Hi friends,
The state-by-state roll call at the Democratic National Convention was certainly enlivened by brief musical salutes to each state, which was (mostly) pretty cool. California got Snoop, Dr. Dre, Tupac and Kendrick Lamar. Not to quibble, but I would have opened with Snoop, then a blast of Metallica, a ladle-full of Weezer, an Etta James chorus, a Los Lobos norteño riff, a bit of Go-Go’s bounce, a Tom Waits piano run, and whatever the heck Weird Al Yankovic wanted to contribute. But, alas, nobody asked me.
Now, on with the show.
THIS JUST IN
The great comedian and Monty Python icon John Cleese will entertain the Santa Cruz masses at the Civic Auditorium on Nov. 16 in what he’s calling his “Last Time to See Me Before I Die” tour. Funny/peculiar and funny/haha singer/songwriter Will Wood drops into Felton Music Hall on his “Slouching Toward Bethlehem” tour Nov. 14. UC Santa Cruz professor emerita and writer Dana Frank comes to Bookshop Santa Cruz on Oct. 17 to talk about her new book on the Great Depression. Bob’s son Ky-Mani Marley will take the stage at The Catalyst on Dec. 13. Master poet and printer Gary Young reads alongside prize-winning poet Elizabeth Robinson on Nov. 12 at Bookshop. And, also worth checking out is a new documentary about the beloved coast redwoods (sequoia sempervirens) titled “Giants Rising,” to be screened at the Rio Theatre on Oct. 14.
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 fading-summer B9:
Mini-fest at the Quarry
Big new date up on campus: Singer-songwriter Kevin Morby is coming to the Quarry Amphitheater on the campus of UC Santa Cruz, and he’s bringing some friends. On Oct. 12, Morby will perform alongside a curated list of fellow artists in a show he’s called “This is a Festival!”. Also on the schedule will be folk singer-songwriter Jessica Pratt, jazz drummer Makaya McCraven, indie rocker Ben Kweller, the singer-songwriter known as Youth Lagoon, and the hip-hop/rock trio Blackstarkids. And the whole deal will be emceed by podcasters Jason Stewart and Chris Black. Tickets go on sale Friday.
Downtown in The ’Ville
We may be witnessing the dawn of a new era in the arts culture of Watsonville, as Pajaro Valley Arts, the visual-arts nonprofit celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, begins its big fundraising push to renovate its new home at the historic Porter Building. PVA’s move to Main Street, near the Watsonville Plaza, is only one aspect of the amazing cultural activation of downtown. On Dia de Los Muertos, for example, there’s no better place to be.
Give us your festival ideas
Arts groups and artists throughout Santa Cruz County are talking about a big yearly event that would celebrate the community and serve as a beacon for visitors to experience the unique creative culture of Santa Cruz. Do you have some ideas? It’s brainstorming time. Let us know what you’d like to see.
Artists in profile
Our congratulations go out to the Santa Cruz County artists who were recently awarded California Arts Council Fellowship Awards for 2023-24. Eight local artists were chosen for the distinction from about 500 applicants statewide. They include photographer Sylvia Valentine, current county poet laureate Farnaz Fatemi, painter Winsor Kinkade, musician/composer Rogue Violin (aka Samantha Bounkeua), pianist, composer and actor Nina Barzegar, painter/sculptor Moze, poet, writer and Cabrillo College instructor Adela Najarro and filmmaker Osa T. Hidalgo de la Riva.
Taken together, this group of artists really offers up a compelling cross-section of Santa Cruz’s creative community.
Spooky season on stage
You’ve seen the Halloween merch in stores, so it’s certainly not too early to anticipate the spooky season. One thing to note on your October calendar: Santa Cruz writer John Chandler introduces his new play, titled “Lucky Time,” following what happens when a car breaks down near a remote cabin — we’ve all seen that movie before, am I right?
The play comes to the Actors’ Theatre Playhouse in downtown Santa Cruz for eight performances Oct. 17-27. It’s directed by the redoubtable local theater legend Wilma Marcus Chandler, who also happens to be John’s wife.
“Remain in Light” a success
The Quarry Amphitheater at UC Santa Cruz was the music scene’s center of gravity last week. My colleague Hillary Ojeda was on site, having a blast with other fans of Talking Heads. Here’s her report:
“As part of their ‘Remain in Light’ tour, Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads and guitarist Adrian Belew rocked the amphitheater last Friday. The crowd, with people of all ages, danced through the show as the 10-piece band brought iconic Talking Heads songs to life.”
How do you pronounce that?
One last note on the upcoming weekend: UCSC is hosting a two-day conference on Saturday and Sunday, all about the joys of computer programming. Tech meets fun at !!Con (that’s pronounced “bang-bang-con”). In-person tickets are sold out, but the event will be livestreamed.
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.