FRIDAY
HIP HOP
LYRICS BORN
Lyrics Born is a legend. Born in Tokyo, the Japanese and Jewish American rapper made a name for himself in the Bay as half of Latyrx (with Lateef the Truthspeaker) in the early ’90s. A decade later he dropped his debut, Later That Day, which peaked at number 40 on the US Billboard charts. In 2022, Rolling Stone named it one of the “200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time.” Earlier this year, the same publication called his song “Callin’ Out” one of the “100 Greatest West Coast Hip-Hop Songs of All Time.” Lyrics Born also has a passion for food, and fans can catch him on his online cooking show, Dinner In Place. MAT WEIR
INFO: 9pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $22/adv, $27/door. 479-1854.
INDIE / PUNK / METAL
GHOSTLAND MUSIC FESTIVAL, TWO DAYS OF ROCK
The First Annual Ghostland Music Festival rocks the Historic Brookdale Lodge on Friday and Saturday. The event offers 3 stages devoted to Indie, Rock/Punk and Hardcore/Metal. The music will rock from 5pm until after Midnight on Friday and Saturday. Friday’s Indie stage presents Cowboy Starr, Star 69, Cement Ship, 7 Come 11, The Bassment, Joe Kaplow and two more TBA, while the Rock/Punk stage unleashes Fulminante, Enemy of My Enemy,The Scalps, and 6 more. Friday’s Hardcore/Metal lineup includes Crossed, Sepsis, Placate, FUX, Curb Creeps, and 3 more TBA. The festival is “birthed by musicians for musicians and music lovers.”
JOHN KOENIG
INFO: First bands at 5pm, Historic Brookdale Lodge, 11570 Highway 9, Brookdale. Presale tickets $15 1-Day, $25 2-Day. At the door $20 1-Day, $30 2-Day.
www.brookdalelodge.com/events/ghostland-music-festival
FOLK
CHISELED
Before the pandemic, Tom Gewecke and Stefan Frazier played together at open mics around the Bay Area. When the shelter in place was called, and there was nowhere to play, they decided it was finally time to drop their debut album. Friend Kai Frazier grabbed his guitar, and just like that, Chiseled became a three-piece. Last June, they released the new lineup’s five-song debut EP, Naked in a Dream. As their name implies, the trio plays a very defined version of folk music with bits of country and indie rock carved into it. MW
INFO: 5:30pm, Discretion Brewery, 2703 41st Ave., Soquel. Free. 316-0662.
MARKET
ABBOTT SQUARE MAKERS HOLIDAY POP-UP
It’s never too early to start looking for the perfect bespoke gift for those special loved ones, and what’s more Santa Cruz than a gift made by local artists? Stroll around Abbott Square and check out the wares of 20 unique makers, from paintings and wood burnings to crocheted goods, soaps, jewelry and much more. There’s something for everyone, and the warm feeling of knowing the money spent goes directly to supporting the creative community is a bonus. Savory beverages and tasty treats abound, so nobody has to shop hangry. MW
INFO: 11am, Abbott Square Market, 725 Front St., Santa Cruz. Free.
SATURDAY
ROCK
Pete Floyd
It’s been almost 30 years since British psychedelic trail blazers Pink Floyd played their final concert. But their influence on music and listeners lives on, and the tribute band Pete Floyd brings that influence to Felton Music Hall. Since guitarists and vocalists Pete Delaney and Pete Hale started their traveling tribute three years ago, they’ve been steadily building a following. In the sensory-saturating tradition of their role models, the show also features an immersive laser light show. Other members of the eight-piece band include guitarist-vocalist Teal Collins, keyboardist Bob McBain, drummer Sean England, vocalist Paige Clem and Alex Garcia on sax and keys. DAN EMERSON
INFO: 7pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $21/adv, $25/door. 704-7113.
ROCK
THE BASEMENT TAPES LIVE FEATURING CHUCK PROPHET
Traveling with an all-star band and singing songs by the man who wrote many of the greatest of all time? Kinda seems like Chuck Prophet has a great life figured out for himself. This tour features musicians from Phil Lesh & Friends, the Mother Hips, and Casual Coalition. They’ll be playing from Bob Dylan and the Band’s “The Basement Tapes” lexicon—not from beginning to end, but covering the songs that live most insistently in their souls. Is there a better way to shift into the holiday season than shaking it to “Mighty Quinn?” Doubtful. JESSICA IRISH
INFO: 8:30pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 479-1854.
INDIE / PUNK / METAL
GHOSTLAND MUSIC FESTIVAL
Ghostland Music Festival rocks Historic Brookdale Lodge for a second day beginning at 5pm with three stages and 20+ bands. JK
INFO: Visit brookdalelodge.com/events/ghostland-music-festival for lineup and tickets.
SUNDAY
HIP HOP
THE PHARCYDE
What would hip-hop be without “Passin’ Me By” by the Pharcyde? It’s a thought too upsetting to contemplate. The group created some of the greatest sounds of the ’90s, and their legacy is still felt in the world of hip-hop and rap today (and played from the speakers of every specialty coffee shop with impeccable vibes and perfect playlists). Their music lights up a room with undeniable choruses, funky beats and head-spinning bars highlighting language’s expansive possibilities. This is one of those tours that is too amazing to pass up because these guys are living legends! JI
INFO: 9pm, Catalyst Club, 1011 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. $27/adv, $32/door. 713-5492.
MONDAY
JAZZ
DORADO SCHMITT & THE DJANGO FESTIVAL ALLSTARS
French guitarist-violinist Dorado Schmitt can stand on his own as an accomplished composer and bandleader. He’s also made bolstering the gypsy music of the late, great Django Reinhardt part of his life’s mission. His long-running Django Festival Allstars is an unstoppable swing machine that includes his two sons, Samson and Amati, on lead guitar. The Allstars blend bossa nova, flamenco and modern jazz with the traditional fusion of American hot jazz and French chanson to create original compositions and arrangements. They’re playing a vital role in the evolution of gypsy jazz, with swing as the common denominator. DAN EMERSON
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St. $52.50/adv, $57.75/door. 427-2227
TUESDAY
LITERARY
TEMPLE GRANDIN
Renowned professor Temple Grandin comes to Santa Cruz this week to celebrate Different Kinds of Minds, the Young Readers Edition of her 2022 bestseller Visual Thinking. Now adapted for children, this landmark text advocates for those who learn best through pictures and patterns—a group of thinkers, Grandin argues, modern society has woefully underserved. Dr. Grandin has made a career of making science accessible to broad audiences and is a beloved defender of people with autism and neurodiversity in all its forms. The Los Angeles Times puts it perfectly: “Temple Grandin may well think in pictures, but she has mastered the written word.” ADDIE MAHMASSANI
INFO: 6pm, London Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz. $22. 420-6177.
WEDNESDAY
JAZZ
PAUL CHERRY
Paul Cherry dramatically changed after On Top, his 2014 garage rock EP. Pop and jazz fusion called to him, and he answered. The Chicago-born musician found his voice with 2018’s Flavour and has hit his stride with his latest record, Pure Grooves Vol.1. Fresh off a tour of Asia, Cherry takes on the West Coast with a new collection of smooth, jazzy and often funny songs—and hopefully his cherry print three-piece suit. For a taste of his millennial-meets-yacht-rock sensibilities, the breezy tune “OBO” is worth a listen. Who here hasn’t considered dating the person selling them a used car? AM
INFO: 9pm, Catalyst Club, 1101 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. $18/adv, $22/door. 713-5492
