SMARTs

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SMARTs

To balance the negativity in last week’s letters, I’d like to say I’ve been taking the SMART train three days a week for over a year from Cotati to San Rafael. I love it—from the views of green hills in the winter and spring to the air conditioning in the hot summer. Going through the marshlands offers great birdwatching, too (I once saw a bald eagle close up from the train). The staff is always super-friendly and helpful. Parking is free and easy in Cotati. I’m not technologically inclined in the least, yet have no problems with the ticket kiosk. Lastly, I treat myself to a Henhouse IPA once a week from the train’s mini-bar. I have customers who take the train from Sonoma County to San Rafael just for the nice day trip. It’s so nice to read a book and look at the great views, instead of sitting in traffic.

—Barry Lazarus

Penngrove

It’s Happening Here

“The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.”—Dostoyevsky

Putting aside, for a moment, the documented mistreatment of our undocumented immigrants by the private detention industry, will anyone claim privately run detention centers do not present a conflict of interest? What should we expect when the business of justice goes to the highest bidder? Free market fundamentalists argue the benefits of “private” over “public” and speak of efficiency and competition, but there is no competition, no choice, for those detained who are the recipients of “services.” The family fleeing gang violence in Honduras and seeking asylum at the U.S. border has no more choice in their accommodations than do chickens in factory farms, but in the latter case, at least there is the potential for consumer pressure to improve living conditions.

GEO Group and Corecivic both invest heavily in Trump. GEO donated $225,000 to a Trump super PAC. Corecivic kicked $250,000 to Trump’s inaugural committee. Lobbying interests from the private prison industry are on pace to reach $3 million this year. What are they paying for? Lucrative contracts, less oversight, less accountability, assurance their beds will be filled and new structures will be built. They pay for control, and for the freedom to cut costs and increase profits at will.

Consider the Trump Administration’s recent attempts to circumvent the Flores Amendment. Flores asserts minimal standards for the treatment of detained children and their access to education, recreation and legal representation. Flores says that no unaccompanied child shall be held beyond 20 days. There have been 46 reported deaths in ICE Detention, most attributable to medical and psychiatric neglect. The harm to children and families is beyond measure. This kind of cruelty is almost beyond comprehension, except to say it is the logical result of unchecked greed.

The free marketer says government only interferes, that regulations are impediments to progress. But this isn’t a free market, and Flores isn’t merely a regulation—it’s a protection. Against what? Ask Dostoevsky.

—Daniel Coshnear

Guerneville

Write to us at le*****@******an.com.

Climate Action

On Sept. 20, young people and adults from Sonoma County will join a global strike to demand action on the climate crisis. A rally for those striking locally, or for those who want to support strikers, is scheduled from noon–2pm at Old Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa.

As we burn fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas for energy, we are adding more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This build-up acts like a blanket that traps heat around the world, disrupting the climate. We must address the problem before it gets worse. Join us as we Strike for the Climate!

Building on a wave of student protests from Sweden to Mexico, the Sept. 20 strike comes three days before the United Nations Climate Change Summit. According to the UN website, world leaders will convene in New York on Sept. 23 to “showcase a leap in collective national political ambition” and “demonstrate massive movements in the real economy in support of the agenda.” Strikers—many of them high-school age—will provide a visible reminder that leaders must make good on those promises now if our future is to be preserved. The strike will have a running program of singing punctuated by coordinated actions for social media engagement, as well as educational tables from local organizations fighting for climate justice. Voting registration will be available, as well as information on legislation and policy in the works to help push our lawmakers to move faster on the climate crisis so that we can give future generations a meaningful chance at life.

The local effort is coordinated by a coalition of community environmental and climate justice organizations including Fridays For the Future Santa Rosa, Sunrise Sonoma Hub, 350Sonoma.org, Sustainable SRJC, the Climate Protection Center, the Redwood Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Climate Reality Project, Schools for Climate Action, Transition Sonoma Valley, Daily Acts, Citizen’s Climate Lobby Santa Rosa and various other faith, labor and community groups.

—Hope Jones

Santa Rosa

Page Turner

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Page Turner

Perhaps the most mislabeled entertainment genre is what we refer to as “reality TV.” The belief that anything can be real in the presence of cameras is misleading at best and downright deceitful at worst.

That’s one of the themes at work in Karen Zacarias’ The Book Club Play, 6th Street Playhouse’s season opener running now on the newly christened Monroe Stage (formerly their Studio Theatre) through Sept. 15.

Part satire, part farce and part character study, this odd show mostly works once you let go of any concept of reality being involved.

The show’s title sums things up pretty neatly. A group of friends and co-workers have formed a book club. The group dynamic changes with the introduction of two variables. First, the group leader arranges for their meetings to be filmed under the auspices of famed avant-garde Danish documentarian Lars Knudsen. On top of that, one of the members invites a neighbor to join them, completely skipping over their intense vetting process. The group may survive one alteration to their rigid world, but can it survive two?

Zacarias’ characters are pretty stock. There’s Ana (Maureen O’Neill), the control-freak leader; Rob (Marc Assad), her milquetoast husband who never reads the books and mostly comes for the food; Will (John Browning), Rob’s fastidious college roommate and Ana’s ex-boyfriend; Jen (Heather Gibeson), Ana’s flailing-at-life friend; and Lily (Brittany Sims), Ana’s sassy co-worker and the group’s newest member.

The only character to break out of stock mode is Alex (Eyan Dean), a professor of comparative literature whose life was upended by his lack of knowledge of sparkling vampires.

Director Jessica Headington’s hands were full with the overabundance of themes in action here. At times it seems author Zacarias didn’t know what she wanted her play to be about (it’s undergone two revisions since its 2009 premiere), so she wrote about everything: friendship, marriage, self-identity, race, sexuality, infidelity, career fulfillment, group dynamics, role-playing, honesty and truth.

The show’s most interesting moment occurs during a debate over whether pop culture can be considered culture at all. Why shouldn’t a terribly written pulp novel that’s sold millions of copies be considered in the same league as Moby Dick?

Headington and her cast have fun with it and you will laugh, but I found this show about artificiality in life a bit too artificial.

Rating (out of 5):★★★&#189

‘The Book Club Play’ runs through September 15 on the Monroe Stage at the 6th Street Playhouse, 52 W. Sixth St., Santa Rosa. Thursday–Saturday, 7:30pm; Saturday–Sunday, 2pm. $18–$29. 707.523.4185.

Taste of Learnin’

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Taste of Learnin’

If you’re reading this in print, while it’s fresh on the newsstands, you’re probably not lounging around in some desert while electronic dance music beats down your tympanic membrane. So, what to do when the rest of your cohort is away, getting burned out at Black Rock? Go wine tasting. But not just anywhere. Attend the best wine tasting of the year.

That’s how Sonoma County Vintners bills this Labor Day’s Taste of Sonoma weekend event—as the county’s biggest and best tasting of the year. What about the Harvest Fair? Good question, but let’s just agree that’s generally a fair, and draw the line at petting zoo. Although Kendall-Jackson’s “White Wine Emoji Lounge,” new to that event this year, has a cute and fuzzy ring to it, it’s only about a tiny icon of a glass of wine.

Tastes may be tiny in your wine glass, but there are more than 130 wineries pouring at Taste of Sonoma, so it’s the wine taster, not the glass, that fills up quickly. Also on hand are local restaurants, serving up a preview of their cuisine without having to traipse all over the county.

The heart of the event is a big tent with walk-around wine tasting. But there’s a lot more going on. Sign up for a “Wine Talk” seminar to get a little education on the side.

This year, Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley return to explore the diversity of Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, and maybe bust a few myths about the variety.

“Zinfandel is the hardest grape to grow, and the hardest to make wine from,” Joe Healy, winemaker at Bella Vineyards, asserted at last year’s talk.

Diane Wilson, winemaker at Wilson Winery, lent some insight into the hedonic considerations that lead to her style of Zinfandel: “I’m not trying to make high-alcohol wines,” said Wilson. But when it comes time to harvest, “It’s just hard for me to pull the trigger.” It’s sort of like finally finding the season’s first ripe peach, she enthused—”And then you get one that’s really ripe, and the juice runs down your chin … “

Meanwhile, seminar-goers have their own flight of wine samples at the ready, so they can swirl, sip and connect the winemaker’s thoughts to a pleasant experience of their own.

In contrast to the unpleasant heat that marked Taste’s first run at the Green in 2017, the outlook for this weekend calls for seasonably warm conditions. Plus, no desert dust storms.

Taste of Sonoma, Saturday, Aug 31, 12–4pm. Tickets $180–$255. Green Music Center at Sonoma State University, 1801 East Cotati Avenue, Rohnert Park. 855.939.7666.

Aug. 24-25: See Art & Seafood in Bodega

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Aug. 24-25: See Art & Seafood in Bodega

A tradition now 25 years in the making, the Bodega Seafood, Art & Wine Festival has something for everyone. The festival features tons of delicious grub, over 40 wineries and breweries and entertainment for all ages. This year’s headlining performers include David Luning and the Sun Kings, and Captain Jack Spareribs returns to leave audiences in stitches. The festival raises funds for local nonprofit Stewards of the Coast & Redwoods and Bodega Volunteer Fire Department when it commences Saturday and Sunday, Aug 24-25, Watts Ranch, 16855 Bodega Hwy, Bodega. Sat, 10-6; Sun, 10-5. $8-$20; kids under 12 are free. bodegaseafoodfestival.com.

Aug. 25: Artistic Insights in Santa Rosa

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Aug. 25: Artistic Insights in Santa Rosa

In addition to opening with a reception, the Museum of Sonoma County’s new exhibit, “Tierra de Rosas,” is the subject of a special gallery talk by artist Maria de Los Angeles. The exhibition features her original drawings, paintings, prints and fashion pieces, including works created in collaboration with local students. De Los Angeles offers keen insight into her work and activism at the upcoming talk on Sunday, Aug 25, at Museum of Sonoma County, 425 Seventh St., Santa Rosa. 11:30am. Free with admission, space available on first come basis. 707.579.1500.

Fall Arts Guide 2019

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Fall Arts Guide 2019

It’s that time again; the season for jack-o-lanterns, raking leaves, feasts, gatherings and a bounty of entertainment throughout the North Bay. From Labor Day to Thanksgiving, there are huge music festivals, live theater productions, festive art fairs and much more happening in Sonoma and Napa counties. You can’t do it all, but our annual Fall Arts Guide lays it all out.

Events

Taste of Sonoma

Sonoma Wine Country Weekend’s annual tasting event has all the looks and flavors needed to celebrate the region. Taste of Sonoma once again takes over the lawn at Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center, with thousands of glasses of wines on hand and chefs from around the county. Live music, chef demos, seminars and more round out the premiere event on Saturday, Aug. 31, at Green Music Center, 1801 E Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park. Noon to 4pm. $180. tasteofsonoma.com.

Hands Across
the Valley

Benefitting Napa Valley food programs, the 27th annual event features tastings from many noted Napa chefs and winemakers, silent and live auctions, and dancing under the stars with the Bobby Joe Russell All-Star Band. Aug. 31. Charles Krug Winery, 2800 Main St, St. Helena. 4pm. $75 and up.handsacrossthevalley.com.

Fishstock

There will be fun and food at Fishstock, the annual fundraiser for the Jenner Community Club. Enjoy chowder tasting, barbecue salmon, offerings from local wineries and breweries, live music, an ice cream parlor, a raffle and more in a day by the sea. Sept. 1. 10398 Hwy. 1, Jenner. 11am–5pm. $5/ kids free. jennercommunitycenter.org.

Chautauqua Revue

The revue is back with musicians, dancers, storytellers, performers and clowns keeping audiences on their toes while honoring the traditions of the original Chautauqua events from a hundred years ago. This revue always sells out, so act fast. Sept. 4-7. Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, 15290 Coleman Valley Road, Occidental. Wednesday–Saturday, 7:30pm; children’s matinee, Saturday, 2pm. Evenings, $25 and up; matinee, $10 and up. 707.874.1557.

Broadway Under the Stars Gala Celebration

Transcendence Theatre Company closes out their 2019 season of shows in the winery ruins at Jack London Park with their biggest party of the year, featuring an all-star cast of singers and dancers who will delight audiences of all ages with fresh takes on classic Broadway hits and plenty of surprises. Sept 6-8. Jack London State Park, 2400 London Ranch Rd, Glen Ellen. Pre-show picnic, 5pm; showtime, 7:30pm. transcendencetheatre.org.

Sebastopol Center for the Arts
2019 Gala

French attire is encouraged for the themed “Gypsy Jazz” cabaret celebration and fundraiser for the arts center. Highlights include bites from local celebrity chefs Rick Vargas, Josef Keller and Bob Simontacchi, live music by Dgiin, silent and live auctions and more. Sept. 7, 282 S High St., Sebastopol. 5:30pm. $125; after party $65. Sebarts.org.

Cowboy Music and Poetry Gathering

Rooted in the ranching and farming tradition, this touring event intersects the cowboy life with music and entertainment. Performers for the evening include Gail Steiger, joined by poet Olivia Romo and songwriter Mike Beck; all of whom embody the history and modern relevance of the cowboy culture. Sept. 7. Lincoln Theater, 100 California Dr, Yountville. 7pm. $20. Lincolntheater.com.

Daily Acts Matter! Rising Up for Climate Change

New music festival hosted by Daily Acts features a lineup of music from Rupa & the April Fishes, the Coffis Brothers, the Highway Poets and others. There will also be presentations from organizations on topics of climate change and sustainability, green technology demos, local craft and food vendors, a kid’s craft area, silent auction and more. Sept. 8 at SOMO Village, 1100 Valley House Dr., Rohnert Park. 1pm to 7pm. $20-$100. Dailyacts.org.

National Heirloom Exposition

Dubbed the “World’s Pure Food Fair,” this massive expo of food providers and enthusiasts brings together chef demos, displays, live music, a giant pumpkin contest, antique tractors and plenty of good food benefiting school gardening education. Sept. 10-12. Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. $15–$30; kids free. theheirloomexpo.com.

Lagunitas
Beer Circus

The popular circus changes things up this year with an evening event that gathers three rings worth of aerialists, sideshow performers, and burlesque, live music from punk icons Gogol Bordello, midway games and beer from Lagunitas and guest brewers on Sept. 14, at Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds, Petaluma. Doors open at 4:20pm; show starts at 5pm. $40. 21 and over only. lagunitas.com/beercircus.

Harvest of
the Heart

Ceres Community Project hosts its largest fundraising gala of the year, with a garden reception, outdoor dining, silent and live auctions and live music. The proceeds from the gala raise funds to bring healing meals to our neighbors in a health crisis, lovingly grown and prepared by teen volunteers. Sept. 14, at Ceres Community Garden behind the O’Reilly Complex, 1003 Gravenstein Highway N., Sebastopol. 5pm to 9pm. $175. Ceresproject.org.

Sonoma Harvest Music Festival

The music lovers at B.R. Cohn Winery team up with the festival aficionados at BottleRock for two weekends of live music, food, wine and communal vibes. The first weekend’s lineup includes Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals and Ms. Lauryn Hill. The following weekend’s headlining performers are Chvrches and Death Cab for Cutie. Sept. 14-15 and Sept. 21-22 at B.R. Cohn Winery, 15000 Sonoma Hwy, Glen Ellen. Tickets are $119 and up. sonomaharvestmusicfestival.com.

Redwood Arts Council

The 40th season of this world-class Chamber Music series again presents the best performers in an intimate space for truly unforgettable concert experiences. The season opens with internationally renowned guitarist Paul Galbraith performing his 8-string “Brahms Guitar” on Sept 14 at Community Church of Sebastopol, 1000 Gravenstein Hwy, Sebastopol. Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Ct, Occidental. Shows begin at 7:30pm. $10-$30, kids with adults are free. redwoodarts.org.

Old Grove Festival

It’s hard to find better acoustics in the heart of the Armstrong Woods than the 1930s-era, open-air Redwood Forest Theater, home of the annual Old Grove Festival. The 14th annual edition of the festival is a two-day affair, with indie-folk bands the Sam Chase & the Untraditional and the T Sisters playing Saturday, and Jay Som and Alex Bleeker (of the band Real Estate) performing Sunday. Bring flashlights, seat cushions and warm clothes. Sept. 14 and 15. Redwood Forest Theater, 17000 Armstrong Woods Road, Guerneville. 4:30pm. $45 and up. 707.869.9177.

Petaluma
Poetry Walk

Bipedal-powered literary event is back for its 24th year. Readings by dozens of regional poets and authors are scattered throughout downtown Petaluma within easy walking distance of each other, with the day kicking off at Hotel Petaluma’s Ballroom and wrapping up at Aqus Cafe. Sept. 15. 11am–8pm. Free. Check website for full list of venues and schedule. petalumapoetrywalk.org.

Fiesta de Independencia

Celebrate Mexico’s independence and Latino Heritage Month with this 10th annual day-long fiesta featuring authentic food, music, games and activities for the entire family. Dance to live mariachi bands and swing at piñatas—and don’t miss out on the salsa contest. Sept. 15. Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 1pm to 7pm. Free. 707.546.3600.

Santa Rosa Art
& Antiques Fair

Turn back the clock with a new family friendly fair in the Railroad Square district of downtown Santa Rosa. The fair features arts and crafts from local vendors and artists, antiques and antique appraisers, classic cars, food and drinks and live music. See for yourself on Sept. 15 along the 100 Block of Fourth Street and Depot Park, Santa Rosa. 10am to 4pm. Free. 707.479.3698.

Art for Life 2019

Support Face-to-Face/Sonoma County AIDS Network in their mission to end HIV in the North Bay, and get some fine art, including original paintings, photography, pottery, drawings, sculpture and jewelry, from hundreds of generous donators at this annual auction and party. Sept. 21. Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St., Sebastopol. 2–6pm. $50 and up. 707.544.1581.

Napa Valley Aloha Festival

The Manaleo Hawaiian Cultural Foundation hosts this 12th annual event covering two days and including live music and dance from the Hawaiian and Polynesian communities, Hawaiian food, and arts and crafts. Sept. 21-22. Napa Valley Expo, 575 Third St., Napa. Saturday,10am–6pm; Sunday, 10am–4pm. Free (bring a canned food for donation). nvalohafest.org.

Open Studios Napa Valley

Art studios from all stretches of Napa Valley are open for this 32nd annual event, taking place over the last two weekends in September. Self-guided tours feature dozens of diverse artists working in several media. The event is juried, and unlike other open studio tours in the North Bay, the artists run the entire affair. Many of the artists also show their work at Art Gallery Napa Valley, 1307 First St., Napa. The tours run Sept. 21-22 and 28-29. 10am to 5pm. Maps and info at artnv.org.

Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival

One of the oldest and biggest parties in the Sonoma Valley is back for its 122nd year with live music, amazing food, spectacular wines and family activities like the opening night gala, traditional grape stomp, 5K and 12 K races, a light-up parade and more. With a focus on local culture and community, this vintage fest is organized by local volunteers and benefits several Sonoma County nonprofits and projects. Sept. 27-29 at and around Sonoma Plaza, First St. E., Sonoma. valleyofthemoonvintagefestival.com.

Sonoma County Philharmonic

Community-based nonprofit organization celebrates 21 seasons of orchestral performances with some of the biggest names in classical music. First, conductor Norman Gamboa leads the symphony and Bulgarian-born violinist Jassen Todorov, professor at San Francisco State, for a program featuring works from Brahms and Beethoven, Sept. 28-29. Jackson Theater, Sonoma Country Day School, 4400 Day School Place, Santa Rosa. Saturday, 7:30pm; Sunday, 2pm. socophil.org.

October

Sonoma County Harvest Fair

The 2019 Harvest Fair has undergone some changes, and is now a two-day event focusing on the Grand Tasting event in Grace Pavilion and the World Championship Grape Stomp Competition. Stomp or sip your way though the new fair on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 4-5, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. Fri, 4:30-8pm; Sat, noon to 5pm. Tasting tickets, $65-$70; 2-day pass is $120. Harvestfair.org.

Santa Rosa Symphony

Acclaimed symphony’s 92nd season features music director and conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong taking the baton and leading the orchestra in classical concert series beginning with “Unmasking the Stars” Oct. 5-7. Weill Hall at Green Music Center, 1801 E Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park. Times vary, $24 and up. srsymphony.org.

Sonoma County Art Trails

With more than 140 participating artists, this annual tradition offers a self-guided opportunity to explore, engage with and collect an abundance of art directly from artists while peeking into their workspaces. Oct. 12-13 and 19-20. 10am–5pm. Preview exhibit at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St., Sebastopol. Tuesday–Friday, 10am–4pm; Saturday, 1–4pm. Free. sonomacountyarttrails.org.

The Freshtival

HenHouse Brewing Company, in collaboration with the Bay Area Brewers Guild, is beyond stoked to introduce a new beer festival that highlights freshness. That means that the more than 100 beers on hand for tasting will all be less than a week old. In addition, the Freshtival boasts live music, delicious food, a gallery of beer art and more. Oct. 12 at SOMO Village, 1100 Valley House Dr., Rohnert Park. 1:30pm to 7pm. $20-$55. 21 and over only. henhousebrewing.com.

Sebastopol Craft Brew Festival

Rotary Club of Sebastopol invites the public to sample the best beers, wine, food and music in this returning fundraiser that’s evolved from a bash to a festival. Oct. 12. Holy Ghost Society, 7960 Mill Station Rd, Sebastopol. 1pm to 4pm. sebsunriserotary.org.

Alexander Valley Film Festival

The fifth annual festival brings a Hollywood flair and an indie sensibility to its programing, and features domestic and international narrative features, documentaries, short films, student films and other community events and screenings. Oct. 17-20, at venues in Cloverdale, Healdsburg and Geyserville. For details and tickets, visit avfilmsociety.org.

Santa Rosa
Comic Con

Inaugural convention gathers together comic book, toy and fantasy art exhibitors and vendors as well as artists like Tim Bradstreet (The Punisher, Hellblazer) and Brent Anderson (X-Men, Swamp Thing) and other celebrities. Oct. 20 at the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country, 170 Railroad St., Santa Rosa. 10am to 5pm. $10; kids 8 and under are free. santarosacomiccon.com.

November

Napa Valley
Film Festival

The North Bay’s top film, food and wine extravaganza returns to Napa Valley with more than a hundred films playing in four towns over the course of five days. Red-carpet screenings, sneak previews, industry panels, gala parties and appearances by many A-list Hollywood actors and filmmakers are only the beginning. Nov. 13-17. Nvff.com.

Warren Miller Film Tour

Warren Miller Entertainment’s annual winter sports film is another exciting globetrotting adventure. This year’s 70th anniversary film, “Warren Miller’s Timeless,” features footage of ski legends in stunning locales. Nov. 20 at Mystic Theatre, 23 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma. 7:30pm. Warrenmiller.com.

Art & Exhibitions

Museum of Sonoma County

“Tierra de Rosas” & “A Way of Life,” dual exhibits feature work from Mexican-born artist and immigration activist Maria de Los Angeles and a group show featuring her artistic connections. Reception, Aug 24. 425 Seventh St, Santa Rosa. 707.579.1500.

Healdsburg Center for the Arts

“Great Outdoors,” see visions and impressions of our world from more than 20 artists, sponsored by Sonoma Land Trust. Reception, Aug. 31 at 5pm. 130 Plaza St, Healdsburg. 5pm. 707.431.1970.

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art

“Bingo,” exhibit tells the story of San Francisco native, Chinese American artist, and community activist Bernice Bing through her art. Reception, Sept. 21, at 551 Broadway, Sonoma. 6pm. $10. 707.939.7862.

Clubs & Venues

Mystic Theatre
& Music Hall

North Bay vocalist Stella Heath leads the Billie Holiday Project on Sept. 7. Locally produced tribute compilation, “The Songs of Hank Williams,” gets a release show with several performers on Sept. 21. Country Roots presents alt-rockers Son Volt on Oct. 21. The Portland Cello Project plays the music of Radiohead and others on Nov. 11. 23 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma. 707.775.6048.

Green Music Center

Anthemic pop singer Andy Grammer performs on Sept. 6. Acclaimed vocalist and pianist Diana Krall comes to town on Sept. 26. Several jazz and funk stars, like the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Ivan Neville, appear for the “Take Me to the River” celebration of New Orleans on Oct. 25. Veteran jazz band the Branford Marsalis Quartet spends the evening on Nov. 9. 1801 E Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park. 866.955.6040.

Luther Burbank Center for the Arts

Iconic crooner Chris Isaak returns to the North Bay on Sept. 4. Classic rock bands Kansas and Steely Dan appear back-to-back Sept. 13-14. Comedian Demetri Martin shares his wandering mind on Oct. 4. Humorist and author David Sedaris speaks from the heart on Nov. 14. Jason Mraz plays with folk-rock band Raining Jane on Oct. 27. Preservation Hall Jazz Band performs music off their soundtrack for “A Tuba To Cuba” on Nov. 15. 50 Mark West Springs Rd, Santa Rosa. 707.546.3600.

Redwood Café

Extended Grateful Dead family member Mark Karan and friends play the café on Sept. 5. Veteran Latin-funk stars Richard Bean & Sapo perform on Sept. 21. Country-rock staples Jeffrey Halford & the Healers release their latest album with a show on Oct. 19. The Peace & Justice Center holds its annual awards ceremony at the café on Nov. 9. 8240 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati. 707.795.7868.

Gundlach Bundschu Winery

Chicago indie-rock duo Whitney plays a Halloween show with costumes and related activities on Oct. 31. Boise, Idaho, underground rock legends Built to Spill performs on Nov. 23. Brooklyn post-punk band DIIV rock out on Dec. 13. 200 Denmark St, Sonoma. 707.938.5277.

Blue Note Napa

Jazz guitar master Al Di Meola performs on Sept 27-29. NorBay-winning reggae band Sol Horizon celebrates the music of Bob Marley on Oct. 4. Dennis Quaid and Jamie James are on hand for the venue’s third birthday party Oct. 25-26. Jazz legends Blood, Sweat & Tears plays Nov. 7-10. 1030 Main St, Napa. 707.880.2300.

Uptown Theatre

David Crosby and his friends spend the evening onstage on Sept. 6. Comedians Ron White and Adam Carolla perform standup Sept. 21-22 and Sept. 27 respectively. Acclaimed rock band Switchfoot and acclaimed bluesman Robert Cray play back-to-back on Sept. 8 and 9. 1350 Third St, Napa. 707.259.0123.

Theater

6th Street Playhouse

Housed in the heart of Railroad Square, the popular playhouse continues to present plays and musicals designed to delight and entertain. The season opens with “The Book Club Play,” an endearing comedy is about five book-loving friends Aug. 23-Sept. 15. 52 W Sixth St, Santa Rosa. 707.523.4185.

Cinnabar Theater

Dynamic Petaluma theater company presents a season full of musicals and dramatic works. First, beloved musical comedy “Little Shop of Horrors,” runs Aug. 30-Sept. 22. 3333 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma. 707.763.8920.

Spreckels Theatre Company

The semi-professional resident theater company shows an aptitude for producing both critically acclaimed straight plays and show-stopping musicals. First, the new play by acclaimed playwright Jonathan Spector, “Eureka Day,” makes its North Bay premiere Aug. 30-Sept. 22. 5409 Snyder Ln, Rohnert Park. 707.588.3400.

Main Stage West

Intimate and exciting, the season at the Sebastopol theater house starts with the equally hilarious and heartbreaking play “Body Awareness,” running Sept. 6 -22. 104 N Main St, Sebastopol. 707.823.0177.

Lucky Penny Productions

Napa’s theater production house covers a lot of dramatic ground this season, beginning with ‘9 to 5: the Musical,” based on the movie and featuring music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, Sept. 6-22. 1758 Industrial Way, Napa. 707.266.6305.

Left Edge Theatre

Based in the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, Left Edge presents another season of imaginative productions that push the envelope on a local level. The season opens with the compelling courtroom drama “Nuts,” running Sept. 6-29. 50 Mark West Springs Rd, Santa Rosa. 707.546.3600.

Raven Players

The players present another year of lively plays that run the gamut of emotions. The classic killer comedy “Arsenic & Old Lace” opens the season Sept. 13-29. 115 North St, Healdsburg. 707.433.6335.

Sonoma Arts Live

The theater company opens their 2019-20 season, themed ‘A Season to Remember,’ with an original musical, “Merman’s Apprentice,” starring Sonoma favorite Dani Innocenti Beem as Ethel Merman, running Sept. 27-Oct. 13. 276 E Napa St, Sonoma. sonomaartslive.org.

SSU Theatre & Dance

Sonoma State University’s dramatic arts department presents several, well, dramatic works this fall. The season opens with the offbeat, funny and surprising “Origin Story,” Oct. 3-11. 1801 E Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park. 707.644.2474.

SRJC Theatre Arts

With the Santa Rosa Junior College’s Burbank Auditorium still under renovations, the theater department makes due and continues to present endearing works, starting with Neil Simon’s classic comedy, “The Good Doctor,” set to be the final show staged in Newman Auditorium, Oct. 4-13. theatrearts.santarosa.edu.

Treasure Trove

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Treasure Trove

A ‌piratical new traveling show from an iconic political theater company sails into the North Bay this season for a pair of provocative performances in public parks, spotlighting the “free” in freebooter while putting the “buck” back in buccaneer.

“It’s definitely a pirate show, with sword fights and sea shanties and everything,” explains Daniel Savio, the lyricist for Treasure Island, the touring musical by the legendary, Tony-Award-winning San Francisco Mime Troupe.

Now celebrating its 60th year of politically-minded free theater, the troupe—never actually a mime company, but more of a satirical, musical comic ensemble—takes the title of its new show from the actual Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. The play, written by Michael Gene Sullivan and directed by Wilma Bonet, will be presented on Sunday, Aug. 25, at the Plaza in Cotati, and Thursday, Sept. 5, at the Mill Valley Community Center.

“In addition to having pirates in it,” Savio allows, “the show is actually about modern-day developers and corporate greed, and how cities consistently force the poor and people of color into the worst, most dangerous places to live.”

The story follows Jill Hawkins, a city planner with big dreams, as she falls in with a band of sea-dog developers who’ve set their sights on turning Treasure Island into condos for rich people. And yes, there’s a mysterious one-legged developer with a secret agenda. Oh, and they all sing, which is where Savio—son of the famed free-speech activist Mario Savio—comes in.

“The songs,” he says, “with music by Michael Bello, do recognizably call to mind established ideas of what pirate music might sound like, but they also create a newer, more modern take on what pirate songs are. Or should I say, Arrrrr?”

As the scion of politically astute activists, Savio, 39, definitely grew up with some awareness of the San Francisco Mime Troupe.
“My parents absolutely took me to Mime Troupe shows,” he recalls, though he never imagined he’d become a creative partner of the troupe until about 12 years ago, when it tapped him to fill in for the keyboardist for a couple of shows during the tour of a musical called Godfellas. The following year, he played the entire summer tour, but did not work with the Mime Troupe again for over a decade.

“Then, in 2014, I started performing with the Mime Troupe again, and have done it every summer since,” Savio says. “But this marks my first year on the writing team, as well as touring with the troupe and performing in the band.”

According to Savio, the Mime Troupe performs two kinds of shows—the “call to action” shows and the “sharing information” shows, which attempt to explain something the audience may not know about.

“Treasure Island,” he says, “is more along those lines, the latter type of show. And it’s a total blast.”

‘Treasure Island’ is performed on Sunday, Aug. 25, at La Plaza Park, Old Redwood Hwy and West Sierra Ave., Cotati. 2pm; and Thursday, Sept. 5, at Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley. 7pm. All shows are free with a $20 suggested donation. Sfmt.org.

West is Best

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West is Best

The term “cosmic American music” refers to a musical crossroads where country, folk and rock collide in a glorious psychedelia-kissed pileup.

So it goes on Way Out West, Marty Stuart’s latest studio effort produced by Fleetwood Mac (and former Heartbreakers) guitarist Mike Campbell. The deep-and-rich mystique of California culture provided a fount of inspiration for these 15 songs that found the Mississippi native taking his cracker-jack backing band, the Fabulous Superlatives, to the storied Capitol Records recording studio in Los Angeles to record a good chunk of the record. It’s a project that Stuart knew he needed to create on the Left Coast.

“Everything that came out of California captivated my kid-mind in Mississippi,” says Stuart. “[Way Out West] started with a song called ‘Mexico’ and the idea was that I wanted to capture a mood that was cinematic and reflected the space you experience out in the Mojave Desert. It would reflect that kind of openness with a little bit of a psychedelic touch to it. I also knew that I’d have a better shot of getting that kind of cinematic sound that I was looking for in California.”

With Way Out West produced, Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives are now on the road. And while Stuart’s deep ties to country music include cutting his teeth playing with bluegrass legend Lester Flatt as a mandolin-playing teen prodigy and later getting hired to help anchor Cash’s band, Stuart is eager to spread the gospel of American roots music. With the sophistication with which he and his Fabulous Superlatives play, the just-turned-60-year-old singer-songwriter welcomes the challenge of bringing fellow believers into the fold by way of a well-placed, live-music experience.

“I think there’s a time in every band’s life where they end up in a [creative] place where they’re at their peak if you go see them play live,” Stuart says.

“I think that time is happening right now for the Fabulous Superlatives, and it’s certainly giving us motivation to live up to the band’s name,” he says, noting that after touring as headliners, the group will open for Steve Miller this summer. “We’re introducing ourselves and our music to a new audience as well as inviting our old friends to come along, so that’s the mission at hand.”

Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives open for Steve Miller Band on Sunday, Aug. 25, at the Oxbow River Stage, McKinstry St., Napa. 6pm. $60 and up. Oxbowriverstage.com.

Out on a Limb

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Out on a Limb

Keep on Truckin’? PG&E tree trimming contracts have attracted a “gold rush” of out of state workers.

Angwin’s Kellie Anderson had been battling the ever-expanding vines of Napa County for years when the 2017 wildfires struck. Now the former county agricultural biologist has a new, but familiar foe in her nearby beloved forests of ponderosa pine and ephemeral streams: PG&E.

Anderson’s been raising an alarm over what she says is the utility’s over-zealous post-fire program of vegetation removal around power lines. “My concern is that the tree-clearing seems incredibly aggressive,” she says. Trees that have been pruned, she says, are left standing “in such a damaged state that they’re likely to fall over and die.”

The investor-owned utility, through its go-to contractor, Davey Tree, has hired dozens of out-of-state tree companies to come to the North Bay and trim vegetation around its power lines. The utility’s lack of vegetation removal was held to be the culprit in most of the mega-wildfire activity that’s occurred in California over the past couple of years.

Anderson says they’re overdoing it, at least in Angwin, and that PG&E is creating all sorts of unresolved issues in the aftermath of its pruning: What happens to trees that she says have been pruned to death? As its contractors clear canopies and exposes shaded forest floor to the sun is PG&E creating a greater risk for future wildfires?

“I’ve spent my life up here working on and looking at the forest,” says Anderson. “We are seeing trees that are left next to the power lines clearly die very quickly.” In clearing around the power lines, the tree removal firms, she says, have left the remaining trees exposed and vulnerable, as she describes “swaths of clearing around the power lines that leaves trees around the sides.”

Those trees, she says, are doomed. The contractors, she says, have created a 50-foot wide clearing down to dirt, using excavators to remove downed trees.

Anderson’s especially concerned about recent vegetation removal in and around Conn Creek, an ephemeral waterway that runs through Angwin that’s dry during much of the year. Despite what she says are ample warnings to the workers—blue flagging on trees indicate a watercourse—the contractors rolled through here with their diesel-powered tractors.

It’s a seasonal creek, but that shouldn’t give subcontractors the green light to run their equipment over the dry bed. She charges that the utility’s subcontractors “savagely logged a power line” that goes to a few houses. In doing so, they created potential future erosion-control problems, she says.

Anderson also raised her concerns about Conn Creek with the state’s Fish and Wildlife division but didn’t get any satisfaction. “They thought the damage to the creek channel was not extensive enough to go after it,” she says. Had they written it up as a violation, the county district attorney would have been in a position to enforce it and, she says, save the creek from further damage. There’s a denuded hillside nearby that she’s worried about. “With coming rains, it will erode into the creek channel with debris, mud, silt and is highly altered.”

With all this post-wildfire activity swirling around her, Anderson has contacted PG&E with a few asks: Please remove downed trees without driving heavy equipment through the creek. Stay off the steep slopes. Minimize soil disturbances to protect the watershed and remaining tree canopy.

Karen Weiss is a senior environmental supervisor with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and is responsible for assessing habitat conservation in the North Bay counties. She says a warden from the agency’s enforcement division visited the Conn Creek following Anderson’s complaint and that PG&E’s subcontractors did not have the proper permit to work in the creek-bed, nor had they notified Fish and Wildlife, as required. Moving forward, says Weiss, PG&E would need to provide a notification that they’d be working in a creek bed.

“When they do any work within the creek or through the creek, on at a minimum they have to contact us. PG&E is on notice about it. We have an ongoing relationship with them about ongoing vegetation removal.”

Anderson sketches a post-wildfire scene in Angwin and parts of Napa where what’s being called a “gold rush” is apparently underway. There are trucks everywhere and a seemingly endless number of trees in need of pruning.

She’s counted some two-dozen out-of-state license plates, from Arkansas to Kansas, and ticks off the array of heavy equipment that’s arrived on scene—grapple trucks, bucket trucks, skip-loaders, bobcats and burly excavators. All this equipment, which arrived on the heels of state and federal emergency declarations, has her further concerned about the potential for out-of-state invaders such as gypsy moths coming in with the trucks and staying. The emergency declaration, she says, has created a bizarre and unresolved regulatory disconnect when it comes to inspections of agriculture-related vehicles or their passengers.

“When people want to launch a boat in a body of water here, you have to get an Asian zebra mussel sticker,” she notes. “Why do we let logging trucks from other states come here without any verification that they’ve been inspected for pests?”

Following the 2017 wildfires, Anderson describes the scene in Napa as somewhere between the Grapes of Wrath and the California Gold Rush. She says she’s seen firsthand how, in an effort to get its vegetation-clearance up to par, PG&E has poorly managed the subcontractors that are brought and deployed by the company’s go-to tree removal firm, Davey Tree. “We know that the standards that are employed by these subcontractors from across the country varies wildly,” she observes. When it comes to the power-line clearing, she claims that there’s “no standard width, no standard practice for cleanliness of these sites once they’re done.”

It’s up to the residents, she says, to curtail any over-zealous pruning. “If somebody says, ‘I don’t want that,’ they’ll get the minimum,” she says. “They are responsive if you are there.” But if you’re a vineyard owner, she notes, “they’re just coming through, and people are not looking out for the big D9 bulldozers that are pushing brush into piles.”

The upshot for Anderson is PG&E is doing more harm than good in Angwin. “This is reducing PG&E’s liability but to turn around and say, ‘this is making your community safer, firewise,’ we just don’t believe it.”

PG&E defends its practices. “PG&E is taking steps every day to improve the safety and reliability of our electric system, which serves nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California,” says North Bay PG&E spokesperson Deanne Contreras. “This includes working together with our customers and communities to manage vegetation that is located near power lines and could pose a safety concern.”

PG&E’s service area includes more than 100 million trees with the potential to grow or fall into overhead power lines, she says. Every year, PG&E inspects almost 100,000 miles of overhead electric power lines, she says.

The utility has expanded its practices since the fires, she says. “This includes addressing vegetation that poses a higher potential for wildfire risk in high fire-threat areas (like Conn Creek). This work is one of many additional precautionary measures implemented following the 2017 and 2018 wildfires as part of our comprehensive Community Wildfire Safety Program.”

The enhanced management program, she says, includes “removing hazardous vegetation such as dead or dying trees that pose a potential risk to the lines, trimming vegetation around lower voltage secondary lines to prevent damage, when needed, and evaluating the condition of trees that may need to be addressed if they are tall enough to strike the lines.”

In response to Anderson’s charge that they’re trimming far too much from healthy trees, Contreras notes that while the utility has always removed dead branches overhanging the lines as required by law, now they’re removing branches “before they die or break off and fall into the lines.” All their tree-trimmers under contract, she says, are required to follow California OSHA regulations and other safety measure “to perform line clearance work safely near high-voltage lines.” She says there’s about 3,500 contractors and subcontractors currently at work doing vegetation removal around the state. “If there is a concern, we’ll address it. This important safety work is to help keep customers and their neighborhoods safe.”

Deplorable Dems

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California’s attempt to keep Donald Trump off the state presidential ballot in 2020 is as misguided as it is cowardly.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill recently that would require any candidate for president to release their federal tax returns as a condition of being on the state ballot for president. The bill is squarely targeted at the Great Tweeter, President Donald Trump.

Trump has infamously and steadfastly refused to release his returns, bucking more than 40 years of tradition that’s seen presidents back to Nixon release their IRS returns for public scrutiny. California’s trying to enshrine a federal tradition into state law to deny Trump a place on the California ticket in 2020. That’s a terrible idea.

Regardless of one’s views on Trump, he’s under no legal obligation to release his tax returns. Any successful attempt to force him to do so could provide a precedent for other states when confronted with candidates who aren’t to the general liking of the public there. In short, it’s voter suppression swaddled in the rhetoric of transparency.

In targeting a candidate, the proposed law is basically a broad-stroke attempt to deny people a choice that, like it or not, they have every right to make.

Trump already made great hay out of his conjecture that he would have won California in 2016 were it not for millions of votes cast by immigrants. Are state leaders actually worried that if Trump’s on the ballot, he might take California in 2020? That seems unlikely. The state overwhelmingly supported the Democrat candidate in 2016.

So why not just let a statewide trouncing of Trump commence, unimpeded by efforts to keep him off the ballot simply because he’s a racist pig? The state’s being sued over the bill by California Republicans who see it for what it is: a flagrant attempt to suppress the vote of deplorables. Good for them. It’s a dumb law.

As with the impeachment imbroglio in Congress, the California bill is premised less on demonstrable crimes and misdemeanors (though those are piling up) and more on a sense of rolling revulsion that this clown got elected in the first place. In passing its candidate-suppression law, California’s one-party regime has shown what unchecked power can bring with it, and in doing so, violated the first rule when it comes to confronting a bully: Don’t make a victim of him.

Tom Gogola is news editor of the ‘Bohemian.’ We welcome your contribution. To have your topical essay of 350 words considered for publication, write op*****@******an.com.

SMARTs

To balance the negativity in last week's letters, I'd like to say I've been taking the SMART train three days a week for over a year from Cotati to San Rafael. I love it—from the views of green hills in the winter and spring to the air conditioning in the hot summer. Going through the marshlands offers great birdwatching,...
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Page Turner

Perhaps the most mislabeled entertainment genre is what we refer to as "reality TV." The belief that anything can be real in the presence of cameras is misleading at best and downright deceitful at worst. That's one of the themes at work in Karen Zacarias' The Book Club Play, 6th Street Playhouse's season opener running now on the newly christened...
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Taste of Learnin’

If you're reading this in print, while it's fresh on the newsstands, you're probably not lounging around in some desert while electronic dance music beats down your tympanic membrane. So, what to do when the rest of your cohort is away, getting burned out at Black Rock? Go wine tasting. But not just anywhere. Attend the best wine tasting...
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Aug. 24-25: See Art & Seafood in Bodega

A tradition now 25 years in the making, the Bodega Seafood, Art & Wine Festival has something for everyone. The festival features tons of delicious grub, over 40 wineries and breweries and entertainment for all ages. This year’s headlining performers include David Luning and the Sun Kings, and Captain Jack Spareribs returns to leave audiences in stitches. The festival...
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Aug. 25: Artistic Insights in Santa Rosa

In addition to opening with a reception, the Museum of Sonoma County’s new exhibit, “Tierra de Rosas,” is the subject of a special gallery talk by artist Maria de Los Angeles. The exhibition features her original drawings, paintings, prints and fashion pieces, including works created in collaboration with local students. De Los Angeles offers keen insight into her work...
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Fall Arts Guide 2019

It's that time again; the season for jack-o-lanterns, raking leaves, feasts, gatherings and a bounty of entertainment throughout the North Bay. From Labor Day to Thanksgiving, there are huge music festivals, live theater productions, festive art fairs and much more happening in Sonoma and Napa counties. You can't do it all, but our annual Fall Arts Guide lays it...
Read more

Treasure Trove

A ‌piratical new traveling show from an iconic political theater company sails into the North Bay this season for a pair of provocative performances in public parks, spotlighting the “free” in freebooter while putting the “buck” back in buccaneer. “It’s definitely a pirate show, with sword fights and sea shanties and everything,” explains Daniel Savio, the lyricist for Treasure Island,...
Read more

West is Best

The term "cosmic American music" refers to a musical crossroads where country, folk and rock collide in a glorious psychedelia-kissed pileup. So it goes on Way Out West, Marty Stuart's latest studio effort produced by Fleetwood Mac (and former Heartbreakers) guitarist Mike Campbell. The deep-and-rich mystique of California culture provided a fount of inspiration for these 15 songs that found...
Read more

Out on a Limb

Keep on Truckin'? PG&E tree trimming contracts have attracted a "gold rush" of out of state workers. Angwin's Kellie Anderson had been battling the ever-expanding vines of Napa County for years when the 2017 wildfires struck. Now the former county agricultural biologist has a new, but familiar foe in her nearby beloved forests of ponderosa pine and ephemeral streams:...
Read more

Deplorable Dems

California’s attempt to keep Donald Trump off the state presidential ballot in 2020 is as misguided as it is cowardly. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill recently that would require any candidate for president to release their federal tax returns as a condition of being on the state ballot for president. The bill is squarely targeted at the Great...
Read more
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