Page 3 | Bohemian | Sonoma & Napa Counties

Free Will Astrology, Oct. 28-Nov.3

Astrology

Oct 27, 2026

ARIES (March 21-April 19): For centuries, Japanese craftspeople have cultivated an ethos called shokunin kishitsu: a devotion to skilled work, lifelong learning and continual refinement. The pursuit of perfection is less about reaching a final state than about bringing ever greater care and precision to the work. In traditional carpentry, this can mean years of learning to make joints whose quality resides in their strength and durability even though no customer will ever notice. I suggest you try out this attitude, Aries. Pour extra focus into details, regardless of whether anyone will applaud them. For Halloween, be a blacksmith, artisan or eccentric inventor.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): How do the oldest trees live for so many years? What’s their secret to longevity? They’re very adaptable. During storms, they bend without breaking. During droughts, they slow down their growth. Cultivating alliances with fungi is one of their brilliant tactics. You’re in an opportune phase to favor this approach to strength and endurance, Taurus. Here’s what I propose: Weave gleaming strands of buoyant resilience into your fervent willpower. Experiment with yielding strategically rather than resisting reflexively. Boost your soulful power through flexibility and adaptability. For Halloween, be an ancient oak tree, forest guardian or mushroom spirit.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): When archaeologists unearth a fresh batch of ancient artifacts, they never find a complete civilization in one dramatic moment. Each object or bone fragment helps explain another. A piece of pottery illuminates the meaning of an inscription. A broken staircase reveals why buildings were constructed as they were. Through educated guesswork and chains of association, knowledge accumulates. I invite you to wield your curiosity in the same way, Gemini. Treasure the sequence of little discoveries that gradually reshape your overall understanding. Have eager faith that every clue will lead you to further clues. For Halloween, be an archaeologist, paleontologist or investigator of crime scenes.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Researchers studying wolves have found that play remains essential to them throughout their lives. Mature wolves wrestle, chase and invent games that strengthen trust and sharpen cooperation. They never graduate from joyful experimentation. I hope their friskiness inspires you to remember, dear Cancerian, that serious responsibilities don’t require a terminally serious personality. That’s especially crucial to keep in mind now. I invite you to bring maximum amounts of playful intelligence into everything you value. Laugh during challenging conversations. Invent rituals that nobody else would think of. Observe the true rule: Amused delight generates an atmosphere where meaningful work may become exceptional. For Halloween, be a playful wolf.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Peacocks’ extravagant feathers are beautiful displays that also communicate health, vitality and genetic resilience. They’re excellent role models for you. You should never apologize for expressing your charisma with style and theatrical flair. As long as your outer brilliance reflects inner vitality, your radiance will nourish rather than intimidate others. Authentic glamour is a public service. For Halloween, be a sun deity, lion monarch or glamorous ringmaster.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Dear Oracle: I am obsessed with improving things. I tinker with systems that already work fine. I wake at 3am and catalog details I could have done better. My results are never ultimate enough. Please offer tips to help me find rest. —Drooping Purist.” Dear Drooping: The autumn season is your teacher. The harvest is in; the fields are meant to lie fallow. Nothing more can be improved by force. Growth happens underground, invisibly. In that spirit, I invite you to practice the radical art of leaving at least one thing gloriously alone so it can work its magic outside the reach of your conscious awareness. For Halloween, be a scarecrow who stands serenely in the harvested field, watching over everything, accomplishing its whole purpose by being present.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If you’ve spent years regretting the moment a friend took credit for your best idea, that sting may finally lose its hold on you. If an opportunity you earned was handed to someone else, you may soon receive recognition in a form you never anticipated. And if an ancient family legend claims you were doomed to repeat the same mistake forever, you can now break that pattern. The days ahead favor overdue adjustments. Watch for turns of fortune that don’t erase what happened, but change what it means, and what becomes possible next. For Halloween, be an exorcist.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): This is your high holy season, Scorpio, which also happens to be the time when the veil is thinnest between this world and the other world. Others find this eerie, but you’ve always been at home here. You know how to explore the deepest depths, how to abide with what’s buried and hidden, and how to find treasure in the dark. In the coming weeks, your natural power to perceive what’s concealed will be amplified. For Halloween, be a psychopomp: a keeper of the threshold, a soul-guide draped in shadow and starlight who walks comfortably between the living and the dead.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Early balloonists had little control over the direction of their flights. They couldn’t steer horizontally. But they found that changing altitude allowed them to catch different winds moving in different directions. The smartest way to change course was to rise or descend. Keep that image close, Sagittarius. If you can’t alter external circumstances directly, shift your perspective or your social environment. A new current may be waiting higher or lower than where you’ve been drifting. For Halloween, be a hot-air balloon pilot, comet rider, sky pirate or bird god like the Hindu Garuda.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Life must both perpetuate itself and surpass itself. Capricorn philosopher Simone de Beauvoir said that. We need continuity, but we also need transcendence. This beautifully encapsulates your assignment in the coming months. Your fun job will be to continue honoring the commitments that anchor your life while also making room for an exhilarating experiment or two. Make stability your launching pad rather than your destination. For Halloween, be the person you will be three years from now.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Inventors often describe breakthroughs arriving after weeks or months of seemingly unproductive tinkering. Clearly, their subconscious minds kept working on the puzzles even while their conscious minds felt frustrated. Eventually, a fresh arrangement appeared as if by magic. I suspect you’re approaching a threshold like that. Your experiments have been subliminally educating your intuition. The solution that’s searching for you may be cleverer than the one you’ve been searching for. For Halloween, be a time traveler, benevolent extraterrestrial or eccentric professor.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Travelers crossing dark marshes on foot may report eerie, flickering lights hovering over the bog. Science explains these will-o’-the-wisps as gases from decaying matter that ignites in the night air. Folklore provides other theories: They’re spirit-lanterns, fairy lights, the lamps of the dead or beckoning wanderers. I believe you’re in a similar liminal zone these days. Science and magic are both at work. Truth may take the form of both inexplicable mystery and fascinating anomalies that light your way. Be open to both. For Halloween, be a will-o’-the-wisp made flesh: a glowing spirit of the marsh draped in mist and lantern-light, beautiful and uncanny.

Homework: Instead of hunting for what you want, make yourself irresistible to it. https://tinyurl.com/y88y88y

Suspicious Minds: ‘Night Must Fall’ in Yountville

Beulah F. Vega

Oct 20, 2026

Suspicious Minds: ‘Night Must Fall’ in Yountville

Napa’s Valley Players have opened their production of Emlyn Williams’ classic thriller, Night Must Fall. It runs at the Yountville Community Center through Oct. 25.

It’s 1935 in an isolated home deep in the forest of Essex, where a houseful of seemingly ordinary people have their lives turned upside down by murder. Mrs. Bramson (Mellene Miller) is an invalid who is hated by her cook, Mrs. Terrance (Jessica Romero), and her maid, Dora (Courtney Harris), and barely tolerated by her niece, Olivia (Tara Rokstad), and Olivia’s hapless wannabe fiancé, Hubert (Richard Pallaziol).

When Mrs. Bramson learns that Dora is expecting, she decides to browbeat the father into doing the “honorable” thing. However, when the man in question, Dan (Cameron Oyen), enters the household, the menace of the forest seems to follow on his heels.

There are some really fun performances here. Romero, as the brash, sassy cook, delivers the comedic relief with a deft blend of timing and delivery. Pallaziol’s bumbling and very upright Hubert naturally moves into pathos, and the audience genuinely feels bad for him when things play out. Alex Ivey, who plays the inspector investigating the murders, has a great stage presence and an oddly calming impact, which pairs well with the manic energy Oyen brings to the stage.

The set by Rhonda Bowen is gorgeous, with great attention paid to little things that make the setting feel more realistic and more like a home. Costumes (no designer listed) are similarly understated, allowing the characters to become extensions of the house itself.

While there was some really good work being done here, and it is well worth the excursion to Yountville, there were a few oddities. For one, Bowen has Olivia deliver at least two major speeches facing the back wall, and one looking into a mirror, again away from the audience. Even with a mic on to ensure the words can be heard, so much is lost to an audience when we cannot see a character’s face. If the intent was to isolate Olivia from the audience, then it worked.

Secondly, there are those mics. The problems of mics in a straight play, especially in such a small house, can be numerous. In this particular instance, the levels and speaker placement were misaligned, meaning that every single line in the first scene echoed. Hopefully, this will be rectified.

Overall, this is a fun spooky-season play with a good cast reminding us no one is safe from evil.

Valley Players presents ‘Night Must Fall’ through Oct. 25 at the Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington St. Fri–Sat, 7pm; Sun, 2pm. $27–$30. 707.948.6273. valley-players.com.

Here Comes ‘Halloweird’: Annual Party Back in Santa Rosa

Don R. Lewis

Oct 20, 2026

Here Comes ‘Halloweird’: Annual Party Back in Santa Rosa

When it comes to seasonally-themed portmanteaus, one could do worse than “Halloweird,” Sonoma County’s most bizarre Halloween party taking up residence at Santa Rosa’s El Infierno Cantina this Thursday, Oct. 29.

The brainchild of local promoter Jake Ward via his North Bay Cabaret event company, Halloweird is a combo of burlesque, dance, music and general weirdness with a circus sideshow vibe. But in addition to being fun and entertaining, Ward hopes his events can be more than just a weird night out for grown-ups.

“While events like this are ostensibly about entertainment, they’re really about community. We’ve been lucky enough for North Bay Cabaret to become more than a show. It’s a place where like-minded people gather for a shared experience,” says Ward. “In an increasingly disconnected society, we hope these events serve a deeper purpose by bringing people together.”

The evening kicks off a bit early with a “Creepy Cocktail Reception” featuring a full bar and music by DJ Dyops. Those who have purchased a seat for the night are also able to snag their spot during this time. From there, the show shifts into variety show mode with a bevy of performers including circus, burlesque, drag, pole, poetry and comedy. There’s also interactive crowd games, music and general shenanigans.

Ward himself will be hosting the show, and some of the scheduled performers include North Bay Cabaret regular Jamie DeWolf, an Oakland-based performer, filmmaker, writer and circus ringmaster best known for his raw, raucous spoken word and his long-running variety show, The Ruckus Revival. A National Poetry Slam champion and NPR “Performance of the Year” winner, DeWolf has toured internationally, appeared on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and directed films that have won dozens of festival awards.

Snatch Adams is an Oakland-based burlesque performer and clown who combines classic circus skills like knife-juggling and unicycling with risqué tease. A childhood spent traveling with the circus led her to clown college and international tours.

Qu’in de la Noche is a BIPOC multidisciplinary artist, dancer and “wielder of weapons” who has captivated audiences for nearly 25 years. Known for her superhuman stage presence, she was part of the first all-American cast of The Empire Strips Back and has performed at major venues including Outside Lands and Coachella.

Bay Area “shocklesque” performer and fire dancer Roxy Mirage is known for blending burlesque with dance, storytelling and creepy clown imagery. Her acts feature over-the-top prop elements, including confetti cannons and a signature bit where she uses an angle grinder against her metallic costume to send sparks flying.

Kinky, passionate queer, trans non-binary drag king Pony Bambino, aka “The Italian Stallion,” will be bringing his big booty to the stage. He is the winner of the 2025 Golden Dildeaux Award for Best Drag/Burlesque Performer and the People’s Choice award at the 2025 San Francisco Drag King competition.

Wonder Dave is a Bay Area-based comedian, writer and performer who is known for hosting and producing several popular comedy shows such as Safe Words Queer Comedy Showcase and Mental Health Comedy Hour. He also performs “Boylesque” and commentates for the underground wrestling show Hoodslam.

Also along for the festivities is Abby Smol, who describes her style as “filthy yet wholesome;” writer and poet Jordan Ranft; dancer Mel Debret; musicians Nevaeh Travis, Erica Ambrin and Karenna Slade; live swing-punk from Van Goat; plus more acts soon to be announced.

Ward says he’s as excited as ever about this year’s lineup, with familiar faces, while also noting, “We have three acts making their North Bay Cabaret debuts: The Displayed Labors Sideshow, an Oakland circus sideshow duo; Drea Soulfool, an award-winning, international clown; and Titus Androgynous, a drag artist from right here in Sonoma County.”

He also is quick to bring up a trigger warning that “The Displayed Labors Sideshow is bringing a performance so dark and intense that we’ll give the audience a heads-up and frankly encourage more sensitive viewers to step out of the room for that act.”

Perhaps slightly less scary and also quite intriguing, Ward says, “Drea Soulfool is bringing her legendary ‘bed act,’ in which a sleeping couple gets haunted by a blanket with a mind of its own. It’s the kind of thing you really have to see for yourself.”

For those who have been following along and attending North Bay Cabaret events for years, they undoubtedly have seen the events moving around to several different venues such as the Phoenix Theatre, Whiskey Tip and the Mystic Theater. Yet this year’s Halloweird marks the second in a row at Santa Rosa’s El Infierno Cantina, and Ward feels the venue fits, plus he may finally have found the perfect spot.

“For those who remember our shows at Whiskey Tip, there was always this gritty, underground vibe, and being outdoors was part of the charm, but it also put us at the mercy of the weather,” says Ward. “Moving to the Mystic gave the show a more elevated, theatrical feel. At El Infierno, it feels like we’ve recaptured that original raw, rowdy energy, but with the comfort of an indoor venue and the convenience of being right in downtown Santa Rosa.”

Ward continues, “With its 500+ person capacity, three distinct environments and two full bars, El Infierno gives guests room to wander, mingle and choose their own adventure. That freedom is a big part of what makes it such a good home for Halloweird.”

Another eye-grabbing note about the event is the clever tagline, “more sleaze, less fees,” and Ward explains that’s more than just a nifty catch-phrase. It’s “a silly way of saying something I take seriously: I want people to be able to afford a memorable night out,” he notes.

“We’ve kept the base ticket prices the same as last year, and this year we’re absorbing the ticketing fee on the $25 standing ticket. So $25 actually means $25. That gets you the full variety show. There are reserved seats and tables available at higher prices, but the $25 ticket gets you the whole night of entertainment,” Ward adds. “People are making choices about where they can afford to go. I want to make saying yes to this one a little easier.”

Halloweird commences at 6pm, Thursday, Oct. 29, at El Infierno Cantina, 120 5th St., Santa Rosa. Tickets range from $25 to $300+. For more information and tickets, visit northbayevents.com.

Take a Seat: Asm. Chris Rogers Invites Constituent Convos

Daedalus Howell

Oct 20, 2026

Take a Seat: Asm. Chris Rogers Invites Constituent Convos

Some might say that Democracy has a seating problem. Besides the game of musical chairs that naturally arrives with an election year, there’s the prevailing sense that the average citizen doesn’t have a seat at the table when billionaire donors have bought up all the furniture. About a decade ago, Assemblymember Chris Rogers of California’s 2nd Assembly District pioneered his own solution—he brought a couple of his own. Lawn chairs, specifically.

As a Santa Rosa council member and mayor, Rogers would set up at the farmers market with a sandwich board inviting people to talk. No appointment, no fundraising minimum—just bag up your kale, and take a seat.

“I would say 90% of the people who sat down to talk to me told me that they would’ve never even thought about reaching out to their city council members,” Rogers said.

During a recent “Civics 101” interview on The Drive 95.5 FM, the assemblymember described taking that invitation across a considerably larger territory. Rogers’ district stretches from Santa Rosa to the Oregon border, encompassing communities with different politics and a familiar complaint.

“The only thing that they agree on right now is that Sacramento doesn’t listen, doesn’t understand them,” he noted.

His response includes holding town halls throughout the district. At the time of the interview, Rogers said two more town halls before November would bring his total to 40 since taking office. Attendance, he suggests, represents an investment by people who otherwise have busy lives and responsibilities awaiting them.

That investment, however, can result in real legislation. Rogers described a problem brought to him by someone working at Sonoma County’s Family Justice Center: a court notification requirement that, he said, forced domestic violence victims to notify their alleged abusers before seeking temporary restraining orders.

His office consulted District Attorney Carla Rodriguez and attorneys familiar with the system. According to Rogers, their work produced a bill that passed the Legislature unanimously and received the governor’s signature.

“That’s a ‘community’ bill,” he said. “That is somebody using their voice and their perspective to make a meaningful difference in the world.”

Other assistance attracts fewer headlines. His office helps constituents work through problems with agencies including the DMV and Franchise Tax Board. Put simply, Rogers’ team knows whom to call when bureaucracy becomes too onerous for a civilian to navigate alone.

“Our office can actually help break through that,” Rogers said.

Of course, access becomes a more complicated proposition when enormous campaign spending enters the conversation. Rogers described an unsuccessful effort to curb political spending by artificial entities, including corporations, unions and nonprofits. Even with Democrats holding two-thirds majorities in both legislative houses, he said, the proposal couldn’t make the vote.

“I think it just punctuated and highlighted how entrenched money is in politics and how difficult it is for the average person to break through,” he explained.

Still, disappointment hasn’t entirely displaced his sense of humor. Rogers also recounted his effort to recognize Bigfoot as the state cryptid, a legislative adventure that apparently encountered competition from El Chupacabra. After the proposal received media attention (notably, a two-minute segment with late night talk show host Stephen Colbert), he said, people wanted to testify about their encounters with Bigfoot.

“That may have been the moment where we figured out that we messed up with the joke,” Rogers said with a laugh. “But I am committed to the bit.”

His broader commitment is considerably less elusive. For Rogers, showing up is both a constituent’s opportunity and an elected official’s ongoing obligation at every level.

“I think it’s important to not think of democracy as a one-time thing,” he said. “I think the best candidates are the ones who understand that it really isn’t about you. It really is about your community.”

‘Civics 101’ airs on The Drive 95.5 FM, 5pm, Mondays.

Sound Decisions: Announcing Our 2026 North Bay Music Awards Winners

Weeklys Staff

Oct 20, 2026

Sound Decisions: Announcing Our 2026 North Bay Music Awards Winners

Making music in the North Bay requires talent, persistence and, ideally, someone with a van.

It also requires a commitment to the fans that show up at the venues, who buy the records and who take the time to vote for them in our annual North Bay Music Awards—aka the NorBays.

Once again, readers rallied and shouted out their favorite performers in our online readers’ poll—from those behind the mics to those behind-the-scenes. The resulting roster underscores the surfeit of talent that comprises the North Bay’s soundtrack: Americana, electronica, metal, jazz—apparently, we contain multitudes. Alongside the performers are the venues, promoters and radio personalities who help make a local music scene possible. We celebrate all of these in the listings that follow.

In the meantime, be sure to mark your calendars for the 2026 NorBay Music Awards at Ross Street Sessions, where our musical faves get their due amid live bands, food trucks and games.

Mariachi Pumas kicks things off at 6pm, followed by the awards at 7pm and Ellie James at 7:40pm, on Friday, Oct. 23, on Ross Street, off Mendocino Avenue between Fifth and Seventh streets, Santa Rosa. bit.ly/norbays26.

And now, without further ado…

The readers’ picks for the 2026 North Bay Music Awards

Best Americana

Fargo Brothers

fargobrothers.com

Best Blues

Spike Sikes and His Awesome Hotcakes

awesomehotcakes.com

Best Country

Dry Creek Station

drycreekstation.com

Best DJ (live)

DJ Fayad Moss

instagram.com/trancegoats

Best DJ (radio)

Doug Jayne, KRCB

krcb.org/staff/doug-jayne

Best Drag Show

LUSH

instagram.com/lush.dance.party

Best Electronica

DJ Fayad Moss, Trance Goats

instagram.com/trancegoats

Best Female Solo Artist

Izzy Lilly

linktr.ee/izzylilly

Best Folk

Callie Watts & Kris Dilbeck

calliewatts.com

Best Funk Band

Marshall House Project

marshallhouseproject.com

Best Hip-Hop

LaiddBackZach

lbzonline.com

Best Indie

MJ Ward

mjwardmusic.com

Best Jazz

Stella Heath

stellaheathmusic.com

Best Lead Vocals

Sophia Kandler

instagram.com/so_kandler

Best Male Solo Artist

Sebastian Saint James

sebastiansaintjames.com

Best Metal

Skitzo

skitzo3.bandcamp.com

Best Music Venue

The Phoenix Theater

thephoenixtheater.com

Best Open Mic Venue

Open Mic with Ceni, HopMonk Sebastopol

hopmonk.com/sebastopol

Best Promoter

Jake Ward

northbayevents.com

Best Punk

Punked Out Pretty

punkedoutpretty.com

Best R&B

The Soul Section

thesoulsection.com

Best Reggae

Sol Horizon

solhorizonband.com

Best Rock

945

instagram.com/945theband

Best Short Music Film or Documentary

The Beat Goes On

willardblackwellals.com/the-beat-goes-on

Best Songwriter

Ellie James

thisiselliejames.com

Most North Bay Vibe

The SoulShake

soulshakevibe.com

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Laugh: Tavi Tornado, Stand-Up and Co-Producer at OK Good Comedy

Locals

Cincinnatus Hibbard

Oct 20, 2026

Laugh: Tavi Tornado, Stand-Up and Co-Producer at OK Good Comedy

I remember the summer of 2020 with a little hindsight. It was the summer of Covid and the lockdown. And it was George Floyd’s summer—the summer of Black Lives Matter and the racial reckoning that wasn’t.

I remember standing in the square in the hot hot heat, listening to a speech delivered with a bullhorn. The speaker was a young Cambodian American single mother, Tavi Tornado. She had risen from obscurity within the Northern California #BLM movement. It was her turn to speak.

She spoke as a child of the Cambodian genocide. She spoke as a survivor. She spoke of independent Cambodian American donut shops—their attempt at winning the American Dream.

She spoke of how America had failed her. And she punctured the complacent liberal myth of multiculturalism in racially divided Northern California. Her speech was excoriating. It burned like salt. It stung my ears and my heart to listen. But I was grateful to her.

In that movement, Tavi Tornado earned the reputation of a firebrand truth-teller and became something of a prodding conscience to local white politicians. She was also something of a lightning rod. Many wanted her to stop talking.

I marched and watched the protests get smaller and smaller until there were none. The fire had burnt out. Tornado had burnt out, too.

“During the three years of the pandemic, I was in an active court case with my abuser,” Tornado says. Without going into painful detail, it was a personal microcosm of what she was fighting in the streets. She adds, “I was always in fight mode. In friendship and activism. I was there to fight. I found myself getting lost in the activism.”

She’s healed a lot since then, by her own estimation. One expression of it is her turn toward humor.

Tavi Tornado the activist is now a comic and comedy co-producer. And the through line is clearer than it seems.

Humor is the great coping mechanism for dealing with the arbitrary absurdity and dehumanization of the modern condition.

In our telephone interview, she told me a gallows-humor joke, the premise being an attempt to tell her 12-year-old son about his troubled grandmother’s experience of losing her best friend in a land mine explosion:

“Told my kid, ‘Grandma’s best friend blew up in Cambodia.’ And he’s like, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t know Grandma’s best friend was famous.’ ‘Honey, she exploded.’ ‘Mama, can I follow her on TikTok?’ ‘Honey, she’s everywhere.’”

It’s funny. And it’s devastating. And whether or not she intends it as a continuation of her activism, it’s smartly subversive.

With the adult political discourse effectively shut down, comedy is perhaps the only public space where we can come to grips with extremely thorny issues of race and sex and identity.

I could not help but think of her speech in the square, because the content (drawn from her biography) was much the same.

The same tension. But now there is a release.

And instead of dispersing, her audiences are growing. The vehicle is her co-production company, OK Good Comedy. Bigger and bigger nights. The marches, in reverse. Whether it’s gallows humor or parenting jokes, America could use a laugh.

“Things are so serious now,” she says. “Comedy is a means of survival, but it’s also a means of joy and perspective, celebration and community-building.”

Learn more: OK Good Comedy hosts shows almost weekly at The Lost Church and OrganiCann in Santa Rosa, F.I.S.H. in Sausalito, and Kilowatt and Boozeland in San Francisco. Full schedule at @okgoodcomedy on Instagram. There are also rumblings of an OK Good Festival in Guerneville this spring.

Divine Divas, Spanglish and Haunted Wine

Crush

Weeklys Staff

Oct 20, 2026

Larkspur

Divine Divas

Jazz vocalist Jackie Ryan pays homage to the women who shaped her musical soul with A Tribute to the Divine Divas of Jazz, a celebration of Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee and Dinah Washington. Known for her expressive phrasing and command of the jazz songbook, Ryan revisits the voices she credits with teaching her everything she knows about singing jazz. She’ll be accompanied by the R Burr Quartet, featuring pianist John R. Burr, bassist Doug Miller, drummer Leon Joyce and trumpeter Erik Jekabson. Presented as part of the Marin Jazz series at the Lark Theater, the concert also supports Kids After School Theatre Programs, bringing a little extra harmony to the next generation of performers. 7:30pm, Saturday, Oct. 24, at Lark Theater, 549 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur. $65 GA; $75 VIP. larktheater.net.

Mill Valley

Beautiful Chaos

Berkeley singer-songwriter, journalist and memoirist Zoe FitzGerald Carter brings a little Laurel Canyon to Mill Valley’s Sweetwater Music Hall with the release of her fourth album, Chaos By Design. The 12-song collection wanders through memory, longing and loss, blending folk, Americana and jazz with a dreamy, sometimes surreal sensibility. Recorded in Sausalito and Berkeley, the album features Bay Area musicians including Dawn Richardson of 4 Non Blondes, Pam Delgado of Blame Sally and banjo player Hannah Mayree, who joins Carter for the hometown celebration. Alongside 11 originals is a bossa nova-inflected interpretation of Gerry and the Pacemakers’ “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying.” From childhood memories to existential questions, Carter finds moments of beauty amid life’s inevitable disorder. 8pm, Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Sweetwater Music Hall, Mill Valley. Tix and info at sweetwatermusichall.org.

Santa Rosa

Found in Translation

Petaluma-based Dominican singer-songwriter Edú Bega joins forces with Bay Area world-pop outfit Razteria for a bilingual evening at The Lost Church. Bega arrives with his new EP, Larimar, while Razteria brings a genre-crossing sound that blends Latin roots with global pop influences, heard on the album Tocar las Estrellas and its Earth-honoring anthem, “Madre Tierra.” The two acts have previously shared stages at San Francisco’s Brick & Mortar and Berkeley’s Ashkenaz, and collaborated on the aptly titled “En Spanglish Es Mejor.” Expect Spanish, English and Spanglish to mingle freely in the intimate, 75-seat venue. 8pm, Saturday, Oct. 24, at The Lost Church, Santa Rosa. $30. Tix and info at thelostchurch.org/santa-rosa.

Sonoma

Wine and Spirits

Some wineries have skeletons in their closets. Buena Vista Winery has ghosts in its cellars. The historic Sonoma estate invites visitors to investigate its supernatural side with the Haunted Wine Tour & Tasting, a 90-minute excursion led by local historian, actor and multiple personality artiste George Webber. Drawing on more than 165 years of winery lore, the tour winds through the historic Press House, Champagne Cellars, Bubble Lounge and Cave of Curiosities, with five wine tastings along the way, including one straight from the barrel. Founder Count Agoston Haraszthy might even make an appearance. Apparently, some spirits improve with age. 4–5:30pm, Fridays through Mondays this fall, at Buena Vista Winery, 18000 Old Winery Rd., Sonoma. $75; $60 for members. buenavistawinery.com.

It Matters: Confessions of a Former Non-Voter

Open Mic

Arnold J. Oliver

Oct 20, 2026

It Matters: Confessions of a Former Non-Voter

I am among the many Americans who did not vote in our elections at one time. I believe I was wrong not to do so, and I will attempt to convince you current non-voters to change your mind.

When I was quite a bit younger and before I knew much history, I had little understanding about the long struggle for the right to vote and the democracy of which it is a key part. Most of humanity for most of our history has been governed by narrow cliques of thieving oligarchs or autocratic royals, many of whom relied on violence and terror to retain power.

At the start of the democratic era, it took great courage to stand against the powers that be. But many thousands of people did so anyway, even realizing that they might well pay with their lives to resist. They sacrificed their own lives and welfare so that the rest of us could live in a democratic society.

So I argue that we owe a debt to those who struggled on our behalf. We have a duty to them to vote, and to do so intelligently as best we are able. It is easy to forget that women and minorities were excluded from voting in the United States for long periods of time and had to struggle mightily for the voting franchise. Some of them paid with their lives. By voting, we can show respect for their sacrifices.

Another argument against voting is that our votes do not count for much. But there are many state and local offices, as well as school, park, health, safety and other local levies, for which our votes can matter a great deal.

We also hear it said that politicians in general are corrupt and “all the same.” But they are not all like that. It is your job as a voter to do some research and support the best of them. If you do not vote, you enable the bad guys.

To be fair, there are also real barriers to voting, including onerous registration procedures and long lines.

If your vote did not matter, they would not work to keep you away from the polls. With freedom comes responsibilities. Voting is one of them.

Arnold ‘Skip’ Oliver, Ph.D., writes for PeaceVoice.

Family Trade: North Bay Businesses Passing It Down

News & Features

Weeklys Staff

Oct 20, 2026

Family Trade: North Bay Businesses Passing It Down

Across Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties, family enterprises are the lifeblood of the North Bay economy.

According to the most recently available U.S. Census Bureau data (circa 2023), family-owned businesses accounted for 23.3% of employer firms reporting family-ownership status in Marin County, 30.4% in Sonoma County and 42% in Napa County. Together, the family-owned employer firms represented in those figures employed more than 42,000 people across the three counties.

Behind those numbers are tasting rooms, bookshops and butcher counters where families make daily decisions about what to preserve, what to change and what to pass on. These businesses are more than mere commerce—they’re living legacies. What follows are six North Bay businesses building tradition one customer at a time.

Well Read

An independent bookstore is a particularly ambitious family undertaking: essentially, inviting several thousand other people’s stories into one’s own. Elaine and Bill Petrocelli’s Book Passage has been doing just that since 1976, building a business whose appeal extends well beyond the transaction at the register.

Author appearances, classes, writing conferences and book groups give the shelves a genuine social life. Readers can encounter the person responsible for their latest obsession; aspiring writers can find instruction and encouragement (and presumably additional books to purchase). It’s a complete ecosystem of literary creativity.

Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera. 415.927.0960. bookpassage.com.

Sister Act

The Giacomini family’s business evolution makes a persuasive case for listening to one’s daughters. Bob and Dean Giacomini bought their Tomales Bay dairy in 1959. Decades later, the family rethought the operation, launching Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. in 2000 and introducing Original Blue that August.

Today, sisters Jill Giacomini Basch, Lynn Giacomini Stray and Diana Giacomini Hagan co-own and lead the company. Their enterprise shows how an agricultural inheritance can become the starting point for something new, with a distinctly delicious argument for keeping a family connected to its land.

For visitors, The Fork, the farm’s culinary and educational center, offers reserved cheese tastings and scheduled dining events. Likewise, its Marketplace welcomes shoppers and provides a unique opportunity to take home a wonderfully curated sampling of local offerings.

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., 14700 Hwy. 1, Point Reyes Station. Tastings require reservations. 415.663.8880. pointreyescheese.com.

Prime Relations

Bud Gamba’s original business plan had a practical goal: Earn enough money to buy a ranch. While working as a butcher, he began custom cutting and processing for local ranchers out of his garage. By 1975, he had purchased a ranch and established Bud’s Custom Meats.

His son, Matt, grew up learning the trade and took over the business in 1997. He expanded its retail offerings and developed sausages, jerky, smoked meats and marinades, inspired by customers’ requests.

The result is a butcher shop connected to both ends of the food chain: the ranchers raising livestock and the people deciding what’s for dinner. Custom processing remains part of the operation alongside the retail counter. For the home cook, it’s an invitation to ask questions, try something new and enjoy local offerings at a whole new level.

Bud’s Custom Meats, 7750 Petaluma Hill Rd., Penngrove. 707.795.8402. budscustommeat.com.

Changing Courses

Before the Balletto name appeared on wine labels, the family was selling vegetables. At 17, following his father’s death in 1977, John Balletto stayed home to help his mother, Hazel, run their five-acre farm. Balletto and his wife, Terri, later shifted toward grapes. Their first Balletto Vineyards wines came from the 2001 vintage.

That progression gives the Russian River Valley winery a story rooted in farming—from veggies to vines. Pinot noir and chardonnay became the next chapter in an ongoing relationship with the land.

There’s another family-business detail worth raising a glass to: a regulation-size baseball field among the vines. When vineyard employees asked about sponsoring their team, the Ballettos provided land and building materials, and the crew supplied labor. Wine Country has plenty of diamonds in the rough, but this one is a homerun.

Balletto Vineyards, 5700 Occidental Rd., Santa Rosa. Tasting reservations recommended. 707.568.2455, ext. 101. ballettovineyards.com.

The Fix Is In

Family-owned and operated since 1955, Steves Hardware & Housewares handles the essential business of keeping daily life functioning in St. Helena.

Its Main Street store offers hardware, tools, plumbing and electrical supplies, paint, lawn and garden products, and housewares. In other words, the necessary elements for those weekend projects that begin with optimism and may eventually require another trip to the hardware store.

The shop is also a useful reminder that behind every enviable garden or dinner-party-ready home in Wine Country are hundreds of practical purchases and DIY maintenance. Thankfully, this St. Helena family hardware business is ready with the right tool for the job.

Steves Hardware & Housewares, 1370 Main St., St. Helena. 707.963.3423. acehardware.com/store-details/00915.

Sweet Equity

John and Tracy Anderson first imagined a chocolate business while traveling in Europe as college students. Life intervened, including years working at the Anderson family’s Napa Valley winery. Later, a screening of the delectable film Chocolat, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, helped rekindle the idea.

Woodhouse Chocolate opened in 2004. Today, the couple runs the company with daughters Christina and Caroline. Tracy and Christina handle the chocolate-making side, while John and Caroline work on the business side.

Their Main Street shop and kitchen occupy a stone-and-brick building dating to the 1890s, producing European-style chocolates by hand. The family’s backgrounds include both culinary training and fine art, a combination that adds a certain elan to their offerings—and makes them all the more tantalizing.

Woodhouse Chocolate, 1367 Main St., St. Helena. 800.966.3468. woodhousechocolate.com.