Weekend Santa Cruz http://weekendsantacruz.com Hey, What Are You Doing This Weekend? (on indefinite hiatus) Thu, 01 Jul 2010 02:23:27 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 The Week: June 7-10 http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/06/07/the-week-june-7-10/ http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/06/07/the-week-june-7-10/#comments Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:02:08 +0000 admin http://weekendsantacruz.com/?p=1501 For the Week of June 7 – 10, 2010.

Monday /// Tuesday /// Wednesday /// Thursday


Monday

Donny McCaslin Trio at Kuumbwa. Santa Cruz native/saxophonist Donny McCaslin has gained widespread renown for his emotionally stirring solos and uncompromising musicianship. The tenor man brings his groundbreaking trio back to Kuumbwa. 7 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz. $20 in advance, $23 at the door. Dinner available one hour before the show. First come, first served. 1-866-55-TICKETS or (831) 427-2227 for information.

West Side Community Folk Song/Gospel Choir at Cabrillo. Michael McGushin directs the West Side Community Folk Song/Gospel Choir in their early summer concert. 8 p.m. Cabrillo Music Recital Hall, 6500 Soquel Drive, VAPA 5100, Aptos. Donations requested. (831) 479-6464.

Up at Movie Nite at The Crepe Place. A talking dog, a house sent aloft by balloons, a boy scout, an old man in need of adventure are elements of Pixar’s Up. Shown on an 8′ by 6′ screen in the garden. Dress appropriately. 9 p.m. The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. Free, but call to ensure a table. (831) 429-6994.

Back to Monday /// Back to top


Tuesday

Poets Gwyneth Lewis, Catie Rosemurgy & James Maughn at Bookshop Santa Cruz. Former National Poet of Wales Gwyneth Lewis joins prize-winning poet Catie Rosemurgy and Santa Cruz’s own James Maughn for a night of poetry. 7:30 p.m. Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz. $3 suggested donation. (831) 423-0900.

7 Come 11 at The Crepe Place. Santa Cruz’s own hammond organ trio 7 Come 11 lays down super-funky grooves in the front room. 8 p.m. The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. Free. (831) 429-6994.

Warsaw Poland Brothers at Moe’s Alley. Road dogs. Warsaw Poland Brothers bring their ska-rock-reggae act to Moe’s Alley. 8:30 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $5 in advance, $8 at the door. (831) 479-1854.

Eugene & The 1914 at The Catalyst’s Atrium. Long Beach Indie pop group Eugene & The 1914 play with Animul and The Adventures of Pete & Pete in the Atrium. 9 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $5 at the door only. Ages 21+. (831) 423-1338.

Back to Tuesday /// Back to top


Wednesday

Linda Greenlaw at Capitola Book Cafe. Linda Greenlaw hadn’t been bluewater fishing for ten years—not since the events chronicled in The Perfect Storm and The Hungry Ocean—but when her lobster traps aren’t paying off, she agrees to captain a swordfish boat. She chronicled her adventures in Seaworthy, which she will discuss and sign at Capitola Book Cafe. 7:30 p.m. Capitola Book Cafe, 1475 41st Avenue, Capitola. Free. (831) 462-4415.

Old Blind Dogs at Don Quixote’s. It’s a night for Scots as cutting edge Scottish roots revival group Old Blind Dogs returns to Don Quixote’s. 7:30 p.m. Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $20. Under 21 allowed with parents. (831) 603-2294.

The Glitch Mob at The Catalyst. The Glitch Mob tours in support of its first full-length album, Drink the Sea, adding Santa Cruz to its stops. Free the Robots and Deru also play. 8 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $16 in advance, $19 at the door. Ages 16+. (831) 423-1338.

The Chop Tops at Moe’s Alley. The Chop Tops headline a Rockabilly showcase, with The Pimp Sticks and The Swillbilly’s. 8:30 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $10. (831) 479-1854.

Birdhouse at The Catalyst’s Atrium. Birdhouse joins Jesus and the Rabbis and Heavy Gardening for a show in The Catalyst’s Atrium. 9 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $5 at the door only. (831) 423-1338.

The Winebirds & Beau Grizzly at The Crepe Place. Bittersweet, cosmic American pop musicians The Winebirds share the bill with indie rockers Beau Grizzly at The Crepe Place. 9 p.m. The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. xx. (831) 429-6994.

Back to Wednesday /// Back to top


Thursday

John Jorgenson Quintet at Kuumbwa. Gypsy jazz. That’s what the guitarist-led John Jorgenson Quintet is known for. 7 & 9 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz. $23 in advance, $26 at the door. Dinner available one hour before the show. First come, first served. 1-866-55-TICKETS or (831) 427-2227 for information.

John and Hope Keawe plus Braddah Timmy aka Kukia at Don Quixote’s. Songwriter and slack-key guitarist John Keawe joins hula artist Hope Keawe for beautiful interpretations of original and traditional Hawaiian songs. Braddah Timmy aka Kukia joins. 7:30 p.m. Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $12. Cash only. (831) 603-2294.

Belle Yang at Capitola Book Cafe.Carmel author and artist Belle Yang signs and discusses Forget Sorrow: An Ancestral Tale at Capitola Book Cafe. 7:30 p.m. Capitola Book Cafe, 1475 41st Avenue, Capitola. Free. (831) 462-4415.

The Subhumans at The Catalyst’s Atrium. Britain’s The Subhumans share a bill with Cross Stitched Eyes and Aheads in the Atrium. 7:30 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $12 at the door. (831) 423-1338.

The Radiators at Moes Alley.New Orleans’ The Radiators deliver their special Louisiana mojo, bringing bayou funk to Moe’s Alley. 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $25 in advance, $30 at the door. (831) 479-1854.

The Preservation & Redwood Fur at The Crepe Place. Austin based hippie garage band The Preservation joins local band Redwood Fur at The Crepe Place. 9 p.m. The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $8. (831) 429-6994.

Labyrinth at Regal Cinema 9. David Bowie is the king of the Goblins in this Jim Henson fantasy. 8 p.m. Regal Cinema 9, 1405 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz. $5. (831) 457-3505

Back to Thursday /// Back to top

]]> http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/06/07/the-week-june-7-10/feed/ 0 The Weekend: June 4-6, 2010 http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/06/04/the-weekend-june-4-6-2010/ http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/06/04/the-weekend-june-4-6-2010/#comments Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:28:24 +0000 admin http://weekendsantacruz.com/?p=1498 For the Weekend of June 4-6, 2010

Friday /// Saturday /// Sunday

Friday

First Friday in Santa Cruz. It’s First Friday time again and that means artistic goings-on in Santa Cruz. A full listing can be seen here, however here are some highlights: The Museum of Art & History is free. A 30-artist exhibition takes over Art For Art on River Street. See Firstfridaysantacruz.com for more happenings.

Los Mejicas at UC Santa Cruz. Groupo Folklorico Los Mejicas performs music and dance from eight different regions of Mexico during their 19th annual Spring Concert. 7 p.m. June 4-5. Mainstage, UCSC Campus, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz. $15. (831) 459-3240.

Crooked Still at Kuumbwa. Nu-folk bluegrass band Crooked Still plays Kuumbwa as part of its California CD release tour. 7:30 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz. $19 in advance, $23 at the door. Advance tickets at snazzyproductions.com or (831) 479-9421.

The Elixir of Love opens at UC Santa Cruz. Set in a World War II military factory, Donizetti’s comic opera The Elixir of Love tells the story of a man in love with a woman whose head’s been turned by another man. Along comes a con man with a magic potion and poof, hilarity ensues. UC Santa Cruz’s annual spring production directed by Brian Staufenbiel features the UCSC orchestra conducted by Nicole Paiement. Through June 6. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday & 2 p.m. Sunday. Music Recital Hall, UCSC Campus, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz. $25 general, $21 seniors & $11 students. (831) 459-2159.

UCSC Gospel Choir Spring Concert at UC Santa Cruz. The UCSC Gospel Choir holds its Spring Concert, with songs of faith and encouragement, at Porter College. 8 p.m. Porter College Dining Hall Stage, Porter College on West side of UCSC Campus, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz. $5. (831) 459-2857.

Rabbit Hole at Actors’ Theatre. Balancing comedic moments with serious themes, David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole explores how a family copes with grief and the possibilities of hope after tragedy. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play, directed by Victoria Rue, closes Actors’ Theatre’s 25th season. Through June 6. 8 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center Street, Santa Cruz. $16, $13 students/seniors. (831) 425-7529.

A Benefit for the Santa Cruz Red Cross at The Catalyst’s Atrium. Dirty Penny, Hollywood Scars and Hiatus play a concert benefiting the Santa Cruz chapter of the American Red Cross in The Catalyst’s Atrium. 9 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Ages 16+. (831) 423-1338.

B-Side Players at Moe’s Alley. Get down on the dance floor with the borderless grooves of B-Side Players. The polyrhythmic band from San Diego fuses Latin American and Carribean beats with funky, jazz and hip-hop. 9 p.m. June 4 & 5. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. (831) 479-1854.

Coastal Sage plus Take One at Don Quixote’s. The reggae stylings of Santa Cruz’s own Coastal Sage take center stage at Don Quixote’s. They’re joined by Take One, rising from the ashes of DubScene. 9 p.m. Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $8. Cash only. Ages 21+. (831) 603-2294.

Citay, Grand Lake & Acid Tapestries at The Crepe Place.San Francisco cosmic wanderers Citay join Oakland’s Grand Lake and the local indie rock band Acid Tapestries for a night of music at The Crepe Place. 9 p.m. The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $8. (831) 429-6994.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off at Midnight at the Del Mar. “Bueller. Bueller.” Ditch your cares with Matthew Broderick in this ’80s classic flick. Midnight June 4 &5. The Del Mar, 1124 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz. $6.50. (831) 469-3220.

Back to Friday /// Back to top


Saturday

Motion Pacific Studio’s 12th Annual Spring Showcase. Kids, teens and adults come together in Motion Pacific’s 12th Annual Spring Showcase to show what they’ve got. 4 p.m. Henry Rollins swings into Santa Cruz. 7 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $22 in advance, $24 day of show. Advance tickets at Ticket Web and at Streetlight Records. (831) 423-8209.

Los Mejicas at UC Santa Cruz. Groupo Folklorico Los Mejicas performs music and dance from eight different regions of Mexico during their 19th annual Spring Concert. 7 p.m. June 4-5. Mainstage, UCSC Campus, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz. $15. (831) 459-3240.

The Elixir of Love opens at UC Santa Cruz. Set in a World War II military factory, Donizetti’s comic opera The Elixir of Love tells the story of a man in love with a woman whose head’s been turned by another man. Along comes a con man with a magic potion and poof, hilarity ensues. UC Santa Cruz’s annual spring production directed by Brian Staufenbiel features the UCSC orchestra conducted by Nicole Paiement. Through June 6. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday & 2 p.m. Sunday. Music Recital Hall, UCSC Campus, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz. $25 general, $21 seniors & $11 students. (831) 459-2159.

Rabbit Hole at Actors’ Theatre. Balancing comedic moments with serious themes, David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole explores how a family copes with grief and the possibilities of hope after tragedy. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play, directed by Victoria Rue, closes Actors’ Theatre’s 25th season. Through June 6. 8 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center Street, Santa Cruz. $16, $13 students/seniors. (831) 425-7529.

Loose Cannon Theater at The Broadway Playhouse. Loose Cannon Theater revels in provocative, comedic improvisation, performing their own crazy long-form improv starting with a topic given by the audience. 8 p.m. Broadway Playhouse, 526 Broadway Street, Santa Cruz. $10 at the door. (831) 427-4008.

Santa Cruz County Symphony with White Album Ensemble at The Civic Auditorium. The White Album Ensemble, dedicated to the works of The Beatles, join the Santa Cruz County Symphony for a fab performance. 8 p.m. Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church Street, Santa Cruz. $29.50-$70.50. (831) 420-5260.

MC Chris, MC Lars & Math the Band in The Catalyst’s Atrium. It’s a night to dance when MC Chris, MC Lars and Math the Band rock the Atrium. 8:30 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $12 in advance, $13 at the door. Ages 16+. (831) 423-1338.

Sage Francis’ “Life on the Road tour” at The Catalyst. Sage Francis brings his summer tour to Santa Cruz. The underground artist will be joined by Free Moral Agents, featuring Ikey Ownes of Mars Volta, and B. Dolan. 9 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $16 in advance, $20 at the door. Ages 16+. (831) 423-1338.

The Inciters plus The Impalers at Don Quixote’s. Big Soul meets ska and reggae when local bands The Inciters and The Impalers take to the stage. 9 p.m. Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $8. Cash only. (831) 603-2294.

Rose’s Pawn Shop & Amee Chapman at The Crepe Place. The foot-stomping strains of Appalachian bluegrass are channeled through a rock band when Rose’s Pawn Shop plays. The band joins Moss Landing’s Amee Chapman at The Crepe Place. 9 p.m. The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $8. (831) 429-6994.

B-Side Players at Moe’s Alley. Get down on the dance floor with the borderless grooves of B-Side Players. The polyrhythmic band from San Diego fuses Latin American and Carribean beats with funky, jazz and hip-hop. 9 p.m. June 4 & 5. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. (831) 479-1854.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off at Midnight at the Del Mar. “Bueller. Bueller.” Ditch your cares with Matthew Broderick in this ’80s classic flick. Midnight June 4 &5. The Del Mar, 1124 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz. $6.50. (831) 469-3220.

Back to Saturday /// Back to top


Sunday

Ho’omana Hawaiian Band plus Braddah Timmy aka Kukia at Don Quixote’s. Within the Hawaiian community, the Ho’omana Hawaiian Band is one of the top recording and performing groups in Northern California. They join Braddah Timmy aka Kukia for this sure-to-be special show. 1 p.m. Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $15. Cash only. Under 21 allowed with parent. (831) 603-2294.

The Elixir of Love opens at UC Santa Cruz. Set in a World War II military factory, Donizetti’s comic opera The Elixir of Love tells the story of a man in love with a woman whose head’s been turned by another man. Along comes a con man with a magic potion and poof, hilarity ensues. UC Santa Cruz’s annual spring production directed by Brian Staufenbiel features the UCSC orchestra conducted by Nicole Paiement. Through June 6. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday & 2 p.m. Sunday. Music Recital Hall, UCSC Campus, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz. $25 general, $21 seniors & $11 students. (831) 459-2159.

28th Annual Avant Garden Party. Enjoy a spectacular garden jam of variegated musical species from Brazilian Guinga style to enchanted-garden variety sambas, while tasting gourmet treats by local chefs David Jackman and India Jozseph Schultz. The show benefits New Music Works. 3 p.m. The Garden, 2701 Monterey Ave., Soquel. $30-$40. Tickets available at Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center Street, Santa Cruz. $16, $13 students/seniors. (831) 425-7529.

The Original SNAIL at Moe’s Alley. Started in Santa Cruz in 1967, SNAIL has gone through many changes. Now, two of the three founding members have added a third to revive the orignal SNAIL. They play Moe’s Alley’s BBQ and Blues series at 4 p.m.. Barbecue wil be available on the patio starting at 3 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $10 in advance, $12 at the door. (831) 479-1854.

Larry Hosford at The Crepe Place. Country singer-songwriter Larry Hosford returns to his Northern California roots. 5 p.m. The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $8. (831) 429-6994.

The Nazz at Don Quixote’s.The Nazz is a jazz bebop play adapted from the monologue of Lord Buckley , a jazz hipster from the 1950s. The cast includes Jeff Caplan, Ann Whittington, Ruby Rudman, Charmaigne Scott, Gail Cruse and more. 7 p.m. Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $15. Under 21 allowed with parent. Cash only. (831) 603-2294.

Last Best Hope at Kuumbwa. From Dub to Jazz and everything in-between, Last Best Hope stands out with its originality. 8 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz. $10 donation at the door. (831) 419-7777.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at The Catalyst. Hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony come to the Crossroads of Santa Cruz during their World’s Enemy Tour. 8 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $27 in advance, $32 at the door. Ages 16+. (831) 423-1338.

Davidsbundler Society at The Catalyst. Davidsbundler Society, named for an imaginary music society, joins Sketchy Business and King Kraken in the Atrium. 9 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $5 at the door only. Ages 21+. (831) 423-1338.

Abja, Iba, Tuff Lion, Biblical & The Lions Of Kush Band at Moe’s Alley. Santa Cruz is on island time as as Moe’s Alley welcomes back the annual Lions of Kush St. Criox Reggae Showcase. It’s roots reggae to move the mind body & soul. 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $12 in advance, $15 at the door. (831) 479-1854.

Back to Sunday /// Back to top

]]> http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/06/04/the-weekend-june-4-6-2010/feed/ 0 The Weekend: May 28-30, 2010 http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/06/04/the-weekend-may-28-30-2010/ http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/06/04/the-weekend-may-28-30-2010/#comments Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:15:02 +0000 admin http://weekendsantacruz.com/?p=1494 For the Weekend of May 28-30, 2010

Friday /// Saturday /// Sunday

Friday

Lara Price Band at Seabright Brewery. Lara Price Band plays Seabright Brewery. 6:30 p.m. Seabright Brewery, 519 Seabright Avenue, Santa Cruz. No cover. Age 21+. (831) 426-2739.

Chautauqua Festival of Theater at UC Santa Cruz. The annual student festival of theater has something for everyone. Through May 30. 7 p.m. Friday & Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Barn Theater, UCSC Campus, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz. Free. (831) 459-3240.

Hair at UC Santa Cruz. Hair, the original American tribal love-rock musical, reminds us that this is the Age of Aquarius. Directed by Danny Scheie, the show runs through May 30. 7 p.m. Friday & Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Mainstage Theater, 1156 High St., UCSC Campus, Santa Cruz. $14, $11 students/seniors. (831) 459-2159.

Rabbit Hole at Actors’ Theatre. Balancing comedic moments with serious themes, David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole explores how a family copes with grief and the possibilities of hope after tragedy. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play, directed by Victoria Rue, closes Actors’ Theatre’s 25th season. Through June 6. 8 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center Street, Santa Cruz. $16, $13 students/seniors. (831) 425-7529.

Latin Music Ensemble at Cabrillo’s Crocker Theater. Students of Music 56 performing traditional and popular music from throughout Latin America, directed by Michael Strunk. 8 p.m. Cabrillo Crocker Theater, 6500 Soquel Drive, VAPA 4150, Aptos. $7 at the door, $6 students/seniors. (831) 479-6464.

She & Him at The Rio. With She & Him, singer-songwriter Zooey Deschanel teams with producer M. Ward for a musical partnership that leads to radios everywhere being turned up. The Chapin Sisters open. 8 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. SOLD OUT. (831) 423-8209.

The Jerry Miller Band at Don Quixote’s. Powerful stuff. Former Moby Grape lead guitarist Jerry Miller’s band includes Tiran Porter and Dale Ockerman of the Doobie Brothers, plus Fuzzy John Oxendine on drums. 8 p.m. Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $10. Cash only. Ages 21+. (831) 603-2294.

Zion I plus Erk Tha Jerk at The Catalyst. Bay Area reggae stars Zion I and Erk Tha Jerk bring the beats. 9 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $15 in advance, $19 at the door. Ages 16+. (831) 423-1338.

Eric Lindell Band at Moe’s Alley. Get ready for some swampy blues. The Eric Lindell Band brings its righteous grooves and punchy guitar fueled R&B rave-ups to the Alley. 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $15. (831) 479-1854.

Pop Fiction in The Atrium. Bay Area party band Pop Fiction covers hits from Lady Gaga to AC/DC. 9 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $5 in advance, $8 at the door. Ages 21+. (831) 423-1338.

Sparrow’s Gate & Big Eagle at The Crepe Place. Western sensibility infuses Bay Area bands Sparrow’s Gate and Big Eagle. Watch them fly. 10 p.m. The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. Free. (831) 429-6994.

The Royal Tennenbaums at Midnight at the Del Mar. Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston and Ben Stiller star in this offbeat comedy about a dysfunctional family reunion. Midnight. The Del Mar, 1124 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz. $6.50. (831) 469-3220.

Back to Friday /// Back to top


Saturday

Civil War Re-enactment at Roaring Camp. Visit encampments of Union and Confederate solders and witness historic battles at one of the longest-running Civil War reenactments in the West. Loud cannon and gunfire may be heard as part of the re-enactment activities, so it is not advisable to bring dogs to this event. 10 a.m. May 29-31. Roaring Camp, Graham Hill Road, Felton. $5. Parking $8. (831) 335-4484.

Santa Cruz Blues Festival in Aptos Village Park. Prepare to spend your weekend listening to the blues. The 18th Annual Santa Cruz Blues Festival features artists Ben Harper, Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Eric Burdon & the Animals, Coco Montoya, Was (Not Was), Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Eric Lindell and Joseph Arthur. Luxury shuttle bus transport from Cabrillo College begins at 9 a.m. Cabrillo College parking lot opens at 8 a.m. There is no parking at the festival site, Aptos Village Park. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 29 & 30. Aptos Village Park, 100 Aptos Creek Rd., Aptos. $75 adults, $25 kids ages 7-12 for a 1-day pass. $140 adults, $40 kids for a 2-day pass. Tickets available at SantaCruzBluesFestival.com.

Chautauqua Festival of Theater at UC Santa Cruz. The annual student festival of theater has something for everyone. Through Sunday, May 30. 7 p.m. Friday & Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Barn Theater, UCSC Campus, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz. Free. (831) 459-3240.

Hair at UC Santa Cruz. Hair, the original American tribal love-rock musical, reminds us that this is the Age of Aquarius. Directed by Danny Scheie, the show runs through May 30. 7 p.m. Friday & Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Mainstage Theater, 1156 High St., UCSC Campus, Santa Cruz. $14, $11 students/seniors. (831) 459-2159.

Fusion at the Cypress Lounge. A night of funky dub step and strings, Fusion is also the official launch for Vibrant Eyeris‘s new CD. Other acts include Clay, Sight onthemic, Dan the Builder, Scarebare, Marya Stark, Eclipsys and Alohi. 7 p.m. Cypress Lounge, 120 Union Street, Santa Cruz. $10. Tickets available at Brown Paper Tickets. (541) 852-8347.

Rap time at The Catalyst. Tech N9ne headlines. Brotha Lynch Hung, Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun, Big Scoob, Prozak and Cognito join. 8 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $34 in advance, $39 at the door. (831) 423-1338.

Le Strange plus Funky Dosage at Don Quixote’s. Le Strange serves over the top rock anthems with a nod and a wink, while Funky Dosage is all about the groove. Go dance already! 8 p.m. Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $10. Cash only. Under 21 allowed with parent. (831) 603-2294.

Illuminated at Holy Cross Church. Cadenza, formerly the Santa Cruz Chamber Orchestra, performs a pictorial concert featuring music by Britten and Hindemith. 8 p.m.. Holy Cross Church, 126 High Street, Santa Cruz. $25. Tickets available at Brown Paper Tickets.

Rabbit Hole at Actors’ Theatre. Balancing comedic moments with serious themes, David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole explores how a family copes with grief and the possibilities of hope after tragedy. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play, directed by Victoria Rue, closes Actors’ Theatre’s 25th season. Through June 6. 8 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center Street, Santa Cruz. $16, $13 students/seniors. (831) 425-7529.

MGMT at the Civic Auditorium. Grammy-nominated MGMT buzzes through Santa Cruz. 8 p.m. Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church Street, Santa Cruz. SOLD OUT. (831) 420-5260.

Ribsy’s Nickel in The Catalyst’s Atrium. Rock, reggae and punk intertwine for Santa Cruz’s Ribsy’s Nickel. 9 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $5 at the door only. Ages 21+. (831) 423-1338.

Dumpstaphunk at Moe’s Alley. Prepare to get funky. New Orleans sensation Dumpstaphunk, dubbed “the best funk band from New Orleans” by the New York Times comes to Moe’s Alley fresh from the Santa Cruz Blues Festival. OTS Trio opens. 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $20. (831) 479-1854.

Dan P & The Bricks, Keyser Soze & Monkey at The Crepe Place. Ska is king. Local 10-piece ska band Dan P & The Bricks kicks off a night of grooving tunes. Reno-based Keyser Soze and Bay Area’s Monkey smooth it out. 9 p.m. The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $8. (831) 429-6994.

The Royal Tennenbaums at Midnight at the Del Mar. Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston and Ben Stiller star in this offbeat comedy about a dysfunctional family reunion. Midnight. The Del Mar, 1124 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz. $6.50. (831) 469-3220.

Back to Saturday /// Back to top


Sunday

Memorial Day Observance at Evergreen Cemetery. This 142nd Memorial Day Observance, Remembering Our Own, tributes the 462 former residents of Santa Cruz County who died while in armed forces during a period of war. The observance features a keynote speaker, along with musical and spoken tributes.11 a.m. Evergreen Cemetery, Evergreen Street near Harvey West Park. Free. (831) 429-1964.

Civil War Re-enactment at Roaring Camp. Visit encampments of Union and Confederate solders and witness historic battles at one of the longest-running Civil War reenactments in the West. Loud cannon and gunfire may be heard as part of the re-enactment activities, so it is not advisable to bring dogs to this event. 10 a.m. May 29-31. Roaring Camp, Graham Hill Road, Felton. $5. Parking $8. (831) 335-4484.

Santa Cruz Blues Festival in Aptos Village Park. Prepare to spend your weekend listening to the blues. The 18th Annual Santa Cruz Blues Festival features artists Ben Harper, Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Eric Burdon & the Animals, Coco Montoya, Was (Not Was), Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Eric Lindell and Joseph Arthur. Luxury shuttle bus transport from Cabrillo College begins at 9 a.m. Cabrillo College parking lot opens at 8 a.m. There is no parking at the festival site, Aptos Village Park. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 29 & 30. Aptos Village Park, 100 Aptos Creek Rd., Aptos. $75 adults, $25 kids ages 7-12 for a 1-day pass. $140 adults, $40 kids for a 2-day pass. Tickets available at SantaCruzBluesFestival.com.

The Jazz Birds at Don Quixote’s. They’re Wingin’ It’ with high flying harmonies and soaring syncopations. The Jazz Birds delight with classic songs from the jazz era. 1 p.m. Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $10. Under 21 allowed with parent. (831) 603-2294.

12th Annual Music in the Gardens Tour. Six different music groups complement the natural splendor of some of the area’s finest gardens during the Santa Cruz Baroque Festival’s Music in the Gardens Tour. Snacks, drinks and wine are at each location.This yearʹs tour features one garden in the Seabright neighborhood, a set of three gardens at one location on West Cliff Drive, and one garden near Nicene Marks in Aptos. 1 – 5 p.m. Ticket‐holders receive maps and directions. $30. Tickets available at www.scbaroque.org. (831) 459-215

Chautauqua Festival of Theater at UC Santa Cruz. The annual student festival of theater has something for everyone. Through Sunday, May 30. 7 p.m. Friday & Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Barn Theater, UCSC Campus, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz. Free. (831) 459-3240.

Rabbit Hole at Actors’ Theatre. Balancing comedic moments with serious themes, David Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole explores how a family copes with grief and the possibilities of hope after tragedy. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play, directed by Victoria Rue, closes Actors’ Theatre’s 25th season. Through June 6. 8 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center Street, Santa Cruz. $16, $13 students/seniors. (831) 425-7529.

Hair at UC Santa Cruz. Hair, the original American tribal love-rock musical, reminds us that this is the Age of Aquarius. Directed by Danny Scheie, the show runs through May 30. 7 p.m. Friday & Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Mainstage Theater, 1156 High St., UCSC Campus, Santa Cruz. $14, $11 students/seniors. (831) 459-2159.

Bryan Bowers at Don Quixote’s. Autoharp master Bryan Bowers mixes Americana with the exotic for a riveting performance. Eva Salina Primack and Aurelia Shrenker join. 7 p.m. Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $15. Cash only. Under 21 allowed with parent. (831) 603-2294.

Black Love, Here Kitty Kitty & Stagger and Fall at The Catalyst. Black Love joins Santa Cruz’s Here Kitty Kitty and the Bay Area’s Stagger & Fall for a Sunday night show. Yay Memorial Day! 9 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $5 at the door only. Ages 21+. (831) 423-1338.

Coco Montoya at Moe’s Alley. Blues are a blasting off point for guitarist Coco Montoya’s rock solid, groove-laden music. This is the official Santa Cruz Blues Festival after party and jam. 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $20. (831) 479-1854.

John Craigie & Patrick Cooper at The Crepe Place. Folk musician John Craigie shares the bill with Americana aficionado Patrick Cooper for a night of musical melange. 9 p.m. The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $8. (831) 429-6994.

Back to Sunday /// Back to top

]]> http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/06/04/the-weekend-may-28-30-2010/feed/ 0 6 Ways to Celebrate Summer in Santa Cruz http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/05/28/6-ways-to-celebrate-summer-in-santa-cruz/ http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/05/28/6-ways-to-celebrate-summer-in-santa-cruz/#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 09:37:44 +0000 admin http://weekendsantacruz.com/?p=1448 * PUBLISHER/EDITOR'S NOTE: Weekend Santa Cruz will be on hiatus for the foreseeable future. It will not be updated for some time to come. Thank you to each of the site's supporters. Memorial Day marks the start of the summer season. The weather warms, the beach beckons and soon, the town empties of students and fills with tourists attracted by the area's natural beauty and quirky charms. There are an infinite number of ways to celebrate the summer in Santa Cruz, from picnics by the lighthouse to riding the Beach Boardwalk roller coaster. As this is a finite space, we've pared the list to six....
PHOTO: Joshua Lau and Crystina Robinette are featured dancers in "Swing!" opening June 25 at Cabrillo Stage. Photo by Jana Marcus.]]> Memorial Day marks the start of the summer season. The weather warms, the beach beckons and soon, the town empties of students and fills with tourists attracted by the area’s natural beauty and quirky charms. There are an infinite number of ways to celebrate the summer in Santa Cruz, from picnics by the lighthouse to riding the Beach Boardwalk roller coaster. As this is a finite space, we’ve pared the list to six.

1. Watch actors perform Shakespeare in the midst of redwoods. Sure there’s Shakespeare in the Park in almost every town, but where else but Santa Cruz can you see the Bard performed by seasoned professionals on a stage surrounded by tall, majestic sempervirens? This year, Shakespeare Santa Cruz explores facets of love with the lusty, laugh-friendly Love’s Labor’s Lost (July 21-August 29) and the moody, tragic Othello (August 3-29). The company rounds out its season with two non-Shakespeare shows, the witty historical family drama The Lion in Winter (July 20-August 29 on the Mainstage) and the sexually heated La Ronde (August 17 & 24). Artistic Director Marco Barricelli previews the season June 1 at Bookshop Santa Cruz.

2.See what artists can capture before the light changes. Painting “en plein aire” is a test of vision and dexterity. Artists attempt to capture a scene, usually one of nature, in a short span of time. The Plein Aire Affaire (July 10-11) at the Museum of Art and History celebrates this challenging art form for the sixth year. The Affaire is part gallery show, part festival and part sale, complete with demonstrations, music and children’s art activities. Some of the canvases will come from the yearly paint out, a competition where artists bring their canvases to be stamped and then have three days to complete their “wet” works for consideration.

3. Support your inner Glee. Yes, Cabrillo Stage is what happens when kids like the ones featured in the fictional club on Glee grow up. Community musical theater might sound scary, but this company is a notch above. From its expertly-designed sets to its talented directors and actors, Cabrillo Stage brings a whiff of Broadway to this beach town. Offerings this season, the first in Cabrillo College’s new theater, include the comedy I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change! (June 18- July 3), the jazz-era tribute Swing! (June 25-July 18) and the musical classic Cabaret (July 23-August 15).

4.Boogie at a free twilight concert. Santa Cruz County is blessed with not one, but two free outdoor concert series during the summer. The big one, of course, is the Friday night series at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Bandstand. Herman’s Hermits (June 18), Blue Oyster Cult (June 25), Naked Eyes (July 2), Eddie Money (July 30), A Flock of Seagulls (August 6) and Spin Doctors (August 13) are just a few of the name bands playing twice nightly concerts. Then there are the Twilight Concerts at Capitola Beach. Every Wednesday from June through August, fun and funky bands — mainly local — take to the stage to get people dancing. This year’s lineup includes Mike Hadley & The Groove (June 23), J.P. & the Rhythm Chasers (July 7), Extra Large (August 11) and Johnny Fabulous (August 18).

5. Tickle your funny bone. The list of performers hasn’t been released yet for the Eighth Annual Santa Cruz Improv Festival (July 9 through August 14 at Actors’ Theatre), but if it’s anything like last year’s, be prepared to have a sore stomach from laughing too hard. Watch as shtick happens. With six weekends of performances, there’s no excuse for missing out on the hilarity of on-the-spot comedy.

6. Listen to something you’ve never heard before. It’s not every town that can boast a world-class new music festival. The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music (August 1-15), under the direction of Marin Alsop, brings renowned composers to surf city to premiere new works. Among the 12 composers planning to be in residence this year are Philip Glass, John Adams, Jennifer Higdon, Pierre Jalbert, Sean Hickey and Michael Shapiro. There will also be a special performance by the sextet eighth blackbird and the Kronos Quartet on August 8. Where else can you hear a piece inspired by the image of analog videotape scrolling backwards on one day, then attend an orchestral petting zoo with your family the next?

PHOTO: Joshua Lau and Crystina Robinette are featured dancers in “Swing!” opening June 25 at Cabrillo Stage. Photo by Jana Marcus.

]]> http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/05/28/6-ways-to-celebrate-summer-in-santa-cruz/feed/ 0 Studio to stage, Wooster slinks into The Cat http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/03/22/studio-to-stage-wooster-slinks-into-the-cat/ http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/03/22/studio-to-stage-wooster-slinks-into-the-cat/#comments Tue, 23 Mar 2010 06:25:38 +0000 admin http://weekendsantacruz.com/?p=1423 There's something addictive about Wooster's music. Clever lyrics, sweet male-female harmonies and laid-back beats combine to make you want to listen to more and more while your feet move with the rhythm.
Nothing about the sound screams studio-born, but that's where Wooster's lineage lies. The band, performing March 26 in The Catalyst's Atrium, got its start at Santa Cruz's Gadgetbox studios.
It was there that singer-songwriter Brian Gallagher recorded his first acoustic CD, a five-song gift for family and friends.
"Everyone liked it so much that I thought, 'Wow, maybe I should really try to do a full length CD with a full band,'" said Gallagher, who works as a bartender at the Harbor Cafe. "It took me three years to get it all done, but I met the right people and made the right moves and it all happened."]]> EDITOR’S NOTE: This story, originally posted in March, has been updated to include Wooster’s June 11 performance.

There’s something addictive about Wooster’s music. Clever lyrics, sweet male-female harmonies and laid-back beats combine to make you want to listen to more and more while your feet move with the rhythm.

Nothing about the sound screams studio-born, but that’s where Wooster’s lineage lies. The band, performing June 11 at The Catalyst, got its start at Santa Cruz’s Gadgetbox studios.

It was there that singer-songwriter Brian Gallagher recorded his first acoustic CD, a five-song gift for family and friends.

“Everyone liked it so much that I thought, ‘Wow, maybe I should really try to do a full length CD with a full band,’” said Gallagher, who works as a bartender at the Harbor Cafe. “It took me three years to get it all done, but I met the right people and made the right moves and it all happened.”

The right people included another newbie to the art of the band (local singer Caroline Kuspa, a music major at UC Davis) and five seasoned players (bassist Bobby Hanson, drummer Nate Frederick, piano/organ man Gianni Staiano, trumpeter Dustin Hengl and guitarist Zack Donoghue). Hengl plays regularly with Willie Nelson. Frederick, a professional on the skins since age 14, started with local punk band Jetlag. Staiano is a member of 7 Come 11, as well as a local music teacher. Hanson recently did a national tour with serendipity project. Donoghue is a founding member of the reggae-rock band Epicure.

“It’s fun to have people to really push you as a performer,” said New York-born Gallagher, who grew up in Newport Beach, Calif. “All those guys have such superior confidence because they’ve done it so many times, and they know what they need to do to perform well.”

Wooster —named after the arty street in SoHo, New York, where Gallagher and his family once lived — released its first CD, The Heights of Things this past November. The group heads back into the studio next month to start work on its second album.

Many of Wooster’s current songs tell stories. “Ooh Girl” recounts meeting a girl at a party. “Three Legged Dog” is in some ways the aftermath, a song about where a relationship is headed.

Lyrics like “I’ve been looking for long-term investment, that’s what the sex meant” show off Gallagher’s attention to scansion, legacy from his years as a writing major at UC Santa Cruz. Writing with the band has been a process of letting go for the songwriter.

“I’ve given up that total control [in songwriting] because I know I trust all of the players,” he said. “I’m the spark, but everyone else is the catalyst.”

Though the rhythms he used as an acoustic guitar player remain at the core of many songs, the talents of the band have allowed the sound to expand cross-genre. Kuspa excels at melody, Gallagher said, and has added a lot to the works. The band’s sound — a mix of reggae, rock and bluesy soul — is constantly evolving.

“It’s a really big sound, it’s sonically moving on a physical level and an emotional level. You can really feel the bass, the crack of the drums, the high end of the trumpet. It’s completely encompassing,” he added.

They are in the midst of booking a summer tour along the California coast.

“I definitely have ambitions and big dreams of becoming a touring band successfully making money,” Gallagher said. “We’re shooting for the moon.”

Wooster at The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Door open at 8:30 p.m., show starts at 9 p.m. June 11. $10 in advance, $14 at the door. (831) 423-1338.

]]> http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/03/22/studio-to-stage-wooster-slinks-into-the-cat/feed/ 0 Director doesn’t Doubt his cast http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/03/10/director-doesnt-doubt-his-cast/ http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/03/10/director-doesnt-doubt-his-cast/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:58:33 +0000 admin http://weekendsantacruz.com/?p=1413 For Erik Gandolfi, directing his first professional play came down to one thing: finding the perfect cast for Jewel Theatre's production of Doubt. The drama, March 11-20 at Santa Cruz's Broadway Playhouse, examines what happens when an old-fashioned nun, Sister Aloysius, challenges a new-fangled priest, Father Flynn, whom she believes is inappropriately becoming close to a student in 1964 Brooklyn.
"It's one of those greedy dramas that all actors love to do," said Gandolfi of the play, which won the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award. "I had to go through a lot of people, it was tough, but I ended up with exactly the right people..."]]>

Mike Ryan stars as Father Flynn in Jewel Theatre's Doubt. (Photo courtesy of Jewel Theatre)

For Erik Gandolfi, directing his first professional play came down to one thing: finding the perfect cast for Jewel Theatre’s production of Doubt. The drama, March 11-20 at Santa Cruz’s Broadway Playhouse, examines what happens when an old-fashioned nun, Sister Aloysius, challenges a new-fangled priest, Father Flynn, whom she believes is inappropriately becoming close to a student in 1964 Brooklyn.

“It’s one of those greedy dramas that all actors love to do,” said Gandolfi of the play, which won the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award. “I had to go through a lot of people, it was tough, but I ended up with exactly the right people.”

The four-person cast includes Jessica Powell as Sister Aloysius, April Green as Sister James, Nadia Antovia Liggins as Mrs. Muller and Santa Cruz favorite Mike Ryan as Father Flynn.

As with every Jewel Theatre production, many of the actors are members of Actors Equity. Save one, all were strangers to the director before they started.

Though this is the first time Ryan and Gandolfi have worked together, both acted with separate Shakespeare Santa Cruz productions in 2008.

Gandolfi said he found that each cast member hit the right note, praising Liggins’ “intense power,” Powell’s perfection and Green’s acting chops. But it’s Ryan who stands out for the director, who previously taught stagecraft to inmates as an instructor with the William James Association at Mule Creek State Prison.

“For every actor, there’s only a handful of part that are perfect for you,” Gandolfi said. “Father Flynn is the same descent, the same intelligence level, the same looks, the same age as Mike Ryan.”

Ryan, who taught theater at UC Santa Cruz until last year, said he feels a certain affinity for the character he portrays in the John Patrick Shanley play.

“There’s a lot about Father Flynn that I actually relate to because I grew up in a Catholic household in Oklahoma,” said Ryan, seen this past summer in Shakespeare Santa Cruz’s production of Shipwrecked!. “I felt like one of the most liberal and progressive people in the world until I left Oklahoma and realized I wasn’t quite as progressive as I thought I was.”

The play pits Sister Aloysius against Father Flynn in a battle born not only of their different styles of Catholicism, but also in the Sister’s moral certitude that the priest has done something wrong, though she cannot prove it.

“I think what’s great about this part is that good plays ask questions,” Ryan said. “They don’t make statements.”

While hinting at the possibility of abuse, Doubt never comes to any obvious conclusions.

“The best that I can hope for is that the audience walks out of this show with a 50-50 split on what actually happened,” Gandolfi said.

Both Ryan and Gandolfi emphasized that the play differs from the movie, a 2008 release starring Meryl Streep, in that what actually happened is more unknown. In order to play up the ambiguity, the director has kept the cast focused on the year the play occurs: 1964.

“Look at what was going on in America,” he said. “The Civil Rights Movement, Johnson was president…this was the first year after Vatican II took place.”

The Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) changed perceptions of the Catholic Church by opening up mass to the language of the people, rather than Latin-only, and emphasizing the role of lay-persons. Many have seen it as loosening up the Church.

“Compared to 1964, this is a free time,” Ryan noted. “We’re free to make all kinds of choices about ourselves….I have to remember how cornered in 1964 Father Flynn is.”

The passion his character has for the church has brought Ryan closer to his own sense of faith.

“Playing Father Flynn has reconnected me with the joys of spirituality,” he said. “The ways the church can celebrate the human condition and bring people together in troubled times.”

Gandolfi, a lapsed Catholic who describes himself as an “atheist-agnostic type”, said the show made him look more objectively at why people devote their lives to becoming a priest or a nun.

“It’s given me a renewed respect for people who do good work in the Catholic Church,” Gandolfi said.

Doubt runs March 11 through 20 at Broadway Playhouse, 526 Broadway Street, Santa Cruz. Performances are 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and 2 p.m. March 14 and March 20.Tickets cost $20 to $25. For more information, visit jeweltheatre.net or call (831) 454-1143.

]]> http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/03/10/director-doesnt-doubt-his-cast/feed/ 0 5 Questions with Gerry Gerringer, director of ‘Beyond Therapy’ at Actors’ Theatre http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/03/01/5-questions-with-gerry-gerringer-director-of-beyond-therapy-at-actors-theatre/ http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/03/01/5-questions-with-gerry-gerringer-director-of-beyond-therapy-at-actors-theatre/#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:33:11 +0000 admin http://weekendsantacruz.com/?p=1408 He's a bisexual who likes Kierkegaard, Mahler, Joan Didion and writing personal ads. She's a freelance writer who keeps answering the ads he writes, even though he drives her nutty. Together, they're Beyond Therapy. Gerry Gerringer directs the Christopher Durang comedy, on stage at Actors' Theatre through March 21. The show explores relationships between lovers, friends and therapists. In the spirit of the therapist's couch, Gerringer was kind enough to answer a few questions for Weekend Santa Cruz.... ]]>

Beyond Therapy runs through March 21 at Actors' Theatre. (Photo by Kristi Zufall)

He’s a bisexual who likes Kierkegaard, Mahler, Joan Didion and writing personal ads. She’s a freelance writer who keeps answering the ads he writes, even though he drives her nutty. Together, they’re Beyond Therapy. Gerry Gerringer directs the Christopher Durang comedy, on stage at Actors’ Theatre through March 21.

The show explores relationships between lovers, friends and therapists. In the spirit of the therapist’s couch, Gerringer was kind enough to answer a few questions for Weekend Santa Cruz.

How has it been balancing your new job as operations manager of Actors’ Theatre with directing Beyond Therapy? Has it presented any unique challenges? Well, I’ve been changing hats so often my forehead is getting sore. It’s been challenging learning a new position which requires organizational and administrative skills during the day and then directing rehearsals at night. I had to go through the daily process of emptying the operations manager job from my mind and re-focus before rehearsal so I could give total concentration to the cast and what the play needed.

In a way, this play is about attractions. What about this play initially attracted you? On a basic level, the most profound attraction we all manifest is the attraction of creating connections to other humans. Of course, then there is the sex, which adds a whole other dynamic. I was initially attracted to Christopher Durang’s ability to develop that theme of yearning for connection and his skill at bringing it out with such hilarity.

With its zany characters and out-there situations, Beyond Therapy seems like it would be easy to steer towards farce. How do you, as a director, help keep it from going over the edge? It is a fine line. Mainly, it’s about encouraging the cast members to improvise as broadly as they want early in the rehearsal process and then get specific and tone it down where you think it’s needed as the rehearsals proceed. As clever as this play is, there is room for a dash of slapstick here and there. As long as it fits into the context of the play and comes from character, it works.

The cast of this play combines student actors newer to the stage with experienced thespians. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve given or heard given to an actor or actress? 1) Understand that disciplined, deep breathing into the solar plexus area is a key to relaxing and preparing for performance. 2) Sustaining connection through eye contact with the other actors and listening are basic keys to spontaneous, reactive acting.

What’s next for you? I’ll be directing Dead Man’s Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl (the author of The Clean House, which I directed last fall) here at Actors’ Theatre. We open September.17th.

Beyond Therapy runs through March 21 at Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center Street, Santa Cruz. Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $13 to $25. Call (831) 425-7529 or visit Brown Paper Tickets.

]]> http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/03/01/5-questions-with-gerry-gerringer-director-of-beyond-therapy-at-actors-theatre/feed/ 0 A Very Different Jack http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/02/25/a-very-different-jack/ http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/02/25/a-very-different-jack/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:58:56 +0000 admin http://weekendsantacruz.com/?p=1402 It was a collection of empty whiskey bottles that led to the creation of the physical theater piece You Don't Know Jack, appearing at The 418 Project. No, not because members of The Carpetbag Brigade were drinking while putting together this fractured fairy tale combining "Jack in the Beanstalk" with an alcoholic ghost, post-traumatic stress disorder and a dysfunctional family.
During an improv exercise, five Carpetbag Brigaders went out in the New Mexico sun looking for objects that inspire. The year was 2007 and the Bay Area group was doing a retreat with Wise Fool, a New Mexico arts organization with roots in puppetry. When all five members came back with empty whiskey bottles, inspiration struck Carpetbag Brigade founder and artistic director Jay Ruby.... (Photo by Jesse Olsen)]]>
The Carpetbag Brigade does a very different take on Jack and the Beanstalk at The 418 Project. (Photo by Ishan Vernallis)

The Carpetbag Brigade does a very different take on Jack and the Beanstalk at The 418 Project. (Photo by Ishan Vernallis)

It was a collection of empty whiskey bottles that led to the creation of the physical theater piece You Don’t Know Jack, appearing at The 418 Project. No, not because members of The Carpetbag Brigade were drinking while putting together this fractured fairy tale combining “Jack in the Beanstalk” with an alcoholic ghost, post-traumatic stress disorder and a dysfunctional family.

During an improv exercise exploring the shadow of the family, five Carpetbag Brigaders went out in the New Mexico sun looking for objects that inspire. The year was 2007 and the Bay Area group — best known for its acrobatic stilt performances — was doing a retreat with Wise Fool, a New Mexico arts organization with roots in puppetry. When all five members came back with empty whiskey bottles, inspiration struck Carpetbag Brigade founder and artistic director Jay Ruby.

Ruby, who had been reading Robert Bly’s The Sibling Society, had come across an analysis of “Jack in the Beanstalk” from a Jungian perspective. “That became the scaffold for, or the hidden structure onto which we started to place all of our theatrical actions that we were creating,” he said.

Three years later, the piece has been refined into a work that combines contact dance, movement, live music, myth, fairy tale and poetry to explore the traumas war wreaks on the families of soldiers through generations.

The five performers in the show come from all across North America, from Montreal to Mexico. “We’re not a theater company who gets together Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

Ruby, who co-directed You Don’t Know Jack with Varrick Grimes, plays Jack’s dead grandfather, a ghost whose death from alcoholism and war-induced PTSD forms the backbone of the work.

“The story is created first by the interactions that occur on a physical level onstage, and the text gets layered on top of that,” Ruby said.

The show is not a typical theater piece. It’s edgy, dark and rather avant garde. “For most people, this is a rich experience, like evoking a dream state,” said Ruby, who formed The Carpetbag Brigade in 1998. “It’s a lot different than doing an Ibsen play.”

At the first performance in Colorado, a woman came up to Ruby and told him that it reminded her of the chaos and anxiety of growing up with her father, a Vietnam vet.

“People are quite touched because they’re seeing actions that are visceral,” Ruby said.

You Don’t Know Jack will be the second show The Carpetbag Brigade has done in Santa Cruz. Last spring, the company brought its stilt show, Vanishing Point, to Harvey West Park.

“This is probably the best show The Carpetbag Brigade has done up to this point,” he said.

You Don’t Know Jack plays 8 p.m. February 26 & 27 at The 418 Project, 418 Front Street, Santa Cruz. Tickets are $15. Advance tickets available at Brown Paper Tickets.

]]> http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/02/25/a-very-different-jack/feed/ 0 5 Questions with Gary Young, Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/02/23/5-questions-with-gary-young-poet-laureate-of-santa-cruz-county/ http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/02/23/5-questions-with-gary-young-poet-laureate-of-santa-cruz-county/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:07:10 +0000 admin http://weekendsantacruz.com/?p=1397 Robert Frost once said that "Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words." Students from Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School will be bringing their thoughts to life with emotion the first week in March, when they perform as part of Willing Suspension Armchair Theatre.
The students have been working on the show with poet Gary Young, who was recently named the first Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County. A Pushcart Prize-winning poet, Young teaches at UC Santa Cruz. In 2009, he received the Shelley Memorial Award. Though busy teaching, writing and running Greenhouse Review Press, Young agreed to answer five questions for Weekend Santa Cruz....]]> Robert Frost once said that “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” Students from Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School will be bringing their thoughts to life with emotion the first week in March, when they perform as part of Willing Suspension Armchair Theatre.

The students have been working on the show with poet Gary Young, who was recently named the first Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County. A Pushcart Prize-winning poet, Young teaches at UC Santa Cruz. In 2009, he received the Shelley Memorial Award. Though busy teaching, writing and running Greenhouse Review Press, Young agreed to answer five questions for Weekend Santa Cruz.

Willing Suspension brings poetry and prose off the page and on to the stage. What does reading a poem aloud bring to the form? How does one “direct” a poetry reading? Reading a poem aloud returns poetry to its roots. There was an oral poetic tradition long before there was any written language. Poems are intrinsically manifestations of breath; they are created by bodies, breath exhaled as music.

I don’t know how one “directs” anything connected to poetry. There are conventions to any group event, but poetry is a little wild; you have to be prepared for surprises.

You teach university students at UC Santa Cruz, but also work with middle and high school students at Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School. What differences do you find in exploring poetry with the different age groups?There are the obvious differences in maturity, but on the whole I find high school students tend to be more open to new poetic voices and experiences than university students. They’re less encumbered by expectation, and they have less inhibitions about admitting that they don’t know something. Although it’s not universal, there is a tendency for college-age students to want to write more and read less. They often have a greater fascination for their own work than for the work of others.

How are the pieces that the Kirby students will read onstage being chosen? What ideas or themes have emerged?Except for a certain number of poems whose subject is the coastal area we live in, the poets will read poems poem with which they are most pleased.

In a January interview with the Santa Cruz Sentinel, you said that “Poetry is such a marginal art, that we’re really blessed that it, and all the arts, are honored and treasured like they are in this community.” In what ways has the Santa Cruz community nurtured you in your poetry? I came to UCSC as an undergraduate 40 years ago with the express intention of becoming a poet. I was fortunate to study and to become friends with many marvelous poets here: William Everson, Stephen Kessler and Morton Marcus in particular. This is a community that has always had a vibrant literary community composed of both writers and lovers of literature. I’ve never had to pretend I was anything other than a poet, nor I have had to defend my vocation. That’s a gift.

As the first Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County, it is hoped you will inspire others to read and write poetry. What poets have inspired you, and why? Different poets have inspired me at different times in my life, although there are many poets I met in my youth who still move me: Stephen Crane, Walt Whitman, Rilke, Su Tung-p’o. Crane’s gnomic little gems have always fascinated me, and Rilke’s otherworldliness never gets old. Whitman, Su Tung-p’o (and Li Po, Wang Wei, Tu Fu and so many other Tang Dynasty Chinese poets) speak of the world with such directness and with such obvious care and love—they reveal the ordinary to be somehow heavenly. Kenneth Rexroth is a perennial favorite. His passion, and his fine touch with the line are ceaselessly inspiring, and there’s Gerard Manley Hopkins, Arthur Rimbaud, Karl Shapiro, Killarney Clary. This list could go on and on—Czeslaw Milosz, Philip Levine, W.C. Williams, Elizabeth Bishop. Picking your favorite poet is like choosing your favorite child; there’s no way you can do it.

Willing Suspension Armchair Theatre presents students from Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School reading poetry and literature, 7:30 p.m. March 1-3. Performance March 1 at Capitola Book Cafe, 1475 41st Avenue, Capitola. Performances March 2-3 at Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center Street, Santa Cruz. Donations requested for all performances. (831) 425-7529.

]]> http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/02/23/5-questions-with-gary-young-poet-laureate-of-santa-cruz-county/feed/ 0 The Weekend Past: February 12 – 14, 2010 http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/02/15/the-weekend-past-february-12-14-2010/ http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/02/15/the-weekend-past-february-12-14-2010/#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:51:18 +0000 admin http://weekendsantacruz.com/?p=1392 For current events, see the complete listings at The Week, The Weekend and Everything Else.

For the Weekend of February 12-14, 2010.

Friday /// Saturday /// Sunday

Friday

What is Erotic? at The 418 Project. It starts with a pre-show erotic bazaar. Then the fun really begins. Aerialists defy gravity, dancers writhe in delight, singers breathe life into songs of desire. Naughty theater indeed. 7:30 p.m. February 12-14 and 19-20. The 418 Project, 418 Front Street, Santa Cruz. $18 – $25. Ages 18+. (408) 602-2490.

Guitars and Friends at UC Santa Cruz. Artists Mesut Özgen and William Coulter, both UC Santa Cruz guitar instructors, will be joined by guest artists to present music from various traditions, including Latin American, Turkish and Celtic, as well as compositions by Özgen himself. 8 p.m. Music Recital Hall, UCSC Campus, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz. $8-11. Advance tickets at www.santacruztickets.com (831) 459-2159.

White Album Ensemble Unplugged at Kuumbwa. Local octet White Album Ensemble plays a weekend of acoustic Beatles tunes with selections included from the group’s last seven albums: Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt Pepper’s, Magical Mystery Tour, The “White” Album, Let it Be and Abbey Road. 8 p.m. February 12 & 13. Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz. $25. Advance tickets at Streetlight Records or online at Tix.com. Dinner available one hour before the show. First come, first served. (831) 421-9200.

Huun Huur Tu with Carmen Rizzo at The Rio. Electronic musician/producer Carmen Rizzo mixes with the Mongolian steppe sounds of Huun Huur Tu for a sonic meeting of minds between musicians. 8 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $21 in advance. Advance tickets at www.ticketweb.com or Streetlight Records. (831) 423-8209.

Rose’s Dilemma opens at Broadway Playhouse. A ghost tries to convince his author widow to finish the novel he was writing before he died in Neil Simon’s 2003 play Rose’s Dilemma. This production at the Broadway Playhouse marks the play’s Northern California premiere. 8 p.m. Thursdays – Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays through February 28. Broadway Playhouse, 526 Broadway Street, Santa Cruz. $12 – $16. Advance tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com. (831) 426-5787

Joint Chiefs at Seabright Brewery. Joint Chiefs play Seabright Brewery. 8 – 11 p.m. Stephen Stills is best known as one-third of Crosby, Stills & Nash. 8 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $29 in advance, $33 at the door. Ages 21+. (831) 423-1338.

Neverland at Don Quixote’s. 14-piece tribute band Neverland pays homage to Michael Jackson with four lead vocalists, four horns and a six-piece rhythm section. The San Francisco band celebrates the larger than life performances, imagination and spirit of Jackson. 8 p.m. Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $10. Cash only. Ages 21+. (831) 603-2294.

8 Tens @ Eight at Actors’ Theatre. Returning to Actors’ Theatre for its 15th annual season, the hugely popular 8 Tens @ Eight festival of 10 minute plays highlights the work of eight different playwrights. The works represent a range of styles and subjects from stark realism to existential; from edgy comedy to deep drama. 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 3 p.m. Sundays through February 14. Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center Street, Santa Cruz. $15 – $18. (831) 425-7529.

The Fantasticks. Try to remember and if you remember then follow your heart to Ben Lomond, where Mountain Community Theater performs the off-Broadway hit The Fantasticks. Love, laughter and family await. 8 p.m. February 4-6, 12 & 13. 2 p.m. February 14 at Park Hall. Performances at Louden Nelson Community Center from February 19-27. Park Hall, 9370 Mill Street, Ben Lomond. $20 (831) 366-4777.

Triston Palma at Moe’s Alley. Jamaica’s reggae heavyweight Triston Palma, backed by Cualli, makes an exclusive Northern California appearance. 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. (831) 479-1854.

Justin Townes Earle & Joe Pug at The Crepe Place. Nashville’s Justin Townes Earle joins Joe Pug for a show in the front room. 9 p.m. The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $15. (831) 429-6994.

Back to Friday /// Back to top


Saturday

Art from the Heart at the Museum of Art and History. Red is the color of the day during this workshop dedicated to the legend of St. Valentine. The entire family will create lovable cards using stencils, collage, stamps, recycled materials and much more. 10 a.m. to noon. Museum of Art and History at The McPherson Center,705 Front Street, Santa Cruz. $5. Register at (831) 429-1964.

Migration Festival at Natural Bridges, Seacliff, New Brighton & Henry Cowell State Parks. Monarchs aren’t the only creatures that migrate through Santa Cruz County. Find out about animal migration, plus do crafts, games and more. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. santacruzstateparks.org Free. (831) 423-4609.

What is Erotic? at The 418 Project. It starts with a pre-show erotic bazaar. Then the fun really begins. Aerialists defy gravity, dancers writhe in delight, singers breathe life into songs of desire. Naughty theater indeed. 7:30 p.m. February 12-14 and 19-20. The 418 Project, 418 Front Street, Santa Cruz. $18 – $25. Ages 18+. (408) 602-2490.

Santa Cruz Chamber Players’ Tales of Love and Exotic Places. The sensual and evocative “Songs of Madagascar” by Ravel and the lyrical, late-romantic style love songs by America’s Amy Beach center this show by the Santa Cruz Chamber Players. 8 p.m. February 13 & 3 p.m. February 14. Christ Lutheran Church, 10707 Soquel Drive, Aptos. $20 adults, $15 senior, $10 youth. Advance tickets at : santacruztickets.com or (813) 420-5260.

ScripTease’s Love is in the Bare at Pacific Cultural Center. ScripTease, the world’s only stripping improv comedy troupe, presents Love is in the Bare, a night of romance and laughter. 8 p.m. Pacific Cultural Center, 1307 Seabright Avenue, Santa Cruz. $10. (831) 435-6080.

White Album Ensemble Unplugged at Kuumbwa. Local octet White Album Ensemble plays a weekend of acoustic Beatles tunes with selections included from the group’s last seven albums: Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt Pepper’s, Magical Mystery Tour, The “White” Album, Let it Be and Abbey Road. 8 p.m. February 12 & 13. Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz. $25. Advance tickets at Streetlight Records or online at Tix.com. Dinner available one hour before the show. First come, first served. (831) 421-9200.

Rose’s Dilemma at Broadway Playhouse. A ghost tries to convince his author widow to finish the novel he was writing before he died in Neil Simon’s 2003 play Rose’s Dilemma. This production at the Broadway Playhouse marks the play’s Northern California premiere. 8 p.m. Thursdays – Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays through February 28. Broadway Playhouse, 526 Broadway Street, Santa Cruz. $12 – $16. Advance tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com. (831) 426-5787

James McMurtry and the Heartless Bastards at Don Quixote’s. Get set for two nights of rollicking musicianship when James McMurtry and the Heartless Bastards visit Felton. Stephen King called McMurtry “the truest, fiercest songwriter of his generation.” 8 p.m. February 13 & 7 p.m. February 14. Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $20. Cash only. Ages 21+. (831) 603-2294.

8 Tens @ Eight at Actors’ Theatre. Returning to Actors’ Theatre for its 15th annual season, the hugely popular 8 Tens @ Eight festival of 10 minute plays highlights the work of eight different playwrights. The works represent a range of styles and subjects from stark realism to existential; from edgy comedy to deep drama. 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 3 p.m. Sundays through February 14. Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center Street, Santa Cruz. $15 – $18. (831) 425-7529.

The Fantasticks. Try to remember and if you remember then follow your heart to Ben Lomond, where Mountain Community Theater performs the off-Broadway hit The Fantasticks. Love, laughter and family await. 8 p.m. February 4-6, 12 & 13. 2 p.m. February 14 at Park Hall. Performances at Louden Nelson Community Center from February 19-27. Park Hall, 9370 Mill Street, Ben Lomond. $20 (831) 366-4777.

The Mermen at Moe’s Alley. Cult Bay Area surf band The Mermen celebrate their brand new release “In God We Trust” with a show at the Alley. 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $12 in advance, $15 at the door. (831) 479-1854.

Dead Prez at The Catalyst. Underground political hip-hop duo Dead Prez invades the Cat, joined by Pep Love, Umi, Nima Fadavi and Vibrant Eyeris. 9 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $16 in advance, $20 at the door. Ages 16+. (831) 423-1338.

Our Satori and Bryn Loosely & The Back Pages at The Crepe Place. Music for the moment, jam band Our Satori joins Bryn Loosely & The Back Pages in the front room. 9 p.m. The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $7 in advance, $10 at the door. (831) 429-6994.

Back to Saturday /// Back to top


Sunday

Many Moons at UC Santa Cruz. In this one-act fantasy opera for children, the young Princess Leonore has become ill from eating too many raspberry tarts and believes that she must have the moon to make her well. Many Moons will be directed by graduate student Jesse Avshalomov and conducted by recent UCSC graduate Thomas Purtill under the guidance of UC Santa Cruz opera program artistic director Brian Staufenbiel. Pianist Irene Herrmann will provide musical accompaniment. 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Music Recital Hall, UCSC Campus, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz. Free (831) 459-2159.

The Fantasticks. Try to remember and if you remember then follow your heart to Ben Lomond, where Mountain Community Theater performs the off-Broadway hit The Fantasticks. Love, laughter and family await. 8 p.m. February 4-6, 12 & 13. 2 p.m. February 14 at Park Hall. Performances at Louden Nelson Community Center from February 19-27. Park Hall, 9370 Mill Street, Ben Lomond. $20 (831) 366-4777.

Santa Cruz Chamber Players’ Tales of Love and Exotic Places. The sensual and evocative “Songs of Madagascar” by Ravel and the lyrical, late-romantic style love songs by America’s Amy Beach center this show by the Santa Cruz Chamber Players. 8 p.m. February 13 & 3 p.m. February 14. Christ Lutheran Church, 10707 Soquel Drive, Aptos. $20 adults, $15 senior, $10 youth. Advance tickets at : santacruztickets.com or (813) 420-5260.

8 Tens @ Eight at Actors’ Theatre. Returning to Actors’ Theatre for its 15th annual season, the hugely popular 8 Tens @ Eight festival of 10 minute plays highlights the work of eight different playwrights. The works represent a range of styles and subjects from stark realism to existential; from edgy comedy to deep drama. 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 3 p.m. Sundays through February 14. Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center Street, Santa Cruz. $15 – $18. (831) 425-7529.

Rose’s Dilemma opens at Broadway Playhouse. A ghost tries to convince his author widow to finish the novel he was writing before he died in Neil Simon’s 2003 play Rose’s Dilemma. This production at the Broadway Playhouse marks the play’s Northern California premiere. 8 p.m. Thursdays – Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays through February 28. Broadway Playhouse, 526 Broadway Street, Santa Cruz. $12 – $16. Advance tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com. (831) 426-5787

James McMurtry and the Heartless Bastards at Don Quixote’s. Get set for two nights of rollicking musicianship when James McMurtry and the Heartless Bastards visit Felton. Stephen King called McMurtry “the truest, fiercest songwriter of his generation.” Cache Valley Drifters open. 8 p.m. February 13 & 7 p.m. February 14. Don Quixote’s International Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $20. Cash only. Ages 21+. (831) 603-2294.

What is Erotic? at The 418 Project. It starts with a pre-show erotic bazaar. Then the fun really begins. Aerialists defy gravity, dancers writhe in delight, singers breathe life into songs of desire. Naughty theater indeed. 7:30 p.m. February 12-14 and 19-20. The 418 Project, 418 Front Street, Santa Cruz. $18 – $25. Ages 18+. (408) 602-2490.

Rickie Lee Jones at The Rio. Neither punk nor pop, Rickie Lee Jones makes her own way in the musical world. 8 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz. $28 in advance, $32 at the door. Advance tickets at www.pulseproductions.net. (831) 423-8209.

An Altared Valentine’s Day at Kuumbwa. A evening of love songs twisted and morphed into minor keys, An Altared Valentine’s Day stars the ROMP band plus guest stars Richard Stockton, Celina Gutierrez, Tammi Brown and more. 8 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz. $25. SOLD OUT. (831) 427-2227 for information.

Bassnectar at The Catalyst. Freeform electronic music experimentation. San Francisco’s Bassnectar plays the Cat. 8:45 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $20 in advance, $24 at the door. Ages 16+. (831) 423-1338.

Shady Groove at Moe’s Alley. Shady Groove returns to the Alley for their fourth annual Shady Valentine Bash. The Santa Cruz jam band delivers an invigorating dose of funky blues and jazz-infused rock and R&B. 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $10 in advance, $12 at the door. (831) 479-1854.

Back to Sunday /// Back to top

]]> http://weekendsantacruz.com/2010/02/15/the-weekend-past-february-12-14-2010/feed/ 0