ON Culture | Long Live the Sounds of Tom Petty, Viva el Arte, and the Band Shell at Pershing Park

This edition of ON Culture was originally emailed to subscribers on August 13, 2024. To receive Leslie Dinaberg’s arts newsletter in your inbox on Fridays, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

ON the Stage

¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! (Viva) launches its new season of free community performances next week with Las Cafeteras, a dynamic group that transcends genres from Afro-Mexican to Americana, from soul to Son jarocho, from roots to rock and hip-hop. The use of traditional instrumentation like the eight string jarana jarocha, four string requinto, quijada (donkey jawbone), and tarima (wooden platform) produce their unique and electrifying sound. Their free, family-friendly shows take place on Friday, September 6 at 7 p.m. at Isla Vista School; Saturday, September 7 at 7 p.m. at Guadalupe City Hall; and Sunday, September 8 at 6 p.m. at The Marjorie Luke Theatre.

Karen Slack in “African Queens” | Photo: Kia Caldwell

Tickets go on sale September 4 for the Music Academy of the West’s Mariposa Concert Series, opening on October 5 in Hahn Hall with “African Queens,” celebrating the legacy of seven revered African Queens, featuring soprano Karen Slack and pianist Kevin Miller. This intimate series of concerts and events also includes JACK Quartet, one of contemporary music’s indispensable ensembles, founded by Music Academy alum Ari Streisfeld, on December 7; London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) musicians performing in collaboration with celebrated MAX (Music Academy Exchange) alums on February 17, 2025; and yMusic, the genre-leading American chamber ensemble, featuring Music Academy trumpet alum CJ Camerieri on March 10, 2025. See musicacademy.org for more information.

The Plaza Del Mar Band Shell is back in business at Pershing Park | Photo: Courtesy

There’s an old/new outdoor music venue in town — the beautifully refurbished bandshell in Pershing Park is back in action and the Folk Orchestra of Santa Barbara will take the stage on Saturday, September 21, with the sounds of the sixties. If you’ve never seen the Folk Orchestra perform then this is a great time to come out and enjoy music from The Beatles; Jimi Hendrix; Janis Joplin; The Doors; The Box Tops; Peter, Paul and Mary; and more — in a way you’ve never heard it before. Under the direction of Adam Phillips, this highly entertaining 30-piece orchestra has classical strings mixed with harp, guitars, mandolin, bagpipes and who knows what else. The fun starts at 5 p.m. See folkorchestrasb.com for details and tickets.

The company of ‘Empire’ a new musical directed by Cady Huffman | Photo: Matthew Murphy

My pal Cady Huffman, the Santa Barbara–raised Tony Award–winning actress who some of you might recognize from the gigantic mural outside the theater at San Marcos High School, is currently directing Empire, a new off-Broadway musical about the workers who built the Empire State Building. There’s a great interview with Cady about the show here, and it’s playing through September 22, with ticket information here.

ON the (Small) Screen

Bad Monkey, the new Apple TV+ comedy series from Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso, Shrinking) starring Vince Vaughn and based on Carl Hiaasen’s New York Times bestselling novel, also has a great soundtrack in store for us. Contemporary artists Eddie Vedder, Larkin Poe, Weezer, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Fitz and The Tantrums, and more cover Tom Petty songs, at least one of which is featured in each episode of the show. Set in Florida (like much of Hiaasen’s oeuvre), executive producer Lawrence says, “Not only have I been a huge Tom Petty fan forever (every episode of Cougar Town was named after a song), but he is also quintessentially Florida. Having contemporary bands cover his music is not only a thrill for me, but it adds to the feeling that Florida itself is a character.”

The entire album will come out on October 4, but songs by Fitz and The Tantrums (“Even the Losers“), Flipturn (“Don’t Do Me Like That“), Eddie Vedder (“Room at the Top“), Larkin Poe (“Runnin’ Down a Dream“) and composer Jamie Jackson (“Mary Jane’s Last Dance“) are out now — listen to them HERE.

ON the Page

Godmothers in now open at 2280 Lillie Ave. in Summerland | Photo: Courtesy

There are a whole slew of great events next weekend (September 7-8) to celebrate the grand opening of Godmothers, a new bookstore and gathering space in Summerland. Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of Bumble and a co-founder of Tinder will be in conversation with Godmothers’s co-owner Jennifer Rudolph Walsh on the subject of connection, something she certainly knows quite a bit about. The event is at 2 p.m. on Sunday (9/8) and they are requesting RSVPs here. Other events that weekend include storytime with Minh Lê and Dan Santat presenting Built to Last (9/7 at 11 a.m.); Nicola Yoon and David Yoon in conversation discussing their move from YA to Adult Fiction (9/7 at 1 p.m.; storytime with Marla Frazee presenting In Every Life (9/8 at 11 a.m.); and an acoustic concert & musitation by MILCK: A Sonic Journey from Inner to Outer Peace (9/8 at 1 p.m.). For more information on these events and the store itself, see godmothers.com.

ON the Walls

“Biologist turned artist” isn’t a description you see very often, so I am looking forward to seeing the Gallery 113 watercolor art show, Earth, Air, and Water, featuring the works of Kelly Hildner. On view in the gallery’s main space from September 3-28, with an opening reception on September 5 from 5 to 8 p.m., this exhibition celebrates the elements that shape our environment and connect us with the natural world, which seems pretty fitting for a biologist. Gallery 113 showcases the works of Santa Barbara Art Association members and is located in La Arcada at 1114 State St. #8.

‘Ready to Hang’ show at Santa Barbara Community Arts Workshop, Artists Party, November 17, 2023. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

Online applications for the fifth annual Ready to Hang exhibition at the Community Arts Workshop open on September 1 at sbcaw.org/hang. This pop-up show of 12 x 12 inch creations is one of the region’s largest showcases of work by artists residing in the area. In 2023, 450 works were exhibited by more than 200 artists, and in the course of two nights more than 1000 people visited. This year, the exhibit is limited to one piece per artist and just 250 entries will be accepted. Curator Michael Long has also chosen a theme, “Connectivity,” about which he wrote: “I enjoy the connection and interconnection of Santa Barbara’s creatives which is vast and impressive. The inspirational community here has a very diverse background that can be seen in their individual work. I felt the theme ‘Connectivity’ fit the vibe of our unique community as we get to know each other and each other’s work each year at Ready To Hang this year. I’m looking forward to seeing how the theme develops this year’s event.” The show will be held November 22-23.

ON the Calendar

SBMA free community day is September 8 | Photos: Courtesy

There’s a free community day at Santa Barbara Museum of Art on Sunday, September 8, that celebrates the exhibition A Legacy of Giving: The Lady Leslie and Lord Paul Ridley-Tree Collection with free admission for all (1-4 p.m.) with related art activities, family gallery guides, docent tours, music, and refreshments. This event also coincides with SBMA’s Free 2nd Sunday for Tri-County Residents (Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo) (11 a.m.–5 p.m.). Entertainment includes the SlideWays trombone quartet from 1-1:45 p.m.; the Bottom Line Brass Tuba Quartet from 2:15-3 p.m.; and Mariachi Las Olas de Santa Barbara from 3-4 p.m. See sbma.net/events/free-community-day for more info.

For a complete calendar of events this week and beyond, visit independent.com/events/.