Music Picks: February 13-19
Live music highlights for the week of Feb. 13, 2019 WEDNESDAY 2/13 ROCK RON GALLO A true Philly phreak, Ron Gallo is like the answer to the unasked question, “What do you get if you cross Fidlar with...
View ArticleMusic Picks: February 20-26
Live music highlights for the week of Feb. 20, 2019 WEDNESDAY 2/20 R&B ELLA MAI Ella Mai creates soulful R&B grooves that will make you feel like falling in love can be empowering as well as...
View ArticleLove Your Local Band: The Village Green
In 1968, while most rock bands were going as far out into psychedelic territory as they possibly could, the Kinks released the commercial flop The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society,...
View ArticleLove Your Local Band: Day Trip
The members of local trio Day Trip really like plants. That’s pretty obvious if you’ve caught a glimpse of the band’s debut EP House Plant, which has surreal plant-themed artwork by P. Barnett on its...
View ArticleMusic Picks: February 27-March 5
Live music highlights for the week of Feb. 27, 2019 WEDNESDAY 2/27 INDIE TOMMY GUERRERO Maybe you know him from the skater film The Search for Animal Chin. Or maybe “Organism,” his funky boom-bap...
View ArticleLove Your Local Band: Sollomon Hollow
When you listen to the chilled-out, melancholy, atmospheric self-titled Sollomon Hollow record, you can imagine a young man sitting alone in his room, lost in his head, lost in the lush layers of...
View ArticleMusic Picks: March 6-12
Live music highlights for the week of March 6, 2019 WEDNESDAY 3/6 INDIE-FOLK JAMIE DRAKE Los Angeles singer-songwriter Jamie Drake is happiest when she’s on stage, plucking an acoustic guitar for an...
View ArticleLove Your Local Band: Jay Lingo
Local Americana singer-songwriter Jay Lingo moved to the Santa Cruz area in 2005. When he first got here, he hit the ground running, playing as many gigs as possible. He’d already been playing music in...
View ArticleMusic Picks: March 13-20
Live music highlights for the week of March 13, 2019. WEDNESDAY 3/13 AFRICAN LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO Paul Simon’s world beat-influenced Graceland was a huge and unexpected hit for the folk singer. But...
View ArticleLove Your Local Band: Christie McCarthy
Before her latest album, Big Picture, Christie McCarthy had released four albums, guested on other artists’ records and had songs on a Target Christmas compilation. But Big Picture is special, because...
View ArticleMusic Picks: March 20-26
Live music highlights for the week of March 20, 2019 WEDNESDAY 3/20 INDIE AND THE KIDS No matter how And The Kids might flirt with the dim and blurred illusions of melancholic ennui, the band always...
View ArticleLocal Lindsey Wall Gets Shot at ‘American Idol’
Local singer-songwriter Lindsey Wall doesn’t remember much about her recent American Idol audition. “I blacked out a little bit. I was just so overwhelmed,” Wall says. “There was so much excitement...
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Best of Santa Cruz County 2019: Music & Nightlife
Best Craft Brewer (local) Discretion Brewing A local community-oriented business, Discretion Brewing is operated by generations of the local Genco family and their brewers. Discretion Brewery uses...
View ArticleLove Your Local Band: Gerard Egan
Two years ago, Gerard Egan and Carolyn Sills—both from the Carolyn Sills Combo—were hired to be DJs on KPIG. At first they dutifully followed the station rules and only played music from the...
View ArticleMusic Picks: April 3-9
Santa Cruz live music highlights for the week of April 3. WEDNESDAY 4/3 INDIE-POP SWEET SPIRIT Founded and fronted by A Giant Dog frontwoman Sabrina Ellis, Sweet Spirit finds the Austin musician...
View ArticleLove Your Local Band: Elie Mabanza
Local singer-songwriter Elie Mabanza yearns while he plays. It’s pain, but it’s also joy. It’s the full spectrum of intense emotions, and he’s an extremely talented vessel for it all. The music he...
View ArticleMusic Picks: April 10-16, 2019
Santa Cruz live music highlights for the week of April 10 WEDNESDAY 4/10 PUNK HANS GRUBER Is there a better band name than Hans Gruber & the Die Hards? It’s almost impossible to not crack a smile...
View ArticleMark Kozelek Brings Sun Kil Moon to Kuumbwa
Santa Cruz music fans have been following saxman Donny McCaslin’s incredible growth as a musician and musical innovator since he was a kid playing around town in his father Don McCaslin’s iconic jazz...
View ArticleMusic Picks: April 17-23
Santa Cruz live music highlights for the week of April 17 WEDNESDAY 4/17 FOLK GAELYNN LEA Gaelynn Lea is a talented, classically trained violinist, but it’s her captivating vocals that seduce the ear....
View ArticlePreview: Lauren Ruth Ward at Catalyst
Last December, singer-songwriter Lauren Ruth Ward released a seven-song Doors cover EP called Happy Birthday Jim. She also made a video for each song. The whole thing was done in just seven weeks, a...
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