Here they are, nine necessary know-abouts for the week ahead. It’s the midsummer-night’s-dream B9:
➤ The best thing about covering the Santa Cruz cultural scene as a journalist is discovering people who are not only masters of their chosen art form, but have become fully themselves while doing it. A great example of such a person is the incomparable Ashwin Batish, the perpetually grinning, ballcap-wearing sitar player who has been a foundational piece of the Santa Cruz music scene for decades. Drivers on Mission Street might recognize the name Batish, boldly emblazoned on a gift shop. That’s the family business, but inside is the beating heart of Sitar Power, Ashwin’s production and performance enterprise. Deeply steeped in Indian classical music as the son of one of India’s great singers and musicians, S.D. Batish, Ashwin has devoted his life to fusing traditional Indian music with wild and free American rock ’n’ roll. On July 31, at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center, he will showcase exactly what he’s been doing with Sitar Power in a special “Spirit of ’75” show, celebrating Kuumbwa’s 50th year. If you’ve been suffering from the Santa-Cruz-is-losing-its-spirit blues, a couple of hours with Ashwin Batish is the antidote.
➤ I first discovered Dale Watson almost 30 years ago, when his pompadour hadn’t yet gone white, with his cheeky but twangy album “I Hate These Songs.” At the time, I took pleasure in what I figured was an ironic kind of cosplay of classic honky-tonk. But Watson means it, having proved it over a long career of more than 25 albums and counting. The man is an old-school country treasure. See him Friday at Moe’s Alley.
➤ Old-school stand-up comics still respect the efficiency and the impact of the one-liner. One of those comics is Boston-born writer/comedian Brian Kiley, who performs at the Audrey Stanley Grove on Monday. Of his odyssey as an L.A. transplant, Kiley says: “Everyone in Los Angeles is either in show business, or they know somebody in show business … with the possible exception of my agent.” (Insert rim shot here.)
➤ Pascal and Remy Le Boeuf grew up in Santa Cruz burning with passion for jazz. Now in their late 30s, the identical twin brothers have each carved out impressive careers as instrumentalists, composers, performers and teachers. The Le Boeufs always find a way to come back to their hometown. On Monday, they drop in at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center, their first appearance locally since Pascal’s big Grammy win back in February.
➤ If you were to list the great plays of Shakespeare off the top of your head, it might take you a long while to get to “Pericles,” if you ever even got to it at all. One of Shakespeare’s lesser-known works, it is known mostly for its odd authorship — about half of the play is believed to have been written by someone else. Santa Cruz Shakespeare gives locals the chance to experience the play as the third offering in its summer season. It opens July 31, with two preview performances next Tuesday and Wednesday at the Grove.
➤ I can’t seem to get Rayland Baxter’s dreamy country-tinged tune “Yellow Eyes” out of my head. The former lacrosse player has transitioned into a rising Nashville talent as a singer and songwriter. He’s bringing his vibe to the Rio Theatre on July 31 in a show where he’s paired with another country music emerging voice, Langhorne Slim. It’s a two-fer that works like PB&J.
➤ If you’ve slipped into a little “era envy” while watching HBO’s lush “The Gilded Age,” we have some good news. On Friday, UC Santa Cruz’s College Nine will host a bona fide Victorian-era ball, complete with 19th-century dance music performed by a live orchestra. It’s all part of the Dickens Project’s “Curiosity Gala,” which includes scholars and other deep readers, going deep into Dickens’ “The Old Curiosity Shop.” Better get started on that search for a big poofy ball gown.
➤ Those of a certain age might remember the mekons (they didn’t like capitalization rules) as one of the many jewels that the U.K. exported to the world in the post-punk era. Over the course of almost 50 years, the band has somehow managed to stay together and keep the punk spirit alive, and they’re bringing that sound to Moe’s Alley next Tuesday. (The show was originally to include singer-songwriter Jill Sobule, but she tragically died in a house fire in May. Taking her place on the bill will be singer-songwriter Kendall Jane Meade.)
➤ I’m not going to recommend the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s free movie on the beach every week. But this week, c’mon. We’re talking about maybe the most popular movie of all time.
