Page 289 – Bohemian | Sonoma & Napa Counties

Santa Rosa Symphony Music Director Signs Up for Five More Years

Charlie Swanson

Dec 22, 2020

Santa Rosa Symphony Music Director Signs Up for Five More Years

Francesco Lecce-Chong, the Santa Rosa Symphony’s fifth music director in its 93-year history, began his tenure in 2018.

In that time, he’s led the acclaimed orchestra through natural disasters and now a pandemic. Despite the difficulties that he and the orchestra have endured, Lecce-Chong is eager to keep working in the North Bay.

As 2020 comes to a close, the Santa Rosa Symphony and Lecce-Chong have agreed to renew his contract with the symphony for another five years following the completion of his current contract on June 30, 2021. The new agreement means that Lecce-Chong will continue directing and conducting in Sonoma County through at least June 30, 2026.

The renewed contract calls, pending continued pandemic restrictions, for Lecce-Chong to conduct six out of Santa Rosa Symphony’s seven annual Classical Series concerts along with several special event performances. Lecce-Chong will also continue his work in community outreach, representing the symphony off the stage as well as onstage at the symphony’s home, the Green Music Center’s Weill Hall.

“We could not have hoped for a more creative, collegial and inspirational artistic leader than Lecce-Chong,” Santa Rosa Symphony President and CEO Alan Silow says in a statement. “His renewed commitment to our orchestra, our young people and our patrons will serve as a beacon of light for years to come.”

Lecce-Chong’s commitment to the community was on display in 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic canceled all of the symphony’s live concerts back in March. Faced with a social-distance dilemma, Lecce-Chong responded to the new reality by adapting concert programs to accommodate a smaller group of musicians, whom Lecce-Chong now leads in safe, virtual concerts as part of the ‘SRS @ Home’ series. Last month, the symphony presented an online concert to mark Beethoven’s 250^th birthday.

in addition to conducting the performances, Lecce-Chong provides the virtual audiences with live pre-concert talks and post-concert Q&A sessions for each concert. He has also helped the symphony stay connected with its subscribers and wider community during the pandemic through his weekly “Thursday Night Live” events on Facebook and YouTube, in which he dives into specific classical music pieces with special guest composers and musicians.

“It’s truly an honor to have such an enthusiastic, skilled conductor, who is a champion of living composers and music education, as our Music Director for another five years,” Santa Rosa Symphony Board Chairman Al Seidenfeld says in a statement. “His vision and drive will take this orchestra to ever-increasing heights.”

Now maintaining a residence in Sonoma County, Lecce-Chong simultaneously serves as Music Director of the Eugene Symphony in Oregon. He also guest conducts around the world, and made his San Francisco Symphony subscription debut in the 2018-2019 season and his New York Philharmonic debut as part of the legendary Young People’s Concert Series in the 2019-2020 season.

“In my three seasons as (Santa Rosa Symphony) Music Director, this orchestra and community have shown an astounding creativity, grit and resiliency in the face of wildfires, smoke, power outages and now a pandemic,” Lecce-Chong says in a statement. “We have brought the joy and excitement of our music-making to more people than ever before through our virtual series. So, I am thrilled to continue making music with my brilliant colleagues on stage and grateful for the opportunity to lead us through these challenging times.”

Srsymphony.org

John McCutcheon Virtually Visits Sonoma for Annual Concert

Profiles

Charlie Swanson

Dec 21, 2020

John McCutcheon Virtually Visits Sonoma for Annual Concert

Even though he lives in the city of Smoke Rise, Georgia, veteran folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist John McCutcheon is a popular fixture in Sonoma County.

That is because McCutcheon annually plays at the historic Sebastiani Theatre in Sonoma as part of a self-described “Left Coast Tour” that he’s taken each January for more than 30 years.

This year, McCutcheon could not make the trip out to California due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. So he’s dong the next best thing, performing an online show that will benefit the theatre on Saturday, January 9, at 4pm.

That online show is one of two concerts that McCutcheon is hosting as part of his Virtual Left Coast Tour, and each show benefits a number of California venues and organizations that McCutcheon regularly works with.

For example, Sebastiani Theatre is sponsoring the January 9 performance alongside co-sponsors The Freight & Salvage (Berkeley), KVMR (Nevada City-Grass Valley), Modesto Peace & Life, and KZFR (Chico).

On McCutcheon’s webpage, virtual concertgoers can purchase tickets to the show through their preferred venue’s link, which will ensure their ticket helps to support that sponsor directly.

“A lot of these presenters have become old friends by now. I want and need them to survive so that can continue our work together on the other side of all this,” McCutcheon says in a statement. “Each presenter gets a unique ticketing URL and sells tickets to ‘their’ audience. They get a cut of the sales that they sold, just as if I were there live. In fact, it’s a better percentage and they don’t even have to turn the lights on.”

The concerts on Jan. 9 will be broadcast on Mandolin, a new presenting platform that is becoming known for high-quality audio and video production. “We’ve done a couple concerts using this model and they’ve been really successful,” McCutcheon says. “I can’t wait to gather my audiences from California and get them all sitting together for the first time.”

Tickets are available for the virtual concert at three price points to give the show a “Pay what you can” feel, including a five-dollar ‘unemployed/laid off’ ticket.

“Everyone needs music these days, so we want to keep it affordable,” McCutcheon says.

The prolific musician also promises that he will have plenty of new songs and stories for the upcoming virtual show, as he does each year that he comes to town. In fact, McCutcheon recently released his forty-first album, Cabin Fever: Songs from the Quarantine.

Written over the course of three weeks of self-imposed isolation following an Australian tour in Mid-March, Cabin Fever: Songs from the Quarantine is not even the album that McCutcheon was planning on recording in 2020.

Following his last release, To Everyone In All the World: a Celebration of Pete Seeger, McCutcheon had stockpiled over 30 new songs, but that record went on the shelf once the pandemic-related music and lyrics began pouring out of him while he was in isolation.

“It’s an album that is completely of its time,” McCutcheon said when the album came out this summer. “That is, the subject matter, while not exclusively about Covid-19 and its effects, came out of that milieu. It was recorded in total isolation, mixed in isolation, my graphic designer worked on her part after she put her kids to bed, a remarkably quick turn-around time, and, to top it all off, it’s a pay-what-you-can release.”

Like his upcoming virtual concert, McCutcheon wanted to make the album accessible to everyone, regardless of finances.

“We’re in this together and we need to look out for one another,” McCutcheon says. “It’s the only way, in the music business or in “real life”, that we’re going to make it.”

John McCutcheon performs his Virtual Left Coast Tour in partnership with Sebastiani Theatre on Saturday, Jan. 9, at 4pm. $5-$30. Get tickets at Folkmusic.com.

Culture Crush: Christmas 2020

Charlie Swanson

Dec 18, 2020

The holidays are normally a time for families and friends to get together and share in seasonal delights. This year, the celebrations have to remain socially distant while the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread in the North Bay, meaning many popular annual events and offerings are moving online or transitioning to socially distant affairs.

Lucky Penny Productions in Napa is one of several theater companies adjusting to the new social-distancing reality; and while they have endured a challenging year, they are celebrating what’s really important this season with an online video production of a new musical creation, “No Place Like Home for the Holidays.”

Offered as a “pay-what-you-can” show, “No Place Like Home for the Holidays” promises heart-warming music and entertainment. Donations will go directly into Lucky Penny’s pandemic survival fund to help keep the company alive into 2021. Stay home with Lucky Penny Productions beginning Friday, Dec. 18, at 7pm. Get the show schedule and purchase tickets at Luckypennynapa.com.

Holidays are always a special time at the Sebastiani Theatre in Sonoma, where elaborate decorations designed and created by Susan Bellach adorn the halls and holiday-themed shows all play out onstage. This year, due to ongoing social-distancing orders, the theater instead offers “A Special Musical Holiday” online showcase to get the community into the spirit of the season. The virtual show will feature musicians like Tommy Thomsen, Sean Carscadden, Jon Burdick, Dawn Angelosante, Tony Gibson and more than a dozen other performers who will join hosts Roger and Diana Rhoten with Eric Jackson and Santa Claus online beginning Sunday, Dec. 20, at 5pm. Free. Sebastianitheatre.com.

Dinner’s always a production around the holidays, and many prefer to dine out at their favorite local restaurants. This year, with social distancing in place, dinner comes home with to-go holiday menus and curbside pickup happening at restaurants throughout the region.

Sonoma’s innovative bistro The Girl & The Fig is offering a family-style feast for four, with optional wine and desserts, that is available to pickup on Dec. 24 from 9:30am to noon. Orders must be in by Sunday, Dec. 20 at noon (thegirlandthefig.com). Healdsburg’s Spoonbar is also serving ‘Christmas To-Go’ with a three-course menu, including a vegetarian option, and holiday wine discounts available for pickup on Dec. 25 between 3pm and 5pm (Spoonbar.com). Carneros Resort and Spa’s ‘Christmas Day At Home’ takeout menu boasts traditional holiday favorites and Napa Valley charm available for pickup on Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 (Carnerosresort.com).

Napa Movie Nights has been inviting the public to drive-in events at the Napa Expo to enjoy food and films, and this holiday weekend features screenings that make for fun and safe family outings. On Saturday, Dec. 26, the series plays superheroes with a screening of the Marvel Comics movie Guardians of the Galaxy; on Sunday, Dec. 27, the ‘80s Christmastime cult classic Gremlins closes out the weekend. Tickets come with options for a meal from Olive & Hay, pizzas from Filippi’s Pizza Grotto and other meals. Fri. and Sat. opens at 5:45pm; Sun. opens at 4:45pm. $30 per vehicle. Teammoralesevents.com.

2020 Vision: A Review of the Year in Sonoma County Politics

News

Will Carruthers

Dec 16, 2020

2020 Vision: A Review of the Year in Sonoma County Politics

It has been quite a year here at the Bohemian.

At the start of 2020, in a time of staggering inequality, information overload and climate destruction, there was no shortage of stories to tackle. Then, in March, the news gods tacked a pandemic on top of it all for good measure.

Still, 10 months into the pandemic, in a year when dozens of newspapers went out of business across the country, we are proud to be alive and kicking.

What follows is a wrap-up of some of the biggest stories of the past year.

Pandemic Year

Last weekend, Sonoma County joined most other Bay Area counties in following the state’s shelter-in-place order. The state order, which will last through early January, restricts the activities of a variety of non-essential businesses, in hopes of slowing the spread of the virus as vacant ICU beds become worryingly scarce.

It’s too soon to tell whether this latest effort will restrict the spread of the virus, but the announcement of a vaccine has many hoping there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Either way, we’ll have to get through a dark winter. The Covid-19 caseload continues to rise as a number of worrying financial cliffs loom in the near future.

For instance, two forms of additional unemployment benefits provided under the federal CARES Act are set to expire in late December, further worsening the financial situations of families nationwide.

Then there’s the housing issue. For the moment, renters cannot be legally evicted in California if they have missed rent due to Covid-19—provided they jump through the proper hoops required under county and state eviction laws. However, the current state law delaying evictions ends on Feb. 1, 2021.

In Sonoma County, a group of tenant advocacy groups have renewed their efforts to push the Board of Supervisors to approve stronger, and longer, protections for renters.

Still largely unaddressed is what will happen to the outstanding rent debt at the end of the pandemic. At the end of October, Moody’s Analytics estimated that 12.8 million people nationwide could owe an average of $5,400 in missed payments to their landlords by the end of 2020. The total bill could come to $70 billion by the end of December, Moody’s estimated.

That mounting bill means a lot of renters and landlords will be wishing for a deal this holiday season. We’ll see soon enough if politicians will deliver coal or Christmas presents.

PG&E Escapes Bankruptcy

Last November, following the Kindcade Fire, Santa Rosa’s Shady Oak Barrel House offered a “Fuck PG&E” beer on tap in the wake of the Kincade Fire. The controversial IPA’s name captured the flavor of the moment: fury against an investor-owned company which had become synonymous with so much that is wrong with corporate America in an age of climate crisis.

Once the pandemic hit, that fury turned elsewhere. Still, 2020 was quite an eventful year for PG&E.

In June, after almost a year and a half of deliberations and hundreds of million dollars in lawyers’ fees, a bankruptcy court approved PG&E’s bankruptcy exit plan, which required the company to pay out billions of dollars to various stakeholder groups and enact a number of new policies.

In the end, fire victims were put last in line to sign the deal—after private companies, insurance providers, government agencies and others—and then pressured to sign what some victims ended up considering a bum deal.

Still, PG&E wasn’t out of the woods.

In July, the company pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter as a result of starting the 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County. The same month, CalFire determined that electrical transmission lines owned by PG&E caused the 2019 Kincade Fire, which burned 77,758 acres, destroyed 374 buildings and caused four non-life threatening injuries in Sonoma County. It’s now up to Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch to determine whether or not to press any charges against the utility company.

Since then, PG&E has begun to send checks to fire victims and local governments impacted by the October 2017 fires. Although Santa Rosa and Sonoma County are still deciding how to divide up their millions, the hope is that the payout will patch up some past wounds and help to prepare for future fires, whether or not they are caused by PG&E.

Homeless Rights

Earlier this month, Judge Vince Chhabria weighed in on a legal agreement between local governments and advocates for the homeless, marking the latest chapter of a three-year legal battle between the groups.

The agreement, known as an injunction, restricts the ability of Santa Rosa and Sonoma County to move homeless encampments—at least in theory. In legal filings earlier this year, attorneys representing several homeless people living in Sonoma County argued that local officials have found a way around the agreement by citing health emergencies and fire dangers as a pretense for moving encampments. Since May, they have moved at least seven large encampments.

The two sides are now reportedly working on a deal to extend the injunction, which is currently set to expire on Dec. 31, into the next year.

Legal bickering aside, do local governments have an adequate plan to shelter the current and future people living on the streets? For better or worse, we’ll find out soon enough.

Ground Swell

Amid a nationwide protest movement, hundreds of Sonoma County residents took to the streets last summer to protest the killing of George Floyd, the latest Black man to be killed by police.

Although the North Bay protests began in solidarity with protests around the nation, participants soon turned to local issues, calling into council meetings and supporting political campaigns in the fall.

When the cards fell following this November’s election, Sonoma County voters opted to strengthen oversight of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office (Measure P), boost spending on a variety of mental health services (Measure O) and to elect a variety of new city council members, many of them with progressive bona fides.

More than a month after the election, many of those new council members have been sworn in and the county is working to enact Measure P and Measure O.

In the coming months, this new batch of activists will see whether local officials meet their expectations.