Santa Cruz County live entertainment picks for the week of March 11
WEDNESDAY 3/11
ROCK
BIDDADAT
The game changed in 2017 when Thundercat unironically brought Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins in to sing on one of his hipster tracks. Who even knows what’s cool anymore? If there’s a new wave of supposed-to-be-corny neo-soul/easy listening rockers that are now actually hip, then the band to keep your eye on is Seattle’s Biddadat. They are next-level Yacht Rock revival. There’s not an ounce of irony in the mix, and they’re kind of reinventing the genre, with the same level of feelgood fun that those OG ’70s funk-rock-R&B trailblazers were having back in the day. AC
INFO: 9pm. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $8. 429-6994.
FOLK
JOHANNA WARREN
The last time Johanna Warren came to Santa Cruz she had just released Gemini II, the second and final album in her stunning Gemini series. Together, the twin albums formed a kind of haunted mirror, reflected collections of mystic forest folk that purposely blurred the boundaries between love and loss, and beginning and end. Last month, the Portland spiritualist and musician released “Bed of Nails,” the first single from May’s Chaotic Good, which once again finds her exploring the themes of love, belief, and the occult, this time set to some dreamy bossa nova. MIKE HUGUENOR
INFO: 8pm. Lillie Aeske, 13160 Hwy 9, Boulder Creek. $17. 703-4183.
FRIDAY 3/13
PSYCH-METAL
BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT
On the first song off Portland doom metal band Blackwater Holylight’s new album Veils of Winter, the five-piece hit an unusual tone where the guitar riffs are deep and guttural, and the vocal harmonies are light and eerie. It will make you feel disheveled, for sure. But of course, a good psych-metal band is supposed to take you on a journey into the strange. And the strange trip that Blackwater Holylight goes to covers newfound territory where Black Sabbath, Sonic Youth and Fleetwood Mac commune around the campfire and pray to the moon or Satan, or some unnamed force that is prepared to tear your soul out. AC
INFO: 8:30pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. $15/adv, $18/door. 704-7113.
COMEDY
CHERYL ANDERSON
Cheryl Anderson (nicknamed “The Soccer Mom”) has honed her WASP-y suburban aesthetic to a deadly point. She may look like she’s just stepped out of a Subaru Outback, but her jokes shock audiences. The one time she performed at the Apollo, she took to the stage in a sensible pair of jeans and an unassertive salmon cardigan, kicking off her brief set with a confirmation: “If you’re wondering, yes, I like my coffee like I like my men,” she said to audible gasps, “cold and weak.” MH
INFO: 7 & 9:30pm. DNA’s Comedy Lab, 155 S River St, Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 900-5123
HIP-HOP
ANDRE NICKATINA
Bay Area rapper Andre Nickatina should be in the Catalyst Hall of Fame for his sheer quantity of legendary packed shows. You can expect no less than a party this time, as the rapper returns two days after his 50th birthday to celebrate an impressive multi-decade career in hip-hop. Nickatina started out in the early ’90s under the stage name “Dre Dog,” releasing bangers The New Jim Jones and I Hate You With a Passion. In 1997, he made the change to his current alias and found his own distinct voice with Cocaine Raps, Tears of a Clown, and Daiquiri Factory: Cocaine Raps, Vol. 2, and has continued to wow crowds year after year. DENIZE GALLARDO
INFO: 9pm. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $27/adv, $32/door. 423-1338.
SATURDAY 3/14
ROCK
ALLMAN BETTS BAND
For those who never got to see the original Allman Brothers band, this might be the next best thing. Duane Betts, Devon Allman and Berry Duane Oakley (the sons of Allman Brothers founding members Dickey Betts, Duane Allman and Berry Oakley) are coming to Santa Cruz with an array of new tunes from their solo careers, and all of the classic Allman Brothers jams. Formed in 2017, the Allman Betts Band originally got together as a tribute to Gregg Allman shortly after his death. Fans loved it so much, the band later cut the feel-good country/southern rock album Down To the River. MAT WEIR
INFO: 7:30pm. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $35/adv. 423-8209.
ROCK
THE STONE FOXES
Hungry for some music? The Stone Foxes’ Golden Burger tour should hit the spot. The San Francisco band will perform tunes from their new EP Gold, which features the idiosyncratic vocals of lead singer Shannon Koehler and virtuosic guitar stylings of Spence Koehler. While satisfying your own craving with the solemnly wicked rock grooves, the Stone Foxes also want to feed the needy. Bring some non-perishables to the merch table. The band will be donating it all to a local food bank. In return, you will receive a signed Golden Burger tour poster. Tasty! DG
INFO: 9pm. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $12/adv, $15/door. 479-1854.
MONDAY 3/16
HIROMI
Japanese-born pianist Hiromi may have turned 40, but her music carries all the hallmarks of impetuous youth. Mercurial and labile, emotionally outsized and brimming with energy, she’s a riveting performer who thrives in the terra incognita where composition and improvisation bleed into each other. Her latest album, Spectrum, is a blazing solo session that captures Hiromi at her most orchestral and rhythmically inventive, making the need for accompanists superfluous. Jazz, rock and European classical music are all grist for her churning two-handed mill. ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: 7 and 9pm. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $36.75/adv, $52.50/door. 427-2227.
TUESDAY 3/17
CELTIC
MOLLY’S REVENGE
St. Patrick’s Day in the year 2000 was a pivotal moment for David Brewer. That was when he decided to quit his day job and pursue a career in music—a bold move for a bagpiper. Luckily, it worked out nicely since he joined forces with friends John Weed, Stuart Mason, George Grasso, Mark Boronkay and Pete Haworth to form the traditional Celtic group Molly’s Revenge. Over the years, members have come and gone. Now the founding bagpiper is readying himself to bow out, but not before a final blowout tour. Don’t worry, though, Molly’s Revenge is sticking around like the hangover you’re sure to have the next morning. MW
