A weekly guide to what’s happening
Thursday 3/5
The Aizuri String Quartet
Born to Estonian and American parents, local composer Lembit Beecher grew up in Santa Cruz before traveling the world as an internationally acclaimed composer. While Beecher himself can’t make it, the Aizuri String Quartet will perform some of his work alongside Dvorak, Rhiannon Giddens and more. The New York-based quartet was formed in 2012 and draws its name from “aizuri-e,” a style of predominantly blue Japanese woodblock printing known for its vibrancy and detail.
INFO: 7:30pm. Peace United Church, 900 High St., Santa Cruz. distinguishedartists.org. $37.50 general.
Friday 3/6
Green Fix
Herpetology Happy Hour
Pop by the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History for a free open house event celebrating the world of the creeping and the crawling. Santa Cruz is a herpetologist’s happy place, home to salamanders, newts, frogs, turtles, snakes, and lizards galore. Explore (and handle!) a slew of slithering friends during “Herpetology Happy Hour.” Expect lots of live animals and local experts, plus complimentary drinks and snacks and free museum admission.
INFO: 5-7pm. Friday, March 6. Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, 1305 E Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz. 420-6115. santacruzmuseum.org. Free.
Saturday 3/7
Celtic Colors!
See Grammy-Award winners and artists from around the world for the price of two lattes. Tandy Beal’s latest ArtSmart Show is a celebration of life. Performing artists Neal Hellman, Deby Benton Grosjean, Jesse Autumn are all faculty at the Community Music School of Santa Cruz and recording artists with well-known label Gourd Music, whose productions have been used as soundtrack music for Ken Burns documentaries. Neal has produced more than 40 albums over 30 years. Deby is one of the foremost Celtic fiddlers in the Santa Cruz area, with a specialty in playing for ceilidhs, or dances. Jesse Autumn is a musician, artist, and writer based in New Orleans. She sings and plays concert harp and double harp, glockenspiel, and piano accordion.
INFO: Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Building, 846 Front St., Santa Cruz. tandybeal.com. $15 adults, $10 children.
Sunday 3/8
Art Seen
The Real Irish Comedy Fest
Get St. Patrick’s Day off to a real traditional start—no cartoon leprechauns here. Come get a blast of blarney and Irish laughter just in time for the big day. The Real Irish Comedy Fest showcases the best blend of Irish comedic talent and is coming to Santa Cruz for one night only. Yes, accents are included, so you know it’s real.
INFO: 7:30-9pm. Sunday, March 8. DNA’s Comedy Lab & Experimental Theatre, 155 S. River St., Santa Cruz. $20/$30.
Tuesday 3/10
‘Conversations for Change: The Future of Work’
For people all over the world, jobs provide income and a sense of purpose. But, we are fast approaching a time when artificial intelligence and robots will be trusted to do a better job than humans at everything from driving to diagnosing medical conditions. Since the economy is structured to thrive with a robust, engaged workforce, what happens when the nature and number of jobs change dramatically? Join the Santa Cruz Public Library in a conversation on how the nature of work is evolving with advances in technology. Space is limited. Registration is required at bit.ly/SCPL-Convo0320.
INFO: 5:15-7:30pm. Santa Cruz Public Library, 224 Church St., Santa Cruz. 427-7707. Free.
