THE HIGH SURF, MONKEY HANDS, 8pm, $10
THE HIGH SURF is a three piece surf party band. Willy P sings and raps and plays rhythm guitar. Zooker plays lead guitar, Al Pal plays sax, and they both do backup vocals. The songs focus on surfing and partying in Santa Cruz. The vibe is positive. The High Surf mixes rock and funk and country and rap. You won’t really understand the mix until you see the whole set live.
HEATHER/NELSON DUO 5:30 to 7:30pm IN THE GARDEN, FREE DINNER SHOW!!!
Heather Norquist has been singing as long as she can remember. She
has performed at restaurants and cafes throughout Santa Cruz, and
she enjoys singing a wide array of songs including classics from the
swing era, bossa nova, French cafe music and pop classics.
Heather's vocal style is subtle, warm and delicate as she shares
these beautiful songs with her audience.
Nelsen Hutchison is a guitarist, educator, and composer who
regularly performs with luminaries of the gypsy jazz (Hot Club of
SF), swing (Gunhild Carling), and straight-ahead jazz traditions. In
addition to being an active performer, Nelsen also teaches courses
in guitar at Skyline College and is pursuing his PhD in
Cross-Cultural Musicology at the University of California, Santa
Cruz.
REDWOOD RECORDS PRESENTS: LOS TRANQUILOS, MYSTIC SOULS, DJ EZ LUVA, 8PM, $10
LOS TRANQUILOS: Los Tranquilos are a group based out of Nipomo, California. The band line up features Oaxaqueño / Michoacáno brother duo Manny and JJ Martinez, as well as longtime friends Cameron Porter and Richie Guereca. Established in the summer of 2022, Los Tranquilos have been working to create universal yet historical grooves with sounds heavily inspired by 60s/70s romanticas/soul psychedelia from México and all Latin America. LOS TRANQUILOS
MYSTIC SOULS: Mystic Souls - The Band (@the_mystic_souls) • Instagram photos and videos
Mother's Day Sip & Shop May 3rd 11am-3pm
Come enjoy local hand made gift for Mom and the ones who mothered you.
Sunday May 4th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Grateful Sundays at the Crepe Place take place in the beautiful garden. Full meals are available, and the Garden Bar is open for service!
For the past number of years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays". This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.
JAZZ THE DOG, In the Garden, 5:30 to 7:30pm, FREE SHOW!
1/7
FREE - 5:30 to 7:30
Rick Zeek - Guitar, Vocals
Patti Maxine - Lap Steel, Vocals
Rhan Wilson - Guitar, Vocals, Looping
Jazz, the dog. - Mascot, best friend.
Friday May 9 @ 9pm LAPSES, A MILLION MILES AWAY, THE OP $10
LAPSES:
https://www.instagram.com/lapses.music/
https://youtu.be/55q7wl5PX9I?si=Czwh93cyuQzl14Ec
https://open.spotify.com/album/0I3gkqQ8feC1LjSfR7gXO5?si=4z41DDLRTa6crmsJ5rJRMg
A MILLION MILES AWAY:
https://www.ammaband.com/
https://www.instagram.com/amillionmilesaway_band/
THE OP:
https://youtu.be/KWpx8cb_u4c?si=q8DYJMBPNylbnV3G
DIGGIN' TRAILS, TOM V: May 10 @ 8pm, $10
DIGGIN' TRAILS:
Diggin Trails is a five-piece Americana rock n' roll band hailing from Santa Cruz, California. With a diverse lineup of talented musicians, the band blends elements of country, rock, bluegrass and punk to create their unique and captivating sound.
https://www.instagram.com/diggin_trails/
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/diggin-trails/1669130375
TOM V:
One of the best songwriters in the game, Tom VandenAvond
https://www.reverbnation.com/tomvandenavond
Sunday May 11th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Grateful Sundays at the Crepe Place take place in the beautiful garden. Full meals are available, and the Garden Bar is open for service!
For the past number of years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays". This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.
JAZZ ON THE ROCKS 5:30 PM -7:30 PM FREE
5/13
FREE
Dinner, Drinks, & Live Music at The Crepe Place.
Please come join us for the inaugural monthly jazz dinner night at the Crepe Place in Santa Cruz, CA. Join us on the back Patio for two hours of live jazz music performed by local professional musicians to accompany your food and libations.
If you would like to bring an instrument and sit in please contact a house band member ahead of time and be respectful of these Jam Guidelines:
1. The bandstand is a space for communication, respect, and deep learning.
2. As musicians we are here for the music AND the audience, they are our patrons, be sensitive to their listening needs.
3. If there are numerous horn players on stage, please keep solos short to allow room for other musicians to perform.
4. When playing with a vocalist, keep your solos to 1-2 choruses maximum.
5. No I-Real/Real Books on stage. The goal is to come together and play songs we know. Please learn the changes at home and use your ears on stage, not your eyes.
Come for Dinner and Stay for the Magic – StoryTellers @ 7pm in the Bar
Special Singer-Writer interactive
event @ 7pm in the bar. FREE
BOIS ROUGE CAJUN BAND, Friday May 16 @ 9pm, $10
Located down in the Monterey Bayou, the Bois Rouge Cajun Band brings life to the party. With roots in ‘Old Time’ traditional Americana music, Bois Rouge has adapted their musical flavor to the acadian sounds of Louisiana. Inspired by the music of the Balfa Brothers, Canray Fontenot, Dennis McGee, and Amédé Ardoin, Bois Rouge Cajun Band brings an up beat and dance-able set to the Bay area.
Sunday May 18th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Grateful Sundays at the Crepe Place take place in the beautiful garden. Full meals are available, and the Garden Bar is open for service!
For the past number of years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays". This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.
TAYLOR KINGMAN, DARRIN HACQUARD, $10, 8PM
TAYLOR KINGMAN
Between his work fronting TK & The Holy Know-Nothings and his 2017 solo debut Wannabe, Kingman is no stranger to the darkness. But here he transcends the desolate rock bottom, as Hollow Sound whispers, then howls us into that place beyond brokenness where breathing begins again. To listen deeply to these songs is to lay down naked on the wet, unforgiving earth, pushing the ground through your fingers; it is to be soothed by the wholeness of who we are, filth and all. Kingman pulls no punches with his writing, and requires us to listen with the same honesty.
Darrin Hacquard writes songs that connect. He’s funny, tortured, melancholy, and joyous. Sometimes he’s all of these at once. It’s an uncanny gift for empathy. He can see characters for not just what they are, but what they hope to be. His sonic landscapes are as diverse as the lyrical subjects that populate his songs. From Old Time, to Psyche-Rock, to Country & Western, Darrin builds stories in a way that only he can, and tells them with unflinching vision and kindness.
Blenko Glass Palace Session- 3 songs, w/ Jesse Milnes on fiddle
MATTHEW AND THE ATLAS, $16ADV, $20DOOR, 9PM SHOWTIME
MATTHEW AND THE ATLAS: Matthew and the Atlas is an English alternative folk outfit centered around musician Matthew Hegarty, who hails from Aldershot near London. The project initially began as a five-piece band but has since evolved to focus on Matthew Hegarty with supporting musicians. Hegarty also performs with a stripped-back setup during live shows.
At the age of 15, Hegarty taught himself to play the guitar and later joined a band playing heavy alternative rock, drawing inspiration from bands like System of a Down and The Smashing Pumpkins. However, his musical direction shifted when he discovered the works of singer-songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, as well as contemporary acts like Iron & Wine and Sufjan Stevens. This newfound interest in folk music led Hegarty to pick up the acoustic guitar and the banjo, paving the way for him to perform solo acoustic gigs.
During a performance in Woking, Hegarty met pianist Lindsay West and multi-instrumentalist Dave Millar, with whom he formed the initial lineup of Matthew and the Atlas. The band gained recognition as part of the emerging folk movement in the United Kingdom and became regulars at London's Notting Hill Arts Club.
In 2009, Matthew and the Atlas released their first EP on Communion Records, a label co-founded by Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons. Their EP "To the North" was Communion's second release and helped establish the band's following, further bolstered by touring as the opening act for Mumford & Sons. Subsequent EPs like "Kingdom of Your Own" followed.
In 2014, Matthew and the Atlas released their debut full-length album, "Other Rivers," showcasing polished production and the incorporation of keyboards and electronic percussion. For the album "Temple" (2016), the band recorded with members of Foreign Fields and also released an acoustic version of the same songs titled "Temple (Unplugged)."
Over time, the band's lineup solidified, with members like Alex Roberts (guitar), Tommy Heap (bass and keyboards), James Drohan (drums), and Emma Gatrill (harp) joining Hegarty.
Matthew and the Atlas has built a devoted live following in London and has embarked on tours, including a UK tour with Mumford & Sons. The band's musical journey has seen them explore various styles, from classic acoustic folk to electronica and alt-rock, all the while maintaining Hegarty's distinctive vocal style and emotive songwriting.
In 2011, after a band member's departure, Matthew Hegarty decided to return to performing "solo" under the Matthew and the Atlas moniker.
JESSE RAY SMITH, RORY LYNCH, Friday May 23 @ 9pm $15 tickets
Jesse Ray Smith’s smooth baritone rock voice backed by long time writing partner Sean C.Briar’s harmonies and guitar work leads this West Coast Americana soul recharge. The band’stop-notch improvisational abilities and the stellar song-writing make fora live show that is full oflove & power and will keep the audience guessing and leave their soul soaring. Jesse iscurrently nominated for Best Country or Americana Artist at the 2025 San Diego Music Awardsand his latest single, “Santa Ana Winds” is Nominated for Best Country or Americana song aswell. The band’s 2023 album ‘Back to Yesterday’ was produced by Grammy Award winningproducer Tyler Graham Chester (won 2023 Best Folk Album for his work on MadisonCunningham’s ‘REVEALER’) and ‘Back to Yesterday’ was Nominated for the 2024 BestAmericana Album at the San Diego Music Awards
KRANE ALIS, May 24 @ 9pm, $15
Krane Alis is a solo artist from the Bay Area in Northern California. Her sound is a collection of dark bedroom pop mixed with electric synths that makes you want to dance. Her first album Shake What Sticks was self produced and made in her home studio. She finds many of her creative influences from her favorite era, the 80’s, and the synth based sounds that emerged from that time period. David Bowie, Blondie, and Eurythmics are among her favorites, along with many modern influences like LCD Soundsystem, Daft punk, Santigold, and Phantogram.
Sunday May 25th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Grateful Sundays at the Crepe Place take place in the beautiful garden. Full meals are available, and the Garden Bar is open for service!
For the past number of years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays". This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.
JAZZ ON THE ROCKS 5:30 PM -7:30 PM FREE
5/27
FREE
Dinner, Drinks, & Live Music at The Crepe Place.
Please come join us for the inaugural monthly jazz dinner night at the Crepe Place in Santa Cruz, CA. Join us on the back Patio for two hours of live jazz music performed by local professional musicians to accompany your food and libations.
If you would like to bring an instrument and sit in please contact a house band member ahead of time and be respectful of these Jam Guidelines:
1. The bandstand is a space for communication, respect, and deep learning.
2. As musicians we are here for the music AND the audience, they are our patrons, be sensitive to their listening needs.
3. If there are numerous horn players on stage, please keep solos short to allow room for other musicians to perform.
4. When playing with a vocalist, keep your solos to 1-2 choruses maximum.
5. No I-Real/Real Books on stage. The goal is to come together and play songs we know. Please learn the changes at home and use your ears on stage, not your eyes.
MUSIC AND LYRICS BY JOHN MORRIS, 5:30 to 7:30pm IN THE GARDEN!
MUSIC AND LYRICS BY JOHN MORRIS: This show is on our Garden Stage. Feel free to call 831-429-6994 to make a reservation.
John Morris is a well-known lyricist, songwriter, composer, guitarist, and band leader who works in the San Francisco Bay Area. In San Francisco, John began playing guitar with Curtis Lawson and The Unforgettables at the Checkmate Lounge, Dori’s 21 Club at the Embarcadero, and the L&L Cabaret. He became a founding member of both the Holehouse Blues Band and the Broadway Blues Band, and has performed with Sista’ Monica Parker both in concert and on her recordings. John began songwriting at the same time as he began performing professionally, composing for the groups that he played with and having his songs performed live and recorded for commercial release.
He formed two of his own groups: Rhythm Box, an original nine-piece R&B / funk group, and the John Morris Band, an original blues, jazz, and R&B band.
The John Morris Band’s first album Busy on You received international recognition, getting airplay in Europe on the BBC, as well as throughout Australia and the US. After its success, he recorded a second album of original material, entitled American Soul.
PLUM SKIN, THE TREMOLOS, FIELD HOCKEY, Friday May 30 @ 9pm, $10
PLUM SKIN: Plum Skin is rock band based in Santa Cruz, CA and formed in 2022. Debut EP Mesocarp out now.
Lead vocals/rhythm guitar: Milo Schechter Lead guitar: Lili Zheng Bass/vocals: Melina Ramos Drums: Sarah Wild
THE TREMOLOS: surfy punk rock from Monterey.
THE TREMOLOS (@thetremolos) • Instagram photos and videos
FIELD HOCKEY:
Field Hockey (@fieldhockeyfieldhockey) • Instagram photos and videos
KENTUCKY MULE, Saturday May 31 @ 9pm, $10
Kentucky Mule is an alternative country band based in Santa Cruz, California. The vocalist and songwriter, Coleton Joe Tidwell, effortlessly weaves small-town storytelling and metropolitan modernity. This pairs well with an old-school outlaw rhythm section provided by his backing band of Scott Willis (lead guitar), Will Iermini (bass & vocals), Lizzy Smith (fiddle & vocals) & Troy Nadeau (drums). Altogether the band tips it’s cap to the full spectrum of country music while seamlessly blending in their outside influences.
GRATEFUL SUNDAY With MATT HARTLE And The HARTLE GOLD BAND, 6 to 9pm IN THE GARDEN, $10 AT THE DOOR
Grateful Sundays at the Crepe Place take place in the beautiful garden. Full meals are available, and the Garden Bar is open for service!
For the past number of years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays". This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.
JAZZ THE DOG, FREE SHOW IN THE GARDEN, 5:30 to 7:30pm
FREE - 5:30 to 7:30
Rick Zeek - Guitar, Vocals
Patti Maxine - Lap Steel, Vocals
Rhan Wilson - Guitar, Vocals, Looping
Jazz, the dog. - Mascot, best friend.
THE HELLTONES, RIO AND THE SOUP, 9PM, $10
THE HELLTONES: Based out of Oakland, California, The Helltones have been jet-fueling dance floors and soothing desolate souls since 2017. Their signature sound mixes surf, soul, Americana, and early garage rock. Bandmembers include: (L-R above) Kristin McReddie (back-up vocals), Victoria Sepe (vocals and organ), Cairo McCockran (drums), Darwin Siegaldoud (frontman, guitar, and vocals), Nathan Moody (guitar and vocals), and Shane Lawton (bass). Medusa, released in 2023, is their third LP following Lazarus and Poltergeist . They are currently working on their fourth album.
RIO AND THE SOUP: The Soup (@rio.and.the.soup) • Instagram photos and videos
TRIANNA FERUZA & THE HEAVY HITTERS, WET THUD, 8PM, $15
TRIANNA FERUZA AND THE HEAVY HITTERS: This dynamic up-and-coming artist has established home base in the Bay Area. Whether you trace her roots back to her grandfather, Solomon Feldthouse (of U.S. psychedelic rock group Kaleidoscope, played with Leonard Cohen and many others) or the rest of her family, who have been staples within the folk-world music scene. Trianna's upbringing was laden with rich influences. From Balkan jams to Hip-Hop cyphers to Jazz choirs or Flamenco meets, the list of inspiration is diverse to say the least.
WET THUD: Music | Wet Thud
GRATEFUL SUNDAY With MATT HARTLE And The HARTLE GOLD BAND, 6 to 9pm IN THE GARDEN, $10 AT THE DOOR
Grateful Sundays at the Crepe Place take place in the beautiful garden. Full meals are available, and the Garden Bar is open for service!
For the past number of years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays". This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.
JAZZ ON THE ROCKS 5:30 PM -7:30 PM FREE
FREE
Dinner, Drinks, & Live Music at The Crepe Place.
Please come join us for the inaugural monthly jazz dinner night at the Crepe Place in Santa Cruz, CA. Join us on the back Patio for two hours of live jazz music performed by local professional musicians to accompany your food and libations.
If you would like to bring an instrument and sit in please contact a house band member ahead of time and be respectful of these Jam Guidelines:
1. The bandstand is a space for communication, respect, and deep learning.
2. As musicians we are here for the music AND the audience, they are our patrons, be sensitive to their listening needs.
3. If there are numerous horn players on stage, please keep solos short to allow room for other musicians to perform.
4. When playing with a vocalist, keep your solos to 1-2 choruses maximum.
5. No I-Real/Real Books on stage. The goal is to come together and play songs we know. Please learn the changes at home and use your ears on stage, not your eyes.
SQUIRRELS OF WISDOM, FREE SHOW IN THE GARDEN, 5:30 to 7:30pm
SQUIRRELS OF WISDOM: Squirrels of Wisdom was formed when four women came together to perform at a homegrown music festival in 2018. They had such a good time that they’ve been playing together ever since. Their scurry of Squirrels has now grown to six and they’re having more fun than ever! With each band member contributing song ideas, they play an eclectic mix of original songs and rocking covers. The Squirrels of Wisdom are in it for the fun of it and they’ll put a smile on your face and a shake in your tail!
THE HARMED BROTHERS, 9pm, $10
THE HARMED BROTHERS:
The Harmed Brothers’ story can best be traced by the highways and byways of the United States and beyond. From the plains of Ray Vietti’s boyhood home of Missouri, to the hustle and bustle of Alex Salcido’s Los Angeles upbringing, molded in the foothills of North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains and seasoned in the woodsy luster of the Great Northwest and everywhere in between--the Harmed Brothers have most often called the road home.
Over a decade ago, singer/songwriter Ray Vietti first encountered Los Angeles transplant, song-smith and multi-instrumentalist Alex Salcido. The two soon came to recognize each other as kindred spirits in both vision and song, and began creating a universe in which The Harmed Brothers would tell their stories.
The duo recorded and released their independent debut, “All The Lies You Wanna Hear,” in 2010, building the foundation of the Harmed Brothers catalogue with tales of love, loss, hard-drinking and redemption.
The Harmed Brothers’ evolution as songwriters as well as a growing full band shone through in their 2011 sophomore effort, “Come Morning.” Released on Oklahoma City label Lackpro Records, “Come Morning” sways easy with the rhythms of the road and the forlorn waltzes of America’s dimly lit dive bars and dance halls.
By 2013, years of constant cross-country touring led the Harmed duo to St. Louis’ Native Sound Studio. With a full band in tow, they offered their most ambitious work to date, “Better Days”.
Released in late 2013 by Portland, Oregon’s Fluff and Gravy Records, “Better Days” draws themes of personal growth and redemption alongside the hurdles, heartbreaks and mishaps that have always accompanied the traveler in their search for enlightenment. Praised as “honest and inspired, devoid of posturing and pretense,” “Better Days” features some of the Harmed Brothers’ deepest grooves and their most plaintive and enduring tunes.
2017 brought the self-titled LP, “The Harmed Brothers,” quick off the heels of 2016’s “A Lovely Conversation”. Both are ambitious collections of songs new and old, marking the band’s evolution into the indie rock fervor which best describes their sound. Released on Fluff & Gravy Records, the albums together made a statement on how far the Harmed Brothers have come and how high they are willing to leap.
Now, at ten years old, the Harmed Brothers have landed in the river town of Ludlow, Kentucky where they’ve transplanted their sound and rooted themselves into the quaint, art-centric community.
In early 2019, the Harmed Brothers crossed the river into downtown Cincinnati’s historic Herzog Studios to record their fifth LP “Across the Waves” - due out in Spring 2020 on Fluff and Gravy Records. “Across The Waves” is the culmination of the band's decade long journey through themselves, their country and the world around them - a meditation on loss, doom, nostalgia, true love and most importantly, peace and acceptance. From the Friday night urgency of album opener “Skyline Over,” to the weary, existential closure of “Where You’re Going” and album closer “Time,” “Across the Waves” finds the Harmed Brothers at their most mature, confident and adventurous - sharing a unified vision looking back on one incredible decade while looking out to the next.
AUTOS, THE 1981, THE GOODS, 9PM, $10
Autos are stoked to celebrate their debut EP, out this June on Dandy Boy Records, with friends and family at The Crepe Place. Veterans of the Santa Cruz punk/power pop scene, Autos add glam, mod, indie pop, and post-punk elements soaked in a generous wash of chorus. Their music is a beach bonfire celebration of the human spirit that crosses the subcultural arcade to an 80's mall rock beat.
Fellow Dandy Boy Records labelmates The Goods combine big guitars, huge hooks, and sweet British Invasion-style harmonies into
a distinctive power pop tapestry with just enough grit and muscle to balance the sugary sweetness.
Kicking off the party are The 1981, more Dandy fam from Oakland bringing their specific brand of hook-driven indie fuzz pop with moody post-punk synths and jangly guitars.
GRATEFUL SUNDAY With MATT HARTLE And The HARTLE GOLD BAND, 6 to 9pm IN THE GARDEN, $10 AT THE DOOR
Grateful Sundays at the Crepe Place take place in the beautiful garden. Full meals are available, and the Garden Bar is open for service!
For the past number of years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays". This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.
GRATEFUL SUNDAY With MATT HARTLE And The HARTLE GOLD BAND, 6 to 9pm IN THE GARDEN, $10 AT THE DOOR
Grateful Sundays at the Crepe Place take place in the beautiful garden. Full meals are available, and the Garden Bar is open for service!
For the past number of years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays". This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.
JAZZ ON THE ROCKS 5:30 PM -7:30 PM FREE
FREE
Dinner, Drinks, & Live Music at The Crepe Place.
Please come join us for the inaugural monthly jazz dinner night at the Crepe Place in Santa Cruz, CA. Join us on the back Patio for two hours of live jazz music performed by local professional musicians to accompany your food and libations.
If you would like to bring an instrument and sit in please contact a house band member ahead of time and be respectful of these Jam Guidelines:
1. The bandstand is a space for communication, respect, and deep learning.
2. As musicians we are here for the music AND the audience, they are our patrons, be sensitive to their listening needs.
3. If there are numerous horn players on stage, please keep solos short to allow room for other musicians to perform.
4. When playing with a vocalist, keep your solos to 1-2 choruses maximum.
5. No I-Real/Real Books on stage. The goal is to come together and play songs we know. Please learn the changes at home and use your ears on stage, not your eyes.
POI ROGERS, KENTUCKY MULE, $10, 8pm
POI ROGERS: Somewhere in-between the tropical lounges of 1930s Los Angeles and the honky tonk beer joints of rural 1950s California, you'll find Poi Rogers. Hailing from Santa Cruz, CA, the duo performs original and vintage American roots music, with Gerard Egan doubling on acoustic guitar and triple neck steel and Carolyn Sills on standup bass, their timeless harmonies anchoring the show.
Carolyn and Gerard have been nominated for many national awards over the last few years with their other group, The Carolyn Sills Combo, including winning the 2018 and 2024 Ameripolitan Award for Western Swing Group, Carolyn being named the Academy of Western Artists' Western Swing Female Vocalist of 2020 and the couple both being inducted into the Sacramento Western Swing Hall of Fame. Carolyn’s reputation for creative and clever storytelling got her writing published in the 'Lyrics as Poetry' chronicles.
What began as a fun way for the couple to explore the vintage musical styles they love turned into an in-demand touring act, with Poi Rogers ‘accidentally’ playing almost 200 shows since 2023. They will release their debut album, Twilight Blues, in June of 2025, a collection of eight songs that are both cinematic snapshots from Gerard and Carolyn’s life together and witty odes to their antiquated passions.
KENTUCKY MULE is an alternative country band based in Santa Cruz, California. The vocalist and songwriter, Coleton Joe Tidwell, effortlessly weaves small-town storytelling and metropolitan modernity. This pairs well with an old-school outlaw rhythm section provided by his backing band of Scott Willis (lead guitar), Will Iermini (bass & vocals), Lizzy Smith (fiddle & vocals) & Troy Nadeau (drums). Altogether the band tips it’s cap to the full spectrum of country music while seamlessly blending in their outside influences.
BOBCAT ROB, $10, 9pm
Bobcat Rob is a Songwriter / Multi Instrumentalist with a voice likened to honey drizzled over burning coals. His songs are as uplifting as they are haunting, drawing on visceral truths and common threads to weave captivating tales. From quiet to loud, reserved to explosive, each song carries its own weight and settles deep into the listener.
Sea Horse (2022) ventures deeper into a sound Bobcat has been cultivating in recent years involving swimming, sometimes psychedelic guitar and keyboard tones with the backbone of a solid rhythm section, paired with heartfelt honest songwriting, powerful vocals and lush harmonies.
Bobcat recorded 2018’s A Different Horse at Sonoma County’s Prairie Sun Recording Studio, a legendary spot where several notables have made albums throughout the years, including Tom Waits, Iggy Pop and Wu Tang Clan. The storied studio was an ideal place to record A Different Horse, which marks the his first record with a “more electric full band sound.”
The result of Bobcat Rob’s debut with the Nightly Howl is fully realized alt-country with an approach similar to Uncle Tupelo and Old 97’s; it’s loud and rocking with a dose of twang.
At the heart of A Different Horse, “Don’t Run,” “Holding On” and “Doorstep” enter highly personal territory that Armenti delivers with a depth that channel Springsteen’s guttural howls throughout The River and Nebraska. Then there’s “You Can’t Bring a Snake to a Knife Fight,” a delicious, two-minute barn dance instrumental led by a Hammond B3 organ.
GRATEFUL SUNDAY With MATT HARTLE And The HARTLE GOLD BAND, 6 to 9pm IN THE GARDEN, $10 AT THE DOOR
Grateful Sundays at the Crepe Place take place in the beautiful garden. Full meals are available, and the Garden Bar is open for service!
For the past number of years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays". This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.
SILVER LINING SERENADERS, FREE GARDEN SHOW, 5 TO 7PM
SILVER LINING SERENADERS: "A vibrant musical ensemble based in New Orleans, they embrace the city's active trad jazz scene with a repertoire heavy on vintage jazz, swing, and Western swing. This collective of passionate musicians, anchored by violinist Ella Thomasine and guitarist Scott Stobbe, are popular along the Frenchmen Street corridor and beyond, capturing the essence of New Orleans' musical legacy by blending infectious rhythms, soulful melodies, and a jubilant atmosphere that inspires listeners and dancers."
THE JAMISSARIES, $10, 8pm
THE JAMISSARIES: Hit the dance floor at any of the multitude of local venues where The Jamissaries are playing and prepare to bliss out. The Jamissaries pride themselves on bringing forward heartfelt originals and rocking select favorites from the highly danceable jam band playbook. Formed a year and a half ago, The Jamissaries grew out of a group called Arindam & Company to showcase original music composed by singer/songwriter and keyboardist/guitarist Ed Levy, also known as Arindam Krishna Das. He and Ben Lomond’s John Burton, the beloved percussionist who passed away unexpectedly last year, were founding members. “John was a big proponent of my originals and their lyrical and musical content,” Ed said. “Without him there would be no Jamissaries.”
After John left his body an old friend and musical cohort Rob Borella stepped up to the plate, “a phenomenal drum wizard behind his mothership of a drum kit,” as Ed put it. He and Rob worked on quite a few musical projects together when Ed moved to Santa Cruz from his native New York 25 years ago and became a full-time director/music director and producer of countless theatrical productions throughout the county. Ed said, “He played for many of my musical theater projects, among them three different productions of the original live staged version of The Rocky Horror Show, as well as my Grateful Dead tribute band Wheelhouse, which performed regularly at Michael’s on Main and Don Quixote’s, now known as Felton Music Hall.” Rob also sings lead on the band’s covers of classic songs by the Doobie Brothers, The Band, and the Dead.
On lead guitar we have 22-year old wunderkind Alex Bahler, whose fluid playing and ear for exploratory improvisation bring the jams to the next level. Jonathan Kessler, the band’s bassist, is an unparalleled virtuoso on his instrument. Playing a fretless, mounted instrument that seems to float in mid-air, his tone and chops are literally mind-blowing. He also has a soulful baritone voice singing lead vocals on songs by Bill Withers and The Staples Singers, among others.
Playing funked up takes on songs by Cream, The Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, David Bowie, Tenacious D, and more, Ed said that what sets The Jamissaries apart from many of the local cover bands is that half their setlists are original compositions. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and CalArts where he received a full scholarship and majored in Music Performance, Ed said that he fell in love with the ocean, the mountains, the like-minded spiritual people, and the music scene in Santa Cruz. Also a member of the band Love Creek, Ed is inspired to say that the intention of his music is “for us jammers to be emissaries of light, love, dance, bliss, and sweet sticky funky psychedelic rock.”
EL BRICK, $10, 9pm
EL BRICK: El Brick is a rockabilly band based in Santa Cruz, California. This energetic group is dedicated to reviving the classic sounds with a sharp edge.
Tim Knapp on vocals and rhythm guitar, the band delivers catchy tunes filled with charm and charisma.
Mariah Martel captivates audiences with her powerhouse vocals and retro charm, blending classic rockabilly rhythms with a modern twist.
Donny Campion shines on lead guitar, his sick riffs and vibrant solos captures the spirit of rockabilly legends.
Patio Golliher on bass, whose rhythmic lines lay a solid foundation for the band's infectious energy.
Kyle Talty on drums, whose driving beats are reminiscent of rockabilly greats.
With a growing local following and a reputation for electrifying live performances, El Brick is on a mission to bring the rockabilly revival to new heights, one dive bar at a time.
Sunday April 27th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Grateful Sundays at the Crepe Place take place in the beautiful garden. Full meals are available, and the Garden Bar is open for service!
For the past number of years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays". This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.
JAZZ ON THE ROCKS 5:30 PM -7:30 PM FREE
4/22
FREE
Dinner, Drinks, & Live Music at The Crepe Place.
Please come join us for the inaugural monthly jazz dinner night at the Crepe Place in Santa Cruz, CA. Join us on the back Patio for two hours of live jazz music performed by local professional musicians to accompany your food and libations.
If you would like to bring an instrument and sit in please contact a house band member ahead of time and be respectful of these Jam Guidelines:
1. The bandstand is a space for communication, respect, and deep learning.
2. As musicians we are here for the music AND the audience, they are our patrons, be sensitive to their listening needs.
3. If there are numerous horn players on stage, please keep solos short to allow room for other musicians to perform.
4. When playing with a vocalist, keep your solos to 1-2 choruses maximum.
5. No I-Real/Real Books on stage. The goal is to come together and play songs we know. Please learn the changes at home and use your ears on stage, not your eyes.
Sunday April 20th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Grateful Sundays at the Crepe Place take place in the beautiful garden. Full meals are available, and the Garden Bar is open for service!
For the past number of years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays". This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.
Sunday April 13th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Grateful Sundays at the Crepe Place take place in the beautiful garden. Full meals are available, and the Garden Bar is open for service!
For the past number of years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays". This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.
JAZZ ON THE ROCKS 5:30 PM -7:30 PM FREE
4/8
FREE
Dinner, Drinks, & Live Music at The Crepe Place.
Please come join us for the inaugural monthly jazz dinner night at the Crepe Place in Santa Cruz, CA. Join us on the back Patio for two hours of live jazz music performed by local professional musicians to accompany your food and libations.
If you would like to bring an instrument and sit in please contact a house band member ahead of time and be respectful of these Jam Guidelines:
1. The bandstand is a space for communication, respect, and deep learning.
2. As musicians we are here for the music AND the audience, they are our patrons, be sensitive to their listening needs.
3. If there are numerous horn players on stage, please keep solos short to allow room for other musicians to perform.
4. When playing with a vocalist, keep your solos to 1-2 choruses maximum.
5. No I-Real/Real Books on stage. The goal is to come together and play songs we know. Please learn the changes at home and use your ears on stage, not your eyes.
Sunday April 6th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Grateful Sundays at the Crepe Place take place in the beautiful garden. Full meals are available, and the Garden Bar is open for service!
For the past number of years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays". This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.
JAZZ THE DOG: FREE SHOW in the GARDEN! Tuesday April 1 5:30 to 7:30pm
R H A N W I L S O N - Jazz The Dog
Though we may have a set list in mind, we play to those present; in the moment; and to the physical size of the room.
We strive to create a musical "space" - that magical ambience where the sound is perfect and we are free to connect with our listeners. It is in that space that we can best express ourselves and respond to those who are tuned in.
Animated, funky, and lively at times - we like to go deep, too.
Sunday March 30, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Grateful Sundays at the Crepe Place take place in the beautiful garden. Full meals are available, and the Garden Bar is open for service!
For the past number of years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays". This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.
Return To Nagoya, Surfsquatch, Beast @ 8pm doors, 9pm show $10
RETURN TO NAGOYA: The California rockers take their heavy psych to the next level by way of widescreen scale, captivating riff-offs, and smoky production.
https://returntonagoya.bandcamp.com/track/die-over-again-version-1
SURFSQUATCH: Fending Off Sharks And Sirens Since 2019.
https://surfsquatch.bandcamp.com/
BEAST
Casey Neill and Victor Krummenacher (Camper Van Beethoven) 8pm doors, 9pm show $15
3/27
$15
We are delighted to welcome Casey Neill, who released another terrific band record (Sending Up Flares) with the Norway Rats in 2023 and a beautiful solo one (time zero land) this year. He's been busy. And that's not all, he's bringing Camper Van Beethoven founding member Victor Krummenacher with him. They will be trading songs and playing along with each other. Krummenacher left his latest Silver Smoke of Dreams when he visited the basement last year with Eyelids. It hasn't gone far from the CD player since. This one is a no-brainer.
Victor Krummenacher: Victor Krummenacher is a co-founder of the bands Camper Van Beethoven and Monks of Doom and a songwriter who has released 11 albums. Krummenacher is also part of the collective The Third Mind with Dave Alvin, David Immerglück, Michael Jerome and Jesse Sykes. He currently resides between Portland, Oregon and Riverside, California.
As a recording artist, Krummenacher has been active for more than 40 years and has worked with numerous artists including Cracker, Chrlie Parr, Eyelids, M. Ward, The Minus Five, Steve Barton, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Camper Van Chadbourne (with Eugene Chadbourne) as well as Two Heads (featuring John Moremen, DJ Bonebrake and Willie Aron), Mushroom, Magnet, and Robi Del Mar.
Krummenacher has pursued a solo career as a singer-songwriter since 1994. His tenth solo album, “Silver Smoke of Dreams,” was released in 2021. A compilation of archival material, “If The Devil Gives Me House and Home” was released on September 27, 2024 and a new collection of songs “Block Out The Sun” will be released in 2025.
Other recent projects include the album “A Colossal Waste of Light” by Eyelids, on Jealous Butcher, and the sophomore album from The Third Mind, simply entitled “2”, as well as a live release from The Third Mind entitled Live Mind, available on Feb. 14, 2025.
https://victorkrummenacher.com/
Casey Neill: A prolific songwriter and road warrior since the late 1990s, Neill tours throughout the USA, Japan, and Europe performing at venues such as Town Hall in New York, Bumbershoot, and the Newport Folk Festival. American roots and Scots/Irish-folk influences have often underscored his songwriting and solo material. Sending Up Flares also hints at a European influence, with songs that channel everything from the cinematic sweep of golden-era U2 to the dark, complex alt-rock of PJ Harvey. A four-piece string section (Bizarre Star, arranged by Kyleen King) adds a symphonic punch to “How Beautiful Am I?,” the album’s tribute to Marianne Faithfull. Synths, stacked vocal harmonies, and burbling electronics run throughout “Fall Into Forever,” bringing to life the song’s bizarre storyline involving a Tokyo typhoon, Dante’s Paradiso, and pop star Britney Spears. Together, these 11 songs shine new light on a band who, after more than a dozen years together, have arrived somewhere singular and startlingly unique. “
https://www.caseyneill.com/
JAZZ ON THE ROCKS 5:30 PM -7:30 PM FREE
3/25
FREE
Dinner, Drinks, & Live Music at The Crepe Place.
Please come join us on March 25th for the inaugural monthly jazz dinner night at the Crepe Place in Santa Cruz, CA. Join us on the back Patio for two hours of live jazz music performed by local professional musicians to accompany your food and libations.
If you would like to bring an instrument and sit in please contact a house band member ahead of time and be respectful of these Jam Guidelines:
1. The bandstand is a space for communication, respect, and deep learning.
2. As musicians we are here for the music AND the audience, they are our patrons, be sensitive to their listening needs.
3. If there are numerous horn players on stage, please keep solos short to allow room for other musicians to perform.
4. When playing with a vocalist, keep your solos to 1-2 choruses maximum.
5. No I-Real/Real Books on stage. The goal is to come together and play songs we know. Please learn the changes at home and use your ears on stage, not your eyes.
Sunday March 23, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Grateful Sundays at the Crepe Place take place in the beautiful garden. Full meals are available, and the Garden Bar is open for service!
For the past number of years, Matt has hosted the highly successful series "Grateful Sundays". This ongoing residency has attracted the finest musicians in the Grateful Dead music genre. While constantly in-demand as a stage and session player throughout the Bay Area, Hartle is also a founding member and musical linchpin of no less than four, Santa Cruz-based bands: Shady Groove - the funky blues, jazz-rock and R&B outfit (a Bay Area favorite going strong since 2001); Painted Mandolin - an acoustic quartet featuring multi-instrumental wizard Joe Craven, of The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band and David Grisman Quintet; Spirit of 76 - a premier collection of Grateful Dead players, focusing on the jazzy, mid-'70's incarnation of the Dead; and Matt is also renowned as the firebrand lead guitarist of The China Cats, the highly respected Grateful Dead tribute act, a Bay Area favorite.
Jerry Joseph + Kareeta Doors 8pm, Show 9pm $15 advance, $20 door
Jerry Joseph Bio
Jerry Joseph is a musician who lives in Portland Oregon, but he’s often gone. He’s been inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame but is still rather obscure to a lot of people. He plays well over 150 shows a year in the usual places. Across America. Sometimes in Europe,
Mexico, and Central America. Then there’s these other places he plays—Lebanon, Israel, Kurdish Iraq, India, and Afghanistan. All over the Middle East, often in war zones and refugee camps. In addition to his touring, Jerry has set up a non-profit called Nomad Music Foundation that acts as a sort of School of Rock for displaced teenagers in areas of conflict. So far, he has taken guitars and taught lessons in camps in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Sulaymaniyah and Dahuk, both in Kurdish Iraq. These life-changing missions have been written up in Rolling Stone, Relix, and PBS News Hour. Oh yeah, and he’s really fucking great. A triple threat—someone who works at the highest levels as a songwriter, singer, and player. Jason Isbell, who kinda personifies such, recently tweeted about triple threats and listed Jerry Joseph (along with Richard Thompson and St. Vincent) among the greatest examples of that phenomenon. Most likely, if you know who Jerry is, you agree, but there’s also a big chance that you don’t. His talent, drive, work ethic, amazing body of work, and flat out badass-ness make him one of the most underrated and tragically overlooked artists alive today. He deserves better, and I’m hoping to help shine a light on who and what Jerry Joseph is and why you should listen to what he’s doing and saying. First off, there’s the body of work. Jerry Joseph has been playing shows and making records since the 80s, first in a band called Little Women that at one point looked destined to be huge, but this is a crazy business and sometimes things just don’t go as planned. By the 90s Jerry was struggling with addiction while also creating the beginnings of a vast body of work as a solo artist and burning up the road backed by a mighty band called The Jackmormons. They built a considerable following in the great Northwest. Many of Jerry’s songs were recorded by the band Widespread Panic, and there are many people who know of Jerry through that connection. Later, after getting clean,
Jerry toured and made some albums as part of Stockholm Syndrome, a sort of supergroup he formed with Panic bassist David Schools, who
himself is an incredible musician. Much of Jerry’s following in the so-called jam band circles is through his affiliation with these bands.
Musical taste is a funny thing. People who are into one or another genre of music often don’t pay much attention to musicians who fall outside of those forms. The age of streaming and the internet have broadened things considerably, but there is still a form of segregation that occurs across various boundaries, often accompanied by derision for stylistic forms outside certain circles. I have spent much of my life rebelling against this way of listening, while sometimes still being as guilty as anyone about this exact thing. I’ve always been drawn to songwriters and the writerly aspects of music, and with some glaring exceptions, there has always been a disconnect between the so-called jam music scene and the so-called
singer/songwriter genre. The fact that Jerry is a writer’s writer who has been mostly known in “jammy” circles has always made him
somewhat an anomaly. I have also always been partial to punk rock, yet there has always been a wall separating punk bands from jam bands, even though Black Flag, The National, Sonic Youth, and many of the legendary punk bands through the years have always proclaimed themselves massive Grateful Dead fans. I know Jerry Joseph to be a die-hard fan of all kinds of music across many genres, and there have been seeds of those many genres in most of his many records. Underneath it all, to me, he’s always been a punk rocker at the core. Jerry, to me. is a cult figure who could, in some alternate reality, have easily been one of the biggest stars in the world. One of the greatest live performers I have ever seen and long one of my favorite songwriters. I can’t hear the chorus of San Acacia without picturing Jerry singing it in front of 100,000 screaming fans, in a soccer stadium in Brazil. In the pouring rain. With everyone singing along.
_Essay by Patterson Hood_
Kareeta rose from the swamps and southern delta heat during the uncertain Spring of 2020. Emerging as a fully formed amalgamation of
the music that shaped its core, the band assembled in California and recorded their debut LP in Oakland with producer and musician Greg Loiacono (Mother Hips, Green Leaf Rustlers) at the controls. The music is an all-night drive pushing you deeper into the dial with broken
characters and stories of red sky redemption silhouetting every ache. Kareeta's second album was recorded at Spacecamp, deep in the Northern
California redwoods. Greg Loiacono returns as producer, with Dave Schools joining the band on bass, Jason Reed at the board, and acclaimed songwriter Jerry Joseph sitting in as a special guest on the title track. Kareeta continues to play some of the top clubs in the West. "Kareeta’s sophomore record, Freeway Junkie Queen is an album that anyone that listens and enjoys Widespread Panic needs to check out not because it sounds just like WSP but it certainly shares similar sensibilities. In fact, Dave Schools plays bass on the album and Jerry Joseph has a guest spot on backing vocals as well. Beyond that, the overall sound of the record drips of the Dirty South in a way that belies the band’s California roots..."
Tom Conneely and Birds of Paradise & Milk Thistle 8pm doors, 9pm show
3/21
Tom Conneely and Birds of Paradise: Tom Conneely & Birds of Paradise are a San Francisco based band that released their first record “Cappuccino Springs” in the fall of 2022. The band followed up with the home-recorded “Sun Child” less than a year later, and has toured throughout the west coast, from Los Angeles to Portland to Boise and many places in between, including a recent performance at Offbeat Festival in Reno. The Birds are led in collaboration between guitarist and vocalist Tom Conneely and bassist Alois Cerbu, home-recording and engineering both “Sun Child” and their forthcoming record “New Kind Palace.”
“New Kind Palace” is Tom Conneely & Birds of Paradise’s second full length album, though in many ways, it might as well be the first. The release of the “Sun Child” EP in September 2023 marked a radical shift in both substance and form, as the desire for perfection and clarity was abandoned for muddled drum machines and lyrics that dealt with the painfully obvious facets of life. “New Kind Palace” builds on the foundations of “Sun Child” - drawing on its hissy intimacy while exceeding its through line, balancing tactile analog qualities with inventive electronic elements all while retaining an impressionistic lyrical focus against the trance-like qualities reminiscent of Arthur Russell and the lo-fi melodic guitars of The Cleaners of Venus.
After a false starts in ill-fitting studios, the ten songs of “New Kind Palace” were recorded in a variety of bedrooms and makeshift spaces that belay the music’s homespun qualities and intimacy. The recording and production process was entirely one of self-discovery, as handing off the various parts of the production process, from tracking to mixing and mastering, became untenable with retaining the honesty the work required. Mostly tracked to quarter inch tape, the music that constitutes “New Kind Palace” is a testament to self-discovery and trust in one’s self, while uncovering and facing head-on the simultaneous hysteria and transcendence of our inner worlds.
"New Kind Palace" by Tom Conneely & Birds of Paradise will be released by Kestrel Records on March 21, 2025.
https://tcandbop.com/
Milk Thistle: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz6XJOFelgsMChubs1EmcSg