.Things to Do in Santa Cruz: March 15-21

ARTS AND MUSIC

BOOKSHOP SANTA CRUZ PRESENTS JENNIFER EGAN Bestselling author Jennifer Egan—A Visit from the Goon Squad won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award—is one of the most celebrated writers of our time. She will discuss The Candy House, her novel about the memory and quest for authenticity and human connection. In the world of Egan’s spectacular imagination, there are “counters” who track and exploit desires, and there are “eluders” who understand the price of taking a bite of the Candy House. Egan introduces these characters using an array of narrative styles—from first person plural to omniscient; she even includes a chapter entirely comprised of Tweets. The Candy House is a “moving testament to the tenacity and transcendence of human longing for connection, family, privacy and love.” $11.49-24.09. Wednesday, March 15, 7pm. Cowell Ranch Hay Barn, 94 Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz. jennifer-egan.eventbrite.com 

KOLTON MOORE & THE CLEVER FEW WITH PALMER ANTHONY Kolton Moore & the Clever Few have been paying tribute to country rock’s timeless traditions since 2012, lending rootsy textures to songs about love and hard living. The outfit’s song “Peace in the Pines” was featured as the closing song in the season four finale of the hit television show “Yellowstone” and their songs have racked up more than 50 million streams on Spotify. Meanwhile, their tune “What Brings Life Also Kills” was introduced to the world by “American Idol” winner Chayce Beckham in 2021. $20/$24 plus fees. Wednesday, March 15, 8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. feltonmusichall.com

DAMIEN JURADO WITH HANNAH FRANCES “Play on, there’s no such thing as better days,” Damien Jurado sings on “Roger,” the rousing opening track on Reggae Film Star, the singer-songwriter’s 18th full-length record. As Jurado enters his 25th year as a music maker, he continues to grow artistically. The 12 songs on Reggae Film Star “evoke half-recalled dreams and overheard conversations, the cosmic rushes headlong into the autobiographical and specific moments on the clock fade from past to future to scenes set only in the eternal now.” Multi-talented singer-songwriter-poet Hannah Frances is an artist of great appeal and distinctiveness. Her music weaves through the rough panoramas of the heart, intertwining her inner and outer life through tales of unrestrained susceptibility. Frances’ enveloping warmth has been likened to everyone from Joni Mitchell to Jeff Buckley. $35 plus fees. Friday, March 17, 7:30pm. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. folkyeah.com

REEL ROCK 17 The “World’s Best Climbing Films” features the year’s most significant climbing and adventure stories, including a wild expedition on the Nameless Tower in Pakistan, a new cutting-edge route in a massive limestone cave in France and a journey to Palestine’s West Bank to explore the power of climbing to change lives. Burning the Flame: Austrian climbers Babsi Zangerl and Jacopo Larcher attempt a coveted free ascent of the Nameless Tower in Pakistan. DNA: Seb Bouin tackles what may be the world’s most challenging sport climb in the Verdon Gorge of France. Resistance Climbing: In conflict-torn Palestine, a diverse group of climbers finds community, solace and redemption. $22 plus fees. Saturday, March 18, 7pm. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. riotheatre.com

AMADOU & MARIAM  For over four decades, Amadou & Mariam have merged their love story with a musical career while becoming the most famous ambassadors for Malian music in the world, a golden status that they carry with brio and spiritedly challenge with every album. The duo has recorded with Damon Albarn of Blur, Santigold, TV on the Radio and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. DJs/producers Jamie XX, Four Tet and Mike Snow have remixed their songs or mixed Afro and electronica sounds based on Amadou & Mariam’s music. They’ve played some of the world’s largest festivals, from Coachella to Glastonbury, and opened for everyone from Coldplay to the Scissor Sisters. The duo brings their brand of infectious Afro-pop music to the charts and the dance floor, and the world is continuously intrigued by the nuances of their music. $47.25/$63 plus fees. Monday, March 20, 7:30pm. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. kuumbwajazz.org

BONNIE RAITT WITH ROY ROGERS Bonnie Raitt might be the greatest underrated bottleneck slide guitar player. And she still uses the same wood grain Fender Strat, named “Brownie,” that she picked up in 1969 for $120. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s 18th full-length studio album, Just Like That, released in 2022, proves that after 50-plus years, the blueswoman is not finished. The follow-up to her 2016 album, Dig In Deep, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Americana Album in 2023. Its title track scored the Grammy for Song of the Year and Best American Roots Song—the single “Made Up Mind” also won Best Americana Performance. Raitt now has over a dozen Grammys to showcase on her mantle. Aside from the accolades, Just Like That shows Raitt’s ability to pen tunes as potent as ever. The fusion of soul, rock, blues and folk that powers the record recalls her greatest songs from the ’70s while embracing a more modern sound. “It all adds up to an album that slowly works its way into the subconscious, sounding deeper and richer with each successive play,” AllMusic’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine writes. Don’t miss Raitt’s Santa Cruz show. It’s one of just five she has scheduled for California. $65.25/$86.25/$111.40. Tuesday, March 21, 8pm. Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz. cityofsantacruz.com

COMMUNITY

SPRING FAIRYTALE FUNDRAISER Featuring wild acrobatics, comedy and extreme skills, “Spring Fairytale” is an “original narrative circus.” The Pegasus, the Fairy and the Spring Sprite are just some intriguing characters you will meet. The heartwarming tale showcases an eclectic blend of multicultural folklore that’s a ray of sunshine breaking through the darkness. Enchanting and exciting, “Spring Fairytale” is something for the whole family to enjoy. Plus, 100% of proceeds will be donated to the Santa Cruz Community Foundation Disaster Fund. $18-185. Sunday, March 19, 4pm. Capitola Mall, 1855 41st Ave., Capitola. flynncreekcircus.com