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Good Times Home Music Music Calendar

Music Calendar

music_ JoeBonamassaSLive Music This Week

Check out the latest hot concert picks happening around town.


See more area activities on our events page >

 

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Tuesday | March 9

music_sleepy-sunSleepy Sun
You know you’re doing well when you’re a little California band that came out of Santa Cruz being played on a not-so-little show called Californication. With its haunting gospel-inspired ballad, “Lord,” seducing millions of television viewers on an episode of the cable series last November, Sleepy Sun continues its rise. About to take its Sabbath ’n’ folk psych rock to SXSW and then on tour with Arctic Monkeys, this Atrium show with local friends Green Flash opening will be a sweet chance for the band’s hometown following to really embrace what’s flown the coup. | LK
INFO: 9:30 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $5/adv, $8/door. 423-1338.


Wednesday | March 10

music_LYLBTheWildRoversWild Rovers Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 423-1338.
Opening for Young Dubliners
>> See Love Your Local Band >










music_YoungDublinersYoung Dubliners
There’s something about the hypnotic sound an electric reel creates that borders on the psychedelic, and Celtic rock gurus Young Dubliners are at home in the land of leprechauns and toadstools. Opening for such diverse acts as Jethro Tull and Johnny Lang only means that the Young Dubs are able to reach across genres, grabbing the Guinness out of any fan’s hands—all while burning down the barn. Lead vocalist Keith Roberts may have been born in Southern California but he channels the bubbling excitement of an Irish spring. | DNA
INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $12/adv, $15/door. 423-1338.


music_BOGJoeBonamassaJoe Bonamassa
If you’re good enough to tour with B.B. King when you’re 12 years old, you’ve got some mean chops. Twenty years since making headlines for such a feat, guitar aficionado Joe Bonamassa is set to release his eighth studio album, Black Rock, a further explication of the man’s dexterity-driven talent. Guitar Player magazine just named Bonamassa the best blues guitarist in their reader’s poll for the third consecutive year, so it’s safe to say the New York-raised musician has a coveted resume—and the winner of this week’s Be Our Guest contest will get to see those fiery fingers in action. | Zach Stoloff
INFO: 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 10. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $33.50-44.50. 423-8209.

 

Thursday | March 11

music_GorkaLarkinJohn Gorka and Patty Larkin
Dueting on “Déjà vu” for Patty Larkin’s just-released 25—an album of 25 love songs (on which each song features a famous folk friend) celebrating her 25-year career—John Gorka and Larkin appropriately share the Rio stage for an evening of folk guitar firepower (Larkin’s Celtic-influenced fingerpicking spirals audiences into a daze) and resonant lyricism. Gorka and Larkin are equally adept at crooning heartrending ballads accented with comedic storytelling, transforming the mood at any venue into that of an intimate house show. | LK
INFO: 7:30 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $25/adv, $29/door. 479-9421 or go to snazzyproductions.com.





Friday | March 12

music_TromboneShortyTrombone Shorty
The list of names Trombone Shorty has performed with—U2, Lenny Kravitz, and Green Day—is impressive, but that’s far from the most notable aspect of Troy Andrews. As Trombone Shorty he’s been playing trombone and trumpet since childhood and has been a band leader since age 6, coming from New Orleans’ hardboiled jazz scene. In 2007 the city’s top music mag, Offbeat, named him the best contemporary jazz artist; high honors for the 24-year-old brass aficionado. Zach Stoloff
INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $15/adv. $19/door. 423-1338.


LYLBCoolBandNowCool Band Now
7 p.m. Friday, March 12. Storey House, 215 Storey St. Santa Cruz. Free. myspace.com/coolbandnow.
>> See Love Your Local Band >






Saturday | March 13

music_MichaelMartynMichael Martyn
Michael Martyn’s been around. In fact, the Americana-bleeding singer-songwriter—who celebrates his 60th birthday Saturday—has been around the Bay Area and Central Coast for 35 years now. The Boulder Creek resident has a distinct storytelling feel to his alt country stylings, infusing some Eagles-like vocal harmonies on top of (mostly) stripped down acoustics. For this show, Martyn brings along a four-piece backing band to help out. | ZS
INFO: 8 p.m. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. $10. 603-2294.







music_RoyZRoy Zimmerman performs at 7:30 p.m. at Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. Tickets are $18 in advance, $22 at the door. For more information, call 479-9421 or go to snazzyproductions.com. >> See Feature Article >










music_SourgrassSourgrass
If you didn’t already know Sourgrass came out of Santa Cruz, it wouldn’t be hard to guess that the bluesy foursome was a local product. Sometimes rock, sometimes funk, sometimes blues, Sourgrass has all the ingredients you’ve come to expect from homegrown rock and roll exports, a concoction the band describes as “disturbingly nasty.” The group has been on hiatus for a bit, but it’s back and ready to bring it to Moe’s. | ZS
INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $10/adv, $13/door. 479-1854.


Sunday | March 14

music_WakeDeadWake the Dead
As a Santa Cruz music writer, you can find yourself spending a lot of words on world music, as well as the Grateful Dead. Well, if you’re a fan of both, Wake the Dead offers traditional Celtic interpretations of songs by the world-famous jam band. Covering an impressive array of instrumentation—uilleann pipes, pennywhistle, Celtic harp, and jaw harp, to name a few—the septet will have Deadheads dancing like Michael Flatley. | ZS
INFO: 8 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $18/adv, $22/door. 427-2227.


music_ChrisChandlerBenoitChris Chandler and Paul Benoit
Juxtaposing the quick wit of spoken word activist Chris Chandler (whom the late great Utah Phillips once called “the greatest performance poet I have ever seen”) with the musical lashings of blues and roots guitarist Paul Benoit, this is a collaboration that promises just as many punchlines as punchy guitar work. Known to dish out a mosaic of mediums, including poetry, folk music and short films, the dynamic duo brings a refreshing, and cerebral, take on the concert experience. | LK
INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10/door. 429-6994.


music_TomFreundTom Freund
Adding to his guitar, Tom Freund is versed in double bass, mando, piano and more, and the singer-songwriter has been called one of the best in his field by veterans like Jackson Browne and Ben Harper. Plus, the guy can do a mean acoustic jazz version of 2Pac’s “California Love.” With a slick folk rock show that ranges from the slow walk of Charles Mingus to the reflective joy of Jason Mraz, Freund’s sometimes recalls a young Tom Waits. One listen transports you to a hole in the wall club where the determined notes float through the air as thick as blue velvet—and this week it’s a Moe’s Alley debut, with local openers Our Satori adding to some roots rock fire. | Mat Weir
INFO: 8 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $7/adv, $10/door. 479-1854.

Monday | March 15

music_JohnScofield_NickSuttleJohn Scofield New Jazz Quartet
While his set-up this week with Mulgrew Miller (piano), Ben Street (bass) and Kendrick Scott (drums) comes to us under the moniker of “New Jazz Quartet,” preeminent guitarist John Scofield trades in his affinity for cutting-edge electro-fusion and funk for some good old swinging bop finesse. After decades of dipping his jazz guitar into an assortment of genres with head-turning results, Scofield and his current crew (for the month of March, at least) revisit the style he explored during his first days at Blue Note when he recorded with Joe Lovano and his original quartet. Following a four-night run at Yoshi’s, Scofield’s visit—regardless of accompaniment—is a workshop for any guitarist. | LK
INFO: 7 & 9 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $25/28 early show, $20/23 late show. 427-2227.






Tuesday | March 16

music_TimBarryTim Barry
Sometimes a lot of space is a good thing. When fronting a strident rock outfit gets old, there are those who move on to become milder folk troubadours. Such is the case for Tim Barry. Long hailed as the frontman of Virginia’s favorite harbingers of hardcore, Avail, Barry now takes the minimalist approach; he just released his third solo effort, 28th and Stonewall. Substituting the electric crunch with an acoustic axe and country porch musings, Barry eschews the rock mayhem for a milder temperament and twang—much like his friends and occasional tourmates Kevin Seconds (7 Seconds) and Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music). Seconds rounds out the show lineup this week with added bonus Fire Whiskey, who also supplied opening duties for Ragan when he hit up the Blue in 2008. | LK
INFO: 9 p.m. Blue Lagoon, 923 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $8. 423-7117.

music_Caroline_WatersCaroline Waters
Caroline Waters has the kind of deeply resounding voice that lets out a smooth and sultry blend of jazz and R&B. Seasoned with sensual lyrics and forays into chamber pop, the fiery singer and multi-instrumentalist leaves little room to question why she was Norway’s youngest musical ambassador before even reaching the age of 10. Now touring on her fifth and latest release, Exposed—a dedication to influences like Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen, Waters acknowledges her recent material as the “most vulnerable to date.” | MW
INFO: 7:30 p.m. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $10. 603-2294.








Wednesday | March 17

music_BOGTaterFamineTater Famine Be Our Guest
Santa Cruz’s punkgrass band appropriate for your St. Patrick’s Day, the Tater Famine trio kicks out a tasty set of Mat Warren’s thumping stand-up bass, Johnny Dodds’ melodic and whiskey-laden lyrics, and plenty of choruses to keep the Crepe Place patrons booming in unison. Matteo Brunozzi makes it clear that this ain’t your mama’s mando, wielding his strings with a grating force faster and louder than a potato peeler during the first signs of the real Irish famine. If you like hard driving acoustic rock, Tater Famine will likely leave you, you guessed it, hungry for more. | LK
INFO: 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 17. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz. $7. 429-6994.
WANT TO GO? E-mail us why at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and you could win two free tickets to the show

IN THE Q
Audrye Sessions, Oakland’s emerging polished rock quartet - Friday at The Crepe Place
Ginny Mitchell, Swinging country and folk from the local singer-songwriter - Sunday at Don Quixote’s
Skerdio, Emcee Radioactive and Skerik’s sax fuse hip-hop and jazz - Tuesday at Moe’s Alley
Wild Rovers, Double-dose of St. Paddy’s Day Celtic merriment, Wednesday at The Crow’s Nest and The Catalyst

 

More Good Times

 

Doctor’s Orders

Christopher Durang’s witty work hits the Actors’ Theatre Theater director Gerry Gerringer sits in a tiny office, and we talk, like therapist to patient, which is ironic, since he’s directing a play about such things, with Christopher Durang’s “Beyond Therapy,” opening up at the Actors’ Theatre on Feb. 25 and running through March 19. “It's really a clever, funny script,” Gerringer says. “It was kind of a play for its time, and now as time has elapsed since the ’80s when it was written, it becomes kind of a satire that’s relevant today. Though all of the characters in some ways have their strangeness, the two therapists who are in this play are so out there and eccentric that it's almost going beyond therapy to think that they can help these people. Comedy is very therapeutic. I think humor connects people and provides access to dialogue about different political issues. Laughter is one of the best things you can do on a regular basis.”

 

The Casting Couch

When Julia Roberts glided into her Mystic Pizza audition, she was completely unprepared, and a little rough around the edges. But nonetheless, the divine Ms. Roberts was imbued with magic—the type of stuff that stars are made of. Casting director Jane Jenkins sent the pretty woman home and told her to come back the next day, better prepared and dressed for the part. Roberts did just that. And she landed the role, which ratcheted her up a notch in Hollywood. While Steel Magnolias gave her an Oscar, and Pretty Woman made her a bonafide star, Mystic Pizza was unarguably Roberts’ breakthrough role. She might want to send a thank you note to Jenkins and her casting partner, Janet Hirshenson.

 

Night on the Town

In downtown Santa Cruz, Motiv is hot and happening. The nightclub’s  owner, 39-year old Mike Pitt, said the root word motiv in many languages means purpose. Purpose is fueled by inspiration. “We’re an art venue,” says Pitt, “we’re a political forum, we’re music, we’re food. What all those things have in common is inspiration. That was my goal, to bring together all this inspiration.” Born and raised in Santa Cruz, Pitt graduated from UCSC. Once a competitive surfer, he’s a sales rep for O’Neill, managing 100-plus accounts. And he’s no stranger to nightlife. In 2005 he purchased Castaways, a seedy Live Oak bar.

 

New Lagoon

UCSC’s Natural Reserve System works to restore Younger Lagoon It’s a beautiful, mild mid-December day and Gage Dayton is standing on a gently sloping hill overlooking Younger Lagoon, a natural reserve site, as he looks politely, if a bit sternly, at a surfer. The surfer, a man in his early twenties clad in a black hooded wetsuit, is, for his part, looking both embarrassed and uncomfortable; he’s in a distinctly awkward spot, positioned several feet off the ground, halfway over a fence. His two friends, also clad in wetsuits and clutching their surfboards, are standing behind him, looking similarly abashed. “No hopping here, guys,” Dayton says mildly. “Sorry. This is a reserve.” The surfers haven’t moved; they look at him a bit skeptically. “The UC Santa Cruz police have actually been starting to patrol down here, unfortunately,” he adds.

 

In Defense of Education

“I am a language teacher!” UC Santa Cruz Italian lecturer Giulia Centineo screamed into the loudspeaker during a March 4 protest at UC Santa Cruz. Centineo held the microphone up to her lips and addressed the crowd, her hand trembling, perhaps out of nervousness or simply passion. “For years the administration has been shoving down our throats the idea that students are clients. No, students are students! I don't sell Italian! I teach Italian!”

 

What does your future hold?

Scotts Valley | Self Employed  

 

From the Editor

Some foods are too tempting to pass up. That seems to be the case this week with GT’s dining scribes. In our biggest Food & Wine issue to date, our resident foodies experimented with some old favorites and also embarked on new culinary adventures. Delicious. Plus: “11 Sexy Foods.” (Spring is coming, after all.) Send us a list of your favorite local hotspots at letters@gtweekly.com. Tell us what local foods you can’t live without. (That might be a long list.)

 

Memory Matters

Twenty years after the fact, a geologist and a historian say we must not forget “Loma Prieta was a humbling experience for most of us. a reminder of our diminutive stature in the grand scheme of things. I think that remembering events like that is a perfect antidote for our collective hubris; it keeps us honest.” —Sandy Lydon, ‘History Dude’  

 

Hello, Spring!

Huichol Indian Shaman Brant Secunda welcomes the new season with a powerful seaside workshop and retreat For centuries, ancient peoples such as the American Indians, Mayans and Druids have welcomed the vernal equinox with lavish ceremonies meant to thank their deities for allowing them to survive yet another winter. Nowadays with modern conveniences like indoor heating and grocery stores, winters aren’t quite as troublesome as they once were in the past, but there is something in the human spirit that still relishes the first verdant signs of spring. A flower blooming here, a warm breeze there—springtime is a time of rebirth and renewal. Brant Secunda takes this time of year seriously. A shaman and healer of the Huichol Indian tradition of Mexico, this renowned teacher will be leading a spring equinox retreat that will show participants how to harness the power of nature within themselves.

 

Muns Vineyard Rosé of Pinot Noir

Rose is fast becoming one of my new favorite wines. And when you find a good one such as Muns Vineyard’s Rosé of Pinot Noir, 2008 Central Coast ($18), then one’s wine-drinking life is most certainly elevated. I first tasted the Muns Rosé at a food and wine event at Café Cruz in Soquel.  Mary Lindsay, who, along with winemaker Ed Muns, plays a major role in production, public relations, tasting events, and everything else that’s involved with running a successful winery, was pouring that day. She invited me to try the Rosé and I immediately bought a bottle to take home. I often have friends over for wine and cheese get-togethers, and it makes a change to offer Rosé—along with the Merlots and Chardonnays of this world.

 

11 Sexy Foods

Fresh strawberries 1 Raw oysters (from booth at Saturday morning Cabrillo Farmers Market) An oyster’s texture, unmistakably sensual, can make your tongue dance—and who knows what will follow. Treat yourself to some oysters with lemon and Tabasco after shopping for fresh, organic produce on a sun-filled day at the Farmers Market with your sweetheart.Cabrillo Farmers Market, Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos, montereybayfarmers.org/aptos.html.

 

Food & Wine

Vinocruz Plus:Nightlife11 Sexy Foods you just have to sink your teeth into    

 

Gold Fever

Will twice the nominees be boon or bust at 2010 Oscars? A funny thing happened on the way to this year's Academy Awards ceremony. The Academy decided to open up its nominating process to 10 films, instead of the usual five. Who (besides Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, who will reap twice the revenue from "For your consideration …" ads), is this new policy designed to benefit? Well, the Academy, mainly, suffering from charges of elitism for failing to include more popular, crowd-pleasing titles among its most august list of Best Picture nominees in recent years. This was kind of a surprise to some of us pointy-heads who thought the Academy's recent trend toward more interesting, independent films was sort of a good thing. (Big box-office movies have big box-office receipts to console them.) After all, you don't have to go too far back in the last decade to find movies like Gladiator and Lord of The Rings: Return of the King—not exactly popularity wallflowers— not only nominated, but waltzing off with the whole Oscar enchilada.