Upon learning about a bearded, acoustic troubadour and survivalist signed to the ANTI- record label coming to Santa Cruz to play at The Crepe Place this week, I was intrigued. After digging a little deeper, intrigue turned to excitement. Singer-songwriter and guitar player, Sean Rowe, has spent much of the last year traveling the country…
Articles by Roseann Hernandez
Pledge Allegiance to AWOLNATION
AWOLNATION began as a creative outlet for songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Aaron Bruno, six years ago when Red Bull gave him free run of their studio in Venice Beach. Bruno recorded a few songs in the studio and ultimately signed with the label, calling it a “partnership.” With Red Bull, Bruno was allowed to make the…
Going Through Hell with Sage Francis
At this point in his career, it feels like a disservice to Sage Francis to call him an “underground” rapper. Widely considered to be a forefather of the independent hip-hop scene, Sage got his start by sneaking out of his house at night to compete in Rap Battles when he was just 12. His initiative…
Dirty Heads Double-Dip at Cali Roots and The Catalyst
Like any good Southern California band origin tale should, our story begins in an Orange County garage where then-high school freshman, Jared “Dirty J” Watson and vocalist/guitarist Dustin “Duddy B” Bushnell played their first songs as The Dirty Heads in 1996. The two friends originally met at a house party. Dustin was already a musician…
Bill Maher Broke My Funny Bone
The heckler quickly learned Bill Maher came to the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium prepared. No joke. Well, it was a joke but it was also true and awed the cheering sold-out house and hushed the heckler instantaneously with a single blow. You had to be there. And you should have been. There’s a sobering hilarity in Maher’s…
Boostive Tops West Coast Roots Lineup at the Catalyst
With a sound that is difficult to attach to any one genre, Santa Cruz-based, Boostive, draw from roots, dub, ambient, electronic, hip-hop, jazz, and world music, creating a live set that takes you back to when you were a kid and stuffed way too many Skittles in your mouth; although you are not sure which…
Good Luck and Have Fun: 64-Player Smash Bros. Tournament in Santa Cruz
Voted “Best Video Game Store” in Good Times‘ annual Best of issue two years running, Level Up Video Games in downtown Santa Cruz is hosting a 64-Player Smash Bros. Wii U Tournament on Saturday, April 4. Starting at noon, the competition will be played in 1v1 format and feature $450 in prizes. “We host a…
Bad Religion in Santa Cruz: Need We Say More?
The year is 1979 and around the sprawling suburbs of Los Angeles, three high school friends, Greg Gaffin, Brett Gurewitz and Jay Bentley decide to form a punk band. Developing their own musical style while playing warehouses in Santa Ana and opening for bands like Social Distortion, the self-described, ‘insurgent teenage punks,’ would come to…
Twenty Years Later: Bone Thugs N Harmony and E. 1999 Eternal at the Catalyst
The year was 1995 and the up-and-coming Cleveland hip-hop group, Bone Thugs and Harmony had their second album E.1999 Eternal slated for release. After being taken under the wing of N.W.A rapper and Ruthless Records founder, Eazy-E, the group were no strangers to the business and had enjoyed the breakout success of their debut EP,…
The Best of Reggae-Fusion Comes to Santa Cruz
Fusing California roots reggae with hip-hop, jazz and a bit of punk, Dewey and the Peoples is a hybrid wonder for a new generation of music lovers. Equally hard-hitting and inspired, the Bay Area-based five-piece is making waves up and down the coast, delivering captivating performances that rarely leave feet on the ground. Dewey and…
