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Night Howl
By Karen Reardanz

Flute Suit: UCSC grad Polly Moller wants listeners to 'Taste the Wall' on her new album. Wind Chimes: UCSC alumna and flutist extraordinaire makes good WIND INSTRUMENTS MAY NOT SEEM the hippest musical device, but on Saturday night, Polly Moller will prove that it's not what you play but how you play it. The Mountain View resident and UC­Santa Cruz alumna is proficient in the way of the flute and has been sharpening her mastery of it since she was but a young one. The flutist has performed with the Shakespeare Santa Cruz Orchestra and the Octagon New Music Ensemble and has played solo shows since she began her career in the early '90s. Moller has conducted ensembles, written original music and paid her bills for over a decade training young musical talent as a flute instructor. Moller performs at What Is Art? (2044 N. Pacific Ave., SC) to celebrate the February release of her first album, Taste the Wall (Silver Wheel Music). It's a mystical blend of avant-pop and spoken word mixed with ambient flavors and Celtic rock. The show starts at 8pm, and tickets cost $3-$5. Method Men Save yourself a trip to the San Francisco this week. The American electronica wizards of the Crystal Method make the jaunt down from their shows in the Bay Area to play Palookaville on Wednesday (March 11) at 9pm. Fresh off such life-altering gigs as MTV's Fashionably Loud, Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland, the minds behind the band's soulful grooves, trippy backbeats and electronic hooks, are touring in support of their album Vegas. Tickets cost $16/$14. For info, call 454-0600. Paint It Black The crowd of diehard Sunday night concert-goers seemed to experience a collective religious conversion at Palookaville's Frank Black and the Catholics show. Former mastermind of the Pixies, Black earned his reputation as a quirky punk innovator with his albums Surfer Rosa and Come on Pilgrim. Instead of trying to pull together another reunion tour like many '80s rockers these days, Black proved to be nowhere near retirement. With his new band, the Catholics (phenomenally talented lead guitarist Lyle Workman, bassist Dave McCaffrey and drummer Scott Boutier), Black tore through highlights of his solo career, including bests from his Teenager of the Year album. Though fans may have been disappointed at a limited selection of Pixies tunes, a great version of "The Holiday Song" and impressive new songs filled that potential band-member-turned-soloist void. After opener Verbow, The John Doe Thing took the stage. Former Xer Doe, though not the same without punk goddess Exene, played several good songs while charming the audience with his playful humor. The infectious energy of both bands' members actually having fun together even made for a semimanageable Monday morning. Mary Spicuzza FutureThink Sappho's Lapphos, Santa Cruz's very own lesbian comedy troupe, presents the El Niño of comedy improv at Actors' Theatre on Sunday. Singer/songwriter Diana Dawn and sitar master Alan Brown play What Is Art? on March 13. [ Santa Cruz | MetroActive Central | Archives ]