Friday, Feb. 20
Blue Book
We’re not really sure how much reading one can get done with Al James and Jesse DeCarlo hammering away at some hard, downhome blues. But the Pacific Grove Public Library calls its monthly concert series Rhythm & Reads, so we’ll go along. The Al James Duo draws influences from the likes of Stevie Wonder and Jimi Hendrix, so their style is soulful and guitar-forward – and they are compelling enough that no librarian is going to hush them up. Besides, who says libraries can’t be music venues? So put down the books and listen up. [DF]
5:30pm Friday, Feb. 20. Pacific Grove Library, 550 Central Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. (831) 648-5760, pacificgrovelibrary.org.
Who’s Your Mama?
Seriously, did anybody with a vagina ever get involved in designing bathing suits for people who have them? These are among the very important questions that some people have spent decades asking silently, and that Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley are asking out loud – with a smile and while actually modeling bathing suits that give the impression the wearer has four butt cheeks. The two moms and real-life best friends created the web series #IMomSoHard and were met with immense popularity because they are willing to admit when they peed a little while sneezing (and much more). Their real talk about parenting, bodies, family life and questionably too-high wine consumption is now a stand-up show on tour. If you think you’re failing at motherhood, they are prepared to show you that someone – hint, it’s them – is failing harder and still laughing about it. [SR]
8pm Friday, Feb. 20. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $48-$135. (831) 649-1070, imomsohard.com.
Viva NYC
What do a “flaming sword, a screaming train, a ringing bell and a scratching chicken” have in common? That’s how Viva DeConcini describes her guitar playing. In other words, it’s loud and it rocks. The Brooklyn-based musician brings her band for an unapologetically booming performance. DeConcini lists Jimi Hendrix, Dolly Parton and disco music among her influences, and her career has taken her to performances at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Sydney Opera House and other prominent spots. She’s also active in the theater scene in New York City, with various burlesque and variety shows under her belt. Shred on. [EC]
10pm Friday, Feb. 20. Fernwood Resort, 47200 Highway 1, Big Sur. Free. (831) 667-2422, fernwoodbigsur.com.
Friday, Feb. 20-Saturday, Feb. 21
Ghost Stories
In the Legend of Zelda video game franchise, ghosts are called “Poes,” and while not totally confirmed, fans of the franchise believe that this is a nod to Edgar Allan Poe. The literary figure needs no introduction when it comes to macabre and dark literature. Zelda lore is always up for discussion, though, and what better place to discuss it than at a speakeasy themed around the dark imagination of Poe himself? Something that won’t be up for debate are facts about the author, told by historians in a four-part series at the Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy. Dark-themed cocktails are available. Or perhaps they’re potions. You decide. [SC]
6pm and 8pm Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20-21. Fox Theater, 214 Main St., Salinas. $65; ages 21+. (831) 758-8459, edgarallanpoebar.com.
Bad Wolf
It’s easy to get lost in the woods. The eternal tale of naivete considered a provocation comes to Ariel Theatrical, where children have a chance not only to learn lessons from timeless stories, but create them themselves. Join local kids in retelling the classic Grimm brothers’ fable about a brave little girl, her grandma and a wolf who wants to eat them both. Except, this version – a doo-wop musical – comes with a lot of twists to the original story. It turns out that Little Red Riding Hood has parents who hire an evil queen to manipulate their little girl’s future. Meet her two sisters, Big Green Riding Hood and Medium Purple Riding Hood, who help balance out the situation. [AP]
7pm Friday, Feb. 20; 2pm and 7pm Saturday, Feb. 21. Ariel Theatrical, 320 S. Main St., Salinas. $6. (831) 775-0976, arieltheatrical.org.
Friday, Feb. 20- Sunday, Feb. 22
Jurassic Times
Hold on to your butts – dinosaurs are coming back to Monterey. It’s been 66 million years since they were last here. Wait, that’s not accurate. It’s actually only been a year since Jurassic Quest was last in town. Life-sized dinosaurs roar back to life, and there’s no expense that’s been spared: Expect to see a 60-foot-long Spinosaurus, an 80-foot-long Apatosaurus and of course, a T. rex. You can learn how to train a raptor (just like Chris Pratt), while kids can ride a dinosaur (they won’t bite) and meet little baby dinos. Anything with dinosaurs is sure to be a hit for all ages. There’s been seven Jurassic Park movies, after all. [EC]
Noon-8pm Friday, Feb. 20; 8am-6pm Saturday, Feb. 21; 9am-5pm Sunday, Feb. 22. Monterey County Fair and Event Center, 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey. $28-$85. jurassicquest.com.
Saturday, Feb. 21
Foot-Stomping Time
The Evie Ladin Band is coming to town, bringing Ladin’s music, described as “grounded in Appalachian old-time repertoire, seasoned in African-diaspora roots,” yet with her modern approach to songwriting. Ladin sings with a resonant voice and plays a mean clawhammer banjo with a beat that brings songs to life. Her music has been heard on A Prairie Home Companion and at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. She’s joined by musicians Keith Terry and Erik Pearson. Together they put on a show not soon forgotten. [PM]
3pm Saturday, Feb. 21. Monterey United Methodist Church, 1 Soledad Drive, Monterey. $33-$38. larry@otteropry.org, otteropry.org.
Library Love
Sometimes self-love starts with a good book, some chocolate and a glass of wine. Other times you need to share the love to get love in return, especially with a worthy cause like the Monterey Public Library. The Monterey Public Library Friends and Foundation is hosting the 21st Annual Chocolate & Wine benefit, where guests will be treated to live music, local wines, craft beer, savory and sweet bites by local culinary talent and of course, chocolate. It’ll be sweet. [PM]
4-7pm Saturday, Feb. 21. Monterey Public Library, 625 Pacific St., Monterey. $75. (831) 646-5605, investinmpl.org.
Collective Chorus
Enjoy songs of the classical and Romantic past performed by singers of the present including those from the professional vocal ensemble Volti, based in San Francisco, and others. These choral performances include Felix Mendelssohn’s concert overture The Hebrides, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus, which was completed in the last year of his life, and Franz Schubert’s Mass in G Major. The final performance of the program is Franz Joseph Haydn’s symphony called London. [AS]
7:30pm Saturday, Feb. 21; 3pm Sunday, Feb. 22. Sunset Center, San Carlos and 8th, Carmel. $12-$90. (831) 646-8511, montereysymphony.org.
Sunday, Feb. 22
Moon Shadows
The sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening, when the moon rises. Then the moon is visible throughout the night and vanishes from view during the day, right? Wrong! Depictions of the moon as a celestial body viewable only in the night sky are obviously created by poets, not scientists (or anyone who has, in fact, bothered to look at the sky during the day and observe that the moon is often visible). Unlike the sun, the moon does not create its own light and what we see is a reflection. Depending on the position of the moon, that reflected light is viewable during the daytime sky too. Conditions work out on Feb. 22 when astronomer Jean Perkins from the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy sets up a telescope. Learn about the science and also the story of the moon (through words, art and movement) at this all-ages, family-friendly event. [SR]
2-3pm Sunday, Feb. 22. Garland Ranch Regional Park, 700 W. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley. Free; registration required. (831) 372-3196, mprpd.org/let-s-go-outdoors.
Tuesday, Feb. 24
Plover Love
Many cute birds fly through the world, but the snowy plover may be a top contender. These tiny, fluffy birds – weighing less than two ounces – scurry across beaches at surprising speed, darting through kelpy shorelines to catch tiny sea flies. They lay their eggs directly in the sand in shallow depressions (and are known to sometimes nest in human footprints), leaving them vulnerable to predators. To protect their nests, parents perform a bit of sacrificial theater, feigning injury to lure threats away from their camouflaged eggs. They’re fascinating little birds, and Point Blue Conservation Science ecologist Kriss Neuman has spent decades studying their ecology and the growing threats sea level rise poses to their habitat. She’ll discuss why their survival matters and how they’ve come to call Monterey Bay’s shorelines home at an upcoming talk at Hopkins Marine Station. [KR]
6-7pm Tuesday, Feb. 24. Hopkins Marine Station DeNault Family Research Laboratory, 120 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove. Free; registration required. (831) 655-6200, bit.ly/PloverTalkPG.
Two Go
The math is easy. One and one make two. And it takes two to tango. From there, well, when two get together after dark, senses begin to smolder, things beat faster and faster then suddenly, bodies are in a tight, sensuous clench. Yes, we are talking about dancing – what did you think? Germán Cornejo and Gisela Galeassi, along with an ensemble of dancers, present Tango After Dark, a lively and vivid expression of this dance form born in the brothels of Argentina and Uruguay, now recognized by UNESCO as an important bit of cultural heritage. Plus it’s amazing to watch. The two tango stars and their cast perform to the beat of a live band. [DF]
7:30pm Tuesday, Feb. 24. Sunset Center, San Carlos and 9th, Carmel. $50-$80. (831) 620-2048, sunsetcenter.org.
Wednesday, Feb. 25
Lingo Puzzle
Learning a new language goes beyond words, sounds and communication. It expands the way people see and experience the world. But in a time of artificial intelligence, many people might be questioning how useful it is to learn another one. It’s a question Gabriel Guillén, a Middlebury Institute of International Studies professor, will explore and try to answer during this fireside chat titled “The Future Tense: What’s Left for Human Language Learners?” Join him in discussing whether people need to reimagine how to teach and learn new languages in our high-tech era. [CJ]
6:30pm Wednesday, Feb. 25. Harrison Memorial Library reading room, Ocean and Lincoln, Carmel. Free. (831) 624-4629, ci.carmel.ca.us/library.
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