John Fryer became a sort of godfather of darkwave, producing and/or engineering Depeche Mode’s Speak and Spell, Nine Inch Nails’ Pretty Hate Machine, Swans’ Children of God and various albums for Stabbing Westward and HIM.
And yet, in all this time, Fryer’s never had a band of his own, really, until now.
Artisanal food impresarios Zach Davis and Kendra Baker continue their handmade roll through the tastebuds of Santa Cruz. It wasn’t enough that this entrepreneurial duo gave us downtown’s Penny Ice Creamery, and plenty of national coverage for the little shop’s innovative hand-made desserts. They needed to bring us more. Much more. And so there is the delightful, beachfront Picnic Basket, facing the Boardwalk and seaside volleyball courts. Yes, the same Picnic Basket that got yet another shoutout in this month’s Sunset Magazine.
Readers weigh in on the power of the ocean to soothe the mind, suggest a pedestrian-only Pacific and curse litterbugs.
To understand the performance art–driven, strange musical juxtapositions of CocoRosie, a band frequently accused by critics of being pretentious or too bizarre for its own good, it’s important to understand the two women behind the group. As young children, sisters Bianca and Sierra Casady lived a bohemian existence with their mother, rarely staying in one town for more than a year and focusing more of their attention on weird art projects—at their mother’s insistence—than on schoolwork.
“I’m sorry.”
“I shouldn’t be doing this.”
“It’s all I have.”
The all-too-familiar refrains of the regular credit card user may soon be put to rest thanks to an entirely different plastic invention, a little white square about the size of a thumbnail.
In general, smaller establishments prefer cash transactions because they cost the businesses nothing, while each credit card swipe costs businesses a certain percentage on top of the monthly fee they pay just to have the ability to read cards with what is called a merchant account. The thinking is that if you’re really supporting small business, you’re not paying with a card. Problem is—who carries cash these days?
Time was that price and USDA Grade A quality were all that the average shopper asked of their beef. Now the meat counter is a crossroads of signs touting all-natural, sustainably raised and grass-fed beef, especially at premium butcher shops like Shopper’s Corner and Staff of Life.
Catherine Willis’ eyes light up when she talks about the dance performances she has planned for the June 1 grand opening of the Tannery Arts Center’s Digital Media and Creative Arts Center on River Street. “We’ll have Haitian dance, Mexican folkloric dance, Bollywood dance, contemporary, even tango,” says Willis, the co-founder of the nonprofit Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center and a longtime dance teacher who joined the Tannery in February.
Fifteen years ago, banjos, mandolins and fiddles were about the last thing you’d find in young, hip indie bands. Now, with bluegrass-influenced indie rock bands like Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers touring the country and drawing hipsters like flies on honey buckets, times have obviously changed. This weekend the Redwood Mountain Faire returns for a third season following a 14-year hiatus.
Marine biologist J. Nichols suspects water puts us into a mildly meditative state. He has dubbed this sensation “blue mind”—as opposed to “red mind,” the edgy high that modern society puts us in, and “gray mind,” the numbed indifference that comes from looking at TV or the computer screen in an attempt to relax. “Surfing the web is not truly relaxing,” Nichols says. He believes if people can experience and appreciate the “blue mind” state the ocean grants us, it will result in big gains for conservations efforts.
It started with tiny spoon-sized amuse bouches flavored in every shade of delicious, such as beautiful shreds of aged and fermented veggies, tossed with orange, olive oil and raw mild curd. My favorite appetizer spoon contained a bite of poached Monterey abalone encased in chrysanthemum aspic on a dot of sorrel cream. Three layers of luxurious flavors in every mouthful! And that was just the opening salvo of last week’s Iconic Chefs Dinner up at Love Apple Farms.
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