Hi friends,
It’s almost 2026 and, sadly, that means the end of the line for me as the author of Lookout’s Weekender newsletter. After five years at Lookout — and 30 more years before that in Santa Cruz print journalism — I’m transitioning into retirement, and onto new ventures and endeavors. Our look to the week ahead in local clubs will continue on, only with someone else piloting the hot-air balloon. I should note that I’ll still be around town, even in many of the venues mentioned in this newsletter over the past several years. I’ve had a wonderful time keeping an eye on Santa Cruz County’s cultural life and making sense of it for readers. Thanks to you all for all the wonderful comments I’ve received since the retirement announcement. I wish everyone in our community a serene Christmas and I hope you all feel a bracing sense of renewal in the new year. I certainly will. Thanks much.
Now, on with the show.
THIS JUST IN
The late Todd Snider was a big favorite of local audiences, having played in Santa Cruz County countless times since his big breakout 30 years ago. Snider, who died Nov. 14, will be the subject of a tribute show Jan. 31 at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center, with a wide variety of local performing artists including Keith Greeninger, Ginny Mitchell, Michael Gaither and others. Singer-songwriter Jim Messina — yes, that’s him in the classic 1970s duo Loggins & Messina — comes to the Rio Theatre on May 10. The great “creative nonfiction” master Terry Tempest Williams visits Bookshop Santa Cruz on March 30. Also at Bookshop will be novelist Kate Schatz (March 4) and Santa Cruz Mountains-based florist and writer Teresa Sabankaya (March 12). Country/folk performer KT Tunstall is due at Felton Music Hall on April 25. And a classic Catalyst show is coming down the pike when the cult guitar god Buckethead performs at The Catalyst on March 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.
The final playlist
Thanks to those readers who have responded to my many music recommendations through this newsletter over the past few years. As a parting gesture, I want to offer up one more playlist of songs that I’ve come to adore, songs that have helped me and will continue to help me navigate a new but exciting chapter in my life, and remind me what’s real and what’s worth cherishing. This is a playlist of reflection and tenderness, ideal for solo hikes on soggy winter days, songs of strength, hope, joy and, ultimately, love. I hope you find something meaningful here. I sure do.
- “Albuquerque Lullaby,” Dan Bern — “Don’t let your heart get broken by this world”
- “Riverbed,” Ron Sexsmith — “I’ll sleep until the sunlight fills the sky”
- “God Bless America,” Ondara — “Oh, God bless America, this heartache of mine”
- “Highway to the Sun,” Ray LaMontagne — “I just want to feel something real before I die”
- “These Are the Days,” Van Morrison — “There is no past, there’s only future”
- “Love Letter,” Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds — “Rain your kisses down in storms”
- “Flowers in December,” Mazzy Star — “They say every man goes blind in his heart”
- “Mid-Century Modern,” Billy Bragg — “It’s hard to get your bearings in a world that doesn’t care”
- “Society,” Eddie Vedder — “Society, you’re a crazy breed, hope you’re not lonely without me”
- “Mistakes of My Youth,” Eels — “The choice is mine for making a better road ahead”
- “We’ll Be Alright,” The Hip Abduction — “Never stop following those dreams inside”
- “Essence of Life,” Jenny Lewis — “The essence of life is suffering”
- “Wise Up,” Aimee Mann — “It’s not going to stop until you wise up”
- “Roger Ebert,” Clem Snide — “It’s all an elaborate hoax”
- “Anthem,” Kawehi — “I believe in you”
- “Listen to Me,” Bill Miller — “I am the thunder you refuse to hear”
- “To Love is To Bury,” Cowboy Junkies — “Becoming one of earth and sky”
- “California One,” The Decemberists — “Take a long drive with me”
- “Your Arms Around Me,” Jens Lekman — “What’s broken can always be fixed”
- “Long Wave,” Bonny Doon — “You are who you’re supposed to be”
CHECK THIS OUT
Best 9: Top New Year’s Eve events in Santa Cruz County arts & entertainment
THIS WEEK IN A&E
Not a farewell, more of a see-you-later
Lookout correspondent Wallace Baine announces his retirement after more than 35 years of covering Santa Cruz County’s arts and culture beat.
Expanding Bad Animal will feature modern Parisian bistro-inspired menu as it reopens its restaurant in January
Bad Animal will reopen its restaurant in January with former Hanloh chef de cuisine Nick Hahn, ending its long-running residency model and shifting the menu from Thai food to a modern Parisian bistro style influenced by both California ingredients and Hahn’s Korean heritage.
A pelagic perspective on the day waves swept away the end of the Santa Cruz Wharf
The collapse of the end of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, one year ago Tuesday, inspired artist Laurel Bushman to create a comic looking at the event from the point of view of a pair of sea lions.
Newsmakers 2025: Jackie Rogoff’s encounter with fleeting ‘Jeopardy!’ fame
Santa Cruz’s Jackie Rogoff embarked on a “Jeopardy!” journey, never expecting she might win. But she did.
KAZU still experiencing on-air disruptions
KAZU (90.3FM) is still experiencing disruptions from a long-in-the-making move of its facilities to a new site owned by its parent institution, Cal State Monterey Bay. A spokesman said that the station is experiencing delays in the delivery of equipment to make the station fully […]
Photo gallery: Flynn Creek Circus returns to Capitola with new show ‘The Bridge’
Lookout photojournalist Kevin Painchaud goes under the big top in the Capitola Mall parking lot as Mendocino’s Flynn Creek Circus presents its latest show.
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.