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Formed in Santa Rosa in 1984, Victim’s Family is a band that infused all the elements of the hardcore punk scene with an expansive and experimental edge that shifted into a jazzy, funky realm all their own. Their satirical lyrics and blistering instrumentals made them one of the most respected and challenging acts of the decade. VictimÕs Family turn 30 this year, and they’re throwing a rocking shindig to celebrate. Joined by other local rock and punk bands, the band plays a career-spanning set of songs, voted on by the fans, when they take the stage on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Phoenix Theater, 201 Washington St., Petaluma. 8pm. $12. 707.762.3565.
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Back a few months ago we did an online exclusive interview with Kurt Stenzel, a San Francisco–based composer who scored and played the spooky, synthy music on Jodorowsky’s Dune. Kurt’s an awesome guy, a veteran punk rocker from New York who loves him some Devo, Hawkwind and Jethro Tull.Â
The film that Kurt scored, you might recall, was about the kooky filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky and his failed attempt, in the 1970s, to make the filmic version of Dune, which was eventually made by David Lynch, and was pretty terrible by most accounts, despite—or was it because of?—the presence of Sting.
Just as Jodorowsky’s Dune was taking off—numerous indie-film award nominations, a national release—Stenzel talked with Nicolas Grizzle about the film and his work on it.
But just two freaking days after Grizzle spoke with him, Kurt suffered a massive stroke, and he’s still recovering from it. Geez.
Three-plus agonizing months later, the good news is that Kurt went home this week—finally got out of the hospital. His fiance Jen reports that he’s relaxing at home and checking out the remastered soundtrack to Jodoworsky’s Dune—as they await the arrival of the 2 LP soundtrack on vinyl. That’s fine medicine indeed.
But he needs yer help. Kurt has a long way to go, as he racked up some mighty medical bills while his recovery has slowly unfolded. His health insurance has run out, according to his partner—and those suckers won’t cover speech rehabilitation in any event.Â
Such times as these: Kurt’s partner created a gofundme account with a goal of generating $100,000 to pay off the bills and get him set up in the new home with the medical gizmos he’ll need moving forward. As of today, Kurt’s received over $20,000 from 172 people through the gofundme portal—in just one week.  Help this man heal!Â
May 31: Events Beyond Bottlerock
All of Napa is getting into the swing of the area’s biggest music festival of the year. Bottlerock is going to dominate the Napa Valley for the weekend, and local venues and restaurants know that if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Oxbow Public Market (610 First St) offers Bottlerock breakfast specials all three days with live music from festival acts. After-parties can be found all over town, with music and food trucks at City Winery (1030 Main St), local bands live at Silo’s (530 Main St), and late night lounge fun at Uva Trattoria (1040 Clinton St). If you’ve had all the music you can handle, there’s always Giggle Rock, a standup show with local stand-out comedians on Saturday, May 31 at Slack Collective Studios and Gallery, 964 Pearl St, Napa. 10pm. $5.
Carrillo Admits Tearing Bedroom Screen
Sonoma County Supervisor Efren Carrillo took the stand in his peeking trial on Thursday afternoon saying he has a bigger problem with alcohol than he let on to officers. He said that he told officers he had “two beers and a couple of really strong mixed drinks,” but said he had actually had much more than that. He says he was trying to hide it and was in denial. “At the time, I was accustomed to downplaying and minimalizing the struggle.”
He told his defense attorney Chris Andrian there were two reasons why he went over to Jane Doe’s apartment at 3:30 that morning: “The fact that I was drinking” was one and “I was hoping to rekindle some kind of relationship” was the other. He later admitted, under cross-examination, that there really was no relationship to begin with, and he was basing his perception off of two brief interactions.
“My sense of ego,” “My sense of entitlement,” and “My sense of arrogance made me think it was a good idea to go over to Jane Doe’s house,” Carrillo told the defense. “It was selfish,” he said. “It had nothing to do with Jane Doe, only with me.”
He added, “There is no excuse.”
Career admitted during his testimony that he had damaged Jane Doe’s bedroom screen on her window. He says he didn’t tell officers at first, because he was “unwilling to admit I had done anything wrong.”
During a brutal hour-long cross-examination, in which Carrillo looked uncomfortable, emotional and shaken at times, prosecutor Cody Hunt asked which hand he had broken the screen with and put it inside her bedroom, because he had two beers in one hand, and his cell phone to the other. It had been established previously in the trial that his boxer briefs did not have pockets, and Hunt surmised that he must have put his hand holding the cell phone inside her window. He then intimated that Carrillo took pictures inside the woman’s bedroom. Hunt informed Carrillo during his cross-examination that he had a copy of everything on his cell phone, to which Carrillo replied he knew. Nothing from the phone was entered into evidence.
The supervisor admitted that he has a problem with alcohol and ego, but those aren’t illegal. What’s really being discussed is whether he peeked inside the woman’s apartment to which he says he did not. He did admit knocking on her door at 3:30 in the morning in his underwear and walking around to her back patio through the gate because he thought he saw a light on coming out of the sliding glass door in the back. But he maintained that he did not have a recollection of whether or not he looked into the apartment, and at one point explicitly said he did not look into the apartment.
He did admit hoping to spark a sexual relationship with the woman whom he called “very attractive,” even after being dropped off by his girlfriend from a nightclub about an hour and a half prior. When asked by Hunt, Carrillo stated that same woman who dropped him off that night is still his girlfriend today, though she was not in court at the time of his testimony.
The trial resumed at 1:30pm Thursday and the defense did not redirect the cross examination. The jury went to deliberation immediately after the lunch break.
April 11: Operation Jazz at the Healdsburg Center for the Arts
Operation Jazz is a fixture in the Healdsburg area, a weeklong jazz studies immersion for music students led by pro musicians and capped off by a concert at the Healdsburg Center for the Arts. This year, percussionist and Operation Jazz educator Babatunde Lea leads an ensemble that will perform the music of Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Joining Lea are former Davis saxophonist Azar Lawrence, trombonist Angela Wellman and jazz pianist Frank Martin, among others, all of whom participated in Operation Jazz. Babatunde Lea and friends play April 11, at the Healdsburg Center for the Arts, 130 Plaza St., Healdsburg. 7:30pm. 707.431.1970.


March 22: Gumbo Smackdown at Kendall-Jackson Wine Center
The quintessential Cajun dish has got to be gumbo. While it sounds simple—meat and spices in a stew—the great thing about gumbo is that everyone can create his or her own style, with countless recipes originating from the bayous of Louisiana to the coast of California. This week, five top North Bay chefs bring their own gourmet gumbo to the table in the Gumbo Smackdown. The winner is chosen by the audience, and will take home the coveted Golden Crayfish Award and bragging rights in a night of live music and even livelier food. The Gumbo Smackdown happens Saturday, March 22, at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center, 5007 Fulton Road, Fulton. 5pm. $50. 707.576.3810.










