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Love Your Local Band: Suborbitals

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Ryan Masters recalls how excited he was in 2006 when his avant-pop band the Suborbitals released its debut record, Blackout Rolling. It felt like there was some momentum behind the group, and he was ready to get in the studio and record a follow-up album.

The following year, a series of personal issues led him to Atlanta for five years. He still worked on material for his band, and when he moved back to the area, they were playing live again. But it’s at this upcoming show at the Crepe Place that the Suborbitals will finally release that follow-up, Hey Oblivion. It may have taken longer than expected, but Masters believes the album benefitted.

“It didn’t have the murky darkness of our live shows,” he says of the group’s first record. “We’ve always had a reputation as a good live band. We’ve never had any solid recordings behind us. We’d have to say, ‘come see us live.’ This album sounds like us. It’s really moody and dark. We can send people this album to see what we’re like.”

Besides vocalist Masters, the group is comprised of Heath Proskin on bass, Gordon Stokes on drums and Ben Herod on baritone sax and flute. There’s a gritty punk sound mixed with a mysterious jazzy quality, and the execution at times sounds like cabaret-pop with a dark side.

The band members have been re-energized by finally getting their sophomore album out.

“It went so well that I’m hoping we’ll make another one. Of course, I said that last time, and it took 12 years. I probably shouldn’t say that this time,” Masters says. 

INFO: 9 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 4. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.

The post Love Your Local Band: Suborbitals appeared first on Good Times Santa Cruz.


Music Picks: August 8-14

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Live music highlights for the week of August 8, 2018.

WEDNESDAY 8/8

INDIE

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE

A Canadian indie rock band that’s been around since the late ’90s, Broken Social Scene is as much an ever-evolving musical collective as a clearly defined group. Formed by  Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, the band’s membership has ranged from as few as six people to as many as 19. The lack of strict confines extends to the band’s sound, as well, as members take an experimental approach to making music, drawing from all of their diverse musical backgrounds and interests. Described loosely as baroque pop, the Broken Social Scene sound includes guitars, strings, woodwinds, horns and more, swirling together in unexpected ways—sometimes lovely, sometimes chaotic, but always interesting. CAT JOHNSON

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $35/adv, $40/door. 423-1338.

WEDNESDAY 8/8

COUNTRY

THREE ON THE TREE

A three-piece out of La Honda, Three on the Tree throws it back to the classic country era with smooth and swinging covers of favorites like “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter,” as well as solid originals that pay tribute to country pioneers and contribute new sounds and stories to the genre. Comprising Jerry B. Logan on guitar and vocals, Freddy Deubert on drums and harmonies, and Noah Hall on bass and harmonies, Three on the Tree will help you forget your 21st century blues. CJ

INFO: 8 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.

THURSDAY 8/9

COUNTRY

MADDIE LEIGH

Yodeling seems like a lost art form—at least until you hear some young artist kick down serious chops. Maddie Leigh, who’s still a teenager by the way, is starting to make a name for herself in the Southern California country scene. She got her start as an ambitious young yodeler; at 15, she released a cover of old-timey-style country song “Little Lady Who,” and in it yodels like a boss. The next year, she started releasing her own singles, super catchy country-pop songs like “Wishing” and “Some Will Call It Love.” AARON CARNES

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Flynn’s Cabaret, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $15. 335-2800.

FRIDAY 8/10

AMERICANA/ROCK

APPLE CITY SLOUGH BAND

Drawing inspiration from legendary classic rock bands like the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers, the Rolling Stones and Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Apple City Slough Band adds Americana elements and a jam band ethos. The band hails from Watsonville, which was nicknamed “Apple City” 100 years ago due to the abundance of apple orchards in the area. This Friday, the Apple City Slough Band joins folk singer-songwriter Patrick Maguire for an evening of rock, Americana and folk music. CJ

INFO: 8:30 p.m. Michael’s on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel. $10. 479-9777.

FRIDAY 8/10

REGGAE

FREDDIE MCGREGOR

Back in the ’60s in Jamaica, people used to refer to Freddie McGregor as “Little Freddie.” He was only 7 years old, but already he was recording at the famous Studio One as part of the Clarendonians. It was in the late ’70s that he became a star in his own right, starting with the release of his debut album Bobby Babylon in 1979. As the ’80s progressed, McGregor would go on to see his most successful years with songs that were both political and deeply religious to his Rastafarian faith. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $25/adv, $30/door, 479-1854.

SATURDAY 8/11

HIP HOP

IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE

Whenever hip-hop fans—or the artists themselves—argue about who’s the realest and who’s a poser, there’s one name that is never questioned: Immortal Technique. For two decades, he has delivered some of the most real no-holds-barred lyrics about presidents, politics, celebrities and everything in-between. One hundred percent completely independent, he has built his own career from the ground up as a champion rap battler to a world-renowned artist teaching revolutionary ideals to hungry minds. MAT WEIR

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst Club, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $25. 429-4135.

SUNDAY 8/12

GARAGE

WAND

Normally, you have to choose between a band being crazy-weird-psychedelic and pushing out spastic high-energy tunes. Not so with Wand. These guys crank out manic tracks with mind-expanding madness. At least that was the best way to describe the L.A. five-piece’s first three records. On last year’s Plum, the group took a sharp left turn and wrote a record that’s almost math-rock, yet actually toned down a bit in terms of energy. This year’s Perfume seems to be a retrospective of every type of song the group can write, with some new tricks in the bag as well. This group only started five years ago, and already they are in their second, maybe third phase. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.

MONDAY 8/13

JAZZ

EMMET COHEN TRIO

Everyone seems to want a piece of Emmet Cohen. At 28, the pianist has been recruited by some of jazz’s most formidable bandleaders, holding his own with commanding drummers Herlin Riley and Ali Jackson while touring and recording with bass maestro Christian McBride. An accompanist B-3 organist, he’s also made a name for himself as a producer/player eager to document senior legends on his Masters Legacy Series featuring albums by drummer Jimmy Cobb and bassist Ron Carter (with sessions by Benny Golson, Tootie Heath and George Coleman to come). He draws on an expansive array of jazz idioms in his own trio, a fiercely swinging combo featuring Jamaican-born bassist Russell Hall, a protégé of Ron Carter’s at Juilliard, and drummer Evan Sherman, who also performs with the Jimmy Heath Big Band and Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. ANDREW GILBERT

INFO: 7 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $26.25/adv, $31.50/door. 427-2227.

The post Music Picks: August 8-14 appeared first on Good Times Santa Cruz.

Be Our Guest: Anderson East

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Based in Nashville, Tennessee, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Anderson East performs southern soul, R&B, Americana, roots, rock, blues and more.

The grandson of a Baptist preacher and the son of two church musicians, East has a soulful sound, an attention-grabbing voice and a passionate delivery that has the attention of fans, critics and even movie execs who deemed East a solid choice for inclusion on the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack. Catch the rising star on Aug. 21 at the Catalyst.

INFO: 9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $22/door. 423-1338.

WANT TO GO?

Go to santacruz.com/giveaways before 11 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 13 to find out how you could win a pair of tickets to the show.

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Love Your Local Band: Wild Blue

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Paul Logan plays bass and sings in local trio Wild Blue, which covers songs by acts like Jimmy Buffet, the Eagles, Harry Nilsson and Fleetwood Mac. And of all of the labels put on his band, Logan thinks the typically tongue-in-cheek “yacht rock” might actually be the best fit.

“I think it’s a reflection of just how much somebody like Jimmy Buffett has had to do with the success of having feel-good music about piña coladas and cheeseburgers,” Logan says. “This is not politically relevant stuff. It’s just feel-good music, and that’s all it is.”

The music is also really challenging to play, and relies on near-pristine vocal harmonies—which is why when the band formed 12 years ago, they didn’t play a live show for two years. They wanted to get every detail of every song in their yacht rock catalog absolutely perfect.

“We play songs that no one else plays, because they take too much work,” Logan says. “People come and hear us and they go ‘Wow, I remember that song, I love that song. I haven’t heard it in 20 years.’ Then they throw 50 bucks in our tip jar.”

Logan waited five years for bandmates John Tindel (guitar/vocals) and Scott Slaughter (keys/vocals) to become available, because he considered them phenomenal vocalists.

Now the band is playing a farewell show for Tindel who’s moving out of the area. They haven’t played locally in recent years because they get booked so often for high-end corporate gigs in Monterey. But for this special occasion, they will return to Michael’s on Main. They plan to continue if and only if they can find someone of Tindel’s caliber to replace him. 

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15. Michael’s on Main, 2591 S Main St., Soquel. $10. 479-9777.

The post Love Your Local Band: Wild Blue appeared first on Good Times Santa Cruz.

Music Picks: August 15-21

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Live music highlights for the week of August 15, 2018.

THURSDAY 8/16

INDIE-FOLK

PARSONSFIELD

A band that got its start playing the folk music club at the University of Connecticut, Parsonsfield is a self-described “multi-genre” outfit with an indie-rock-meets-folk-rock sound that brings to mind Iron and Wine and the Decemberists. Boasting catchy hooks, lush and clever instrumentation, thoughtful and open-hearted lyrics, and a passionate delivery, the band gracefully blends roots and indie styles, rising above the noise of a crowded genre to present something immediately engaging and fresh. CAT JOHNSON

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $12/adv, $15/door. 423-1338.

THURSDAY 8/16

BLUEGRASS

BLUE SUMMIT

Blue Summit is a fast-rising sensation on the Northern California bluegrass scene and beyond. Led by AJ Lee, a Turlock-raised and one-time Santa Cruzan mandolin player, vocalist and bandleader, the outfit has long been part of the scene—in large part because the member grew up in and around bluegrass festivals. Drawing from traditional bluegrass, as well as swing, folk, rock, soul and old-time music, Blue Summit is garnering critical praise for its first album, Sweet Company, and establishing a loyal base of fans who understand that they’re witnessing the rise of one of the next great acts of the genre. CJ

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Michael’s on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel. $12/adv, $15/door. 479-9777.

FRIDAY 8/17

SOUL

HARRY & THE HITMEN

Santa Cruz’s favorite soulfully funky sextet is back and ready to get down with a little help from their friends. For more than a decade Harry and the Hitmen has worn out the soles of many of Santa Cruz’s shoes with their unique takes on classic Motown songs and their completely original tunes that could easily be mistaken for golden-era Stax. This Friday, be sure to stay hydrated on the dancefloor, because attendees will also have to keep up with two other down ’n’ dirty Santa Cruz funk acts, Strange Hotels, and Eric Morrison and the Mysteries. MAT WEIR

INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $10/adv, $15/door. 479-1854.

FRIDAY 8/17

INDIE-POP

SALES

A lot of indie-pop bands go for a large, dreamy sound with pulsating moodiness that sweeps you away before you even get a chance to make out the lyrics. Florida group Sales writes songs that could very well take this approach, but instead opts for a much more intimate execution. It sounds as though Lauren Morgan and Jordan Shih are playing their duel guitar parts in the room next to you, with Morgan’s conversational vocals right in your ear. It’s an unpretentious, soft voice that seems to carry with it the weight of all the heartbreak in the world. The lack of gloss with this group really works to deliver unfiltered emotion. AARON CARNES

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $17/adv, $19/door. 429-4135.

SATURDAY 8/18

INDIE-ROCK

SUPER WHATEVR

The band currently in the running for best/most annoying name is Orange County’s Super Whatevr. (And yes, they are short an “e” because whatevr, who cares?) Here’s the thing though: the band writes from-the-heart rock jams that are a little punk, a little ’90s alt-rock grit and just a shade of emo breathiness. The band, currently signed to Hopeless Records, writes some pretty deep songs, and their latest album, Never Nothing, is about how we all deal with demons. Whatever it is, it’s never nothing. Sorry, I mean whatevr it is. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $12/adv, $14/door. 429-6994.

SUNDAY 8/19

BLUES

INDIGENOUS

Robert Cray once said, “All the blues greats took chances and developed their own style. They didn’t copy.” By that definition—and a few others if we’re being honest—Indigenous is one of the blues greats of our time. Since 1998, they have blazed through the world with their fiery blend of blues, jazz and rock. Guitarist and founding member Mato Nanji has a style of his own that audiophiles and music junkies love because, even in his uniqueness, trained ears can hear Nanji’s influences mixed throughout his shredding. This is part of the Moe’s Alley’s “Afternoon Blues” series, so don’t get there any later than 4 p.m., or you’ll have the blues for a whole different reason. MW

INFO: 4 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $20/door. 479-1854.

TUESDAY 8/21

JAZZ/FUSION

VICTOR WOOTEN TRIO

Bassist extraordinaire Victor Wooten returns to town after January’s sold-out Rio Theatre triumph, but this time he’s playing two intimate shows at Kuumbwa. Still touring in support of his recent trio album Trypnotyx, Wooten is again joined by tenor saxophonist Bob Franceschini, best known for his work with guitarist Mike Stern, and Dennis Chambers, the definitive drummer where jazz, funk and fusion converge. Since gaining renown (and five Grammy Awards) as a member of Bela Fleck’s protean Flecktones, Wooten has developed a singular body of work that is as genre-encompassing as the Flecktones, but with a much bigger bottom. ANDREW GILBERT

INFO: 7 and 9 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $31.50-$47.25. 427-2227.

The post Music Picks: August 15-21 appeared first on Good Times Santa Cruz.

David Byrne Reclaims Relevance, Legacy on New Tour

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The “Final Transmission” episode of Documentary Now—the recent Netflix series in which Fred Armisen and Bill Hader lovingly skewer a different famous documentary in each installment—begins with a shot of Armisen’s feet as he walks out on stage in a white suit and says, “Hi. I got a cool little toy.” He puts down an ’80s toy robot and starts singing a song about the street he lives on, with lyrics like “that’s a mailbox on the corner, over here is a stop sign” and “a lady reads a book in front of a building.”

It’s a parody of the famous opening scene of Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense—the best music documentary ever made—which begins with a similar shot of David Byrne walking out by himself with a boombox and saying “I’ve got a tape I want to play for you.” Armisen’s song is a send-up of what is often seen as a streak of overly cute quirkiness in Byrne’s work; it most closely mirrors “Don’t Worry About the Government” from Talking Heads’ first album, ’77. That song was the main reason the band was labeled more “conservative” than their punk and New Wave counterparts at the time; the word wasn’t meant in the political sense, but as a way of saying Talking Heads seemed artsy and safe for mainstream consumption in the midst of a boundary-pushing New York scene. (Ironically, the real first song in Stop Making Sense is “Psycho Killer,” which was considered somewhat dangerous when it was released in 1977, because many people mistakenly thought it was about that year’s Son of Sam Killer).

The “quirky” tag continued to dog the band the same way Byrne’s oversized suit in Stop Making Sense dominated his public persona (he once joked that his epitaph would be “Why the big suit?”). Talking Heads put out brilliant album after brilliant album—from the jittery rush of ’77 and More Songs About Building and Food to the ordinary-world-turned-upside-down darkness of Fear of Music, the swirling polyrhythmic mystery of Remain in Light and the stomping funk of Speaking in Tongues, they had the most stunning, inventive run of any American rock band from 1977 to 1984. Yet somehow it was still the harmless Americana of 1986’s True Stories and the straight pop of the Heads’ last two records, Little Creatures and Naked, that Byrne was most identified with for many years.

So you better believe it’s no coincidence that Byrne is playing nothing off True Stories or Little Creatures on his newest tour, which comes to the San Jose Civic on Saturday. And the only thing off Naked that he’s playing this time around is “Blind,” Talking Heads’ angriest and most political song—which now seems like it was about three decades ahead of its time when it was released in 1988.

“Blind” fits in perfectly with the songs on Byrne’s newest solo album, American Utopia, which is a raw and jagged rejection of the state of Donald Trump’s union. Clearly, Byrne realized this was the best solo album he’s ever done (it’s also his first to land in the Top 10), and saw a chance to build a tour around it that amounts to a no-holds-barred bid to claim his rightful legacy as one of America’s most relevant songwriters. American Utopia’s best songs—“Everybody’s Coming to My House,” “Here” and “Dog’s Mind”—are oddly sort of buried on the album. However, they are they’re front and center in the setlist, which remains mostly constant because of the highly choreographed nature of the show. He knows what he’s got.

For this tour, he’s also reclaiming Talking Heads and solo songs that audiences might have missed the first time around, like the amazing “I Should Watch TV” from his 2012 album with St. Vincent, and “Dancing Together” from his wild 2010 concept record with Fatboy Slim (which turned the Imelda Marcos story into a club-dancefloor musical, and later became an off-Broadway production). “The Great Curve” and “Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)” are two Talking Heads masterpieces that never got the pop culture moments they deserved, while “Once in a Lifetime” and “Burning Down the House” are the ultimate remember-how-great-that-band-was-everybody statements.

He’s most definitely playing “This Must Be the Place” on this tour as a way of saying, “Yes, I know you’ve heard Arcade Fire and every other indie band playing it, but this is really my song.” If Byrne has got to look at the word “quirky” shoved in front of his name for the rest of his life, he definitely wants to see “but important” in between.

David Byrne’s ‘American Utopia’ tour comes to the City National Civic in San Jose on Saturday, Aug. 18. sanjosetheaters.org.

The post David Byrne Reclaims Relevance, Legacy on New Tour appeared first on Good Times Santa Cruz.

Love Your Local Band: Wild and Blue

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Back in 2015, father and daughter Steve and April Bennett were driving home from a gig they had played with their new band Wild and Blue when April told her dad that her engagement to her fiancé was over. And it had ended badly. She told him that she was going to sell the wedding dress because she “ain’t going to use it.”

“That stuck with me,” Steve says.

The next day, Steve wrote the song “Wedding Dress For Sale” with his daughter in mind to sing it. This was the first time he’d written a song specifically for another person—and he’d been writing songs since he was a teenager.

The pair had been performing together since April, now in her late ’20, was two and a half years old. She would often sit in and sing with Steve’s band, Steve Bennett and One Eyed Jack. As an adult, April moved to New York, but when she moved back in 2015, they started playing again. It suddenly felt like it might warrant being its own project.

“Everything new that we tried had a different energy to it,” April says. “People were stopping and listening in a way that they hadn’t before. We both looked at each other and felt like this was a new chapter. And it needed a new name.”

The duo plays a mix of folk, country and rock; their sets are a combination of covers and Steve originals. Shortly before this project started, Steve hadn’t written originals for a while, being too busy with work obligations. That changed about four years ago.

“The dam broke. I’ve written a ton of new songs,” Steve says.

Now that April is back in the area, the two play together as often as they can. They’ve both played with other musicians, but just see something special about playing with each other.

“There’s literally nothing better than getting to play with my dad,” April says.

INFO: 12 p.m. & 8 p.m. Aug. 25 & 26. Roaring Camp Railroads, 5401 Graham Hill Road, Felton. Free. 335-4484.

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Music Picks: August 22-28

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THURSDAY 8/23

HIP-HOP

YELAWOLF

For just under a decade, rapper Yelawolf has been in the mainstream on Eminem’s label Shady Records, pumping out rap songs that are at once catchy and a little offbeat. But then after his last album, 2015’s Love Story, he had a bit of a public meltdown, and seemed to disappear. Apparently, he was working hard on the mostly self-produced Trial by Fire, which he released last October. It’s an incredibly meticulous record that fuses a lot of gospel and Southern rock elements, while still remaining a laid-back hip-hop album at heart. AARON CARNES

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $23-$125. 429-4135.

FRIDAY 8/24

GENRE

SUITCASE JUNKET

Have you ever thought about starting a one-man band using junkyard scraps? The answer is yes, you have. We all have. The good thing is that you and I don’t have to do it, because that band already exists. Another good thing is that the man behind the project, Matt Lorenz, is actually a good musician. His naturally raspy voice is the perfect accompaniment to his authentic rendition of American roots music, done in the grittiest of ways possible. No polish here. Just raw emotion and instruments that could fall apart at any moment. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10/adv, $12/door. 429-6994.

FRIDAY 8/24

COUNTRY

SILLS COMBO BIRTHDAY BASH

Who doesn’t love birthday parties? You got cake, presents, friends, and people singing the birthday song over and over again. Don’t have a friend celebrating their birthday this weekend? You should definitely come out to the big Carolyn Sills Combo/Miss Lonely Hearts Birthday Bash. It’s Sills’ birthday, and also Mischa’s from Miss Lonely Hearts. I don’t know if there will be cake or presents, but here you have a chance to see two of Santa Cruz’s best traditional country bands—the Carolyn Sills Combo being more of the Western swing variety, and Miss Lonely Hearts falling more into outlaw country territory. If no one starts up the birthday song, it’ll be up to you. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $10/adv, $15/door. 479-1854.

SATURDAY 8/25

ROCK & SOUL

HOUSEROCKERS

A 10-piece rock and soul outfit from Los Gatos, the Houserockers were recently named KFOX radio’s “Best Cover Band in the Bay Area.” No small feat in an area rich with great acts. Boasting a five-piece horn section, two guitars, drums and keyboards, the band performs what are described as the “greatest songs ever recorded.” Performing hits from the last 60 years, the Houserockers pay tribute to a pool of legendary acts, including the Rolling Stones; Stevie Wonder; Earth, Wind and Fire; Tower of Power, the Boss, and more. CAT JOHNSON

INFO: 8 p.m. Flynn’s Cabaret, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $15/adv, $20/door. 335-2800.

SATURDAY 8/25

AMERICANA

LAST SATURDAY FEST

This Saturday, Michael’s on Main presents the Last Saturday Fest, featuring an impressive lineup of Americana acts, including Northern California favorites the Naked Bootleggers, standout folk and soul outfit Crooked Branches, country-alt-rock-meets-yacht-rock band Dan Too, and the Santa Cruz Mountains-based roots group the Steelehouse Stringband. If Americana music is your thing, don’t miss this opportunity to catch a handful of regional sensations. CJ

INFO: 3 p.m. Michael’s on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel. $10. 479-9777.

SUNDAY 8/26

REGGAE

PATO BANTON

Pato Banton is a slice of authentic reggae culture, but you just might not be aware of the subculture he comes from. He’s from Birmingham, England, and you can hear him sing and toast (reggae-style rap) on early ’80s tracks by the English Beat and UB40. By the mid-’80s, he became a solid solo artist. His biggest hit was his bouncy rendition of the Equals’ “Baby Come Back” in 1994. It, like all his music, will make you feel good about being alive under the sun. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $17/adv, $20/door. 479-1854.

SUNDAY 8/26

AMERICANA

JASON EADY

Hailing from Mississippi, singer-songwriter Jason Eady has a stylistic range that blends blues, classic country, Americana and folk with rock and touches of bluegrass. Bringing what one reviewer described as a “rare balance of unguarded honesty and poetic sophistication” to his songwriting, Eady is an underappreciated gem of the American roots music scene. From his 2005 debut through his latest offering, I Travel On—which was the first time Eady recorded with his stellar road band—he has captured the attention of roots fans everywhere, including cosmic country star Sturgill Simpson, who Eady and company recently shared a stage with. CJ

INFO: 2 p.m. Michael’s on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel. $10. 479-9777.

MONDAY 8/27

JAZZ VOCALS

JANE MONHEIT

Few vocalists in jazz are more eager to please than Jane Monheit, or better equipped to provide musical satisfaction. Blessed with a sumptuously rich voice, she has grown into a fine interpreter of lyrics with a mile-wide streak of generosity. Her open-hearted condition was on full display on her last album, 2016’s The Songbook Sessions: Ella Fitzgerald, which was ably produced by trumpet great Nicholas Payton. For this run of West Coast shows, Monheit has been taking song requests online via Instagram, and judging by the comments, she’s got some pretty hip fans. She’s joined by her longtime working band with pianist Michael Kanan, bassist Neal Miner and drummer/husband Rick Montalbano. ANDREW GILBERT

INFO: 7 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $42/adv-$47.25/door. 427-2227.

The post Music Picks: August 22-28 appeared first on Good Times Santa Cruz.


Love Your Local Band: Little Petie and the Mean Old Men

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When Peter Michael was a kid, his family called him “Little Petie.” His dad was Peter and his grandfather was Pete, so the nickname sort of made sense.

But he hated it.

As he’s gotten older, though, he’s reconsidered. In fact, he’s using it for his latest musical project, Little Petie and the Mean Old Men. And the once-hated nickname has become a bit of an alter ego.

“He’s a little more happy-go-lucky and perhaps intentionally naïve,” Michael says. “There are times when I’m writing songs that I think, ‘Yeah, Little Petie wouldn’t say that.’ It has created a lens through which the songs are delivered.”

Michael spent his younger years playing in an intense punk band, and then became a serious, contemplative singer-songwriter. Ultimately, he wanted to have more fun.

“I enjoyed presenting those songs in the past, but there was an emotional cost that after a while I just got tired of paying,” Michael says. “I decided I would write songs that were up-tempo and catchy, not really thinky or heartbreaky.”

Now he’s having a great time playing good old-fashioned riff-heavy rock music.

“Our songs are in a style that is already familiar to people,” Michael says. “We’re not reinventing rock ’n’ roll. There’s nothing that’s gimmicky. It’s straightforward. I think once people start to familiarize themselves with our songs, they really appreciate and enjoy them.” 

INFO: 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 31. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.

The post Love Your Local Band: Little Petie and the Mean Old Men appeared first on Good Times Santa Cruz.

Music Picks: August 29-September 4

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Live music highlights for the week of August 29, 2018.

WEDNESDAY 8/29

INDIE-POP

BAD BAD HATS

Can you describe your band in three words or less? Minneapolis trio Bad Bad Hat can; they call it “sweet and sour.” In other words, ultra-catchy pop songs that straddle the line between innocent, feel good melodies and sad, reflective lyrics. It’s a combination not too uncommon with indie-pop bands, but when a band like Bad Bad Hat gets it right, it makes you feel all the feels. The band’s latest record, Lightning Round, is simultaneously more polished and looser than the one before it. It’s like a whole different category of sweet and sour. AARON CARNES

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $12/adv, $14/door. 429-4135.

THURSDAY 8/30

ROCK

DANGALEROS

If the Dangaleros backstory is to be believed, the “despicable six” members were so isolated in rural Mexico that they had to form their own rock band to have something to do. And these six couldn’t be more different: border patrol agents, outlaws, cartel members, etc. You know the desire to rock was high if these guys could set aside their differences! Sure, this might all be fabricated, but in any case this six-piece puts on a fun show with a rock-oriented sound that dips into punk, funk, and spaghetti Western desert rock. AC

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Flynn’s Cabaret & Steakhouse, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $15/adv, $18/door. 335-2800.

THURSDAY 8/30

JAZZ

STEVE WILSON & MONTEREY ALL-STARS

Santa Cruz trombonist/vocalist Steve Wilson, a key part of Cabrillo College’s jazz program for four decades, presents a prodigious band as part of Kuumbwa’s Live & Local series. Featuring well-traveled bassist Steve Uccello, Los Angeles-transplant Gary Meek on saxophones and piano, and veteran drummer Andy Weis (who leads a larger version of this ensemble at the Monterey Jazz Festival next month), the Monterey All-Stars combo lives up to its name. A versatile multi-instrumentalist who has toured and recorded with powerhouse drummer Dave Weckl and Brazilian stars such as Flora Purim, Airto, and Oscar Castro-Neves, Meek has added a vivifying jolt of energy to the Monterey Bay scene since relocating here in 2009. ANDREW GILBERT

INFO: 7 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $21/adv, $26.25/door. 427-2227.

THURSDAY 8/30

HIP-HOP

ROTATIONS

Khan is a local hip-hop artist who’s been putting out EPs and mixtapes for years now. His latest EP, Occupied—a collaboration with Santa Cruz producer Ghost Hour—is sublime boom-bap. Khan has put together an evening of hip-hop/soul at the Crepe Place called “Rotations” that includes Gilroy “femcee” 1 .A.M., spinner of old-school rap DJ Los the Nexus, sweet soul singer Genoa T. Brown, and poet-turned-rapper Joseph Jason Santiago Lacour. Word on the street is there’ll be a secret surprise guest as well. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $8. 429-6994

THURSDAY 8/30

PUNK

REGRETTES

Since last December, Lin-Manuel Miranda has been dropping monthly singles for his project Hamildrops, which are basically covers of songs from the Hamilton soundtrack. This March, L.A. pop-punk band the Regrettes released their rendition of “Helpless” which is so far one of the best contributions. Like the rest of the Regrettes songs, it’s got both attitude and vulnerability. This is most apparent on the group’s debut album, Feel Your Feelings Fool. Earlier this year, the group released the more all-over-the-place, but still awesome EP Attention Seeker.

INFO: 8 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $14/adv, $16/door. 429-4135.

FRIDAY 8/31

REGGAE

ISRAEL VIBRATION

Are you ready to see two legendary reggae groups Voltron into one and then blow your mind away? Israel Vibration is a classic roots reggae singing group that formed in 1970 and started releasing classic Rastafarian albums in the late ’70s. The Roots Radics are a backing band that have played with everyone (Bunny Wailer, Eek-A-Mouse, Gregory Isaacs, etc). They’ve backed Israel Vibration on a couple of albums. And now—lucky you—they are backing the group live in concert. This will be the most reggae thing you do this week. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $35/adv, $40/door. 479-1854.

SUNDAY 9/2

INDIE-FOLK

THE JELLYMAN’S DAUGHTER

Hailing from the foothills of Edinburgh, the Jellyman’s Daughter is a duo that blends American indie-rock à la Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Andrew Bird with the Scottish twang of their homeland. Comprising Emily Kelly and Graham Coe, the duo is currently touring its forthcoming album, Dead Reckoning, which drops Sept. 21. The release has already garnered praise as an album that “evokes the misted plains of Great Britain … [and] remains loyal to the tradition of their homeland while expertly combining these sensibilities with a modern indie-folk twist.” CAT JOHNSON

INFO: 8 p.m. Lille Aeske, 13160 Hwy. 9, Boulder Creek. $10-$20. 703-4183.

TUESDAY 9/4

FOLK-ROCK

WILLY PORTER

An indie-folk rocker with finger-picking guitar skills to boot, Willy Porter has been holding down a quiet corner of the music world since his 1994 breakthrough album, Dog Eared Dream. Born in Mequon, Wisconsin, Porter garners comparison to guitar great Leo Kottke and was described by the Village Voice as capturing “the street corner ethic of acoustic performance perfectly.” In addition to boasting serious guitar chops, Porter is a thoughtful songwriter and an engaging performer. CJ

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Michael’s on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel. $17/adv, $20/door. 479-9777.

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Love Your Local Band: Star La’Moan & The Kitchenettes

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Star La’Moan, frontwoman for the local eclectic band Star La’Moan and the Kitchenettes (jazz, blues, all things New Orleans), likes to bring a box of wooden spoons, pots, pans and other kitchen implements to shows.

She’ll hand them out to members of the audience and encourage them to use them as percussion. At a recent show, she handed some spoons to two young boys. One was 8, the other was 11.

“Once I handed them the spoons, they went berserk—and they were great percussionists. They played all night long with us,” La’Moan says. “I think it’s really important to engage the audience. That’s the gift I think we give as performers.”

The band came together four years ago, while its members were working together in the kitchen at Kuumbwa Jazz Center. La’Moan had previously fronted Star La’Moan and the Deltoids, which started back in the early ’90s. She released one CD, Livin’ on the Edge, a little over a decade ago, and is hoping to have her first Kitchenettes CD out early next year. It’s tentatively titled Outta The Kitchen, Into the Streets.

“We march in. We go up and down the aisles. If we’re allowed to go outside, we do,” La’Moan says of the band’s shows. “We do everything from old timey standards to jazz, some R&B, some of my originals. They all fit with what I feel is the heart of New Orleans music. It’s everything and the kitchen sink, because that’s what our musical cuisine is.” 

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12. Michael’s on Main, 2591 S Main St., Soquel. $10. 479-9777.

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Music Picks: September 5-11

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Live music highlights for the week of September 5, 2018.

WEDNESDAY 9/5

REGGAE

MISAEL

Relief efforts continue in Puerto Rico, and its citizens are still struggling. That’s why it’s important to keep listening to what the people that call it home have to say, which is one of many reasons you might want to check out Misael at Moe’s Alley on Wednesday. He is famous as the lead singer of one of the island’s biggest reggae bands, Yerba Bruja. In addition to the handful of LPs his band has released, he’s also put out some solo material, and done some collaborations, all still in the vein of bilingual roots reggae. AARON CARNES

INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $8/adv, $12/door. 479-1854.

WEDNESDAY 9/5

COUNTRY

WESTERN CENTURIES

With a collective resume that includes work with Zoe Muth, Eli West and Donna the Buffalo, Western Centuries garners comparisons to legendary groups like the Band and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Purveyors of country music with heart, well-crafted lyrics, top-notch instrumentation and enough edge to appeal to hardcore roots enthusiasts, the band breathes fresh life into classic country and Western music, without losing what it is that attracts people to the music in the first place. As singer-songwriter and founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show Willie Watson put it, “What a relief! Country music is alive and well.” CAT JOHNSON

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Michael’s on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel. $10. 479-9777.

FRIDAY 9/7

HIP HOP

SHORELINE MAFIA

Shoreline Mafia are no strangers to Santa Cruz, although these days when they play town they are selling out the main room in the Catalyst—a long way from their fledgling days only two years ago. Now the fearsome foursome recently signed to Atlantic Records and are ready to take their L.A. sound to the world. Because they’ve blown up so big, this Friday’s show will be a double feature. MAT WEIR

INFO: 6:30 & 9:30 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $25-$60. 429-4135.

SATURDAY 9/8

PSYCHEDELIC ROCK

HOUSE OF FLOYD

Pink Floyd is often remembered as one of the quintessential “album rock” bands. But let’s not forget that they were also a mind-blowing live band. They incorporated theatrics and lights, and created stunning sonic soundscapes that even their near-flawless records couldn’t capture. That’s why the goal of the San Francisco Pink Floyd tribute band House Of Floyd is to create not so much a “tribute” to the band as a fully immersive live Pink Floyd experience. They even create some of their own arrangements for these classic songs. AC

INFO: 8:30 p.m. Flynn’s Cabaret & Steakhouse, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $20/adv, $25/door. 335-2800.

SATURDAY 9/8

BANDA

BANDA SANTA MARIA

Banda is a style of brass and percussion music that has come to represent the Southern and Central states of Mexico. The boisterously romantic sound floats through a range of rancheras, boleros, cumbias and more. Banda Santa Maria is Salinas’ premiere banda group, and features an impressive group of over a dozen local musicians. MW

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 429-4135.

SUNDAY 9/9

HAWAIIAN

GEORGE KAHUMOKU JR.

With a stage show that’s been described as the “essence of aloha,” singer-songwriter and 12-string slack key guitarist George Kahumoku Jr. is one of the most recognized and beloved ambassadors of Hawaiian music. Born in Kona on the Big Island, Kahumoku’s understanding of traditions—musical and otherwise—runs deep. A farmer, teacher and storyteller, Kahumoku shares his love of island life, humanity, music and the land in his music and on-stage. CJ

INFO: 7 p.m. Flynn’s Cabaret, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $17/adv, $20/door. 335-2800.

SUNDAY 9/9

BLUES/SOUL

RAY CHARLES PROJECT

Comprising 11-time Grammy winner and Santana vocalist Tony Lindsay, blues guitar standout Chris Cain, Dewayne Pate, Deszon Claiborne, Glenn Walters and Eamonn Flynn, the Ray Charles Project is a Bay Area all-star outfit that pays tribute to the American legend in fine style. Spanning Charles’ repertoire—soul, blues, jazz vocals, gospel and more—the sextet keeps his spirit alive and swinging. CJ

INFO: 4 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 479-1854.

MONDAY 9/10

JAZZ

TAYLOR MCFERRIN

In the McFerrin family, uncategorizable brilliance doesn’t fall far from the tree. The son of vocal wizard Bobby McFerrin, Taylor McFerrin is a polymathic multi-instrumentalist, beatboxer, vocalist, composer and producer who engineers slyly grooving tracks blending hip-hop and electronica, jazz, soul, and R&B. He’s been keeping company with a groove-centric jazz supergroup in recent months, recording and touring with keyboardist Robert Glasper, trumpeter Christian Scott, bassist Derrick Hodge and others in R+R=NOW, but this show is a solo date featuring McFerrin building tunes on his phalanx of keyboards. ANDREW GILBERT

INFO: 7 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $26.25 adv/$31.50 door. 427-2227.

MONDAY 9/10

POST-ROCK

UNWED SAILOR

Back in the adventurous late ’90s indie rock era, Jonathan Ford was kicking around in bands Pedro the Lion and Roadside Monument, not feeling completely artistically satisfied. It was from this dissonance that he created Unwed Sailor, which is mostly instrumental, post-rock and highly emotive—not totally new territory among ’90s indie experimenters. But a few things stuck out about his project. One was its slippery diversity from album to album. It could be graceful and gorgeous, or lighthearted and cute; even grating and scary. Another more subtle element is Ford’s relentless pursuit to keep the music swirling around the bass. He continues to write and record experimental, ambient music that doesn’t quite jive with the standard post-rock stereotypes. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.

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Music Picks: September 12-18

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Live music highlights for the week of September 12, 2018.

WEDNESDAY 9/12

ALT-COUNTRY

LASERS LASERS BIRMINGHAM

Southern Californians have been playing country-influenced music as long as guitars have had strings. (Well, maybe not that long). But few artists in recent memory have given country such a distinctly L.A. feel as Lasers Lasers Birmingham (aka Alex Owen); he even sings about L.A. smog and references Laurel Canyon. The music is jaded, downtrodden, and just a wee bit psychedelic, set to a twangy guitar and subdued country melody. AARON CARNES

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Flynn’s Cabaret & Steakhouse, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $15/adv, $18/door. 335-2800.

 

WEDNESDAY 9/12

ROCK/SOUL

DAVE MASON & STEVE CROPPER

“All Along the Watchtower,” “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” “Green Onions,” “Feelin’ Alright”—these are just a few of the era-defining songs on which you’ve heard Dave Mason and Steve Cropper. A founding member of Traffic, Mason was with Jimi Hendrix when the guitar god first heard “Watchtower.” That lush 12-string you hear all over Hendrix’s version is Mason’s work. Cropper, in addition to playing on nearly every classic Stax record (and founding Booker T and the MGs), co-wrote “Dock of the Bay” with Otis Redding. MIKE HUGUENOR

INFO: 8 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, $35. 423-8209.


THURSDAY 9/13

BLUES/ROCK

CORKY SIEGEL & MARCELLA DETROIT

In addition to forming influential Chicago group the Siegel-Schwall Band, harmonica virtuoso Corky Siegel has created something truly unique in his chamber blues project. You’ll ask yourself if his fusing of classical instruments and blues music is a bold new direction for the genre, or is it a Frankensteinian (and perhaps misunderstood) monster? Siegel’s musicianship is certainly monstrous, intimidating in its swagger and confidence. With him at Michael’s on Main is Marcella Detroit, whose powerful and expansive voice is heard on duets with Eric Clapton and Elton John, the Shakespeare Sisters, and her 1994 solo hit “I Believe.” MH

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Michael’s on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel, $20/adv, $25/door. 479-9777.

 

FRIDAY 9/14

AMERICANA

LOST DOG STREET BAND

The Lost Dog Street Band has a repertoire of dusty ditties and twangy tunes just waiting to be heard. Formed in 2011 by wife and husband Ashley Mae and Benjamin Tod, the group continues the tradition of the American troubadours of lore. Lucky for us, they’ve moved from playing street corners to more comfortable concert venues. As they travel from city to city, the Lost Dog Street Band takes the audience to a simpler time. MAT WEIR

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10/adv, $12/door. 423-1338.

 

SATURDAY 9/15

OLD WORLD FOLK

EVA AND THE VAGABOND TALES

With a flair for rueful storytelling and old-world melancholy, Eva and the Vagabond Tales play sad soundtracks for the poor lost souls wandering the cobblestone streets of a long-forgotten city with only a lantern to guide them, and a pang in their heart to keep them company. Eva’s papery voice and spurned-lover lyrics give shape to a specialized pain—the yearning kind that comes from solo travel or a potential lover’s glance. AMY BEE

INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $8. 429-6994.

 

SATURDAY 9/15

FUNK

ORGONE

There’s something captivating about a live eight-piece band whose sole purpose is to get a person out on the dance floor. Even the most introverted, just-came-here-to-gawk voyeur will find the fat and gritty grooves of Orgone irresistible—sooner or later, all will succumb to the catchy, vibrant beats that faithfully harken back to the best soul of the ’60s and ’70s. And to any dance floor holdouts, founding guitarist Sergio Rios will be glad to give, as he puts it, a “love shove.” AB

INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 479-1854.


SUNDAY 9/16

ELECTRONIC

HONNE

Have you ever wanted to run away from your life? Not because you’re depressed, but because you’re so excited to live, and you want to move to another country and savor every breath of fresh air? I know that’s a really specific feeling, but it’s one that the U.K. electronic duo Honne explores on the opening cut of its sophomore album Love Me, Love Me Not. It’s a sleek, bouncy robot-funk record that feels part in-the-moment joy and part longing for even more joy. AC

INFO: 8 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $18/adv, $20/door. 423-1338.


SUNDAY 9/16

POST ROCK

ADORE//REPEL

For post-rock, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey. So why not let four blokes from West Yorkshire guide you through a realm they have creatively navigated to success since 2013? The ethereal tunes combine nuanced rock, jazz, electronic and so many other genres into a cohesive mix of their own. Dreamy melodies lead into wild highs and deep lows as the music evolves through the course of a single song. For a glimpse of the fantastic aural voyage that awaits, listen to last year’s Empty Orchestra LP. MW

INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10/door. 429-6994.


MONDAY 9/17

JAZZ

STILL DREAMING

More than a supergroup or all-star assemblage, Still Dreaming brings together four singular improvisers with deep and abiding ties to Old and New Dreams, the beloved and consistently bracing 1970s quartet featuring four now-departed masters inextricably linked to Ornette Coleman. Joshua Redman, of course, is the son of saxophone legend Dewey Redman, and the supremely lyrical cornetist Ron Miles absorbed the telegraphic concision of trumpeter Don Cherry. Big-toned bassist Scott Colley studied with Charlie Haden at CalArts, while Brian Blade shares Ed Blackwell’s Louisiana roots and a rhythmic flow that makes even the most volatile passages fit for dancing. Whether interpreting tunes associated with Old and New Dreams or originals, Still Dreaming creates music to wake the soul. ANDREW GILBERT

INFO: 7 and 9 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320 Cedar St. #2, Santa Cruz. $36.75 – $52.50. 427-2227.

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Love Your Local Band: August Sun

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When putting together his new band August Sun, Santa Cruz guitarist/vocalist Christian Walsh gave a lot of thought to what had gone wrong with his previous group, Poor Beggar Thieves, which dissolved last year.

“We didn’t try hard enough. And I wanted to try harder,” Walsh says. “So I was just like, ‘It’s go time.’ I started booking and booking and booking.”

That was last September, when August Sun started as a trio with a punky sound. By the end of the year, they’d expanded into a five-piece with two guitars (Walsh and Dan Knox), bass (Brendan Brose), drums (Jonny Hampton), keys (Tony Whittaker), and multiple members providing backing vocals. And their music evolved quickly, as well.

“I’d say it’s centered around straight-ahead rock ’n’ roll,” Walsh says. “Over time, as we’ve grown our sound, we really delved into more classic sounds.”

In 2017, the band played 25 shows. They’ve already more than doubled that this year, while recording and releasing the full-length album Mountainside, and writing several songs for a follow-up album.

“We’re playing four to six gigs a month. We practice twice a week. We like to treat this like a job, because that’s what it is,” Walsh says. “We’re working hard. I want this to happen. I’m not getting any younger.” 

INFO: 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.

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Preview: Hiss Golden Messenger to Play the Catalyst

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A strange thing happens when you listen to the new Hiss Golden Messenger record Hallelujah Anyhow. You kind of don’t know how to feel. At least that was my reaction, which I tell leader MC Taylor at the beginning of our interview.

He responds with a knowing chuckle, as though this is exactly the reaction he was hoping for.

“I’ve always been interested in whether there’s a way to translate that tangle of emotions into a song—a mix of joy and confusion and anger and sorrow all at the same time. That feels real to me,” Taylor says. “That is something that I like and definitely mean to have in there. Especially with the way that America feels right now.”

There is something particularly poignant about the record in these polarizing times, and what often feel like catastrophic moments in history. It’s almost as though Taylor read our collective unconscious despair, and set our confused emotional state to bittersweet indie-Americana music.

There’s a whole range of contradictory emotions on the record. Opening track “Jenny of the Roses” has the line: “I’ve never been afraid of the darkness/It’s just a different kind of light.” He tells me I’m not the first person today to point out that specific line to him.

Joy in the midst of despair was a particular area of focus for him on the record, Taylor says. The title of the album basically says it all.

“I’m trying to find hope in small corners. We need that joy. We can be horrified about separating children from their parents at the border, and we can also find joy in certain moments in our day-to-day lives. They’re not mutually exclusive,” he says. “Maintaining that level of horror and shock alone is too exhausting. I think it leads to a normalization of the policies that show up in the news so much these days.”

Not that there are any specific references on the album to anything happening in our world.

“I have an aversion to feeling like I’m going to compose ‘protest music.’ I had absolutely no compulsion to speak for anybody other than myself and my family,” Taylor says. “My job as an artist is to make something that feels real.”

The album is an extension of what he’s been doing since his 2010 masterpiece Bad Debt, a landmark moment for him in terms of expressing contradictions via music. He’s been making music before that for years, and although it was still within the Americana world, it never quite had this depth. Ever since, he’s taken the same approach with each subsequent album.

“There’s nothing drastically different about how I went about composing the songs for this record. I think it has to do maybe with the way that this album rubs up against what life feels like in our country right now,” Taylor says. “With Bad Debt, I just hit some emotional something. I felt like the only way my music is going to be worth anything to anybody including myself is if it feels real.”

Hallelujah Now, he tells me, just poured out of him. He’s not even sure why. He’s currently working on his new record, which he says isn’t coming out with nearly as much ease. However, it’s all relative. Ever since he struck gold with Bad Debt and learned a way to express himself in a sincere way, it hasn’t ever really been too hard.

“I’m always surprised to hear people talk about how difficult song writing is for them. I’ve never really had that feeling,” Taylor says. “Even with the latest batch of songs, it’s not like it was hard. It’s more like, ‘Am I going to want to live with this song forever?’ That’s one of the questions that I ask myself a lot.”

Hiss Golden Messenger performs at 8 p.m. on Tues., Sept. 25 at the Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $20. 429-4135.

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Love Your Local Band: Funky Joe and the Mofos

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People were calling Joe Neto Jr. “Funky Joe” before he started a band called Funky Joe and the Mofos. He kind of had a reputation for bringing the energy, as anyone who saw his band Funkranomicon can attest.

“I don’t know what happens to me. I blank over and start talking in tongues and start moving my feet. It takes over me,” says Neto of being on stage. “Whatever happens from that, if it’s entertaining to the crowd, that’s awesome. It’s just me being me, doing what I do.”

Perhaps that’s why the members of the local band Mofongo invited Neto to sit in with them to jam for a couple songs at a show.

“It was supposed to be just two songs that I sat in on, then I ended up sitting there for two sets,” Neto says. “After the sets, we both looked at each other and said, ‘Well, what’s our next project? We gotta keep this momentum going.”

That was how Funky Joe and the Mofos was born, one year ago: members of Funkranomicon and Mofongo joined forces to create one massive super-group. (They also grabbed guys from Deep Pocket and Reactors) The funky seven-piece band plays a variety of dance tunes, but it tends to revolve around the Southern R&B Stax Records sound. The group plays mostly covers, with some originals mixed in. But regardless of the material they play, it’s really fun dance music.

“For me, it’s about a release from the work week. I want to come out and have fun, and I want to enjoy the time, and I want people to have fun with me,” Neto says. 

INFO: 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22. Flynn’s Cabaret & Steakhouse, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $15. 335-2800.

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Music Picks: September 19-25

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Live music highlights for the week of September 19, 2018.

WEDNESDAY 9/19

COUNTRY

MIRA GOTO

Singer-songwriter Miro Gota likes to tell stories, like the guitar-slingers of yesteryear used to do. But her music is fun, light-hearted and will hook your heart before you realize you’ve been tapping your toe all along. “Crazy Cat Lady” is a touching song about finding a stray cat and adopting him. “New Plaid Shirt” is a self-empowering sing-along about finally getting over an ex-lover. Originally from Northern California, the young musician has since relocated to Nashville and has developed a touch of heartbroken twang to balance her penchant for bubblegum. AARON CARNES

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Michael’s On Main, 2591 S. Main, Soquel. $12/adv, $15/door. 479-9777.

WEDNESDAY, 9/19

ALTERNATIVE

DEAN WEEN GROUP

For almost 30 years, Ween waged an absolute war on the border between music and comedy. They would take every idea seriously, even if that idea was rambling about “the blood from the panther” over elevator music. Since breaking up in 2012, the burden of that mad dream has now fallen to frontman Dean Ween, who released Rock2 this March, his second full-length with the Dean Ween Group. Rock2 is as virtuosic and inane as you’d expect from Deaner, proving that the borderlands between music and comedy aren’t safe just yet. MIKE HUGUENOR

INFO: 8 p.m. The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $25/adv, $30/door. 423-1338.

FRIDAY 9/21

INDIE

EMILY CAVANAGH

Emily Cavanagh has a sweet, slightly old-timey voice accented with a delicate Irish lilt. It’s the perfect vehicle to deliver her soft-pop folk songs. Cavanagh uses thoughtful storytelling to craft twinkling, effervescent tunes that speak on finding joy and seeking optimism in dire circumstances without diminishing the trauma people are going through. Born in Chicago to an Irish-American family, Cavanagh spent time in Dublin to hone her songwriting skills. Now she collaborates with renowned musicians far and wide, and spins her own tales into high-spirited melodies. AMY BEE

INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-6994.

FRIDAY 9/21

CABARET

CAFÉ MUSIQUE

Central Coast ensemble Café Musique plays dance music for bibulous United Nations shindigs, the kind of parties where secrets are spilled, careers are ruined and diplomats let their hair down. The quintet combines an array of traditions, including tango, swing, blues and folk. They meld the disparate forms with instrumental bravado and emotional commitment. Featuring the fiery violinist and vocalist Brynn Albanese, string expert Eric Williams on guitar, ukulele, bouzouki and vocals, Duane Inglish on accordion, Craig Nuttycombe on guitar and vocals, and Fred Murray on bass and vocals. ANDREW GILBERT

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320 Cedar St. #2, Santa Cruz. $25/adv, $32/door. 427-2227.

SATURDAY 9/22

SOFT-ROCK

AMO AMO

You gotta watch Amo Amo’s performance on “Jam in the Van,” just to see these guys. Most of the band members are sporting wacky heart-shaped sunglasses and the kind of thrift store hats you’d wear on a Hawaiian vacation. What I’m saying is these guys are really, really laid back, and musically, they deliver the easy-breezy goods. It’s a healthy blend of Steely Dan and Fleetwood Mac, alongside some dreamy, harmony-rich ’60s psych-pop. And even within the down-tempo, don’t-move-too-much rock, the two singers unveil some seriously soulful vocals. AC

INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $12/adv, $15/door. 429-6994.

SATURDAY 9/22

INDIE-FOLK

THE HEART AND THE HEAD

Indie folk band the Heart and the Head have matured since their mega-successful folk-rock debut album for Sub Pop in 2011. They’ve maintained the acoustic intimacy and luscious, three-part harmony and bolstered it with almost—but not quite—country-rock guitar bravado. The six-member troupe easily maneuvers from radio-ready arena rock to tender, heart-in-throat maudlin folk-pop, and back to a feel-good Americana. Traversing both big successes and personal setbacks have led the Heart and the Head to a sound full of heartache, but tempered with cautious optimism. AB

INFO: 8 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $42. 423-8209.

SUNDAY 9/23

ELECTRONIC

FLAMINGOSIS

Listening to DJ Flamingosis is like blasting a funky 1970s Hollywood soundtrack into your ears; the light-as-air beats flow through the music on a river of euphoric melodies. All this ’70s dance music love earned him a shocking 15 million combined plays on Soundcloud for his first two albums. But don’t think he’s a one-hit—or twice-lucky—artist, as his latest album, Flight Fantastic, already has half a million listens—and it’s barely a month old. MAT WEIR

INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $18/adv, $20/door. 423-1338.

SUNDAY 9/23

BLUES

SELWYN BIRCHWOOD BAND

Selwyn Birchwood has been playing the blues since he was 13, and was so good that by the age of 19, veteran bluesman Sonny Rhodes took him on tour. In 2010, Birchwood formed his current band and has since gone on to win a number of blues awards including the Albert King Guitarist of the Year Award in 2013 and the Blues Music Awards’ Best New Artist Album, for 2015’s Don’t Call No Ambulance. MW

INFO: 4 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $12/adv, $15/door. 479-1854.

TUESDAY, 9/25

AFRO-POP

HAILU MERGIA

One of the founding voices in Ethiopian pop music, Hailu Mergia is a living legend. Going back to the ’70s with the Walias Band, Mergia’s organ and accordion playing have been a cultural sieve, transposing American jazz, soul, and funk into the harmonic register of Ethiopia. In the ’80s, he released his first solo record, Hailu Mergia and His Classical Instrument, a striking work of organ, accordion, Moog, and drum machine. This year’s Lala Belu finds the master once again playing with a full band, and includes some of his most assured compositions yet. MH

INFO: 8:30 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Drive, Santa Cruz. $22/adv, $25/door. 479-1854.

The post Music Picks: September 19-25 appeared first on Good Times Santa Cruz.

Preview: The Essex Green at Crepe Place

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Four years ago, Sasha Bell wrote the song “Slanted By Six,” a song about her sadness regarding the loss of her band the Essex Green, which played its last show in 2008.

“It felt like a death. It really did. It had been my life for so long. Every major life decision I made, I factored the band into it. Suddenly, that was gone,” Bell says. “There was no decision to stop. This is like ending a relationship with no closure. And I didn’t want closure.”

What happened a decade ago was that the main three members, who’d been living in New York together up to that point, all moved to different states. They figured they’d continue to work on the band remotely. But that just didn’t work out.

“We’re used to being in each other’s physical space all the time. The issue was we couldn’t function as a band electronically. The distance and the space and the way you communicate is through electronics—you’re on a phone, you’re emailing. It just doesn’t hold up as well. It didn’t work,” Bell says.

A few years later, the trio did manage to start working again. The result of their efforts, Hardly Electric—a phrase from “Slanted By Six” that expresses their inability to be a long-distance band, was released in June. Now the group is back to touring and promoting an album, which comes 12 years after their last record, the highly successful Cannibal Sea.

Before the release of Cannibal Sea, they were one of the lesser-known Elephant Six Collective bands (compared to the likes of Neutral Milk Hotel, The Olivia Tremor Control, etc.), but the expertly written, bittersweet indie-pop songs on that album won them a new legion of fans.

Part of what resonated for many listeners was that the record really captured the feeling of not knowing what one is going to do with one’s life in his or her 30s.

“There’s a lot of existential crisis going on in those songs. I think it manifested itself for real in 2008 when we all decided to leave New York for our various reasons,” Bell says.

No one in the Essex Green knew if or when the band would ever play again, but they all continued to write music. Then a couple of years ago, everything lined up so that they could start working on what would be Hardly Electronic. One of those things was that both Jeff Baron and Chris Ziter are now living in Burlington, Vermont.

The band took the basic tracks of the songs they’d individually been writing, passed them back and forth, and set up some time to work on overdubs and mix the songs together.

“If you look at it from a narrative perspective, it’s an interesting window into what we’ve been up to in the last 10 years personally, from three different perspectives,” Bell says. “We get together and have these super focused sessions. I thought it was cool. You treat it like your artistic vacation. We just felt so psyched that we got together.”

The process took so long to complete in part because of how meticulous the band members were. One of the things that they’d picked up during their hiatus was a lot more knowledge about how to properly record a record, which they applied to the album.

“It can feel super painstaking and awful as it’s happening. But the end result is always worth all of that,” Bell says. “Revisiting a song 500 times, that drives some people crazy. A lot of people won’t do it. We spent 10 hours on this, we’re done. We don’t operate that way. We see it through to the end to make it sound like what we want.”

It’s been a long time since the Essex Green were on the scene, and there isn’t quite the energy behind indie-pop now like there was in 2006, but the band is seeing not just their old fans coming to their shows, but also new ones.

“We started playing back in 2016, and then didn’t really do anything until the record came out,” Bells says. “It was a little tricky. We didn’t want to be a nostalgia act, like ‘Hey we’re back, nothing’s new.’ We wanted to totally wait until we had something new to say.”

The Essex Green performs at 9 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30, at the Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $12. 429-6994.

The post Preview: The Essex Green at Crepe Place appeared first on Good Times Santa Cruz.

Music Picks: Sept. 26-Oct. 2

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Live music highlights for the week of September 26, 2018

WEDNESDAY 9/26

BLUEGRASS

SHAKY HAND STRING BAND

Is there a difference between mountain-grass and standard old-timey bluegrass? This is the debate you will be having if you check out Colorado’s beloved finger-pickin quartet the Shaky Hand String Band. Instrumentally, these guys pluck with the finesse of the suit-wearing, cowboy-hat sporting traditionalists. But it’s just a wee bit more laid back. After all, these guys do call the Rocky Mountains home, and have a certain lifestyle that comes through in the song. Their bio describes it as “dogs, food, love, drinking, and all life’s questions.” Hey, that sounds an awful lot like Santa Cruz-grass! AARON CARNES

INFO: 8:30 p.m. Flynn’s Cabaret & Steakhouse, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $15. 335-2800.

 

WEDNESDAY 9/26

JAZZ

AL DI MEOLA

At the age of 19, Al Di Meola was hired to play with jazz giants Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White. What better way to start off an amazing four-decade-long career? Now recognized as one of the world’s top jazz guitarists, Di Meola has recorded dozens of albums, collaborating with a who’s who of musicians from all over the world. On Sept. 26, he’ll be joined by Jordan Rudess—voted “Best Keyboardist of All Time” by Music Radar magazine—for a night of two stars burning bright. MAT WEIR

INFO: 8 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $39/gen, $52/gold. 423-8209.

 

THURSDAY, 9/27

FOLK/COUNTRY

JOHN DOE FOLK TRIO

Musicians who survive their youth often wind up in a whole other genre. For John Doe, that has been a step away from incendiary punk and a return to the rural sounds of his youth: country, folk, and the wisdom of a dusty road. Since the last X record in 1993, Doe has released 11 solo albums (more than X’s whole discography), all of which show the continued relevance of his poetic songwriting. With his folk trio, Doe reorients the scrappiness of punk in the desert landscapes of his growing modern canon. MIKE HUGUENOR

INFO: 8:30 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Drive, Santa Cruz. $22/adv, $25/door. 479-1854.

 

THURSDAY 9/27

AMERICANA

THE SMOKING FLOWERS

The Smoking Flowers’ 2018 album Let’s Die Together plays like a Southern gothic, country-rock version of a famous Hunter S. Thompson quote. You know, the one about how we should arrive at the end of our lives used up, worn out, and thinking, “Wow! What a ride!” Two decades of marriage will do that to a couple. They certainly know how to express the grit and beauty of two lives lived in unison. The band’s musicality melds the best of roots music, blues and punk, creating a sound full of raucous energy, scratchy-voiced harmonies, and sweet duets, like Bonnie and Clyde celebrating the heist of the century. AMY BEE

INFO: 9 p.m., Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $8. 429-6994.

 

SATURDAY 9/29

SYNTH-POP

GEOGRAPHER

San Francisco’s Geographer makes easy-going synth-pop. Frontman Mike Deni does it with semi-personal, and occasionally lovesick lyrics, but keeps a certain distance with his sultry voice and playboy charm. The music reigns in epic synth overtones with sincere piano riffs and the occasional snapping of fingers for percussion. It keeps the whole endeavor genuine without being too vulnerable or sentimental. Fans are sure to get lost in the slow-moving rhythms as they nod their way across the dance floor, feeling sensual and connected as the vape smoke surrounds them. AB

INFO: 9 p.m., Catalyst, Catalyst. 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $18/door. 423-1338.

 

SATURDAY 9/29

ELECTRONIC

THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE

Since its debut in 2010, the Human Experience has built a discography of unique electronic music that defies boundaries. From collaborating with folk musicians like Rising Appalachia to switching his live performances between a DJ set and a live band, David Block is constantly leaving his audience guessing. MW

INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $18/door. 479-1854.

 

SUNDAY, 9/30

REGGAE/PUNK

FAYUCA

In their most recent music video, Fayuca are luchador-masked rebels, leading a warehouse of protesters against an oppressive regime. The video for “Por Que Seguir” is a timely statement, coming shortly before the Trump administration moved millions of dollars from FEMA into the coffers of border-trawling ICE. And for a group of Latinx musicians from Phoenix (home of Sheriff Joe Arpaio), it isn’t just art—it’s their lives. Fayuca’s blend of dub, reggae, punk, and Latin rock comes off sounding like a natural outgrowth of their home, culture, passions, and beliefs. Si se puede. MH

INFO: 9 p.m. The Catalyst Atrium, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10/adv, $15/door. 429-4135.

 

MONDAY 10/1

JAZZ

LOGAN RICHARDSON

Restlessly creative alto saxophonist Logan Richardson had already established himself as a powerful voice on the New York jazz scene with his 2016 major label debut Shift, a startlingly confident session featuring guitar legend Pat Metheny as a sideman. A native of Kansas City, where he absorbed jazz and blues history firsthand from legends such as Jay McShann and Claude “Fiddler” Williams, Richardson has been based in Paris for several years. He kicks off a West Coast tour celebrating the release of his sci-fi inspired new album Blues People in Santa Cruz with a killer young quartet from Kansas City including guitarist Igor Osypov and drummer Ryan J. Lee (who both play on the album) and electric bassist Dominique Sanders. ANDREW GILBERT

INFO: 7 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $: $26.25/adv, $31.50/door. 427-2227.

 

THURSDAY 10/2

CELTIC-FOLK

HERON VALLEY

If you want a taste of the modern Celtic-influenced music currently coming out of Scotland, mark your calendars for Heron Valley’s upcoming show at Michael’s on Main. The five-piece has an exciting, emotive sound that is just a couple hairs away from what a lot of indie-folk bands here in the states are strumming. Just add some bagpipes and a whistle, and let your imagination fill in the blanks. AC

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Michael’s on Main, 2591 S. Main St., Soquel. $17/adv, $20/door. 479-9777.

The post Music Picks: Sept. 26-Oct. 2 appeared first on Good Times Santa Cruz.

Love Your Local Band: Fascinating Creatures of The Deep

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Adrian Cavlan has been playing music in local bands for a long time. Well, there was about a 15-year gap where he wasn’t. But when he returned to music, he noticed that if the leader of the band decided to end the project, a guitarist like himself was kind of screwed.

“I was very tired of being in bands with other people who are the essential ingredient to keep the band going. I was like, ‘If I ever do this again, I want to be that guy,” Cavlan says.

But he couldn’t sing, so what were his options? Then one day a friend suggested he check out instrumental L.A. surf band the Slacktones, and he had an epiphany. If he started an instrumental surf band, he could be that guy.

Songs immediately started pouring out of him. He noticed that all of these other elements like punk and prog-rock were popping out into the mix, too. So he just went with it.

“There’s a lot of shading and coloring that goes on in our music, as opposed to just plain straight, bouncy, fun, surf dance music,” Cavlan says.

The band has been chugging along for nine years, and has written so many originals that it can play for hours. They know some surf standards, too, just in case they get booked for a corporate gig and want to give them some popular favorites.

Over the years, the songwriting has slowed down, but just recently Cavlan has been “visited by the muse again,” and has a whole new batch of tunes to flush out.

“I’m very excited about that. It’s been a long time since I’ve been that prolific,” Cavlan says. “This band is basically a bunch of guys who are a little bit older who still like playing music. It makes it easy if you have friends who are talented.” 

INFO: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28. Catalyst. 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $22/door. 423-1338.

The post Love Your Local Band: Fascinating Creatures of The Deep appeared first on Good Times Santa Cruz.

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