Taoist Master Comes to Santa Cruz

Yun Xiang Tseng comes to the Chi Center Sept. 7-8.

As a child, Yun Xiang Tseng was considered a gifted medium. When he was 6 years old, a bearded Taoist priest came to fetch him, guided by the powerful vision of an elderly female Grandmaster. She trained him for 10 years in the Longman tradition with the intention of sending him into the Western world to pass on his knowledge in turn. He comes to the Chi Center in Santa Cruz Sept. 7-8.

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Eco-Friendly Plans for Outside Lands

Plastic bottle art installation at Eco Lands. Photo courtesy of Outside Lands.

Regional events like the sold-out Outside Lands, happening this weekend, emphasize preserving the many gifts Mother Nature gives us for free. With practical methods in place and a conscious Earth-friendly perspective, the Bay Area’s music festivals aren’t just about showcasing great bands. Festival organizers see an opportunity to educate performers and audiences about green practices.

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Heartless Bastards Take An ‘Arrow’

The Heartless Bastards play the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz on Aug. 14.

Erika Wennerstrom doesn’t mind explaining her band’s name. As frontwoman for the Heartless Bastards, she’s heard plenty of misconceptions about her band, including that it’s a death metal group and a man-hating rock band. But behind the oft-misunderstood moniker lies an American rock outfit that takes on themes of love, life and heartache with heartland style and a bluesy, alt-country flair. And the name? It was an incorrect answer to the trivia question “What’s the name of Tom Petty’s band?”

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Heartless Bastards Take An ‘Arrow’

The Heartless Bastards play the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz on Aug. 14.

Erika Wennerstrom doesn’t mind explaining her band’s name. As frontwoman for the Heartless Bastards, she’s heard plenty of misconceptions about her band, including that it’s a death metal group and a man-hating rock band. But behind the oft-misunderstood moniker lies an American rock outfit that takes on themes of love, life and heartache with heartland style and a bluesy, alt-country flair. And the name? It was an incorrect answer to the trivia question “What’s the name of Tom Petty’s band?”

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Tess Dunn Headlines Cystic Fibrosis Benefit

At 17, Tess Dunn jokes that she's in 'mid-life crisis' mode. Photo by Chip Scheuer.

At 17, Tess Dunn, who finished up high school a year early so she could leave Santa Cruz, has already accomplished a lot. She’s released two EPs, performed on four Warped Tours and been featured on the Vans Off the Wall Pass the Bucket show online. She’s done all this in spite of three incurable diseases. And before she leaves for CSUMB, Dunn will also be headlining Moe’s Alley on Aug. 12 for a benefit for one of those diseases, cystic fibrosis.

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