THURSDAY 10/17
ROCK
DESTROYER
When is a band not a band? That is the question posed when Destroyer’s frontperson, Dan Bejar, performs the band’s songs solo. It’s an on-brand stunt, considering the group has been a collective of regular band members and collaborators since its formation in 1995. How Bejar will strip away at Destroyer’s layers of synths, guitars and electronic beats to expose the soul of the music is anyone’s guess and part of the mysterious fun. Then again, Canadians always seem to find a way, and Bejar is no different, constantly churning out new creative and unique music that often wildly differs from track to track on a single album. MAT WEIR
INFO: 8pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $30/adv, $35/door. 423-8209.
JAZZ
JOY GUIDRY
In a city known for its live music scene with a plethora of venues for live music, it’s important to recognize experimental spaces like the Tannery’s Indexical. The cozy space is a hotbed for new, progressive and unique music like Joy Guidry, who is celebrating the release of her third album, Amen. Guidry is a bassoonist and composer who experiments with the sounds of the soul through gospel tunes, original compositions and the ambiance of nature. Her 2022 debut, Radical Acceptance, explores her journey with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress as a Black Christian woman. Following her performance will be a conversation with composer and theorist James Gordon Williams. MW
INFO: 8:30pm, Indexical, 1050 River St., #119, Santa Cruz. $16.
FRIDAY 10/18
ART EXHIBITION
RE:COLLECT
Subtitled “Remember Your Cosmic Roots,” this exhibition is an “immersive Afrospeculative experience that focuses on the exploration and preservation of indigenous cosmic roots.” Re:Collect aims for a multisensory experience using sights, sounds and smells. The exhibit focuses on reestablishing Indigenous peoples’ connections with history and tradition, especially those intentionally swept away. Guest-curated by Santa Cruz-based activist, community organizer and historian Luna High John-Bey, the exhibition features works by Dynasty Ogun, Alim Smith, Zoë Boston, Witch Prophet, Zuzu, Soull Ogun and Shogun Shido. The Re:Collect exhibit is available for viewing until March 2025. BILL KOPP
INFO: Noon, Museum of Art & History, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. $10. 429-1964.
SATURDAY 10/19
FOLK
KINGSTON TRIO
Established in Palo Alto in the ’50s by three college students vying to entertain their peers at parties, the folksy Kingston Trio’s music was shaped by San Francisco and Hawaiian music and culture. The Trio would go on to launch a folk boom that brought radicals like Woody Guthrie into the spotlight and paved the way for iconic progressive artists like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. Today, a new Kingston Trio continues to delight audiences like the original folksmen did: by gently strumming their acoustic guitars and banjos, harmonizing on classics like “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” and “Tom Dooley” and throwing in a bit of stage banter the way the ol’ boys did back in the day. MELISA YURIAR
INFO: 7:30pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $34/adv, $38/door. 427-2227.
FESTIVAL
HALLOWEEN MASK MAKING
Haven’t had time to prepare for Halloween? That’s okay because the London Nelson Community Center has the perfect event to help. ’Tis the season for the annual Halloween Mask-Making Festival! This is a free and spooktacular family event for all ages. Not only will attendees be able to make boo-tiful masks, but they can play Halloween-themed carnival games, watch a Thriller dance and catch a special 30-minute performance of Once Upon a Broomstick. This event will get anyone in the mood for October; it’s time to get scary! ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: Noon, London Nelson Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz. Free. 420-6177.
SUNDAY 10/20
FOLK
BANSHEE TREE
Combining modern indie sounds with trance vibes, a psychedelic rock feel and Django Reinhardt-flavored gypsy jazz, Banshee Tree is a four-piece group from Boulder, Colorado. Their old-school-meets-modern approach applies traditional instrumentation like fiddle, acoustic guitar, upright bass and percussion to present-day electronics (pedals and other effects) for a hybrid sound. The band has singles and a self-titled EP available on Bandcamp. With its stuttering beats, electronica flourishes and Hot Club de France-styled fiddling, Banshee Tree’s latest release, Dreaming with the Fishes, is an alluring showcase for the group’s new-greets-old musical character. Fellow Boulder-based act luckydust opens. BK
INFO: 8pm, Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $20/door. 479-1854.
HIP HOP
KRS-ONE
The furiously political and socially conscious Brooklyn-born KRS-One is a hip hop legend in his own right. “The Teacher” is known for some of the most culturally relevant and political hip hop cuts and rhymes of the last two decades (“Sound of da Police,” “I Can’t Wake Up” and “MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know” to name a few). One of hip hop’s greats, he holds down the genre’s history and preserves its original principles of peace, love and unity through music, teaching the philosophy/mantra that “rap is something we do; hip hop is something we live.” It rings true in all that the artist produces. MY
INFO: 5pm, Woodhouse Brewing, 119 Madrone St., Santa Cruz. $40. 313-9461.
TUESDAY 10/22
AUTHOR EVENT
CARA GIAIMO
There are field guides, and then there’s Atlas Obscura: Wild Life. The publishers behind Gastro Obscura, the ultimate foodie guide, are back at it again, focusing on the natural world. Bookshop Santa Cruz welcomes writer Cara Giaimo to read from and discuss her new book, which touts itself as “An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Living Wonders.” Be prepared to learn about the fascinating world around you, trees communicating with one another under your feet, dung beetles using the stars for navigation, and over 500 extraordinary plants, animals and natural phenomena. The best part? Illustrations and photos on every page. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN
INFO: 4pm, London Nelson Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz. $49. 423-0900.
WEDNESDAY 10/23
INDIE
THE RED PEARS
We don’t hear from El Monte, California, too much. Yet the predominantly Hispanic town in eastern Los Angeles County has something going on, judging by its musical exports, including and perhaps especially the Red Pears, a fantastic trio. Guitarist and vocalist Henry Vargas, drummer Jose Corona and bassist Patrick Juarez have garnered comparisons to early Strokes while bringing something all their own into the mix. They’re killing it in the studio, putting out albums deserving of repeat listening, but it’s their live shows where they’re whipping their devoted crowd into a frenzy and making their mark. Come frenzy when they play the Catalyst on Wednesday. KLJ
INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, $25/adv, $30/door. 713-5492.
Hey! Just a heads up, the Atlas Obscura: Wild Life event at the London Nelson Center is actually at 7 PM rather than 4 PM! Hope to see some people there!
– Cara