Reset yourself for the new year with the powerful magic of sound. An hour of sun bath experience will take place on Friday, Jan. 16 at Hidden Valley Music Seminars.
Friday, Jan. 16
Feel the Vibration
Dance Studio at Hidden Valley Music Seminars is offering sacred sounds and high vibes to start strong this 2026. Music brings an array of emotions, from happiness to tranquility (and everything in between) to listeners. In a sound bath, there is space to connect with the inner energy in our bodies and increase harmony. It’s also a moment to relax, meditate and rebalance with various vibrating sounds and vocalizations. Attendees will enjoy a melodic sound bath with crystal bowls. They are encouraged to bring mats, pillows and water. [CJ]
6:30-7:30pm Friday, Jan. 16. Hidden Valley Music Seminars, 104 West Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley. $40-$75. (831) 659-3115, hiddenvalleymusic.org.
Pollination Fascination
Did you know: Monarch butterflies fly long distances during migration, traveling up to 3,000 miles from Canada and the northern U.S. to Mexico? Or that in the winter time, monarchs slow their metabolism to conserve energy, entering a state similar to hibernation (technically called diapause)? The world of monarch butterflies is a fascinating and important one; they are pollinators with population numbers on the decline. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the migratory monarch butterfly as endangered. If interested in learning more about these insects, watch this documentary screening of Western Monarch Butterflies, Protecting Our Pollinators with Ian Nelson, director of Western Monarch Butterflies, joining for a Q&A. Proceeds will be split between the P.G. Museum of Natural History and Nelson. [KR]
5:30-7:30pm Friday, Jan. 16. Museum of Natural History, 165 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. $20; $12/museum members. (831) 648-5716, pgmuseum.org.
Friday, Jan. 16-Sunday, Jan. 18
Man of Words
For the next month, Gutenberg – the creator of the printing press – will be in town. Gutenberg, the Musical promises laughter while inauguring the new, packed theater season for Paper Wing. This 2006 Broadway hit by Anthony King and Scott Brown tells a story of two playwrights and their own struggle – a story within a story – to put Gutenberg on stage and immortalize the father of the printing press. On stage, we will again see the recent stars of Paper Wing, Hunter Powers as Bud Davenport and Brian Steen-Larsen, who charmed the audience in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder last year, as Doug Simon. Celebrate the writing process with all its struggles, and the biggest invention before the internet. [AP]
8pm Fridays and Saturdays; 3pm Sundays, Jan. 16-Feb. 15. Paper Wing Theatre & Supper Club, 711 Cannery Row, Suite I (upstairs), Monterey. $38; $84/dinner and show. (831) 905-5684, paperwing.com.
Saturday, Jan. 17
Rim Shot
This still from Granite Rapids Moon is representative of the narrative movie that was filmed almost entirely in the Grand Canyon. The characters explore not only the depths of this amazing feature, but also relationships.
Imagine hiking 41 miles through the Grand Canyon in oppressively hot 95-degree weather, then hiking it again in 20-degree winter weather. Now imagine doing it with full-on videography gear. That’s what a crew of eight did in order to film Granite Rapids Moon. The story follows a man who finds himself suddenly shaken and setting out on a solo hike, with flashbacks to a hike from the past. Needless to say, the scenery is jaw-droppingly beautiful. The movie is family-friendly, meaning no nudity, violence or profanity, letting the characters and place do the storytelling. A Q&A with writer/director Kenneth Cran follows. [SR]
7pm Saturday, Jan. 17. Lighthouse Cinema, 525 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. $20. (831) 717-3124, lighthousecinema.fun.
J.A.M. On It
Jeffrey A. Meyer (second from right) puts the jam in J.A.M. and the Buttered Biscuits. From left, they are Brad Kava (harmonica), Fernando Giraldo (lead guitar), Leo MacDonald (bass) and Cliff Nichols (drums). The band plays Saturday.
Jeffery A. Meyer had a couple of solo albums out, but needed to bring the musical depth his songs deserved to the stage. And for that, he needed a backing band – a classic lineup of lead and rhythm guitar, bass, drums and a harmonica to lend a bluesy edge to his funk-rock sound. Enter J.A.M. & The Buttered Biscuits, a local band with a clever name now earning a reputation up and down the Central Coast (and beyond). The band just works well – fiery and soulful, gritty and powerful. With The Buttered Biscuits, J.A.M. is really onto something. [DF]
7pm Saturday, Jan. 17. Pop & Hiss, 215 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. popandhiss.net.
Kill Joy
Americans have a fixation with serial killers. It’s one of our many flaws. But there’s no denying there are some interesting stories to tell. Scott Bonn is a criminologist who has provided commentary on various television shows and documentaries. He’s also authored a book titled Why We Love Serial Killers: The Curious Appeal of the World’s Most Savage Murderers, so he’s attuned to this cultural phenomenon. Bonn will share his insights on some of the most notorious murderers from history, such as the “BTK Strangler” Dennis Rader, the “Son of Sam” David Berkowitz and other chilling characters. Find out why so many are fascinated by the worst of the worst. [EC]
7pm Saturday, Jan. 17. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $37-$77. (831) 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com.
Laugh Out Loud
Laugh it up at Folktale Winery. The top comedians from the San Francisco Comedy Competition have some stories to tell – all with a punchline. See them on Jan. 17.
Folktale Winery is often a stop for the San Francisco Comedy Competition, with comedians battling it out to make it to the next round and be the last comic standing in the end. The recent iteration of the competition ended in September, but that doesn’t mean the laughs have to end. Favorite comedians from competitions in recent years convene in Carmel Valley for a night of laughs. The lineup consists of Gary Anderson, the winner of the 2023 competition, along with 2025 runner-up CJ Koepp and 2024 competitor K. Cheng. Their nerves will be much more at ease with no competition hanging over the heads. [EC]
7:30-9:30pm Saturday, Jan. 17. Folktale Winery & Vineyards, 8940 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley. $49-$60. (831) 293-7500, folktalewinery.com.
Sunday, Jan. 18
Vocal Range
There’s a timeless quality to the best jazz vocalists, a quality that could place you just as easily in a smoky club 100 years ago or the here and now. Luckily for present-day listeners, there are present-day singers who can capture that timelessness. Such singers include Julie Capili, whose influences are not just jazz icons but also range to Tori Amos and Aretha Franklin. She appears here for an intimate afternoon concert with Ben Herod on saxophone, Pete Lips on bass and Bill Spencer on piano. Doors open at 1:30pm for wine and light bites, and showtime is 2pm. [SR]
1:30pm Sunday, Jan. 18. Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, 4th and Guadalupe, Carmel. $45. (831) 624-7491, carlcherrycenter.org.
Express to Impress
Salinas native and rising star Alan Truong guest conducts Espressivo Orchestra’s winter concert.
The small and intense Espressivo Orchestra, made up of regional professional musicians, is bringing rarely performed classical masterpieces to the stage in a winter concert entitled “Swan Song.” The orchestra performs “Dixtour,” one of the last major compositions by Jean Francaix, described as “alternatingly lyrical and witty – always full of fun.” Also on the program is “Chamber Symphony” by George Enescue, infused with passion and romantic longing, and “Sinfonia da Camera” by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, an exuberant song composed by Wolf-Ferrari as a young man on the brink of his career. Guest conductor for the concert is Salinas-native Alan Truong, the first alumni music director of Youth Music Monterey County. [PM]
4pm Sunday, Jan. 18. First Presbyterian Church of Monterey, 501 El Dorado St., Monterey. $18-$45. espressorch.org.
Monday, Jan. 19
Joyful Noise
The City of Marina is planning a day of music, joy and celebration of the life of Martin Luther King Jr., with an inspirational program featuring local musicians paying tribute to the civil rights leader. Set in MLK Jr. Sculpture Garden at Locke-Paddon Park, the day opens with the Leon Joyce Trio presented by the Just Jazz Foundation, followed by the Monterey Bay Live Allstars featuring vocalist Amber Guzmán. The Monterey County Pops! orchestra caps off the day with a 2:15pm concert highlighting African American composers. Family activities and a barbecue food truck round out the celebratory offerings. [PM]
11:30am-3pm Monday, Jan. 19. 190 Seaside Circle, Marina. (In case of rain the event takes place at Rocky Han Community Center, 211 Hillcrest Ave., Marina.) Free. (831) 238-1988, montereycountypops.org/events.
Tuesday, Jan. 20
Deep Sea
Not sure if you’ve heard – the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute has a relatively new CEO (May 2025), and she’s giving a talk at Hopkins Marine Station. Antje Boetius is a renowned deep-sea polar biologist who has worked with many MBARI scientists over an impressive 30-year career. She delivers a lecture titled “Deep Ocean Connections,” about recent discoveries from the abyss and implications for conservation efforts. The deep sea is Earth’s largest biome, with so much marine life living under extreme conditions, and with so much still yet to be discovered. She’ll discuss new technologies that provide a better understanding of this environment and where we’re headed next with research. You can join online or in person. [KR]
6-7pm Tuesday, Jan. 20. Hopkins Marine Station, Izzie Abbott Boatworks Auditorium, 120 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove. Free. (831) 655-6200, events.stanford.edu/event/deep-ocean-connections.
Wednesday, Jan. 21
Truth and the Free Press
Join award-winning author, former New York Times columnist, and Columbia University professor emeritus Samuel G. Freedman for an in-depth discussion about the power of language in journalism. Freedman, who has authored 10 books and contributed to numerous publications, will be joined in the discussion by former USA Today correspondent Marco della Cava. Together, the two veteran journalists will share insights from their careers and discuss how the Fourth Estate promotes truth, gives a voice to the marginalized and protects democracy. [AS]
7pm Wednesday, Jan. 21. Carpenter Hall at Sunset Center, San Carlos and 8th, Carmel. Free. (831) 624-2811, carmelpubliclibraryfoundation.org.
F It
When he plays with ZZ Top, he’s Billy Gibbons. But when he gathers his own crew, Gibbons adds a big F. And with that Texas blues attitude, he dips into some of the legendary trio’s early material and deep cuts, including pieces rarely played live. Billy F. Gibbons and the BFG Band also hits original stuff, as well as covers appropriate to his style. Yes, the set list includes favorites such as “Jesus Just Left Chicago,” “La Grange” and “Sharp Dressed Man,” but the MTV era pieces are performed with a raw blues sound – less synthetic, more honest. Gibbons is touring now with his beer drinkin’, hell raisin’ BFGs, before joining the ZZ Top tour later this year. [DF]
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