Hi friends,
I’ll be taking a bit of time off to get out of town, just when the tourist traffic slackens and the weather is best. Guess I didn’t plan that well. Anyway, don’t do anything fun til I get back.
Now, on with the show.
THIS JUST IN
One of Northern California’s signature rock bands The Mother Hips have played countless times in Santa Cruz County, and now here they come again, this time Nov. 22 at Moe’s Alley. The popular San Lorenzo Valley-based band The Coffis Brothers debut their latest recording with a show at Felton Music Hall on Nov. 30. Novelist (and political strategist) Kate Stayman-London brings her new book to Bookshop Santa Cruz on Oct. 24. The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History will host a big Sister Cities Celebration to toast 50 years of city-sisterhood with Shingu, Japan, on Oct. 5. And in what might be one of weirdest acts to ever grace a Santa Cruz County stage, Felton Music Hall hosts Puddles Pity Party, a 6-foot8 whiteface, Pagliacci-style clown known for prop comedy, mime and covers of pop songs in an exaggerated air of sadness. All that happens Jan. 3.
Be sure to check out Lookout’s carefully curated and constantly updated planning guide, Down the Line, for the staggering riches and amazing choices awaiting Santa Cruz audiences. It’s our look ahead at the best shows, concerts and events through the rest of the year at clubs, stages and venues all over the county.
Here they are, nine necessary know-abouts for the week ahead. It’s the say-goodbye-to-summer B9:
First Friday
Yes, your calendar is not lying to you. It is the first Friday of the month, and that means an evening of adventure in store at First Friday Santa Cruz. A couple of things I have my eye on:
Oakland-based artist James Shefik is a fabricator and much of his work has to do with bizarre neon signs of businesses that don’t really exist, and other assemblage pieces that have thematically sharp edges when it comes to life in these United States. Shefik’s new show, “Fabricating in the Age of Absurdity,” opens Friday at the Felix Kulpa Gallery downtown with a reception for the artist.
The Santa Cruz Art League, as it has done for so many years, is casting its eye to familiar landscapes with the 93rd annual California Landscape Exhibition.
And, let’s not forget that the San Lorenzo Valley is participating as well, with the First Friday opening reception of “Inside Outside,” a new show themed on doors, windows, gateways and other transitional spaces. It’s at the Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center in Ben Lomond.
Or, you can find your own way. Either way, discover what your neighbors are up to, creatively.
Mountain Jam time
A reminder: Saturday will be a big day in the Santa Cruz Mountains, at least in the summit-area community of Loma Prieta. If you’re looking for some sweet late-summer mountain fun, this might be worth the drive.
Volunteers to play in the sand
Here’s something fun: Father-and-son artists Jim Denevan and Brighton Denevan will be creating a large-scale sand sculpture at Cowell Beach as part of the CommonGround festival presented by the Museum of Art & History (MAH) in Santa Cruz. The piece is to be called “Pyramids,” and the Denevans are looking for volunteers to help them create it from Sept. 13 to 15. (All ages welcome and tools will be provided.)
Jim Denevan is famous across the globe for his often jaw-dropping geometrical drawings on the sands of beaches around the world. And Brighton is following his dad’s lead. CommonGround is a biennial festival devoted to outdoor, place-oriented works. The Denevans’ work is only a small part of it. Get it on your calendar.
Wanna sing for peace?
The Santa Cruz Peace Chorale is eager to invite potential new members for an open rehearsal on Monday, Sept. 9, at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Soquel. The group will provide refreshments, some musical samples, and a chance to experience the thrill of harmony singing. The rehearsal begins at 6:30 p.m. Monday.
The Mime Troupe cometh
Long-timers certainly are aware of the San Francisco Mime Troupe and its tradition of dropping into Santa Cruz every year with yet another edgy, politically themed theatrical satire. The latest show is called “American Dreams — a New Musical: Was Democracy Just a Dream?”
Just as in past years, the show is free, though the troupe will take donations. The play comes to the London Nelson Community Center (outdoors!) this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, 3 p.m. both days.
That’s all I got, friends. Come at me with comments, ideas, complaints, or thundering insights. Thanks to all Lookout members for your faith and support, and please, spread the word on what we’re doing.