THURSDAY 7/10
LITERARY
MEG WAITE CLAYTON
Eight-time New York Times bestseller Meg Waite Clayton just released her newest novel, Typewriter Beach. With thoughtful commentary on human nature and romantic depictions of the coast, Clayton weaves a tale of two women, separated through time, yet tied together through a Carmel cottage. In the 1950s, aspiring starlet Isabella Giori and blacklisted screenwriter Leon Chazan form an unlikely friendship. Flash forward to 2018, Chazan’s granddaughter prepares to sell the cottage and finds a hidden safe of secrets about her grandfather’s past. Clayton will discuss the book. SHELLY NOVO
INFO: 7pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 423-0900.
FRIDAY 7/11
NORTHERN SOUL
THE INCITERS
Northern Soul is meant to be done big, and The Inciters are doing it up right with a minimum of 10 people on the stage, including a full horn section, three vocalists, drums, guitar, bass and occasional surprise guests, all dressed to the nines in their retro mod finery. The excitement is so irresistible, even wallflowers get caught tapping their toes. The Inciters celebrate the release of their latest record, I Give You My Soul, by playing a hometown show this week with power pop friends Autos and rocksteady outfit The Tectonics. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN
Info: 8:30pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $25. 479-1854.
ROCK
REDWOOD EXPRESS
Redwood Express is only for those who like their rock bluesy, their beats funky and their vibes groovy. This five-piece is a local super group, featuring members from the China Cats, Rosebud, and Grandpa’s Chili. Their bio says they draw inspiration from Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers and Little Feat, but there’s definitely some Hot Tuna, Manassas and, of course, Grateful Dead thrown in there. This past May, Redwood Express dropped its debut album, Sanctuary, available on its website and featuring nine original tracks all from the heart of the forest. What better way to celebrate than with a free, all-ages record release show at Woodhouse Brewery? MAT WEIR
INFO: 7pm, Woodhouse Blending & Brewing, 119 Madrone St., Santa Cruz. Free. 313-9461.
SATURDAY 7/12
BURLESQUE
SIN SISTERS BURLESQUE AND DRAG DISNEY SHOW
Drag is dragged (yeah, pun intended) into the political arena, and it’s up for the fight, but beyond all the red-faced boys who are proud of something, lord knows drag is fun. That’s why it wins. It laughs at power. It laughs at itself. It puts lipstick, false eyelashes and high heels on our sacred cows, and it has fun. Who better to get a nice drag makeover than Disney, that campy realm of fairies and evil queens? Sin Sister Burlesque and Drag performers will showcase many of your favorite characters and songs from Walt’s playbook. Fun! KLJ
INFO: 7:30pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $35-$45. 423-8209.
REGGAE
BARRINGTON LEVY
Barrington Levy is a pioneering Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist, known for his distinctive vocal style and major influence on the genres. Levy debuted on record with 1979’s Bounty Hunter. His work with famed producer Henry “Junjo” Lawes was creatively and commercially successful. His worldwide breakthrough came with Englishman, one of four albums he released in ’79. That record featured the Roots Radics rhythm section. Levy has been at the forefront of combining reggae traditions with modern electronic textures. His work has been sampled by Kanye West, Notorious B.I.G., Sublime, Ol’ Dirty Bastard and many others. BILL KOPP
INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $35-$38. 713-5492.
SUNDAY 7/13
DOG FASHION SHOW
DRESSED TO THE K-9’S
Bow Wow! These dogs look fabulous! Connecting to a current exhibit at the MAH, HOWL: The Art & History of Pets, adoptable pups will prance down the runway showing off the latest head-turning canine couture. The dogs are all adoptable through the SCSPCA, and there will also be a silent auction with proceeds benefiting the SCSPCA. Attendance is included with admission, but for those who want to enhance their experience, a “Top Dog VIP Ticket” is available, which gives access to wine, beer, hors d’oeuvres, and music along with front-row tickets to the glamorous fashion show and an exclusive meet and greet with the models. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 3:30pm, The MAH, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. $8-$45. 429-1964.
MONDAY 7/14
JAZZ
LEW TABACKIN TRIO
Lew Tabackin is a master of the flute and tenor saxophone. Since the 1970s, he has led (with co-leader and spouse Toshiko Akiyoshi) a succession of acclaimed big bands. Tabackin has a deep catalog and has worked as a sideman with Donald Byrd, Benny Carter, Shelly Manne, Maynard Ferguson, Freddie Hubbard and many others. A true original, Tabackin is equally at home as a soloist, in a big band context or anywhere in between. For this special performance at the Kuumbwa, Tabackin will lead a trio featuring the rhythm section of bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Jason Tiemann. BK
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $37-$42. 427-2227.
TUESDAY 7/15
ROCK
FRANKIE & THE WITCH FINGERS
This Los Angeles-based psych garage act has been a favorite of rockers for years with their chaotic mess of never-ending fuzz-punched grooves and high-octane fueled live performances. The words of the late, great Hunter S. Thompson come to mind when talking about Frankie & the Witch Fingers, “One of God’s own prototypes. A high-powered mutant of some kind, never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, too strange to die.” Their latest album, Trash Classic, can only be described as if Devo dropped acid, took a hit of speed, and then decided to write songs about the end of the world as AI launched the bombs outside the garage window. MW
INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $27. 704-7113.
WEDNESDAY 7/16
NOISE ROCK
TORPEDO
Gut-punching poetry accentuated with gritty drums and screaming guitar, Torpedo presents an opera of their own design. The trio from Lusane, Switzerland, seeks to challenge and transform the listener, blending elements of post-punk, industrial, and proto-punk. Beginning as a duo in 2016, Carro Loubere on scratchy guitar and Jay Liseron with bass and drum machines churned together psychedelic songs before adding drummer Drew Hammer and solidifying the band’s live-wire, heady energy. Their newest record, What the Fucked Do We All Do Now? | – Light, is a cathartic dive into the realities of our treacherous and broken world. SN
INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $20. 429-6994.
