Show time: 7:00 PM, doors 6:00 PM
Tickets: $76
Advance tickets: www.pulseproductions.net
Artists website: www.michaelfranti.com
A virtuosic four-piece that’s taken the progressive bluegrass world by storm, AJ Lee & Blue Summit came together as teenagers in the fertile California festival scene, cutting their teeth at campsite jams and parking lot picking sessions before landing their first gigs at bars and cafes around Santa Cruz. After a pair of widely lauded self-released LPs, the group landed a deal with Signature Sounds for their label debut, City Of Glass, which earned rave reviews and led to festival slots everywhere from Telluride and Merlefest to High Sierra and RockyGrass, where their standout set prompted Rolling Stone to declare that “the band can seamlessly weave from bluegrass to country to western swing to folk-rock, with the powerhouse vocals of Lee as the core.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $42
Advance tickets: www.folkyeah.com
Artists website: www.bluesummitmusic.com
Drop in on Warren Miller's 77th annual film and follow host Katie Burrell as the world's best athletes show you what they do on their days off—no agenda, no competition, just pure, unscripted joy across Alaska, Japan, Deer Valley, Chamonix, and Canada’s best. Tickets for Warren Miller’s Days Off are on sale now. Learn more at warrenmiller.com.
Show time: 5:00 PM, doors 4:00 PM
Tickets: $25
Advance tickets: www.events.humanitix.com
Event website: www.warrenmiller.com
Join us at the historic Rio Theater for a special screening of Freehub PRESENTS: A Mountain Bike Film Festival with prizes, cold drinks, new films, and good company!
Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship (SCMTS) is proud to host this stop on the tour at the historic Rio Theatre — a chance to reconnect with the Santa Cruz cycling community, meet the filmmakers behind the films, and celebrate everything that makes riding here, in the Santa Cruz Mountains, special.
Show time: 5:00 PM, doors 4:00 PM
Tickets: $20 Gen, $40 Gold Circle
Advance tickets: www.act.santacruztrails.org
Event website: www.act.santacruztrails.org
Moe's Alley presents the Rolling Together Revue featuring Donavon Frankenreiter + The Band Of Heathens live at The Rio Theatre!
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm
$40 in advance / $45 day of the show / $55 for Gold Circle
All Ages
* Tickets on sale Friday, July 31st at 10am PT *
* No Refunds | All sales are final
* Avoid scammers! Only purchase tickets from moesalley.com or ticketweb.com
* Tickets requested by email will be delivered 3 days prior to the event
* Will Call tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event
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DONAVON FRANKENREITER
For nearly two decades Donavon Frankenreiter has been traveling the globe, first as a professional surfer and now as a musician. Born in Southern California, Donavon spent most of his youth chasing waves, turning pro at the age of 16.
These days instead of surf competitions, it’s concert halls that bring Frankenreiter to town, where he entertains audiences with his unique blend of laid-back grooves, philosophical lyrics and soulful delivery.
This year, Frankenreiter is releasing his first studio in 9 years, out September 20, 2024. The album, entitled Get Outta Your Mind, marks the 20 year anniversary of his self-titled debut album.
THE BAND OF HEATHENS
For the past two decades, Austin’s The Band of Heathens have been ahead of the curve. Whether that’s through incisive lyrics or a sound they crafted that’s become mainstream, the group of troubadours has been steadfast in their truth. On the band’s upcoming album, titled Country Sides, The Band of Heathens takes a look back at their career with gratitude and great satisfaction.
Formed in 2005, the Heathens broke into the public consciousness in 2009 with their heartfelt blend of country and rock, including memorable performances at Austin City Limits on PBS and the Austin City Limits Festival. Since then, members have come and gone, but principal songwriters Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist give the band its collective focus and provide the DNA to the songs beloved by folks around the globe.
For a band that’s accomplished so much and on their own terms, the approach for this album was natural and felt right. The themes addressed on this album, such as the reflective, contemplative nature of the lyrical matter, led to questions like "What’s next?" As always, The Band of Heathens is debating what that future looks like. It certainly includes more music and touring. But, in what fashion? Not even they know. That said, their music continues to live on. Look no further than the success of 2011’s “Hurricane. Nearly 15 years later, the song went gold and has since been certified platinum, showcasing the band’s resonant sound. And, at this point in their career, they’re perfectly content with what they’re doing.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $40 Gen, $55 Gold Circle
Advance tickets: www.ticketweb.com
Event website: www.moesalley.com
Mountainfilm on Tour brings a selection of culturally rich, adventure-packed and inspiring documentary films curated from the Mountainfilm festival in Telluride, Colorado. The tour will visit the Rio Theatre on November 14th with films that explore themes connected to Mountainfilm’s mission of using film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world. This year's screening will present the Adventure playlist.
Mountainfilm on Tour in Santa Cruz has been hosted at the Rio Theatre since 2016. While presenting an inspiring film collection, the show is also an opportunity to support Second Harvest Food Bank as they kick off their Holiday Food Drive. Every ticket purchased, along with beer sales (provided by Sante Adairius Midtown Portal) will share a portion of revenue with this organization.
JAUNT
In a stark warehouse office, Justice is weighed down by deadlines. But every day for one hour, he trades spreadsheets for speed and hits the trails.
PRESSURE DROP: VALDEZ
From Norway to Jackson Hole, TGR's 30th annual film follows the world's top skiers and snowboarders through deep powder and iconic lines.
RUN IN BEAUTY
Alexandria Staten (Diné) grew up distant from her roots. Through the Western States 100, she reclaims her culture by running in ceremony.
FINDING FLOW
Christopher Blevins navigates elite short-track mountain bike racing and the pursuit of flow, using water as a metaphor for ambition.
HAMM!
Lindsey Hamm found her calling as a mountain guide at 25. With mentor and best friend Katie Lambert, she heads to Yosemite for the hardest free-climbing project of her climbing career.
RIGHT TO RISK
At the Adaptive Climbers Festival in the Red River Gorge, three climbers foster community, climb hard and embrace their fundamental right to risk.
CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE
STRATA
On the Maltese island of Gozo, skateboarding leaves its urban context and becomes a means of relating to tide-sculpted limestone and lunar geography
GOOD LUCK, KID
Emerging photographer Taylor Shaffer joins Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell on a 2,500-mile push into Alaska's Tongass National Forest, leaping from student to storyteller.
CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE
EVENING IN CHILE
Colorado freeskier Bobby Brown and crew head south for the first mission of the season. The highlight reel from five days of skiing in Chile.
Show time: 7:00 PM, doors 6:00 PM
Tickets: General admission $22 plus fees and Student Price $10 plus fees
Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com
Event website: www.mountainfilm.org
Join Visualizing Abolition at the Rio Theatre for a screening of TCB – The Toni Cade Bambara School of Organizing, followed by a conversation with one of the film’s directors and producers, Louis Massiah and UCSC professor, Gina Dent.
TCB – The Toni Cade Bambara School of Organizing (2025, 105 minutes) is a biography of the influential writer, filmmaker and cultural worker, who with humor and deep insight, inspired a generation of artists to dedicate themselves to community empowerment. The film is structured as a series of lessons on cultural organizing, gleaned from Bambara’s life and shared by her friends, colleagues and students.
Show time: 6:00 PM, doors 5:00 PM
Tickets: FREE
Advance tickets: www.ucsc.edu
Event website: www.tcbdoc.com
A heart-opening evening of community and song
Join us for Yala Lati's 21st annual concert at Santa Cruz's historic Rio Theatre and on Zoom!
Since 2005, Yala Lati has uplifted the heart of our community through soulful songs and transcendent harmonies under the artistic direction of Heather Houston. A beloved Santa Cruz song leader, recording artist, and vocal empowerment coach, Houston has spent more than two decades bringing people together through the transformative power of singing.
This year, Yala Lati welcomes Women Rise Choir, Houston's new community choir. Eighty voices strong, Women Rise will join Yala Lati for seven songs, bringing a powerful new dimension of harmony to the celebration.
Special guest Melanie DeMore, an internationally renowned vocal artist, composer, and song leader, will bring her extraordinary voice, original music, storytelling, and body percussion to an evening of connection across generations and cultures.
Together, these artists will fill the Rio Theatre with soulful, uplifting, rhythmically rich music that celebrates our shared humanity. Come experience the transformative power of community singing and an evening that leaves hearts open and spirits lifted.
Show time: 7:00 PM, doors 6:00 PM
Tickets: $27 gen, $47 Gold Circle
Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com
Event website: www.heatherhoustonmusic.com
For over a decade, John Craigie has made music that brings people in, not with spectacle but with sincerity and songs that feel like conversations.
His new album I Swam Here, out February 6, 2026 on Zabriskie Point Records, was written and produced by Craigie and recorded between New Orleans and Astoria. Seven tracks were cut at Deslonde St Studios with musicians handpicked by Sam Doores of The Deslondes, including Howe Pearson, Max Bien Khan, Jonny Campos, and a guest appearance from Desiree Cannon. Longtime collaborator Anna Moss appears across much of the record. The remaining tracks were finished at the Rope Room in Astoria, carrying over the same spirit and palette. The cover art, painted by Brittany Schall, nods to the design of mid century samba and jazz records.
The album’s singles trace the path of its making. “Fire Season,” engineered by Bart Budwig, was one of the first songs written and features Cooper Trail, Nevada Sowle, Luke Ydstie, and Jamie Greenan. “Dry Land” was reworked in Astoria after early New Orleans sessions didn’t feel right. “Edna Strange,” inspired by Marty Robbins, is the only track where Craigie plays steel string acoustic, with Max Bien Khan on nylon string leads and a trio vocal arrangement in place of Moss’s harmonies.
Following 2024’s Pagan Church with TK & The Holy Know-Nothings, which spent six weeks at #1 on the Americana Albums chart, I Swam Here feels both expansive and intimate, shaped by the musical history of the Gulf Coast and the stillness of the Pacific Northwest.
Craigie remains a tireless live performer, touring throughout the U.S., Europe, and Australia, appearing at festivals like Newport Folk, Pickathon, Edmonton Folk Festival, and High Sierra, and sharing the stage with artists such as Langhorne Slim, Sierra Hull, Gregory Alan Isakov, Brett Dennen, and Jack Johnson. His annual #KeepItWarm Tour donates $1 from every ticket sold to regional nonprofits, and his John Craigie On The River trips on the Tuolumne and Rogue rivers have become cherished gatherings for fans.
I Swam Here is a grounded, collaborative step forward, blending New Orleans grit with Pacific Northwest quiet, and showing a songwriter still widening the world of his music.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: P1 Reserved - $64.50, P2 Reserved - $49.50, P3 Reserved - $39.50
Advance tickets: www.etix.com
Event website: www.johncraigie.com
It’s been two years of playing it cool and I don’t mean in the jazz sense of the word – that would be more than we could dream of. These are crazy, how-low-can-we-go-times and Sandy doesn’t like that vibe! But she’s rising to the occasion, even when she’s CaughtOffGuard, which is on a daily basis.
If you like staying high, getting carried away on perfumed breezes... or if your setting is continental, a little sentimental, then Sandy is your girl. She’s there to guide you through these treacherous times, with a groove, beat and style you’ve become accustomed to.
Just when you think you can’t take it anymore, grab a seat for the one and only Sandy B. Maybe it won’t change the planet but it sure will elevate the conversation.
Show time: 7:00 PM, doors 6:00 PM
Tickets: $60 Gen, $78 Gold Circle
Advance tickets: www.pulseproductions.net
Event website: www.sandrabernhard.com
For over 30 years, Teton Gravity Research has defined ski and snowboard filmmaking. Join us for the 2026 film, featuring world-class athletes, breathtaking cinematography, and the biggest mountain adventures of the year.
Show time: 7:00 PM, doors 6:00 PM
Tickets: $25
Advance tickets: www.etongravity.myeventscenter.com
Event Website: www.tour.tetongravity.com
“Richman is one of America’s most unique and dynamic songwriters…” – Nashville Scene “Richman didn’t need much else besides a beat to work his magic.” – New York Daily News
“Buy tickets early. Buy tickets often. This is just good general life advice, but even more so when you’re talking about Jonathan Richman. Don’t get denied at the door, don’t leave things up to chance: You will regret it.” – Nashville Scene
“Rhymes worthy of Ogden Nash.” – The New York Times
“Richman has spent decades removing barriers between himself and his audience, cultivating an intimacy that is almost extinct in modern music.”- Nashville Scene
“As of a few years ago, I was going to just play theaters, cabarets and such, but we ended up by mistake at the Zebulon in Los Angeles and had such a fine time that those kind of shows have to happen too. So, you might see us nowadays in theaters, cabaret-style places, or the right club or bar. The theaters have the best sound, usually, and under-21s can get in, but in the clubs people can dance and get close in to ya, like we like. We’ll keep trying things.”
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $42
Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com
Artists Website: www.jonathanrichman.bandcamp.com
The Wooten Brothers’ first public performance occurred in Hawaii in 1966 and established their identity as prodigies. Since then, Victor Wooten and the Wooten Brothers (brothers Regi, Roy, and Joseph) have racked up ten GRAMMY wins, and twenty-six nominations. The youngest of the family, Victor, the brother who learned from all his older brothers, has been named one of the ten greatest bass players of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine.
As a family band, they are second to none. The Brothers' music bends and defines genres; amplifies centuries, and spans continents. The Wooten Brothers began playing R&B before expanding to jazz, jazz fusion, classical, and country. They emerged in 1985 on Arista Records with their release, The Wootens, combining electronic music, funk, soul, disco, and boogie – offering only a sliver of the Wooten whole. The Wooten whole is all of that…and classical, and jazz, and country, and rock-and-roll.
Connecting a musically deep past to a musical future, The Wooten Brothers build bridges across genres. Bar by bar, in live performances and on recordings, they provide an exhilarating ‘connects-you-to-the-center-of-the-universe’ sound.
Show time: 7:30 PM, doors 6:30 PM
Tickets: $46.62 Gen, $69.93 Gold Circle
Advance tickets: www.kuumbwajazz.org
With cheerfulness and wit, the natural storyteller has endured the decades. The familiar, decent characters of Lake Wobegon will undoubtedly be woven in to the evening, along with a limerick or two, and communal singalongs to lift the spirits.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $45 Gen, $65 Gold Circle
Advance tickets: www.pulseproductions.net
Event website: www.garrisonkeillor.com/
A global artist in every sense of the word, Jesse Cook redefines music’s power to connect people across cultures and continents.
Over the last three decades, the Paris-born, Toronto-raised master of the Spanish guitar has built a devoted following for his spellbinding rumba flamenco, routinely selling out performance halls from London to Los Angeles,
Milan to Montreal.
On stage, Cook radiates infectious energy, collaborating with his band and guest instrumentalists to craft immersive, unforgettable experiences. His concerts are celebrated for their warmth, precision, and emotional depth. Throughout his decades-long career, Jesse Cook has remained devoted to musical exploration. His boundary-defying artistry has introduced flamenco and world music to wider audiences while maintaining a signature style that is both technically masterful and soulfully expressive.
That authenticity has clearly resonated—with over a billion streams and views across platforms to date—proving his sound remains as relevant as it is revered.
Show time: 7:30 PM, doors 6:30 PM
Tickets: $29.50
Advance tickets: www.ticketmaster.com
Artists website: www.jessecook.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/jessecookhq
Bio: Trae Crowder first gained international attention (or notoriety depending on your politics) in 2016 for his hugely viral series of “Liberal Redneck” comedic “porch rant” videos. Since then, Trae has written a best-selling book, The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin Dixie Outta The Dark, toured the country thrice over playing sold out theatre shows under the WellRED Comedy Tour banner, appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO), Nightline (ABC), The View, Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell (MSNBC), NPR, WTF with Marc Maron, MTV, CNN, Huffington Post and in the Veronica Mars reboot, as “Chattanooga Charlie”, among many others.
Initially from rural Celina, TN, Trae now lives in Los Angeles, CA and has developed and sold five scripted pilots for Warner Bros TV, ABC, and FOX and continues to work as a writer. Trae stars in and produces regular sketches for Comedy Central, Funny or Die, ATTN, Facebook Watch, New York Daily News which have garnered tens of millions of views online. Crowder also co-wrote and produced an hour-long documentary titled Inherent Good, featuring Crowder and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang,
about universal basic income. Additionally, Trae co-hosts the hugely popular “WellRED,” “Evening Skews” and “Puttin’ On Airs” podcasts. His debut 30-minute standup comedy special was taped in 2021 in Nashville, TN and his latest full-length special “Trash Daddy” is available now on YouTube. He also continues to rant and rave on the internet to the mostly-delight of his lovely fanbase.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $25 / $35 / $50
Advance tickets: www.etix.com
Eagles Fans, don’t miss “Take It To The Limit” — An Unforgettable Live Concert Experience is returning to the Rio Theatre on February 4, 2027 @ 7 pm!
Some music doesn’t just define an era—it becomes part of people’s lives.
The songs of the Eagles are woven into decades of memories for millions of listeners: long drives with the windows down, summer nights, road trips that seemed endless, quiet moments of reflection, and shared singalongs that stay with you long after the music ends.
A world-class live concert experience celebrating the music of the Eagles.
Now, that music is brought vividly to life on stage in an unforgettable live concert experience.
“Take It To The Limit – The Music & Legacy of the Eagles” is a powerful celebration of one of the most iconic bands in rock history, delivering the unmistakable sound, soaring harmonies, and masterful musicianship that defined a generation.
From Hotel California and Take It Easy to Desperado, Lyin’ Eyes, Heartache Tonight, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Take It To The Limit, and more, audiences are taken on a journey through one of the greatest songbooks in rock music—performed with precision, heart, and deep respect for the original recordings.
Across North America, audiences have responded with standing ovations and heartfelt praise:
🌟“If you closed your eyes you would swear you were listening to the Eagles.”
— John Nelson, Sacramento, CA
🌟“Two plus hours of solid entertainment… outstanding musicianship, harmonies and audience engagement.”
— John Wenek, Ottawa, ON
🌟“One of the best I’ve seen! Everything from sound, stage, lighting & vocals were perfect.”
— Angie Tatarniuk, Vancouver, BC
These reactions reflect what audiences experience night after night: a performance that doesn’t simply recreate the music, but brings it vividly back to life in a way that feels immediate, emotional, and unforgettable.
What sets this production apart is its unwavering commitment to authenticity. Every note is performed 100% live on stage, with no backing tracks, no auto-tune, and no pre-recorded elements. What audiences experience is real musicianship in real time—an ensemble of world-class performers delivering these iconic songs with integrity, passion, and technical excellence.
It is this dedication that creates the energy felt in the room: spontaneous, dynamic, and shared between stage and audience. Nothing is manufactured, and nothing is hidden—just the music, the musicians, and the audience experiencing it together.
Whether you grew up with these songs or discovered them later, this is an evening where generations connect through music that still feels as powerful today as it did when it was first written.
Gather your friends, relive the memories, and experience the timeless music of the Eagles as it was meant to be heard—live on stage in Santa Cruz. Groups of 10 or more get 10% off.
Show time: 7:00 PM, doors 6:00 PM
Tickets: $59 Gen, $69 Gold Circle
Advance tickets: www.vtix.com
Event website: www.mooncoinproductions.com
For over sixty years, South Africa’s five-time GRAMMY award-winners Ladysmith Black Mambazo have warmed the hearts of audiences worldwide with uplifting vocal harmonies, signature dance moves and charming stage presence. It was Paul Simon’s 1987 Graceland album that first introduced Ladysmith Black Mambazo to the world; and the late former South African President Nelson Mandela designated the group “South Africa’s cultural ambassadors to the world,” a title the members carry with them with the highest honor.
In 2018 the group received not one but two GRAMMY Award nominations for two separate albums, a first in the history of the World Music award category. These two nominations brought their career total to 19 GRAMMY Award nominations. One of these albums, Shaka Zulu Revisited, won Best World Music Album.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo continues to tour the globe and has performed for millions of people, singing a message of peace, love, and harmony.
Show time: 7:30 PM, doors 6:30 PM
Tickets: $53.45 Gen, $75.76 Gold Circle
Advance tickets: www.kuumbwajazz.org
Discover the spirit of adventure with the 2026/27 Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour. Join UC Santa Cruz Adventure at the Rio Theatre on February 26, 27 & 28, for a brand-new collection of award-winning mountain, adventure, and environmental films from around the world. The World Tour is a collection of the most loved films from the Festival, which occurs in Banff each November.
Each night features completely different films. Join us for one, two or three nights.
From remote landscapes and remarkable wildlife encounters to inspiring personal journeys and adrenaline-fuelled outdoor pursuits, the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour celebrates the power of storytelling, exploration, and the natural world. Be inspired. Be amazed.
This screening of the World Tour is hosted by and is a fundraiser for UCSC Adventure Rec. Your attendance directly supports Adventure Rec student programs, expanding discovery and appreciation of our wild spaces.
Show time: 7:00 PM, doors 6:00 PM
Tickets: $23.50
Advance tickets: www.goslugs.com
Discover the spirit of adventure with the 2026/27 Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour. Join UC Santa Cruz Adventure at the Rio Theatre on February 26, 27 & 28, for a brand-new collection of award-winning mountain, adventure, and environmental films from around the world. The World Tour is a collection of the most loved films from the Festival, which occurs in Banff each November.
Each night features completely different films. Join us for one, two or three nights.
From remote landscapes and remarkable wildlife encounters to inspiring personal journeys and adrenaline-fuelled outdoor pursuits, the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour celebrates the power of storytelling, exploration, and the natural world. Be inspired. Be amazed.
This screening of the World Tour is hosted by and is a fundraiser for UCSC Adventure Rec. Your attendance directly supports Adventure Rec student programs, expanding discovery and appreciation of our wild spaces.
Show time: 7:00 PM, doors 6:00 PM
Tickets: $25.50
Advance tickets: www.goslugs.com
Discover the spirit of adventure with the 2026/27 Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour. Join UC Santa Cruz Adventure at the Rio Theatre on February 26, 27 & 28, for a brand-new collection of award-winning mountain, adventure, and environmental films from around the world. The World Tour is a collection of the most loved films from the Festival, which occurs in Banff each November.
Each night features completely different films. Join us for one, two or three nights.
From remote landscapes and remarkable wildlife encounters to inspiring personal journeys and adrenaline-fuelled outdoor pursuits, the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour celebrates the power of storytelling, exploration, and the natural world. Be inspired. Be amazed.
This screening of the World Tour is hosted by and is a fundraiser for UCSC Adventure Rec. Your attendance directly supports Adventure Rec student programs, expanding discovery and appreciation of our wild spaces.
Show time: 3:00 PM, doors 2:00 PM
Tickets: $23.50, $10 UCSC Students
Advance tickets: www.goslugs.com
Elton John fans, don’t miss “Electric Elton — An Unforgettable Live Concert Experience coming to Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz on March 4, 2027 @ 7 pm!
Get ready for an unforgettable night of music, nostalgia and world-class entertainment as Electric Elton celebrates the songs, spectacle and enduring legacy of one of the greatest performers in rock history.
Led by acclaimed vocalist and pianist Sean Trombley, Electric Elton is a dazzling live concert experience that captures the energy, spirit and musical brilliance of Elton John during his legendary 1970s era. With remarkable vocals, exceptional musicianship and electric stage presence, Sean delivers an authentic tribute that honours the artistry and excitement of Elton's most iconic performances while creating a thrilling concert experience for all ages.
Backed by a sensational live band, colourful costumes, dynamic dancers and stunning multimedia, Electric Elton recreates the excitement of Elton John's classic concerts with the perfect blend of musical precision and theatrical spectacle. Every element has been carefully crafted to transport audiences back in time when Elton John dominated the charts with unforgettable songs that have become the soundtrack of generations.
Audiences will enjoy beloved classics including Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer, Your Song, Bennie and the Jets, Crocodile Rock, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, and many more. From heartfelt ballads to high-energy anthems, every performance is a celebration of the songs that continue to inspire fans around the world.
Sean's connection to Elton's music began in childhood when he taught himself to play Crocodile Rock on the piano. That lifelong passion shines through in every note, bringing warmth, authenticity and genuine respect to this spectacular music. Whether recreating Elton's soaring vocals, commanding the piano or engaging audiences with infectious energy, Sean captures both the emotional depth and joyful spirit that made Elton John one of
music's most iconic entertainers.
The result is more than a tribute concert—it's an immersive celebration that invites audiences to sing along, reminisce and experience the excitement of Elton John's timeless music together. Longtime fans will rediscover the songs they grew up with, while new generations will experience the unforgettable magic of one of pop music's greatest catalogues performed live on stage.
Audiences across North America have embraced Electric Elton with standing ovations and
enthusiastic praise:
"OUTSTANDING!!! This gentleman should have played Elton John in the movie!"
- Bob McKay, Maple Ridge, BC
"Wow... soooo much like Elton's voice!! It's uncanny!"
- Jamie Boratynec, Surrey, BC
"Phenomenal show! Hope you come back."
- John Wirts – Bellingham, WA
Come for the timeless songs. Stay for the spectacular production. Leave with a smile as Electric Elton delivers a joyful, high-energy celebration of the music and legacy of Elton John that audiences won't soon forget. Groups of 10 or more get 10% off.
Show time: 7:00 PM, doors 6:00 PM
Tickets: $59 Gen, $65 Gold Circle
Advance tickets: www.vtix.com
Event website: www.mooncoinproductions.com
ALOK (they/them) is an internationally acclaimed poet, comedian, public speaker, and actor. ALOK’s literary works “Beyond the Gender Binary,” “Femme in Public,” and “Your Wound, My Garden,” have garnered global recognition. Their dynamic presence has captivated audiences in over 40 countries, with sold-out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Netflix is a Joke Festival. ALOK's first comedy special BIOLOGY! [alokvmenon.com] was executive produced by Christopher Guest. They are the subject of the docu-short “ALOK” executive produced by Jodie Foster and directed by Alex Hedison, which made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024. On screen, they can also be seen in Complicated Order, The Trans List, and Absolute Dominion (forthcoming). On television, they can be seen on HBO's Sex Lives of College Girls, Sort Of and Random Acts of Flyness, Hulu’s Planet Sex with Cara Delevingne, and Netflix’s Gender Agenda Comedy Special and Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $25 / $36 / $50
Advance tickets: www.etix.com
Each year, middle and high school students from across Santa Cruz County design, construct, and model original pieces of fashion art made from recycled and repurposed materials. Their creations are bold, imaginative, and deeply personal—reflecting themes of identity, culture, sustainability, and social awareness. Through this process, students gain design and engineering skills, explore environmental and social issues, practice creative problem-solving, and discover the confidence that comes from transforming an idea into art.
What began 15 years ago at Mission Hill Middle School has grown into a countywide celebration of youth creativity, sustainability, and self-expression. FashionTeens Santa Cruz now connects students from Watsonville to the San Lorenzo Valley, with mentorship, bilingual applications, and free participation ensuring every young designer has the opportunity to shine.
The program culminates in a professional runway event—a night filled with energy, artistry, and joy—where students walk the stage to the roar of cheering crowds. For many, it’s their first time seeing their voice, identity, and creativity celebrated publicly.
Show time: 6:30 PM, doors 5:30 PM
Tickets: FREE
Advance tickets: www.fashionteens-santacruz.com
Event website: www.fashionteens-santacruz.com
This is The New Alternative: a new genre for the 21st century. More specifically: a new genre for music’s optimized VC-funded super deluxe remixed AI-enhanced algorithmically perfected wild west 2020s, where a million streams is great, a billion even better, and a trillion well within reach. On their fifth album ZIRP!, DIIV emphatically and ecstatically embrace the underground pedigree and the pop instinct that have anchored the band like magnetic poles for the better part of their career—smashing them together in pursuit of a sound that pre-empts any notion that Zachary Cole Smith, Andrew Bailey, Colin Caulfield and Ben Newman have ever been playing between worlds. Put more simply, on ZIRP! DIIV answer the simple questions that so many bands can’t: What would it mean to grow up? And glow up, too? For as long as they’ve been making music, DIIV have been victims of a world without the vocabulary to describe their willingness to braid the harshness of genres like shoegaze (on 2024’s Frog In Boiling Water) and grunge (2019’s Deceiver) with mellifluous and memorable pop melody. Over the years, the world has caught up with them, with artists like Slayyyter, Eartheater and Turnstile forcing old-guard gatekeepers to find new ways to describe this gleeful disregard for old-fashioned scene designations and genre tags. With ZIRP!—and their embrace of The New Alternative—DIIV lock in on a name for the universe they’ve been chasing for all these years, and a sound that represents the apotheosis of that universe. Produced by British pop wizard A. G. Cook (Caroline Polachek, Charli XCX)—a chief architect of our current post-category future—ZIRP!, named for the zero interest rate policies that drew us into a world of failed startups and turned us all into atomised “users, ” expands on the themes of Frog In Boiling Water with a newfound lightness. Here, Palantir, societal breakdown and streaming’s endless hamster wheel are all fodder for rich, sparkling pop songs: Album opener and lead single “The Fountain” pairs the sprawl and squall of DIIV records past with a jolting rhythmic guitar section that has arena-filling potential, while “Evangelizer” taps into the sweet-and-sour mainstream appeal of bands like Linkin Park and System Of A Down. Throughout, the band is zeroing in on its punchiest, most memorable melodies to date, each new internal hook and tossed-off earworm indicative of a band more than ready to make good on its ability to play in the mainstream. When DIIV initially approached Cook, the producer says, “it was in the spirit of destroying & rebuilding their demos, Screamadelica-style, into a finished product, but that hybrid, half-remix approach felt completely wrong to me. ” Instead, he became a professor of DIIV studies, attending the band’s shows and forming a unified theory of where the band needed to go next. “I became a bit obsessed with their live sound, and insisted on recording live drums before most of the songs were even finished. We spent a lot of time recording intricate guitar parts with specific guitar pedals, and as little time as possible doing anything on a computer, at least by my standards, ” he says. “After a few rounds of that, ZIRP! emerged as a concept, and a sort of utopian, dystopian mantra. For me it became a vehicle to push the band into new territory. ” It’s thanks to Cook that DIIV were able to put together a song like “Trillions, ” a lullaby-like pop-rock song that perfectly captures DIIV’s interest in exploring heavy themes through bright, accessible music. “Trillions, ” with its unusually airy palette, was the band’s attempt at writing the kind of song that might appear in Spotify’s “Billions Club” playlist; it ended up becoming the album’s beating heart, a simple pop song that reclaims the silver-lined palette of the band’s 2012 debut Oshin and reclaims it as their own. Smith’s lyrics (“I’ll have a billion dollars saved/When I’m 24/I will have the fastest car/And a big old brain”) are quintessentially ZIRP!—disturbing and funny in equal measure, and easily accepted as both casually anthemic and laden with commentary. And then there’s “Kid, ” a song that derives from the band’s challenge (to themselves) to write a perfect pop song, the DIIV way. “It started from an A. G. suggestion to try writing to a classic pop chord progression, ” says Smith. “Which inspired us to pull out The KLF book The Manual, which positions pop as being kind of sinister, so starting from that point and working backwards to something very pure was really fun. ” ZIRP! ends with “Idiot In The Sky. ” This is DIIV’s gorgeous, towering set-closer—the track where fans hold their torches up, voices in the crowd drown out the PA, and cold spark machines shower the stage with flickers of light. It was written long after the rest of ZIRP! after what Cook describes as “10 very intense days” toward the end of mixing sessions in Montana, and it captures, perfectly, DIIV as they are in this moment: The band you always knew becoming the alternative pop stars they always could be.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $30
Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com
Considered by many to be the “Ultimate Rock Cult Hero”, Todd Rundgren has maintained a legion of fans through four decades. A pop savant who fastidiously avoided easy categorization throughout the course of his career, Todd Rundgren straddled the gap separating a mainstream star from a cult figure.
Todd returns to the Rio theatre with a full band this time around!
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $62 gen, $82 Gold Circle
Advance tickets: www.pulseproductions.net
Gitta is a vivacious nonagenarian holocaust survivor who has long ago processed and overcome her childhood trauma, and for decades has been telling her story of recovery and forgiveness at schools. But as she retraces her steps across Europe and reconnects with families and organizations that saved her life, she finds there is always more to uncover.
Show time: 5:00 PM, doors 4:00 PM
Tickets: $25
Advance tickets: www.santacruzfilmfestivals.org
Following a breakout year and a successful spring run, "The Truth" singer Megan Woods is bringing The Truth Tour back this fall for an extended 30-city run across the U.S. Building on the momentum of her first-ever headlining tour, Megan will continue sharing the songs and stories that have resonated with fans nationwide. Returning as a special guest is Jeremy Rosado, known for his appearances on American Idol and The Voice, bringing his signature warmth and authenticity to each night. Together, they'll create evenings filled with meaningful worship, genuine connection, and a powerful reminder of God's truth.
Show time: 7:00 PM, doors 6:00 PM
Tickets: $29.48
Advance tickets: www.ticketweb.com
Event website: www.tprlive.co
SLEEPBOMB is a San Francisco group focused on music for film. Stylistically ranging from psychedelic rock and electronics to drone and post-doom metal, Sleepbomb has been described as a combination of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Neurosis with a little Steve Reich for flavor. Sleepbomb's unique scores provide a transformative take on classic genre films, recontextualizing them for our modern age.
https://www.sleepbomb.com/
FRANKENSTEIN (1931): This iconic horror film follows the obsessed scientist Dr. Henry Frankenstein as he attempts to create life by assembling a creature from body parts of the deceased. Aided by his loyal misshapen assistant, Fritz, Frankenstein succeeds in animating his monster, but it escapes into the countryside and begins to wreak havoc. Frankenstein searches for the elusive being and eventually must confront his tormented creation.
Show time: 7:30 PM, doors 6:30 PM
Tickets: $20
Advance tickets: www.ticketweb.com and The Crepe Place
"A novel of extraordinary ambition. Min Jin Lee has constructed a world so rich and intricate that you forget you're reading—you're simply living alongside the Kohs as they navigate betrayal, displacement, and the shifting promises of a better future. A stunning achievement."— Tara Westover, author of Educated
The National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author of Pachinko returns with a breathtaking contemporary epic: a masterpiece by turns sweeping and intimate, that reckons with ambition and moderation, lust and loyalty, personal dreams and familial duty.
In American Hagwon, Min Jin Lee has crafted an unforgettable, panoramic novel where the smallest of gestures can have enormous repercussions, where the bonds of family and of memory twist and fray but rarely break, and where willful self-sacrifice--for the benefit of loved ones and even strangers--is a kind of prayer.
About the Author:
Min Jin Lee is the author of the novels Free Food for Millionaires and Pachinko, a finalist for the National Book Award, runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and a New York Times "100 Best Books of the Century." She serves as the New York State Author Laureate from 2025 through 2027. She is the 2024 recipient of The Fitzgerald Prize for Literary Excellence. Lee has received the Manhae Grand Prize for Literature, the Bucheon Diaspora Literary Award, and the Samsung Happiness for Tomorrow Award for Creativity from South Korea. She is the recipient of fellowships in Fiction from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Harvard Radcliffe Institute, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. Lee is an inductee of the New York Foundation for the Arts Hall of Fame and the New York State Writers Hall of Fame. She lives in Harlem with her family.
TICKET PACKAGES:
1 ticket + 1 book: $45.11
2 tickets + 1 book: $50.41
Learn more at: https://bookshopsantacruz.com/min-jin-lee
Show time: 2:00 PM, doors 1:00 PM
Tickets: $45.11
Advance tickets: www.bookshopsantacruz.com
Event website: www.buytickets.at/bookshopsantacruz
Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is one of the largest and most prestigious mountain festivals in the world! Hot on the heels of the Festival that is held every fall in beautiful Banff, Alberta, the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour hits the road. With stops planned in over 600 communities and more than 40 countries across the globe, the Banff World Tour celebrates amazing achievements in outdoor storytelling and filmmaking worldwide.
From the over 400 entries submitted to the Festival competition each year, award-winners and audience favorites are among the films that are carefully selected to play in theatres around the world.
Traveling to remote vistas, analyzing topical environmental issues, and bringing audiences up-close and personal with adrenaline-packed action sports the 2025/2026 World Tour is an exhilarating and provocative exploration of the mountain world.
Join us when we screen this all new Adventure line up of films (see below) featuring the BEST DAY EVER, the Audience Choice Award Winner and Best Film: Mountain Sports and five other engaging films.
This year’s event will once again support the Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship.
List of films screening: Please note film advisories listed below, if you are concerned, before purchasing tickets.
Cold Calls – Japan
USA, 2025, 6 min
Cold Calls is a ski film pieced together through conversations, memories, and whatever the season decided to offer!
The Hive Architect
UK, 2025, 12 min
For the last 14 years Matt Somerville has spent the winters creating his log hives before driving around all of England in the summer, erecting them as non-intervention habitats for wild honey bees.
Best Day Ever
USA, 2025, 47 min
Advisory: Coarse language
*2025 Best Film: Mountain Sports
2025 Audience Choice Award
Best Day Ever follows the stories of adaptive mountain bikers Greg Durso and Allie Bianchi as they navigate the relentless challenges of their disabilities with humour and attitude. Along the way, they embrace the tremendous support, friendship, and joy they find in their rural Vermont riding community.
Deluge
Canada, 2025, 2 min
Georgia Astle, Casey Brown, Carson Storch, and
Tom van Steenbergen battle the elements.
Dissidence
France, 2025, 34 min
Two unexpected names are emerging on the stage of the climbing World Championships: Ravianto and Raviandi Ramadhan, twin brothers from Indonesia. With nothing but their own resources, Dissidence retraces their extraordinary journey, from the training walls of Jakarta to a climbing route in Savoie, France.
A Baffin Vacation, Love on Ice
Canada, 2025, 26 min
Advisory: Coarse language; Nudity
Join adventurers Erik and Sarah on yet another outrageous Baffin Vacation as they kiteski
north along the remote coastline of Baffin. Over their 69-day holiday, they ski mountains, climb an epic big wall, and cross a glacier in search of new rivers to whitewater kayak.
Show time: 7:00 PM, doors 6:00 PM
Tickets: $24
Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com
Event website: www.banffcentre.ca
There has always been something defiant about Rickie Lee Jones . . . a voice from a dream, elusive yet familiar, transcendent, a messenger from another place.”
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $38 Gen, $58 Gold Circle
Advance tickets: www.pulseproductions.net
Event website: www.rickieleejones.com
Kishi Bashi is the pseudonym of Emmy-nominated singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Kaoru Ishibashi. A Berklee-trained virtuoso violinist, Kishi Bashi is acclaimed for his uplifting, high-energy concerts and his distinctive loop-based violin style. He has also earned recognition for his groundbreaking collaborations with major symphonies—including the National Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, and Oregon Symphony—where he blends classical and pop influences in captivating performances. Beyond the orchestral stage, he has toured internationally with Regina Spektor and of Montreal, and released five acclaimed albums—beginning with his NPR-praised debut 151a (2012), followed by Sonderlust (2016), the documentary project Omoiyari (2019), and most recently Kantos (2024), a kaleidoscopic fusion of funk, jazz, and orchestral pop. Known for his cinematic storytelling and genre-bending sound, Kishi Bashi continues to push creative boundaries while captivating audiences worldwide.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $36.75
Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com
Event website: www.folkyeah.com
Fruit Bats | The Landfill | MRG887
The midwest, particularly the part of the midwest Eric D. Johnson hails from, is a largely flat expanse. Zipping through it on the highway, you’ll see cities and towns rise up in the distance, but blink and you’ll miss other man-made rejoinders to horizontal living dotting the landscape, hill after hill, built from the refuse of the past: landfills. Some of these hills make for great sledding spots, parks, and trails. Others turn organic waste into compost. The Landfill, Fruit Bats’ June 12, 2026 album from Merge Records, is something else entirely: a mountain dominating the landscape of Johnson’s heart.
This being a Fruit Bats record, one scales that mountain to take in the view, to see the future spread out as wide and endless as the midwestern plains. “But the mountain that gives us this vantage point,” Johnson says, “is made out of the trash that we’ve created, the collective weight of the past and where it’s taken us.” When he details that view on title track and lead single “The Landfill” — “a holy vision / of what could be / and couldn’t be / and could have been” — it’s thrilling to hear him sent soaring by a full complement of instruments. But what’s truly stunning is how, in his recontouring from could to couldn’t to could have been, he has lost none of the vulnerability that was brought to the foreground of his songwriting by 2025’s solo outing, Baby Man.
Over the course of his now 25-year career under the moniker, most of Eric D. Johnson’s output as Fruit Bats has been the product of patience and fine-tuning. His songs, to borrow a phrase, are slow growers, given life on albums that encompass long stretches of time and memory. Baby Man changed that — he disallowed himself from referring to material he’d been working on before laying the album down, utilizing the morning pages technique of stream-of-consciousness, observational songwriting which flowed directly into his afternoon recording sessions. It was both a breathtaking document of Johnson’s skill as a singer-songwriter and an unvarnished account of the two weeks in which he recorded the album.
Baby Man’s closeness to Johnson’s heart and the close attention to his voice and instrument its minimalist-maximalist ethos required uncorked something in him as he wrote towards a new full band effort. “That session was over,” he explains, “but there was way more to explore. I liked the immediacy of it, and I wanted to see how that would translate into a full-band Fruit Bats record.” Within weeks, he was back in a studio, this time with his band — David Dawda (bass), Josh Mease (guitars, synth), Frank LoCrasto (piano, synth), and Kosta Galanopoulos (drums) — with whom Johnson has spent over a decade building Fruit Bats into one of the most in-demand live acts in indie rock. Listening to The Landfill, it’s not hard to understand why: simply put, this band smokes.
Producing the initial recording sessions in Washington’s Bear Creek Studios, Johnson set out to capture “the sound of this band I constantly marvel at, the feeling of being in a room with musicians you love and trust enough to let them cook.” They laid most of it down on the floor — no click tracks, no comped vocals, and minimal overdubs, with frequent collaborator Thom Monahan returning to provide additional production and The Landfill’s final mix. “It’s how we do things with my other band, Bonny Light Horseman, and I was curious to see how it would work with Fruit Bats,” Johnson notes. “It’s both a very personal record, and my most collaborative to date.”
It’s also the most live a Fruit Bats record has been since 2009’s The Ruminant Band, and in paring back the number of tracks that typically layer a full-band song, the psychedelic, technicolor dreaminess of their sound is more vivid than ever. Time and space melt into the sublime as the band gels around Johnson’s hazy croon on “That Goddamn Sun,” stretching out to accommodate him as he trips from California to North Carolina. In striking a balance between ecstatic romance and melancholia, “Think Aboutcha” occupies the blissful-but-doomed intersection of the E Street Band and Paul McCartney, playful but playing for stakes that are larger than life, while “Perhaps We’re a Storm” charges headlong into the unknown.
All of these songs — most of the songs on The Landfill, in fact — mark themselves immediately as some of the best in Eric D. Johnson’s ever-expanding songbook, seekers and anthems alike. It’s the most daunting peak he’s scaled yet, musically or lyrically: a swashbuckling set of full-band jammers couldn’t be more honest and open-hearted about his hopes and anxieties, his dreams and failures, what’s passed and what will come to pass, were it just him, his guitar, and the listener.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $37.80
Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com
Event website: www.folkyeah.com
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $33
Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com
Event website: www.aldousharding.com
Event website: www.folkyeah.com
Laurie Anderson is a writer, director, composer, visual artist, musician, and vocalist whose groundbreaking work spans art, theater, experimental music, and technology. She has created numerous multimedia stage performances, published ten books, and been nominated for five Grammy Awards, with her visual art exhibited globally at institutions including the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC, and the Moderna Museet in Stockholm. In 2021 she delivered the Charles Eliot Norton Lectures at Harvard University, Spending the War Without You: Virtual Backgrounds. In 2024 she premiered ARK: United States Part 5 at Factory International in Manchester, released her studio album Amelia on Nonesuch Records, and was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the Gold Medal for Music from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She currently has two installations at Biennale Arte 2026: In Minor Keys in Venice, Italy. Her latest album, Let X=X, was released in May 2026.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $68.25 Gen, $120.75 Gold Circle
Advance tickets: www.ticketweb.com
Event website: www.folkyeah.com
Snatam Kaur at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz
Doors 6:30pm . Concert 7:30pm
By Thy Grace: 25 Years of Mantra: North America & Canada Tour 2026
In 2026, Snatam Kaur brings By Thy Grace: 25 Years of Mantra to audiences across North America and Canada. This is a continuation of a decades long journey of shared chanting, prayer, and healing through sound.
These concerts are gatherings where stillness, devotion, and collective voice come together to create an experience of oneness and healing. Each concert begins gently and meditatively, building into moments of deep joy and powerful celebration, and finally, ending with stillness and prayer. Together, we will chant the mantras and songs that have held us through life’s greatest challenges and joys, honoring their capacity to bring us back to ourselves time and time again.
The title By Thy Grace reflects the heart of this tour. After twenty-five years of recording and sharing her music, Snatam views this work as something carried by the grace of the mantras themselves, the musicians and collaborators who helped to bring them into the world, and the communities who have welcomed these songs into their lives. What began in humble beginnings as unfamiliar sounds to her audiences, has become a living language of healing, known deeply through personal experience.
Accompanied by her band, Ram Dass (piano, clarinet, vocals), Bruno Justi (guitar, flute, vocals), and Sukhmani (percussion, vocals), along with some surprise guests, Snatam will share music spanning her discography, featuring well known classics as well as deeply personal songs from Snatam’s history that have never before been performed live, spanning 25 years of music that has become a soundtrack for healing across generations. Each night becomes a remembrance of inner stillness, shared humanity, and of the healing power that arises when voices join together.
This tour is an invitation to gather once again, to chant together, and to celebrate the grace that continues to move through these mantras and through all of us.
Please save your confirmation email and take a screenshot of your ticket barcodes / QR codes.
Save the image to your phone and have this ready when you approach the doors of the venue.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
All Ticket purchases are non-refundable.
Brightstar Events is the only authorized ticket seller.
For customer support please contact snatamkaurtickets@gmail.com
Note that seating is General Admission within each section.
Come early to get the best seats in your section.
Seating chart below is for reference only.
Tickets and info at https://www.snatam.com/events
Show time: 7:30 PM, doors 6:30 PM
Tickets: $80
Advance tickets: www.brightstarevents.com
Event website: www.snatam.com
Event website: www.bandsintown.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com
Santa Cruz Guitar Company proudly celebrates 50 years of handcrafted acoustic guitars with a special anniversary concert at the historic Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz.
For five decades, SCGC has built instruments for artists, songwriters, collectors, and working musicians around the world, all from its small shop on the Central Coast. This milestone evening brings together a community of players, friends, and supporters to honor the music, craft, and relationships that have shaped the company since 1976.
The concert will feature an unforgettable night of live music from artists connected to the spirit of Santa Cruz Guitar Company, celebrating the songs, stories, and instruments that have carried SCGC through its first 50 years.
Show time: 5:30 PM, doors 4:30 PM
Tickets: VIP ($100), Preferred ($75), and General ($50).
Advance tickets: www.snazzyproductions.com
Event time: 1:00 PM, doors 12:00 PM
Tickets: Free
RUMBO TUMBA is the electroacoustic music project of Argentine multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer Facundo Salgado, who has captivated audiences worldwide for over 12 years, touring more than 30 countries on all continents.
Rumbo Tumba is a craftsman of organic loops, performing, recording, and mixing a variety of handcrafted South American instruments in real time. The live show features an impressive array of wooden instruments with which he constructs a unique natural sound and an atmosphere that transports listeners to the purest places in nature. Loop-based compositions highlight the beauty of traditional folk roots and delicately employ cutting-edge digital tools to project South American folklore into the future.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $42.70
Advance tickets: www.tickets.worldclassmusic.live
Artists website: www.rumbotumba.com
Event website: www.worldclassmusic.live
YouTube: www.youtu.be
Stephen Malkmus is a singer and guitarist in the groups Pavement, The Jicks, and the Hard Quartet and was a member of Silver Jews. A graduate of the University of Virginia and a tennis enthusiast, he lives in Chicago.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $55
Advance tickets: www.folkyeah.com
Event website: www.folkyeah.com
After fronting the Sex Pistols, John Lydon formed post-punk originators Public Image Ltd (PiL). Widely regarded as one of the most innovative bands of all time, their music and vision earned them 5 UK Top 20 Singles and 5 UK Top 20 Albums.
With a shifting line-up and unique sound – fusing rock, dance, folk, pop and dub – Lydon guided the band from their debut album ‘First Issue’ in 1978 through to 1992’s ‘That What Is Not’, before a 17 year hiatus. Lydon reactivated PiL in 2009, touring extensively and releasing three critically acclaimed albums ‘This is PiL’ in 2012 followed by ‘What The World Needs Now…’ in 2015 and ‘End of World’ in 2023.
PiL continue to challenge and thrive.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $54
Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com
Event website: www.folkyeah.com
Dive into the Depths of the 13th Annual Ocean Film Festival World Tour
The Ocean Film Festival World Tour, now in its 13th year, is set to make a splash across the globe in 2026, returning with a powerful and visually stunning line-up of films that celebrate the ocean from every angle — above the surface, beneath the waves, and deep into the stories that connect us all to the sea.
This year’s tour promises an unforgettable night out for ocean lovers, featuring six remarkable films from around the globe. From high-stakes adventure and record-breaking journeys to intimate portraits of marine life and environmental restoration, the 2026 program is packed with breathtaking cinematography, inspiring characters, and a deep respect for the ocean and the communities shaped by it.
One of the standout films in the 2026 program is The Raftsmen, an epic story of courage and endurance. Twelve unlikely adventurers from seven different countries come together to attempt a feat few would dare imagine — crossing the world’s largest ocean on three handmade wooden rafts, guided only by the sun and stars. Battling storms, starvation, and the psychological toll of life at sea, their six-month journey remains the longest raft expedition ever completed. Now, fifty years later, the original 16mm footage has been beautifully restored into 4K, allowing modern audiences to witness the sheer scale of this once-in-a-lifetime ocean odyssey.
Jemima Robinson, Founder and CEO of the Ocean Film Festival World Tour, says the 2026 season continues the festival’s mission to share ocean stories that move, inspire and connect audiences.
THE RAFTSMEN (tour edit) Australia : 48 minutes
Twelve misfits from seven countries unite on an explorer’s crazy dream. Their aim is to cross the world’s largest ocean on three handmade wooden rafts with only the stars and sun to guide them. Battling storms, sharks and psychological demons, their epic six months at sea remains the world’s longest ever raft journey. Now, fifty years on, their original 16mm footage has been beautifully remastered into 4K and the surviving raftsmen finally share their incredible story.
THE KELP COLLECTOR Australia : 5 minutes
After decades dedicated to a career in science, Sandy Webb has found a new passion in retirement: meticulously collecting and cataloguing the diverse algae species that inhabit the waters of Port Phillip Bay near her Williamstown home. With the precision of a scientist and the eye of an artist, she transforms her marine discoveries into exquisite pressed seaweed specimens. This intimate portrait reveals how Sandy's dedication to documenting local marine life connects her more deeply to the coastal environment she calls home.
STONE BITER: SAVING THE ARCTIC SEA FORESTS Norway: 20 minutes
When an Italian photographer moves to Northern Norway, he carries a dream: to explore the icy Arctic waters and film the iconic wolffish amongst lush kelp forests. But beneath the surface, he finds a stark reality - an ocean floor stripped bare, where the once-thriving sea forests have nearly vanished.
As Ismaele learns to navigate the cold, unfamiliar sea, he unravels the mystery of the missing kelp. Along the way, he meets scientists, volunteers, and local experts who refuse to give up on the ocean they love. Together, they’re building a new kind of movement rooted in resilience, restoration, and hope.
ANTARCTICA: DOMAIN ONE Argentina: 27 minutes
Narrated by surfing legend Kelly Slater, this stunning documentary follows two Argentinian brothers on an extraordinary expedition to the end of the Earth. United by their passion for riding waves and protecting our oceans, the Gauchos del Mar embark on a sailing, trekking, and surfing adventure through Antarctica's breathtaking landscapes.
This is more than a film about adventure. It's a powerful rallying cry for the conservation of our planet's last great frontier – and a reminder that what happens in Antarctica affects us all. Will you answer the call?
A DRAGON’S DANCE Australia: 5 minutes
Beneath the waves of Australia's Great Southern Reef, a creature of myth and wonder performs an ancient ritual. This mesmerising short film follows the enchanting lifecycle of the leafy sea dragon, one of the ocean's most extraordinary and elusive inhabitants. Cloaked in nature's most intricate disguise, these delicate dragons drift through their kelp kingdom with a grace that defies their struggle to survive.
Prepare to be spellbound by nature's most elegant dancer.
TAINÁ
Brazil: 15 minutes
The life story of Tainá Hinckel, a prominent Brazilian professional surfer, unfolds through dives into her memories, woven together with intimate talks, old photographs, and letters written to herself. From her small town childhood to the challenges of being a woman in surfing, Tainá faces her greatest dream and challenge: competing for her first Olympic Game in one of the most dangerous waves in the world's surfing, at Teahupoo in Tahiti.
Show time: 7:00 PM, doors 6:00 PM
Tickets: $22
Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com
Event website: www.oceanfilmfestivalworldtour.com
FUDŌ is a 35-minute surf film shot on RED and 16mm across Indonesia, Australia, Hawaii, Mexico and California.
Eight surfers, each assigned a single color that runs through everything in their section — boards, wetsuits, the trucks, the sand and the people on it. Nothing in frame is that color by accident.
The film takes its name from Fudō Myōō, the figure who sits in fire and does not move. A woman builds his sign across the length of the picture, and then burns it.
Directed and produced by Kolohe Andino.
Starring Rasta Robb, Hayden Rodgers, Cole McCaffery, Makai Bray, Jackson Taylor, Rico Haybittle and Taj Burrow.
Music from Massive Attack, Boy Harsher, Marie Davidson, DjRUM, Goose, Aloka, Headache and Nasser.
Eight cities. One night in each, before it streams.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $20
Advance tickets: www.steko22.com
Since its inception in 1992, Built to Spill founder Doug Martsch intended his beloved band to be a collaborative project, an ever-evolving group of incredible musicians making music and playing live together. “I wanted to switch the lineup for many reasons. Each time we finish a record I want the next one to sound totally different. It’s fun to play with people who bring in new styles and ideas,” says Martsch. “And it’s nice to be in a band with people who aren’t sick of me yet.”
Following several albums and EPs on Pacific Northwest independent labels, including the unmistakably canonical indie rock classic, There’s Nothing Wrong With Love, released on Sub Pop offshoot Up Records in 1994, Martsch signed with Warner Brothers from 1995 to 2016. He and his rotating cast of cohorts recorded six more, inarguably great albums during that time – Perfect From Now On, Keep It Like a Secret, Ancient Melodies of the Future, You In Reverse, Untethered Moon, There Is No Enemy. There was also a live album, and a solo record, Now You Know. While the band’s impeccable recorded catalog is the entry point, Built to Spill live is an essential FORCE of its own: heavy, psychedelic, melodic and visceral tunes blaring from amps that sound as if they’re powered by Mack trucks.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $40
Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com
Event website: www.builttospill.com
Event website: www.folkyeah.com
Join Grammy nominated, multi-instrumentalist Jai Uttal for an evening of celebration, kirtan and a very special concert with his world music band, The Pagan Love Orchestra. Performing old and new songs, touching on many moods and colors, Jai & friends return to Santa Cruz and invite you to dance, sing, cry, laugh and celebrate together!
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $35
Advance tickets: www.pulseproductions.net
Event website: www.jaiuttal.com
Brought to you by Moms First, "No Country for Mothers" explores the culture wars surrounding American motherhood and why both the “girl boss” and “trad wife” labels ultimately distract us from the real issue: the lack of support for American families.
Following activist Reshma Saujani, the film charts a growing national movement to reunite moms across divisions and win the kind of historic support families actually need.
Show time: 7:00 PM, doors 6:00 PM
Tickets: $ FREE
Advance tickets: www.mobilize.us
Event website: www.momsfirst.us
Snailrocks.com is the official website for Snail, an American rock band know for their Billboard charting single "The Joker". Launched before September 2020. Snail has toured nationally, sharing stages with acts including Santana, Thin Lizzy, Styx & The Doobie Brothers. Snail was the biggest Rock Band in Santa Cruz years ago and coined the phrase the band that built the Catalyst!
Band Member Names.
Bob O'Neil-- Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Ken Kraft-- Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Vocals.
Craig Owens-- Bass Guitar, Vocals
Trey Sabatelli-- Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $50
Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com
Event website: www.snailrocks.com
Over the course of three decades, Shawn Colvin has established herself as a captivating performer and a revered storyteller, well-deserving of the commendation of her peers and the devoted audiences who have been inspired by her artistry.
As she enters her third decade as a songwriter and performer, she continues to reaffirm her status as a vital voice in music. We welcome Shawn back to the Rio Theatre, August 8th!
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $40 Gen, $60 Gold Circle
Advance tickets: www.pulseproductions.net
Event website: www.shawncolvinmusic.com
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $42
Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com
Artists website: www.jamesmcmurtry.com
Event website: www.folkyeah.com
Frequency: The Secret of Everything is an urgent exploration into technologies that could transform how we heal, connect, and thrive.
Filmmakers Kaia Roman and Zappy Zapolin investigate emerging frequency technologies alongside leading voices whose work challenges conventional views of health, consciousness, and the nature of reality.
The screening will be followed by a panel of experts from the film including :
Kaia Roman, the film's local creator (and author of The Joy Plan)
Dr. Bruce Lipton, the cell biologist and bestselling author ofThe Biology of Belief author and long-time Santa Cruz resident, who opens the evening with an introductory talk
Foster Gamble and Kimberly Carter Gamble, creators of the world-renowned Thrive documentaries Moderated by Andrew Freeman, moved to Santa Cruz in 1996 and founded a visionary school for kids, Coherence Education, which teaches what we wish we learned as kids, and prepares them to thrive in the Age of AI.
The evening: doors open at 6:00, Bruce Lipton's introduction at 6:30, the film, then a Q&A panel with Bruce Lipton, Foster Gamble and Kimberly Carter Gamble, and filmmaker Kaia Roman.
Show time: 6:00 PM, doors 5:00 PM
Tickets: $39.50
Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com
Event website: www.thefrequencymovie.com
Event: Bookshop Santa Cruz presents: Ocean Vuong | EMPEROR OF GLADNESS
Cosponsored by The Humanities Institute
Cost: GA: $26.58 | Student: $10.00
Date & Time: Tuesday, July 21st, 7:00 PM
More info & Tickets: https://bookshopsantacruz.com/emperor-of-gladness
"Heartbreaking, heartwarming yet unsentimental, and savagely comic all at the same time." — The Guardian
Ocean Vuong returns with a bighearted novel about chosen family, unexpected friendship, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive
The hardest thing in the world is to live only once...
One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to transform Hai's relationship to himself, his family, and a community on the brink.
Following the cycles of history, memory, and time, The Emperor of Gladness shows the profound ways in which love, labor, and loneliness form the bedrock of American life. At its heart is a brave epic about what it means to exist on the fringes of society and to reckon with the wounds that haunt our collective soul. Hallmarks of Ocean Vuong's writing—formal innovation, syntactic dexterity, and the ability to twin grit with grace through tenderness—are on full display in this story of loss, hope, and how far we would go to possess one of life's most fleeting mercies: a second chance.
OCEAN VUONG is the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collections Night Sky with Exit Wounds and Time Is a Mother, as well as the New York Times bestselling novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. A recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and the American Book Award, he was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and currently splits his time between western Massachusetts and New York City. The Emperor of Gladness is his latest novel.
Show time: 7:00 PM, doors 6:00 PM
Tickets: $26.58
Advance tickets:www.buytickets.at/bookshopsantacruz
Event website: www.bookshopsantacruz.com
They say it ain’t where you’re from, it’s where you’re at. But for Angus Dowling, Jack ‘Cool-Breeze’ Crowther and Dr Elliot ‘Love Wisdom’ O’Reilly, the character of their home, Australia’s idyllic Gold Coast, permeates every atom of the dreamlike, joyful, psychedelic music they create together as Babe Rainbow. “The old Aquarius hippie connection is everywhere around here,” singer Angus says. “We tap into it, and absorb it all.” And their new album, Slipper Imp And Shakaerator, is their most “homegrown” project yet – a suite of maverick, zephyr-light acid-pop following its own north star and chasing subtle, slippery, subterranean grooves to delirious destinations.
The trio grew up in Rainbow Bay, later relocating to nearby Byron Bay. An area of breathtaking natural beauty, where the waves are always strong, the magic mushrooms grow freely, and old, abandoned farm buildings abound. It was and remains the perfect locale for young dudes to play their music as loud as they want. “We were 16 and 17 years old, working at Tropical Fruit World in Duranbah, cruising around the kiosks and listening to the Nuggets compilations,” remembers Angus, of the group’s earliest days. “Jack and I met in the Australian youth choir as junior songbirds years before that, and he was still the only technical musical guy I knew, but I had the feeling we could all play this music we loved in our own way. We lived on an avocado farm up around then, in the macadamia orchard of the property. And it was so much fun making random noise while surrounded by the mangoes and the bush.”
The trio jammed tirelessly in those abandoned shacks, and as their sound began to develop, they booked shows in Brisbane, the nearest city, a two-hour drive away. While playing Brisbane, they crossed paths with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, who began to book the embryonic Babe Rainbow as opening band at their shows. “This is before Gizz’s ‘stadium-rock’ period,” Dowling grins.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $33.60
Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com
Artists website: www.baberainbow.com
Event website: www.folkyeah.com
Dan Tyminski has left his mark in nearly every corner of modern music. His voice famously accompanies George Clooney’s performance of the classic song, “I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow,” in the film, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? and his vocal collaboration with Swedish DJ Avicii on “Hey Brother” was a global smash. His diverse solo projects and years of work with Alison Krauss and Union Station have yielded troves of award-winning music. But the live shows of the Dan Tyminski Band are the true gems of this storied career.
Show time: 7:00 PM, doors 6:00 PM
Tickets: $55 Gen, $65 Gold Circle
Advance tickets: www.snazzyproductions.com
Artists website: www.dantyminski.com
Event website: www.poirogers.com
“My dad, as a poet, always told me to never censor myself – that’s one of his cardinal rules of creative writing,” says multiple-Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. “That became my motto which I’ve stuck by all these years.” Miller Williams’ advice clearly is born out on Lucinda’s powerful eighteenth studio album, the provocative World’s Gone Wrong. “I felt a sense of urgency in making this record,” she adds.
Filled with gut-wrenching topical songs, the album’s ten tracks were written and recorded in a blast of collaborative creativity as Lucinda and her cowriters – primarily husband/manager/co-producer Tom Overby and guitarist Doug Pettibone – grappled with events transpiring during the spring of 2025. A whole other album had been in the works, but that “urgency” to address our current cataclysmic situation motivated Lucinda and company to cut World’s Gone Wrong in direct response. “Music is a powerful weapon,” she points out. “I want this record to make people aware, wake them up. I like to push people’s buttons.”
Lucinda, Pettibone, and Overby returned to co-producer Ray Kennedy’s Room & Board Studio in Nashville to cut the tracks with her newly configured band: guitarist Marc Ford (Black Crowes), drummer Brady Blade (Emmylou Harris), and her longtime bassist David Sutton. On the gripping title track, they’re joined by guest vocalist Brittney Spencer and keyboardist Rob Burger on Hammond B3. Its title inspired by the 1931 Mississippi Sheiks song (repurposed by Dylan in ‘93), the lyrics give voice to the lives of baffled everyday Americans: a nurse and a car salesman “workin’ long hours” and “lookin’ for comfort in a song.”
Throughout the album, Lucinda is at her most direct, not mincing words via those distinctive, one-of-a-kind vocals. The ominous “Something’s Gotta Give” (also featuring Spencer) is punctuated by Pettibone’s and Ford’s fiery two-guitar interplay – a clarion call that “evil has come to play/you can feel it everywhere.” On the country-blues “Low Life,” co-written with members of Big Thief, Mickey Raphael’s dulcet harmonica livens up this ode to a juke joint where weary souls find relief. Lucinda and her band played the song onstage with Raphael during Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Fest, and “audiences really responded to that one,” Lucinda recalls. After their August 2 tour stop in Saratoga Springs, they reconvened with Raphael at New York’s iconic Electric Lady Studio to cut the vibrant track.
The blues-rockin’ “Sing Unburied Sing,” inspired by Jesmyn Ward’s 2017 award-winning novel of a haunted South, offers soaring background vocals by Maureen Murphy and Siobhan Kennedy. A gutbucket blues, “Black Tears” features Reese Wynan’s Hammond B3 accenting a down-and-dirty dual guitar attack. Accompanied by a serpentine slide guitar, “Punchline” eviscerates “false gods and deceivers/playin’ on our deepest fears” and “people being taught to hate.” Personifying the voice of liberty itself, in “Freedom Speaks” Lucinda reminds us that “apathy will blind you,” urging us to “stand up and fight.” The punk-blues “How Much Did You Get for Your Soul?” is a sequel of sorts to the piercing “Man Without a Soul,” from Lucinda’s critically acclaimed Good Souls Better Angels (2020). Backed by Murphy’s churchy vocals, Lucinda paraphrases biblical scripture, delivering a bit of fire-and-brimstone that’s sorely needed.
The sole cover song on the album, Bob Marley’s formidable “So Much Trouble in the World,” features the inimitable vocals of national treasure Mavis Staples. “It’s the first time I’ve cut a Bob Marley song,” says Lucinda, who’s released a series of albums of songs by the Fab Four (2024’s Lucinda Williams Sings the Beatles from Abbey Road) and Tom Petty (2020’s Runnin’ Down the Dream), as well as blues and country classics. “I was self-conscious about it at first, because the song is so great and it had already been recorded the best it’s ever going to be. But then when Mavis Staples came in to do vocals….” Together, they nailed it.
The hymnlike “We’ve Come Too Far to Turn Around,” featuring Norah Jones on piano and harmonies, is a heartbreaking closer, yet there is an aspirational quality too. “Norah’s voice lifts the song up,” says Lucinda. “Her part is subtle, kind of quiet, but it adds a whole level of something to the song.” That “something” permeates the entirety of World’s Gone Wrong, giving courage to listeners who are – as the title track says – “lookin’ for comfort in a song.”
And that’s what Lucinda fans have come to depend on over the past 45 years – since her sophomore effort comprised of originals, Happy Woman Blues, in 1980. With a back catalog of remarkable albums, including 1998’s game-changing Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, three Grammy awards and countless accolades, including Time Magazine naming her America’s Best Songwriter in 2001, Williams is one of our most revered artists, beloved for her singular vocals and extraordinary songs. And in these troubling times, we need the light she shines on World’s Gone Wrong more than ever before.
Show time: 8:00 PM, doors 7:00 PM
Tickets: $60
Advance tickets:www.ticketweb.com
Event website: www.folkyeah.com
The Rio Theatre for the Performing Arts, a most versatile live venue in Santa Cruz California
OCT 29 Michael Franti Trio
OCT 31 AJ Lee & Blue Summit
NOV 01 Warren Miller’s Days Off
NOV 06 Mountain Bike Film Festival
NOV 10 Donavon Frankenreiter
NOV 14 Mountainfilm Santa Cruz
NOV 18 TCB - Toni Cade Bambara
NOV 21 Yala Lati & Melanie DeMore +
NOV 22 John Craigie
NOV 29 Sandra Bernhard
DEC 05 Teton Gravity Research
DEC 11 Jonathan Richman
DEC 12 Victor Wooten & Brothers
DEC 13 Garrison Keilor with guests
JAN 21 Jesse Cook
JAN 22 Trae Crowder
FEB 04 Take it to the Limit
FEB 10 Ladysmith Black Mambazo
FEB 26 Banff Centre Mountain Film
FEB 27 Banff Centre Mountain Film
FEB 28 Banff Centre Mountain Film
MAR 04 Electric Elton
MAR 14 Alok
APR 23 FashionTeens 2027
MAY 09 DIIV
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