ARTS AND MUSIC
JAVIER ZAMORA ‘SOLITO’ Javier Zamora began writing poetry to face the agonizing experience he had gone through as a 9-year-old. His first collection, Unaccompanied, retraces his own migration from El Salvador to “La USA.” While his poems alleviated some of the heavy load Zamora had carried around for 20 years, he describes them as “snapshots” of what he went through. He knew that penning a memoir would be the only way to free that scared little boy inside of him. Solito is the result. Read story. Free (with registration). Wednesday, Sept. 14, 7pm. Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. bookshopsantacruz.com.
BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY WITH EVICSHEN Will Oldham, aka Bonnie “Prince” Billy, is an infectiously passionate talent whose facial hair goes through more changes than an adolescent approaching puberty. The prolific singer-songwriter and actor has many lofty credits, including Johnny Cash covering his tune “I See a Darkness”—Marianne Faithfull and Deer Tick have also recorded Oldham’s songs. Before a 2015 Big Sur show, he said his biggest fear is “losing my mind or watching friends or loved ones losing theirs.” Meanwhile, no one is doing what Victoria Shen, aka evicshen, does. The SF musician is a sound artist, experimental performer, instrument-maker and rabble-rouser in the best possible way. $36.75. Friday, Sept. 16, 8pm. Kuumbwa, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. folkyeah.com.
ROSAAZUL Acclaimed local group RosaAzul bring their mix of mariachi-era songs and both classical and modern Mexican music to the Kuumbwa. Violinist Adam Bolaños Scow also performs with the Santa Cruz Symphony and various classical chamber music groups, while lead vocalist and guitarist Jose Chuy Hernandez runs a music academy in Hollister, and vocalist and guitarron player Russell Rodriguez is an assistant professor in the UCSC Music Department. They are joined at this show by local folklorico group Senderos. $27/$40 gold circle. Saturday, Sept. 17, 7:30pm. Kuumbwa, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. snazzyproductions.com.
GOLDENSEED’S FIELDS OF GREEN SHAREHOLDER EVENT If you’re looking for run-of-the-mill stand-up comedy, Zane Lamprey isn’t your guy. Lamprey is all about gimmicks—setting world records for champagne sabering (31 bottles in a minute) and the longest live podcast (26 hours straight). At the Watsonville cannabis farm, zany Zane plans to set the record for the world’s highest comedian. “The official record for the highest altitude stand-up comedy gig ever was at 17,395.01 feet in Nepal,” Lamprey says. “When I’m on stage at Goldenseed’s bountiful marijuana farm, I’ll only be about 43 feet above sea level, so we’ll have to find another way to measure how high I am.” In addition to comedy, there will be farm tours, live music, food and drink, art, contests and more. $29 plus fees; free for shareholders. Saturday, Sept. 17, 4-7pm. Goldenseed Farm, 650 Buena Vista Drive, Watsonville. owngoldenseed.com/comedy.
LERA LYNN WITH MISTY BOYCE Lera Lynn appears in the second season of HBO’s True Detective. She pretty much plays herself, a singer-songwriter performing at a dive bar. As she performs “My Least Favorite Life,” it’s almost impossible to focus on anything Colin Farrell’s Detective Velcoro and Vince Vaughn’s Frank Semyon are discussing in the seamy, mostly vacant joint. Lynn’s soprano vocals flow with effortless vibrato as she picks her chords with restraint and works in a dissonant minor-key, adding vicious melancholy to Los Angeles’ underbelly. $15/$19 plus fees. Sunday, Sept. 18, 8pm. Felton Music Hall, 6275 Hwy 9, Felton. feltonmusichall.com.
MONOPHONICS WITH GA-20 AND KENDRA MORRIS The psych-soul outfit Monophonics’ Sage Motel is more than a record; it’s “where big dreams and broken hearts live.” The story begins with a charming motor lodge in the 1940s; by the 1960s, the quaint highway inn has become a safe spot for bohemians to be themselves. Artists, musicians and vagabonds would stop there as seedy ownership pumped obnoxious amounts of money into high-end renovations, eventually attracting some of the most prominent acts of the era. But the Sage Motel devolved into something different when the money ran out. The outfit’s fifth studio album since 2012 is captivating and cinematic. $20/$25 plus fees. Sunday, Sept. 18, 8pm. The Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. catalystclub.com.
BILLY COBHAM’S CROSSWINDS PROJECT There’s a good reason that Billy Cobham was named one of the “25 Most Influential Drummers” by Modern Drummer in 2001. Listen to the percussion throughout Miles Davis’ seminal jazz exploration, Live Evil, and you’ll understand. Or check out the early work of the ’70s jazz fusion supergroup Mahavishnu Orchestra, a period in which Cobham further honed his percussive technique and his own band, Spectrum, a mix of jazz, funk and rock. Since, he’s collaborated with many notables, including the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir. Cobham was also one of the founders of Jazz is Dead. Cobham will be accompanied by keyboardist Scott Tibbs, bassist Tim Landers and guitarist Mark Whitfield. $52.50/$57.75; $29/students. Monday, Sept. 19, 7pm. Kuumbwa, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. kuumbwajazz.org.
SANDRA CISNEROS ‘WOMAN WITHOUT SHAME’ The House on Mango Street has been on nearly every school’s reading list. The author, Sandra Cisneros, is a poet, short story writer, novelist, essayist, performer and artist. She’s won NEA fellowships in poetry and fiction, a MacArthur Fellowship, the National Medal of Arts and more. These days, she’s doing what she does best: write what many of us think but have never said. With Woman Without Shame, Cisneros delivers “bluntly honest and often humorous meditations.” $25-33. Tuesday, Sept. 20, 7pm. Cowell Ranch Historic Hay Barn, 94 Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz. bookshopsantacruz.com.
COMMUNITY
SENDEROS FIESTAS PATRIAS The outside of Santa Cruz City Hall will be transformed! Enjoy folkloric dance, traditional music, authentic food, arts and crafts vendors and a flag ceremony conducted by the Consul General de México-San José. The fiesta marks the commemoration of Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, who initiated the fight for freedom as he made a Grito de Independencia (cry out for independence), sparking the start of México’s battle for Independence from Spain. Free. Saturday, Sept. 17, 1-5pm. Santa Cruz City Hall Courtyard, 809 Center St., Santa Cruz. scsenderos.org.
COMMONGROUND: A FESTIVAL OF PLACE-INSPIRED, OUTDOOR WORK The new biennial festival of place-inspired, outdoor work will be hosted throughout Santa Cruz County, from forested hillsides and historical landmarks. Focused on temporary and performative public art projects in rural, urban and architectural spaces, the 10-day event features site-responsive installations and interventions across the area’s natural and built environments, connecting people, stories and landscapes. Most events are free. Read story. Friday, Sept. 16 through Sunday, Sept. 25. Visit santacruzmah.org for times and exhibit locations.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY FAIR In addition to amusement rides, deep-fried Twinkies and petting zoos, the most beloved event of the year has a lot in store, including Monster Trucks and Motocross, the Gary Blackburn Band, Journey Unauthorized, a Heart tribute band (Heartless), the Country Cougars and Salinas Valley Charros and Escaramusa Charra with Los Reyes De La Banda. $20/adults; $13/seniors; $10/children. Wednesday, Sept. 14-Tuesday, Sept. 20. 2601 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville. Visit santacruzcountyfair.com for times.
GROUPS
WOMENCARE ARM-IN-ARM This cancer support group is for women with advanced, recurrent or metastatic cancer. The group meets every Monday and is led by Sally Jones and Shirley Marcus. Free (registration required). Monday, Sept. 19, 12:30pm. WomenCare, 2901 Park Ave., A1, Soquel. 831-457-2273. womencaresantacruz.org.
OUTDOORS
38TH ANNUAL SANTA CRUZ BODYSURFING CHAMPIONSHIPS Who needs a surfboard when you already have a body that works the waves perfectly? The Santa Cruz Bodysurfing Championships returns to Lagunas this year. The long-running contest features the region’s best bodysurfers and competitors from around the state and Hawaii. Read story. $60/entry. Saturday, Sept. 17, 7:30am. Laguna Creek Beach, Laguna Road, Hwy 1, Davenport. Register at santacruzbodysurfing.org/contest.
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