Here they are, nine necessary know-abouts for the week ahead. It’s the sizzling-solstice B9:
➤ Talk about a signature Santa Cruz event. Every year, in the middle of June, dozens of gorgeous wood-paneled surf wagons — “woodies,” for car nerds — assemble at the Santa Cruz Wharf, frankly just to show off at Woodies at the Wharf (aka WOW). For old-timers, the woodies represent a fat dopamine hit of nostalgia for the days when the boxy wagons from the 1940s were the cheap options for surfers in the 1960s. The weekend slate of events attracts woodies drivers from all over California (the spiritual home of the style, after all). There’s lots of woodies-related things going on, but the big event is the Saturday car show at the wharf, which would make a great belated Father’s Day treat for a lot of dads. It’s free and goes from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at which time the woodies will parade down the wharf. And if you’re free early Sunday morning, you can catch them again touring West Cliff Drive. Can you think of a better way to celebrate the Santa Cruz solstice?
➤ Scotland’s Old Blind Dogs first emerged 30 years ago as a means to highlight the traditional music of Aberdeen and the rest of northeast Scotland on stages around the world. The band continues on with original fiddler Jonny Hardie showcasing what Scottish music is all about. The Dogs come to Kuumbwa on Wednesday.
➤ These days, you gotta laugh or you gotta cry (or, more likely, both). Laughing is always more fun. That’s the implied premise, anyway, behind “Deflating Fascism,” the original sketch-comedy show coming to you by way of the Santa Cruz comedy troupe Dangerous Neighbors. The show comes to Actors’ Theatre for its second and final weekend. Catch it before laughing becomes illegal.
➤ Maybe the rest of the country thinks of the long-dead singing cowboy, but for music lovers in Northern California, there is only one Roy Rogers. He’s the astonishingly fluid and soulful blues slide guitarist who apprenticed alongside the great John Lee Hooker. Rogers and his crack band the Delta Rhythm Kings have played Santa Cruz a bunch over the years, and now they’re zeroing in on Moe’s Alley for a big show Sunday afternoon.
➤ If you’re a surfer, you might recognize the name Ashley Lloyd as one of Santa Cruz’s premier surfboard shapers. But you might not know she’s also a musician with three albums under her belt. Her sound springs from her Malibu upbringing and a life connected to surfing, and you can catch her live Friday at the outdoor stage at Discretion Brewing on 41st.
➤ Moroccan-born musician Fattah Abbou came to Santa Cruz more than 20 years ago and, with friend Mohamed Aoualou, founded AZA, a band focused on the traditional music of the Tamazight culture of northern Africa. The band explores a wide range of Moroccan sounds and rhythms, with traditional instruments and soaring vocals. They play an annual show at Kuumbwa, and this year’s takes place on the summer solstice Saturday.
➤ Thanks to his profession, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charles Duhigg is all about clear and effective communication. His latest book, “Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection,” pays respect to the mysteries of human-to-human communications in an effort to decode it. Next Thursday, June 26, in an event presented by Bookshop Santa Cruz, Duhigg comes to the Rio Theatre to explore both the psychology and neuroscience of communication. Come see him. Be better and be clearer.
➤ Chilean-born Melissa Aldana was fortunate enough to come into the world as the daughter of famed saxophonist Marcos Aldana. From the age of 6, young Melissa learned at the side of her father and now, as an adult, she’s one of the most lyrical and adventurous sax players on the jazz scene. She comes to the Kuumbwa Jazz Center on Monday with her quartet.
➤ One of the great ongoing artistic achievements in Santa Cruz is the publication of the beautiful arts and literature journal the Catamaran Literary Reader. Just in time for the summer solstice, Catamaran is ready to launch its summer issue with a big event Tuesday at the Cowell Ranch Hay Barn at the entrance of UC Santa Cruz. Many contributors to the new issue will be on hand to participate in some readings. It’s a great opportunity to meet and greet the native creative culture. Hope to see you there.
