‘We The People’ Projected at di Rosa

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‘We The People’ Projected at di Rosa

Mill Valley

Unsilenced

Chamber Music Marin hosts The Black Oak Ensemble as part of their 2023-24 Chamber Music Concert Series at 5pm, Sunday, Jan. 28, at Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church, 410 Sycamore Ave., Mill Valley. This concert showcases the ensemble’s poignant “Silenced Voices” project, highlighting string trios by Jewish composers affected by the Holocaust and reflecting resilience and hope in adversity. The ensemble features violinists Aurélien Fort Pederzoli and Desirée Ruhstadt, and cellist David Cunliffe. In a visit to Budapest, Hungary, in 2016, the latter two discovered string trios in a local shop that were penned by young musicians who would not survive the Holocaust. The pieces featured in “Silenced Voices” were among them. Tickets are $48, with free admission for youths under 18. For more information, visit chambermusicmarin.org.

Napa

Tour of Tastes

Compline Restaurant in Napa is set to host an immersive culinary event, “24 Hours in Mexico City,” in collaboration with chef Diego Isunza Kahlo, Frida Kahlo’s great-great nephew. From Thursday, Feb. 8 to Saturday, Feb. 10, chef Kahlo will present an eight-course tasting menu, a tribute to his hometown, Mexico City. The menu, representing a day in the city, will take guests on a gastronomic journey through its diverse neighborhoods, starting and ending with breakfast dishes. Each course is paired with personal stories from chef Kahlo, enhancing the dining experience. Guests can follow their culinary tour on a provided map of CDMX. Reservations for this unique dining experience are $125 per person, with an option for an international wine pairing. Bookings can be made at Compline Restaurant’s OpenTable, bit.ly/compline-24.

Petaluma

Archive Live

Petaluma Historical Library and Museum has announced the launch of its new archival website, a significant step in making Petaluma’s rich history widely accessible. This digital platform offers high-quality versions of photographs, documents and artifacts, catering to researchers, scholars and the general public. The website, funded by a grant from Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbit’s office, is a collaborative effort led by collections manager Solange Russek, data content manager Amy Hogan and web designer Martin Ferrini. It features an easy-to-navigate, searchable interface, with options for the public to purchase and download digital copies. As the team digitizes and uploads thousands more items, the site will regularly expand its content. Explore Petaluma’s historical treasures online at petaluma-historical-library-and-museum-archive.org.

Napa

Projection Project

The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art presents “We the People,” a video projection by photographer Jock McDonald, to be displayed on the center’s exterior and visible from Sonoma Highway. The installation runs nightly from 6-10pm. It features dynamic black-and-white portraits of San Franciscans, seamlessly morphing into each other, symbolizing our interconnectedness and shared humanity. Conceived during the pandemic’s isolation, McDonald’s work emphasizes themes of pluralism, diversity, equity and inclusion and kicks off with a Tailgate Opening Reception from 5-7pm, Saturday, Feb. 10, at di Rosa’s parking lot. The event includes bites from Oakville Grocery Food Truck and a special screening of Godzilla, following an address by McDonald. Free for members and $10 for non-members, tickets are available at dirosaart.org. The center is located at 5200 Sonoma Hwy., Napa.

Your Letters, Jan. 24

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Your Letters, Jan. 24

Incendiary Irony

It’s my right, even if you think I’m wrong, to express the truth about what I see in America. Americans could care less about others who exist anywhere past the ends of our noses. Americans could care less about the lives of Muslim citizens in Gaza. Not our problem; let the president handle it.

Folks trying to get past our southern border to start a life free of the savage conditions in their homelands? We’re full; go back home. Folks in neighboring states? State borders might as well be closed to them too, unless they bring money in here to spend.

Next-door neighbors? Don’t know ’em. Don’t want to meet ’em. Only way we’d tolerate their faces is if they agreed to come to church with us. Employees? No loyalty to employers; vice versa too. People we hook up with socially? Don’t stumble for a second, or we’ll cancel your sorry butts.

Spouses? Marriage is only good if it works for me. If it works best for spouse or children, too bad; we’ll exit the situation anyway. Celebrities? Get as close as humanly possible and worship forevermore.

Kimball Shinkoskey

Santa Rosa

Love Letter

I’m an occasional resident of Sonoma County. Meaning, I love it there, and when my remote work schedule allows it, I haul ass from Wisconsin and get to a tiny house I rent in, believe it or not, Healdsburg.

I just want to say I love your paper. It fills me with joy, even if the news is concerning. It reminds me that aside from liking to spend a few months there every year because the hiking puts me in the trees or on the Pacific, there are also a lot of really cool people there who think a lot like I do. I embrace that. I look forward to more.

Jack Kear

Madison, WI, and Healdsburg

American Innovation: Don’t give away our IP

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American Innovation: Don’t give away our IP

Federal officials may soon decide to give away key domestic assets—American intellectual property (IP)—to our rivals. This will have profound and dangerous consequences for U.S. workers and our economy.

At issue is a proposal before the World Trade Organization. It would waive patent protections for Covid-19 tests and treatments, which would normally be guaranteed around the world under the 1995 Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property, or TRIPS.

The WTO already approved one TRIPS waiver—with support from the United States—for Covid-19 vaccines in June 2022. Advocates for that waiver, primarily China and India, claimed that, by rejecting patent rights and allowing others to make copycat versions of vaccines, the waiver would make vaccines more readily available around the world.

However, as of today, more than enough vaccines have been made and distributed to inoculate the entire global population without anyone ever relying on the IP waiver.

Companies such as Pfizer and Merck made their innovations available to qualified generic manufacturers, thereby expanding access to those products in low- and middle-income countries. Today, largely due to these voluntary licensing agreements and the end of the pandemic, the global supply of diagnostics and therapeutics exceeds demand.

In other words, if the Biden administration decides to support an expansion of the TRIPS waiver, it will signal to American innovators and investors that research and development in healthcare is not valued and cannot reliably be protected.

Without robust protection of intellectual property, investment in American research and development will decline. The U.S. biopharmaceutical industry supports more than 4.4 million jobs. Our life sciences companies and their partners contribute more than $1.4 trillion in economic output.

One of the waiver’s principal sponsors, China, has a well-documented history of IP theft to support its domestic industry. Put simply, the Biden administration has an obligation to protect the fruits of American innovation—for the sake of our technological and economic interests, our labor force and for global health.

Brian O’ Shaughnessy is chair of the IP Transactions and Licensing Group of Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP.

Extreme Metal: Vorlust in SoCo

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Extreme Metal: Vorlust in SoCo

Vorlust is the moniker of one of the most ferocious East Bay heavy metal bands.

It features Marcelle Marais, aka “Cunnus,” on bass and lead vocals, Sonny Reinhardt on guitar and backing vocals, Dustin Ponko on guitar and Cody Stein on drums.

For those who’ve never seen Cunnus and company perform their unique brand of dirty, blackened metal live, prepare for songs steeped in the tradition of early Bulldozer, Venom and Possessed.

To get introduced to the group, their Lick The Flesh record on Transylvanian Tapes is a good point of entry. Also of worthy mention is their rather crudely recorded Beast EP/demo released in 2019. Fans of Reinhardt’s main band, Necrot, will go crazy for songs from LTF like “13th Circle” and “Creatura.”

The Bohemian caught up with the band’s fearless leader, Cunnus, as they readied themselves for a weekend of heavy metal shows in Santa Rosa and San Francisco.

Bohemian: I’ve played Lick The Flesh (2022) more than should be humanly allowed. Do you have a follow-up record planned for release in 2024?

Cunnus: We have new material that we’ve written and plan to record our new album in late 2024. We can’t tell you the album title yet, as that would give too much away. Some things are best kept a surprise.

Bohemian: Does Vorlust have more festival offers or new confirmations this year?

Cunnus: Yeah. We have some big things to be announced in the near future, including an upcoming tour and a festival appearance in Mexico City.

Bohemian: You’re doing an all-ages show here in Santa Rosa. Do you prefer all ages or 21 and over crowds?

Cunnus: All ages and underground shows are the best! Those always bring the best energy.

Bohemian: Sonny plays in Necrot and has some great shows on the horizon. Would you ever use a fill-in for just a show or two?

Cunnus: Sonny shreds and we’re stoked to have him be a part of our Beastly cave coven. The Vorlust Beast lives on no matter what.

Bohemian: What bands would you most like to be paired up with?

Cunnus: Solicitor, Bewitcher, Mercyful Fate, Bat, Goatwhore, Devil Master, Sex Messiah, Chthonic Deity, Vastum, Molder, Carcass, Cianide, Nifelheim, Spiter, Obituary, Hellfire, Hulder, Napalm Death and Midnight. The list is endless. There are so many great bands out there, and we’re stoked to be touring and being out on the road meeting so many great bands outside of the Bay Area.

Vorlust performs with Scythe (celebrating their ‘Mask Of Lies’ EP release party), Viscelator and Glacier Eater at The Arlene Francis Center, 99 6th St., Santa Rosa. 7pm Friday, Jan. 26. $15 at the door or via eventbrite.com. All ages welcome.

Camp Court: Supreme Court to hear homeless encampments case

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Camp Court: Supreme Court to hear homeless encampments case

The U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on whether cities can legally ban or limit unhoused people camping in public spaces—a case that could grant California officials more power to sweep homeless camps.

The case, originating from the Oregon city of Grants Pass, could overturn or narrow a five-year-old precedent from a federal appeals court that limited how much cities in Western states could criminalize those who sleep on the streets when there aren’t enough shelter spaces available.

In the older case—Martin v. Boise—the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2018 that it’s cruel and unusual punishment to criminalize camping on public property when the people in question have nowhere else they can legally sleep. The ruling was binding on West Coast cities, where rising rates of unsheltered homelessness that later spiked during the pandemic were driving local politicians to pass public camping prohibitions. In 2019, the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of that case.

Since then, California cities have often been subject to federal lawsuits after passing restrictions on when and where the unhoused can set up camps. Relying on the ruling in the Boise case, judges have delayed or outright halted camping bans from being enforced in cities including San Francisco, Sacramento, Chico and San Rafael, finding that the cities had failed to provide adequate alternate shelter options for the residents they were about to sweep from their encampments.

The situation has led city officials—and Gov. Gavin Newsom—to complain that the Boise ruling has tied their hands from addressing the state’s sprawling encampments, arguing they need to sweep camps both for health and safety reasons and for the well-being of encampment residents. It led liberal state and local officials, including Newsom, to join conservatives in asking the court for more power to penalize the homeless for sleeping outside. The high court has a 6-3 conservative majority.

In a high-profile case that has particularly drawn Newsom’s ire, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals this month backed a judge’s 2022 ruling restricting San Francisco’s enforcement of certain bans on sleeping on sidewalks and in parks, because the city hadn’t shown there were other locations that were “realistically available” to unhoused residents before a city sweep.

“California’s elected officials who seek in good faith to improve what often appears to be an intractable crisis have found themselves without options, forced to abandon efforts to make the spaces occupied by unhoused people safer for those within and near them,” Newsom’s administration wrote to the Supreme Court in September.

An attorney for the homeless Grants Pass residents said in a recent statement that politicians were wrong to blame judges for the homelessness crisis. He said cities have always been allowed to regulate encampments, even under the recent rulings.

“The issue before the Court is whether cities can punish homeless residents simply for existing without access to shelter,” said Ed Johnson, director of litigation at the Oregon Law Center.

The case is being closely watched by officials across California and could widely affect how they respond to encampments. Newsom’s statement was part of an amicus curiae brief the administration filed in the case. Amicus briefs are legal briefs submitted by parties not directly involved in a given case, but who typically take one side or the other in a case. The majority of the amicus briefs filed in the case were from California entities and, though more than a dozen state governments also filed a brief, Newsom was the only governor to weigh in.

In addition to Newsom’s, other filings include the California State Association of Counties, the California State Sheriffs’ Association, district attorneys for Sacramento and San Diego counties, the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the Bay Area Council and even the Brentwood Community Council.

But advocates for the unhoused say the Boise ruling is clear. They point out that most cities have hardly enough shelter beds to accommodate their homeless populations and that shelters are often near-full on any given night, and say banning public camping or restricting it does more harm than good by pushing homeless people from location to location.

“All you need to do to be compliant with (the Boise case) is stop using our criminal system as the stick here to solve this problem,” said Will Knight, decriminalization director at the National Homelessness Law Center, last year.

In particular, the court rulings have led to a patchwork of interpretations across the state on what qualifies as the “adequate shelter” cities must provide before sweeping homeless camps. The Oregon case that the Supreme Court agreed to hear could provide some clarity—or so California officials hope.

While the Boise ruling said the government can’t broadly ban any public camping without giving people alternative places to stay, Newsom and city officials across California said in briefs filed before the Supreme Court that they want to know whether they can set restrictions on times or locations where camping is allowed.

Other questions include whether cities can criminalize public camping for those whom they call “voluntarily” homeless—people who refuse offers of shelter. And California cities have asked the court to rule on whether, in order to ban camping, they need to have a suitable shelter space available for every individual unhoused person no matter their circumstances, or simply have general shelter beds open the day they sweep a camp.

But U.C. Berkeley law professor Jeffrey Selbin, who has studied statewide responses to homelessness, said claims from both sides are overblown.

Selbin said the existing cases neither fully tie cities’ hands, as some politicians say, nor provide a broad right to sleep outside, as some advocates say. He defended the status quo in which cities sometimes must seek guidance from federal judges to know whether their local rules are constitutional under the Boise decision.

In Chico, for example, a federal district judge in 2021 ruled that sending unhoused residents to camp on an unshaded airport tarmac on the outskirts of town was not “adequate” enough shelter to justify banning encampments in town. In response, the city settled the case by setting up a site of tiny homes where it can offer encampment residents a room before proceeding to sweep their camp.

That case, Selbin said, provided direction to other cities, showing that the court cases have “required local jurisdictions to take seriously what it means to provide basic shelter and options.”

The Supreme Court is unlikely to provide that kind of “micromanaging,” Selbin said, predicting instead that the justices will simply overturn the 2018 precedent set by the Boise case and allow cities to broadly criminalize encampments.

“It’s just going to return California to the whack-a-mole of prioritizing punishment over services,” he said.

Focus on Fencing

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Focus on Fencing

When I heard a four-day national fencing tournament was coming to the Bay Area, I thought watching a few bouts might make for an entertaining morning. Instead, the tournament was exciting, peppered with political intrigue, fierce competition and strong camaraderie.

The field of competitors included Olympic medalists and hopefuls, veteran fencers in their 50s to 80s, teens, international fencers and local enthusiasts—both men and women. In fact, the January North American Cup (NAC) hosted more than 2,300 fencers from a dozen countries and 40 states at the San Jose Convention Center.

Some fencers were trying to earn points to qualify for the Olympics or Junior Olympics. Other competitors participated because they love fencing.

By chance, during the first bout, I stood next to Igor Chirashnya, the knowledgeable owner of the Academy of Fencing Masters, located in Campbell and Sunnyvale. Chirashnya explained his passion for the sport.

“Fencing is the most romanticized sport in the history of the world,” Chirashnya said. “We all grew up on stories of Alexander the Great, The Three Musketeers and Zorro. This is about sword fighting—beautiful and elegant.”

Chirashnya calls fencing the most democratic sport because it doesn’t discriminate against gender or body type. Unlike other sports, a fencer can be tall or short, slow or fast. Physical strength doesn’t guarantee a win. The key is intelligence—analyzing opponents and exploiting their weaknesses—comparable to a game of chess.

I eagerly accepted Chirashnya’s offer to introduce me to an Olympian who coaches at his fencing academy. While waiting, I Googled the coach’s name and discovered there was far more to his story.

Sergey Bida, 30, and his wife, Violetta Bida, 29, fled Russia last summer because they oppose the country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Russia appears unhappy about the Bidas’ sudden departure to the U.S. The couple is now wanted by the Russian police for unspecified criminal charges, according to Mediazona, an independent Russian news outlet.

Currently, the Bidas are seeking U.S. citizenship, with Sergey Bida hoping to represent the USA in the Paris Olympics later this year. He represents no country at the moment, but competes at tournaments as a “neutral.”

Both Bidas are remarkable athletes. Sergey Bida ranks as one of the top epee fencers in the world, winning the silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics and numerous medals in international competitions. Violetta Bida captured a silver medal in the 2019 World Fencing Championships and competed in the Tokyo Olympics.

Coaching is challenging but rewarding, Sergey Bida said. From his own experience, he understands the nuances of shaping fencers.

“I can see that my (coaching) system is working, as the technical and physical improvements of my students are significantly visible,” Sergey Bida said. “It is very interesting and exciting to combine the career of a professional athlete and a coach at the same time.”

Bout after bout, I watched men and women of almost all ages compete. Fencers are often graceful, moving like dancers. Then comes the attack, where a fencer tries to score a point by touching their sword to the opponent’s body.

There are three types of fencing disciplines, dictated by the weapon of choice: epee, foil and saber. The rules vary for each. For example, in epee, the entire body is fair game. Foil limits the parts of the body the sword can touch—torso only. When competing in saber, the target is from the waist to the top of the head and includes both arms.

I was hooked on fencing, even going back to watch the January NAC finals. Sergey Bida placed 5th in a field of 350 epee fencers.

Wanting to learn more about the sport, I contacted a local fencing school, the Marin Fencing Academy in San Rafael. Owner Tom Tully, along with other Marin and Petaluma fencers, also competed at the NAC tournament earlier this month.

“This is my sport,” Tully said. “Some people have a sailboat. I have a fencing academy.”

Tully, who loves fencing and enjoys talking about it, invited me to the academy to meet some of the 100 members.

Ernie Simac, 82, started fencing at age 65. The Petaluma resident was introduced to the sport through a summer class at the Petaluma Recreation Center. Although Simac has always been an athlete, going to the 1960 Olympics as an alternate for the U.S. equestrian team, he said fencing is now his only sport.

Simac holds the honor of being the most senior competitor at the January NAC tournament. While he keeps up with a rigorous training schedule—three to four days a week, for a couple of hours each day—Simac said that he puts in the time because he enjoys fencing and competing.

“It’s fun to compete and match your skills with somebody else,” Simac said. “Fencing is a strong mental challenge, and it inspires me.”

The Marin Fencing Academy also has Olympian coaches, including Dorina Vaccaroni, who started fencing when she was five or six. Vaccaroni has won Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals in women’s fencing.

“If you’re good, you continue,” Vaccaroni said. “I went to the Olympics at age 16 because I followed my dream. I never give up, and I teach the kids to never give up.”

Vaccaroni helps coach Lorenz Finney, 17, a foil fencer who’s following his dream. Finney, a Tam High student, started fencing when he was eight. Three years ago, he began competing in tournaments. Now, Finney is the highest-rated fencer at the Marin Fencing Academy, according to Tully. Finney doesn’t necessarily want to go to the Olympics, but he plans to continue fencing in college.

“I really like the competition aspect, strategizing against the opponents,” Finney said. “Through fencing, I’ve made friends and know different people across California.”

Desmond Evans, 10, is another impressive fencer who loves competing. Last year, at his first tournament, Evans placed 8th out of a field of 40. Not surprisingly, the Novato resident also gets straight As in school. Evans calls fencing his number one sport and encourages other kids to try it.

“I think they’d like fencing,” Evans said. “There are good coaches here (at Marin Fencing Academy), and the people are nice. One of my favorite things is traveling to tournaments and meeting new people along the way.”

After spending the weekend at the January NAC and visiting Marin Fencing Academy, I learned that every fencer is wildly passionate about the sport. It’s clear that fencers appreciate the camaraderie, even as they compete against one another. And who doesn’t love a sport where height and speed don’t matter?

Tully’s trying to convince me to take a fencing lesson. I think that I’ll take him up on it. En garde!

FLOTUS State: Member of the de-press

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FLOTUS State: Member of the de-press

The most interesting souvenir from Dr. Jill Biden’s recent SoCo sojourn was the official “White House Press Pool” pass issued by the Secret Service. 

The fact that they were left blank, unfettered by some wine country journo’s smudgy byline, only raises their resale value. That said, I’m keeping mine as a memento of the hours spent waiting in an airline lounge for FLOTUS. Here’s a factoid courtesy of Nexis: “The abbreviation FLOTUS (pronounced /ˈfləʊtɪs/) was first used in 1983 by Donnie Radcliffe, writing in The Washington Post.” 

When doing a presser, waiting for a politico is like waiting for Godot but longer. I’ve done it before. Sometime near the Jurassic period of my career, I covered 2000’s Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, where nothing notable happened apart from Rage Against the Machine’s frontperson’s Zack de la Rocha rock-splaining to a concert crowd across the street that “our democracy has been hijacked,” obviously before we knew how good we had it.

Nearly a quarter-century later, the vibe is about the same. Dr. Jill Biden was in town to participate in an event at Healdsburg’s Puma Springs Vineyards for the Biden Victory Fund. Local journos were invited to Sonoma County Airport to cover her deplaning. And clearly, we had nothing better to do. The event was exactly like going to pick someone up at the airport, only to have them whisked away in a shiny, black Suburban.

No questions, no waves. Just a bunch of educated and trained professionals corralled behind an orange traffic barricade humming Peggy Lee’s “Is That All There Is?”  

The usual suspects were there, including nearly half a dozen reporters from the Oakleaf, courtesy of the junior college. Our Man Kallen from the Healdsburg Tribune was present; ditto the editor of Made Local Magazine, who arrived with me, seeing as we’re married. Our gang raised the median age of the operation by a few decades and was evidently at the shallow end of the press pool since the Press Democrat’s guy got to be the official “pool reporter.” 

My detail was drinking the complimentary coffee and helping the sharpshooters focus their sights. KRON’s camera-op theoretically got some footage, and Northern California Public Media’s Noah Abrams quipped that his hearing will never be the same whilst recording audio of Biden’s idling jet (up to about 140 dB, FYI). 

The day’s highlight was Jimmy the Bomb dog, a golden English labrador with whom Supervisor James Gore was chuffed to share a nickname.

Ariel Marin performs Sade

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Ariel Marin performs Sade

The Bay Area’s own Ariel Marin and her tribute to Sade to play two intimate shows at Blue Note in Napa.  January 19. 

Although “Smooth Operator” singer Sade doesn’t tour these days, fans can rejoice and revel in her music again at singer Ariel Marin’s upcoming show. The daughter of a professional rock singer, Marin spent much of her youth in the company of countless Bay Area royalty. As evidenced by her four-octave voice, she can tackle pretty much any genre.

Her upcoming shows will feature music from Sade’s storied back catalog, including (but not limited to) ‘Diamond Life,’ ‘Promise,’  ‘Stronger Than Pride,’ ‘Love Deluxe,’ and ‘Lovers Rock’ with a band led by powerhouse producer James “Jae E” Earley.  

Expect to hear hit songs and fan favorites such as “Smooth Operator,” “No Ordinary Love,” “Paradise,” “Is It A Crime,” “Your Love Is King,” “Sweetest Taboo,” and much more. 

For the uninitiated, The Ariel Marin Band has played all around the area and has 30 years of combined performance experience between the members. Once more, they’ve excelled at playing Motown, Top 40 classics, rock, pop, folk, country, R&B, gospel, & jazz.

We caught up with Ariel during preparation for her upcoming show in Napa. 

Bohemian: What about Sade’s music inspired you to embark on a tribute? 

Ariel Marin: I’ve been enamored with Sade since I was a child. Her unique smoky tone, timeless sound, and stunning features had me at hello. Since I favor her physically, serendipity stepped in and I was offered the opportunity to honor her in concert. I graciously accepted.

Bohemian: How long has this tribute been playing live?

Ariel Marin: I launched it in 2020. Originally we had a live show planned, but quickly pivoted to a streaming concert. Needless to say it was a hit! Once the world re-opened, the show has been booked regularly at premiere venues including Yoshi’s (Oakland) and the Blue Note, as well as various festivals and resorts.

Bohemian: Do you have more shows planned in 2024?

Ariel Marin: Absolutely! We’re expanding the tour nationally. Locations are in the works as we speak. We’d love to bring it to Sonoma County.

Bohemian: Have you and the rest of the band actually seen Sade live when she toured?

Ariel Marin: Short answer; Yes! My viola player Keith Lawrence toured with Sade & John 

Legend as well as Amy Winehouse. My percussionist is Juan Escovedo (Sheila E’s brother) from the famed Escovedo family. They’ve toured with Prince and countless other world-renowned artists. My musical director, James “Jae-E” Earley, was a multi-Platinum producer for MC Hammer. He also produced En Vogue, One Voice, David Bowie, and my most recent single called “Supa Supa.” The video is on YouTube now. We’re completing my premiere album this year. My sax player Jimmie Weaver toured professionally in Japan for years and my current drummer, Pierre Parker, tours with Lenny Williams (Tower or Power). This show at Blue Note will be epic. 

Ariel Marin’s tribute to Sade plays Friday, January 19, at Blue Note located at 1030 Main Street in Napa. The early show starts at 6:30pm and the late show kicks off promptly at 9pm. Tickets range from $35 to $65 advance and can be purchased at www.bluenotejazz.com. Ages 8 and over are welcome. 

Free Will Astrology: Week of January 17

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Free Will Astrology: Week of January 17

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries chemist Percy Julian (1899–1975) was a trailblazer in creating medicine from plants. He patented over 130 drugs and laid the foundation for the production of cortisone and birth control pills. Julian was also a Black man who had to fight relentlessly to overcome the racism he encountered everywhere. I regard him as an exemplary member of the Aries tribe, since he channeled his robust martial urges toward constructive ends again and again and again. May he inspire you in the coming weeks, dear Aries. Don’t just get angry or riled up. Harness your agitated spirit to win a series of triumphs.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus actor Pierce Brosnan says, “You struggle with money. You struggle without money. You struggle with love. You struggle without love. But it’s how you manage. You have to keep laughing, you have to be fun to be with, and you have to live with style.” Brosnan implies that struggling is a fundamental fact of everyday life, an insistent presence that is never far from our awareness. But if you’re willing to consider the possibility that his theory may sometimes be an exaggeration, I have good news: The coming months could be less filled with struggle than ever before. As you deal with the ease and grace, I hope you will laugh, be fun to be with and live with style—without having to be motivated by ceaseless struggle.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini author and activist William Upski Wimsatt is one of my role models. Why? In part, because he shares my progressive political ideals and works hard to get young people to vote for enlightened candidates who promote social justice. Another reason I love him is that he aspires to have 10,000 role models. Not just a few celebrity heroes, but a wide array of compassionate geniuses working to make the world more like paradise. The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to gather new role models, dear Gemini. I also suggest you look around for new mentors, teachers and inspiring guides.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I want you to fulfill your desires! I want you to get what you want! I don’t think that yearnings are unspiritual indulgences that divert us from enlightenment. On the contrary, I believe our longings are sacred homing signals guiding us to our highest truths. With these thoughts in mind, here are four tips to enhance your quests in the coming months: 1. Some of your desires may be distorted or superficial versions of deeper, holier desires. Do your best to dig down and find their heart source. 2. To help manifest your desires, visualize yourself as having already accomplished them. 3. Welcome the fact that when you achieve what you want, your life will change in unpredictable ways. You may have to deal with a good kind of stress. 4. Remember that people are more likely to assist you in getting what you yearn for if you’re not greedy and grasping.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I regard Leo psychologist Carl Jung (1875–1961) as a genius with a supreme intellect. Here’s a quote from him that I want you to hear: “We should not pretend to understand the world only by the intellect; we apprehend it just as much by feeling. Therefore, the judgment of the intellect is, at best, only the half of truth, and must, if it be honest, also come to an understanding of its inadequacy.” You may already believe this wisdom in your gut, Leo. But like all of us, you live in a culture filled with authorities who value the intellect above feeling. So it’s essential to be regularly reminded of the bigger truth—especially for you right now. To make righteous decisions, you must respect your feelings as much as your intellect.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Poet Rainer Maria Rilke exalted the physical pleasure that sex brings. He mourned that so many “misuse and squander this experience and apply it as a stimulant to the tired spots of their lives and as a distraction instead of a rallying toward exalted moments.” At its best, Rilke said, sex gives us “a knowing of the world, the fullness and the glory of all knowing.” It is a sublime prayer, an opportunity to feel sacred communion on every level of our being. That’s the erotic experience I wish for you in the coming weeks, Virgo. And I believe you will have an expanded potential for making it happen.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Even if you are currently bonded with a spouse or partner, I recommend you consider proposing matrimony to an additional person: yourself. Yes, dear Libra, I believe the coming months will be prime time for you to get married to your own precious soul. If you’re brave enough and crazy enough to carry out this daring move, devote yourself to it with lavish abandon. Get yourself a wedding ring, write your vows, conduct a ceremony and go on a honeymoon. If you’d like inspiration, read my piece “I Me Wed”: tinyurl.com/SelfMarriage

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Talking about a problem can be healthy. But in most cases, it should be a preliminary stage that leads to practical action; it shouldn’t be a substitute for action. Now and then, however, there are exceptions to this rule. Mere dialogue, if grounded in mutual respect, may be sufficient to dissolve a logjam and make further action unnecessary. The coming days will be such a time for you, Scorpio. I believe you and your allies can talk your way out of difficulties.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian cartoonist Charles M. Schulz wrote, “My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I’m happy. I can’t figure it out. What am I doing right?” I suspect that in 2024, you may go through a brief phase similar to his: feeling blank, yet quite content. But it won’t last. Eventually, you will be driven to seek a passionate new sense of intense purpose. As you pursue this reinvention, a fresh version of happiness will bloom. For best results, be willing to outgrow your old ideas about what brings you gladness and gratification.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): We all go through phases that feel extra plodding and pedestrian. During these times, the rhythms and melodies of our lives seem drabber than usual. The good news is that I believe you Capricorns will experience fewer of these slowdowns than usual in 2024. The rest of us will be seeing you at your best and brightest on a frequent basis. In fact, the gifts and blessings you offer may flow toward us in abundance. So it’s no coincidence if you feel exceptionally well-loved during the coming months. PS: The optimal way to respond to the appreciation you receive is to ratchet up your generosity even higher.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the fall of 1903, The New York Times published an article that scorned human efforts to develop flying machines. It prophesied that such a revolutionary technology was still at least a million years in the future—possibly 10 million years. In conclusion, it declared that there were better ways to apply our collective ingenuity than working to create such an unlikely invention. Nine weeks later, Orville and Wilbur Wright disproved that theory, completing a flight with the airplane they had made. I suspect that you, Aquarius, are also primed to refute an expectation or prediction about your supposed limitations. (Afterward, try not to gloat too much.)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your sweat and tears are being rewarded with sweets and cheers. Your diligent, detailed work is leading to expansive outcomes that provide relief and release. The discipline you’ve been harnessing with such panache is spawning breakthroughs in the form of elegant liberations. Congrats, dear Pisces! Don’t be shy about welcoming in the fresh privileges flowing your way. You have earned these lush dividends.

Homework: Indulge in ‘Healthy Obsessions’—not ‘Melodramatic Compulsions’ or ‘Exhausting Crazes.’ Newsletter: FreeWillAstrology.com.

Wobbly ‘Fences’: Wilson classic at 6th Street

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Wobbly ‘Fences’: Wilson classic at 6th Street

Pivotal is a description often applied to August Wilson’s 1985 play, Fences. It’s the third play written, but chronologically sixth in Wilson’s famed “Pittsburgh (or Century) Cycle”—10 plays that span across decades to document African American experiences in the 20th century. Santa Rosa’s 6th Street Playhouse has a production running through Feb. 4.

It’s considered pivotal because showing POC without the white gaze is sadly—and unsurprisingly—new in American theater. The concept of the global majority’s importance without white society’s validation is so new that we Chicanos didn’t have a theatrical presence until 1965, the first AAPI play wasn’t performed on Broadway until 1972 and Fences originally premiered only four days before director Jourdán Olivier-Verdé was born.

Troy Maxson (Keene Hudson) is a former Negro League player turned garbage man whose troubled relationships, strained parenting and lack of self-awareness often bring comparisons to Death of a Salesman’s Willy Loman. Like Loman, Maxson’s world is changing in post-WWII America. And like Salesman, Fences hinges on an empathetically-nuanced playing of the lead character to elevate him from a delusional bully into someone for whom an audience can root.

Hudson never achieves that elevation because he doesn’t know his lines to the point of needing an obvious earpiece to enable the play to progress. This level of unprofessionalism is astounding and disappointing.

But, as Rose Maxson (Val Sinckler) tells us, “You can’t visit the sins of the father upon the child.” Indeed, Sinckler’s Rose is a powerhouse of self-possession.

Similarly, Mark Anthony’s Cory is heartbreakingly truthful as the distraught son seeking validation from a distant father.

As for the rest of the cast, De’Sean Moore’s portrayal of older son Lyons is charming but needs more gravitas. Nicholas Augusta gives a mature, almost sweet portrayal as Troy’s best friend, Jim Bono. Young Eden Kuteesa Oland (sharing the role of Raynell with Nadia Hill) is delightful, and Jim Frankie Banks’ performance as Troy’s younger brother, Gabriel, is simply beautiful.

Aissa Simbulan’s set is an excellent example of how to do intricate realism on a small stage. Aja Gianola-Norris presents beautiful mid-century costuming (even if Sinckler forgot to remove her anachronistic eyebrow piercing), and Ben Root’s sound design celebrates the intertwining of music and Black culture.

Fences is a compelling and important play. It’s unfortunate that, in this case, the sins of the father marred what could have been a fantastic production. Let’s hope that, in time, Hudson can rise to the level of the others.

‘Fences’ runs through Feb. 4 on the Monroe Stage at 6th Street Playhouse, 52 W. 6th Street, Santa Rosa. Thurs-Sat., 7:30pm; Sat-Sun, 2pm. $29-$45. 707.523.4185. 6thstreeetplayhouse.com.

‘We The People’ Projected at di Rosa

Mill Valley Unsilenced Chamber Music Marin hosts The Black Oak Ensemble as part of their 2023-24 Chamber Music Concert Series at 5pm, Sunday, Jan. 28, at Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church, 410 Sycamore Ave., Mill Valley. This concert showcases the ensemble’s poignant "Silenced Voices" project, highlighting string trios by Jewish composers affected by the Holocaust and reflecting resilience and hope in...
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Your Letters, Jan. 24

Incendiary Irony It’s my right, even if you think I’m wrong, to express the truth about what I see in America. Americans could care less about others who exist anywhere past the ends of our noses. Americans could care less about the lives of Muslim citizens in Gaza. Not our problem; let the president handle it. Folks trying to get past...
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American Innovation: Don’t give away our IP

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Federal officials may soon decide to give away key domestic assets—American intellectual property (IP)—to our rivals. This will have profound and dangerous consequences for U.S. workers and our economy. At issue is a proposal before the World Trade Organization. It would waive patent protections for Covid-19 tests and treatments, which would normally be guaranteed around the world under the 1995...
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Extreme Metal: Vorlust in SoCo

Vorlust is the moniker of one of the most ferocious East Bay heavy metal bands. It features Marcelle Marais, aka “Cunnus,” on bass and lead vocals, Sonny Reinhardt on guitar and backing vocals, Dustin Ponko on guitar and Cody Stein on drums. For those who’ve never seen Cunnus and company perform their unique brand of dirty, blackened metal live, prepare for...
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Camp Court: Supreme Court to hear homeless encampments case

The U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on whether cities can legally ban or limit unhoused people camping in public spaces—a case that could grant California officials more power to sweep homeless camps. The case, originating from the Oregon city of Grants Pass, could overturn or narrow a five-year-old precedent from a federal appeals court that limited how much cities...
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Focus on Fencing

When I heard a four-day national fencing tournament was coming to the Bay Area, I thought watching a few bouts might make for an entertaining morning. Instead, the tournament was exciting, peppered with political intrigue, fierce competition and strong camaraderie. The field of competitors included Olympic medalists and hopefuls, veteran fencers in their 50s to 80s, teens, international fencers and...
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FLOTUS State: Member of the de-press

The most interesting souvenir from Dr. Jill Biden’s recent SoCo sojourn was the official “White House Press Pool” pass issued by the Secret Service.  The fact that they were left blank, unfettered by some wine country journo’s smudgy byline, only raises their resale value. That said, I’m keeping mine as a memento of the hours spent waiting in an airline...
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Ariel Marin performs Sade

The Bay Area’s own Ariel Marin and her tribute to Sade to play two intimate shows at Blue Note in Napa.  January 19.  Although "Smooth Operator" singer Sade doesn’t tour these days, fans can rejoice and revel in her music again at singer Ariel Marin’s upcoming show. The daughter of a professional rock singer, Marin spent much of her youth...
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Free Will Astrology: Week of January 17

Free Will Astrology: Week of January 17
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries chemist Percy Julian (1899–1975) was a trailblazer in creating medicine from plants. He patented over 130 drugs and laid the foundation for the production of cortisone and birth control pills. Julian was also a Black man who had to fight relentlessly to overcome the racism he encountered everywhere. I regard him as an exemplary...
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Wobbly ‘Fences’: Wilson classic at 6th Street

Pivotal is a description often applied to August Wilson’s 1985 play, Fences. It’s the third play written, but chronologically sixth in Wilson’s famed “Pittsburgh (or Century) Cycle”—10 plays that span across decades to document African American experiences in the 20th century. Santa Rosa’s 6th Street Playhouse has a production running through Feb. 4. It’s considered pivotal because showing POC without...
Read more
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