THURSDAY
AMERICANA
NICK GAMER
Portland, Oregon–based Nick Gamer came to wide notice as a guitarist in Japanese Breakfast but has since moved away from the sparkling indie pop of that group and toward a darker and more cinematic style of Americana. Pedal steel guitar figures prominently in his music, which bears the influence of (or at least shared influences with) Sweetheart of the Rodeo–era Byrds, Emmylou Harris and celebrated troubadour Lucinda Williams. With a dozen original songs, Gamer’s solo debut, Suburban Cowboy, was released in 2022; the songs were composed during the depths of 2020’s wildfire season. Kaya Moody and Richard Gans are also on the bill. BILL KOPP
INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10/adv, $20/door. 429-6994.
INDIE
CASS MCCOMBS
Concord-born McCombs released his debut EP in 2002 and has maintained a steady stream of releases since then. Often described as indie folk, art pop and alt-country, McCombs is difficult to pin down—perhaps by design. This critic’s favorite has toured with acclaimed acts, including the Meat Puppets and John Cale, and, underscoring his gift for words, he also published a book of poetry, Toy Fabels. His most recent release is a 2023 collaboration with Bay Area educator Mr. Greg titled Mr. Greg & Cass McCombs Sing and Play New Folk Songs for Children. Papercuts open. BK
INFO: 8pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $25/adv, $29/door. 479-1854.
AUTHOR EVENT
ELIZABETH ACEVEDO
Join author Elizabeth Acevedo to celebrate the paperback release of her book Family Lore, available for purchase and signing at the event. The novel explores one Dominican family told from the perspective of three sisters. One family member, Flor, can predict the day someone dies, and she decides to hold a living wake. Her motives are unclear. The story follows the family—and exposes secrets—through the three days leading up to the wake. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 7pm, Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Free. 423-0900.
FRIDAY
ACOUSTIC
JOE ROBINSON
After growing up in a farmhouse in rural Australia, Joe Robinson’s virtuosity on the guitar won him first place in the World Championships of Performing Arts in LA. Eventually, it brought him to America’s country music capital, Nashville, Tennessee, where he was much in demand as a session player. These days, when he’s not touring, he hangs his hat at a ranch house in Montana, where he teaches guitar to over 20,000 students online. He’ll bring his fretboard wizardry, which must be seen to be believed, to Santa Cruz for one night only.
KEITH LOWELL JENSEN
INFO: 7:30pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $30/adv, $35/door. 427-2227.
ELECTRONIC
MARK FARINA
There’s one trusted name in house music: Mark Farina. The DJ ignited the electronic scene (or “rave scene” as we used to call it) with his signature mushroom jazz style, house music washed in acid jazz with elements of funk and hip hop mixed in. In SF, he cohosted a weekly “Mushroom Jazz night” that quickly evolved to over 600 fans, solidifying the Bay as the home of the genre. His ongoing Mushroom Jazz series has been a staple in house music since ’96 and last month, he dropped Vol. 20. Anyone who thinks DJs just “push a button” needs to see the artistry and attention Farina brings to the party. Local Raindance DJ Little John opens. MAT WEIR
INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton. $25. 760-1387.
SATURDAY
INDUSTRIAL
SUICIDE QUEEN
Imagine the villain in a gore-filled horror flick chasing a frat bro down the local high school hall at midnight. The prom has not gone as planned. Blood is splattered all over the lockers. Just as our antagonist is about to turn the corner into a dead end, ensuring the guy in the letterman jacket’s messy doom, the terrifying hulk of something not-quite-human stops and notices the soundtrack. They bob their grotesque head along approvingly before pulling a microphone out of nowhere and begin to screech along, expressing in song the pain that drives them to such monstrous violence. This is the sound of LA’s Suicide Queen. Catch them with Monster God and Chase the Monster. KLJ
INFO: 7pm, Blue Lagoon, 923 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, $10. 423-7117.
FOLK
RITA HOSKING & SEAN FEDER
If you’re looking for country-folk music that’s clever, charming and uplifting, even as it hits head-on everything that’s going terribly wrong in our world, Rita Hosking can scratch this itch. Her collection of public service messages about climate change adaptation and mitigation, funded by a California Arts Council grant, is an absolute delight and worth seeking out on her website (the tracks can’t be shared on for-profit streaming services until after the grant period). Joining her on this collection and in concert is frequent collaborator, vocalist, banjo and dobro player Sean Feder. KLJ
INFO: 7pm, Ugly Mug, 4640 Soquel Dr., Soquel. $25/adv, $28/door. 499-9441.
BRAZILIAN
Riddle me this: How are bossa nova, soul, rock, jazz, samba and Brazilian music related? Two words: Marcos Valle. At 19, the talented and prolific Valle was named Brazil’s Leading Composer of the Year and 61 years later, the musician shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, Valle is releasing his 32nd album, Túnel Acustico, days before the Rio show. If it’s anything like the previously released single, “Bora Meu Bem,” fans can look forward to the 80-year-old giant in peak form, dropping funky basslines over smooth, soulful, poppy jazz. It’s no wonder he’s internationally recognized as one of the masters in his genre, recording with names like Diana Krall, Oscar Peterson and the recently deceased Sérgio Mendes. MW
INFO: 7:30pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $53. 423-8209.
MONDAY
INDIE
FIDLAR
It seems Fidlar was always destined to get big. Their songs about partying, teenage shenanigans and drugs gained attention early on, with Stereogum naming them one of the “40 Best Bands in 2012.” Later that year, Fidlar debuted on Last Call with Carson Daly and, in 2013, dropped a self-titled full-length that was almost immediately accepted by younger millennials. It’s a dissociative thing to say the band turned 15 this year, but sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. To celebrate, Fidlar released their fourth LP, Surviving the Dream, this week, so fans at the show will surely be served a couple of previously unheard songs for the first time. MW
INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $32/adv, $37/door. 713-5492.
