Page 17 | Bohemian | Sonoma & Napa Counties

State Park Stays, Rustic Alternatives for Summer

Weeklys Staff

Jul 14, 2026

State Park Stays, Rustic Alternatives for Summer

By the time summer traffic rears its ugly head, traveling for a vacation feels less like a leisure pursuit and more like a logistical nightmare.

Flights, rental cars, hotel fees, pet sitters, the existential toll of Highway 101—who needs them? Fortunately, the North Bay has a built-in escape hatch: several California State Parks close enough to reach painlessly and wild enough to make one feel far from the trappings of civilization (if that’s what we’re calling it these days).

For those willing to trade a hotel key for a tent stake, Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties offer a tidy constellation of campable state parks. In Marin County, Angel Island State Park, China Camp State Park, Mount Tamalpais State Park and Samuel P. Taylor State Park all allow camping. Angel Island offers island camping with skyline views; China Camp has campground options at Back Ranch Meadows; Mount Tam includes the likes of Pantoll, Bootjack and Steep Ravine; and Samuel P. Taylor offers redwood-shaded camping that feels far more remote than its mileage suggests.

In Sonoma County, Fort Ross State Historic Park, Salt Point State Park, Sonoma Coast State Park and Sugarloaf Ridge State Park allow camping. Fort Ross has Reef Campground with first-come, first-served sites; Salt Point offers coastal camping; Sonoma Coast has reservable campsites through ReserveCalifornia; and Sugarloaf Ridge brings campers into the hills above Sonoma Valley. Napa County’s main state-park camping option is Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, with tent/RV family campsites, a group site and yurts in the Napa Valley.

As simple as it sounds, there are a couple of provisos—camping close to home still requires the same basic respect for weather, wildlife and fellow humans as any far-flung outdoor adventure. We queried Ryan Forbes, state park interpreter II, who helps lead the education team at California State Parks Bay Area District in Petaluma, for the essentials.

“Sunblock, water bottles, bug spray and layered clothing are always good items to pack. It’s summertime, so having sunblock, a hat and water can keep you from getting burned or overheated in the warm weather,” says Forbes. “Extra clothing layers and bedding is also a good plan. Lots of folks forget that a hot day in the North Bay can turn into a cold night thanks to the coastal climate. So don’t forget to pack cool weather items, even in the summer.”

A state-park staycation may sound low-stakes, but a North Bay summer day can go from scorched shoulders to foggy teeth-chattering with impressive speed. There’s also the small matter of local wildlife. While the imagination may sprint toward mountain lions, the actual menace is often much smaller.

“Statistically, the most dangerous animals you can encounter on our trails are mosquitos and ticks,” notes Forbes. “They can be very active this time of year, and the diseases they can spread are far more likely to hurt you than a mountain lion. Bug spray and checking yourself for ticks after a hike and before bed are some of the best ways to keep yourself safe.”

Forbes adds, “Aside from the bugs, our biggest concern around animals is visitors feeding them. Most animals are naturally scared of humans, and it’s not until they begin to associate us with food that most dangerous encounters happen. Stowing away your food in provided lockers and not feeding the animals is the best way to avoid dangerous animal encounters.”

For campers who prefer their wilderness with a mattress-adjacent option, state parks are not opposed to comfort. California State Parks offer lots of different ways to spend time outdoors. Samuel P. Taylor and Mount Tamalpais offer cabins alongside their regular tent campsites. Samuel P. Taylor also has several trailer/RV sites. Up in Sonoma, Bothe-Napa Valley State Park has yurts visitors can stay in. Sugarloaf Ridge State Park has some “glamping” sites with luxury tents.

If camping isn’t one’s thing, California State Parks also has the Lodge at Marconi, which offers hotel stays overlooking Tomales Bay.

The state’s online ReserveCalifornia process has also made the booking process easier, and a state policy encouraging timely cancellations has helped return more campsites to the available inventory. Translation: Keep checking, even if a first search looks booked.

More information at parks.ca.gov/Find-A-Park.

‘Hot Dog,’ a Winning Tale of Aroma

Open Mic

Elle Prince

Jul 14, 2026

I haven’t had a hot dog in years. I don’t think I mind them or anything, but I grew to know them not as sausage and bread but as a stench.

My dad used to make them as a last-resort meal whenever it suited him, and without fail, he would burn them. Every single time. Usually, I would be in my room upstairs when the smoke would enter, carefully sneaking through the security of a closed door. It would sit beside me and poke at my nostrils with its meaty fingers until I could ignore it no longer. Upon opening my door, the fog would twist my face into a squinty sort of grimace as I trudged downstairs through the haze, the sounds of sizzling oil whispering louder still. Entering the kitchen, I would stop.

There’s something beautiful about a hot-dog kitchen. The light filtering through the windows lazily dancing with the grease-coated air. Though the scent seemed to be shoving itself down my throat, it resembled a playful noogie more than an attack on my life. There’s something so comforting about the warm familiarity of an arid stove emitting meat smell. Nonetheless, as soon as I gave the scene its due diligence, I would rush to open a window.

As I next turned off the stove, watching the little blue flame snuff out, I would notice the wieners were barely charred. It’s incredible what two bastions of processed flesh will survive, if only to dare us to consume them.

I would travel to my dad’s office, not bothering to knock. The room was always dark, maybe so he couldn’t see the smoke. The glow of a TV-turned-computer monitor illuminated his face just enough for me to see his surprise when I would tell him he burned the hot dogs. He would rush past me, only to find out I had already turned the stove off and opened a window. Then, he would finish toasting the buns while I sat at the kitchen counter watching his strange reverence for a simple meal. He would cover the hot dogs in spicy dijon mustard and the sauerkraut he kept in a gargantuan jar in our pantry. Then, he would offer me a hot dog.

I always said no. The charred meat smell, still lingering around the room, was a gentle reminder to my stomach that it actually was fine, thanks. I would stare at the debris of char and grease coagulating around the pan and politely decline. I would return to my room and ignore the call of the smoke until it faded away. One day, it never came back.

The gigantic jar of sauerkraut was thrown away, and the spicy dijon mustard had long expired. I haven’t looked, but I think the wieners are still in my freezer, having outlived the man to burn them. If I made one for myself now, it would be odorless and perfectly cooked, and I wouldn’t know what to do about it.

Elle Prince is the youth category, first place winner and grand prize winner of the seventh annual M.F.K. Fisher Emerging Writers Contest, which celebrates the legacy of writer M.F.K. Fisher and her passion for encouraging aspiring writers and artists. ‘Hot Dog’ is her winning piece.

Postcards From George Shult: Artist Sends Art With Heart

Locals

Cincinnatus Hibbard

Jul 14, 2026

Postcards From George Shult: Artist Sends Art With Heart

Trigger warning: This article contains broad reference to wartime violence.

In the far distance, a firework sounded—pop, pop, bang. It startled George Schult as he sat in his cool riverside cottage and set his teeth on edge.

He reached for the sketch pad that was always with him. Drawing soothes him. In a former time, Schult would have reached for the bottle. That 15-year misadventure with “self-medication” was gratefully over.

Schult is an old man now. And the Vietnam war ended 51 years ago. But his body still sometimes crouches like a wary animal anticipating the explosion that will never come.

Early in his tour, he had seen—and felt in his body—an ammo dump rise into the sky in a cascade of pops and explosions, mushrooming like a low-yield atomic bomb. It happened again before he left, undermined by Viet Cong sappers. He was an impressionable teenager then—a 19-year-old draftee from Brooklyn.

It was not his job to carry the mortar or the rifle but to handle the unprintable aftermath of such violence as a medic. Schult told me wistfully of the “beautiful boys” he had known in Vietnam, sometimes trailing off into private places within himself, his expression masked.

He still speaks in a streetwise Brooklyn accent, and the sly affability of his manner returned as our conversation shifted to art. His accent, banter, theatricality, service work (and resemblance to St. Nicholas) make him something of a local celebrity in the riverlands. I was surprised at his willingness to tell me—and our readers—all of this life. But his frankness and readiness to use his story to help others is key to his recovery, reinforced by the 12-step communities in which he is a light.

I had come ostensibly to interview him about his postcard art series, now in its 25th year of mailings. I riffled through bundles as he spoke—hundreds of cards sent over the years to hundreds of friends. Each is cut from watercolor paper and fronted with photocopied or hand-reproduced art—iconic, comic, camp, historic—with Schult’s sainted head and wry smile pasted into the scene. (“Interjected” is his amused word.)

Passing through my hands: Schult pasted onto beach hunks, R. Crumb bodies, toy robots, the Seven Dwarfs, parachutists, gurus, streakers, Uncle Sam, Santa. On the back—and sometimes the front—in black ink or bright marker: punch lines, political slogans, recovery sayings, personal anxieties or “I miss yous.” All in the key of his fond and affectionate love.

The project began accidentally—a single postcard sent to his daughter, with him posted into her then-favorite singing group, Donny and Marie. It became a vast correspondence.

Like many great artists, he doesn’t have much profound to say about his art. But one can tell that, along with humble honesty and fellowship, it is his balm and medicine.

After 15 years as “a stone-cold addict,” bottoming out on the street, he worked at treatment and recovery centers for another 15 before being declared fully disabled by the VA. There is a fine karmic balance of debt and repayment in that.

In his cool cottage, crammed with art, George Schult expressed gratitude and sheer wonderment that he is still alive—graced to survive his addiction and his deeper wounds.

I am personally grateful. These many thousands of mailings are one measure of the love that would have been lost.

Learn more: George Schult can often be found at Indivisible peace protests. At the polls and elsewhere, he urges us to ‘vote for goodness.’ The veterans’ crisis line number is 988—then press 1.

Humbowl’s Eric Wright on Tacos and Community

Food & Drink

Amber Turpin

Jul 14, 2026

Humbowl’s Eric Wright on Tacos and Community

Eric Wright is the owner of Humbowl, a fast-casual Bay Area restaurant with two locations and a simple philosophy of offering rice bowls made with veggies, whole grains and responsibly sourced proteins.

The name of the brand is a play on “humble” and “bowl,” a simple premise of a nourishing meal in one vessel. The first location launched in Berkeley, followed by the new location, which opened more than a year ago in downtown San Rafael. Wright grew up in Novato and likes to keep things local.

Perusing the menu, it’s quick to notice the intention here: efforts to reduce packaging waste, using healthy oils and seasonal produce and desserts made without refined sugar.

This is the kind of place that accommodates any and every dietary restriction with ease. In fact, it is a gluten-friendly place by default, with the primacy of rice as the base in the bowls and no wheat being used, even in the soy sauce. But Humbowl is far from plain. The variety of bowls on offer is astounding and highly customizable. There’s always a “Seasonabowl” for the season we are in. This summer it contains corn, Early Girl tomatoes and a basil-cashew pesto.

And they also always feature a collaborative bowl, called the “Collabowl.” A recent one came with cauliflower, smoked paprika and tahini goddess sauce, created in partnership with Metta Yoga, a yoga organization with studios throughout Marin County.

The other notable action behind Humbowl is their purpose-driven mission, proudly operating a neuro-diverse hiring program inspired by Wright’s autistic son, Lincoln. Wright hopes that this practice creates meaningful employment opportunities and fosters inclusion within the community, with the aim of promoting deeper acceptance and normalization for all.

Wright gets right to the point when asked about his background, favorite foods and where he likes to go out around here. But at the end of the day, he really likes tacos … because who doesn’t?

Amber Turpin: How did you get into this work?

Eric Wright: I’ve been working in restaurants since I was 14. Started managing at 26 for some real estate investors. I did a good job at that, and an opportunity became available with them that I took.

What is your favorite thing to cook (or eat) and why?

Humbowls—healthy and delicious. Also, tacos.

What ingredients do you use or eat the most?

Chicken and rice.

What are some of your go-to places to go out for a sit-down meal? What about take-out?

Besides Humbowl? Chonmage in San Rafael, Taki in Novato, GangNam Tofu in El Cerrito, Toss in Berkeley, Biancoverde and Mi Casa in Richmond.

Last meal on Earth?

Pastor tacos from Pancho’s Takos in Puerto Vallarta.

Humbowl,1016 Court St., San Rafael, 415.795.8922, humbowleats.com.

Gravenstein Apple Fair, Young Talent Night and More

Crush

Weeklys Staff

Jul 14, 2026

Gravenstein Apple Fair, Young Talent Night and More

Sebastopol
Life of Pie

The Gravenstein Apple Fair has always celebrated Sonoma County’s signature fruit, but this August the pie bakers take center stage. Open to home bakers of all ages, the annual Gravenstein Apple Pie Contest invites contestants to bring their best creations—made exclusively with Sonoma County-grown Gravenstein apples—for an afternoon of friendly competition. Entries are judged on everything from aroma and crust to filling and overall flavor, with separate youth and adult divisions and prizes from Sebastopol Hardware. Winners will be announced at the Farm Bureau Arena, where this year’s festivities also honor the legacy of Betty Carr of Mom’s Apple Pie in Sebastopol. Those who would rather leave the rolling pin at home can catch Saturday’s Professional Great Gravenstein Bake-Off, where some of Sonoma County’s leading chefs and pastry pros put a creative spin on the county’s most celebrated apple. Professional Great Gravenstein Bake-Off, Saturday, Aug. 8; Community Apple Pie Contest judging begins 11:30am, Sunday, Aug. 9, at Gravenstein Apple Fair, Ragle Ranch Regional Park, Sebastopol. Pie contest registration deadline noon, Friday, July 31; pies due by 11am Sunday, Aug. 9. Fair admission required. More information at gravensteinapplefair.com.

Glen Ellen
Young Talent Night

The next great local musician has to start somewhere, and Sonoma Botanical Garden is once again handing over the microphone. Young Talent Night invites solo performers and duos ages 21 and under to take the stage during the garden’s weekly Acoustic Sunsets series, offering aspiring musicians a chance to perform in one of Sonoma Valley’s most picturesque outdoor settings. New this year, School of Rock Santa Rosa’s co-owner Josh Walden will emcee the evening, while a professional sound system ensures every performer gets the full concert treatment. Between sets, visitors can enjoy live music, local wine, family activities and the garden’s Spirit Guides sculpture exhibition, making this as much a summer celebration as a showcase for emerging talent. 5:30–7:30pm, Wednesday, July 22, at Sonoma Botanical Garden, 12841 Hwy. 12, Glen Ellen. Performers (ages 21 and under) should arrive between 5 and 5:15pm to sign up for limited performance slots. Included with garden admission; free for members. More information at sonomabg.org.

Tiburon
Gabby’s Big Screen

For kids who have only visited Gabby’s world through a television screen, this is a chance to step inside it on a much bigger canvas. Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie arrives at Cinelounge Tiburon as part of the new “Movies on Main” summer series, a weekly program offering complimentary family matinees sponsored by NorCal Plastic Surgery. In the film, Gabby’s road trip with Grandma Gigi goes delightfully sideways after her beloved dollhouse falls into the hands of an eccentric cat enthusiast, sending Gabby and her feline friends on a colorful rescue mission. The screening is one of six family films in the series, which pairs new theatrical releases with beloved classics to create a new Wednesday afternoon tradition for Marin families. 3:30pm, Wednesday, July 22, at Cinelounge Tiburon, 40 Main St. Complimentary admission; advance reservations recommended. $3.50 online booking fee applies. More information at cineloungefilm.com.

Corte Madera
‘Beautiful’ Debut

British author Ben Reeves discusses his debut, Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt, during a special virtual event hosted by Book Passage. Winner of the 2024 Bath Novel Award in manuscript form and already named one of the summer’s most anticipated books by People, Goodreads and BuzzFeed, the novel has generated early enthusiasm for its emotional depth and literary ambition. Reeves joins readers live from the U.K. for a conversation about the book, writing across disciplines and the long journey from award-winning manuscript to international debut. Signed copies are available for attendees. 9:30am, Saturday, July 25. Virtual event hosted by Book Passage. Free with registration. More information at bookpassage.com.

Free Will Astrology, July 15-21

Astrology

Rob Brezsny

Jul 14, 2026

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In honor of the intensive homecoming phase of your astrological cycle, I have homework for you. 1. Make a prediction about how old you will be when you know precisely who you are. 2. Forecast the day when you will look in the mirror and recognize your face as an intricate portrait of every experience you have ever loved. 3. Imagine the dawn when the boundary between your own longing and life’s longing will dissolve, revealing they’ve always been the same current. 4. Predict when your heart will be as wild and free and brave as you have always wanted it to be.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Ornithologists studying migration know that some birds don’t fly directly to their destination. They follow “leading lines.” These are geographical features like coastlines and mountain ranges that provide orientation. Even when this means taking a longer route, the certainty of having a guiding landmark outweighs the efficiency of a straight line across nondescript terrain. I recommend the birds’ approach to you in the coming weeks, Taurus. Follow your own leading lines: practices and intuitions that provide lucid orientation even when they don’t offer shortcuts. The indirect path offers the surety you need. 

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): What’s an important truth you keep forgetting about? Maybe it’s a promise you once made to yourself, or an understanding that your younger self knew, or a wisdom your body keeps trying to communicate while your mind ignores it. What truth returns again and again in different guises: through synchronicities, seemingly random comments from friends, recurring dreams or the same lesson repeating in new situations? What crucial insights about life do you remember during crisis or ecstasy, only to abandon them once normalcy returns? Now is a favorable time to fully recover this lesson and install it firmly at the heart of your life.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Make a list of your five greatest pleasures. These are experiences that stir your senses, steady your pulse and remind you why you love being alive. Write them down as if they were sacred prayers. Sing a spontaneous song of praise for them. Then set out on a quest to discover pleasure number six. This is a delight you have never tasted, touched or imagined before. Maybe it will come from saying yes to a possibility you usually decline. Treat this experiment as a form of worship and a way to boost your devotion to your healing life force.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): According to neuroscientists, the “default mode network” is the area of your brain that lights up when you’re daydreaming, drifting through thoughts and feelings, and letting your imagination roam around. This is when your deep self does crucial work: weaving memories into stories, making creative connections, rehearsing possible futures and forging your sense of identity. I mention this, Leo, because the coming days will be prime time for you to indulge lavishly in this healing and restorative activity. Don’t let a task-obsessed world shame you out of your reveries. Your genius will bloom from their slowly swirling flow.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Here are three gentle nudges: 1. One of your trusty tools or assets still seems to be working fine, but I suggest you look into the possibility that it will soon need repair. 2. Unless you act proactively to ease the strain on your system, a mini-breakdown could be on the horizon. 3. The monster hiding in your closet is hibernating, which makes this the perfect time to summon an exorcist before it rouses. Here’s the very good news, dear Virgo: Because you are reading this oracle, you are now armed with all you need to stave off turmoil and head in the direction of an exciting renaissance.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Researchers who study improvisational jazz have found that master musicians often anticipate each other’s ideas milliseconds before anyone actually plays the notes. Their brains become exquisitely synchronized through deep listening rather than rigid planning. Maybe more than any other sign, you Libras possess a similar aptitude in managing your intimate alliances and social connections. In the coming weeks, this superpower will be even more necessary and available than usual. I’ll provide a reminder: Pay less attention to what people claim to mean and more attention to the rhythms beneath their words. Let your intuition guide you. The subtly shared timing will generate elegant cooperation.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “It’s bad luck to be superstitious” is a delightful paradox that I enjoy playing with. It makes fun of our tendency to believe that invisible forces are constantly keeping score on our behavior. On one level, the phrase pokes at the way superstition multiplies anxiety instead of easing it. If you really believed it’s bad luck to be superstitious, then your belief about bad luck would itself be a superstition. So you’d have to avoid the very thinking pattern you’re using to feel safer. It exposes how easily the mind can tie itself in knots trying to control the uncontrollable. On another level, “it’s bad luck to be superstitious” is an invitation to examine which of your little rituals are entertaining and nourishing and which are cages. Keeping a lucky stone in your pocket is fine if it amuses you, but believing you’re doomed if you don’t carry the stone isn’t so fine. My advice: Notice when your charm or taboo is no longer a quirky companion, but starts being a tyrant that shrinks your freedom.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Are you the type of Sagittarius who pushes open doors with “pull” signs on them? Do you get a secret kick out of opening boxes from the end that says “open other side”? Maybe you even yack on your phone in designated quiet zones. If so, I’d like to suggest channeling your rebellious spark into grander acts. In the weeks ahead, you will be carrying some potent renegade energy. Used wisely, your radiant defiance could topple a stagnant situation that’s overdue for change.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Many healers favor the slow-and-steady path. They often meet with people once a week, trusting that even stubborn issues must be unwoven with patience and gentleness. But there are also bold experimenters who work differently. I know an acupuncturist who invites clients to live at her clinic for six days straight, offering a new treatment every two hours during the waking hours. She creates a healing immersion chamber. That’s the spirit I recommend for you in the coming weeks, Capricorn. You’re at the threshold of resolving a long-standing imbalance. What will serve you best isn’t dabbling at it but offering it focused, sustained, wholehearted attention until the shift activates.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You can refresh and boost your ambition if you give it a firm, precise adjustment sometime soon. Your raw vitality will surge back if you refrain from indulging in a careless habit that has been draining it. Your willpower and determination have been weakened by the fallout from an old misstep, but you now have the clarity needed to repair that error. Your libidinous energy is not as clear and potent as it could be, but it will become so once you get more honest about what truly excites you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You’re like an arrow that has been shot from a bow and is three-quarters of the way to the target. You’re a delicious meal still simmering on the stove, or a pregnancy at seven months, or the last two weeks before a major election. When I turned my inner vision to you, I glimpsed a honeybee wriggling a dance to show its coworkers where a stand of blooming lilac awaits. Have you ever been on the verge of speaking a new language with ease? That’s where you are now, Pisces: just before true fluency clicks.

Homework: Do a ritual in which you vow to attract more blessings into your life. https://tinyurl.com/ommm777

Your Letters, July 15

Letters to the Editor

Weeklys Staff

Jul 14, 2026

Putin’s Puppet

Chump launched into a stem-winding rant about various NATO allies’ reaction to the war, first claiming he did not want help from any of them while complaining about the “trillions of dollars” the U.S. has “invested” in the alliance “to protect European countries” from Russia. This leads to my main concern.

I have read wherein Putin might approach Chump to seek an end to the conflict in Ukraine. This would be a BAD idea for all parties should Chump accept. First, Chump has been slavishly subservient to Putin during this whole episode, initially praising Putin for the invasion, then tarnishing Ukraine and Zelenskyy. His toadies further embarrassed themselves by warning Zelenskyy to “thank” Chump.

Second, since Chump is compromised, I would rather have the Swiss take over mediation, provided part of the objective(s) would be to support the Budapest Agreement of 1994 concerning borders. Third, Ukraine is on the verge of reclaiming the Crimea, so in fact all Ukraine needs is more materiel to finish the job. Lastly, should the Swiss decline, can you imagine Chump’s renewed efforts for a Nobel Peace Prize?

Gary Sciford
Santa Rosa

Global HR

If I ever come into ownership of a country and I decide to create allies, the only man alive whose services I would engage are those of our president.

In China, he has proven once and for all how well he represents democratic ideals, countries and institutions, regardless of global commercial and personal interests.

Just ask our friends in Taiwan.

Craig J. Corsini
San Rafael

La Rent, Forbidden Kiss’ ‘Raw Bohème’ at The California

Caitlin Strom-Martin

Jul 14, 2026

La Rent, Forbidden Kiss’ ‘Raw Bohème’ at The California

Burlesque meets opera meets comedy at The California Theatre when producer Cheryl King, creator of the popular Forbidden Kiss burlesque shows, gathers a colorful cast of performers for this special birthday tribute to North Bay Bohemian editor Daedalus Howell and the intrepid spirit of the Bohemian archetype. Everything from pole dancing to improv will be featured in this raucous celebration on Friday, July 17.

Since its doors opened in 2022, The California has become the venue to showcase a variety of productions, and Forbidden Kiss founder and resident MC Cheryl King has been there since the beginning, utilizing the eclectic performing space as a home for her inventive variety shows, produced by her company, Stage Left.

In doing monthly radio spots with Bohemian editor Howell to promote Forbidden Kiss, King quickly realized their shared affinity for all things starving artists, as well as a shared birthday month. Thus, the theme of Raw Bohème was born. She says, “I mentioned the Bohemian connection as a possible show theme, and he (Howell) suggested Raw Bohème, a play on La Bohème. And since I love puns and great opera, I thought it worth considering. He and the North Bay Bohemian are fairly good representations of the local culture, so the theme had staying power.”

But Forbidden Kiss isn’t some escapist bacchanal for the masses. Participating artists have freedom to explore anything they want, giving potency to the notion that art is a necessity during turbulent times. King explains of the performers, “They choose their music and their approaches with social critique and commentary in mind … almost every month has a burlesque routine where social issues are addressed.”

Audiences who attend Raw Bohème are in for more thought-provoking fare. Says King, “The show is a mashup between the bawdy nature of our vaudeville show, and both La Bohème and Rent. And there’s a little Weimar Republic energy … in terms of bold, provocative and highly experimental satire, social criticism and daring self-expression. The world of La Bohème and the Weimar Republic shared a vibrant yet tragic intersection: Both were eras of fierce artistic experimentation that flourished right at the edge of societal collapse.”

King promises a great time for all. “Entertainment is key—our job is to entertain,” she says. “We want to provide an outlet for joy, for surprise, for vicarious pleasure.”

Stage Left Studio presents Forbidden Kiss’ ‘Raw Bohème’ at The California Theatre, 528 7th St., Santa Rosa. Friday, July 17, 7:30pm $17–$27. 707.664.7529. caltheatre.com.

Wet Paint: Artist Jonny Hirschmugl Retrospective

Don R. Lewis

Jul 14, 2026

Wet Paint: Artist Jonny Hirschmugl Retrospective

In and around Sonoma County, figuratively as well as literally speaking, art is everywhere.

And this is not only a welcome addition to the many blank canvases that abound—walls, sidewalks, alleyways and utility boxes—it also helps spark imagination and open people’s minds to what art can be and even mean.

Petaluma-based artist Jonny Hirschmugl is one of several local artists who have been commissioned to beautify areas in and around the city with public art, including murals across the front facade of Petaluma Coffee and Tea, the southside of Petaluma’s American Alley, the underpasses along Petaluma’s Lynch Creek Trail and numerous other barns, businesses and exterior walls around our fair county.

Now one can see a great representation of Hirschmugl’s work via “Wet Paint—A Perspective on a Retrospective.” This is a whimsical way of labeling the retrospective of his work opening July 23 at Petaluma’s Keller Street CoWork and running through October.

Anyone who has met Hirschmugl knows him as friendly but a bit quiet, funny and someone who really has to be listened to. He’s the kind of guy one probably has to become with a name like Hirschmugl. But luckily for all, his inner sense of playfulness, nostalgia and everyday magic that abounds if we just pay attention is writ large (and sometimes quite small) via his artwork. These range from said murals to two-inch canvases (“my best sellers”), 8×10 inch and larger sized canvases, and around four- and five-foot canvases.

By way of a better example of the above, Hirschmugl explains his roots thusly: “Well, there was a great flood when I was being born, so my mother sought higher grounds on the 6th floor in a San Francisco hospital. I was spoon fed and potty trained in the town of Novato. I spent my adolescence in the more gritty parts of Petaluma.” I imagine one is getting the gist of the artistic sensibility here.

Said mother is also an artist with a focus on painting as well as button jewelry. Hirschmugl says he has no formal training, just years of learning by doing, including “scribbling on walls up to the age of the proper authorities telling me to stop scribbling on walls.”

Fans of his work notice common renderings of birds—particularly crows and owls—but Hirschmugl says this isn’t necessarily by design. He notes that rather, “Sometimes I’m chasing a theme that jells with me or jells with the patrons. And sometimes I’m working on something without an observable reason.”

As if quoting from David Lynch’s must-read transcendental meditation book, Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity, Hirschmugl says, “I mean, you can always create a reason for doing something after you’ve done it. But intuitive creating might just be tapping into some other communal stream of consciousness. It’s got some good stuff in there; you just have to fish it out.”

While that feels very nice and open-minded, Hirschmugl says his actual creative process is slightly more chaotic. “Flipping vinyls on my record player helps create a working rhythm. I’ll dance between my small works, [and] I don’t sit too long working on one piece at a time. It’s part of the reason I can never answer the question of how long it takes me to make a particular painting.” He continues, “Freedom of thought to work on a piece has its challenges. The voice in your head asking why you are doing this can get kind of loud sometimes. The music helps drown that out.”

As noted, public art seems to be all the rage—never-ending outcry over the Petaluma bathtubs on stilts project notwithstanding—and Hirschmugl is a big part of that. When asked what the sudden rise in this is all about, he’s unsure but ties it into what moves him as an artist. Says Hirschmugl, “We already spoke of phases. And as I attribute these things to a cycle of nature, it could just be something like that with the art scene around here. In 10 years, fighting the robots might be the happening thing. Other than that, I’m not really sure, but I’m really happy to contribute where I can.”

Artist Jonny Hirschmugl’s ‘Wet Paint—A Perspective on a Retrospective’ opens July 23 at Petaluma’s Keller Street CoWork, 140 Keller St., and runs through October. For more information, check out jonnyhirschmugl.com.

Living La Vie, Forbidden Kiss’ ‘RAW Bohème’ at The Cal

Don R. Lewis

Jul 7, 2026

Living La Vie, Forbidden Kiss’ ‘RAW Bohème’ at The Cal

We live in an increasingly “meta” timeline which is never not ironic given our ability to expand our horizons via a handheld supercomputer.

Perhaps there’s really nothing new under the sun, and we’re all forever destined to repeat the same circuit over and over in an infinite ouroboros until arriving firmly, ahem, within one’s own self. That being said, who’s in the mood for a party?

Those who answered that they are may come on out to the lovely California Theatre on Thursday, July 17, from 7:30–9:30pm and take in RAW Bohéme, a bawdy, modern opera-themed vaudeville show that makes a hat tip to, among other famous bohemians, this very paper—the North Bay Bohemian (and, for that matter, a birthday salute to its editor, Daedalus Howell).

RAW Bohéme is a more risqué version of Cheryl King’s popular “Forbidden Kiss LIVE” performances which take place throughout the year at The California and feature burlesque, comedy, song and dance, improv and magic. This one, an adults only affair, is going to be heavy on the burlesque but is certain to include all of the aforementioned entertainment as well.

King says the notion of bringing together seemingly disparate angles into one evening came together via happenstance. “We often celebrate birthdays of our cast members or people in our audience, and I do The Drive 95.5 [radio program] with Daedalus (Howell) the week preceding each show. I mentioned we’d be celebrating my birthday and local artist/songwriter Karenna Slade’s birthday at our Tropicana-themed show in June,” she notes.

While dates for the shows are locked down far in advance, when King mentioned the next show would be July 17, wheels were set in motion. “Daedalus mentioned that his birthday was right after my July show, on the 19th. I said, ‘We should tie in the Bohemian,’” King recalls.

And just like that, what’s certain to be a special evening was hatched. The lineup includes newcomer pole performer Shad, making his Forbidden Kiss debut; burlesque performers Thotty McNaughty, Mae D’Lovely, Kim and Krystle; opera-themed comedy from Casper Nomi; Heather Heliger; musician Malia Abayon; and Underground Improv members Russ Andrews, Cheryl King and Reggie K. Singer.

When asked how she manages to pull together such a wide array of acts into one pleasing, entertaining evening, King considers several things that go into creating a memorable and unique event. “I choose themes and book my acts several months in advance, so that I can exercise curatorial choice,” she says.

But, of course, one has to give the audience what they want, so, she notes, “We do have audience favorites, like Karenna Slade or Titus Androgynous, or Thotty McNaughty, or Underground Improv, but I want the audience to be able to look forward to people they have not yet seen. I am always looking for new people.”

While there’s much to be excited about regarding RAW Bohéme, the twist of dressing like “a famous bohemian” proves daunting in terms of suggestions because—let’s be honest—anyone dressing like Walt Whitman, Jack Kerouac or Virginia Woolf would simply look like one’s favorite neighborhood bartender, barista or bookstore clerk. The most obvious and celebratory move is to cop our humble leader, Daedalus Howell’s regular outfit, but, as everyone has been telling him for years, the collared shirt-and-a-blazer-look is way past its expiration date.

Since that idea is clearly a wash, we’ll close with King’s “elevator pitch” as to why one should come out to an evening that, for some, might be out of their comfort zone.

To this, she says, “It’s tasteful and edgy, funny and significant, outrageous and tender, and very real and present. The community spirit of performers and audience members is a large part of what makes the show work. They come, knowing they’ll feel that community, and that they can let their hair down, put on a fun costume and be solidly entertained for a couple of hours.”

Forbidden Kiss’s ‘Raw Bohème’ plays at 7:30pm, Friday, July 17, at The California, 528 7th St., Santa Rosa. Tickets $19 to $29; more info and reservations at caltheatre.com/forbidden-kiss-live.