Thursday, March 14
Women in Poetry
CSU Monterey Bay rolls out the red carpet for poet royalty. In honor of Women’s History Month, the college hosts new Monterey County Poet Laureate and CSUMB lecturer Rachelle Escamilla; Oakland Poet Laureate Ayodele Nzinga; and Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate Mahi Shah. Escamilla, who began her new role as poet laureate in January, is the author of three books of poetry, including her latest, Space Junk from the Heavenly Palace, a series of poems that were inspired by a deteriorating Chinese space station in orbit. Shah is a senior at Notre Dame High School in Salinas, who came out on top in the 2022 Monterey County Poetry Out Loud competition and served as the county’s first youth poet laureate in 2022. Nzinga, a multi-discipline artist known as “WordSlanger,” is Oakland’s first poet laureate, and hosts a theater production titled “Winter in America: The Reckoning.” CSUMB alumna, self-care advocate and writer Alie Jones moderates the event. [EC]
4pm Thursday, March 14. CSU Monterey Bay World Theater, 5260 Sixth Ave., Seaside. Free. 582-3000. RSVP at bit.ly/3T4CC53.
Friday, March 15
On a Boat
First thing’s first – you don’t actually need to be on a yacht, or any boat for that matter (though it certainly enhances the experience) to appreciate yacht rock. The phrase was only invented 20-some years after the heyday of the genre, roughly 1975-85, also known as “West Coast sound” or, more generally, soft rock. It might’ve faded into the realm of background music (where much of it perhaps best belongs) except for a 2005 video series entitled Yacht Rock that coined the phrase Yacht Rock and parodied the lives of stars like Kenny Loggins, Toto, The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan. Yächtley Crëw continues in that tradition, leaning into the Yacht Rock craze with melodic vocals, nautical-themed outfits, outstanding showmanship and some of the most iconic hits of the era. They bring the vibe to Monterey this weekend. [SR]
8pm Friday, March 15. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $25-$40. 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com.
Space Race
That pinpoint in the night sky could be Saturn. Or maybe it’s Mercury. Are either part of the constellation Orion? Yeah, there’s an app that can help you figure it out, but where’s the fun in that when WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca can give you access to real telescopes and real astronomers with the answers? The storied race track welcomes experts from the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy (and their tools) to help the public understand the heavens. Astronomers guide this first-time viewing experience from the infield of the track. You can get a closer look at the planets and ask the experts all the unknowns. Can you see a black hole? They know. Does space come to an end at some point? Guessing they know. Are there parallel universes where time… don’t go there. Why hold this event at a race track? Because in space, as in a race car, no one can hear you scream. [DF]
7:30-10:30pm Friday, March 15. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, 1021 Highway 68, Salinas. Free. 242-8200, weathertechraceway.com.
Friday, March 15-Sunday, March 17
Little Shop
Local theater company Enchantrix is bringing the ’60s vibes, alien plants, and R&B mix to Moss Landing with The Little Shop of Horrors Musical. It’s a campy story about Seymour Krelborn, a floral shop assistant, and the unique plant he names “Audrey II” after his crush and coworker Audrey. The plant isn’t an ordinary one. She’s from space, and instead of water loves eating human blood. Audrey II provides unlimited fame and fortune to Seymour – as long as he provides it with the red elixir. “It’s a hilarious musical,” says Sean Aten, Enchantrix founder and one of the actors. With man-eating plants and hit songs, that’s an understatement. [CJ]
7pm Fridays-Saturdays, 2pm Sundays (except Easter), March 15-April 7. 8425 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing. $25. info@enchantrix.net, enchantrix.net.
Saturday, March 16
Green Thumbs Up
Maybe you impulsively picked up a little fern in a cute planter from Trader Joe’s as your first foray into tending plants, or maybe you’re the master gardener of your neighborhood. Either way, you can explore the world of plants and gardening at one of Monterey’s beloved, long-running traditions, the Annual Cutting Day and Horticulture Faire. Now in its 67th year, the fair includes community members bringing their own yard clippings to share with others, local nurseries donating and distributing hundreds of plants for free, as well as free tree seedlings, information on native plants, plant care and landscaping tips for drought-resistant plants. The event takes place rain or shine. Bring a bag or cart and leave with a whole new world of plant possibilities. [PM]
9am-noon Saturday, March 16. Friendly Plaza next to Colton Hall, corner of Pacific and Jefferson streets, Monterey. Free. 646-3860, monterey.org/parks.
For the Girls
The women-owners of California Seltzer Company and The Cheese Fairy don’t need an introduction. But if they were to get one, who is better than the Monterey Symphony? Join these ladies at the 6th annual Women’s Night Out – a pre-party event showcasing women-owned businesses in Monterey County. In addition to the local women-titans of industry, the event features DJ Gwynneth spinning Italian discoteca-inspired tunes in Sunset Center’s Studio 105. Once the pre-party wraps, hear the works of featured soloist Orli Shaham at the symphony’s concert with the rest of the ensemble. [SC]
Women’s Night Out pre-party 6-7:30pm in Studio 105, followed by Symphony concert at 7:30pm on the main stage Saturday, March 16. Sunset Center, San Carlos and 8th, Carmel. $40; use promo code: “VIBES” at checkout. 646-8511, montereysymphony.org.
Outside the Lines
If, like some of us, you believe that free-flowing absinthe was the true foundation of abstract art – those evening stars really do twirl out of control after the sixth glass – and if, like all of us, you know those pieces to be of astronomical value, then consider this event. The Friends of Salinas Public Library are hosting their third annual Sip and Paint. You can load up and then create the next “Peinture (Etoile Bleue),” “Convergence,” or “Composition X” and join the ranks of Pollock and the other greats and watch commissions roll in. But even if you don’t become a famous artist, your effort – drinking and painting – is a fundraiser that supports such beneficial library offerings as the Summer Reading Program. Your contribution gets you in, supplies and refreshments provided. And just to be clear, the library promises “refreshments.” We’re assuming they’re of the sort that will liberate your mind and slur your brush. [DF]
6-9pm Saturday, March 16. John Steinbeck Library, 350 Lincoln Ave., Salinas. $50. 758-7182, salinaspubliclibrary.org.
Early St. Patrick
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day one day early with live music by the Dave Holodiloff Trio at Bon Ton L’Roy’s Lighthouse Smokehouse. Holodiloff is not a stranger – not in our community, and not at Bon Ton L’Roy’s, where he plays solo or with his band regularly. He is one of the most active musicians in Monterey. See his St. Patrick’s show filled with Irish music. Hear Holodiloff (mandolin, vocals), Elijjah McCullar (fiddle, banjo) and Juneau Rowe (piano) perform a broad range of classic Celtic music. A special holiday dinner menu will be available. [AP]
7pm Saturday, March 16. Bon Ton L’Roy’s Lighthouse Smokehouse, 794 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey. $25-$30. 375-6958. tinyurl.com/4eevthdu.
Wednesday, March 20
Big Brains, Deep Sounds
Whales are sentient. And arguably, they’re smarter than people, even if they don’t have opposable thumbs or speak a language we understand – whales have existed on the planet for millions of years, and the planet stayed in balance. But whales are also hard to pin down – they spend their lives underwater, and a lot of resources have to be expended to even get a picture of them, much less study them. John Ryan, an oceanographer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in Moss Landing, listens to whales for research, a niche he’s carved out now that technology allows us to listen to the underwater sounds in Monterey Bay 24/7/365. Ryan sat down with the Weekly last year to talk about his work, and this was perhaps the most striking takeaway: Whales have “culture.” Ryan comes to the Monterey Public Library to talk about his work, and to get people jazzed up about whales, some of the most fascinating creatures on Earth. It’s an invitation to listen. [DS]
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