Hi friends,
Can anyone tell me one thing Canada did to deserve this kind of treatment? Do we have a more stalwart ally in the world? This surreal situation reminds me of one of the most bizarre moments in the history of the Top 40 pop-music charts. Back in the Nixon era, a Canadian named Byron MacGregor recorded a spoken-word news commentary called “The Americans,” about how goll-darn generous and self-sacrificing we Yanks are (different generation of Yanks, to be sure). The thing sold three and a half million copies and hit No. 4 on the Billboard charts. Maybe, 50 years later, it’s time for us to return the favor? Long live the Maple Leaf!
Now, on with the show.
THIS JUST IN
Bay Area jazz vocalist Kim Nalley had to back out of her show at Kuumbwa last week; her new date at Kuumbwa is Aug. 25. Comic novelist Christopher Moore visits the London Nelson Center in a June 17 date presented by Bookshop Santa Cruz. U.K. singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock is due May 18 at Moe’s Alley. Southern rocker Edwin McCain comes to the Rio on Sept. 13. The Euro-pop band Stereolab is planning a visit to perform at the Rio on Oct. 24. The big brash R&B band Dumpstaphunk will perform at Moe’s on June 10. And the White Album Ensemble has booked its traditional end-of-the-year shows early. They’ll play Dec. 29 and 30 at the Rio.
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.
CHECK THIS OUT
Best 9: Top events for the week ahead in Santa Cruz County arts & entertainment, March 6-13
The Lookout Santa Cruz app is available now in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Learn more here.
THIS WEEK IN A&E
Kuumbwa Jazz turns to a new generation of leaders for its next 50 years
As it marks its 50th birthday, the Kuumbwa Jazz Center is transitioning to a new generation of leadership, turning to under-40 staffers Chanel Enriquez and Bennett Jackson to continue the legacy of co-founder and longtime artistic director Tim Jackson.
Santa Cruz writer brings the bang to the story of ’80s rock band The Bangles
Santa Cruz writer Jennifer Otter Bickerdike’s latest project is the full story of the star all-female rock band The Bangles.
Nancy Miller Gomez announced as new county poet laureate
Nancy Miller Gomez, a pioneering figure in bringing poetry to the incarcerated, has been named Santa Cruz County’s new poet laureate, to serve a two-year term through the end of 2026.
Memorial service planned for UCSC’s David Lee Cuthbert
A memorial service will take place March 22 on the campus of UC Santa Cruz for longtime UCSC theater professor David Lee Cuthbert, who died Feb. 11.
The women’s walkout: Lessons from the 1980s Watsonville cannery strike
The Watsonville Film Festival will mark the 40th anniversary of the Watsonville cannery strike with a re-screening of Jon Silver’s 1989 documentary on the strike, and Silver’s new short film on the strike’s effect on one family.
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.