THURSDAY 3/26
REGGAE
KYLE SMITH Kyle Smith is constantly switching lanes. Threading his California Reggae roots with hip hop, punk rock, and pop, he has created a sound that flows through genres like water. Hailing from Ventura, California, his songs live in the uncomfortable territory of mistakes, addiction, and imperfection. Lost Cause debuted at #2 on iTunes Reggae Albums in 2021, and the momentum hasn’t let up since, evidenced by a relentless touring schedule and a consistent output of new music. Enraptured by hooks that lodge themselves in the chest long after the set ends, his fanbase of self-described outcasts suggest something deeply resonant arises from Kyle Smith. SHELLY NOVO
INFO: 8pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way. $25-$107. 479-1854.
FRIDAY 3/27
JAZZ
LAKECIA BENJAMIN Coming out of New York City’s Washington Heights, alto sax player, band leader and composer Lakecia Benjamin broke out on her recorded debut Retox in 2012. Benjamin’s style and skill had already earned her opportunities to work with a wide array of artists including the Count Basie Orchestra, Clark Terry, Harry Belafonte, Kool & the Gang, Macy Gray, The Roots and Stevie Wonder. As a recording artist and top-billed performer, her synthesis of jazz, funk, rhythm and blues and hip-hop elements has earned Benjamin numerous accolades. Her song “Noble Rise” was nominated for a 2026 Grammy in the Best Jazz Performance category. BILL KOPP
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $58/adv, $63/door. 427-2227.
AMERICANA
MOSHE & BOAZ VILOZNY The Santa Cruz-raised Vilozny brothers (Moshe and Boaz) return to The Ugly Mug for a special reunion show. Boaz was one of the founding members of The Devil Makes Three and penned the DM3 tunes, “Working Man’s Blues,” and “Holding On.” Moshe started a world music group called Universal Language, who headlined the Catalyst main stage, played festivals and Chico’s Sierra Nevada Big Room. Over the years, both brothers have raised families and are chomping at the bit for another gig at Ugly Mug. Moshe played his first gig there in 1996. And Boaz worked as a barista in 1998, which is where he met his wife. DNA
INFO: 7pm, Ugly Mug, 4640 Soquel Drive Soquel. $20. 477-1341.
SATURDAY 3/28
CLASSICAL
AMADEUS While he only lived to age 35, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was staggeringly prolific, composing more than 800 works and exerting a major influence upon Beethoven, Chopin, and Tchaikovsky. Peter Shaffer paid tribute to Mozart by writing the historical fiction play Amadeus in 1979. His Tony Award-winning play was adapted into a motion picture in 1984. That Amadeus won eight Academy Awards. Santa Cruz Symphony combines music performance with dramatic readings adapted from the play. An additional performance will be held Sunday March 29 at 2pm. That concert takes place at the Henry J. Mello Center. BK
INFO: 7:30pm, Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz. $45-$130. 420-5240.
FUNK
MILD UNIVERSE The universe can be cold, chaotic and uncertain. Then again, it can be chill, groovy and flowing. Or maybe that’s just Mild Universe, the funk-soul-rock collective hailing from San Francisco. From their humble beginnings in 2019, the group has grown to a seven-piece ensemble that synergizes funk grooves with soul vocals all sailing on a river of in-the-pocket drumming and lively horns. Singer Jamie Zimmer has the kind of voice that is calming, like the voice of wisdom coming from another plane of existence. Their debut album, Everything Must Change, came out in 2024 and was recorded in only two days, which is incredibly hard to believe with its rich textures and nuanced flavors. MAT WEIR
INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $15. 429-6994.
SUNDAY 3/29
FESTIVAL
QINGMING FESTIVAL The MAH is honoring the annual Qingming, or Tomb-Sweeping, festival. This holiday honors our ancestors by taking time to clean their graves and leave offerings. Starting at 9:30am, participants will gather at the museum. From there, folks will walk from the museum to the Chinatown Dragon Archway to enjoy a historical talk. Afterwards, they will walk to the Evergreen Cemetery to commemorate the holiday and begin cleaning the graves and making offerings. This event offers not just a chance to connect with ancestors; it also gives participants the opportunity to connect with community and share traditions with each other. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 9:30am, The MAH, 705 Front Street, Santa Cruz. 429-1964.
TUESDAY 3/31
ACOUSTIC
JOHN DOE WITH DARIUS KOSKI It’s a meeting of the punk minds. Despite his inconspicuous name, John Doe is known as one of the legendary punk song writers for his work in the seminal 1977 Los Angeles punk band, X. Of course, that is only the tip of the musical iceberg as Doe has 15 solo and collaborative albums under his belt, is an acclaimed poet and has a lengthy list of IMDB credits longer than the president’s tie. He will be joined by Darius Koski, the lead guitar player for the San Francisco–by-way-of-Santa Cruz punk act, Swingin’ Utters. True punk icons! MW
INFO: 8pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $30. 479-1854.
ROCK
NICK LOWE Nick Lowe has been in the music business long enough to have produced Elvis Costello’s earliest records. Even so, he’s managed to reinvent himself as the sharp-tongued but tender-hearted, solo songwriter, who carries an easy authority of someone who has simply seen more of life than most. Since The Impossible Bird in 1995, he’s quietly assembled an impressive series of late-career catalogs in rock, each album warm and wickedly well-crafted. The New York Times called his live show “elegant and nearly devastating,” which reads exactly right for a man who makes wit look effortless. SN
INFO: 8pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $37. 423-8209.
WEDNESDAY 4/1
EXPERIMENTAL JAZZ
THE THING A Swedish experimental jazz band called The Thing? Your ears should be pre-fluffed to take in the international flavor. Apply appropriate seasonings. The Thing has been on the Swedish Free Music scene for 26 years, and Mats Gustafsson on saxophone has been disintegrating old form structures and replacing them with alien-inspired, bizarre soundscapes. Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (bass) and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums) bring thunder and driving rhythms that fuel Gustafsson’s breathtaking solos. DNA
