THURSDAY 12/12
BLUES
CHELSEA WOLFE Chelsea Wolfe’s haunting exploration of America’s blues has always carried a grave, desolate beauty. From her lo-fi beginnings via The Grime and the Glow to the electrified darkness of Apokalypsis and Hiss Spun, Wolfe’s evolution has been striking, and her evocative voice remains constant. Her latest record, She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She, showcases her most forward-facing work, melding heavy rock guitars with elements of trip hop. Wolfe’s acclaimed voice takes center stage, blending raw emotion with ethereal grace on her stripped-down, sold-out tour An Intimate Evening of Songs Laid Bare. MELISA YURIAR
INFO: 8pm, Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $35/adv, $40/door. 423-8209.
FRIDAY 12/13
THEATER
BITTERROOT Ever watch a play hoping for a specific outcome that never happens? Renegade Theater’s current run of Bitterroot allows the audience to decide the fate of Prospero, the protagonist stranded in Montana with his daughter for the past 12 years when his evil brother moves to town. Will Prospero take revenge on those who wronged him? Will his daughter marry the son of an enemy? This dramatic, funny, heartfelt adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest explores updated themes like patriarchy and humanity’s relationship with nature, pushing the envelope of possibility within a classic tale. ISABELLA MARIE SANGALINE
INFO: 7pm, Actors’ Theatre, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. $14. 431-8666.
ROOTS
LEYLA MCCALLA & YASMIN WILLIAMS Leyla McCalla is a bilingual multi-instrumentalist who first came to fame as a member of the Grammy Award-winning Black roots group, the Carolina Chocolate Drops. On her own, McCalla chronicles her cultural and racial heritage with an expansive worldview. Her original music draws from a diverse array of traditional and modern sources. Virginia-based Yasmin Williams is primarily a guitarist, but her artistry is also apparent on multiple instruments. Her third and latest full-length release is 2024’s Acadia, a showcase for her songwriting and expressive, finger-style guitar technique. BILL KOPP
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $42. 427-2227.
SOUL
PIMPS OF JOYTIME Can we reclaim the term jam band from the bland, show-off genre that’s ruined many a first date when an enthusiastic dude decides things are going well enough to pull out his live bootleg tapes and give the object of his affection “a treat”? Pimps of Joytime jam and one doesn’t have to be high or trying to learn to play the guitar to appreciate it. Mixing a wide range of influences from around the globe into an infectiously danceable brew, the Pimps of Joytime will impress audiences everywhere, not to mention any tape-collecting guitar students. KEITH LOWELL JENSEN
INFO: 9pm, Moe’s Alley,1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $30/adv, $35/door, 479-1854.
ELECTRONIC
FOODMAN Music writers love to describe artists as defying genres, but when it comes to Japanese producer Takahide Higuchi, aka Foodman, defying genres is his specialty. Since 2011, he has blended, folded and sauteed a cornucopia of styles like house, bass, techno and ambient for a sound that is, well, deserving of a chef’s kiss. Joining Foodman is San Francisco’s Nathan Ho, who takes classical music and gives it the glitch and bass treatment, and Santa Cruz producer and multimedia artist kinch. This once-in-a-lifetime triple threat of a lineup takes place at the experimental room Indexical to close out their 2024 season with a bang. MAT WEIR
INFO: 8:30pm, Indexical, 1050 River St., #119, Santa Cruz. $20.
SATURDAY 12/14
HOLIDAY
YULE ILLUMINATION Yule Illumination is a feast for all the senses, described as “a circle of true magic to guide you through a potent evening.” The program features rituals, music, poetry and food and drink. Hosted by Santa Cruz Mountain Priestess Temple founder Julie Grant, the evening features music by Gina Rene plus San Francisco-based mystic and yoga/meditation instructor Fox, priestesses Lisa Flynn and Janel Greenland and more. The banquet dinner will feature a menu by local chef Gretchen McNelis Heimsoth. BK
INFO: 6pm, Lille Aeske Arthouse, 13160 Highway 9, Boulder Creek. $109. 309-0756.
ROCK
THE SUN KINGS Here come the Sun Kings! Okay, sorry, that was low-hanging fruit, but what better way to introduce a Beatles tribute band? For a quarter of a century (three times longer than the actual Beatles were together), this Fab Four has astounded audiences with their perfect harmonizations, melodies and playing. Unlike other tribute bands, the Sun Kings play the gamut of the Beatles catalog, from their innocent love songs like “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” to the acid-ridden “Helter Skelter” and final words of “The End.” After all, the love they take equals the love they make, so why not take a magical mystery tour down classic rock lane? MW
INFO: 8pm, Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. $38. 704-7113.
NEVA DINOVA Neva Dinova is entering a new era. Though admired by loyal fans, the Omaha-bred band has long existed in the shadow of peers like Bright Eyes and Cursive. That may change with Canary, their reinvigorated new record featuring a fresh sound, perspective and lineup. Frontperson Jake Bellows has quietly released music for over two decades while avoiding the spotlight. Canary offers an unfiltered look at Bellows’s egoless psyche, embracing the imperfections—buzzing amps, string noise, vulnerable vocals—that define Neva Dinova’s raw beauty, marking a triumphant second act for an underrated indie group. MY
INFO: 8pm, Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $22. 713-5492.
MONDAY 11/16
JAZZ
CHARLIE HUNTER Audiences may be confused at a Charlie Hunter show, looking for the unseen musicians, sure they’re hearing more players than the lone person onstage. Nobody’s hiding behind the curtains, and no one’s aping to tape; Hunter’s just a musical maniac, playing seven and eight-string custom guitars, managing to sound like two or three proficient musicians at a time, with organ sounds, bass and guitar all coming out of one instrument. He has serious chops and is a strong enough composer to keep it from feeling gimmicky. Plus, the musicians he tours with are of such a high caliber that on some nights, he’s the special guest. KLJ
INFO: 7pm, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $52. 427-2227.
