Live music highlights for the week of September 12, 2018.
WEDNESDAY 9/12
ALT-COUNTRY
LASERS LASERS BIRMINGHAM
Southern Californians have been playing country-influenced music as long as guitars have had strings. (Well, maybe not that long). But few artists in recent memory have given country such a distinctly L.A. feel as Lasers Lasers Birmingham (aka Alex Owen); he even sings about L.A. smog and references Laurel Canyon. The music is jaded, downtrodden, and just a wee bit psychedelic, set to a twangy guitar and subdued country melody. AARON CARNES
INFO: 7:30 p.m. Flynn’s Cabaret & Steakhouse, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $15/adv, $18/door. 335-2800.
WEDNESDAY 9/12
ROCK/SOUL
DAVE MASON & STEVE CROPPER
“All Along the Watchtower,” “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” “Green Onions,” “Feelin’ Alright”—these are just a few of the era-defining songs on which you’ve heard Dave Mason and Steve Cropper. A founding member of Traffic, Mason was with Jimi Hendrix when the guitar god first heard “Watchtower.” That lush 12-string you hear all over Hendrix’s version is Mason’s work. Cropper, in addition to playing on nearly every classic Stax record (and founding Booker T and the MGs), co-wrote “Dock of the Bay” with Otis Redding. MIKE HUGUENOR
INFO: 8 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, $35. 423-8209.
THURSDAY 9/13
BLUES/ROCK
CORKY SIEGEL & MARCELLA DETROIT
In addition to forming influential Chicago group the Siegel-Schwall Band, harmonica virtuoso Corky Siegel has created something truly unique in his chamber blues project. You’ll ask yourself if his fusing of classical instruments and blues music is a bold new direction for the genre, or is it a Frankensteinian (and perhaps misunderstood) monster? Siegel’s musicianship is certainly monstrous, intimidating in its swagger and confidence. With him at Michael’s on Main is Marcella Detroit, whose powerful and expansive voice is heard on duets with Eric Clapton and Elton John, the Shakespeare Sisters, and her 1994 solo hit “I Believe.” MH
INFO: 7:30 p.m. Michael’s on Main, 2591 Main St., Soquel, $20/adv, $25/door. 479-9777.
FRIDAY 9/14
AMERICANA
LOST DOG STREET BAND
The Lost Dog Street Band has a repertoire of dusty ditties and twangy tunes just waiting to be heard. Formed in 2011 by wife and husband Ashley Mae and Benjamin Tod, the group continues the tradition of the American troubadours of lore. Lucky for us, they’ve moved from playing street corners to more comfortable concert venues. As they travel from city to city, the Lost Dog Street Band takes the audience to a simpler time. MAT WEIR
INFO: 9 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10/adv, $12/door. 423-1338.
SATURDAY 9/15
OLD WORLD FOLK
EVA AND THE VAGABOND TALES
With a flair for rueful storytelling and old-world melancholy, Eva and the Vagabond Tales play sad soundtracks for the poor lost souls wandering the cobblestone streets of a long-forgotten city with only a lantern to guide them, and a pang in their heart to keep them company. Eva’s papery voice and spurned-lover lyrics give shape to a specialized pain—the yearning kind that comes from solo travel or a potential lover’s glance. AMY BEE
INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $8. 429-6994.
SATURDAY 9/15
FUNK
ORGONE
There’s something captivating about a live eight-piece band whose sole purpose is to get a person out on the dance floor. Even the most introverted, just-came-here-to-gawk voyeur will find the fat and gritty grooves of Orgone irresistible—sooner or later, all will succumb to the catchy, vibrant beats that faithfully harken back to the best soul of the ’60s and ’70s. And to any dance floor holdouts, founding guitarist Sergio Rios will be glad to give, as he puts it, a “love shove.” AB
INFO: 9 p.m. Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $25/door. 479-1854.
SUNDAY 9/16
ELECTRONIC
HONNE
Have you ever wanted to run away from your life? Not because you’re depressed, but because you’re so excited to live, and you want to move to another country and savor every breath of fresh air? I know that’s a really specific feeling, but it’s one that the U.K. electronic duo Honne explores on the opening cut of its sophomore album Love Me, Love Me Not. It’s a sleek, bouncy robot-funk record that feels part in-the-moment joy and part longing for even more joy. AC
INFO: 8 p.m. Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $18/adv, $20/door. 423-1338.
SUNDAY 9/16
POST ROCK
ADORE//REPEL
For post-rock, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey. So why not let four blokes from West Yorkshire guide you through a realm they have creatively navigated to success since 2013? The ethereal tunes combine nuanced rock, jazz, electronic and so many other genres into a cohesive mix of their own. Dreamy melodies lead into wild highs and deep lows as the music evolves through the course of a single song. For a glimpse of the fantastic aural voyage that awaits, listen to last year’s Empty Orchestra LP. MW
INFO: 9 p.m. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $10/door. 429-6994.
MONDAY 9/17
JAZZ
STILL DREAMING
More than a supergroup or all-star assemblage, Still Dreaming brings together four singular improvisers with deep and abiding ties to Old and New Dreams, the beloved and consistently bracing 1970s quartet featuring four now-departed masters inextricably linked to Ornette Coleman. Joshua Redman, of course, is the son of saxophone legend Dewey Redman, and the supremely lyrical cornetist Ron Miles absorbed the telegraphic concision of trumpeter Don Cherry. Big-toned bassist Scott Colley studied with Charlie Haden at CalArts, while Brian Blade shares Ed Blackwell’s Louisiana roots and a rhythmic flow that makes even the most volatile passages fit for dancing. Whether interpreting tunes associated with Old and New Dreams or originals, Still Dreaming creates music to wake the soul. ANDREW GILBERT
INFO: 7 and 9 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320 Cedar St. #2, Santa Cruz. $36.75 – $52.50. 427-2227.
