Page 14 | Bohemian | Sonoma & Napa Counties

Visionary Art Director, Richard T. Powell

Locals

Apr 21, 2026

Visionary Art Director, Richard T. Powell

Richard T. Powell is a big man of mild mien with a banker’s name. But that’s just a trick of the eye.

And as I sat with him at his slick black computer work station, he described another optical illusion of his creation. That of two columns flanking a trash-fashion runway. The context was NIMBASH, the (in)famous annual art party that raises funds for Napa community arts org Nimbus.

Across the 10 minute trash runway, the illuminated stone columns gave the appearance of slowly, almost imperceptibly, degrading—cracking, flaking, to expose a glittering metallic under-layer which began to spin—slowly at first, and then faster and faster until blinding at the timed climax of the fashion show.

According to tipsy guests, the illusion was entirely convincing. It was achieved by projection mapping (shape-tailored projection) of Powell’s 3-D digital art onto a column.

As we talked, Powell pulled more random items from his project portfolio. And as he spun out his yarns, this mild-mannered man gave forth a new impression—that of a slowly revolving galaxy of ideas—some realized, some burning to burst forth. Simply put, Richard T. Powell is one of the most potentiated artists I have met in our locality. That is the impression I hope to put across with my slight 600 words legerdemain. Review his website for images: rtpowelldesign.com.

Cincinnatus Hibbard: What is an art director?

Richard T. Powell: Somebody that makes creative decisions. Manages expectations of how to achieve those. Hires and manages people with complementary skillsets. And gets that project vehicle to the end point.

What are your skillsets?

I studied intaglio print making [etching] at SRJC. But I also studied IT at Empire College.

So my skillset includes things like networking protocols, painting, drawing, building servers, server management, 3D animation, 3D art, graphic design and web design.

What’s your bread and butter work?

Web design—for small businesses.

Name another art project.

I made a six-minute animated music video on Blender for Samvega’s song, ‘Watermills.’ It’s on his YouTube. In it, I was inspired by vintage sci-fi. Think Flash Gordon oil-scape backdrops and the underworld, end time art of Zdzisław Beksiński.

It’s trippy a.f. And as beautiful as any Hollywood fx. What’s a third project?

Pre-pandemic, I was doing all of the show posters for The Mystic and Cornerstone—in Berkeley. Hundreds of posters over two years.

I love the poster you did for Spice World (see this week’s cover story).

I have been collaborating—with my neighbor, actually—on interactive projection mapping. An example I can give is that you project an image—like a galaxy on a wall—and if you step in front of it and wave your hands, you push the stars around.

What’s something unexpected about you?

I love to scuba-dive. It’s like being in space.

What would be a dream assignment ?

I would love to do special effects for a film—or music video—I think of the music videos collaborations of French dark synth wave artist Carpenter Brut. Probably a horror film. Horror is really the most experimental American commercial genre.

Learn more: Connect with Richard T. Powell on instagram @richardtpowell. It is a portfolio too. His website is rtpowelldesign.com. Tickets for NIMBASH 2026 are on sale now, from $250. The event is May 9 at Raymond Vineyards in St. Helena.

Joyful Billie Holiday, Marin City Flea Market and Sculpture Days

Crush

Weeklys Staff

Apr 21, 2026

Joyful Billie Holiday, Marin City Flea Market and Sculpture Days

Larkspur
A Joyful Billie Holiday

San Francisco vocalist Kim Nalley brings her formidable voice and stage presence to the Lark Theater with A Joyful Billie Holiday, a 90-minute tribute to the jazz legend. Nalley, celebrated for a style that blends sass, soul and intelligence, developed the performance after portraying the young Holiday in the stage production Lady Day in Love. Rather than imitation, Nalley offers something richer: an artist meeting another artist across time. With dramatic command and a voice capable of both power and velvet intimacy, she revisits Holiday’s songbook through reverence, swing and lived-in feeling. Presented by Marin Jazz, the concert also supports kids’ after school theater programs in Marin schools, adding a grace note to an already elegant afternoon. 3pm, Sunday, April 26, Lark Theater, 549 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur. $65 general admission; $75 VIP.

Marin City

Flea Market Returns

A beloved community institution gets a fresh chapter when the Marin City Flea Market returns under the stewardship of the newly forming Rotary Club of Marin City. Beginning this month and continuing every fourth Saturday, the parking lot of Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church will transform into an open-air bazaar filled with arts, crafts, food, vintage finds, collectibles, furniture, home goods and the timeless category known simply as “stuff.” Long remembered as both a market space and gathering place, the flea market aims to uplift local vendors, celebrate cultural diversity and create an accessible space where entrepreneurship and neighborhood connection can flourish. In other words: commerce with soul. For bargain hunters, browsers and lovers of community color, it’s a welcome revival of one of Marin’s most distinctive grassroots traditions. 8am–2pm, Saturday, April 25, and every fourth Saturday of the month, Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church parking lot, 101 Donahue St., Marin City. Free admission.

Healdsburg
We The Sculptors

Sculpture has a way of making itself unavoidable. It occupies space, casts shadows and often declines to be mere background décor. That spirit animates We The Sculptors, a weekend gathering at T Barny Gallery & Sculpture Gardens celebrating International Sculpture Days with the work of 10 Sonoma County artists. The materials alone suggest range and attitude: ceramics, stone, steel and even zip ties. But the deeper theme is what organizers call “defiant dissidence”—the idea that art can provoke, question and stand visibly in the public square. In that sense, the exhibition joins a long tradition of artists using form and presence to challenge norms and imagine other possibilities. Set amid the gardens of the Pine Flat Road venue, the event invites visitors to wander among works that speak loudly or quietly, but rarely politely. Consider it a free weekend of three-dimensional resistance, or simply a fine excuse to look at interesting things in a beautiful place. 11am–4pm, Saturday–Sunday, April 25–26, T Barny Gallery & Sculpture Gardens, 4370 Pine Flat Rd., Healdsburg. Free.

Napa

Cello ShotsNapa will get a sonorous supernova of sound when virtuoso cellist Rebecca Roudman brings Dirty Cello’s high-octane blend of blues, rock and Americana to the Native Sons of the Golden West Grand Hall in Napa. A classically trained symphony player who long ago traded formal restraint for amplified swagger, Roudman fronts a group that treats the cello less like an orchestral instrument and more like a lead guitar with better manners. Dirty Cello’s sets can veer from Jimi Hendrix to Charlie Daniels, alongside originals delivered with improvisational energy shaped by the room. Expect virtuosity, irreverence and the kind of musical detour best experienced live. 7pm, Friday, May 1, at Native Sons of the Golden West, 937 Coombs St., Napa. $25. More information at dirtycellonapa.eventbrite.com.

Oh Hello (Again): Dolly Levi Returns to the North Bay at SRJC

Harry Duke

Apr 21, 2026

Oh Hello (Again): Dolly Levi Returns to the North Bay at SRJC

There is no more quintessential Broadway musical than Jerry Herman’s Hello, Dolly! Theater companies large and small have been producing it regularly since its debut more than 50 years ago, including productions over the last decade by the Raven Players, Sonoma Arts Live and the Mountain Play. Santa Rosa Junior College takes their shot at it with a colorful production running in the Burbank Auditorium through April 26.

Based on Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker, it’s the musical tale of mistress-of-all-trades Dolly Gallagher Levi (Laura Downing-Lee) and her pursuit of Yonkers half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder (Justin Thompson). Others get involved in Dolly’s machinations, including Vandergelder’s Feed Store employees Cornelius Hackl (Sean Cooper) and Barnaby Tucker (Matthew Quezada-Cortes) and milliner Irene Malloy (Isabella Ascher) and her assistant Minnie Fay (Dana Carlton).

Dolly is a bucket-list role for longtime SRJC faculty member Downing-Lee, but apparently a lingering cold prevented her from giving the full performance she is eminently capable of giving. While quite effective in Dolly’s quiet, introspective moments, Dolly’s signature songs lacked the power one’s come to expect from the performer delivering them. She was clearly adjusting to the vocal limitations with which she was dealing. Rest up, Laura, and get well soon.

Justin Thompson was solid as the object of Dolly’s affections, whose gruffness and misogyny succumb to Dolly’s designs.

Beyond those two veteran performers, director Gina Alvarado has a (mostly) younger cast that really gets to shine in this production. Cooper and Ascher are in excellent voice, with Ascher’s delivery of the genteel “Ribbons Down My Back” quite moving. There’s a joyfulness in the performances of Quezada-Cortes and Carlton that’s quite infectious, and Quezada-Cortes displays some impressive dance moves.

The ensemble work is very strong. The larger production numbers like “Put On Your Sunday Clothes,” “Before the Parade Passes By” and “Waiters’ Gallop” (all featuring wonderful period costumes by Coleen Scott Trivett and boisterous choreography by Jolene Johnson) are well handled by the group. They’re parading and galloping on a typically well-designed (though occasionally wobbly) Peter Crompton-designed set.

Pacing is an issue for this show. While it came in at its advertised length (two hours and 30 minutes, plus intermission), there’s still some air to be let out of some scenes. Music director Les Pfützenreuter leads a strong 10-piece orchestra, but they could pick up the pace a bit, too.

Bottom line? This production of Hello, Dolly! is literally a classic case of everyone giving it “the ol’ college try.”

‘Hello, Dolly!’ runs Weds–Sun through April 26 in Santa Rosa Junior College’s Burbank Auditorium, 1501 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. Weds-Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. $12–$25. 707.527.4307. theatrearts.santarosa.edu.

Sweet Heat: ‘Spice World’ Brings Nostalgia, Hot Sauce to the Dance Floor

Daedalus Howell

Apr 21, 2026

Sweet Heat: ‘Spice World’ Brings Nostalgia, Hot Sauce to the Dance Floor

There are themed parties, and then there are elaborate attempts to manifest civic joy through any means necessary.

Santa Rosa’s upcoming Spice World appears to be the latter: an all-ages collision of Spice Girls nostalgia, DJ sets, karaoke, costumes and somehow, inevitably, spicy hot chicken wings. Clearly, this heady concoction bodes well for a Friday night in Santa Rosa.

The April 24 event, Spice World, comes courtesy of Performance Lab, the North Bay producers behind immersive happenings that mandate participation over passive spectatorship. They know they have their work cut out for them.

“The competition for our show isn’t the concert across town,” organizers Cincinnatus Hibbard and Josh Windmiller (both Bohemian contributors) advise in their press materials. “It is the screens that are keeping people captive.”

Performance Lab’s answer is to make events so weird, social and kinetic that they can’t be ignored. “We organize variety shows that are fully interactive,” they explain. “This makes them more unexpected, connective and alive for the audience and performers alike.”

The idea for Spice World reportedly emerged after organizers noticed groups of women arriving at an earlier event in coordinated costumes and doing choreography. Rather than treat that as fringe behavior, they recognized it as the pulse of a party trying to happen.

“Is it not a glorious vision to imagine 250 women and men dressed like Spice Girls (and the occasional chicken)?” the organizers ask.

It is indeed a glorious vision, though perhaps not one urban planners typically consider.

The Spice Girls remain ideal mascots for this kind of civic mischief. Dismissed by some in their day as bubblegum spectacle, they were in fact masters of joyful archetype: five distinct identities, one rallying cry, zero concern for coolness. That spirit still travels.

With Y2K-era fashion back in circulation and multiple generations now old enough to feel nostalgia at once, the timing is unusually apt.

Translation: Everyone is now old enough to miss something.

Then comes the second pillar of the concept: literal spice.

The chicken angle grew out of Hibbard acquiring a Hot Ones-style home kit, which inspired organizers to build an evening around reckless sauces, comic bravado and the healing powers of dairy.

A fair point. Seriousness has had a long run. The evening’s Hot Ones-inspired challenge invites guests to sign a waiver, consume a punishingly hot wing and then spin a wheel that may require an anecdote, a rant, karaoke performance or personal confession. It is either party entertainment or a faster route to authenticity than therapy.

Speaking with me ahead of the event, Hibbard suggested the finale may turn quasi-religious.

“I think for a finale, we’re all gonna dab some hot sauce,” Hibbard said in a recent interview with this reporter on The Drive 95.5 FM that also included DJ Dyops. “And while our lips and voices are on fire, scream ‘Wannabe.’ It’s gonna be spiritual.”

One suspects the spirit involved may be capsaicin.

There will also be a unique bar for those who overestimate themselves. Hibbard described the economics with admirable candor.

“There will be a spice antidote bar,” he said. “There’ll be discounted beer and wine. But if you wanna buy a glass of milk for $20, we’ll sell you one … or some ice chips for 9.99.”

Then, like a true free-market philosopher, he jokingly added: “You create the demands.”

Music for the evening comes courtesy of DJ Dyops, a beloved local selector whose sets often blur nostalgia with narrative momentum. She’ll handle both dance-floor soundtrack and karaoke, spanning the ’90s, 2000s hits and a bit beyond. “I’m gonna throw a little ’80s in there too,” she noted.

Asked how she approaches a themed set, Dyops made clear she isn’t merely checking boxes.

“For Spice World, obviously Spice Girls are going to be front and center,” she said. “So I’m going to curate the set around them, but also bringing in other girl groups … and we gotta have some boy groups too.”

Good DJs understand that records are only part of the job. The real task is reading the room.

“You need to be keeping a close eye on the dance floor,” DJ Dyops explained. “On the outer edges, like who’s not dancing… Try to read people’s energy.” She added, “With any of my sets, I really wanna take people on a journey. So I’ll definitely be doing that with Spice World.”

The event also includes karaoke all-stars, a costume contest, interactive hip-hop from Dark Matter Lives and a screening of the 1997 Spice World movie. But costume culture may be the true heartbeat of the night.

Hibbard encouraged guests to personalize the premise.

“Think of the girl ensemble, the Spice Girls, and think of your own spiciness,” he said. “Who would you and your friends be? Either on the classic team, or [will you] invent your own spices?”

There will be prizes, he added, for Spice Girls cosplay, Dune cosplay, chicken cosplay and group costumes. A democratic pageant, in other words.

As for the hosts themselves, Hibbard plans to arrive as Austin Powers. Dyops is still deciding. When asked which Spice Girl he would be, Hibbard confessed, “I’m such a cliché, baby. Baby Spice.” Dyops, showing flexibility, volunteered to be Sporty.

Spice World commences at 7pm, Friday, April 24, at Arlene Francis Center for Spirit, Art, and Politics, 99 6th St., Santa Rosa. Tickets are $17.85 in advance via Eventbrite (bit.ly/spiceworld2026), $20 at the door. All ages are welcome.

Steal This Story: Journalist Amy Goodman Doc Comes to Rialto

Daedalus Howell

Apr 14, 2026

Steal This Story: Journalist Amy Goodman Doc Comes to Rialto

There are easier ways to spend a life than confronting evasive presidents, riot police, war crimes, billionaires and the occasional smug pundit before breakfast.

Amy Goodman chose otherwise.

For three decades, Goodman has hosted Democracy Now!, the daily independent news program. Now, the new documentary Steal This Story, Please!—co-directed by Oscar-nominated filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal—argues that Goodman’s project is larger than one broadcaster, a model for independent journalism in precarious times.

Goodman and Lessin bring the film to Sebastopol this Monday, April 20, to Rialto Cinemas, where it will screen and be followed by a Q&A.

The documentary follows Goodman through decades of frontline reporting—from East Timor to Standing Rock to the daily organized tumult of the Democracy Now! studio—while tracing the parallel decline of corporate journalism and the rise of concentrated media ownership. It is, at moments, stirring, poignant, maddening and occasionally funny.

When I spoke with Goodman recently, I asked what it felt like to have the camera turned on her for once.

“Painful,” she said, laughing. Then she quickly redirected credit outward, praising Lessin and Deal as “masterful filmmakers” who “deeply care about democracy.” That instinct—to point away from herself and toward the mission—explains one of the many reasons the film works so well. It is in no way a “celebrity profile” but rather a demonstration of an ethos and expertise that both inspires and beguiles. It makes audiences want to do something.

“I really do think independent media will save us,” Goodman said.

That may sound grandiose until one surveys the ruins. Local newspapers hollowed out. Hedge-fund ownership. Billionaires buying legacy outlets, then erasing entire beats and bureaus as if public knowledge were an unaffordable luxury.

Goodman did not mince words about the present moment. She cited newsroom cuts at major outlets and a broader capitulation to political and commercial pressure. “These are extremely serious times,” she said. “I don’t know all the forms that journalism will take, but I think they’re important.”

Will the proliferation of platforms such as Substack and podcasts fill the growing void? Maybe, but as Goodman points out: “Collaboration and cooperation are very important. Also, not having paywalls so that anyone, whether they can afford to pay for a Substack or not, is able to get access to the information.”

To that end, Goodman noted that democracynow.org is “a great aggregator of trusted sources of news all over the world.” In fact, Democracy Now! recently marked its 30th anniversary with a celebration at Riverside Church in New York. Goodman described appearances by Angela Davis, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith and Michael Stipe, all culminating in a group performance of “People Have the Power.”

“We’re brought to listeners, viewers and readers,” she said. “Not by weapons manufacturers; not by oil, gas and coal companies; not by banks and financial institutions when we cover inequality.”

That funding model matters because every newsroom answers to someone. The question is whether that someone is a shareholder or the public. Goodman has an image of what media can be at its best: “a huge kitchen table that stretches across the globe that we all sit around and debate and discuss the most important issues of the day.”

It’s a lovely metaphor, especially in an era when so much media feels less like a kitchen table than a food fight.

All About the Story

The title Steal This Story, Please! refers to Goodman’s long-held belief that journalism should spread, not hoard (with a bit of a nod to Abbie Hoffman’s Steal This Book for good measure). Scoop-culture fetishizes exclusivity; Goodman has her own perspective:

“I consider it a failure if we’re the only ones who have a story,” she said.

She pointed to Democracy Now!’s early coverage of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock, where mainstream networks largely looked away until independent footage—dogs released on protesters, including footage of one dog with blood on its muzzle—forced broader attention. In one day, she said, the video drew millions of views.

People care, she insisted. They are not apathetic so much as underserved. That distinction is a key argument to both the film and Goodman’s career. Her wager has always been simple: Give people consequential stories told through authentic human voices, and they will respond. She has little patience for what she called “the no-nothing pundits—people who know so little about so much explaining the world to us and getting it so wrong.”

Instead, Goodman seeks the person closest to the event, often the person whose life—not merely their opinion—is on the line. Throughout, she brings copious empathy to the table, but a question looms: How does she carry the emotional weight of covering suffering for so long?

“When you hear someone speaking from their own experience,” she said, “it changes you.” She added, “I am inspired by the people I interview.”

It’s clear her worldview is not built on institutions but on citizens—often battered ones—who still manage to act with courage. “I think there is nothing more patriotic than dissent,” she said.

To wit, she reminds, “I don’t think you ever achieve democracy. I think you have to fight for it every single day.”

‘Steal This Story, Please!’ begins on Friday, April 17, at Rialto Cinemas, 6868 McKinley St., Sebastopol. The 3:40pm, Monday, April 20 screening will be followed by a Q&A featuring Amy Goodman and Academy Award-nominated director Tia Lessin, moderated by the Bohemian’s Daedalus Howell.

Highway to Heck, Cinnabar Stages ‘The Christians’

Theater

Harry Duke

Apr 14, 2026

Highway to Heck, Cinnabar Stages ‘The Christians’

After a series of lightweight comedies and Broadway musicals, Cinnabar Theater gets serious with a production of Lucas Hnath’s The Christians.

The theological drama runs in the Warren Theater on the campus of Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park through April 26.

Folks walking into the usually sterile Warren Theater may be surprised by the large crucifix, draping cloths and stained glass “windows” now occupying the stage. That stage is soon to be occupied by a 12-member choir and a couple of pastors tending to an unnamed megachurch in an unnamed state.

Pastor Paul (Andrew Patton) is leading the congregation in a celebration of a couple of milestones for the church. First, they’ve paid off a massive debt, and second, Pastor Paul has had an epiphany of sorts.

After attending a religious conference and hearing a fellow preacher describe a particularly hellish event, Pastor Paul has had a conversation with God in which God revealed to him that… SPOILERS AHEAD.

…there is no hell. Therefore, Pastor Paul announces to the congregation that it is a tenet of their faith that he will no longer preach.

That’s a problem for Associate Pastor Joshua (Jared N. Wright), Elder Jay (Mike Schaeffer), congregant member Jenny (Amanda Vitiello) and even Elizabeth (Katherine Mazer), the pastor’s wife. The ramifications of Paul’s decision grow as the congregation dwindles and the church’s once solid financial state softens again. The debate rages on amongst the parties.

This is a good faith debate (no pun intended), as Hnath refuses to take sides, merely allowing everyone to have their say. There is no ultimate resolution. Can there ever be when it comes to questions of faith?

It’s the debate that keeps your interest, and director Nathan Cummings has a cast that completely embodies that debate. Patton is perfect as the bland Midwestern preacher who wishes to lead his flock in a new direction for the most heartfelt reasons.

Wright does well as the individual who found salvation in the church and has a hard time accepting such a radical change. Schaeffer is strong as the somewhat duplicitous business-minded leader of the religious corporation, and Vitiello and Mazer are both excellent as individuals also struggling with the crumbling foundation of their church.

The Christians packs a lot in its 80 intermission-less minutes, including several choir numbers. You’ll probably spend at least that much time unpacking it on the drive home.

Cinnabar Theater presents ‘The Christians’ through April 26 at Warren Auditorium in Ives Hall at Sonoma State University. 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park. Fri–Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. $33–$67, inclusive of parking fee. 707.763.8920. cinnabartheater.org.

Petaluma Bound: Roy Rogers Slides into Town

Don R. Lewis

Apr 14, 2026

Petaluma Bound: Roy Rogers Slides into Town

Seventy-five-year-old Roy Rogers answers his cell phone with a zeal and vibrancy that’s lovely and palpable to hear from someone at any age. One gets the feeling he’s just that kind of guy.

But in terms of our conversation, I’ll attribute it to his excitement about an upcoming swing of shows that kick off at Petaluma’s Mystic Theatre on Saturday, April 18.

While Rogers has never stopped touring, he has recently released his first album in more than a decade. Entitled The Sky’s the Limit, the album contains songs that are an impressive blend of his classic Delta blues rhythm slide guitar with a few songs that are straight-up rockers that also feature a sort of glossy sheen production value, something a bit different for Rogers.

“When I get in the studio, it’s really the song that shows us how we’re going to record it,” says Rogers. “You really have to let it be, don’t push it too much, know when you got it or when you know the groove wasn’t quite there yet.”

Rogers is effusive when speaking about his longtime trio The Delta Rhythm Kings, which includes bass player Steve Ehrmann and drummer Kevin Hayes. “It’s just so great when we get in the studio; these guys just get it,” he says, noting that the group can speak to one another with a shorthand including a look or a nod that only happens after decades of sharing the stage.

He is certainly no stranger to the studio, having recorded 24 albums himself over nearly 50 years, including collaborations with unique artists like Ray Manzarek and Sammy Hagar. Rogers has also produced songs and albums by Carlos Santana, Elvin Bishop, Bonnie Raitt, John Lee Hooker and Linda Ronstadt. And of course there were his many albums and shows with the late, great blues harmonica legend Norton Buffalo. Not too shabby for a kid born in Redding who grew up in Novato.

Rogers says his musical journey as a youngster was rooted in the pop rock of the ’50s and ’60s, but “Man, when I heard B.B. King, it just blew my head off,” he recalls. Thus kickstarted a love for the blues which eventually led him to becoming one of the finest and most well-respected Delta blues style guitarists of all time. His passion for the blues also eventually landed him the role of producer on John Lee Hooker’s Grammy-winning 1989 comeback album of sorts, The Healer. He recently had a reminder of the power of that album from an unexpected place.

Back in March, he was at home with his wife in Nevada City, where they now reside. They were watching the Oscar telecast. When Sinners composer Ludwig Göransson won for his work on the film, he recalled a seminal moment in his life, one in which his father brought home Hooker’s The Healer album. Rogers lights up, recalling, “Man, that was cool. Really special. I just about fell out of my chair when he said that in front of so many people.”

As the chat continues, it occurs that Rogers may have played the Mystic Theatre more than any other artist over the years, and he’s more than fine with that. “Petaluma’s a great town, and that’s a great place to play,” he notes. “I have many, many fond memories of shows there with me, the band and [Norton] Buffalo.”

When asked what fans can expect, Rogers doesn’t act coy. “We’re excited to get back out there,” he says. His lively attitude explains that much like his new album, “There will be some rockers and of course Delta blues and slide. You have to make sure to give the crowd what they paid to see but also play new things you’re excited to get out there.”

Roy Rogers and The Delta Rhythm Kings perform Saturday, April 18 at The Mystic Theatre in downtown Petaluma. More info and tickets at mystictheatre.com.

Garbage & Glam, Trashion Fashion Turns 16

Kary Hess

Apr 14, 2026

Garbage & Glam, Trashion Fashion Turns 16

There are few places where a pile of discards, such as plastic netting, aluminum cans, orphaned Barbies or an occasional Solo cup, can be reborn as couture and greeted with applause.

Sonoma Community Center’s 16th annual Trashion Fashion Runway Show, naturally, is one of them.

The crown jewel of a monthlong celebration hosted by the Sonoma Community Center returns this April, turning trash into spectacle. What began as a small gallery event has evolved into a full season—part runway show, part activism, part communal fever dream—peaking with a pair of runway events on Saturday, April 18 at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall.

“It started as a gallery exhibit of costumes made of unconventional materials,” recalls organizer Molly Spencer, tracing the event’s origin to Margaret Hatcher, a costume designer and former art manager at the Sonoma Community Center. “She thought what could be more fun but throw a little runway show and invite your friends and the community to create wearable art.”

The Art of Reinvention

What distinguishes Trashion from the broader fashion ecosystem is its mindset. Every piece begins with ecological constraints: Designers must use materials that have been previously used—rescued from the trash, recycling bins or thrift stores. From there, anything goes.

“The beauty is you do not need to be a trained designer, maker or professional artist to participate,” Spencer says. “All you need is an open mind and willingness to explore. The creativity will follow.”

This democratic ethos has helped fuel the event’s growth from a single-room experiment into a yearlong sustainability program that now includes gallery exhibitions, school outreach and visiting artists from beyond the Sonoma Valley. The runway itself has outgrown its original venue, now drawing crowds of more than 800 across two shows.

And yet, for all its expansion, the core remains intact. “What remains the same is the Sonoma Community Center and Sonoma Valley community’s support of the arts, volunteerism and a source of pride for this truly one of a kind event,” Spencer says.

Judging the Unjudgeable

If the designers face the challenge of transforming waste into wearable art, the judges face something potentially trickier: deciding what makes one collection of transformed recyclables more compelling than another.

For this year’s judge Ryan Lely, the criteria are less about polish and more about presence.

“What I’m looking for is ingenuity, bold use of materials and a clear point of view,” Lely says. “Every artist that participates in this show is already doing something extraordinary by taking a piece of trash and transforming it into fashion. So what really stands out is the creativity behind the choices and the execution of the runway piece.”

To be sure, it’s a delicate balance between concept and execution. A compelling idea can make an immediate impression. And craftsmanship and technique can elevate even a simple premise into something unforgettable.

Lely defines the difference between good and great as “a piece where concept and construction elevate each other.” Still, even he admits the scales aren’t fixed. “Sometimes the concept alone creates that WOW moment, regardless of the craftsmanship,” he explains. “And other times, a piece might have a simple concept, but the craftsmanship is so exceptional that it becomes the WOW moment.”

When Trash Disappears

The real magic trick of Trashion is the moment when a viewer forgets the dress is made of trash.

“For me, a piece feels transformed the moment you stop seeing it as made from discarded materials and see it as something you would actually wear,” Lely says.

That threshold—when the material’s past life dissolves—is where Trashion achieves something magical. It’s also where outsider experimentation can begin to influence the mainstream.

Spencer has noticed that influence. “I see big designer collections that are using materials that Trashion designers have conceived and produced years before that,” she says. “What starts out small may lead to possible exploration of alternative fabrics, and eco-friendly designs in art and fashion.”

In other words, today’s trash could be tomorrow’s couture.

More Than a Show

The runway may be the headline act, but Trashion Fashion Month offers a broader canvas. This year’s festivities include the “Barbies & Bags” Gallery Show and Auction in the Sonoma Community Center’s Gallery 212. The exhibit expands the Trashion ethos into smaller-scale works—dolls, purses, backpacks—each reimagined from discarded materials.

Later in the month, the Trash Bash wrap party doubles as both celebration and exhibition, giving attendees a closer look at the runway pieces and one last chance to bid on gallery items. This year, the event aligns with Sonoma’s Earth Day celebration, honoring and recognizing the environmental values that inform the entire program.

“Trashion Fashion Sonoma’s mission is to celebrate the intersection of fashion, art and environmental sustainability,” Spencer says.

The Labor Behind the Look

One of the more persistent misconceptions about Trashion is that it’s, well, thrown together. After all, if the raw materials are trash, how much effort could really be involved?

Quite a bit, as it turns out.

“Every element, script, practice takes months of planning,” Spencer says. “Some designers collect materials for years and make their outfits that are often on the runway for just about three minutes.”

Planning includes not just the garments themselves but the choreography of the show: runway coaching, rehearsals, staging. This year, participants will work with runway coach Cat Austin to prepare for their moment on a 60-foot catwalk—because even the most avant-garde creation benefits from a confident walk.

The result is a high-concept production that feels polished, where artistry meets community participation.

Why It Matters Now

Trashion’s longevity—16 years and counting—suggests it’s discovered something meaningful. But its current resonance may be tied to a broader cultural current.

“In today’s world of uncertainty of the future, climate change and what it holds for the next generation, this is an intergenerational connection that resonates with all,” Spencer says.

It also offers a now-rare kind of communal experience. In an era of digital everything, there’s something satisfying about gathering in a hall, watching real people wear improbable garments and sharing the collective gasp when something unexpectedly beautiful emerges from the detritus.

The 16th Annual Trashion Fashion Runway Show: Two shows. 1:30pm matinee and 5pm show with post-runway bubbles and bites reception Saturday, April 18, Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall, 126 1st St. W., Sonoma.

‘Barbies & Bags’ Gallery Show and Auction: Through Saturday, April 25, Sonoma Community Center, Gallery 212, 276 East Napa St., Sonoma.

Trash Bash and Earth Day Celebration: Saturday, April 25, Sonoma Community Center, 276 East Napa St., Sonoma.

Go to TrashionFashionSonoma.org or call 707.938.4626 for more information.

Cannundrum: Why Marin has no Pot Shops but Sonoma Does

Weeklys Staff

Apr 14, 2026

Cannundrum: Why Marin has no Pot Shops but Sonoma Does

Cross the county line from Marin into Sonoma and one civic contrast becomes immediately clear: In Sonoma County, legal cannabis is sold in storefront dispensaries from Santa Rosa to Sebastopol. In Marin County, such shops are largely absent. For two neighboring counties with similar politics and affluent populations, the divergence says less about ideology than about local governance, land use and culture.

The first thing to understand is that California legalized cannabis statewide through Proposition 64 in 2016, but cities and counties retained the power to ban or restrict commercial cannabis businesses. The state itself notes that cannabis regulation is a patchwork, with local jurisdictions deciding whether to allow retail, cultivation or manufacturing.

Marin County took the cautious route.

In unincorporated Marin, county officials prohibited adult-use cannabis businesses and moved slowly even on medical cannabis. Marin’s ordinance allowed only a limited number of delivery-only medicinal cannabis retailers—closed to the public, with no walk-in storefront sales. In a 2024 county announcement, officials reiterated that licensed retailers must remain closed to the public and dispense medicinal cannabis exclusively by delivery.

Historically, Marin has also maintained some of California’s stricter cannabis rules. Earlier county code language explicitly prohibited cannabis businesses requiring state licenses while policymakers considered broader implications.

Why so restrictive? Part of the answer is Marin’s long-running land-use ethos: low-density development, neighborhood control and a reflexive skepticism toward new commercial uses. The same political DNA that limits chain stores, dense housing and nightlife can also limit dispensaries. Cannabis retail often triggers concerns over traffic, youth exposure, parking, signage and “changing community character”—classic Marin planning anxieties.

Sonoma County, by contrast, treated cannabis more like an agricultural and commercial sector to be regulated rather than feared.

The county began accepting cannabis permit applications in 2017 and established frameworks for cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and dispensaries. In unincorporated Sonoma County, officials currently allow up to nine dispensaries, with eight reportedly permitted at one point. Cities such as Santa Rosa have gone further, publishing maps and lists of licensed retailers.

Just last week, premium cannabis brand Solful opened its third location in Sonoma County, this time in Petaluma (with a fourth already established in San Francisco), reflecting Sonoma’s broader economic temperament.

Sonoma has more rural land, a larger agricultural base, industrial zones and a political culture somewhat more comfortable balancing commerce with regulation. Cannabis, in Sonoma, was seen as another taxable industry—messy perhaps, but manageable.

So why no Marin dispensaries while Sonoma has many? Because legalization did not create one California market. It created 539 local experiments.

Marin chose caution, control and minimal visibility. Sonoma chose licensing, taxation and storefront normalcy.

Same plant. Different counties.