In a “most excellent” display of rock, Dogstar—featuring Hollywood outsider favorite Keanu Reeves on bass—played to a sold-out Catalyst main room last night. The air was more electrified than the batteries of the Matrix as everyone anxiously waited to get a glimpse of the star. Despite the show starting at 8pm, Catalyst staff had been at the club since 10am setting up the stage and keeping fans away from the tour buses all day.
Yet despite the early call time, stage managers, runners and security were in as good of spirits as the fans later in the evening. That’s just the magic of Keanu.
While the official time the doors opened was 7pm, VIP lanyard ticket holders were allowed in 20 minutes before. A group of 50 or so individuals rushed to the front of the stage to stake their place. Every once in a while a friend from any given group would go to the bar and place an order of drinks to bring back while the crowd broke into cheers whenever the door to the green room opened.
By the time opening band Sons of Silver hit the stage, the Catalyst bars were in full gear cranking out drinks to thirsty crowds. The Los Angeles five piece is touring off their latest single, “Running Out of Words,” ahead of the release of their debut full-length, Runaway Emotions. Featuring former members of Pearl Jam, Candlebox and Skillet, Sons of Silver brings a certified classic rock sound with a twist from keyboardist Brina Kabler. Their first time in Santa Cruz and at the Catalyst, Sons of Silver singer Peter Argyropoulos acknowledged the venue’s historic past.
EVERY DOGSTAR HAS ITS DAY Keanu Reeves and Dogstar played the Catalyst on Sept. 15. PHOTOS: Mat Weir
“It’s good to be in a proper rock ’n’ roll club,” he told the audience, noting the current Summer Vacation Tour with Dogstar has taken the bands to multiple casino resort shows.
After a 20-minute or so break between bands, the crowd erupted as the three-piece Dogstar took the stage. They opened the set with “Blonde,” an Echo & the Bunnymen-esque song that also opens Dogstar’s new album, Somewhere Between the Power Lines and the Palm Trees, which came out in October 2023. Throughout the set they played a number of new tracks, such as the break-up ballads “How The Story Ends” and “Glimmer” along with an energetic anthem, “Breach.”
After a quick five-minute break, Dogstar returned for a four-song encore that included lively cover versions of The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” and The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated,” maybe or maybe not in honor of the day being the 20th anniversary of the death of Johnny Ramone.
As they closed out the set, singer Bret Domrose—a Santa Clara native who has also acted in movies like The Replacements with bassist Reeves and previously played bass in San Francisco new wave punk act The Nuns—told the Catalyst he was once in a local band as “a kid” that tried to play the venue but couldn’t get a gig.
“So thanks for finally letting me in,” he joked before the band walked off stage.
Living up to his reputation as a “regular person” and grateful star, Reeves re-emerged once most of the venue cleared out to greet fans and hang out with old friends. Before heading back onto the bus he signed autographs and took a couple of photos with some lucky fans while rocking a comfy pair of UGG boots. Like his character in The Devil’s Advocate said, it’s “free will after all.”
STRUMMING ALONG Catch Jake Nielsen on Fourth of July at Junction Park in Boulder Creek. PHOTO: Tarmo Hannula
What do you do when you’re a young rodeo rider, your whole family is known for professional rodeo, and a baby bull steps on your face?
For Aptos musician Jake Nielsen, then 9 years old, it was a pivotal moment in his musical journey.
“I actually got my face stepped on. A hoof cut my eyelid,” Nielsen says. “After that my parents were like, ‘No.’” Instead, Nielsen’s uncle Jayme Acevedo bought the teenager his first guitar, an Ibanez.
A few years later, after seeing his son’s dedication, Nielsen’s dad, Jeff, surprised him with a trip to Guitar Center in Gilroy. “I picked a black Fender Telecaster, and it’s my number one guitar that I still play all the time,” Nielsen says.
Fast forward a decade, and Nielsen is performing on stages nationwide. He signed with a new record label and has a jam-packed touring schedule, with a new single, “Baby Let Go,” coming out this summer. But don’t fret, Santa Cruz, because you can still see this Aromas native known for his scorching guitar and blazing riffs at multiple gigs around town.
Early Years
For Nielsen, who was born with cerebral palsy and cannot walk without crutches, playing the guitar came naturally. “I cannot for the life of me play piano, but anything with strings I can play,” he says. “It just always feels natural.”
His progression happened quickly. At 17, Jake was going to Bay Area open pro blues jams in the city with his uncle’s friend, Sal. “It was my first time being on stage in front of a crowd,” he says.
Being underage, “They would only let me in to play,” Nielsen explains. “I would have to wait in the car.” Open mics were nerve-wracking, he adds, but over time he gained experience surrounded by the other musicians: “I soaked it up like a sponge.”
He always had the strongest support and encouragement from family and friends in Aromas.
Testing out of Watsonville High School to pursue music, Nielsen formed the bands Fubar and later Jake Nielsen’s Triple Threat and started to hit local venues—Moe’s Alley, the Sand Bar and the Catalyst, to name a few.
Although Jake Nielsen’s Triple Threat has changed its lineup over the years, Nielsen sees it as part of his evolution as a musician.
“Right now I’m playing with two different drummers and two different bass players this summer,” he says. These include drummer Dennis Dove from the Bay Area and David De Silva, who is also bass player for Archer (another band from Santa Cruz). “One cool thing about being a solo musician is I can pick up good musicians wherever I go, and get to play with a bunch of different people,” Nielsen says. Bass player Brendan Brose (What’s Good and THC) and drummer Christian Walsh complete the band’s extended family.
Nielsen says he enjoys the chance to play with different musicians, like he did recently in New York. Although he’s had a few different drummers, the professionalism of the musicians has for the most part exceeded his expectations. “It’s cool to see that caliber of musicians,” he says. “It pushes my playing.”
On the Records
Nielsen released his first full-length album, Everyday Thing (The Orchard Records), in December 2022. The first single, “40 to Life,” is a high-energy, blues-meets-reggae rhythm, with lyrics inspired by Nielsen’s cousin, who got caught up in gang violence and served out a lengthy prison sentence. It’s a true story.
In addition, he’s come out with two new singles since Everyday Thing dropped. “Baby Let Go” is a “vibey-reggae island” number that’s set for release at the end of summer. Additionally, he recorded “Pick up the Pace” with Adam Patterson, drummer for the Expendables. “We did a bunch of tracks at his home studio in Corralitos. It was rad to sit down with him in the studio, and talk about music and road stories. I’ve grown up being a fan of theirs. … They are super humble dudes.”
“Pick Up the Pace” is now available on Spotify and all streaming music platforms.
Last summer, Nielsen signed to record label Just Call Me By My Name, which is distributed by the Orchard, a branch of Sony Music, based in New York. When we spoke, he had just returned from a live gig and media tour hosted by the label, which brought him to the Scarsdale Music Festival in New York. He was hoping to play a couple little shows beforehand to get ready, but that didn’t happen.
Noting that this was his first show since joining the new label, Nielsen says, “The first show of the summer was a big one.” After the day in New York doing interviews including Associated Press, “it was basically a whole day of answering the same questions over and over,” he says.
For Nielsen, who faces many challenges as a disabled musician, the road to success hasn’t always been smooth. Before he discovered music, he tried his hand at adaptive sports, which were not integrated with able-bodied sports people. “I still find new differences every day,” he says. “I just have to deal with them.”
For example, Nielsen says he doesn’t use a lot of effects in his shows. “My amp has a pedal, and I go from clean to distortion, maybe a little echo and reverb. I can’t really hit the pedals. I’d have to grab a crutch and hit a pedal with it. There’s been times I would miss it [the pedal], too, so I just keep it simple.”
And fortunately, there’s that strong family dynamic: his brother, wife Ashley and their two children are always there if he needs them. “It’s just always been who I was,” he says, addressing the challenges he faces on the road. “I never knew how to walk or run, so it doesn’t really bother me that I can’t do it.”
In fact, Nielsen has turned his disability into an unusual component of his live show. In what the band jokingly calls “the chainsaw massacre,” Nielsen uses his crutch to play slide guitar. “Every time I do it, people flip out,” he says. “One time I didn’t do it and got called out. Nothing about it sounds good, but people love it.”
With each performance as unpredictable as it is inspiring, every show draws on its audience. “It all kind of depends on how my legs are that day,” he says. “A lot of days the energy of the crowd will make me wanna get up…I just can’t sit down.”
Let Jimi Take Over
With an ambitious touring schedule—Denver, San Diego, Lake Tahoe—Nielsen looks forward to a full day of music July 12 at the Hello Inclusion festival at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in New York, his second consecutive year of playing at the show. “It’s super rad,” he says. “It’s kind of like Shoreline. They built it on the same grounds as Woodstock ’69.” Yes, that Woodstock, the very same festival grounds where Jimi Hendrix performed his famous guitar exploits all those years ago.
“Hendrix would have loved Jake,” says Ken Trush, co-founder and managing director of New York-based Daniel’s Music Foundation, and Just Call Me By My Name Records. The foundation is a nonprofit supporting musicians with disabilities. “Jake is a star and he’s a great speaker, but even more than that, he just lets his music do the talking,” Trush says. “And then when he lets the crutch fly, everyone goes crazy.”
Co-founded by the Orchard label, the Foundation hosts the Danny Awards, a global video call drawing some 110 musicians of all disabilities. Nielsen joined the top 10 finalists last year in New York and ultimately won the award. He was signed by the label last summer, and won the opportunity to perform at Bethel Woods with the other finalists. He will be featured on the foundation’s second sampler EP, Call Me By My Name Vol. 2, which drops Oct. 18. “This is about moving the needle for our community because we see so much talent,” Trush added. Nielsen also performs alongside this year’s headliners, Jason Mraz and Boston-based band Ripe.
Switching gears from power trio to solo name was inevitable for Nielsen. At least the change in name should make it easier for promoters to spell it out. “The worst one on a marquee was ‘Jack Wilson’s Triple Treat,’” Nielsen says. “I’ve seen it butchered.”
For now, Nielsen is looking forward to whatever the future holds, whether it be forming another band or a solo career—as long as he’s making music. “I’m never going to stop,” he says. “If a couple of us come together, I can see us sticking together for a long time,” he says. “Either way, I’m not stopping. The show must go on.”
Jake Nielsen plays on Fourth of July at noon in Junction Park in Boulder Creek, at 7pm on July 19 at the Midtown Block Party in Santa Cruz, and at 2pm on July 20 at “The Lot” concert series at Pleasure Point. Learn more about upcoming shows and where to find albums and singles at jakenielsenmusic.com.
Wolf Jett’s drummer, Jon Payne, and lead vocalist Chris Jones, understand the double-edged chainsaw nature of mountain life, for better (and worse), than most. Childhood friends, Jones and Payne dreamed of one day building a recording studio to capture their cosmic mountain music rhythms. In 2020, they completed the high-end, but rustic, studio on the property that Payne and his wife live on, in Boulder Creek. Within a notoriously short amount of time, due to the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, the studio, and home, and dream, were ashes.
Like their spiritual, and geographical compadres, The Coffis Brothers, the inspirational, fuel-injected Wolf Jett, also identifies as a band from the Santa Cruz Mountains. The mysteries, tragedies and beauty of living in the mountains, infuse the spirit of Wolf Jett’s songs. Add to this the band’s camaraderie, community spirit, and positive affirmation that things will be OK, make Wolf Jett poised and ready for the bigger stage.
Wolf Jett’s new album (their 2nd) is titled, Time Will Finally Come. You can draw a line from the immersive sounds of Bay Area bands of the 1960s-1980s (Payne and Jones originally bonded on their mutual love of Metallica) to the dorms of Chico State, where the Mother Hips formed, down to the mountains of Santa Cruz. Call it California Soul, or whatever label you need, but Wolf Jett moves effortlessly between grinding little numbers like, Strong Help Carry the Weak, to bluegrassy jams like Fare Thee Well. The beautiful ballad, Tivara, anchors the uplifting jams the band is known for, with a bittersweet soulful sound. Eclectic, and unable to be pigeon-holed, Wolf Jett comes across as a band whose time has indeed, finally, come.
On Time Will Finally Come, when Laura T. Lewis sings Broken, you can hear a hit that could be picked up by Nashville country singers. Lewis brings all the sunshine that hides behind the clouds. And, when Lewis joins Jones on the eponymous Time Will Finally Come, it’s like traveling back in time to the music of Delaney and Bonnie. There’s a soulful undercurrent brewing, that is more like the San Lorenzo breaching its banks. The track, Feel The Way I Feel, is another time-travelling ditty that could have appeared in any decade, in the last sixty years. What ties it all together is a sense of hope, community and overcoming adversity.
After three years of touring throughout California and beyond, the band has earned frequent radio play on local favorite KPIG and become a staple of the Santa Cruz music scene. Now, “Time Will Finally Come” is poised to broaden the band’s musical appeal and become a fan-favorite, as evidenced by the overwhelmingly positive reception of their first three singles released from the record in 2023. Produced and recorded in Oakland by Jonathan Kirchner (Con Brio), the album evolves the band’s sound in a more upbeat, cosmic-electric soul direction and features guest artists AJ Lee (AJ Lee & Blue Summit) and Jason Crosby (Jackson Browne, Phil Lesh, Mother Hips).
Payne says that Wolf Jett’s music, “Has a foot in the jamband world and a foot in Americana. And, Chris Jones was raised in the South and he brings a Southern rock/country influence.”
Chris Jones states, “Time Will Finally Come is a redemption story. We are finally able to celebrate life again, but these songs don’t forget what has happened over the past few years. There’s recognition of our trauma alongside hope for what’s to come. It’s the sound of rebuilding and learning from the past.”
Wolf Jett is having their record release party, of Time Will Finally Come, at The Kuumbwa Jazz on March 16th and will play the album in its entirety, with vinyl and CDs to sell. Plus, with their studio, finally being rebuilt and ready to roll, just this month, Wolf Jett has come full circle and ready to rise up, like a Phoenix in the sky.
Wolf Jett will have a record release party at The Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar Street, on Saturday, March 16th. For tickets and more information go to www.wolfjett.com
Rowland Rebele, a publisher and philanthropist who wanted to give away all of his money before he passed away, died Saturday at the age of 93.
“Reb,” as he liked to be called, served in the U.S. Navy and attended Stanford University before embarking on a career as a newspaper owner, mostly in California with business partner Lowell Blankfort. They sold them off one by one at a time when print publications were far more valuable than they are today.
Born in San Francisco, he lived his later years in Aptos, where he supported civic causes throughout Santa Cruz, including UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Symphony, Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Santa Cruz Shakespeare and most important to him, the downtown homeless shelter, named the Rebele Family Shelter.
He also funded journalism training at Cabrillo College and Stanford University, where he regularly met with students studying and working in the field. He was a leading donor to the California First Amendment Coalition, a group that promotes a free press and freedom of expression.
Reb regularly told the students that his goal was to give away his money before he died. But his efforts weren’t limited to financial help. He regularly worked on the census of the local unhoused community, climbing down hillsides and along river banks to interview the people living there, even in his 80s.
His health deteriorated in later years, but not his vigor, intelligence or wicked sense of humor. He remained devoted to his college sweetheart, Patricia, who helped with managing the newspapers’ financial operations.
“Reb and his wife Patricia were completely devoted to each other, and together they supported numerous non-profit organizations,” wrote the Santa Cruz Symphony in an email. “They were present for nearly all our concerts and special events. Reb was typically the first to stand for an ovation and could be heard yelling bravo at most concerts.”
Rebele at home in 1999. Photograph by George Sakkestad.
Rebele and Blankfort purchased the Chula Vista Star News in 1961 and sold it to Hart Hanks Corporation, remaining there until 1978. He later owned newspapers in Butte County, California.
He acknowledged that publishing was a controversial industry. “We did have animosities because of our stand-taking journalism,” he told Metro Santa Cruz in 1999. “In our news columns, we tried to be fair and objective because that’s the role of a paper in part. It’s also the purpose of a paper to raise hell.”
Rebele helped kickstart the news organization that ended up owning Good Times. “I met him after I graduated from UC Santa Cruz and was starting the Los Gatos Weekly,” Good Times Publisher Dan Pulcrano said. “I visited him at his Aptos home and pitched him on investing. He pulled out a black binder, wrote a check for $500 and handed it to me. Those first dollars were the catalyst for starting a company, and everything that came after that.
“His Paradise Post printed our newspapers for a number of years, and his generosity in supporting the public’s right to know, local culture and housing for the community’s most vulnerable members was truly singular. He was one of a kind.”
Reporter Josué Monroy set out to cover a pro-Israel march last week and fairly present the views of the participants. We’ve also covered three pro-Palestinian demonstrations, and this was the first coverage that contained views from Israel’s supporters.
Josué presented a first-hand account of how divisions in the Middle East play out in our community. Our mission as journalists is not to select and quote views with which we agree. Rather, we must unflinchingly ask questions and share answers—even if we disagree with or are horrified by the thoughts expressed.
That is the nature of free expression. A quote is not an endorsement. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
Since publishing comments from several named individuals from the march on the Good Times website, we have heard from people who feel that we “amplified” the remarks, should not have published them, that we should apologize and issue statements on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The quotes in question were not printed, appeared on our site for 48 hours and were viewed by less than 1000 people. They were posted on Saturday and removed midday Monday. We listened to the community and were also asked by the individual quoted to retract the statement.
After the removal, two masked individuals showed up at Good Times’ office and anonymously posted flyers. They claim we support genocide. The leaflets personalize and give further distribution to the very words and ideas our critics contend we promoted. They publicly single out Monroy, who was doing his job as a journalist: reporting on local events, including quotes from the people there.
One group subsequently made threats and issued demands that we make political statements on the future of Israel in Palestine.
That’s not our job. We are here as independent journalists to cover local issues and dig deep into the things that make Santa Cruz tick.
We oppose Islamophobia, antisemitism and hate speech; and, we also believe that drawing attention to these issues serves the public interest. Activists on the Palestine issue should understand that the same protections afforded their critics protects their own free speechand assembly rights.
We will continue to do that and we will continue to elicit and print comments from the community, which is fundamental to our role as the Santa Cruz County’s principal locally-owned newspaper. In these times of war and misinformation, a free and independent press is more important than ever.
At a time when the journalistic community should stand together for free expression and the safety of journalists, we are also deeply disappointed to see competitors exploit this situation. They have given advance publicity to anonymous persons who will be engaging in an aggressive pressure campaign this week on our property.
The chilling effect of silencing opposing views through intimidation should concern all of us who value the free exchange of ideas in an open society.
Enter for a chance to win a pair of VIP Packages to New Living Expo at San Rafael’s Marin Center on May 9, 10 & 11. Winners will receive two VIP passes to any paid workshop at the event (an $88 value), and two three-day general admission passes (a $70 value).
The New Living Expo is Northern California’s premier event for natural health, mindfulness, and conscious living, and happens to be one of the longest running and largest events of it’s kind in the nation. They event always features a large and diverse exhibit floor featuring everything from a virtual yoga studio offering the latest Qigong techniques, a Body Work Pavillion offering almost every available type of massage and body therapy available today, a large onsite Bookstore showcasing authors who speak at the event each year including Marin’s own John Gray (Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus), Dannion Brinkley (Saved By The Light), Deborah Graham, Kimberly Meredith, Deborah King and grammy-nominated composer/musician Steven Halpern. There’s also the very popular outdoor Natural Food Pavilion featuring dining and sampling. GET TICKETS »
Drawing Date for this Giveaway is Monday, May 5, 2025. Winners notified by email and have 48 hours to respond or forfeit. Must be 18+ to win.
On most days, Santa Cruz Weird finds me. On some days, I go in search of it—and there’s no better place to look than in a corner or cubbyhole of a Santa Cruz antique shop.
I’ve collected odd furnishings of unknown origins and questionable designs from curio shops to auction barns over the years, and there’s one thing I’ve learned. Weird can be wonderful.
My very first vintage lamp proved that and became like a cherished friend—a sculpted figure of a young boy, a Renaissance scholar, gazing thoughtfully, leaning on a stack of books.
When my friends and I discovered it, the original shade had been lost—they were sure that when a new one was added, the boy would look like “the life of the party” with a lampshade on his head. To them it was odd, weird, maybe even creepy to have a lamp always watching you from the corner of the room.
Over their protests I bid on the lamp and won the auction. And my instincts were spot on. It was priceless—at least to me.
NOT WATCHING, THINKING A rare find once thought weird can become family. PHOTO: Theresa Rose Koenig
I’ve also learned that weirdness is fun, and often found—or lost—in the space an item inhabits. A set of surgical steel rib-pullers in an operating room? Not weird. But on your coffee table? Weird. And they could be yours!
Santa Cruz’s antique stores offer a trove of treasures that can turn a living space into a conversation piece. Things await that you never imagined could exist, and never knew you would desperately want. But that is where the delight is, especially for those with an insatiable curiosity. These shops are like a local, low-fi Smithsonian of the Strange.
From exquisitely crafted lamps rescued from Victorian parlors to rare rosewood armoires that whisper tales of faraway lands, the town’s antique and curiosity shops offer more than furnishings—they offer soul, often with a hint of the quirky.
And sometimes it’s more than just a hint. Two phrases you’re likely to overhear in a local antique shop: “Wow, that’s amazing!” and “What were they thinking?”
A painting of a giant, hairless sphynx cat in a suit holding a brandy snifter? Check! A gorgeous surrealist original by a gifted local painter, dearly departed? Got it!
Light fixtures provide endless opportunities for furniture designers to express their eccentric and sometimes loony ideas. Anything can serve as a lamp base, as the infamous Leg Lamp from A Christmas Story proves, and anything is what you’re likely to find among Santa Cruz’s antique collections. Is that a Nubian prince trimmed in gold with outstretched arms to hold a pair of lightbulbs? It’s certain he’ll spark conversation and conjecture if he stands next to your sofa.
Carved, sculpted or cast, head-scratching items abound, from a tiny bust of Bela Lugosi to a wooden carousel horse with a real horsehair tail. Amid gorgeous English roses newly in bloom and elegant French décor, there’s a life-size bull head sculpture to mount in a room in need of that je ne sais quoi. No bull, Wisteria Antiques has one!
Speaking of je ne sais quoi, expect the unexpected and the hard to categorize. For example, who thought it would be funny to design a countertop knife holder with the blades piercing a stylized human figure?
A miniature diving helmet may remind some of Jacques Cousteau, but others may feel a shiver thinking of Mister Bubbles from the video game Bioshock. (You gamers know what I’m talking about!)
DIVING IN Santa Cruz antique shops offer a plethora of oddball curios. Photo: John Koenig
Find all this or more, including a real alligator skull, an ancient barber chair that looks like where Billy the Kid got his last shave, and a pair of awesome, bronze “brutalist” candle holders. Who knew “brutalist” could be applied to candlesticks?
Weird can cross over into spooky when one is on a foray through these halls of wonder—and never more so than when looking over vintage doll collections. Dolls have a strange fascination for young and old, and as endearing some may be, some were born and raised in Uncanny Valley.
Or you may have a fond memory of a childhood doll, whether a Raggedy Ann or a G.I. Joe, and you may find one on a foray through the Santa Cruz halls of wonder.
But rather than finding a high-priced collectible, you’re more likely to find escapees from the Island of Misfit Toys. They have character to spare, and a look in their eyes that you’ll have to interpret for yourself. Maybe one of them will speak to you—though hopefully not literally—and find a place in your heart, home, backpack or Halloween collection.
Speaking of Halloween, the crossroads of weird and spooky do often meet in Santa Cruz, and nowhere more than among the creepy curios in these curious collections. Few, if any of the your finds on an antique hunt will actually be haunted — but more than a few will look like they should be. An ancient looking steamer trunk for example, or a rusty lamp that once graced Disneyland that looks like it might have been held by Charles Dickens’ ghostly Signalman.
Return in the Autumnal season, and you may find a Halloween harvest of potential decorations and year-round keepsakes. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll find that very rare piece that carries the spirit—a spirit—of the past.
At Shen’s Gallery, where unique treasures from Asia are imbued with stateliness and serenity, April Shen tells the tale of an after-hours mystery in the dark of night when suddenly, from the back room of the shop, came the unmistakable creak and groan of a door opening on ancient hinges.
Was there an intruder hiding there? An inspection found nothing—except a historic old cabinet whose doors were always closed, now sitting silently with doors wide open.
In Santa Cruz, where the bohemian spirit lives on in every mosaic mailbox and sun-dappled porch, home décor is more than a style—it’s a story.
If you haven’t found your story yet, I can guarantee it’s out there—something so nostalgic, or so comical, or so personal that you just need to possess it.
You never forget the day you acquire a must-have oddity. The time and place will remain as vivid and cherished as the object you found… once upon a time in Santa Cruz.
Scroll down for more pictures from an expedition and a list of suggestions for your own adventure.
PRINCELY. Invent your own story to explain this extraordinary figure, last seen at Attilia’s Antiques. Photo: John Koenig
Where to Shop
Santa Cruz County is blessed with a wealth of locally-owned shops that stock antiques, collectibles and pre-owned oddities. Here are a few places to get started on a hunt for something weird and wonderful.
Abbot’s Thrift—6164 Highway 9, Felton. This big red barn on the way to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park has new deals posted daily on a board by the entrance. The whole back right of the store is dedicated to porcelain, ceramic and glass items, which is the best hunting ground for oddities. The majority of the barn is filled with clothing, books, CDs, DVDs and a technology section with antique rotaries, stereo systems and tape recorders.
Attilia’s Antiques—2630 Soquel Dr, Santa Cruz. A sprawling cooperative featuring over 40 vendor booths, this building originally served as a poultry barn, a nod to the area’s agricultural past. Visitors can explore a labyrinth of rooms filled with vintage jewelry, pottery, furniture and home décor. The back garden area showcases outdoor knickknacks, creating a whimsical shopping experience that sends shoppers on a nostalgic journey through various eras.
Center Street Antiques—3010 Center St., Soquel. The largest antique co-op in Santa Cruz County, this 5,000-square-foot space hosts 25 dealers. The store offers a diverse array of styles, from French country to mid-century modern, including home and garden furniture, tableware, ornate frames, globes, vintage books, and artwork. Open daily, it provides a comprehensive antique shopping experience.
Miss Jessie May’s Antiques & Collectibles—1533 Pacific Ave., downtown Santa Cruz. This charming, woman-owned boutique has been delighting treasure hunters for over a decade. Founded by Tyra and her mother, the shop reflects their shared passion for antiques.
Nicely—103 Locust St., Santa Cruz. Founded by Michelle Nicely, a seasoned designer and muralist with over three decades of experience in movie set decorating, the shop offers a curated collection of antiques, fine art and home furnishings. At Nicely, visitors can explore a variety of items, from hand-blown glassware and antique Japanese teapots to custom murals and fine art pieces. Beyond retail, Nicely offers interior design services and private art classes—and its owner’s passion for design and storytelling is evident in every corner of the shop.
Shen’s Gallery—1521 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz. A downtown cornerstone since 1984, Shen’s offers a curated journey through centuries of Chinese artistry. Founded by April Shen, the gallery opened in the Santa Cruz Art Center. After the 1989 earthquake, Shen’s Gallery relocated to the Pacific Garden Mall, eventually settling at its current location. April’s extensive travels across China and Japan have enriched the gallery’s collection, which includes antique furniture, architectural relics, and decorative arts spanning from the 16th to the 20th century. Shen’s also offers new, decorative ceramic bowls and tea sets from Japan and China in a gift section.
Tumbleweed Found—1025 Center St., downtown Santa Cruz. This distinctive consignment boutique opened its doors on Jan. 17, 2024, offering a curated selection of vintage, antique and collectible items. Tumbleweed Found also serves as a community hub, with First Friday art receptions and weekly “Elevenses” sessions featuring activities like collage, upcycling and small art projects. The store’s commitment to sustainability and community engagement serves both locals and visitors seeking one-of-a-kind treasures and creative inspiration.
Trader’s Emporium—4940 Soquel Dr, Soquel. A sister store to Attilia’s Antiques, Trader’s Emporium offers an eclectic range of antiques and collectibles. The shop features a variety of vendor booths, each with its own distinct style.
Wisteria Antiques and Design—5870 Soquel Dr, Soquel. This shop occupies a century-old farmhouse in Soquel that now serves as a tranquil setting for a curated collection of French country antiques, decorative accessories and gifts. Multiple themed showrooms spread across the main house and outbuildings, surrounded by lush gardens adorned with arbors, statuary and fountains. Visit now to experience the yearly arrival of English roses in bloom, and remember to ask about Wisteria’s truly unique floral arrangements.
MERRILY GO ROUND. A carousel pony at Trader’s Emporium would make a nice conversation piece. Photo: John KoenigYIN AND YANG. A bold and brazen bull or a charming chandelier? Endless possibilities await. Photo: John KoenigHERE’S LOOKING AT YOU, KID. These little people would love a new home with you! Photo: John KoenigBRUTAL. The candle holders’ style is the rare and raw “brutalist” if it suits you. PHOTO: John KoenigDIVINE DECOR Express your inner cherub with an antique angel. PHOTO: John KoenigDARK HUMOR No joke, dangerous finds like this are kept behind the counter at Attilia’s Antiques PHOTO: John Koenig
What amazing thing would you love to find at an antique shop?
JORDAN
It’s funny because I did find something just two days ago, but not in a shop. I love antiques, particularly Buddhist antiques. I happened to be online looking for something entirely different, and I found someone who was selling a life-size Buddha statue.
Jordan Scharnhorst, 28, Physics PhD Candidate @ UCSC
NINA
A big, cool table made out a polished driftwood.
Nina G., 16, Student
LUIS
I’d love to find a comically large gem, like an emerald. In Sonic the Hedgehog there’s The Master Emerald, a huge green gem. I would put it in an iron frame and have it on display in the front of the house, like the eye of the house. I’d love to find jewels that have power and a meaning in history.
Luis Sedano, 20, Accounting Major @ CSU Monterey
SAGE
The futuristic Batmobile from the movies.
Sage W., 15, Student
ROBERT
It would be super cool to find an antique typewriter that clicks when you type it, the way super old-fashioned typewriters worked. It’s a magic typewriter that only writes best seller novels for me—but it has a catch about it, like it only works once a year.
Robert Palma, 21, Gym Trainer
JENNIFER
A Tiffany lamp, you don’t find those every day anymore. I found one in an antique store one time, and I still have it. Maybe I would find a magic Tiffany lamp that grants wishes with a genie inside when you rub it.
A local farm is being modified to serve as a learning center for young students about progressive farming methods.
Headed up by local farmer Sam Earnshaw, a crew of workers recently spread out across the seven-acre Hikari Farm on Freedom Boulevard, where organic Fuji apples grow.
Started back in the 1970s, the farm—which has fallen into disrepair—is now getting brought up to speed with modern farming techniques. This includes regenerative methods and new hedgerows that attract pollinating insects and provide habitat and food for beneficial birds.
Another goal is to invite school children to the farm to learn about how regenerative agriculture incorporates nature without the need for chemicals.
“We’re bringing habitat and biodiversity to the farm,” Earnshaw says. “Nature provides the correct habitat without the need for pesticides and fumigation. In England they were planting hedgerows in the Bronze Age.”
Nick Filannino, one of the workers helping out, said the farm received a call from Wild Farm Alliance about helping Hikari Farm.
“The owner wanted to rehabilitate the land and create a community center for growing traditional Japanese vegetables, as well as providing farm fresh organic apples and produce for local schools,” Filannino said. “So we said okay. And we started looking at possibilities on how to integrate nature into this farm.”
Filannino then worked on getting some grants to help pay for the project.
Hedgerows are rows of trees and shrubs planted with crops as protective barriers.
According to Wild Farm Alliance, hedgerows also provide habitat for butterflies and moths, as well as habitat and food for beneficial birds.
Sacha Lozano of Resource Conservation District said he has worked with Earnshaw on several hedgerow projects.
“If you take care of these rows—once they get established—they will take care of themselves and provide great benefits for the farms,” he said. “They are drought tolerant, will flower at different times of the year, attract birds, and promote pollination.”
Two weekend events this spring will interest lovers of tiny trees—one next weekend, and the second in the month of May.
First up, the Watsonville Bonsai Club hosts its 48th annual bonsai exhibition at Watsonville Buddhist Temple on April 27 from 11am to 4pm. In addition to a 1:30pm demonstration by club member Michael Nelson, there will be door prizes, tea and cookies, and plenty of plants and pots for sale. Admission is free, and the address is 423 Bridge St. in Watsonville.
And speaking of Nelson, he hosts a bonsai workshop on the last Saturday of each month at Alladin Nursery at 1pm, 2905 Freedom Blvd. in Corralitos.
Following the weekend after that, the Santa Cruz Orchid Society will join forces with Santa Cruz Bonsai Kai to stage the 37th annual Bonsai and Orchid Show and Sale at the Capitola Mall on May 3 and 4.
Santa Cruz Bonsai Kai is a nonprofit club whose objectives are to promote interest in, and expand knowledge of, the art of bonsai through continuous study and education.
More than 60 bonsai will be on display, along with activities for kids, raffle prizes, vendors, personal help and advice and an education display.
At 1pm each day there will be an expert demonstration on how to create a bonsai from ordinary potted plants, using a Shimpaku juniper on Saturday and a spruce living Christmas tree on Sunday—both of which will be raffled after their transformation.
Sales include bonsai, pre-bonsai plants, pots, books, companion plants and display stands.
Meanwhile, Santa Cruz Orchid Society will stage their show at the same time and place. Demonstrations and information will be part of the fun.
Longtime bonsai expert Gareth Shepherd will be one of several members on hand to demonstrate bonsai techniques, answer questions and show their trees. Shepherd was one of the 12 founding members who joined the Santa Cruz Bonsai Kai in late 1988 and helped organize their first annual bonsai exhibit.
The shows run May 3 from 10am to 5pm and May 4 from 10am to 4pm at 1855 41st Ave., in the former Sears store. All events are free.
In a ‘most excellent’ display of rock, Dogstar—featuring Hollywood outsider favorite Keanu Reeves on bass—played to a sold-out Catalyst main room last night.
Rowland Rebele, a publisher and philanthropist who wanted to give away all of his money before he passed away, died Saturday at the age of 93.
“Reb,” as he liked to be called, served in the U.S. Navy and attended Stanford University before embarking on a career as a newspaper owner, mostly in California with business partner Lowell Blankfort. They...
Reporter Josué Monroy set out to cover a pro-Israel march last week and fairly present the views of the participants. We’ve also covered three pro-Palestinian demonstrations, and this was the first coverage that contained views from Israel’s supporters.
Josué presented a first-hand account of how divisions in the Middle East play out in our community. Our mission as journalists is...
Headed up by local farmer Sam Earnshaw, a crew of workers recently spread out across the seven-acre Hikari Farm on Freedom Boulevard, where organic Fuji apples grow.
Gareth Shepherd was one of the 12 founding members who joined the Santa Cruz Bonsai Kai in late 1988 and helped organize their first annual bonsai exhibit.
