THURSDAY 10/24
DOCUMENTARY
PARTICLE FEVER
A new film explores the short but eventful life of Santa Cruz surfer Shawn “Barney” Barron. The wave rider first caught attention for his small wave aerial style but soon transitioned into a giant killer, charging the biggest waves on Earth while launching an art career that included dabbling in short filmmaking. There is debate on how much drug use should be part of the conversation when it comes to his 2015 death by a heart attack at the young age of 44. What isn’t debated is that he was a one-of-a-kind force of nature who left his mark on the surfing world. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN
INFO: 7:15pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10. 423-8209.
FRIDAY 10/25
CLASSIC ROCK
STEELY DEAD
The smiley hippy girl decked out in tie-dye is roller skating down Haight Street. A 30-year-old man in a ’70s leisure suit walks toward her in a cocaine-powered strut, his long, well-styled hair thinning a bit on top. They collide. “Hey, you got your Steely Dan in my Dead!” “Woah, you got your Grateful Dead in my Steely Dan!” “WHAT?” They stop and look at each other. Their minds open. They have a taste. “Mmmm, it’s delicious.” If you dig these two great tastes, the chances are good you’ll find they taste even better together. KLJ
INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. $35. 760-1387.
ROCK
DION LUNADON
Originally from New Zealand, New York-based rock ’n’ roll bassist Dion Lunadon is known for his work with bands the D4 and A Place To Bury Strangers, contributing to albums like Worship and Transfixiation. His latest project, Memory Burn, is raucous, garage rock luster with no filler. Relentless and gritty, the Kiwi’s EP delivers distortion, rebellious lyricism and Stooges-esque production. San Jose garage punk trio Jonny Manak and the Depressives support the artist, renowned for their fast, surf-infused sets featuring no-frills rock ’n’ roll. MELISA YURIAR
INFO: 7pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $12. 429-6994.
SATURDAY 10/26
PSYCHEDELIC
CHICANO BATMAN
After 16 years and four well-received psych-rock records, the three-piece band is going on an “indefinite hiatus,” according to a statement released by the band last month across their socials. Established in Los Angeles in 2008 by vocalist-lyricist Bardo Martinez, guitarist Carlos Arévalo and bassist Eduardo Arenas, the musicians’ incredible musical adventure began with small performances around the dive bar circuit in Southern California. Now, they’re coheadlining iconic venues like the Hollywood Bowl. The Tanto Arriba Como Abajo (As Above, So Below) tour comes at the helm of their latest record, Notebook Fantasy. Slightly more psych-rock and pop-leaning than their previous projects, this reverb-heavy, guitar-laden, vocal-driven LP is their most imaginative work yet. MY
INFO: 7pm, Quarry Amphitheater, 1156 High St., Santa Cruz. $47. 459-4184.
POP
SUKI WATERHOUSE
Suki Waterhouse has been in the spotlight for a decade and a half as a model and actress. She started performing music a decade ago, but her tunes didn’t take off until 2022 with the viral hit “Good Looking,” a song she originally released five years earlier. “Good Looking” isn’t exactly the style of music you’d expect from an actor. It’s moody, jilted and offbeat but also strangely catchy. It wasn’t a one-off. Her new record, Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, takes her formula of blending R&B, New Wave nostalgia and lo-fi production and makes pop gold out of it.Waterhouse performed as an opening act for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour on August 17 2024 at Wembley Stadium, and shares a daughter born in March with husband, Robert Pattinson, the intense, broodingly talented English actor who by the way, often travels with his wife.
AARON CARNES/KRISTEN MCLAUGHLIN
INFO: 9pm, Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $63. 713-5492.
FESTIVAL
DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS
Join the local community at the MAH to celebrate, honor and learn about Día de los Muertos. The event is free to attend and includes a self-guided presentation of community altars. Attendees will also enjoy performances by Centeotl Danza y Baile and Ensamble Musical de Senderos. For those unfamiliar with the holiday, this is a perfect opportunity to learn about it directly from the community. For those who already celebrate, this is a special space where everyone may honor their ancestors within a communal space in a unique and memorable way. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: Noon, Museum of Art & History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. Free. 429-1964.
ROCK
THE MOMMYHEADS
Indie pop band the Mommyheads are an experience unto themselves. With catchy melodies and a distinct knack for songwriting, they exist between worlds: partly funny, pinches of darkness, and all wrapped in a flaky crust of love. The Mommyheads aren’t for everyone and that’s okay—neither are XTC, King Crimson or the Flaming Lips, the three bands they’ve been compared to. Like ol’ Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To be great is to be misunderstood.” Joining them at the intimate Crepe Place are Bart Davenport (’60s-influenced garage rock band the Loved Ones) and Hod and the Helpers, whose original painting of their first album cover remains a stage backdrop at the beloved local restaurant. MAT WEIR
INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $12. 429-6994.
TUESDAY 10/29
PUNK
THICK
Coming out of the DIY and all-ages music scene of New York City, all-female trio Thick got its start in 2014. The group’s releases have established the trio’s sharp and intelligent take on pop and punk, and Thick has continued its creative roll. In the years since Happy Now’s release, bassist Kate Black, guitarist Nikki Sisti and new drummer Kaleen Reading have released three singles. The latest, “Mother,” displays Thick’s melodic virtues, high-octane rock power and street-level smarts. Rain on Fridays and Casino Youth are also on the bill. BILL KOPP
INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $25. 713-5492.
WEDNESDAY 10/30
FOLK
THE SOFTIES
Stop everything, released an album and are touring for the first time since 2000?!? Looks like it’s time to bust out the private poetry journal ’cause we’re going crying. Comprised of Rose Melberg and Jen Sbragia, the Softies embodied the minimalist sound of harmonizing vocals and guitar in a wave of folk resurgence before it was cool. They even toured several times, once opening for the late, great Elliott Smith. Their intimate songs expose the delicate nature of being a human, full of raw emotion, nostalgia and heartbreak. The cozy SubRosa is the perfect setting for their music to take root in the soul of any listener. MW
INFO: 7pm, SubRosa, 703 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $20. 426-5242.
ROCK
FRANKIE AND THE WITCH FINGERS
Frankie and the Witch Fingers are part of the modern-day psych-surf-garage revival movement. Their 2013 debut cassette Sidewalk set the tone: healthy doses of fuzz and jangle, a primitive yet vital rhythm section, breezy vocal harmonies and a seething, minor-key approach. A decade later, the group refined and streamlined its attack with Data Doom, rocking harder and heavier in a sort of Redd Kross meets Black Sabbath manner while maintaining what made it special. Psychedelic rockers Spoon Benders open. BK
INFO: 8pm, Moe’s Alley, 1353 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $25. 479-1854.
