Here they are, nine necessary know-abouts for the week ahead. It’s the farewell-Eraserhead B9:
➤ An Instagram hashtag has morphed into an artistic aesthetic. “Accidentally Wes Anderson” is a kind of travelogue photography trend referencing the cute/quirky style of the famed filmmaker. It’s also the name of a whimsical new exhibit at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, borrowing the vibe of the filmmaker behind “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Grand Budapest Hotel” and many others. What is that style? Studiously symmetrical compositions, eccentric characters in eccentric clothes, pastel colors, places that are both exotic and familiar. With the new show at the MAH, that style is deployed at the sights and mindscapes of California’s Central Coast, including Santa Cruz County. Thursday night, it’s the exhibit’s opening reception, and it’s positively begging you to pull out your most Wes Anderson outfit. Don’t disappoint.
➤ If there is a living embodiment of the unique guitar style of the legendary Django Reinhardt, it’s French-born virtuoso Stephane Wrembel. Born and raised in the same town where Django lived and died — though a couple of decades apart — Wrembel channels the Django vibe wherever he goes, which for one night next week is the Kuumbwa.
➤ It’s the dim sum of live theater — we’re talking, of course, about “8 Tens @ 8,” the landmark 10-minute play festival, taking place every January at Actors’ Theatre. See the best of what local theater has to offer, without overindulging.
➤ Adventuring, risking your neck for thrills and peak experiences, is not only for dudes. On Saturday night, the Rio Theatre hosts the She Adventures Film Tour, which is essentially a collection of short films highlighting two hours-plus of badass women from around the world doing astonishing things.
➤ Yep, the 1990s are officially ancient history, at least in rock music terms. At Felton Music Hall on Friday, fans with a jones for the ’90s can experience Corduroy, a Pearl Jam tribute act featuring five guys from San Francisco, along with Stone Temple Copilots, paying homage to … well, I think you can figure it out.
➤ Give that man an honorary Santa Cruzan medal: Canadian-born Fred Eaglesmith has, over the years, performed an estimated half a million times on local stages, which is why the Fred Head is such a common sighting in these parts. Here he comes again Sunday.
➤ Every 10 years or so, Santa Cruz musician Peter Koht puts on a show. The most recent one was way back in 2015. On Saturday, he and many of his musician friends take the stage to showcase songs that came out of the pandemic. The Peacoat Project, as it’s called, embraces everything from Brazilian to pop. Check it out, unless you’re fine waiting until 2035.
➤ “Good Trouble” is a catchphrase used by the late congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis to describe meaningful activism. It’s also the name for an intriguing local collaboration between the community choir Pacific Voices and well-known local DJ Monk Earl. They all get into “good trouble” this weekend at The 418.
➤ Back in 2018, it was on a ton of playlists, but years later “Drew Barrymore” is still a banger. That’s the work of the witty rapper and wordsmith Bryce Vine, who is set to release a new album called “Motel California.” He lights up The Catalyst on Friday.
