Hi friends,
On Sunday morning, Santa Claus is due for “Breakfast with Santa” at Ramsay Park in Watsonville, and then, an hour later, “Brunch with Santa” at the Boardwalk. That’s to be followed by “Food Coma with Santa,” “Nap With Santa,” “Me Time with Santa” and “Firing an Appointment Secretary with Santa.”
Now, on with the show.
This Just In!
One of Santa Cruz County’s greatest literary names, Laurie R. King, is returning to bookstores with her latest novel, featuring her longtime protagonist Mary Russell, this time figuring out the mystery of Sherlock Holmes’ ancestry. She comes to Bookshop Santa Cruz on Feb. 16 to celebrate the novel’s release. Also at Bookshop, Sonoma County writer Manjula Martin writes about her experiences with the devastating fires of 2020 in her new book. She’ll be in conversation with Jonathan Franzen at a book-release event at Bookshop on Feb. 8. And, fans of 1980s rock might remember Australia’s Hoodoo Gurus. That band has been booked into Felton Music Hall for a show next fall, Sept. 26.
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 doorbells-and-sleigh-bells B9:
Rocking the library
Yes, that live music you’ll be hearing on Saturday night in downtown Santa Cruz is indeed coming from the library. Saturday marks the latest in a series of live shows that the Santa Cruz Public Libraries system is hosting at its various branches on a quarterly basis.
The downtown main branch is hosting a live (free) concert with Santa Cruz hip-hop artists Mak Nova, DJ Father Taj and Alwa Gordon. It’s a promotion for SoundSwell, the SCPL’s program that collects the recordings of Santa Cruz County resident musicians.
No, you won’t be able to check out books, but, c’mon, Saturday night’s for dancing.
Who will be the new Youth Poet Laureate?
The office of Santa Cruz County poet laureate Farnaz Fatemi has announced a big new event planned for next April. It’s the first-ever Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate Celebration, slated for April 10 at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center downtown.
The event will introduce the county’s first youth poet laureate to the community. And who is that? Well, that’s what the event is for. The new youth poet laureate will be announced that evening, with the finalists announced a week or so before.
The application process for that new position is still very much open. All that’s required is that the candidate live within Santa Cruz County and be between the ages of 13 and 18 on the day the application is due. That date is Feb. 1.
OK, poets. Now it’s on you. Go for it.
Earworm of the Week
Nope, but I didn’t watch a minute of the recent Gavin Newsom/Ron DeSantis debate, largely because, like a lot of people, I’m super turned off by the simplistic, red/blue hooliganism that passes for political discourse these days. Yes, loving your side and hating the other side with equal partisan relish is fun, but that’s what sports are for. A recent poll conducted by the Los Angeles Times reveals that the people of California and Texas are not as different as those who benefit from the political food fight would have us all believe. I love California, and would not want to live anywhere else, but — gasp — I think Florida and Texas are pretty cool too. In that spirit, let’s drop in on Austin singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves — a Santa Cruz audience fave for years — and his sweet little two-step “Texas Love Song,” in which he declares to the object of his affections, “I love you even more than I love Texas.” Hopefully, it reminds us that it’s pretty stupid to hate some other place just because it’s not your place. (Of course, that doesn’t apply to the Dallas Cowboys, whom I will continue to loathe with passion. Sorry, Slaid.)
All the Earworms in one place
For those who’ve been following my Earworm of the Week, I’ve assembled a playlist that contains them all.
Santa Cruz County Trivia
He was a local newspaper icon for 40 years, with a column called “Mostly About People” published every day. Can you name him?
Last week: What’s the direct link between Santa Cruz and the iconic James Bond/007 film series? The man in the director’s chair for the most recent 007 film, 2021’s “No Time to Die,” is Cary Joji Fukunaga. And he’s an alum of a local educational institution called (checks notes) UC Santa Cruz.
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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.