Friday, Nov. 1
Painting with Words
Heidi McGurrin, a poet, artist and photographer, has been rooted in the Monterey Peninsula for generations. Her great-grandmother, Jane Gallatin Powers, had a painting studio in Carmel nestled among sand dunes and eucalyptus trees. The Peninsula is a place that speaks to her, and she speaks about it, whether through poetry, paintings or photographs, and teaching local school students her craft. McGurrin has only started sharing her poetry publicly since 2017, and this a chance for folks to come hear her speak her truth, “To be able to disappear | inside yourself.” [DS]
5:30-7pm Friday, Nov. 1. Pacific Grove Public Library, 550 Central Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. 648-5760, ffpgpl.org.
Saturday, Nov. 2
Beyond Books
A library can be a place to check out books – and a gathering place, an emergency information hub and more. Carmel Valley Branch Library hosts “Your Library: Beyond Books.” Eddy Hamelin, branch manager, reveals the many ways the library serves the community beyond its shelves. Discover a rich variety of programs and services, an extensive collection of online resources, and the vital support the library offers to diverse communities. Hamelin will delve into how the library becomes a critical lifeline, providing for emergency aid when natural disasters strike. [AP]
10:15-11:15am, Saturday, Nov. 2. Carmel Valley Branch Library, 65 W. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley. Free. 647-7760, focvl.org.
Fired Up
Come show your support for local firefighters, per an invitation from the Salinas Firefighters Foundation to their fall fundraiser, which promises to be “an evening of fun” with food, drinks, music and a silent auction.” All proceeds go to support the foundation, which in turn go to providing education, mentorship and training to local youth. The foundation is dedicated to promoting generational empowerment and building momentum for the youth in the community. “By providing career-centric educational opportunities, mentorship and financial support, we aim to inspire the next generation of service-minded community leaders,” organizers say. [AP]
6pm Saturday, Nov. 2. Rustique Wines, 1010 River Road, Salinas. $100. salinasfirefightersfoundation.org.
A fundraiser at the Tonkin House for Project DNA is a chance to support emergent medical testing, and also to hear live violin music by Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu.
Music for a Cause
Dress in your best for this red carpet affair – expect style, elegant appetizers, live violin music by Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, a DJ and dancing. But more than indulgence, this evening is about a bigger cause. Held in the Tonkin House – named for former resident Thomas Tonkin, the visionary first CEO of Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula – the gala is a fundraiser for Project DNA. Support the mission and learn about developments in screening for hereditary risk of certain cancers. From the medical to the musical, this evening welcomes thinkers and artists who are pushing boundaries, and invites you to support them. [SR]
6:30-10pm Saturday, Nov. 2. Tonkin House, 23845 Highway 68, Monterey (shuttle pickup at Carmel Hill Professional Center). $135; ages 21+. projectdnaredcarpet.eventbrite.com.
Stringing Together
The Golden State Theatre will be filled with the sound of guitar strings from different genres – blues, jazz, country and new wave – in the hands of singer-songwriter John Robert Hiatt and local musician Peter Barnes Martin. Martin is debuting solo at Golden State as the opening act. Hiatt is an influential American singer-songwriter with a unique repertoire exploring different genres, making it difficult to pigeonhole his sound. Before Hiatt takes the stage, Martin offers his indie-jazz songs, which may be familiar to local fans. He recently released his debut album, Anywhere is Home, in which he explores and reflects on different cities and places he has lived and how his perspective has changed over time. [CJ]
8pm Saturday, Nov. 2. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $64.80-$111.67. 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com.
Sunday, Nov. 3
Pianist Barry Douglas is a master of his craft. The Carmel Music Society welcomes him in a solo program featuring the works by composers Schubert, Tchaikovsky and Liszt.
Key Moment
Mention a particular activity and certain names instantly come to mind. Auto racing? Mario Andretti. Horror novels? Stephen King. Pointless TV host? Lara… actually there are a lot of those. But how about piano virtuoso? Barry Douglas, of course. He was honored as a commander in the Order of the British Empire, after all. So Carmel Music Society getting Douglas for a solo performance is a score of enormous magnitude. Just Douglas and a piano. Nothing to interfere with his intricate precision on the keys. For the concert, Douglas will play a program of Schubert, Tchaikovsky and Liszt – the master taking on three masters. That’s a memorable afternoon. [DF]
3pm Sunday, Nov. 3. Sunset Center, San Carlos Street and 9th Avenue, Carmel. $41.50-$61.50. 625-9938, carmelmusic.org.
Musical Farewell
If you’ve been to the Monterey Jazz Festival or have followed the local jazz scene, you’ve heard pianist Biff Smith. Unfortunately, the composer and musician for Along Came Betty died in June. On Sunday, Nov. 3, the hard bop jazz band and its alumni gather for a musical tribute to their late colleague. They will pull the best pieces from their seven albums for an energetic performance that – and here’s the really cool bit – is free of charge. Of course, if so moved, guests can donate to the Biff Smith Jazz Endowment Foundation. And that money will aid young jazz talent. Now that’s a proper send-off. [DF]
4pm Sunday, Nov. 3. Characters Bar, Monterey Marriott, 350 Calle Principal, Monterey. Free. facebook.com/alongcamebetty.
Feeling Folksy
These are musicians who have performed far and wide, but whose sound remains down-to-earth. Acoustic singer-songwriter duo Alisa Fineman and Kimball Hurd are back with their soaring harmonies and inspirational words and sound. Listeners will also hear Oakland-based Jaeger & Reid, a duo of Judi Jaeger and Bob Reid, whose nature-inspired music is a perfect pairing for Fineman and Hurd. This is modern folk music by contemporary artists who explore tradition and also are very much in the present. [SR]
4:30pm Sunday, Nov. 3. Aromas Grange, 400 Rose Ave., Aromas. $25/in advance (at Marshall’s Market in Aromas); $30/at the door. aromasgrange.org/events.
They’ll be Bach
Violinist Edwin Huizinga and guitarist William Coulter, the popular fusion duo known as Fire & Grace, are well-known for their blending of musical styles – their 2022 album Alma was a mixture of Bach and Spanish folk and dance songs. Now they’ve joined forces with master mandolin player Ashley Hoyer another Bach aficionado, to create the trio Fire & Grace & Ash, . Their album, Partita Americana, leans on Johann Sebastian yet again, this time blending the composer’s music with Americana tunes. Accompanied by vocalist Moira Smiley, the trio will be playing the Golden Folk Benefit Concert in Monterey to support the Monterey High School Music Department. It’s a chance to hear some enchanting music and help a worthy cause. [PM]
5-7pm Sunday, Nov. 3. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $55.20-$92.55. fireandgracemusic.com.
Wednesday, Nov. 6
Scam Not
They are a relentless lot, those online scammers. They plague our phones and fill our inboxes. They try sneaky tactics like trying to get us to say “yes” after we answer the phone to surreptitiously steal our funds, or pop up while we’re online alerting us to some fictional calamity if we do not click the button. How do we guard ourselves against such an onslaught? The Monterey Public Library is hosting experts from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies for a four-part series entitled, “Scam Us If You Can.” The first up in the series is a workshop titled, “How Hacksters & Fraudsters Manipulate Us.” You’ll learn the psychological tricks scammers employ in their campaigns. Other workshops focus on impostor scams and other types of fraud. The series concludes with how AI is transforming online scams. Seating is limited and reservations are required. [PM]
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