THURSDAY 5/22
ALT FOLK
MATTHEW AND THE ATLAS
Matthew Hegarty became a fixture in the West London folk rock scene in the late ’00s, drawing inspiration from Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley and Bob Dylan. Bringing the band together piece by piece, Hegarty began playing with pianist Lindsay West and multi-instrumentalist Dave Millar. This formed the original lineup of Matthew and the Atlas. While exploring various styles from classic acoustic folk to electronica, Matthew and the Atlas approach each song with a rustic blend of gravelly vocals and heart-on-the-sleeve lyrics. SHELLY NOVO
INFO: 9pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $16/adv, $20/door. 429-6994.
FRIDAY 5/23
JAM
JEFFREY A. MEYER BAND
Singer-songwriter Jeffrey A. Meyer is a local staple, but he got his start in North Dakota. After years rocking out with Midwestern band The Fillers, Meyer stretched his musical vocabulary as a solo artist, drawing from country, folk, funk, rock and pop. His 2022 debut Wilder Times shows off his diversity and talent. The recent single, 2024’s “L.O.V.E,” is a gem of a collaboration with the always funky G. Love. Once again fronting a group (Jeffrey A. Meyer Band), Meyer says that his is “a complete party band… all five players have something to say.” The band’s new album is Colors of the Mind. BILL KOPP
INFO: 5:30pm, Discretion Brewing, 2703 41st Ave., Suite A, Soquel. Free. 316-0662.
AFRICAN MUSIC
TERGA and DUNIYA
Experience an amazing evening celebrating West and North Africa music and culture.
Opening with TERGA, a North African fusion band that delivers a high-energy, culturally rich sound. TERGA blends traditional rhythms, soulful vocals, and contemporary grooves. Featuring vocals by Chaba Fella Oudane, born in Bab-El-Oued Algiers. a talented Derbouka percussionist with a powerful voice and style. Following is DUNIYA, an innovative band that blends the deep roots of African/Malian music and instruments with modern arrangements and original songs. Their music is highly rhythmic and extremely danceable, interspersed by moments of slower, deeply profound grooves. The concert is being organized by the Center for the Middle East and North Africa at UCSC. BRAD KAVA
INFO: 6-10pm Woodhouse Brewing, 119 Madrone St, Santa Cruz. Free. (831) 313-9461.
THEATER
NEW PLAY FESTIVAL ’25
UCSC is hosting its annual New Play Festival (formerly known as Chautauqua) to celebrate the theater in all its glory and peril. The festival is a chance for students to experiment with scripts, acting, producing and directing in a creative, developmental lab setting. Performances will range from productions to script reading and can be anything from classic, dialogue-driven plays to dance numbers and digital media installations. The only boundaries are the ones placed by the artists themselves, which is to say the possibilities are endless. There will be six performances over two weekends from current UCSC students and alumni. MAT WEIR
INFO: 7:30pm, UCSC Theater Arts Center B-100 Studio Theater, 453 Kerr Rd., Santa Cruz. Free.
SATURDAY 5/24
POP PUNK
ADDALEMON
For almost two decades, Sacramento has had a resurgence in the punk scene. Originally the area was known for groups like the Groovie Ghoulies, Pressure Point and The Knockoffs. More recently, acts like Dog Party, Destroy Boys and Kind Eyes are kicking ass. Add to the flock pop punkers Addalemon, who made a name for themselves playing up and down the West Coast. The band dropped their debut EP in 2018 and a year later released their debut full-length, Ripe. Their latest EP, Bad Idea, is a six-song, 20-minute ripper influenced by the ’90s and 2000s sounds of Blink-182, Lagwagon, and The Get Up Kids. MW
INFO: 8:30pm, Blue Lagoon, 923 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 423-7117.
REGGAE
STEEL PULSE
50 years ago, Steel Pulse formed in Britain and soon found a home in the burgeoning UK punk scene, which always had a strong link to reggae. They’ve been outspoken in their anti-racist views from the start, recording “Ku Klux Klan” as their first single and participating in the Rock Against Racism movement, founded after Eric Clapton went off on a drunken, racist screed onstage. They’ve had the musical chairs you’d expect from a 50-year run, but lead vocalist and founder David Hinds has stuck around through the entire half century, and he continues singing truth to power. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN
INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $44. 713-5492.
MONDAY 5/26
THEATER
FRESH INK
Presented by the playwrights’ collective 36 North, Fresh Ink is part of a five-week summer series kicking off this Monday. Experience some of the newest in local playwrights reading their scripts followed by a “talkback” segment after featuring the writer along with local directors and actors. Each part of the series will be presented on a Monday at 7pm with “The Furniture Plays,” “Solo Voices,” “Works in Progress” and “Potpourri” to follow throughout the summer. MW
INFO: 7pm, Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. Free. 431-8666.
TUESDAY 5/27
FOLK
DANIEL RODRIGUEZ
Psychedelic folk artist Daniel Rodriguez achieved critical adoration and success with his band Elephant Revival until an inter-band romance ended—and, along with it, his place in the group. The singer-songwriter—with his rich, emotive voice—bounced back, guesting with The Lumineers on the Rodriguez-penned “This Is Life,” reimagined as a Christmas tune. The partnership continues to be fruitful as Lumineers frontman Wesley Schultz produced the upcoming Harboring Pearls, set for release in August. A fantastic single, “Graduation,” released earlier this month, bodes well for the new collection of songs with his usual perfect balance of lyrical cleverness and earnestness. KLJ
INFO: 8pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $20/door. 479-1854.
WEDNESDAY 5/28
FOLK
AMIGO THE DEVIL
Amigo the Devil leaves his heart on the stage with raw, honest lyrics and dissonant and daring melodies. ATD—or, rather, songwriter Danny Kiranos—leans into the unpolished. Influenced by the authentic artistry of Leonard Cohen, Chavela Vargas and Tom Waits, Kiranos prioritizes an expression of truth over commercial appeal. In a gruff, low voice, he sings dark tales of heartbreak, doubt and loneliness. Although self-described as ‘murder-folk,’ Amigo the Devil is hard to categorize, blending emo, punk energy and Americana style. SN
INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton, $45, 704-7113.
