THURSDAY 11/5
THEATER
NOEL COWARD’S BLITHE SPIRIT “Till death do us part.” Everyone knows those words from the traditional marriage ceremony, but these days, how many people actually mean them? That’s the question centered around Noel Coward’s zany Blithe Spirit, when author Charles Condomine goes to a medium and accidentally conjures the spirit of his dead first wife. Originally performed in 1941, this paranormal farce still relates to audiences today with its themes of love, loyalty and what to do when the deceased just won’t stay dead. Presented by Kirby School, the production runs Nov. 5–7 at 7pm, with a Sunday matinee Nov. 8 at 1pm. MAT WEIR
INFO: 7pm, The Landing, 251B Kings Village Rd, Scotts Valley. $25-$35. 566-9411.
FILM
WOMEN BEHIND THE CAMERA DURING THE SILENT ERA Movie posters have been used to promote films at least since the era of silent films. Longtime film historian and poster collector Dwight Cleveland will walk the audience through the importance of these documents and the role they play in U.S. cultural and cinematic history. He has been collecting movie posters since 1977. His collection has been featured in books, on television and in museums.. Most recently, he has obtained over 10,000 silent film lobby cards. Using these cards, he will present on the women who went unnoticed or unrecognized during their time. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 7:30pm, 418 Project, 155 S. River St., Santa Cruz. $10-$15. 466-9770.
FRIDAY 11/6
ART
MAZZEO EXHIBIT WITH JIM PHILLIPS, NEIL YOUNG
Neil Young and Jim Phillips are honoring an artistic collaborator of 52 years, the late artist James Mazzeo, at a retrospective of Mazzeo’s paintings and prints at the Blitzer Gallery at the Old Wrigley Building in Santa Cruz, Friday, Nov. 6, 6–9pm, with the exhibition continuing through November. The event titled “Mazzeo” will showcase over 50 artworks from Mazzeo’s nearly seven-decade career creating numerous Neil Young solo and Crazy Horse album covers, books, prints and paintings. Mazzeo also worked with the Doors, Buffalo Springfield, Frank Zappa, The Band and many others. He was a pivotal figure in San Francisco’s counterculture psychedelic rock scene, creating light shows for touring bands that drew the attention of Andy Warhol, whom Mazzeo later worked with. For the “Mazzeo” show, Young has teamed up with the legendary Santa Cruz, California-based artist Jim Phillips, creator of the iconic “Screaming Hand,” on 13 new collaborative artworks. BRAD KAVA
INFO: 5-9pm, R. Blitzer Gallery, Wrigley Building, second floor, 2801 Mission St., Santa Cruz, Free.
SATURDAY 11/7
AMERICANA
CHRIS ACKER New Orleans singer-songwriter Chris Acker has spent four albums learning to turn the unremarkable into something worth sitting with. Churning together wit and woes into honest, tradition-filled blues. On The American Songster, Acker is painfully honest in his lyricism and quietly brilliant in his disheveled yet all too detailed poetry. With his warm and warbly voice, Acker details every part of his day and in doing so, comforts the listener in the relatability of the human condition. Chris Acker stays attuned to a classic Americana folk sound with lilting rhythm guitar, banjo, ricocheting drums, and whispers of fiddle, piano, and flute. SN
INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $20. 429-6994.
PHOTOGRAPHY
HENRY DILTZ Catch a unique chance to hear and see photographer Henry Diltz as he explores his life capturing some of the most iconic moments in our country’s musical history. Behind the Lens is a slideshow and storytelling experience about Diltz’s time shooting Woodstock, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell and his 250 album covers. From Morrison Hotel (The Doors) to Late for the Sky (Jackson Browne) to If I Could Only Remember My Name (David Crosby), Diltz has lived a life that us common folks could only dream about. “I started out photographing my friends who then all happened to become famous,” says Diltz. DNA
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz. $21-$41. 427-2227.
SUNDAY 11/8
ROCK
SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS A band like Southern Culture on the Skids (SCOTS) rarely needs much of an introduction. For 43 years this band has delighted audiences with their southern blend of rock, country, rockabilly, and surf. Led by guitarist and vocalist Rick Miller, SCOTS has been an undeniable force in the rock world and a delight for locals whenever they come around to Moe’s Alley. This week they are joined by local favorites the Dead Kampers for a night of Southern-fried goodness for anyone who likes Merle Haggard, the Cramps and The Byrds. MW
INFO: 7pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $30. 479-1854.
MONDAY 11/9
LITERATURE
THE FLYING DEATH Historian and professor Matt O’Hara urges readers of his book The Flying Death to ask, “Who and what are we willing to sacrifice in the name of discovery and profit?” From the Amazon Rainforest to United States corporate boardrooms, O’Hara tells the story of Richard Gill, who was sick and desperate for a cure. He hoped curare, a poisonous vine, could help. He traveled to the Amazon, connected with native people, ran rogue medical trials, and played politics. All his work led to the curare-industrial complex and a Nobel Prize. He did this for his survival and in the name of profits and discovery. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 7pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 423-0900.
TUESDAY 11/10
SURF ROCK
DONAVON FRANKENREITER Molded by the waves of Southern California, Donavon Frankenreiter was a pro surfer at age 16. He eventually swapped the competition circuit for concert halls, but the rhythm of the ocean never left him. Laid-back grooves, soulful delivery, and lyrics that lean toward the philosophical. His music carries an unhurried ease of someone who knows the vast beauty of the natural world. After almost two decades of touring, Frankenreiter released Get Outta Your Mind in 2024. This was his first studio album in nine years, celebrating the twentieth anniversary of his debut record. This seasoned road musician brings warmth and ease to every room he plays in. SN
INFO: Rolling Together Revue: Donavon Frankenreiter + The Band of Heathens. 8pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $40-$55. 423-8209.
WEDNESDAY 11/11
YOUTH
BE NATURAL MUSIC Since 1998, Be Natural Music, under the leadership of Matthew Pinck, has helped young people in Santa Cruz get instruments into their hands. Its programs now also serve Cupertino. Be Natural Music offers spaces to learn and improve. With private lessons, rock and jazz classes and music camp, Be Natural Music is a crucial organization in the arts. This show will feature the bands Dirt Free, Banana Man, Horizon Sandstorm, Cherry on the Bottom and Whatever. Proving that no matter your age, picking a band name is always hysterical. Several hours of performances plus pizza while helping a good cause is never a bad thing. DNA
