THURSDAY 2/26
LITERARY
KITCHEN COUNTERCULTURE To be a deadhead is more than just being a fan of the Grateful Dead. It’s to be part of a community. As Jim Newton’s book Here Beside the Rising Tide: Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead, and an American Awakening, he explores how Garcia and the Grateful Dead built such a far-stretching community. Gabi Moskowitz applied their ideas to make a deadhead cookbook: Dead in the Kitchen: The Official Grateful Dead Cookbook. The iconic Grateful Dead imagery comes to life through food. Together, these two authors will discuss Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead, and the food that fuels the community. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 7pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. Free. 423-0900.
ROCK
BOLERO! FolkYEAH has been bringing some of the spiciest bands to Santa Cruz for decades. Bolero is a 6-piece band from San Francisco that defies categorization. Imagine if in 1969, the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd combined forces with Blue Cheer and Quicksilver Messenger Service and then were zapped into the future. Bolero’s huge sound is anchored by Joe Dileo’s otherworldly guitar work, Gregorio Perez Figueroa’s crunchy vocal work, 2 percussionists, massive organ vibes and Diego Rumer’s thunderous bass lines. A true melting pot of sounds and influences, Bolero is a trip through time. And that time is, now. DNA
INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, $15/adv, $20/door. 429-6994.
FRIDAY 2/27
FILM
BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL For the 35th year, UC Santa Cruz’s Adventure Rec brings the most awe-inspiring, magnificent adventure films from the Banff Festival in Canada to the stage in Santa Cruz. Celebrating excellence in outdoor filmmaking and storytelling, this film tour presents three nights of breathtaking glimpses of the natural world through the lens. From high-octane sports stories to provocative takes on environmental issues, audiences can expect films that highlight all the different colors, shades, and feelings of the great outdoors. With films carefully selected from over 400 incredible entries, this prestigious festival inspires a deeper connection between humans and mother nature. It goes through March 1. SHELLY NOVO
INFO: 7pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $24. 423-8209.
FUNK
BIONIC SQUID Get ready to get funky because the baddest mama cephalopods are gonna wrap their tentacles around your brain with a heavy dose of psychedelia. Self-described as “If Funkadelic and Thievery Corporation had a bastard love child that grew up listening to Pink Floyd,” Bionic Squid blends funk, jazz and rock in an inky haze of mind-bending psych. This quartet knows how to bring the party from under the sea into your ears. This weekend, grab some friends, buy a couple of pints and get dancing to Bionic Squid’s mix of unique originals and fan favorite covers. MAT WEIR
INFO: 5:30pm, Discretion Brewing, 2703 41st Ave. Ste. A, Soquel. Free. 316-0662.
SATURDAY 2/28
INDIE-POP
SUMMER SALT Summer Salt, from Austin, Texas, has been around for a dozen years and it shows in the easy, breezy delivery of poppy jangling tunes. In these depressing times, it’s truly a breath of fresh air to engage with music fueled by bliss, charisma and a masterful ability to write short, dreamy tunes. Perhaps it’s because guitarist Matthew Terry and drummer Eugene Chung have known each other since childhood that there’s an extra-sensory depth to the music that transcends the structure of the songs. Summer Salt’s “Reside” North American tour is a chance to tune into a bunch of friends who just want everyone to get along and have a good time. DNA
INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. $43. 713-5492.
AMERICANA
RITA HOSKING Though she doesn’t hail from Appalachia, singer-songwriter Rita Hosking’s roots are similar. Growing up in Shasta County, California, she was immersed in rural American musical values. Applying her Berklee College of Music training, Hosking began a career that focused upon and celebrated the people and stories of her native California. Drawing from bluegrass, old time and contemporary strains of folk music, Hosking debuted on record with 2005’s Are You Ready? Working largely outside of the music industry’s machinery, Hosking self-released most of her work. Hosking’s 2024 album Climate Country Radio is a collection of brief songs with a public service theme, focusing on climate change adaptation and mitigation. BILL KOPP
INFO: 7pm, Ugly Mug, 4640 Soquel Drive, Soquel. $30/adv, $35/door. 477-1341.
SUNDAY 3/1
SYMPHONY
CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS Lions, donkeys, and violins, oh my! With the 14 movements of Camille Saint–Saens’ Carnival of the Animals, the Santa Cruz Symphony presents a program fit for the whole family. This humorous musical suite invites the listener into the sounds of the many voices and motifs of the animal kingdom. From hopping triads that depict bounding kangaroos to arpeggios that evoke dreamy aquarium dwellers to bold chromatic scales that mimic the regal lions roar, each musical association proves delightfully witty. Following the masterful execution of this piece, emcee Omari Tau invites listeners to participate in an “instrument petting zoo” that will delight all ages. SN
INFO: 2pm, Civic Auditorium, 307 Church Street, Santa Cruz. $13-26. 420-5260.
MONDAY 3/2
LATIN JAZZ
OMAR SOSA & YILIAN CAÑIZARES Cuban-born pianist and band leader Omar Sosa is renowned for his synthesis of Afro-Cuban musical traditions and influences from around the globe. Recipient of several Grammy nominations, Sosa has collaborated with a dazzling array of artists including Paolo Fresu and Seckou Keita. Violinist, singer and composer Yilian Cañizares was trained in Cuba’s classical conservatory system, subsequently traveling the world and expanding her musical horizons to take in improvisation, contemporary textures and European influences. Together, Sosa and Cañizares lead the AGUAS Trio, a synthesis of their varied talents, skills and influences. The trio’s debut album, 2018’s Aguas celebrates Oshun, the Goddess of Love. BK
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $58/adv, $63/door. 427-2227.
TUESDAY 3/3
FOLK PUNK
VIOLENT FEMMES A band like the Violent Femmes needs no introduction. Their self-titled debut album is a classic among fans of rock, punk and new wave and to this day serves as probably the most famous (and commercially successful) folk punk album. If one adds it up, the Femmes have been entertaining audiences and writing hits for 45 years, an impressive feat for any band. And while the ’80s might be gone daddy gone, the Femmes’ live show is still on point with unexpected instruments like the tranceaphone and Gordon Gano’s angsty voice one can’t help but love. And anyone that’s seen them before will be yelling, “Please, please, please do not go” at the end of night. MW
