THURSDAY 10/31
ROCK
DIRTY HONEY
The commercial apex of mainstream rock may have come and gone by the dawn of the 21st century, but bands like Dirty Honey demonstrate plenty of life left in the form. Coming together in 2017, the defiantly and resolutely independent band launched in style when they played their second-ever gig on a Sunset Boulevard sidewalk. Early gigs opening for Slash (former guitarist for Guns N’ Roses and a major inspiration) helped raise the band’s profile, and their debut single, “When I’m Gone,” was the first song by an unsigned band to top Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart. The Band Feel opens. BILL KOPP
INFO: 7:45pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $40. 713-5492.
FRIDAY 11/1
INDIE
Y LA BAMBA
Singer-songwriter Luz Elena Mendoza launched Y La Bamba in Portland in 2013. Her music bears the strong influence of the traditional music of her Michoacán heritage, leavened with flavors of experimentation, indie folk and pop textures. Y La Bamba has gained critical acclaim and pop success; 2019’s Mujeres debuted at #7 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart. The group has released six albums; 2023’s Lucha is their latest. Y La Bamba is billed with Kiltro, led by Denver (by way of Valparaíso, Chile) based singer-songwriter Chris Bowers Castillo. BILL KOPP
INFO: 9pm, Moe’s Alley, 1353 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $30/adv, $35/door. 479-1854.
FOLK
WILLY WATSON
At 44, Willie Watson’s self-titled album is as much of a debut as an independent songwriter as a poignant project to make sense of his life. Years of heartbreak, hurt and healing line this devastating survey of one man’s journey to acceptance and growth. After three decades of touring with Old Crow Medicine Show, Watson has taken all of his memories—the good and the bad—and packaged them into poems performed in the form of short, sincere folk songs on stage. Bassist Paul Kowert, guitarist Dylan Day, drummer Jason Boesel and fiddler Sami Braman play alongside the New York folk singer at the music hall in the mountains. MELISA YURIAR
INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 HWY 9, Felton. $27/adv, $30/door. 704-7113.
FIRE & GRACE & ASH
One of the best things about Santa Cruz is its vast music scene, and this Friday’s show is proof. Fire & Grace & Ash is an eclectic three-piece folk act consisting of Grammy-Award-winning guitarist (and UCSC professor) William Coulter, Edwin Huizinga on fiddle and Ashley Hoyer on mandolin. Beyond an average Americana trio, their vast repertoire covers everything from Vivaldi to traditional Celtic ballads. Along with the addition of Hoyer, Coulter and Huizinga will be joined by multi-instrumentalist, singer and native Vermonter Moira Smiley. This weekend, get lost in a sea of cultures that span across Western history. MAT WEIR
INFO: 7:30pm, UCSC Recital Hall, 402 McHenry Rd., Santa Cruz. $34. 459-2292.
SATURDAY 11/2
ROCK
DARK DAZEY
For those not paying attention, there’s been a burgeoning psychedelic resurgence in the music underground. Occasionally, a group boils over into the popular mainstream, like King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and OSees. Yet, just beneath the surface is a pot of bubbling talent waiting to be discovered. Dark Dazey is one of those bands. They combine the freedom of psychedelic fuzz rock and the airy sensibility of indie bands with funky jams. This is one of those shows that soon will join a respectable list of past performances by bands who have gone on to do bigger things, remembered with one unbelievable thought: “They played at the Crepe Place?” MW
INFO: 8pm, Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $12/adv, $15/door. 429-6994.
INDIE
AIMEE MANN
She may look familiar from her appearances in The Big Lebowski and Portlandia, but Aimee Mann is best known for being a talented singer-songwriter. NPR Music named her one of the Top 10 Living Songwriters. Her work, which has won two Grammys and an Academy Award, ranges from mellow folk acoustic to ’70s-inspired soft rock and pop. Her lyrics are always sharp and layered, often pairing sad thoughts and ideas with humor and sarcasm. Amid the dark humor, she finds beauty in the fragility and messiness of life. The complexity of her music is an honest reflection of the complexity found in everyday living. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 8pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $35. 423-8209.
FOLK
MIMI GILBERT
Earnest, defiant, poetic and heartbreaking—everything one could want in a folk artist—Mimi Gilbert is a Californian-born singer-songwriter who once busked with their brothers on the streets of Santa Barbara before making their way to Melbourne, Australia, to find their place in a vibrant music scene. Gilbert has a gorgeous voice, soft but capable of enveloping the audience, and often shared in harmony with bandmates. Gilbert is currently touring the US playing songs from an upcoming new record, Undrowning, sharing a queer perspective on the universal themes of love, loss and the struggle to live an authentic life. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN
INFO: 8pm, Lille Aeske Arthouse, 13160 Highway 9, Boulder Creek. $25/adv, $30/door. 703-4183.
MONDAY 11/4
HIP HOP
BABYTRON
Lock your doors and change your passwords; scam rapper BabyTron is coming to town. Pallin’ around with Lil Yachty was enough to make listeners take notice, but his appearance alongside Big Sean on Eminem’s “Tobey” gave the Metro Detroit-raised rhymer a taste of mainstream attention. This break came the year after he was arrested for possessing marijuana, marijuana edibles, psilocybin mushroom edibles and a 9mm handgun while on tour in Nebraska. Hopefully, it helped him pay for some good legal representation. The conditions of his release are apparently allowing him to continue traveling as he tours with coheadliner and frequent collaborator BLP Kosher. KLJ
INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $42-$205. 713-5492.
JAZZ
NDUDUZO MAKHATHINI
Jazz is part conflict, part compromise, the ultimate expression of defiance against structure. Entire themes and motifs arise from the chaos created in a live session. Developed by African Americans and influenced by European harmonic structure and African rhythms, jazz continues to appeal to those who enjoy the “sound of surprise.” Drawing influence from works of South African jazz legends who came before him (Bheki Mseleku, Moses Molelekwa, and Abdullah Ibrahim), Nduduzo Makhathini is a leading contemporary jazz visionary. Since 2014, the improviser has released eight well-received, award-winning albums and toured extensively across the globe, headlining the Essence Festival and the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. MY
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $42. 427-2227.
