THURSDAY
ROCK
HOODOO GURUS
The Hoodoo Gurus have long been one of the best bands that seemingly only the cognoscenti know about. Staking out a spot at the tuneful and hooky end of the ’80s rock vanguard, Sydney, Australia’s Hoodoo Gurus roared out of the gate with a searing debut, 1984’s Stoneage Romeos. Enjoying college chart successes and cult status in North America, they’re heroes in Australia, where every single one of their albums has charted. Their most recent album, 2022’s Chariot of the Gods, displays the same winning garage-rock-influenced richness that has long defined the band. BILL KOPP
INFO: 7:30pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $32/adv, $37/door. 704-7113.
FRIDAY
BLUEGRASS
HONEY RUN
Thoughtful and smooth, Honey Run brings their fiddle and mandolin to the Ugly Mug. Since 2020, Honey Run has been playing covers and original bluegrass music. Their music creates a perfect toe-tapping time with sweet melodies and stellar picking. Even with just the two members, their music remains deep, complex and bright, much like a fresh cup of coffee on a cool day. Despite only being around for a few years, they are seasoned musicians who put on tight performances. Their synergy on stage is undeniable; any audience will be quickly captivated by them and their music. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 7pm, Ugly Mug, 4640 Soquel Dr., Soquel. $25/adv, $30/door. 479-9421.
SURF ROCK
ALLAH-LAS
The Calico Discos label founders took the time post-pandemic to create a stunning, reverb-laden, progressive rock album with Zuma 85. And it is exactly what the world needs right now. Allah-Las’ latest project, written and recorded in California, embraces the surf but welcomes sounds and textures from the desert. Japanese pop, hazy synths and prog appear on this refreshing new record. Highlights include the feel-good bop “Jelly,” the rebellious “Right On Time” and the meditative cut “Hadal Zone.” The five-piece band has come a long way since first bonding over surf rock vinyl at Amoeba Music over a decade ago. MELISA YURIAR
INFO: 8pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $38. 423-8209.
SATURDAY
METAL
UNDEATH
Just in time for Devil’s Night, New York’s Undeath is prepped to drop their third full-length album, More Insane, on Oct. 4. Since 2018, the horror/gore death metal quartet has delivered the brutalist of brutal gore metal this side of the aughts. Their second album, It’s Time … To Rise From the Grave, caught the attention of fans and critics alike, earning it Best New Music from Pitchfork and number one on Decibel magazine’s Top 40 Albums of 2022. It’s the Rochester band’s first full US headlining tour, so they’re bringing along Kruelty, Gates to Hell and Tribal Gaze to celebrate all that is metal. MAT WEIR
INFO: 6pm, Vets Hall, 846 Front St., Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 454-0478.
FOLK
RICHARD MARCH & AMEE CHAPMAN
The cozy Lille Aeske is the perfect setting for the humbly honest music of singer/songwriters Richard March and Amee Chapman. March’s performative storytelling style has earned him opening spots for beloved musicians like the Stray Cats’ Lee Rocker and Bob Dylan’s hero, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. His latest album, Let The Winter Come, is ten songs of hope and heartache wrapped in a blanket of comfy melodies and plenty of soul. On the other hand, Chapman celebrates the 20th anniversary of her seminal album, Still Life, a snapshot of life that captures the setting sun of one chapter and the sunrise of the next. MW
INFO: 8pm, Lille Aeske, 13160 Highway 9, Boulder Creek. $25/adv, $30/door. 309-0756.
SUNDAY
PUNK
SUBHUMANS
Just after the late ’70s British punk explosion, the Subhumans entered the fray with their first demo making waves in 1980. They were part of the hardcore faction taking over punk but were also open to experimenting and pushing limits (see the 17-minute “From the Cradle to the Grave”). Internal tension within the band over the direction they were to take broke them up by ’85. They’ve had several reunions since then and have been consistently touring for the last ten years, with four members along from the start. They even put out a new record in 2019, and it’s as hard and aggressive as ever. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN
INFO: 7:30pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, $20/adv, $25/door. 713-5492.
PSYCHEDELIC
ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE
Acid Mothers Temple has been making mind-melting psychedelic music for nearly three decades. The quintessential underground band from Japan is among the most prolific groups in all of music, and its free-wheeling, improvisational excursions have earned it a devoted cult following. Drawing not only from American and British styles, Acid Mothers Temple often incorporates elements of noise (from avant-garde composers like Karlheinz Stockhausen) and drone (from the repetitive and hypnotic motorik of German “krautrock”). The results are every bit as heady as a Grateful Dead “space” piece but with a Japanese quality all its own. Spirit Mother opens. BK
INFO: 8pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 479-1854.
WEDNESDAY
INDIE
DAMIEN JURADO
Sixties psychedelia meets romantic Latin shuffle in Damian Jurado’s latest singles, “I’ve Never Known Alice” and “Call Me, Madame (Non-Smoking Version).” Renowned for his folk-ballad intoning and integrating found sounds and field recordings into his art, his songs showcase Jurado’s prowess as an eloquent storyteller with a keen sense of sound, big and small. From sultry horns and saxophones to dainty triangle taps and stirring string swells, Jurado understands how to combine each element to create one hell of a perfect storm of a composition. After over 25 years as a recording artist, the singer-songwriter is only getting better. MY
INFO: 7:30pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $47. 427-2227.
PUNK
DOA
Canadian punks DOA, the band that may have given hardcore its name (their second album was titled Hardcore ’81), are still fighting the good fight against racism and globalism while championing free speech and environmental causes. Frontperson Joe Keithley has managed to keep a steady trio together for the last ten years (after a perpetually changing lineup in the first three decades), performing and recording outspoken, political, activist hardcore and living up to their “talk minus action equals zero” mantra. They’re joined by openers Single Mothers, Monk, and SAM. KLJ
INFO: 7pm, Blue Lagoon, 923 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 423-7117.
