Sunday April 20th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Apr
20

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.

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JAZZ ON THE ROCKS 5:30 PM -7:30 PM FREE
Apr
22

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.

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Sunday April 27th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Apr
27

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.

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THE HIGH SURF, MONKEY HANDS, 8pm, $10
Apr
30

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.

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HEATHER/NELSON DUO 5:30 to 7:30pm IN THE GARDEN, FREE DINNER SHOW!!!
May
1

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.

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REDWOOD RECORDS PRESENTS: LOS TRANQUILOS, MYSTIC SOULS, DJ EZ LUVA, 8PM, $10
May
1

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

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Sunday May 4th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
May
4

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.

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DIGGIN' TRAILS, TOM V: May 10 @ 8pm, $10
May
10

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

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Sunday May 11th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
May
11

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.

View Event →
JAZZ ON THE ROCKS 5:30 PM -7:30 PM FREE
May
13

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.

View Event →
BOIS ROUGE CAJUN BAND, Friday May 16 @ 9pm, $10
May
16

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.

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Sunday May 18th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
May
18

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.

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TAYLOR KINGMAN, DARRIN HACQUARD, $10, 8PM
May
19

TAYLOR KINGMAN, DARRIN HACQUARD, $10, 8PM

TAYLOR KINGMAN

 Website | Spotify | Instagram

“Dead Birds Wing” Video

“Wanna Be Your Dog” Video


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.



She's Gone

Blenko Glass Palace Session- 3 songs, w/ Jesse Milnes on fiddle

A World Away


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TOPEKA CLEMENTINE, RAINBOW CITY PARK, MORGEN, $10, 9pm
May
21

TOPEKA CLEMENTINE, RAINBOW CITY PARK, MORGEN, $10, 9pm

Topeka Clementine: Taking their namesake from a street corner in their hometown where the magic of simple human kindness can be seen manifest on a weekly basis, Topeka Clementine stays perched between a deep love for the place they were raised, and the searing wanderlust that accompanies the experience of growing up in a port town.  

topekaclementine | Instagram, TikTok | Linktree

Rainbow City Park: Rainbow City Park is a 5-piece indie-rock band from Northern California (Sacramento to San Francisco). The music is in the realm of indie-pop-rock with some of the band's biggest influences including Frightened Rabbit, Pinegrove, Turnover, Phoebe Bridgers, Big Thief, Young the Giant, Julia Jacklin, Third Eye Blind, The Shins, Snail Mail, and others.

Rainbow City Park - Rainbow City Park

Morgen:

morgen :)

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MATTHEW AND THE ATLAS, $16ADV, $20DOOR, 9PM SHOWTIME
May
22

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.

Matthew and the Atlas

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JESSE RAY SMITH, RORY LYNCH, Friday May 23 @ 9pm $15 tickets
May
23

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

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KRANE ALIS, May 24 @ 9pm, $15
May
24

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. 

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Sunday May 25th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
May
25

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.

View Event →
JAZZ ON THE ROCKS 5:30 PM -7:30 PM FREE
May
27

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.

View Event →
PLUM SKIN, THE TREMOLOS, FIELD HOCKEY, Friday May 30 @ 9pm, $10
May
30

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

Plum Skin | Spotify

THE TREMOLOS: surfy punk rock from Monterey.

THE TREMOLOS (@thetremolos) • Instagram photos and videos

FIELD HOCKEY:

Field Hockey (@fieldhockeyfieldhockey) • Instagram photos and videos

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KENTUCKY MULE, Saturday May 31 @ 9pm, $10
May
31

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.

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Wednesday July 16 @9pm TORPEDO, CARLTON MELTON, FUCKWOLF $20 (ticketweb)
Jul
16

Wednesday July 16 @9pm TORPEDO, CARLTON MELTON, FUCKWOLF $20 (ticketweb)

T O R P E D O

Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, torpedo is a noise rock, post-proto punk,

industrial, and psychedelic trio which give itself over to creating a

contrasting and unleashed music, seeking the perfect mixture that will

metamorphose the leaden world into light and sulfurous gold. A slam on the

brakes to avoid hitting the walls and a skid on gravel, riding a shredded

bike at full speed. Can you feel your knees?

The story began in 2016 with a psychedelic and alternative post-punk duo.

Carro Loubère (the howling lyre scratchers) and Jay Liseron (the bass

screed and diabolic rhythmics worker and scraper) have fun weaving songs

like webs around the stars and planets twinkling above the undulating sea.

A beautiful trip with drum machines.

The first Hammer arrived in 2017, followed by a recording session on the

European fringes of stormy Ireland, buffeted by winds and washed by ocean

waves, one February of 2018. The first LP, Sphynx, was released in 2019. A

post-punk and grunge album floating on harsh vocals and raw guitars,

around which the bass dances, accompanied by tireless and heady drums.

It was at this time, just before the album's release, that the second kicker

arrived: Drew Hammer! This was followed by the recording of a new album

entitled Orpheo_ Nebula in 2020. The tracks were recorded live in their

rehearsal space (not much choice at that time...), the band then worked

extensively in the studio to create a form of devastated opera made of

layers, collages, and experiments around six poems with sprawling

references spanning the ages.

Released in 2022, Orpheo_ Nebula received a warm reception from the

media, and the band completed two tours on the American West Coast. In

addition, two singles were released in the meantime, HOPE | DREAM in 2023

and La Mer Ondulée in 2024 - a 4-minutes excerpt from a much longer, yet

unreleased jam...

Today, the band is about to release a gut wrenching third album:

"What the Fucked Do We All Do Now? | - Lights," projecting us beyond the show,

into the rawness of real life, that of you and me in our kitchens, weeping

over a human world that has become unbearable for all the Living.

Toward the essential questioning we all have under our nose. Awaited

that. This album will be released once again on the Californian label

Broken Clover Records on June 21, 2025.

https://torpedo-cyclope.bandcamp.com/

https://www.carltonmeltonmusic.com/

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Sunday April 13th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Apr
13

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.

View Event →
JAZZ ON THE ROCKS 5:30 PM -7:30 PM FREE
Apr
8

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.

View Event →
Sunday April 6th, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Apr
6

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.

View Event →
JAZZ THE DOG: FREE SHOW in the GARDEN! Tuesday April 1 5:30 to 7:30pm
Apr
1

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.

Jazz the Dog | Facebook

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Sunday March 30, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Mar
30

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.

View Event →
Casey Neill and Victor Krummenacher (Camper Van Beethoven)  8pm doors, 9pm show $15
Mar
27

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/

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JAZZ ON THE ROCKS 5:30 PM -7:30 PM FREE
Mar
25

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.

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Sunday March 23, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Mar
23

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.

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Jerry Joseph + Kareeta Doors 8pm, Show 9pm $15 advance, $20 door
Mar
22

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..."

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Tom Conneely and Birds of Paradise &  Milk Thistle  8pm doors, 9pm show
Mar
21

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

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Duff Thompson/Steph Green  8pm doors, 9pm show $20 tickets (on Ticketweb)
Mar
20

Duff Thompson/Steph Green  8pm doors, 9pm show $20 tickets (on Ticketweb)

3/20

$20

Duff Thompson:  Duff Thompson is a songwriter, musician, and producer whose music is a swampy blend of folk, pop, and garage rock. As a songwriter, he has a rare ability to distill emotional complexity into simple, sincere songs that instantly hit the listener on a visceral level. As a producer, he draws from influences that span across decades and genres, merging them into a cohesive and organic sound recognizable as his own.
Thompson's latest work is a dark, alienated, and swaggering duology of albums titled Shadow People and Shadow People II. Created over two weeks of intensive recording during a Montreal heatwave in 2021, the Shadow People series comprise 19 total tracks split across two albums. Thompson rented out the studio space at Sud-Ouest Recording Service and produced and engineered the recordings himself, bringing along with him a 16-track reel-to-reel and songwriter/musicians Steph Green (drums, lap steel, pump organ, vocals) and Kyle Taylor (drums, piano, vocals) as his backing band and assistant engineers. Shadow People also features contributions from Mat Davidson (Twain) on strings, pedal steel, and bass clarinet. Whereas Thompson’s 2020 debut album, Haywire showcased his versatility and folk influences, Shadow People and Shadow People II are a more cohesive collection of songs that push his music further into the world of garage and indie rock. Shadow People was released October 27, 2023, to be followed by Shadow People II on June 28, 2024, out on Mashed Potato Records.
Thompson started out playing music at a young age, forming and playing in bands until 2016, when he shifted focus to being a solo artist. In addition to his own project, he has spent many years recording, and performing as a backing musician for numerous other artists, as well as co-running the DIY label Mashed Potato Records. Along with the October 2023 release of Shadow People, the past year saw Thompson performing across the US, Canada, and in Europe, ending with a six-week co-headlining tour alongside Steph Green, with sold-out dates in numerous major cities in North America.

https://www.duffthompson.com/

Steph Green:  Steph Green's music is for those who fancy the art of songwriting, depicting a lonely world illuminated by strangeness and beauty. Her sound blends elements of folk, dream pop, and indie rock, and her lyrics reveal an affecting and arresting storyteller. A spirit of independence and experimentation characterize Green’s approach to music, with all of her releases featuring her in the roles of producer and multi-instrumentalist.
Green's haunting sophomore album, Lore, is a series of vignettes that immerse the listener in dreams and nightmares of the West. It's a world where the natural and supernatural collide, wailing spirits wander lost highways, and shapeshifting starling murmurations soar overhead of restless loners. Green produced and recorded Lore at home on a 16-track reel-to-reel, and the collection of tales are enveloped by a distinctive and otherworldly sound, with weeping steel guitar, washy organ, and ghostly vocal layering reverberating from a distant dimension. Out now, Lore is a rugged, eerie, and wild homage to both a real and imagined place.
Following the October 2023 release of Lore, Green has been captivating live audiences on co-headline tours across the US and Canada, along with performances in Europe. Green started out as a traveling street musician before the chance acquisition of a cassette 4-track led her to start writing and recording her own songs, and she has since released  two full-length albums (her kaleidoscopic debut album, Thanks for That was released in 2022), and two EPs (2019’s Salt Spring Island Tapes and Spooky Love). In addition to her own project, she has also performed as a backing musician and vocalist for numerous other songwriters over the years, appearing most recently on recordings for Duff Thompson and Dean Johnson.

https://www.stephgreensongs.com/

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Special K and Patti Maxine  On the Patio 5:30 to 7:30pm Free Dinner Show!!
Mar
18

Special K and Patti Maxine On the Patio 5:30 to 7:30pm Free Dinner Show!!


3/18

5:30 - 7:30pm

Special K:  Kay spotlights her style on bringing the audience a unique blend of adult oriented originals mixed with not-so-well-known covers of classic and current influences. Her lyrics take you on a humanistic view of our journey through life. After performing for the last 20 years in Tokyo and Okinawa, Japan she has recently relocated to the vibrant music scene in Santa Cruz, CA.

Patti Maxine:  Lap steel virtuoso and vocal stylist, Patti Maxine has become a household word in Santa Cruz area as well as Hawaiian circles. A musical Swiss army knife, she handles a variety of styles with ease, sliding gracefully from Hawaiian to swing, from R&B and rock, from blues to jazz and back again.  She has played with countless bands, established and up-and-coming musicians and visiting Hawaiian players.   Audiences love her incredible musicianship and unique vocal interpretation along with her comfortable and fun stage presence, and undeniable oneness with her music. She always leaves 'em wanting more.

Her achievements include: World Championship Steel Guitar 1955 (Ohio - age 17!), induction in Sacramento Western Swing Society Hall of Fame in 2011,  Gail Rich award 2017,  San Lorenzo Valley Woman of the Year 2018,  Good Times cover story 2018, and participation as a master player at the Lap Steel Festival on Maui from 2014-2018.

Patti began her lifelong love affair with lap steel guitar and Hawaiian music as a young girl in Roanoke, Virginia studying with lap steel master Elmer Ridenhour. Recognizing her gift, Elmer had her performing after a month of lessons.  Patti has played in Santa Cruz as a solo artist or in collaborations since her arrival in 1970.   Some of the bands include: Smith, Richards and Frye (she changed her name from Patti Smith to Maxine along the way), Sister Star, Saddle Up and Boogie, Word of Mouth, Island Breeze, 'Em two Gurlz,  Sherry Austin with HenHouse, and Jazz the Dog.  She was a familiar figure at Roaring Camp RR for 30 years playing on the General Store porch.  Patti has recorded or performed with artists including John Cruz, Cyril Pahanui, Eddie Kamae, Patrick Landeza, Pipa Pinon, Mary McCaslin, Nina Gerber and Chris Webster, Christie McCarthy, Kingston Trio, Josh Lowe, Tracy Parker, Sharon Allen, Carolyn Sills combo, and most recently Anthony Arya.

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Sunday March 16, 6-9pm in the Garden Grateful Sundays with The Hartle Gold Band $10 at the door
Mar
16

Sunday March 16, 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.

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Redwood Records Presents: Slumberland Records Showcase Featuring: Lunchbox Neutrals Artsick Plus Redwood DJs  $10
Mar
15

Redwood Records Presents: Slumberland Records Showcase Featuring: Lunchbox Neutrals Artsick Plus Redwood DJs $10

LUNCHBOX:  Lunchbox's Tim Brown and Donna McKean have been making records in their Oakland, California basement for two decades, inspired by 1960s/70s AM-radio pop and TV show theme music, punk, C86, and mod à la the Creation and the Jam. From the sonically-inventive indiepop of "The Magic of Sound" (1999) to the dub-influenced psychedelia of "Evolver" (2001) to the critically-acclaimed bubblegum of "Lunchbox Loves You" (2013), the couple have established a sound all their own.

Their new album for Slumberland, "After School Special," finds them at the height of their powers of songcraft and performance. Donna's bass playing stakes out stylistic territory somewhere between Carol Kaye and John Entwhistle while Tim's guitar is equal parts 12-string jangle and clipped Orange Juice-esque funk. Horns by Gary Olson (Ladybug Transistor) and longtime collaborator Jeremy Goody drive the record from beginning to end. Evelyn Davis' delay-drenched keyboards combine with whispers of analog tape feedback to give the record an otherworldly vibe in keeping with its lyrical themes.

There, favorite seasons (autumn) and animals (cats), appear alongside love and death, ghosts and reincarnation. From the shimmering opener "Dream Parade" to the horn-driven mod-pop of "Hide and Seek," the groovy sixties R&B vibe of "I Really Wanna Know" and the haunting male-female vocal stylings of the album-closing title track, the textures shift while the unity of artistic vision remains. Catchy as hell and beautifully packaged, "After School Special" is Lunchbox at their very best.

https://slumberlandrecords.com/catalog/show/345

NEUTRALS:  Dream… or nightmare? That's the underlying question posed on "New Town Dream," the second LP from Bay Area trio Neutrals, as guitarist/vocalist Allan McNaughton's lyrical narratives expand on the world first built on the band's 2022 EP "Bus Stop Nights," offering snapshots of mundane lived realities in the "New Towns" that proliferated in the UK during the '60s and '70s. "New Town Dream" conceptually voices the psychic tension of that era, of being pushed toward the margins and becoming just another cog in a deeply broken machine.

The band's musical touchstones are squarely situated in the timeline of doomed Thatcherism that followed from the late '70s to late '80s. "Wish You Were Here" and "The Iron That Never Swung" jangle with a razor-edged rapid strum to rival The Wedding Present; "That's Him on the Daft Stuff Again" and "Travel Agent's Windows" nod to the Television Personalities' naive, kaleidoscopic mod melodies streaked with cynicism; "Steven Proctor Bus Conductor" slowly unfolds from verses in the dark, rhythm-forward spirit of Josef K to transcendently Pastels-esque pop choruses with sugary-sweet (but slightly deadpan) backing vocals from bassist Lauren Matsui. Perfect C86 sounds for often hellish C24 times!

https://slumberlandrecords.com/catalog/show/376

ARTSICK:  Artsick was formed in June 2018 when Christina Riley was feeling "artsick" and writing songs, but missing the inspiration and excitement of collaborating with her old band, Burnt Palms. Christina played Mario Hernandez (Kids On A Crime Spree, Ciao Bella) a couple of demos and, recognizing that "artsick" feeling, Mario offered to play drums and record some songs at his fully-analog Oakland recording studio. Christina's bass idol, Donna McKean (Lunchbox, Hard Left), who loved the songs and jumped at the chance to help her friends with their "artsickness" and a band was born. The results were a terrific 2018 7" single, which led to some epic pre-COVID shows and a whole batch of new songs.

Recorded over the course of a year with Tim Brown (Lunchbox, Hard Left), Artsick's debut album "Fingers Crossed" is a thrilling, compelling and downright fun record that surveys a vast swathe of indie and indiepop history, from DIY progenitors like Dolly Mixture through the punkier side of C86 (think Talulah Gosh, Fat Tulips) to the 90s K Records-centered International Pop Underground and straight through more recent exemplars like Vivian Girls and Colleen Green. It's all brought to life by Riley's songwriting as she crafts tunes that are as new-sounding as they are timeless, full of melodic twists and sharp, honest lyrics.

A great example is lead-off single "Despise" -- a feedback-laden kiss-off that could be some long-lost punk classic, all handclaps, crunching power chords and attitude. "Ghost of Myself" is unsparingly introspective, a story of internal struggle, self-doubt and ultimately self-belief wrapped in a brilliantly driving pop song. "Dealing With Tantrums" adds some girl-group flavor with it's bouncy bassline and echoed handclaps, while crowd favorite "Stress Bomb" is a bit of hotness worthy of the legendary Tiger Trap. Throughout, the band plays with an ease and infectious energy that can only come from years of friendship and even more years spent in other terrific bands.

https://slumberlandrecords.com/artists/show/176

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BOB LOG III Doors 8pm, Show 9pm $15
Mar
4

BOB LOG III Doors 8pm, Show 9pm $15

3/4

$15

BOB LOG III:  Tucson, AZ-based blues-punk primitive Bob Log III first surfaced a member of the art-noise group Mondo Guano, later serving as one half of the duo Doo Rag. While appearing in support of Ween, Doo Rag percussionist Thermos Malling abruptly quit the tour, leaving Log to finish out the remaining dates as a solo act; wearing his now-trademark motorcycle helmet onstage for protection from crowds, he proceeded to hone a cacophonous, Delta blues-inspired noise distinguished by Latin-styled drum machine beats and vocals processed through telephone microphones. In the summer of 1998, Log signed to Fat Possum to issue his solo debut, School Bus; Trike, the second release in his ongoing "Vehicle Series, " followed a year later.

https://www.boblog111.com/

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JAZZ ON THE ROCKS 5:30 PM -7:30 PM FREE
Feb
25

JAZZ ON THE ROCKS 5:30 PM -7:30 PM FREE

2/25

FREE


Dinner, Drinks, & Live Music at The Crepe Place.
Please come join us on January 24th 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.

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