Garrahan Park

Not So Friendly Skies – SLV Residents Move to Stop Proposed Jet Flightpath

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By Mary Andersen

A new flight path has Happy Valley and Los Gatos/Saratoga residents angry and eager to move it to the San Lorenzo Valley. Some claim that, since their homes are worth more than ours, the path should be shifted out of their neighborhoods and onto ours.

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Photo by Sean McLean

 

We already have a flight path. It’s called BIGSUR, or BSR, and it routes over downtown Santa Cruz, Pasatiempo, west Scotts Valley, north through SLV to the Summit Skyline area, to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). This path is still in use today and supports older aircraft not equipped with satellite navigation.

In March 2015 the FAA, as part of their Next Generation Air Transportation program (NextGen), implemented a new path, called SERFR, which travels from the coast at Capitola, over Happy Valley and Los Gatos summit towards SFO. This path was designed to accommodate a wide range of aircraft with satellite navigation capabilities. SERFR is low, loud, and concentrated. The FAA says they can fix that.

Neighborhoods under SERFR lodged thousands of complaints. With the assistance of Congressman Sam Farr they organized Save Our Skies Santa Cruz and were later joined by Quiet Skies NorCal. They created a proposal for a new flight path, called DAVYJ, over the City of Santa Cruz, SLV, and communities in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Keep in mind, this new path would be in addition to the BSR flight path we already have. The proposal was endorsed by Farr and 1st District Supervisor John Leopold.

Community groups from the coast to the airport rejected the Quiet Skies NorCal proposal noting that it eliminated noise for those under SERFR by increasing noise and airplane traffic for communities under the proposed new DAVYJ flight path. In addition, DAVYJ was offered up as the only solution, when in fact other proposals submitted by groups closer to the airport were ignored.

In March, Supervisor Leopold wrote that the proposal constituted a “regional solution” that had been “worked on by all community groups throughout the area.” Congressman Farr stated in his newsletter that he hand-delivered the Quiet Skies NorCal proposal to Michael Huerta, Administrator of the FAA, assuring him that it was “the ideal solution.” Both assertions were false – residents under the proposed DAVYJ flight path in Santa Cruz and SLV were neither informed nor invited to provide input.

In April, Congressional Representatives Anna Eshoo, Jackie Speier, and Sam Farr appointed 12 elected officials (+12 alternates) to a Select Committee on SFO Arrivals. Their charter has been to analyze items labeled “feasible” by the FAA, accept community input, and report to Congress with a set of recommendations.

When the FAA released their study in May, Santa Clara and San Mateo County community groups were frustrated to see that their recommendations were not included. Only suggestions from Quiet Skies NorCal were addressed including the flight path shift to SLV. And the FAA made clear that, while feasible, DAVYJ would be similar to SERFR in its noise impact to SLV. It would be lower, louder, and more concentrated than any flight path we had experienced in the past.

The Select Committee asked why DAVYJ was the only option presented. The FAA said that DAVYJ was the only option offered by Congress. To their credit, the Select Committee is open to other options.

As you might expect, the issue is a political football. In Santa Cruz County SERFR lies primarily in Congressman Farr’s and Supervisor Leopold’s districts. Both SERFR and the proposed DAVYJ are in Supervisor Bruce McPherson’s and Congresswoman Eshoo’s districts. Low flying DAVYJ vectored planes would severely impact Supervisor Ryan Coonerty’s district and the path itself would impact the City of Santa Cruz.

The irony is that the FAA is a $16.4 billion organization with thousands of credentialed aviation experts. Yet, laypeople hoping to remove a flight path from over their homes were allowed to design a new flight path over other communities. That new flight path, DAVYJ, over SLV and Santa Cruz, is currently being vetted by elected officials with limited aviation knowledge, who will then submit recommendations to congressional representatives with even less aviation knowledge, who were misled into believing it was a regional solution when it is not.

Website: www.sanlorenzovalley.info/

Petition: www.change.org/p/faa-stop-the-quiet-skies-norcal-proposal-which-seeks-to-move-an-sfo-flight-path-to-sc-slv-sv

Facebook: www.facebook.com/flightpathfacts/

Join the meetings: flightpathfacts@gmail.com

Additional contributors: George Wylie, Nancy Gerdt, Glenn Lyons, Roz Alley, Alastair Fyfe, Jacqui Rice, Beth Carlisle, Terry Hollenbeck, Thomas Andersen, Colleen Miller, Clifford Stow, Jennifer Parks

This article was originally published in the Santa Cruz Mountain Bulletin  September 2016: http://mountainbulletin.com/article/proposed-flightpath-threatens-the-slv/

The Magic of a Chance – Drifting Compass

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By Julie Horner

One of summer’s guilty pleasures: Winding home on Bear Creek Road on an exceptionally warm, sunny late afternoon under the redwoods, with windows rolled down and music cranking. Spirits soaring, I was testing the rubber on the familiar home stretch with the soft July wind in my hair, grinning ear-to-ear and somehow managing to resist fist-pumping out the skylight. Eyes on the road, hands upon the wheel.

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The disc in the player was Drifting Compass’s 2015 self-produced EP, Grains of Sand, all-original rock music that reminded me of younger days with uniquely familiar hooks and infectious lyrics about dreams, realities, new beginnings, and the urgent vibrance of living life.

I had just gotten the CD after bumping into singer-songwriter, Dave “Nomad” Miller, at a recent meeting of community members to ramp up fundraising efforts for Yvonne and Kelly McGuire, who lost all in the Felton Trout Farm fire in early June. “We were supposed to do a show at Felton Trout Farm in July and were purposely building anticipation to get the most folks out to the show,” Dave told me. “I consider Kelly and Yvonne to be like family. Ever since they’ve owned the place they’ve been open to suggestions to get good music, inviting people in for pow wows. After the fire it was like, “If there’s anything you could do to help.”

Dave spent years on the road performing as a solo artist and adopted the name, “Nomad,” as a result. “I purposely packed up my van with everything I felt I needed and started heading west. I lived on the road for seven years, playing acoustically at coffee shops…it’s kind of how the name ‘Drifting Compass’ came about.” The open road became muse for his songwriting. “Some of the wisest people I met while on the road.” In Spokane he met a street prophet who told him, “There’s no such thing as wasted time, there’s only wasted lessons.”

He wound up in Santa Cruz by mistake. “I thought a friend lived there but he actually lived in Fremont.” Sometimes a wrong turn can lead to the best discoveries and now he’s set down roots in Santa Cruz. “I’ve been here more than 20 years and love it.”

“I put the band together in late 2006 but didn’t start gigging regularly until mid-2007.” They’ve had some member changes here and there: “It’s hard to find people sometimes. My lead guitar player has been with me for five years. It’s the best I’ve felt about the lineup – I’m really happy right now.”

Drifting Compass is Nomad (guitar, lead vocals); Colin Bockman (lead guitar, vocals); Dana Young (bass guitar, vocals); and Jeff Smits (drums, vocals). Sometimes people sit in on keyboards or harmonica; they even had an opera singer once. While the band is based on originals, Dave says when they throw covers in “people light up.” But they do cover material in their own way, putting a “Drifting Compass twist” to it. “We have a grungy Americana style, we turn whatever we play into that genre. My vocals, Colin’s distorted guitar leads, we’ll turn them around for playing out.”

A name ubiquitous in San Lorenzo Valley, Drifting Compass plays regularly throughout the Monterey and San Francisco Bay Areas. “Our biggest goal right now is to see as many people as possible at our live shows.” They just did a show in Monterey on July 9. “The place was so packed at times that it was hard to navigate through the bodies without spilling drinks. We had a great time!”

They’ll be at the Santa Cruz Mountain Art, Music and Wine Festival in Boulder Creek over Labor Day weekend and at Henflings in Ben Lomond in October. Other performances coming up this fall include venues in Hollister, Berkeley, San Francisco, and at the Mystic Theater Mendocino with Reckless Kelly. And of course there’s the local Drool Pigs Festival, the annual craft beer and local music extravaganza Erik Rozite (Acoustic Shadows) hosts in Boulder Creek, this year on October 17. “We were one of the founding bands – Erik always invites us back. Erik and I were actually doing acoustic shows together before we started up our respective bands.”

Drifting Compass’s next CD, tentatively called “Grit,” is in the works and is being recorded at Gadget Box in Westside Santa Cruz. “Andy and Patrick are amazing…they’re well worth it.”

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Captivating with acoustic-driven rhythms and original songs, Drifting Compass creates music in the Alternative-Rock vein with a little dirt, a little sugar, and a whole lot of fist-pumping vibe. “The biggest thrill of it all is the energy that the crowd feeds to you, you feed to them – everybody has a great time.”

On the Web: www.driftingcompass.com

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/driftingcompass

Julie Horner is an Irish style folk musician and writer living in the Santa Cruz Mountains. www.santacruzmountainslocal.com | leap2three@gmail.com

This article was originally published in the Santa Cruz Mountain Bulletin: http://mountainbulletin.com/article/drifting-compass-the-magic-of-a-chance/

A Toast to the Craft – Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing

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By Julie Horner

For two luxurious sun-drenched days, the Santa Cruz Mountains Art, Wine, and Music Festival invited revelers to stay local, kick off their shoes, dance on the green to live music, and enjoy a final taste of summer among the redwoods. On hand to pour hand-crafted suds: Boulder Creek Brewing on Saturday and Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing on Sunday.

Local brewer and owner of Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, Emily Thomas, remembers when the Art and Wine Festival was on the street and how, like the Redwood Mountain Fair, these home grown festivals bring everyone out. “The mountains needed another incarnation of being outside as a community.” Now that the Art and Wine Festival is at Garrahan Park, she says, “It’s successful and will continue to keep growing.”

“So many places are void of life and creativity. A mountain town so close to the beach captures the best of both types of people, mountain people and beach communities and brings them together. You want people to come here and experience it…if you’re raised in Fresno and that’s all you know, that’s kind of a shame. Living in the mountains – the nature of it – can change your whole perspective on life.”

Fresh from Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery to the redwoods, Emily welcomes visitors to her new tap room and restaurant, a clean, simple space without pretention at the historical Cremer House in downtown Felton where locals and travelers enjoy tasty plates and award winning, certified organic craft brew.

The Cremer House will celebrate its one-year anniversary in December and from all accounts the endeavor has been a raving success with a consistent customer base of mountain dwellers and weekend warriors from over the hill and Santa Cruz. Emily says Saturdays and Sundays are busiest. “We get a lot of foodies, and the beer selection is pretty unique” from flagship ales to “wildly inventive seasonals that will bend your taste buds and challenge your senses.”

Emily has always loved food. Her mom was the cook at the Quaker Center in Ben Lomond when Emily was growing up in SLV. But it’s the brewing that ultimately sparked the idea of getting into the restaurant business.

While at college in Portland in the early 90s, two uncles who “didn’t believe in books” taught her how to “brew beer, work on cars, and clear brush.” She did earn her software engineering degree and moved to San Diego to live the corporate life. Eventually eschewing cubical confines and back in the Santa Cruz area to raise her family, the urge to brew bloomed and she opened Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing on the Westside in 2005.

“Our original model was a tasting room to take your beer home with you. But the first week we opened there were hundreds of people drinking the beer in the sun along the railroad tracks.” That got her thinking, “What are the spaces where people hang out?” So she created the tap room and beer garden.

That’s where the beer is brewed for the Cremer House because Felton’s infrastructure at the site won’t support the necessary ebb and flow of craft brewing in volumes enough to serve throngs of the curious thirsty.

Emily made the proposal to SCM Brewing co-owner, Bob Locatelli, to do a joint restaurant as well. She said that neither of them was initially of a mindset to take on a project that big but in the end decided to go for it. It took four years to get all the permitting in place, and the old Cremer building needed to be retrofitted to support modern requirements while still maintaining the historical elements. Emily designed the interior space, local contractor, Chuck Reason, updated the structure.

“That’s how we differentiate ourselves – craft brewers are only 10% of the market, big corporations are still dominant – so small brewers work together, looking for things that make us look unique in our own business.”

The Cremer House serves lunch and dinner and showcases a variety of 25 craft beers on tap including Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing and select offerings from other local brewers, ciders, wines, and homemade sodas.

The Santa Cruz Mountain Art, Wine, and Music Festival thanks Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing for sharing their hand crafted brew at the festival and for keeping gracious community spirit alive in the mountains.

Cremer House
6256 Highway 9
Felton CA. 95018
http://www.thecremerhouse.com
Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing
402 Ingalls St #27
Santa Cruz CA. 95060
http://www.scmbrew.com

(c) Julie Horner, September 2015

Originally written for and published in the Santa Cruz Mountain Bulletin

Julie Horner is an Irish folk musician and writer living in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California. Email: leap2three@gmail.com On the Web: santacruzmountainslocal.com

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Earth Without Art is “eh” – Boulder Creek Elementary’s Art Masterpiece Program

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Partial proceeds from the Santa Cruz Mountain Art, Wine, and Music Festival, September 5 and 6, 2015 at Garrahan Park in Boulder Creek support the BCE Art Masterpiece program. Proceeds also support San Lorenzo Valley High School’s participation in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F) Scholarship fund.

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by Kili Crandall

The Art Masterpiece program at Boulder Creek Elementary School is not just about creating art… it’s about “touching the lives of the Art Masters over the past few centuries…” and understanding their art as well as what their influences were.

The program has evolved over the past two decades since its implementation in the mid-1990s with Andrea Burgon at its helm.  Mrs. Burgon sought to “bring the Art Masters to the San Lorenzo Valley” so that her four children and their classmates could benefit from the amazing talent in our community.  “We have so many incredible artists here, living in this beautiful valley, who want to inspire our youth, let’s provide them with an opportunity.”

The program showcases a variety of  “art by The Masters” for each grade level, following a set schedule monthly, so that, ideally, by the end of fifth grade students will have been influenced by not only the Renaissance Art of Brueghel and the Impressionist Art of Cassatt, Renoir and Monet, but also the Surrealism of Miro and Chagall, the passion of Rivera and Kahlo, the Pop Art of Warhol and Thiebaud, even the amazing hanging mobile sculpture by Alexander Calder, which provides a fun way to learn about movement powered only by natural elements.

I have known Andrea since I moved to SLV, twenty years ago.  I didn’t know anything about the program though, until my oldest son Max, now 15 and a sophomore at SLVHS, started kindergarten at BCE.  Kathy Ritchie was heading the AM program then and asked me to “get on board” and volunteer in the kindergarten class.  I never looked back!  I took over running the program a few years ago and I’m going to stay as long as they’ll have me!

All the BCE teachers participate.  They even do the projects with their class, if they want to, although it’s not required… but they get inspired along with the students.

We begin getting our volunteers at Open House, which is during the first few weeks after school starts.  I hold and orientation (about two hours) for the volunteers to fill them in on our program and update them with new artists we might have added in.  We have at least one volunteer for each classroom.  Usually two or three volunteers will team up for each class and then help each other out, trading off responsibilities: One teaching and one assisting one month and then switching for the next.  Most volunteers love it and come back each year for their child’s new class.

Our first art project begins in October, with our last being in May, in time for the Art Show.  One project each month, depending on the schedule and desires of the teacher and volunteer(s).  Some teachers enjoy having the AM volunteer come in twice a month, and we can certainly accommodate!

Supplies for each project are provided by the Art Masterpiece program, which is fully funded by the BCE Parent Club and past fundraisers.  We have watercolor, tempera, chalk pastels, oil pastels, clay, tissue paper, charcoal, a variety of mediums.  Our biggest expense is watercolor paper, which is mandatory for some projects.  Having good supplies is so necessary, but having enough of the good supplies is also key.  We do our best to keep supplies stocked using our $600 annual budget.  We also stress using nature and recycling.  We bring in tree branches and household items, showing the students that art doesn’t have to be expensive.

Over time though, our paint brushes get rather beat up and our paints always need refurbishing, so any extra money is put towards supplies that will endure several years of students.  We were able to purchase new packets this year for each grade and Mary Beth Curley (who has been co-coordinator for the past couple of years), graciously spent the summer refreshing and renewing all our packets for the 2015-16 school year!  So exciting!!

The teachers still present a variety of art projects in their classrooms and BCE budgets for Spectre Arts in most classes as well.  Mountain Arts also has an after school art class, for a fee, that allows ten or so students, once a week for a month, to do a themed project.

My boys (now 12 and 15) always enjoyed Art Masterpiece throughout their years at BCE.  I know they miss it in the older grades!  It really has been very inspiring to so many students because they recognize “art.”  They know the “masters.”  They understand the types of art through the centuries and they are able to see art around them.  It gives so many children joy because, although they may not be good at sports or math…. art is subjective and completely their own interpretation, so there is no standard of what is right or wrong or beautiful.  It is all up to them, it empowers them.

I hope to keep this program going forever.  When will there be a time when it is not important?  Art has and will always be an important part of life.  I can’t imagine BCE without it.  Of course, if we come up against an issue of no funding, I’m not sure what we will do.  Probably look to the students to pay for the opportunity to create art.  That would be very unfortunate, if it came to that.  I know they have already cut the band program back so that just fifth graders have the opportunity to learn an instrument. It used to be fourth and fifth grades. Maybe we will be forced to cut the Art Masterpiece program to only three artists/projects a year or possibly just upper grades…  I cannot imagine.  As we all know – “earth without art is eh”.  That really says it all!

As published in the Santa Cruz Mountain Bulletin.

Second Annual Santa Cruz Mountains Art, Wine, & Music Festival 2015

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art and wine fest

Labor Day Weekend – Saturday & Sunday, September 5 & 6 2015
11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Garrahan Park, Hwy 9 Boulder Creek
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By Julie Horner

Enjoy the last days of summer with family, friends and community at the second annual Santa Cruz Mountain Art, Wine, and Music Festival at Boulder Creek’s Garrahan Park. Showcasing local artists and musicians, the Boulder Creek Brewery and mountain wineries will be pouring. Expect great food and drink, groovin’ times in the sunshine; face painting, a jumpy house and other activities for the kids. More to be announced!

http://www.scmountainfestival.com

Proceeds benefit the Art Masterpiece program at Boulder Creek Elementary (see story in the Arts section) and the SLV High IOOF Scholarship Fund.

Here’s a taste of some of the artists and musical talent lined up for this year’s festival!

The Crafty Fox – Heather Richman

I love working with glass in all its forms – molten glass is probably my favorite.  When the glass is heated to molten, it can be manipulated into simple shapes like spheres, cylinders, and barrels.  It can also be rolled and pressed and then decorated with more molten glass, or it can be sculpted into complex shapes – like plants and animals.

 LW glass Pendant

My inspiration comes from nature.  Anyone who sees my glass work would probably say I love the ocean and all its creatures.  My torch-worked glass bead creations are often sculpted creatures (sea stars, jellies, turtles, etc.), but I also create mini ocean scenes on my pressed glass beads.  I make 3-D aquarium beads that are a bit like swimming in the reef (only smaller).

I also work in fused glass – cutting sheet glass and melting it in a kiln.  Some of my plates include Monet-like backgrounds with inlaid copper sea creatures and hand-pulled glass “plants” – creating the illusion of depth.  While my Ocean Series plates tend towards the cool colors of blues and greens, my Caribbean Series plates are very bright and colorful.  I love working in different color palettes, often pushing myself to try new combinations.

While I love the ocean, I also love the forest.  The redwood and oak forests speak to me in birdsong and babbling brooks rather than in crashing waves.  I often use the forest solitude to come up with new ideas and directions.  Standing beneath the redwoods and looking up can make one feel quite insignificant – a bit like a banana slug.

Originally from Riverside, California, I spent 8 years in Seattle, WA before returning to the Golden State and making Santa Cruz my home.  I’ve been here for 15 years and still love it!  The majority of my glass work is available at Art of Santa Cruz (inside the Capitola Mall at the Target end) and Monterey Bay Artisans (Monterey).  I also have limited work at Beach Girl, Many Hands Gallery, Henry Cowell, Seacliff State Beach, and Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center.  I do many shows and festivals in Santa Cruz County, including Open Studios.  My studio is also open by appointment.

On the Web: http://glass.crafty-fox.com

His Broidery – Eric Olson Artist

“Express who you are through embroidery art.” The art of raised stitching can transform ordinary clothing and fabric into stylish personalized expressions of one’s self. Embroidered designs can be frilly, whimsical, edgy, strong, or compelling. While flowers, puppy dogs, and swirly letters have provided decorative flair for shirts, coats, pillow cases, and towels for eons, so much more is possible. In addition to cutesy, stitching can be alarming, disarming, and sublime.

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San Lorenzo Valley is full of culture… there is so much to find here.  We have Buddhists, we have people who were part of the 60’s culture change, and we have the outdoors and beautiful trees.  All of these things are great for inspiration.

I still make everything at my house in Boulder Creek and my family and I show most of what I make at art shows.  Originally I started making things I wanted to wear, doing whole jackets and hats that represented my aesthetic.  What I create has changed over time, adding some things here and there that, while they may not be what I would wear, I think others might.

I guess one thing about my embroidery is that it reflects different cultures in some way.  My inspiration may be from the Pacific Northwest Native American Tribal art, or Norwegian (my ancestry), or Japanese.  I know it when I see it and I can’t get it out of my head until I can do something with it.

On the Web: www.hisbroidery.biz/index.htm

Carol L. Riddle Watercolors

“It is my hope that viewing my paintings will evoke a sense of peace and fond recognition, by locals and visitors alike.”

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Felton Library Watercolor by Carol Riddle

I try to capture the beauty of our local scene, choosing to depict what one might see while visiting Santa Cruz and the surrounding areas. I think my favorite thing is “getting lost” in the painting while creating.  That and the “surprises” that the watercolor medium presents.  You just have to adjust as you go.

I like landscapes and the out-of-doors. My family went for camping vacations growing up. Our favorite was the Redwoods, so when I got the opportunity, I bought a house among them. I love color. I use color to represent how I feel when visiting the places I paint.  Since I am SOOOOO into detail, I take my own photographs on location and paint at home in my Ben Lomond studio. The light changes too fast when I try to paint while I am at the location, and it is never the same the next day. So when I see something which inspires me, I take photos. I don’t try to replicate the photo; I try to paint what I felt while at the site.

My best memories in SLV are of quiet, peace. Home.  I volunteer at the Henry Cowell Nature Store at the State Park in Felton.  It is run by local volunteers and Mountain Parks Foundation, which supports Henry Cowell and Big Basin through educational programs for the public about how to preserve our heritage.  We appreciate all the local support.

On the Web: www.artbycarol.com

The Naked Bootleggers

Local favorites from the Santa Cruz Mountains, The Naked Bootleggers are reviving the standards of yesterday while writing the standards for tomorrow. Local musicians Don Mackessy (banjo/vocals), Ona Stewart (guitar/vocals), S.T. Young (guitar/harmonica/vocals), James Mackessy (bass/vocals), Jeremy Lampel (mandolin/vocals) span the gap between old time and contemporary music with captivating vocal harmonies, lyrical creativity and that high lonesome sound of old.

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We love all the great music that comes through this area, and we really enjoy working together to present our art for people to enjoy, especially if they like to dance, drink and get just rowdy enough to make it pure fun.

On the Web: www.reverbnation.com/thenakedbootleggers

The Leftovers

The Leftovers are a reggae rock group from the Santa Cruz Mountains, a close group of friends that grew up together in the San Lorenzo Valley. Joey Storm and Sean Conner started the band about three years ago writing songs on the beach in their free time. Slowly adding members Travis Salangsang on drums, David Churchill on keyboard, Brendan Brose on bass guitar, Greg Del Bene on percussion, and female backup vocalists Taylor Rae and Sydney Gorham; the band now consists of seven members.

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We play upbeat and fun music by fusing roots-reggae music of the past with popular reggae styles of the present, as well as some rock. Some of our biggest influences include Sublime, Rebelution, The Expendables, Bob Marley and many others.

The goal is to create “feel-good” music that will put smiles on the audience’s face as well as lure them out onto the dance floor to join in on the fun. We love music and are very excited to be able to share our passion. We love playing for the local community because they are so supportive, and because we grew up here we know most everyone!

On the Web: www.reverbnation.com/theleftoversSCM

Acoustic Shadows

They say an acoustic shadow can cause sound to be refracted to an unexpected location similar to how light is transformed by mirage. Acoustic Shadows all-original jam band was born deep in the redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

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Infectiously affable, Erik Rozite fronts the band with a signature conviction, that right hand in constant motion driving the rhythm on guitar. Lead guitarist, Zac Clow never breaks a sweat squeezing out the high wail, and Paul Stevens holds down some serious drum beats while “Wygz” William Van Kol keeps it cool and steady on bass. Jim Anderson (booty shakin’ percussion), and Brian Valentine (screamin’ harmonica) fill out the Acoustic Shadows sound, an intoxicating jambalaya of solid rock rhythm and atmospheric groove.

The group has released five CDs professionally recorded at local studios, and they are ever present in the mountains and performing at familiar venues all over the greater Santa Cruz area. The band is eager to share their “cask fermented and high times” Acoustic Shadows vibe!

On the Web: www.reverbnation.com/acousticshadowsshadowman

Who’s Holdin’

Hailing from SLV and Santa Cruz, Who’s Holdin’ is a kick ass rock band that’s been around for over a decade creating an energetic, ultra-addictive sound!

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Featuring Ian McDonough (vocals, guitar), Matt Harris (guitar, vocals), Troy Tano (horn, vocals, percussion), Morgan Monticue (bass), Zac Farmer (drums), Who’s Holdin’ promises “slammin’ rock, high energy, punk-tinted, groove- laced, thoughtful-fun music for partyin’, playin’, drivin’, downloadin’, home chillin’, layin’ around the pool drinkin’ and just about anything.”

On the Web: www.facebook.com/pages/Whos-Holdin/125428067503661

Medicine Road

“Our theme is Native American rock centered on musical healing and positive energy. We feel our music is good medicine for the heart, soul, and body.”

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Boulder Creek’s Medicine Road formed in 2008 and has been playing steadily ever since. We love every single song we do. How could a band play music just for someone else and not themselves? It’s the same as how can someone love you if you don’t love yourself? We love our music; therefore, we are putting out love in the most peaceful and loving way.

The medicine is the music, which heals the soul, nurtures the body’s need to move in a positive flow, and stimulates the brain to think about the positive change needed to heal ourselves and our planet. When viewing the earth from a distance, we look like ants with our ant hills, living close to each other to advance our ability to survive. Every living thing on this planet is sacred. Every living thing is exactly that, living. If you value life as a huge thing, then all things fall under that huge thing, ALIVE.

On the Web: www.reverbnation.com/medicineroad

Grampa’s Chili

Born in the Bay Area and adopted by the Santa Cruz Mountains, this legendary group of players is more than a band; they’ve created their own community attracting generations of people from all over to their shows to groove together. Grampa’s Chili has a long history starting in the 1990s with original members from Old Dead Bug, The Bliss Ninnies, and Soup and they’ve kept a following of fans from the early days known collectively as the “Vibe Tribe.”

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The current incarnation of Grampa’s Chili includes Mike Boston (vocals), Victor Manning (guitar, vocals), Jerry Brown (bass, vocals), Tom McQuillen (guitar), Michael Palladino (drums, vocals).

“Songs are like children, you can’t force them to be something they’re not, they’ve got to take their own direction.” The band has been going through a prolific period of writing new songs, and the new material wants to be played.

On the Web: www.reverbnation.com/grampaschili

Crooked Branches

The Crooked Branches Band plays original music with lyrical influences ranging from soul to roots rock and country.  Their songs exhibit a blend of styles from their current home in the Santa Cruz Mountains and former homes in the Midwest, Southern states and Latin America.

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The band has two members from San Jose, two from southern California, and one from Illinois. They now all reside in Santa Cruz County (three in the mountains and two in Santa Cruz) and play most shows in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Band member, Manny Steffen says, “My favorite thing about playing music in this band is that I get to hang out with four of my best friends…our friends, family and others who have come out to our shows have been so great in showing their support. They’re the best part of each of our shows.” The bass player recently got married among the redwoods here, and when they can, they partake in the local hiking and swimming hole action.

On the Web: www.crookedbranchesband.com/music

Rollin’ Hazard

Whiskey driven, heartbreak influenced, good time music, Rollin’ Hazard is an original country, alt-country outfit out of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

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Including members, O.T. Duvall on 6-string flat top (also the band’s eye candy), Anders ‘Virginia Nasty’ Steele on Telecaster (with attitude), Ebin Lee on Bass, Boss Doss on drums, and the ghost of John Barleycorn as spiritual advisor.

On the Web: www.facebook.com/RollinHazard

(c) 2015 Julie Horner

Julie Horner is an Irish folk musician and writer living in the Santa Cruz Mountains, California.

Email: leap2three@gmail.com

On the Web: leap2three.com

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/santacruzmountainslocal