Hot Picks 04.16.26

 Friday, April 17

Bespoke Burgundy

The Burgundy region of France is famous for its

wines, especially single-grape varieties like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. But there is more to celebrate – the women who were leaders of their time and whose stories continue to inspire. This event, called Burgundy’s Gilded Women, explores four influential women who played a formidable role in shaping the Burgundian State during a century marked by wealth, art and turmoil. Jacqueline Widmar Stewart, an author, filmmaker and historian of European history, leads the talk, guiding you across the past three millennia showcasing Burgundy’s illustrious past. Enjoy a glass of complimentary Burgundian bubbly. [KR]

7-8:30pm Friday, April 17. SandBox, 440 Ortiz Ave., Sand City. $30. sandboxsandcity@gmail.com, bit.ly/BurgundyWomen.

ELP Is On The Way

Drummer Carl Palmer is the last surviving member of the legendary progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer. So how is it possible for him to take the stage with Keith Emerson and Greg Lake at Golden State Theatre? If he were using AI, he would end up alongside Grandpa Jones and Toni Basil. Has hologram technology advanced that much? Not quite. Palmer plays on stage, carefully synched to footage of his bandmates (which takes some talent). Welcome Back My Friends: An Evening with Emerson, Lake & Palmer is an innovative performance, celebrating a band with nine gold albums in the U.S. alone. The Monterey stop is part of a world tour of the show that truly never ends. [DF]

8pm Friday, April 17. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $60-$95. (831) 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com.

 Friday, April 17-Sunday, April 19

Are You Ready?

How does a pineapple stay intact under the sea? Why does a snail meow like a cat? What is the secret formula for a Krabby Patty? These questions are never answered. And if you’re asking yourself these questions, you’re thinking way too hard. This is SpongeBob SquarePants, where nautical nonsense is something you wish. From under the sea to the stage on land, Santa Catalina School presents The SpongeBob Musical. Expect high-energy cheer from your favorite characters (but maybe not from Squidward, unless a clarinet is involved). You likely won’t be able to help yourself from singing and dancing along. [EC]

7:30pm Friday-Saturday, April 17-18; 2pm Sunday, April 19; 12:45pm Friday, April 24; 7:30pm Saturday, April 25 (father-daughter performance). Santa Catalina School, 1500 Mark Thomas Drive, Monterey. $15; $12/seniors, students, military; $10/ages 12 and under. (831) 655-9315, santacatalina.org.

Friday, April 17

Kaspar’s Riddle

Big Sur Grange is back with its annual art exhibit, On View. This year the installation’s title is “Liars’ Village” and refers to the real story of Kaspar Hauser, a 19th-century German youth who claimed to have grown up in total isolation and was declared “the orphan of Europe.” The matter of his identity sparked a huge controversy during his life and inspired such giants as Paul Verlaine, Georg Trakl, Martin Heidegger, Herman Melville and Werner Herzog. It also inspired 12 Big Sur artists to “explore the signs, symbols, and myths that shape our shared reality and, in turn, our culture.” Learn more and meet the artists at the opening; the exhibit runs through April 22. [AP]

5:30-9:30pm Thursday, April 17. Big Sur Grange, 47090 Highway 1, Big Sur. Free. (831) 667-2956, bigsurgrange.org.

 Saturday, April 18

Asian Glory

One of the gifts of sharing a community with people from different cultures is that one can get introduced to them without leaving town. It’s even better when it goes along with dance, music and tasty food. Palenke Arts is hosting the third annual Moonflower Festival and celebrates the local Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Over 100 performers from Monterey County and the Bay Area will participate and share a piece of AAPI culture. Performers include Shinsho Mugen Daiko with Japanese taiko drums, VietSteps with traditional Vietnamese dances, and Nā Haumāna with Polynesian drums and dances. It also includes an act with Clarissa Bitar, a Palestinian oud musician and composer based in Los Angeles. [CJ]

11am-2pm Saturday, April 18. Seaside High School, 2200 Noche Buena St., Seaside. Free. (831) 899-9909, palenkearts.com.

Members Only

Psst… there’s a party happening in the basement of the Sunset Center. OK, Studio 105 isn’t that much of a secret, and neither is the KAZU pre-party ahead of the Monterey Symphony’s Wine Glass Clarinet Concerto (see story, p. 30). But Ekene Music is performing at this event, which means there’s going to be storytelling through song and a guaranteed good time. If that wasn’t enough to get on the elevator from the concert hall lobby, there’s also a photo booth, libations and charcuterie. Spring is springing at our local NPR station and the Sunset Center is here to celebrate it. The symphony orchestra concert follows. [SC]

6-7:30pm Saturday, April 18. Studio 105, Sunset Center, San Carlos and 9th, Carmel. $35. (831) 646-8511, montereysymphony.org.

Dream Weaver

Phoebe Vlassis is a music pioneer, a multidisciplinary performer. That doesn’t mean she plays harmonica while crashing cymbals together. Nor does she belt out a song while driving, which is pretty easy. No, no. As she sings, Vlassis also weaves, using the loom as both an instrument of music and of textile art. We don’t need to say more, really. Her music is also visual, which is cool enough. She is also joined by local musician Kit Center (who also owns Sundog Studios). If a raunchy bar is your equivalent of a religious experience, then his brand of soulful country is for you. This performance is indoors; seating is limited. [DF]

7pm Saturday, April 18. Henry Miller Memorial Library, 48603 Highway 1, Big Sur. $23. (831) 238-2890, henrymiller.org.

Ocean Disco

Are the jellyfish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium floating, or are they in fact engaged in elegant dance moves? Maybe once the music starts humming, as it will at the Aquarium’s Climate Dance Party, the jellyfish and other sea life will start busting moves alongside the humans who will dance the night away, all for a good cause. Besides music and a dance floor, this 18-and-up-only event features a trivia contest and renowned marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, author of What if We Get it Right? Visions of Climate Futures. A copy of her book comes with each ticket (see story, p. 36). [PM]

7-10pm Saturday, April 18. Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey. $150; $135/members. (831) 648-4800, montereybayaquarium.org.

Comedy Rising

Like a phoenix from the ashes, comedy returns to the Rising Phoenix beer garden and tap room in King City with a lineup of up-and-coming comedians from around the state. Comedian and satire writer for Clickhole Jon Alcabes, based in the Bay Area, headlines the event. The evening also features Nick Malizia from San Luis Obispo, who has performed at Don’t Tell Comedy, and Mari Delgadillo, who returns after a years-long hiatus to explore topics like sobriety, selling feet pics and single motherhood. [AS]

8-9:30pm Saturday, April 18. Rising Phoenix, 320 Broadway St., Suite A, King City. $18. (831) 386-1138, risingphoenixtaproom.com.

 Saturday, April 18-Sunday, April 19

Green Team

Since the first Earth Day was observed on April 22, 1970, the climate has continued to get hotter, aquatic dead zones have gotten larger, plastic pollution has piled up, major oil spills have harmed wildlife and even when humans try to outsmart fossil fuels – look no further than Moss Landing for a battery energy storage facility gone wrong – we’ve run into toxic problems. All of that is to say, we forgive you if you feel depressed this Earth Day. But local organizations are also doing what they can right here in Monterey County to improve and honor the environment right around us. Celebrate the 20th annual Earth Day the City of Marina hosts with live music, kids activities and volunteer projects. In Seaside, there are Earth Day festivities and also a party for the 50th anniversary of the agency behind Laguna Grande Regional Park, where all the fun – a guided nature walk, live music, seedling distribution – takes place. Celebrate Arbor Day in Carmel, where you can plant a tree and hear poetry read aloud. For a more analytic observance, watch the documentary Earth’s Greatest Enemy about seabed mining at the Marina library. And to celebrate volunteering, join the Amor Salinas initiative – plus crafts, live music and fun, because honoring Mama Earth should be joyful. [SR]

Marina Earth Day: 10am-2pm Saturday, April 18 at Locke-Paddon Park, 188 Seaside Circle, Marina. Arbor Day: 10am-2pm Saturday, April 18 at Devendorf Park, 6th and Mission, Carmel. Documentary: 5:30pm Saturday, April 18 at Marina Branch Library, 190 Seaside Circle, Marina. Seaside Earth Day: 10am-1pm park anniversary celebration, 1-4pm other activities Sunday, April 19 at Laguna Grande Park, 1249 Canyon Del Rey Blvd., Seaside. Amor Salinas: 11am-2pm Saturday, April 25 at Sherwood Park, 920 N. Main St., Salinas. Free. sustainablemontereycounty.org.

 Sunday, April 19

Map it Out

The Monterey Bay Mapathon is exactly what it sounds: It’s a marathon, but with a map to highlights around the bay. Either on foot or on bicycles, teams will run/walk/ride 26.2 miles (or half the distance, at 13.1 miles) to checkpoints around the Monterey Peninsula. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure-sort of event, where spots are listed on a map, while it’s the team’s decision on which path they want to take. To confirm they visited a spot, teams will have to answer a multiple choice question. It’s a unique way to explore the sights while also taking part in friendly competition. [EC]

9am check-in; 10am start Sunday, April 19. Jewell Park, 585 Park Place, Pacific Grove. $67-$100; $34-$50/students. (510) 681-6181, bit.ly/MBMapathon2026.

spin Cycle

Step back in time to the era when vinyl reined supreme at S.A.G.E. Collective’s second annual Vintage and Record Expo. Shop for great records and memorabilia, or just browse at no cost and listen to an all-vinyl set (natch) featuring Encounters of the Funky Kind. [SR]

11am-4pm Sunday, April 19. Moose Lodge, 555 Canyon Del Rey Blvd., Del Rey Oaks. Free. sagecollective.biz.

 Wednesday, April 22

Lonely No More

Michael Martinez and Max Embers are a duo from San Francisco, who after writing their first songs together looked out to see the city’s famous wild parrots alight on a power line nearby. All of the parrots were paired up except for one perched by itself, providing the inspiration for their band name, The Lonely Parrots. Since then, the rising folk-pop duo have been gaining a growing base of fans who enjoy their ethereal harmonies and heartfelt, hope-filled songs. Their optimistic music is the perfect antidote to whatever might have you feeling a bit like one of those parrots perched all alone on a power line. [PM]

7pm Wednesday, April 22. Pop & Hiss, 215 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. $5. (831) 275-3303, popandhiss.net.

• • •

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