, and delivered as an offering, Kate O’Neil’s words are her soul-song. From the Connemara coasts to the Galway streets, O’Neil brings life to the ancient memories of trees, wells, and whistling winds. Verses trace the journey between loss and remembrance and parse the relationship between life and death. While some of her poems muse on life’s mysteries, a theme of commitment to a better world is highlighted throughout her works. An activist for social change since 1970, O’Neil’s work fans the eternal flame of resistance, hope, and bravery. SN
