River Voices is an Americana-influenced band with ballads and straight-ahead rockers. It includes Linda Arceo (vocals, acoustic guitar), Rory Glass (bass), Laurel Thomsen (violin), John Nava (drums) and Sam Nilssen (electric guitar).
Thursday-Sunday, June 13-16
Past in Present
A few years in the making, Monterey State Historic Park is offering a range of one-off tours to celebrate California State Parks Week, highlighting the unique history of Monterey’s storied past. The 90-minute garden tour, which launches from the Custom House at 12:30pm on June 14 and 16, takes attendees through the various gardens around Monterey’s historic adobes which, while just right downtown, are often hidden from sight. And at 12:30pm on June 13 and 15, also launching from the Custom House, is an arts and literature tour that showcases some of the stunning paintings by local artists from decades ago that are rarely viewable to the public – the highlight will be the tour’s culmination at the Casa Soberanes, which is typically only open to the public during Christmas at the Adobes, and which houses several paintings. Also, on June 15 from 11am-3pm is a craft day at the Pacific House Museum, where attendees can learn to make candles and go home with one of their own. It’s a chance to celebrate our rich local history, and it’s all free. [DS]
12:30pm Thursday-Sunday, June 13-16. Tours start at the Custom House, 1 Custom House Plaza. Free. parks.ca.gov.
Friday, June 14
Homage to Billie
New Canon Theatre Co. is opening its new season. Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, written by Lanie Robertson, tells the story of the last months of Billie Holiday. In a seedy underground bar in Philadelphia in 1959, she is giving one of her final performances before her tragic and untimely death four months later. Featuring iconic numbers such as “Easy Livin,” “Strange Fruit,” “God Bless the Child,” and many, many more, the evening is interlaced with salty, often humorous, reminiscences about Holiday’s life and work, creating a riveting portrait of the jazz legend and her music. Starring Malinda DeRouen as Billie Holiday, and John Wineglass as Jimmy Powers. [AP]
7:30pm Fridays, 2pm Saturdays and Sundays, June 14-23. Sunset Center, San Carlos Street at 9th Avenue, Carmel. $35. newcanontheatre.org.
Lady Day (played by Malinda DeRouen) and Jimmy Powers (John Wineglass) in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill transform the stage into a 1959 Philadelphia bar.
River Rising
Maybe you’ve forgotten the raw excitement of discovering a band – maybe one that’s been around, but you haven’t heard because, you know, it’s tougher and tougher to get off the couch. But River Voices is a group to discover. Songwriters and vocalists Jaqui Hope and Linda Arceo are powerful stage presences with a lot to say. Influenced by Americana, lyrical ballads and piercing rock, they craft unique songs. And they are backed by an equally potent group of musicians, with the possible exception of Rory Glass, who… JK! He used to work at the Weekly and we’re still fond enough of him to poke a little fun his direction. Great band. Discover them if you haven’t already. And if you can’t make it Friday, they are releasing an EP, Heart On Her Sleeve, in August. The performance is part of the Terrace Hour series. [DF]
6pm Friday, June 14. Sunset Cultural Center, San Carlos Street and 9th Avenue, Carmel. Free. 620-2048, sunsetcenter.org.
Celebrities in Library
Come to the Pacific Grove Public Library for a particularly special treat – a conversation with the bestselling author Laurie R. King, known for her detective fiction and humor. King is the creator of the Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes stories and just published the 18th book in the series, titled The Lantern’s Dance. The series began with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, named “one of the 20th century’s best crime novels.” It is an archetype in the genre of homages to Holmes, and makes a woman detective the main character. King is in her 70s but that doesn’t stop her from author tours and live, and lively, conversation with her fans. She lives in Watsonville. [AP]
5:30pm Friday, June 14. Pacific Grove Public Library, 550 Central Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. 648-5760, pacificgrovelibrary.org.
Saturday, June 15
On High
The positive effects of hiking are well documented. Fresh air, exercise, an opportunity to correct nature deficit disorder. But experienced hikers know there is one way to make a trek even better: Set up a shuttle to do a thru-hike, instead of an out-and-back, retreading the same territory. This one-way hike, from Holt Road (shuttle provided) back to the meeting point at the Garland Park Visitors Center by way of Snively’s Ridge, gives participants everything they might hope for in a seven-mile journey on foot. A strenuous climb, a fantastic descent, naturalists to help you identify plants and animals and yes, no need to go back up after you have gone down. This free hike is part of Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District’s Let’s Go Outdoors program. [SR]
8:30am-1pm Saturday, June 15. Meet at Garland Park Visitors Center, 700 W. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley. Free; register ahead. 372-3196, ext. 102, lgo@mprpd.org, mprpd.org.
Bread SecreTS
Ad Astra Chef Cody Alias speaks on the art of making sourdough. Use the opportunity to learn from a local baker about how to make this famous bread at home and save some money. The oldest sourdough, from 3700 BCE, was excavated in today’s Switzerland. That said, the sourdough secrets are coming from the first civilization we know about, in Mesopotamia, the fertile land between rivers Tigris and Euphrates, then in ancient Egypt. Sourdough remained the most popular form of bread until the Middle Ages, later on replaced by barm and then, in the 19th century, by yeast. [AP]
2pm Saturday, June 15. Monterey Public Library, 625 Pacific St., Monterey. Free. 646-3933. monterey.gov/library.
Hot Wheels
Rock ’n’ roll had its day. It’s done. After all, how could it compete with Rock & Rod? A lineup of live music alongside 150 classic cars, street rods, customs, gleaming American muscle and sleek European sports cars, plus food booths and merchandise all for free? Try and top that, Mick. The 17th annual Monterey Rock & Rod Festival features Dennis Tufano of The Buckinghams and four other bands performing throughout the day as fans pause to admire the show-stopping cars – although we should point out that they don’t actually stop the show, just add to the experience. It’s free for fans. Proceeds from entry fees for the vehicles go to the Gateway Center of Monterey County, a nonprofit supporting adults with intellectual disabilities. Rock is dead. Long live Rock & Rod. [DF]
10am-6pm Saturday, June 15. Custom House Plaza, Monterey. Free. montereyrockrod.com.
Sunday, June 16
Ultimate Dads
Old Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey is honoring dads this Father’s Day by decking out with festive decorations. What’s more, restaurants and stores on the wharf will offer various specials, making for an easy Father’s Day gift for those who waited until the last minute (or forgot altogether). New this year, Old Fisherman’s Wharf wants to hear about your dad with the “Ultimate Dad Tribute Short Story Contest.” Stories (up to 500 words) about dads who’ve done something life-changing can be emailed to info@montereywharf.com by June 16. Three winners will receive either $100, $50 or $25 in certificates that can be used at any wharf merchant. [EC]
All day Sunday, June 16. Old Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey. Free. 238-0777, montereywharf.com.
Proud Sound
It’s Pride Month and that means a lot of big, loud, colorful events. In this case, it also means relative quiet. Join Monterey Peninsula Pride and Golden Hour Holistic Healing for a queer sound bath and Lovers Point. “A sound bath is a meditative experience where participants are ‘bathed’ in the vibrations from a variety of sound healing instruments, including quartz crystal singing bowls aligned with the frequencies of the body’s chakra system, chimes, rain stick, a crustal harp and planetary sound bridges,” according to the facilitator, Kacey Rodenbush. Rodenbush recommends bringing a yoga mat or a blanket for lying down. You may also consider bringing a light covering for the eyes and a pillow for your head or as a lower back support. Lean back, listen and soak it all in. [AP]
7:30pm Sunday, June 16. Lovers Point Park, 631 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove. Free. peninsulapride.org.
Tuesday, June 18
French Fried
For her high school graduation gift, Jane Bertch traveled to Paris, eager to put her French language skills to the test. But she was met with ridicule everywhere she went, and vowed never to return. Life has a funny way of interfering with our plans, and a decade later, Bertch was back in Paris after the American bank she was working for transferred her there. She took the opportunity to pursue her dream of opening a French cuisine cooking school for foreigners like her, and in 2009 opened La Cuisine Paris. Bertch describes her experience as a young entrepreneur in her new memoir, The French Ingredient, and she visits LadySomm to share a glass of wine with attendees and talk about her life. [EC]
6pm Tuesday, June 18. LadySomm, 3728 The Barnyard, G-23, Carmel. $45. 295-0612, ladysomm.com.
After their heyday in the 1990s, Third Eye Blind is back and still making music. They take a break from the Summer Gods Tour for a smaller set at Henry Miller Library in Big Sur.
Henry Miller is Back
There are only few tickets left to see Third Eye Blind play an intimate, acoustic show at the beautiful and now-reopened Henry Miller Memorial Library. The San Francisco rock band was founded in 1993 and churned out some hits through the decade – and 20 years later, they’re still making music. While touring with Yellowcard on their Summer Gods Tour 2024, Third Eye Blind will take a little break, playing a smaller concert in Big Sur. Come spend an evening under the stars and among redwoods; wear layers of warm clothes. For comparisons, think of The Clash and Jane’s Addiction; their drumming style is influenced by the Ohio Players and James Brown. [AP]
6pm Tuesday, June 18. Henry Miller Library, 48603 Highway 1, Big Sur. $160/seat; $130/standing room. 667-2574, folkyeah.com.
K-Grass
There is a banjo player who has observed that bluegrass “appeals to people who are tired of music that sounds too mechanical or manufactured. Bluegrass music is earthy and authentic.” Indeed, the sound of his group conjures images of the hillbillies of the Sobaek Mountains and flows easily, like the waters of the Nakdong River… Wait a minute. What? That doesn’t sound like Appalachia. Well, neither does the sound of Country GongBang, the amazing South Korean bluegrass band. Their music draws from the same well as Bill Monroe, but with inspiration from the pace of rural life in South Korea. Banjo Boy – yes, that’s the nickname he goes by – and his bandmates play with the same relish as traditional bluegrass, but bring an international flair. Country GongBang visits Monterey as part of the Otter Opry Concert Series hosted by the California Bluegrass Association. [DF]
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