THURSDAY 11/20
POETRY
ELLEN BASS The 16th annual Morton Marcus Poetry Reading honors a nurturer of Santa Cruz’s literary landscape, Ellen Bass, a Chancellor Emerita of the Academy of American Poets whose lyrical lines have graced The New Yorker and The Atlantic for years. This incredible evening of artistry is hosted by Gary Young and honors Morton Marcus’s legacy as a poet, teacher, film critic, and the 1999 Santa Cruz County artist of the year. While celebrating Bass’s journey from Anne Sexton’s student to Santa Cruz’s treasured poet-educator, this evening will also share the announcement of the winner of the Morton Marcus Poetry Contest. SHELLY NOVO
INFO: 6pm, Cultural Center at Merrill College, 641 Merrill Rd, Santa Cruz. Free. 423-0900.
FRIDAY 11/21
SKA
DAN P. AND THE BRICKS 2025 has been full of surprises. For fans of the Santa Cruz music scene, that includes several band reunion shows like Slow Gherkin, Fury 66, Here Kitty Kitty and now Dan P. And The Bricks. Led by Dan Potthast (MU330), this band was a staple in the Bay Area music scene during the 2010s with their sweet, rocksteady Jamaican ska sound. Opening the night is Potthast’s friend Mike Huguenor, who recently released his second solo LP, Surfing the Web With the Alien and is comrade in arms in the Jeff Rosenstock band. MAT WEIR
INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $15. 429-6994.
ART
HERSTORY Every March, the MAH kicks off Women’s History Month with a special HERstory celebration. Taking inspiration from this annual event, the MAH is adding a permanent HERstory addition to its History Gallery. This addition seeks to highlight and amplify the voices and work of women both locally and globally for more than a month. Women have been speaking up, supporting their communities, leading, and resisting for a long time. Activism comes in many forms, which include being creative. This addition includes interactive pieces that allow visitors to hear some voices from the past and connect their ideas to the present. At the event, attendees can nominate potential 2026 HERstory awardees. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 5pm, The MAH, 705 Front St, Santa Cruz. Free, 429-1964.
PSYC-ROCK
BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE Guitarist, singer and songwriter Anton Newcombe founded Brian Jonestown Massacre in 1990. The band has released more than 20 albums, showcasing Newcombe’s distinctive take on psychedelia and alt-rock. The band has been consistent in earning critical praise, but that’s where the predictability ends: wildly erratic in a live setting, Brian Jonestown Massacre can veer from sublime to ridiculous, often within the context of a single performance. At their best, Brian Jonestown Massacre is a must-see-and-hear act. At their worst, they’re an abject disappointment. In the end, that unpredictability is part of the experience. BILL KOPP
INFO: 7pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $56. 423-8209.
SATURDAY 11/22
SOUL
THE CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS First emerging as buskers, Polish-born vocalist Lech Wierzynski and drummer Ben Malament created a unique sound by drawing from contraband American recordings Wierzynski absorbed in communist Poland—Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Louis Armstrong. The band swirls together Bay Area R&B, Southern soul, Delta blues and New Orleans second-line, erasing boundaries between stage and crowd. With an unwavering commitment to improvisation, setlists are abandoned and shows take requests and feature spontaneous jamming that showcases their musical dexterity. SN
INFO: 9pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $52. 713-5492.
SINGER-SONGWRITER
JOHN SPLITHOFF
John Splithoff scored a Top Ten hit single with “Sing to You” in 2016. The Chicago-born singer-songwriter focuses more on singles and EPs than albums. To date, he has released six extended plays collections and 15 singles; 2025’s “Plateau” / “Same Page” is his latest single. Splithoff’s impressive vocal range—four octaves—gives him the versatility to showcase his inventive melodies. A classic rock fan, Splithoff’s musical worldview is an inviting and accessible one, and his songs explore familiar up-close-and-personal themes of love, loss and the connections that hold us all together. BK
INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $28. 705-7113.
SUNDAY 11/23
HIP HOP
WAX It’s not every day someone can say they’ve seen Wolverine and Freddy Krueger spit bars over beats on stage. But this Sunday, rap fans will get that chance when emcee Wax, who portrayed both on the show Epic Rap Battles of History, hits the Catalyst. He started as the guitar player and singer/rapper for early 2000s band MacGregor. After the band went on a “super-extended” hiatus, Wax teamed up with his twin brother, Herbal T., and began posting rap videos to YouTube. In 2008 they broke into the public eye rapping over a Stephen Marley song and haven’t looked back since. This past May he released his 12th studio album, Lifetime Achievement Award. MW
INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $34. 713-5492.
TUESDAY 11/25
BOOK EVENT
PUNK SPIRIT On the surface, one might think punk and spirituality have nothing to do with one another. Local journalist, activist and radio host John Malkin argues otherwise in his new book, Punk Spirit!: An Oral History of Punk Rock, Spirituality, and Liberation, which he’ll present Nov. 25 at the Resource Center for Non-Violence, with a full musical set by Sihasin, a Diné (the correct name for the people called “Navajo” by Spanish missionaries) brother and sister rock duo. MW
INFO: 6:30pm, Resource Center for Nonviolence, 612 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. $10. 423.1626.
COMEDY
DANIEL TOSH When one hears the name Daniel Tosh the first thing that comes to mind is his 2010s Comedy Central show Tosh.0. For 11 years Tosh critiqued internet videos with his trademark dark humor. Not for the easily offended, Tosh started his career in the clubs like most comedians. However, he got his first huge break only a couple years after starting when he was invited to appear on the Late Show With David Letterman. Over the past 25 years Tosh found success with his stand-up specials, tours and several television shows, earning him a place in 2013 as Forbes’ ninth top-earning comedian based on tour ticket sales. MW
INFO: 7pm, Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz. $65-$210. 420-5240.
WEDNESDAY 11/26
MUSICAL
A CHRISTMAS CAROL After a sold-out run in 2024, Santa Cruz Shakespeare is once again presenting A Christmas Carol. Running for almost a month, let this music-filled adaptation be a family tradition. Directed by Charles Pasternak and Alicia Gibson, this heartwarming story reminds us of the meaning of the holiday season. Entertaining music is given direction by Luke Shepherd, keeping the tale fresh. Mike Ryan will play Ebenezer Scrooge, joined by Julie James, Charlotte Munson and Andrea Sweeney Blanco. Christmas past, present and future come together to remind Scrooge and us why it is important to give and share with each other. Performances go until Dec. 24. IMS
