ROCK

by Drew Mackie

Martina McBride This country and western
chanteuse has enjoyed a dedicated following since her 1991
breakthrough “My Baby Loves Me.” Her 1997 duet with Jim Brickman,
“Valentine,” expanded her fan base to adult contemporary fans as
well. Experience McBride’s entire catalogue of hits at this special
summer concert with openers the Warren Brothers. Thu., June 22,
7pm, S.B. Bowl, 583-8700 or sbbowl.com.

Pete Yorn A charming singer-songwriter whose
guitar work might be best known from TV and movie soundtracks, Yorn
begins his all-acoustic, small-venue You & Me tour with this
Santa Barbara show. Thu., June 22, 8pm, SOhO, 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com.

Christopher Lawrence Considered by electronica
aficionados to be among the best trance DJs in the United States —
if not the best — Christopher Lawrence brings sleek grooves to
every set he plays. Thu., June 22, Wildcat Lounge, 962-7970.

Voices for a Cure 2006 A benefit concert for
the Scleroderma Research Foundation, Voices for a Cure brings
together bands such as the Coral Sea, Crosby Loggins, Holden, and
Alixandra to raise money for a crippling disease. The event will be
hosted by comedian Bob Saget, who lost his sister to scleroderma in
1994. Sat., June 24, 7:30pm, Lobero Theatre, 963-0761 or lobero.com.

Cat Power Jenny Lewis, Neko Case, and Karen O
are all well and good, but none of these reigning indie princesses
can hold a candle to Cat Power and her withering, heartrending
vocals. This Southern-born lovely has been suggested as next in
line to cross over from indie popularity to mainstream renown for
some years now. Sat., June 24, 6-8pm, SOhO, 962-7776 or sohosb.com.

Soul Majestic and Alma Melodiosa This
alt-reggae troupe claims to jam with a mix of flamenco,
psychedelia, trance, and world beats as influences. They’re the
perfect soundtrack to the spacey-happy sounds of the Solstice
Parade, where they will be performing at Alice Keck Park Memorial
Gardens. Once the sun goes down, Soul Majestic will also be playing
an indoors show to cap off the evening. Sat., June 24, 8pm, SOhO,
962-7776 or sohosb.com.

Fiona Apple and Damien Rice Apple and Rice — a
boring meal but a potentially phenomenal concert. Apple’s throaty
stylings have always earned her a spot on pop charts — from her
steamy 1997 debut single “Criminal” to the bouncier fare on her
most recent release, Extraordinary Machine — but Rice is a relative
newcomer to mainstream popularity. His song “The Blower’s Daughter”
caught attention when it featured as the theme to the 2003 film
Closer. Sun., June 25, 6:30pm, S.B. Bowl, 583-8700 or sbbowl.com.

Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris The second of
three duet concerts at the Bowl this summer, Knopfler and Harris
sing with combined 65 years of performing experience. Knopfler, the
former Dire Straits front man, and country legend Harris released a
collaborative album, All the Road Running, in April that showcased
their musical mastery with songs they recorded over the past seven
years. Thu., June 29, 7pm, S.B. Bowl, 583-8700 or sbbowl.com.

The White Buffalo With the looks of a lost
Allman brother and a sound influenced by classic country and
Elliott Smith, the White Buffalo sets himself apart from all the
other San Francisco-bred dudes with a guitar and song journal. He
performs alongside rockers Jonah Smith and the Void. Thu., June 29,
8pm, SOhO, 962-7776 or sohosb.com.

Christian Castro One of the brighter stars in
the Mexican pop scene — and son of telenovela star Veronica Castro
— this talented performer scored successive hits with his 1999
album, Mi Vida Sin Tu Amor, and its 2001 follow-up, Azul. Recently,
he’s veered into straight-out rock. Thu., June 29, 8pm, Chumash
Casino, (800) 585-3737 or chumashcasino.com.

Concerts in the Parks Looking for a
kid-friendly place to rock out? The City of S.B. has put together
another fine summer of evening concerts under the canopy of the
sky. See swing, soul, oldies, flamenco, and jazz — and don’t forget
a picnic and your dancing shoes. Thursdays, June 29-Aug. 24 (except
Aug. 3), 6-8:30pm, at Chase Palm Park; and every Sunday from
3-4:30pm in July at Alameda Park, 897-1982 or sbparksandrecreation.com.

Surf Roots Tour 2006 A collaboration between
Resin Music and SurfingAmerica.org, this tour promotes the album
Surf Roots, Vol. Two. Touted as the new soundtrack to California’s
beloved water sport, the album and the tour feature SoCal reggae
outfit Common Sense as well as a host of other beach-appropriate
bands like Slackstring, Ballyhoo, Sashamon, and others. Sat., July
1, 8:30pm, SOhO, 962-7776 or sohosb.com.

Rob Thomas and Jewel Both have undergone
considerable transformations, with Thomas ditching former band
Matchbox Twenty to pursue solo efforts and Jewel taking a break
from “Who Will Save Your Soul?”-type yodeling to join the league of
pop tarts with her 2003 release 0304. Together, however, these
artists represent a new generation of mainstay pop idols with
healthy roots in the folk genre. Sun., July 2, 6pm, S.B. Bowl,
583-8700 or sbbowl.com.

Lionel Richie Long before he became known as
the father of Nicole Richie, he was the talented Commodores front
man who departed the band to pursue a solo career. With hits like
“Say You, Say Me,” “Three Times a Lady,” and “Endless Love” under
his belt, you can almost forget that he’s the reason Nicole has a
television career. Almost. Thu., July 6 and Fri., July 7, 8pm,
Chumash Casino, (800) 585-3737 or chumashcasino.com.

Meltone Like Japan? Like jam bands? Then see
what the country that gave us sushi, anime, and Godzilla can do
with their own spin on the genre. Thu., July 6, 8pm, SOhO, 962-7776
or sohosb.com.

Richmond Fontaine and Hamell on Trial In the
vein of Jethro Tull, Richmond Fontaine is not a man — it’s a group
of them. They bonded together over their love of the Replacements
and Hüsker Dü, which is reason enough to get excited for this
headliner of the July installment of the Sings Like Hell series.
The show will also feature “one-man punk band” Hamell on Trial.
Sat., July 8, Lobero Theatre, 963-0761 or lobero.com.

Pearl Jam One of the most prolific and reliable
bands to emerge from the grunge movement, Pearl Jam seems to almost
have transcended the label “alt rock.” They’re rock music as we now
know it — not just an off-shoot. And with Sonic Youth opening,
Eddie Vedder and his bandmates will be playing in good company.
Thu., July 13, 6pm, S.B. Bowl, 583-8700 or sbbowl.com.

Intocable Tejano sensation Intocable has
performed its fusion of American rock and traditional Latin music
for the past decade, garnering three Grammy nominations in the
process. Thu., July 13, 8pm, Chumash Casino, (800) 585-3737 or
chumashcasino.com.

DJ Rap Born in Singapore as Charissa Saverio,
this mistress of the mixing tables has climbed to fame as one of
the most reliable female DJs in the international music scene. DJ
Rap has been beloved by fans in the British techno scene since her
breakthrough hit “The Adored” in 1990. Thu., July 13, Wildcat
Lounge, 962-7970.

Linda Ronstadt She’s come a long way from the
upstart who scored a hit with a “You’re No Good” in 1974. Since
then, Ronstadt has been a favorite among country and western fans,
even when she’s flirting with mainstream pop, folk, and
Spanish-language compositions. Fri., July 14, 6pm, S.B. Bowl,
583-8700 or sbbowl.com.

The Church The younger crowd may be best
familiar with this Australian band’s 1988 hit “Under the Milky
Way,” which was featured on the Donnie Darko soundtrack. The Church
has a host of other dreamy singles that straddle the line between
the classic pop and late new wave. Tue., July 18, 8pm, SOhO,
962-7776 or sohosb.com.

Glen Phillips The hometown favorite and former
Toad the Wet Sprocket front man promises a top-rate acoustic show
in an intimate atmosphere. Tue., July 25, 8pm, SOhO, 962-7776 or
sohosb.com.

Spencer the Gardener A quirky local band that
owes much to bands like Cake, They Might Be Giants, and others that
didn’t let their decidedly whimsical sound take them out of the
running for mainstream popularity. Expect music from their 10-year
catalogue, as well as tracks from their newest release, Run Away
wth Lulu. Thu., July 27, 8pm, SOhO, 962-7776 or sohosb.com.

Santana After emerging from the psychedelic San
Francisco music scene of the ’60s, Santana remarkably climbed back
onto pop charts in the late ’90s with his collaboration with Rob
Thomas, Supernatural. His duet-heavy 2005 release, All That I Am,
proved that Santana continues to reinvent himself, his band, and
his classic sound — all of which you can experience at one of his
back-to-back concerts this summer. Tue., Aug. 1, and Wed., Aug. 2,
7pm, S.B. Bowl, 583-8700 or sbbowl.com.

Matisyahu Hasidic Jewish reggae star. It sounds
like joke or a flash-in-the-pan gimmick, but Matisyahu counters
these claims with a surprising musical prowess. Hits like “King
Without a Crown” and “Youth” have drawn a following both from
reggae fans and mainstream rock. He’s a cross-over who has already
crossed over more than most artists ever have to. The opening act
includes Michael Franti and Spearhead. Tue., Aug. 8, 7pm, S.B.
Bowl, 583-8700 or sbbowl.com.

The Dave Grisman Bluegrass Experience A man the
New York Times called “the Paginini of the mandolin,” Dave Grisman
leads a six-man bluegrass outfit in a musical style that he has
dubbed “dawg music.” It’s a wonderful little subgenre that draws
from acoustic bluegrass, jazz, and folk. Thu., Aug. 10, 8pm, Lobero
Theatre, 963-0761 or lobero.com.

Ben Harper and Damian Marley The thinking man’s
Lenny Kravitz has expertly layered funk onto brash ’70s-style rock
music since his mid-’90s debut. In return, Harper met with
mainstream success and a huge college following. Harper and his
back-up band, the Innocent Criminals, should be playing tracks from
his newest, Both Sides of the Gun, which dropped in May. Damien
Marley — whose latest Jamrock rocked the charts — will be opening.
Tue., Aug. 15, 6pm, S.B. Bowl, 583-8700 or sbbowl.com.

Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez As if writing
the words to “Angel of the Morning” and “Wild Thing” weren’t good
enough, Chip Taylor — little brother to actor Jon Voigt — recently
reignited his career by touring with fiddler and country-western
vocalist Carrie Rodriguez. The two will be firing up the stage
alongside folk rock crooner Michael McDermott. Sat., Aug. 19, 8pm,
Lobero Theatre, 963-0761 or lobero.com.

Willie & Lobo Discovered in a Puerto
Vallarta bar, Willie Royal and Wolfgang “Lobo” Fink share an
appreciation for all styles of international music. Though they
count jazz, reggae, tango, and flamenco as some of their
influences, Willie & Lobo’s greatest team-up happens when their
Gypsy violin meets with their guitar. Wed., Aug. 23, 8pm, SOhO,
962-7776 or sohosb.com.

Los Lonely Boys The three Garza brothers of San
Angelo, Texas, grew up playing music with their father, a conjunto
musician. Only in 2003, however, did the boys release their own
album independent of their father. The effort eventually netted
them a Grammy, and Los Lonely Boys gained fame as a one of the most
interesting Tex-Mex bands recording today. Thu., Aug. 24, 7pm, S.B.
Bowl, 583-8700 or sbbowl.com.

Teddy Thompson Making his third Sings Like Hell
appearance, Teddy Thompson — son of British folk musicians Richard
and Linda Thompson — will be singing tracks from his second album,
Separate Ways. Opening for Thompson will be the French-named,
Alabama-bred Etienne de Rocheron. Sat., Sept. 9, Lobero Theatre,
963-0761 or lobero.com.

Planet Drum In celebration of the 15-year
anniversary of receiving the first-ever winner of the Grammy for
world music, this one-time phenom is embarking on its first tour in
10 years. Featuring former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart and
tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, Planet Drum promises a mix of the
songs that first earned it success and newer efforts as well. Wed.,
Sept. 20, Lobero Theatre, 963-0761 or lobero.com.

DANCE

by Felicia M. Tomasko

Baryshnikov, with Hell’s Kitchen If you don’t
already have tickets, you may need to beg, or wait in line, as this
event is sold out. For his only performance on the West Coast with
a hand-picked group of young dancers, Hell’s Kitchen Dance features
choreography by Summerdance alum Aszure Barton and New York City
Ballet principal dancer Benjamin Millepied. Thu., June 22, and
Fri., June 23, 8pm, $50-$175, Lobero Theatre, 963-0761 or summerdance.com.

Solstice Eve Party Kick off (literally!) the
Solstice weekend with this Friday evening event in Alameda Park,
post-parade party central. The evening includes opportunities for
the audience to get their groove on along with performances by the
Ginga Parade Ensemble, Mojow and the Vibration Army, Erika
Kloumann, and Middle Eastern dancer Renata. Fri., June 23,
4-8:30pm, free, Alameda Park, call 965-3396.

Exotic Belly Dance Dinner Show with Alexandra
King
King, an accomplished dancer and teacher, leads the
UCSB Middle East Ensemble’s dance troupe. This evening will
transform SOhO’s dining room into a desert oasis. Wed., June 28,
7pm, SOhO, 962-7776 or visit sohosb.com.

Summerdance Dance About Town with Rize
dancers
You’ve seen the dynamic film Rize (or you’ll see
it at the Summerdance screening July 12 at Center Stage Theater),
now see Tommy the Clown’s groundbreaking hip-hop dancers, in
person, tearing up the streets from the Plaza del Mar to the County
Courthouse, Storke Placita, the Solstice Building, and Paseo Nuevo.
Thu., July 13, noon-4pm, free, 568‑0865 or summerdance.com.

Mythography by Doug Varone Acclaimed
choreographer Varone participated in Summerdance’s first season,
and S.B. audiences will be delighted to see his new work set to
live music. Varone is premiering Mythography at the festival. It
features 10 dancers, three singers, four musicians, and even an
actor to deliver this performance with projected images and moving
sets. Thu., July 20, and Fri., July 21, 8pm, $22.50-$45, Lobero
Theatre, 963-0761 or summerdance.com.

Summerdance Open Rehearsal From concept to
execution, the creation of dance involves blisters, sweat, and
triumph. The always filled-to-capacity crowd gets a chance to see
artists at work in this Summerdance tradition. Featuring
performances of works-in-progress by Doug Varone, Robert Battle and
State Street Ballet, and ASzURe. Mon., July 24, 7-8:30pm, free,
Center Stage Theater, 963-0408 or summerdance.com.

Lascilo Pedere by ASzURe & Artists
Last year, ASzURe and her sassy company wowed audiences with
creative performances incorporating gesture, repetition, and
explosive movement. While she’s currently choreographing The
Threepenny Opera on Broadway, summer brings Barton to our shores,
where her troupe will shine in Lascilo Pedere. Wed., July 26, 8pm,
and Thu., July 27, 7 and 9pm, $22-$32, Center Stage Theater,
963-0408 or summerdance.com.

Choreographer’s Showcase Take advantage of an
opportunity to see dance in the making — raw, gorgeous, explosive —
and to hear the choreographers’ voices, as the audience is
encouraged to comment as well as applaud. The performance also
features dance by the Summerdance Kids Connection, taught this year
by acclaimed dancer Brian Brooks. Fri., July 28, 4 and 7pm, $12,
Center Stage Theater, 963-0408 or summerdance.com.

Summerdance Cabaret The annual event in the
courtyard of Restaurant Nu is one of the most highly anticipated
events of the summer dance scene. The evening features wine, great
food, and dance both naughty and nice. The cabaret will feature
some of the only 2006 performances by Summerdance favorite Brian
Brooks. Sat., July 29, 7pm, Restaurant Nu, summerdance.com.

Then Again Stephanie Nugent, UCSB dance
professor, dancer, and choreographer, curates this joint offering
with Iridian Arts. Last year’s performance featured new work by a
group of talented choreographers and dancers. This year promises to
be just as spectacular, with collaborative presentations by Nugent,
Carmela Hermann, Keith Johnson, and Kristen Smiarowski. Sun., July
30, 8pm, Center Stage Theater, 963-0408 or iridianarts.com.

Danses Chromatiques Creative Los Angeles
collective La Danserie is choosing the Marjorie Luke for its first
foray outside its hometown. The weekend of performances will
feature premiere showings of cutting-edge work. “Appassionato” is
set to Rachmaninoff and choreographed by company artistic director
Patrick Frantz, while “No Way/Any Way,” choreographed by Judy
Pisaro-Grant, will be danced to music by bad-boy composer George
Antheil. “Ibou” is a solo performed by Berlin Opera House principal
dancer Alexandre de la Caffiniere. Sat., Aug. 5, 8pm, and Sun.,
Aug. 6, 2pm, Marjorie Luke Theatre, (818) 341-0530 or ladanserie.org.

MultiCultural Festival Before you dismiss it as
just another great excuse to sample ethnic cuisine and get
sunburned, remember that this weekend event features the best of
dance traditions from around the world. Performances include the
exotic undulations of the hula, the raucous rhythms of European
folk dance, the sinuous sensuality of Middle Eastern dance forms,
and opportunities to join the dancers on stage. Sat., Aug. 19, and
Sun., Aug. 20, 11am-7pm, Oak Park, 966-6950 or sbdancealliance.org.

S.B. Dance Day The exact date is still to be
announced, but September promises to bring a day of open dance
studios, and the opportunity to try as many classes as dancers can
pack into a day for only $1 per class. Previous years’ events have
introduced the novice along with the well-heeled to everything from
ballet to flamenco. Sept., various locations, 966-6950 or sbdancealliance.org.

FILM

by D.J. Palladino

Superman Returns Kal El — the Man of Steel’s
outer space birth name — has a baby by Lois Lane? Is this one of
those gold kryptonite hallucinations? Is Kevin Spacey a good Lex
Luthor? Isn’t Gene Hackman still alive? Wed., June 28, general
release.

I Know I Am Not Alone and The Big Buy: Tom Delay’s
Stolen Congress
HopeDance magazine continues their
progressive film series with this dual screening, starting off with
a documentary about how Congress was bought by Delay and then
featuring guitar-laden warzone tour with conscious musician Michael
Franti of Spearhead. Sun., July 2, Faulkner Gallery, S.B. Public
Library, 544-9663 or hopedance.org.

Ice Age The Ray Romano everybody loved during
the Pleistocene lends his voice to this animated animally romp,
which serves as the first “Zoovie” of the summer. Without the
drive-in, this is our town’s only outdoor cinematic experience,
complete in two languages. Wed., July 5 (in English), and Tue.,
July 11 (en Español), 8:15pm, Santa Barbara Zoo, 962-5339.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest Davy
Jones’ locker summons the soul of Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow. One
of the true wonders of big screen entertainments in the last few
summers is back for more swashbuckling fun. Fri., July 7, general
release.

Scanner Darkly It’s Richard (Dazed and
Confused) Linklater’s turn to do a Phillip K. Dick sci-fi novel on
the big screen. Fri., July 7, general release.

V for Vendetta This beautiful adaptation of a
graphic novel — which is the first of the UCSB Associated
Students-run free summer series — may not be politically
sophisticated, but it has a nice cautionary edge from the Wachowski
Brothers screenplay and a bald Natalie Portman to boot. Tue., July
11, 8pm, Isla Vista Theater, 893-2833.

Ice Age II More scrats, more mastodon blues,
and a sensitive clearing of the throat toward global warming, sans
Al Gore, in Zoovie numero dos. Wed., July 12 (in English) and Tue.,
Jul 18 (en Español), 8:15pm, Santa Barbara Zoo, 962-5339.

Sir! No Sir! UCSB Arts & Lectures’ summer
school series kicks off with this award-winning doc by David
Zeiger, which tracks the development of the 1960s anti-war movement
within the U.S. military. Wed., July 12, 7:30pm, UCSB’s Campbell
Hall, 893-3535.

16 Blocks A tightly wrought thriller that pits
Bruce Willis, a cop with a taste for hooch, against his own force,
featuring the great Mos Def. It’s a neorealist version of Die Hard
with a gritty aftertaste. Tue., July 18, 8pm, Isla Vista Theater,
893-2566.

Robots Get some computer animation laughs about
computer animated creatures. Tue., July 19, 8:15pm, Santa Barbara
Zoo, 962-5339.

Thank You for Smoking This broad satire about
the tobacco industry and American mores plays twice for free. Wed.,
July 19, 7:30pm, UCSB’s Campbell Hall and Tue., July 25, 7:30pm,
Isla Vista Theater, 893-3535.

Princess Bride Life would be inconceivable
without this classic 1980s fantasy film, starring, among other
notables, Andre the Giant. Those dressed as pirates and princesses
get in for a discount. Tue., July 26, 8:15p.m., Santa Barbara Zoo,
962-5339.

Why We Fight Eugene Darecki dissects the
American military industrial complex — from Eisenhower’s dire
warnings to Iraq’s deadly consequences — with this compelling,
thorough documentary. Wed., July 26, 7: 30pm, UCSB’s Campbell Hall,
893-3535.

Cache The French thriller by Michael Haneke
starring Juliette Binoche was the favorite film of last winter for
many. Wed., Aug. 2, 7:30pm, UCSB’s Campbell Hall, 893-3535.

Hard Candy Exclusive performance of this
cutting drama, a big fave from the film festival last year and a
film that Metropolitan Theatres didn’t see fit to bring to wide
audience. Good luck for us — UCSB A.S. gives it to you for free.
Tue., Aug. 8. 8pm, Isla Vista Theater, 893-2566.

Our Brand Is Crisis Rachel Boynton’s doc about
U.S. political consultants centers on James Carville “helping out”
in a Bolivian election. Wed., Aug. 9, 7:30pm, UCSB’s Campbell Hall,
893-3535.

Take the Lead Antonio Banderas stars in a
fictional version of Mad Hot Ballroom. Tue., Aug. 15, 8pm, Isla
Vista Theater, 893-2566.

Sisters in Law Kim Longinotto and Florence
Ayisi’s 2005 docu-comedy shows the lives of two women who are
judges in Cameroon. Wed., Aug. 16, 7:30pm, UCSB’s Campbell Hall,
893-3535.

Snakes on a Plane The title says it all. It’s
got snakes and it puts them on a plane, but, thank heavens, it’s
got Samuel Jackson too. The one film that makes summer life worth
living. Fri., Aug. 18, general release.

Mission Impossible 3 Our protagonist Ethan —
amidst impossible stunts and unbelievable yet exciting intrigue —
gets married, proving Tom Cruise, who produced the film, is indeed
straight. Tue., Aug. 22, 8pm, Isla Vista Theater, 893-2566.

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days Marc Rothemund’s
German feature about the young college student in Munich who helped
incite opposition to Hitler during World War II’s last legs, only
to be faced with execution. Wed., Aug. 23, 7: 30pm, UCSB’s Campbell
Hall, 893-3535.

The Da Vinci Code The year’s most talked about
movie about the past few years’ most talked about book lands in our
own Sin City. Tue., Aug. 29, 8pm, Isla Vista Theater, 893-2566.

My Country, My Country Laura Poitras shows the
effects of the American-brewed and -led war in Iraq as seen by the
everyday Iraqi. Moral? U.S. out! Wed., Aug. 30, 7: 30pm, UCSB’s
Campbell Hall, 893-3535.

JAZZ

by Josef Woodard

Preservation Hall Jazz Band For more years than
most of us even realize, this venerable Crescent City band, based
out of New Orleans’ Preservation Hall, has passed through the area
and kicked up some old-school, trad-jazz dust. Suddenly, the game
has changed, in the aftermath of Katrina, and the band brings a
renewed compassion for and obsession with the tremendous musical
legacy of their great hometown. Thankfully, the actual Preservation
Hall is back in action after months of repair work, and the music
continues to matriculate through their steady touring. Thu., July
6, 8pm, Lobero Theatre, 963-0761 or lobero.com.

Michael Buble One of the latest in the scene of
post-Sinatra crooners, with impressive pipes and his musical values
in a good, retro place, the Vancouver-based singer Michael Buble
was weaned on swing and emerged on the jazz/pop scene a few years
ago. He was just in time for a resurgence of interest in suave and
nicely dressed male singers — including John Pizzarelli, Peter
Cincotti, and Jamie Cullum — with a taste for the Great American
Songbook. Buble’s visit to the Santa Barbara Bowl looks like the
closest this Bowl season comes within sniffing distance of jazz.
Someday, somehow, they’ll figure out a way to make jazz feasible in
this cherry venue. Fri., July 21, 7:30 pm, Santa Barbara Bowl,
962-7411 or sbbowl.com.

Nate Birkey Quintet A longtime Santa Barbara
favorite, the tasty jazz trumpeter-vocalist has now officially
packed his bags and Real Book and relocated to N.Y.C., where he
works with his East Coast group. But he has the good sense to pay
return visits, to his old hometown and to his continuing West Coast
band, including this summertime booking at his old haunt, SOhO.
Birkey brings his own style and sense of subtle detours to the
business of mainstream jazz, still issuing cool with a nod to Chet
Baker. Wed., July 26, 8pm, SOhO, 962-7776 or www.sohosb.com.

Dr. John Consider this part two of the Lobero’s
unofficial homage to New Orleans greats, after the Preservation
Hall Jazz Band in July. We caught Dr. John — a k a Mac Rebennack
Jr. — and his band, including a cameo by hot young blues singer
Shemekiah Copeland, in late 2004, and the venue seemed ideal and
resonant: a historic American figure in a historic American hall.
Now, at age 65, the Doc is touring behind his new Blue Note album,
Mercernary, a tribute to Johnny Mercer. Fri., Aug. 18, 8pm, Lobero
Theatre, 963-0761 or lobero.com.

Dave Brubeck The legendary and seemingly
indefatigable octogenarian pianist, who has made Santa Barbara a
regular stop in recent years, still pounds a piano into poetic
submission and refuses to lapse into shtick or laurel-resting. His
concerts also tend to be willfully diverse affairs, dipping into
the old chestnuts — “Take Five,” “In Your Old Sweet Way,” “Blue
Rondo à la Turk” — and items from the broad range of music Brubeck
has made over the decades. Brubeck’s late brother, Henry, taught
music in Santa Barbara for years, a strong family link which makes
his famous brother’s visits seem like old home week. Wed., Aug. 23,
8pm, Lobero Theatre, 963-0761 or lobero.com.

Dianne Reeves Since the time of Dianne Reeves’s
last S.B. show, a memorable, spontaneity-fortified Campbell Hall
concert with Terence Blanchard, the subtle powerhouse singer has
made a strong impression with new audiences through her sultry
singing for the soundtrack of Good Night, and Good Luck. Reeves
deserves any waves of rediscovery she can get, and her set in the
casual wine-soaked splendor of the Gainey “Concerts in the
Vineyard” should be just about the right Rx by this point in the
dog days of August. Fri., Aug. 25, 7:30pm, Gainey Vineyard,
688-0558 or gaineyvineyard.com.

Poncho Sanchez The preeminent conguero and
award-winning band leader has carried the West Coast torch for
Latin jazz and jazz-fueled salsa for many years. With a résumé
including work with the late Cal Tjader, Clare Fischer, and Mongo
Santamaria, Sanchez has deep roots in the music, and has been a
stalwart whose band never fails to fire up dance-able and
listen-able energy on the stand. Sat., Aug. 26, 7:30pm, Gainey
Vineyard, 688-0558 or gaineyvineyard.com.

Charles Lloyd Tenor saxist Lloyd, Santa
Barbara’s resident jazz celebrity, has played the Lobero countless
times over the last couple of decades. The difference this time
around is that Lloyd’s new album will be a live trio CD, with tabla
master Zakir Hussain and drummer Eric Harland, actually recorded in
this hall. It is the first major album recorded in the Lobero, a
venue becoming more widely known as a great jazz space. Along with
his distinctive multicultural trio, Lloyd is still playing with his
hot quartet, featuring Harland and pianist Geri Allen, in the 40th
anniversary year after the release of Lloyd’s legendary, and
hot-selling, Forest Flower. The weekend after his hometown gig,
Lloyd’s band will head up to the Monterey Jazz Festival, where the
Flower album was recorded. Music-cum-venue history is abuzz in
Lloyd’s life this year. Fri., Sept. 15, 8pm, Lobero Theatre,
963-0761 or lobero.com.

CLASSICAL

by Gerald Carpenter

Music Academy of the West’s Children’s Concert
The Academy Festival Orchestra, conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya,
and narrated by Rod Lathim, will perform Camille Saint-Saëns’s
Carnival of the Animals and Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide
to the Orchestra. Children’s Concert: Sat., June 24, 4pm, Abravanel
Hall, 969-8787 or musicacademy.org. Tickets available day of concert.

Picnic Concert These are the marvelous and
consciousness-expanding chamber music concerts programmed and
performed by the students themselves. Always brilliantly executed
and intriguingly chosen, these concerts are, for at least one aging
music lover, the main events of the summer. June 30, July 7, 14,
20, 28, and Aug. 3 and 9; 7:30pm, Abravanel Hall, 969-8787 or
musicacademy.org.

S.B. Symphony Fourth of July Pops Concert The
symphony’s annual Fourth of July Pops Concert is a perennial
favorite and a Santa Barbara tradition. This year, Guest Conductor
Edwin Outwater, the orchestra, soloists, and other guests will
perform the requisite patriotic favorites, light classics, and
Broadway show tunes for the standard fee of your attendance. That
is to say that the concert is free. Tue., July 4, 5pm, Sunken
Gardens of the Santa Barbara Courthouse, 898-9626 or thesymhony.org.

Tuesdays at Eight The Music Academy’s 2nd
“Tuesdays at Eight” chamber music concerts by the Academy faculty
will feature the usual suspects playing unusual programs: W. A.
Mozart’s Piano Quartet in G Minor, K. 478; Lukas Foss’s Three
American Pieces; Richard Lavenda’s Chiaroscuro; George Antheil’s
Sonata No. 2 for Violin with Piano and Drums; Darius Milhaud’s
Quatre Visages for Viola and Piano, Opus 238; and Samuel Barber’s
Knoxville: Summer of 1915. All Tuesdays at Eight concerts are
performed on Tuesdays at 8pm, Lobero Theatre, 963-0761, 969-8787,
or musicacademy.org.

Festival Orchestra Concert The Music Academy’s
miraculous phoenix, the Festival Orchestra, offers its second major
concert under the baton of Michael Stern, with David Halen, violin,
performing W. A. Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major, K. 218;
and Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor. Sat., July 15,
8pm, Lobero Theatre, 963-0761, 969-8787, or musicacademy.org.

Opera For this year’s big opera spectacular,
the combined forces of the Summer Festival will put on Gioacchino
Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims, written for the coronation of the
reactionary French king Charles X, conducted by Christopher Larkin,
with stage direction by Christopher Mattaliano. Fri., Aug. 4,
7:30pm, and Sun., Aug. 6, 2:30pm, Lobero Theatre, 963-0761,
969-8787, or musicacademy.org.

Academy Chamber Orchestra Concert Something new
this year: the Academy Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Julian
Wachner, with Paul Merkelo (trumpet), playing Antonio Vivaldi’s
Concerto for Strings in G major, RV 151, “Alla Rustica”; Igor
Stravinsky’s Concerto in E-flat Major, “Dumbarton Oaks”; Antonio
Vivaldi’s Concerto in C Major for Two Trumpets; and Peter
Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C Major, Opus 48. Sat., Aug.
5, 8pm, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (1300 E. Valley Rd.,
Montecito), 969-8787 or musicacademy.org.

VISUAL ART

by Charles Donelan

Views and Visions: Celebrating California An
end-of-season show with landscape works by invited artists and
Westmont alumni. Through June 30, Reynolds Gallery, Westmont
College, 565-6162 or www.westmont.edu/reynolds_gallery.

Karpeles Manuscript Library & Museum
Seeking the Light, works by Nancy Kittredge and Images of the
Divine Feminine, works by Pat Fulmer, will be on view through July
9. These exhibitions will be followed by Finding Balance, a show of
figurative porcelain sculpture by Laura Langley. 21 W. Anapamu St.,
962-5322.

Contradictions (Part II) More engaging abstract
paintings and sculptures by local artist Jack Mohr. Through July
29, Artamo Gallery, 11 W. Anapamu St., 965-1500 or artamogallery.com.

Shiba Ward, New Work New Work is the debut solo
exhibition by contemporary scene painter Shiba Ward. Ward is a
young, Los Angeles-based disciple of Edward Hopper, minus the
anomie. Through Aug. 2, Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery, 7 E.
Anapamu St., 730-1460 or sullivangoss.com.

Asian Persuasion Co-sponsored by Santa Barbara
Visual Arts and the Fielding Graduate University, this show
features works by seven artists interpreting Asian themes. Through
Aug. 25, Fielding Graduate University Gallery, 2112 Santa Barbara
St., 687-1099.

Between Light and Shadow: Photographs of Great Sand Dune
National Park by John Weller
Great Sand Dune National Park
in southern Colorado is the youngest national park in the system,
having been declared in 2000 by then-President Bill Clinton. These
photographs are great and compelling — the kind of nature
photography that makes you get up and dance, or head for the dunes.
Through Sept. 10, Wildling Art Museum, 2329 Jonata St. Los Olivos,
688-1082 or wildlingmuseum.org.

Between Past and Future: New Photography and Video from
China
This show consists of 130 works of photo and video
art produced by 60 Chinese artists, all since the mid-1990s.
China’s contemporary art scene has the look of the next big thing,
and this is the show’s only West Coast stop. Go and educate
yourself for an art-collecting expedition to Shanghai. July 1-Sept.
17, S.B. Museum of Art, 1130 State St., 963-4364, sbma.net.

Growing Flowers by Candlelight (Pt. II) A
collection of flags by gothic Romantic New York artist Amy Gartrell
shows on State Street in conjunction with other works by the artist
to be seen at the Contemporary Arts Forum. July 7-14, 966-5373 or
sbcaf.org.

Pattern Language: Clothing as Communicator This
is a big, unpredictable summer avant-garde blockbuster from the
University Art Museum and guest curator Judith Hoos Fox. Forty
works of wearable art will be shown by an all-star cast of
contemporary artists including Mimi Smith, Ecke Bonk, Cat Chow,
Yoko Ono, Joseph Beuys, Rosemarie Trockel, and Issey Miyake. The
works show a wide range of possible connections among the social
nodes associated with clothing, fashion, media, and art. There will
be an opening on Friday, July 7, 5 p.m., featuring a performance
event by Fishbon Event Lab Fashion Cell. July 7-Aug. 27, University
Art Museum, UCSB, 893-2951 or www.uam.ucsb.edu.

Oak Group 20th Anniversary Show An exhibition
celebrating the founding of the Oak Group will include works by
member artists of this great S.B. institution. July 8-Aug. 14, Palm
Loft Gallery, 410A Palm Ave., Carpinteria, 684-9700 or palmloft.com.

THEATER

by Karen Leigh

Open Secrets Dale Wasserman wrote One Flew over
the Cuckoo’s Nest and the book for a little musical called Man of
La Mancha. His next work finds its way to the Central Coast, making
its world premiere with Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre Company. The
evening is comprised of two short plays: “The Stallion Howl” and
“Boy on a Blacktop Road.” In the former, there are repercussions
when a wife takes on a wealthy benefactor and refuses to reveal
“how and why” to her husband. The latter focuses on a young boy’s
mysterious disappearance. St. Elsewhere’s David Birney stars.
Through July 9, Rubicon Theatre, Ventura, 667-2900 or rubicontheatre.org.

Anna in the Tropics Here’s a bold move —
resetting the bleak Russian novel Anna Karenina as a drama in
Depression-era Cuba. Daring, yes, but for Nilo Cruz, the strategy
paid off; Anna in the Tropics was awarded the 2003 Pulitzer Prize
for drama. After a lengthy Broadway run, it makes its Central Coast
debut at the Marian Theatre on the campus of Allan Hancock College
in Santa Maria, now through July 15 (the production transfers to
the Solvang Festival Theatre July 21-August 6.) Stars include PCPA
resident company member Leo Cortez, a recent Indy award winner for
his role in Inventing Van Gogh. With its Cuban setting and Latino
playwright — the first Hispanic man to nab a Pulitzer — Anna speaks
to the important contributions and intellect of our area’s
substantial Latin population. Through July 15, Marian Theatre,
Santa Maria; July 21-Aug. 6, Solvang Festival Theatre, 922-8313 or
pcpa.org.

Theatrical Treats At long last, David Mamet and
Tennessee Williams have something in common. Theatrical Treats, a
summer-long series comprised of communal audience lunches followed
by dramatic play readings, begins June 28 at the Victoria Hall. The
leadoff show is Mamet’s Mere Mortals and Arabian Nights, in which
three construction workers perch on a beam 50 stories in the air
and spill their innermost secrets. On July 19, noted local actress
Christina Alison stars in Peter Shaffer’s White Liars, chewing the
scenery as a mysterious psychic. Elaine Kendall’s politically
charged new work The Chameleon rounds out the series on August 2.
Tickets for all three productions are available for a set price of
$75. Wed., June 28; Wed., July 19; Wed., Aug. 2; Victoria Hall,
(800) 494-8497.

The Man Who Came to Dinner The last time The
Man Who Came to Dinner received a Broadway mounting, Nathan Lane
played persnickety media personality Sheridan Whiteside, and Jean
Smart, Lane’s longtime friend, played movie star Lorraine Sheldon.
Together, the pair crashes the home of an ordinary Ohio family and
havoc ensues. Locals who missed this Kaufman and Hart gem when it
played New York can catch it next month at SBCC. With a cast of 15
principals, 12 ensemble members, and eight choirboys (for the
rousing, madcap finale), SBCC promises a hit of epic proportions —
Nathan and Jean, be warned. This summer, The Man is your best bet
locally for classic social comedy. July 12-29, SBCC, 965-5935.

UCSB Summer Theater Lab Despite sunny days good
for surfing and being outside, theater students at UCSB — coming
off the success of their New Plays Festival, which premiered new
works by seven collegians — plan to hole up indoors and write,
write, write. The dramatic arts department and playwriting program
director Naomi Iizuka presents the annual Summer Theater Lab, which
this year operates on its biggest scale to date. The program
“brings to campus both prominent and up-and-coming artists,” said
co-coordinator and grad student Beth Wynstra. “We focus on
workshopping new plays.” Several of the pieces go on to be
professionally staged — consider the Lab an incubator for our
area’s brightest collegiate playwriting talent. July 16-Aug. 4,
UCSB, times and locations TBA, dramadance.ucsb.edu. Most
performances and some rehearsals are open to the general
public.

BOOKS AND LECTURES

by Felicia M. Tomasko

Dennis Miller Whether you agree or disagree
with his political stance, author, comedian, actor, and Montecito
resident Miller produces laughs with his rants and raves about the
state of the world. Thu., June 22, 7 and 9pm $25-$65, Chumash
Casino, (800) 585-3737 or chumashcasino.com.

Bobby Moresco, with Roger Durling The Santa
Barbara Writers Conference and the Santa Barbara International Film
Festival team up for this afternoon event, where Durling interviews
the Academy Award-winning screenwriter Moresco, whose script,
Crash, won an Oscar. Sat., June 24, noon-1:45pm, $10, Fess Parker’s
DoubleTree Resort, 964-0367 or sbwc.org.

Stirring the Fire: Seven Evocative Steps to Enhance Your
Creativity
We can all use techniques to learn more about
how to generate new ideas, whether we write on the page or create
art or in our own minds. With Marilee Zdenek, the best-selling
author of The Right-Brain Experience. Sat., June 24, 4pm, $10, Fess
Parker’s DoubleTree Resort, 964-0367 or sbwc.org.

Ray Bradbury For 34 years, the reigning king of
visionary science-fiction and author of such books as Dandelion
Wine and Fahrenheit 451 has been delivering the Santa Barbara
Writers Conference Keynote Address. You don’t have to attend the
conference to hear Bradbury’s reflections and words of wisdom.
Sat., June 24, 7:30pm, $15, Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort,
964-0367 or sbwc.org.

Budd Schulberg Acclaimed novelist and
screenwriter Schulberg, who wrote On the Waterfront and The Harder
They Fall, will be presented with the SBWC’s conference Ray
Bradbury Award for a Lifetime of Excellence in Writing. After
receiving the award, he will talk books on stage with TV host
Connie Martinson. Sun., June 25, noon-12:45pm, $10, Fess Parker’s
DoubleTree Resort, 964-0367 or sbwc.org.

Kid Ethics from A to Z by James “Bud” Bottoms
This is a coloring book, a workbook, and a series of exercises to
help children question and reflect on ethical principles. Perhaps
if Ken Lay had this book when he was young, the Enron story might
have ended differently. Sun., June 25, 1pm, Borders Books and
Music, 7000 Marketplace Ave., Goleta, 968-1370.

Speaking of Stories: Summer Sunday Series Last
summer’s foray into summertime conversations for the popular story
series brought conversations with authors into the intimacy of
Center Stage. This year’s series of three afternoons begins in June
when teacher and writer David Starkey, host of Creative Community,
chats up talented writers. Sun., June 25, 4pm, $20 each or 3 shows
for $45, Center Stage Theater, 966-3875 or speakingofstories.org.

Jewell Parker Rhodes The evocative Rhodes is
the author of Douglass’ Women, winner of the National Book Award,
which explores women’s lives and loves throughout history with
passion and poignancy. Her newest is Voodoo Season, the sequel to
her first novel, Voodoo Dreams. Sun., June 25, 7:30pm, $15, Fess
Parker’s DoubleTree Resort, 964-0367 or sbwc.org.

Nilo Cruz on the Writing Life Long before
Hollywood, we acted out our stories on stage, and playwrights
provided the drama to propel the story. Cruz won the coveted
Pulitzer in 2003 for Anna in the Tropics, and has also written
Night Train to Bolina and Dancing on her Knees. Join him for a
discussion of the writing life. Mon., June 26, 7:30pm, $15, Fess
Parker’s DoubleTree Resort, 964-0367 or sbwc.org.

Dynamic Divas Many of the writing instructors
and speakers at the SBWC are exciting and award-winning novelists
and writers. Workshop leader, writer, and teacher Shelly Lowenkopf
leads a provocative discussion among international intrigue author
Gayle Lynds (The Last Spymaster), feel-good expert Catherine Ryan
Hyde (Pay It Forward, Becoming Chloe, and Love in the Present
Tense), and mystery pro Gillian Roberts/Judith Greber (A Hole in
Juan). Tue., June 27, 4pm, $10, Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort,
964-0367 or sbwc.org.

Erica Jong Jong set women’s imaginations free
with her iconic novel Fear of Flying and recently penned the memoir
Seducing the Demon: Writing for My Life. Jong will continue the
writers conference theme of exploring the lives of writers and the
process of writing. Wed., June 28, 7:30pm, $15, Fess Parker’s
DoubleTree Resort, 964-0367 or sbwc.org.

T.C. Boyle The wry, funny author of The Road to
Wellville, The Tortilla Curtain, and The Inner Circle, maverick
writer Boyle will read from his excursions into telling tales,
including his to-be-released Talk, Talk. Thu., June 29, 7:30pm,
$15, Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort, 964-0367 or sbwc.org.

The Guynd: A Scottish Journal by Belinda
Rathbone
Rathbone’s journal chronicles her life as the
mistress of an ancestral Scottish estate and her tribulations of
renovation and trying to make friends with her stoic Scottish
neighbors. Fri., June 30, 5pm, free, Tecolote Book Store,
969-4977.

Poetry Zone Amid the manuscripts, the Karpeles
Museum hosts the lively verse-play of monthly Poetry Zone. Whether
you slam or rhyme, or don’t know the difference between haiku and
iambic pentameter, enter the zone for an afternoon of poetry
reading. Sat., July 8, 2-4pm, free, Karpeles Manuscript Library and
Museum, 963-5322.

Sea Stories The horizon and beyond never ceases
to allow us to dream, and every Sunday, the Sea Center hosts a
half-hour of sea stories to capture the imagination of the world
beneath the waves. The tales are fun for kids of all ages. Sun.,
July 9 and every following Sunday, 11:30-noon, included in
admission, Ty Warner Sea Center, 682-4711 or sbnature.org/seacenter.

Jenn Caselle, PISCO and Coastal Island Research
Want the update on research into the area’s coasts and islands?
This month’s Shore to Sea lecture focuses on interdisciplinary
research aimed at understanding our coastal habitats. Tue., July
11, 7pm, free, Chase Palm Park.

Speaking of Stories David Starkey, host of
Creative Community, will chat with mystery writer Andrew Klavan,
whose oeuvre includes Shotgun Alley, True Crime, and Corruption.
Sun., July 30, 4pm, $20 each or three shows for $45, Center Stage
Theater, 966-3875 or speakingofstories.org.

Marine-Protected Areas August’s Shore to Sea
lecture features Gary Davis demystifying the stories behind the
underwater protected areas of the Channel Islands National Park.
Tue., Aug. 8, 7pm, free, Chase Palm Park.

Garlic: The Stinking Rose Uncovered A panel
discussion revealing the history, culinary uses, and medicinal
applications of the tasty food will be only part of an afternoon
that also includes freshly made recipes including garlic, along
with wine to cleanse a garlicky palate. Sun., Aug. 20, 2-5:30pm,
$45-$60, S.B. Museum of Natural History, 682-4711 x170 or sbnature.org.

Santa Rosa Island Research More than a
wind-swept habitat for seals and birds, Santa Rosa Island preserves
a unique ecosystem and holds a selection of secrets all her own.
John Johnson will be speaking on current research unlocking Santa
Rosa Island’s treasures. Tue., Sept. 12, 7pm, free, Chase Palm
Park.

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