Hot Picks 02.26.26

 Friday, Feb. 27

Transatlantic Security

The current U.S. presidential administration keeps questioning and reshaping NATO, the post-WWII American-European alliance that guarantees peace in Europe. President Donald Trump has pressured the NATO countries to pay a bigger percentage of their respective GDPs to support the alliance, which translates, according to some, into more security in Europe, but also antagonizes relations with Russia. At the same time, a desire by the administration to annex Greenland, a territory of Denmark (a NATO member), makes Europeans rethink the very sense of NATO. Learn about the future of the alliance from Professor Anna Grzymala-Busse of Stanford University, courtesy of the local chapter of the World Affairs Council. Tickets come with lunch. [AP]

11:30am Friday, Feb. 27. Hilton Garden Inn Monterey, 1000 Aguajito Road, Monterey. $55; $45/members. Registration required. (831) 643-1855, wacmb.org/event-6552147.

Chai High

Chai tea is one of those teas served in all kinds of ways. You can order a chai latte, perhaps with a shot of espresso and a milk of your choosing. You can have it like regular tea, steeped in water. In India, where chai tea originates, masala chai (mixed-spice tea) is traditionally served with milk and sugar. But did you know that you can actually make your own chai tea, from scratch? Chai typically consists of a type of black tea mixed with a blend of spices, like cardamom, cloves and black pepper. You can learn all about this history, the many brewing techniques and flavor profiles at the chai-making workshop at Haifa Coffeehouse with the owner (and certified tea specialist) Kashka Singh. [KR]

5-7pm Friday, Feb. 27. Haifa Coffeehouse, Dolores between 5th and 6th, Carmel. $45. aslichai@protonmail.com, tinyurl.com/yj22ysws.

Dynamic Duo

Some things just work great together: Peanut butter and jelly. Salt and pepper. Chris Webster and Nina Gerber. The duo has been performing together for more than a quarter of a century, so you know they’ve got this music thing down pat. Harmony? Check. Powerful guitar playing complemented by soulful lyrics? You got it. Known as a soul singer, Webster has recorded 20 albums of her own and with others over the years. Gerber, with guitar in hand, took to the acoustic music scene in the West Coast in the late 1970s and hasn’t let up since. [EC]

7-9pm Friday, Feb. 27. Wave Street Studios, 774 Wave St., Monterey. $25; sold out. (831) 655-2010, wavestreetlive774.com.

Spinning It

Compact Disco knows how to party. Geo Stasi is a Mexican/Italian DJ and producer from the Bay Area. He gained recognition as part of production crew Funk Lab Productions in the late ’90s, playing hip-hop. With time, he moved to house music and today is one of the longest-running resident DJs at Cardiff & Cocktails, a South Bay staple for house music. In 2016, he became a resident DJ for the Sunday Bliss party in Oakland. “My motivation is the vibe, the music, the dancers and what music creates,” he wrote on his website. He creates that vibe in Monterey this weekend. [AP]

8pm Friday, Feb. 27. Compact Disco, 420 Tyler St., Monterey. Free until 9pm, $20 after. Ages 21+ . (831) 920-2518, compactdisco.org.

 Saturday, Feb. 28

Dig It

There’s nature, nurture and what we normally do to the environment. But the staff at Fort Ord National Monument and the Habitat Stewardship Project want to nurture nature, and are asking you to help restore monument lands. They will provide gloves and tools (and some snacks), all you need to do is use said gloves and tools (but not the snacks) to plant native species, which will help bring the area back to its natural state. Yes, they are putting you to work, but it’s worth it in the long run. Bring the rest of the family to help. [DF]

10am-1pm Saturday, Feb. 28. Fort Ord National Monument, Creekside Terrace Trailhead, Portola Road off Reservation Road, Salinas. Free; registration required. (831) 582-3686, habitatstewardshipproject.com.

African Rhythms

There are different ways to celebrate your identity. One of the best options, besides food, is music. Beats and rhythms bring emotions and connections that transcend language and geography; they also tell a history of who people are, what they like and where they come from. As part of Black History Month, Santa Cruz-based Afro-Brazilian band SambaDá is bringing a joyful performance that will take the audience on a cultural and historical journey. The show highlights African roots and the African diaspora using percussion instruments and styles from South and Central America and a mix of samba, reggae and funk. Bring your dancing shoes. [CJ]

11am-1pm Saturday, Feb. 28. Palenke Arts, 1713 Broadway Ave., Seaside. Free. (831) 899-9909, palenkearts.com.

Euro Beat

This story begins right here in Salinas, where Allison Wheeler was raised and got her start as a vocalist on the jazz stage at the Monterey Jazz Festival. She’s now a rising star in Europe, since relocating in 2018 to the Czech Republic, and she continues to turn heads internationally. Since releasing her debut album, Winterspring, in 2022, she’s drawn rave reviews from jazz writers everywhere and earned a reputation for always finding a new creative challenge. (For starters, she uses the phrase “jazz-like” to describe her sound.) An American tour takes her back to her home county for this show before returning to Prague. She performs here with her husband, Petr Nohavica, on drums, Dan Robbins on bass and Alex Sjobeck on piano. It’s a rare chance to see where this local singer has gone and hear where she might be going next. Her 2022 record proved to be prescient: It’s meant to convey “a message of hope and growth in the midst of darkness.” [SR]

7-9pm Saturday, Feb. 28. Wendi Kirby Music, 550 Hartnell St., Suite F, Monterey. $50. allisonwheelermusic.com.

Soccer Show

Soccer season is around the corner and there is no better way to warm up than an international, friendly game where Monterey Bay FC will face Fútbol Pachuca Select, a team with players from Los Tuzos’ first and Sub-23 teams (Pachuca is the oldest Mexican professional team). Last month, MBFC and Pachuca announced a partnership for player development and scouting in Mexico and USA for both teams. Besides having fun and getting a first glance at a Mexican squad, “This game is going to be the first opportunity for the fans to be able to see the partnership in real life, says Tony Awor, MBFC’s director of recruitment. “For the community and everybody else, it’s an opportunity to see Pachuca’s next generation of talent.” Part of the proceeds will go to the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex, a sports and rec center that serves young players in Monterey County and beyond. [CJ]

7pm Saturday, Feb. 28. Cardinale Stadium, 4111 2nd Ave., Seaside. $27-$58. (831) 324-2560, English; (831) 750-4740, Spanish. montereybayfc.com.

In Threes

Named after the 19th-century German poet Christian Morgenstern, the award-winning Morgenstern Trio, comprising Catherine Klipfel on piano, Stefan Hempel playing violin and cellist Emanuel Wehse, plays a trio of classical favorites including Beethoven’s 1793 Piano Trio in C Minor, Frank Martin’s 1925 Trio on Irish Folk Tunes and the 1899 Verklärte Nacht by Arnold Schoenberg. The company of three will have a pre-concert talk at 6:30pm, giving audience members an opportunity to learn what to listen for. [AS]

7:30pm Saturday, Feb. 28. Sunset Center, San Carlos and 8th, Carmel. $25-$63. (831) 620-2048, chambermusicmontereybay.org.

 Sunday, March 1

History’s Lens

Part of what makes Monterey County so interesting is its rich history. The Monterey History and Art Association brings glimpses into the county’s past through two presentations in one about a pioneering photographer who captured the development of the region and another about the Peninsula’s first major tourist attraction. “Lewis Josselyn: Pioneer photographer of Carmel and Monterey County, 1900–1950,” presented by local historian Greg Henderson, takes a look at Josselyn and his chronicling of the artistic, civic and architectural development of Carmel and the county in the first half of the 20th century. “The Magnificent, World Famous Hotel Del Monte Bathing Pavilion,” by John Sanders, tells of the Victorian hotel’s technologically advanced bathhouse, featuring heated, crystalline sea green waters, and how it played a significant role in promoting travel and tourism to both Monterey and California. [PM]

1-3pm Sunday, March 1. Stanton Center Theater, 5 Custom House Plaza, Monterey. $10. (831) 649-9161, montereyhistory.org.

 Sunday, March 1-Monday, March 2

Notaro Public

It’s as if Tig Notaro tries to stop the laughter, but can’t. Her deadpan delivery is part of the setup, whether the humor is observational, personal or dark. And her stand-up act is so engaging that Rolling Stone tagged Notaro as one of the 50 best stand-up comics – not of the year or the decade, but of all time. Her 2024 comedy special Hello Again earned a slew of Emmy nominations. There’s so much more to say (such as her Festival Favorite award from last year’s Sundance Film Festival for her documentary Come See Me in the Good Light or her memoir, I’m Just A Person – a New York Times bestseller). But it’s her ability to take dark reality and absorb the audience that stands out. In 2012 Notaro stepped on stage a few days after a devastating diagnosis and opened with, “Good evening. Hello. I have cancer, how are you?” Later she performed part of a set topless, sharing her scars. Simply put, Notaro is a comedian that we look up to as a person. And we can’t stop laughing as we do so. [DF]

7pm Sunday-Monday, March 1-2. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $58-$89; Sunday, March 1 show is sold out. (831) 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com.

 Wednesday, March 4

Star Power

Some concerts are about the music, and that is as true of BANC as any group of musicians. But the Benevolent Artists National Charity is also about something else: musicians sharing the stage (as volunteers) to raise money for causes they care about. Since launching in 2015, BANC has raised $8.5 million to give away. This show benefits five different nonprofits supporting children’s health, animals and youth: the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, Stollery Hospital Foundation, Bonaparte’s Retreat, Alice Cooper Solid Rock and Eastwood Ranch Foundation. Expect to hear singer Bernard Fowler (who backed up The Rolling Stones), drummer Bryan Owings (who has appeared with the likes of Alicia Keys and Robert Plant), pianist Ellis Hall, aka “The Ambassador of Soul,” and others at this intimate Carmel venue, wrapping BANC’s tour and its first-ever appearance in Monterey County. Doors open at 6pm, a live auction follows at 7pm and showtime is at 8pm. [SR]

6pm Wednesday, March 4. Mission Ranch, 26270 Dolores St., Carmel. $1,000/couple. (831) 624-6436, thebanc.ca.

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Hot Picks by Sloan Campi, Erik Chalhoub, Dave Faries, Celia Jiménez, Pam Marino, Agata Popęda, Katie Rodriguez, Sara Rubin and Aric Sleeper.