When will humans, in their ignorance, stupidity and denial, ever truly realize that they have
been the main cause of climate change? Overpopulation is rarely mentioned as the primary
cause of extreme weather events globally and many other problems. We hippies tried to warn
everyone a long time ago.
I chose surgical, permanent contraception in 1974. It is too late now for our small individual efforts to make any real difference for change. However, we should still take those individual actions to mitigate the inevitable disastrous environmental effects.
Barbara Daugherty
Santa Rosa
Them Dems
I will not give ONE MORE RED CENT to the Dem prez race (or even down-ballot ones) until we have a ticket that can do the job. Get some cojones, Dems: OPEN CONVENTION! Excitement! An incredible deep bench of candidates that could drown out DJT!
I am a big fan of Joe Biden’s. He has been a superb public servant and a wonderful, effective president. But he promised us he would be a “bridge,” remember?
Well, bridge time has come! This race is indeed existential for the America we know and love.
Anne Dorsey
Sausalito
Ridin’ With Biden
I am going to vote for Biden. I am doing so because Dems do not have enough time to field a viable candidate. Republicants will destroy the Constitution. The Oval Office will be a true Russia-style office. There are so many other reasons. Lastly and more importantly, the alternative is so much worse.
Gary Sciford
Santa Rosa
Editor’s Note: The letters above and the cartoon were filed before the assassination attempt on Donald Trump on Saturday, July 13, 2024.
Of the 99.99% of local bands that aspire to be touring national and international acts playing arenas and amphitheaters, only the remaining 0.01% make it through to the big leagues of rock and roll stardom.
While many amazing bands from Sonoma County were destined to break away from the Santa Rosa music scene, one band continually pushed the envelope into uncharted musical territories.
If you went to nightclubs in Sonoma County during the ’90s, chances are you saw the band Mason Lane. Along with other name acts that headlined shows in the area, such as Disciples Of Ed, Victims Family, Grand Junction, and The Louies, the band was a strong headliner who drew countless musicians to its often packed shows.
Unlike much of their contemporaries, Mason Lane — Paul Spina (drums), Joe Shaughnessy (bass), Jason Thwaites (guitar), and Will Evankovich (vocals, guitar) — drew from a mixed bag of influences as evidenced by their frenetic music and well-executed live shows. However, it was ultimately frontman Will Evankovich who recently won a lottery of sorts when he was asked to join classic rock pioneers Styx.
Those who had the great fortune of catching the FM radio giants at the Toyota Pavilion in Concord (also their only Northern California show) a week or so ago with Foreigner and John Waite were treated to an earful and then some. With a set list covering several decades, Styx fans were treated to the band’s biggest hits such as “Lady,” “Too Much Time On My Hands,” “Come Sail Away,” “The Best Of Times,” and Mr. Roboto” in addition to the newer “Crash Of The Crown” and some awe-inspiring ‘Grand Illusion’ album cuts.
For those not in the know, the band played a Monday makeup show for their previously scheduled Saturday gig, which was canceled due to numerous electrical malfunctions during an especially trying heatwave. Rather than outright canceling, Styx made good with their followers and returned just days later and drove through the night from Bend, Oregon, to give the fans exactly what they wanted: A real rock show replete with all the bells and whistles.
And while all eyes were glued to core members Tommy Shaw (vocals/guitar) and James “JY” Young (vocals/guitar) along with ace drummer Todd Sucherman, it was obvious their second guitarist, Will Evankovich, could sing and hang with the best of them even though much younger. Rounding out the band was the newest member, Terry Gowan (bass), and longtime road dog, Lawrence Gowan (keys/guitars).
We caught up with Will, who had just returned home to Nashville mere days after their Concord show.
Local hero Will Evankovich at a recent Styx show.
Bohemian: When did you originally join the band, and how? How long did it take for you to join Styx full-time after that?
Will Evankovich: I began working with Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades in early 2007 to tour and support Shaw Blade’s “Influence” album. I worked on and off for many more years with that ensemble. I eventually formed a writing partnership with Tommy Shaw and, in 2010, I produced his solo bluegrass record “The Great Divide.” That is also when we began writing songs that would end up being part of Styx’s “The Mission” (2017)release. It was a concept album about a journey to space and was the band’s first release in 14 years. As I produced and co-wrote the record, I forged a relationship with the rest of the Styx guys. I worked concurrently with The Guess Who as a vocalist and lead guitar player for seven years. Additionally, I co-produced and co-wrote a record with them titled “The Future Is What It Used To Be” (2018). Styx and I continued to write another record dubbed “The Crash of the Crown,” which debuted at number one on Billboard’s top rock albums of 2021. Post-pandemic, and with the return of Styx touring looming, they finally offered me a full-time position as a guitarist, backing vocalist, and music director. I’ve officially been with Styx for over three years.
Bohemian: How many shows have you been playing fora year now? Is a new Styx record forthcoming?
Will Evankovich: Since I joined Styx, we have averaged about 100 shows a year. We have a vast collection of songs we have been working on and are closing in on officially recording the new album sometime at the end of this year. No working title as of yet.
Bohemian: Are there any other projects you are working on as a producer or musician?
Will Evankovich: Ironically, there is an American Drag album just about finished, we are just waiting on the right time to release it. Also, I occasionally get together with the Mason Lane guys as they are some of my best friends. We have a handful of pieces we never recorded and even some new things we would like to release someday for the sheer prog rock of it!
Remember when we perceived reality through the visceral experience of bodies and senses? Yep. It’s difficult to recall a time when our experiences weren’t mitigated by a screen, and our decisions anticipated by an algorithm or a veritable alphabet soup of AI to VR weren’t conspiring to drown out our self-conception as humans. Fortunately, there’s help.
Imagine an evening that awakens the senses through the synergy of art, nature and gourmet cuisine. Too much to ask? Go for it—YOLO, right? This is the promise of VISCERĀLIS, the latest offering from JAD Experience, an event series that immerses audiences in an experience like no other.
Hosted at Tara Firma Farms in Petaluma over two weekends (July 12–14 and July 19–21), VISCERĀLIS offers a much-needed antidote to our tech-saturated lives, as it emphasizes visceral reality over the many virtual distractions that define our contemporary lives.
The event begins with a transformative dining experience crafted from locally sourced, regeneratively grown food. This sets the stage for an open-air ballet choreographed by Julia Adam, a former San Francisco Ballet principal. Adam and her elite corps of dancers will perform against the backdrop of sweeping hillside views, fostering a deep connection between the audience, the community and the natural environment.
JAD Experience is the brainchild of Julia Adam and her husband, Aaron Lucich, a producer, farmer, rancher and agricultural activist. This dynamic duo has combined their passions and talents to create a series of events that highlight the importance of reconnecting with nature and each other. Now in its 11th season, JAD Experience continues to evolve, with Tara Firma Farms serving as its home for the past six years.
“My initial desire to move out of the constraints of the opera house and urban settings 11 years ago is now even more relevant,” said Adam. “Walking on cement with screens in our hands, losing our connection to the earth and each other confirms that what we do is needed now more than ever.”
Lucich adds, “The further we get from our connection to the soil, the more isolated we become. This disconnect might even drive our obsession with technology. JAD Experience provides a much-needed remedy.”
Each evening begins with a multi-course, farm-to-table feast served family-style, featuring transparently sourced food from Sonoma and Marin counties. Lucich, who produces the proteins on site, leads a diverse team in navigating the six-night culinary adventure.
The menu also offers robust alternatives for vegetarians and vegans, as well as beer, wine and house-made non-alcoholic drinks.
After dinner, guests will gather with steaming cups of sipping hot chocolate and bone broth (presumably as two separate beverages) at the open-air stage for the world premiere of VISCERĀLIS. Julia Adam’s team of dancers will interpret her unique storytelling style, which incorporates spoken word, song and exploration beyond the fourth wall, fostering a deeper connection to each other and the world around us.
A limited number of tickets are now on sale for the six evenings of ‘VISCERĀLIS,’ which runs 5:30 to 10pm, July 12–14, and July 19–21, at Tara Firma Farms, 3796 I St., Petaluma. Tickets are available for $200, $250 and $300 at JADexperience.com.
Much is expected of the California voter. In any election year, we may be asked to dust off our labor lawyer hats, brush up on oil and gas regulations, reacquaint ourselves with decades of tax policy or analyze infrastructure funding.
We may have to weigh the moral pros and cons of capital punishment, marriage equality or pig protection and—over and over again—oversee all things dialysis clinic.
This November, voters will decide the fate of 10 thorny policy proposals, including crime, health care, rent control and taxes. This year, there were far more last-minute changes than usual.
Five measures were withdrawn by their proponents in deals with lawmakers, and another was kicked off the ballot by the state’s highest court. And Gov. Gavin Newsom scrapped a crime measure at the last minute.
But on the final day possible, legislators added two bond issues, one for climate action and another for school construction. The 2024 ballot will be more crowded than the 2022 ballot, which had seven measures, the fewest in more than a century.
After months of signature gathering, litigating and legislative wrangling, the final list of measures on the Nov. 5 ballot is set. The Legislature directed the Secretary of State’s office to assign numbers to several, and the office set the others. (Reminder: Prop. 1 was Newsom’s mental health measure narrowly passed in March.)
What’s on the November Ballot?
Proposition 2: Borrow $10 billion to build schools. Legislative Democrats put on the ballot a bond issue to give $8.5 billion to K-12 schools and $1.5 billion to community colleges for construction and modernization.
Proposition 3: Reaffirm the right of same-sex couples to marry. This constitutional amendment from the Legislature would remove outdated language from Proposition 8, passed by voters in 2008, that characterizes marriage as being between a man and a woman.
Proposition 4: Borrow $10 billion for climate programs. Legislative Democrats also placed a bond issue on the ballot that includes $3.8 billion for drinking water and groundwater, $1.5 billion for wildfire and forest programs and $1.2 billion for sea level rise. In part, the money would offset some budget cuts.
Proposition 5: Lower voter approval requirements for local housing and infrastructure bonds. This constitutional amendment from the Legislature would make it easier for local governments to borrow money for affordable housing and other infrastructure. To avoid opposition from the influential real estate industry, supporters agreed to block bond money from being used to buy single-family homes.
Proposition 6: Limit forced labor in state prisons. Lawmakers added this one late—a constitutional amendment to end indentured servitude in state prisons, considered one of the last remnants of slavery. The California Black Legislative Caucus included the amendment in its reparations bill package.
Proposition 32: Raise the state minimum wage to $18 an hour. This initiative seemed a much bigger deal when it was first proposed in 2021. But under existing law, the overall minimum wage has risen to $16 an hour. And lower-paid workers in two huge industries are getting more: Fast food workers received a $20 an hour minimum on April 1, and health care workers will eventually get $25, though the start date has been pushed back to at least Oct. 15.
Proposition 33: Allow local governments to impose rent controls. This is the latest attempt to roll back a state law that generally prevents cities and counties from limiting rents in properties first occupied after Feb. 1, 1995.
Proposition 34: Require certain health providers to use nearly all revenue from a federal prescription drug program on patient care. Sponsored by the trade group for California’s landlords, this measure is squarely aimed at knee-capping the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which has been active in funding ballot measures (see the rent control one above).
Proposition 35: Make permanent a tax on managed health care insurance plans. This initiative is sponsored by California’s health care industry to raise more money for Medi-Cal and block lawmakers from using the cash to avoid cuts to other programs. The measure would hold Newsom to a promise to permanently secure that tax money for health care for low-income patients.
Proposition 36: Increase penalties for theft and drug trafficking. This initiative may be the most contentious on the ballot. It would partly roll back Proposition 47, which was approved by voters in 2014.
In an age of performers making their name as Instagram influencers and TikTok flavors of the month, Charlie Musselwhite is the equivalent of a landline—steady, reliable and a link to the past.
Born in Mississippi and raised in Memphis, the 78-year-old musician has spent a career dating back to his 1967 debut, Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite’s Southside Band, being a blues standard-bearer.
His journey continues on the recently released Mississippi Son, a stripped-down collection of 14 songs featuring the harmonica player singing and picking up a guitar to present a mix of originals and nuggets originally recorded by an array of storied names, including Yank Rachell, The Stanley Brothers and Charley Patton.
It’s Musselwhite’s first solo outing since moving back to Clarksdale, Mississippi, about a year and a half ago from Geyserville in Sonoma County. Climate change prompted the harp player and his wife/manager, Henrietta Musselwhite, to pull up stakes and return to the Delta.
“We were having the fires (in California) every year,” he explained in a recent phone interview. “The last time, we could see it coming. If the wind hadn’t changed, we might have gotten burned out. We figured it was inevitable that we would at some point, so why wait for that? It was really horrible.”
Mississippi Son came about after Musselwhite started hanging out at friend Gary Vincent’s nearby studio, noodling around on guitar. Before long, Vincent was hitting records, drummer Ricky Martin and upright bassist Barry Bays were recruited, and Mississippi Son was the result.
Fans can expect to hear songs from Mississippi Son and more at the July 20 show at the Luther Burbank Center with Elvin Bishop and Taj Mahal.
“I do some tunes that people request, and I have some new songs they haven’t heard before,” said Musselwhite. “I might even play guitar—who knows? It depends on the situation and how much time I have. A lot of people don’t even know that I play guitar, so that’s a departure. I didn’t even know how people would react to [my playing on Mississippi Son], but it’s just been overwhelming. People are just loving it. I’m happily surprised—it’s a nice thing.”
The Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite Duo open for The Taj Mahal Quintet at 7pm, Saturday, July 20, at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd., Santa Rosa. As noted previously, tickets start at $76.70 and are available at lutherburbankcenter.org/event/taj-mahal24.
Taj Mahal has anecdotes that can go on for days. Given the extraordinary musical life he’s already lived, it’s no surprise.
He got his start in 1964 as a 22-year-old joining forces with a then-17-year-old Ry Cooder to form the cult group, The Rising Sons. This quartet was the only American act invited to be part of the 1968 concert film, The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. He also landed a role acting and composing the score for the 1972 drama, Sounder. And that’s only within the first decade of his 60-year career.
Along the way, Mahal (born Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr.) used his studies in ethnomusicology at the University of Massachusetts as a springboard toward infusing his blues, jazz and gospel influences with myriad musical nuances drawn from reggae, zydeco, country blues, R&B and Caribbean and African music sources that had him creating what became world music before it ever was given that name.
And now his latest outing, “Swingin’ Live at the Church in Tulsa,” found the 81-year-old multi-instrumentalist releasing a set recorded at the Oklahoma studio founded by old friend and influence, the late Leon Russell.
Planning the tour came next, with Mahal taking his longtime quartet—bassist Bill Rich, drummer Kester Smith, guitarist/Hawaiian lap steel player Bobby Ingano—and augmenting it to a sextet with dobro player Rob Ickes and guitarist/vocalist Trey Hensley (Mahal’s upcoming Luther Burbank Center show will be a quintet, however).
“On this tour, what’s going to happen is that it’s going to be the connection and collaboration of the parent music from all the finger picking and all the early American guitar music,” Mahal said with a smile.
The son of an Afro-Caribbean jazz arranger and piano player (his folks were from St. Kitts-Nevis) and a southern educator, the young Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr. benefited from parents who grew up during the Harlem Renaissance and were happy to proudly educate their son about the family’s Caribbean and African ancestry. Much of it was accomplished by exposing him to what was being played on the radio, along with encouraging their progeny to pursue music.
The young musician sated his musical thirst by starting to sing when he was about four or five, followed by piano lessons and then “messing with the clarinet, the trombone and harmonica for a little bit,” he recalled.
And the natural interest he had as a kid evolved into his becoming a sort of Johnny Appleseed of music that’s found him not only learning at the feet of such giants as Muddy Waters, Elizabeth Cotton, Buddy Guy, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Howlin’ Wolf, but becoming a mentor for another generation of younger, Black guitarists, including Keb’ Mo’, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Corey Harris and Guy Davis. It’s a tradition that comes naturally to Mahal and one he gladly embraces.
“Now, I’m looking back at [my path], and it all started with the natural interest of a kid,” he said. “If I had been in a village somewhere in Africa, it wouldn’t have been weird. In this paradigm, you’re supposed to do this or that. There, the old men that are playing the music see the young kid coming up. He’s not close, but he’s standing right there. But they’re not going to go to him. He has to come to the music. You know what I’m saying? I just really enjoyed the music, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to hear so many different kinds of music.”
The Taj Mahal Quintet tops the bill with the Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite Duo, 7pm, Saturday, July 20, at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd., Santa Rosa. Tickets start at $76.70 and are available at lutherburbankcenter.org/event/taj-mahal24.
After a Covid-related postponement, the Raven Players production of Company is now open for business.
The classic Stephen Sondheim and George Furth musical runs in the Playhouse at Windsor High School through July 21.
A smash hit in 1970, the show is a series of musical vignettes in no particular order about human relationships and marriage. The central character, Robert/Bobby (Samuel J. Gleason), is turning 35 and starting to question his bachelorhood. All of his friends are married or in committed relationships and are anxious for him to “settle down.” They all invite him to spend some time with them.
Robert visits Harry (Anthony Martin) and Sarah (Skylar Salz), who spend the evening playfully battling each other. Or are they? When Robert asks Harry if he has any regrets about being married, Harry responds with the song “Sorry/Grateful.”
Then Robert visits Peter (Bohn Connor) and Susan (Crystal Wilson), a seemingly happy couple who, to his surprise, announce they are getting divorced.
A visit with David (Tyler Marques) and Jenny (Alexis Walker) brings a marijuana-induced interrogation as to why Robert isn’t married. Robert isn’t opposed to the idea; he just hasn’t found the right “one” yet.
We meet three women who Robert has dated: April (Ashley Talbot), a charmingly dim-witted stewardess; Kathy (Kelly Devoto), who may actually be the one that got away; and Marta (Sky Hernandez-Simard), a free spirit.
We’re then transported to the wedding day of friends Amy (Molly Larsen-Shine) and Paul (Troy Thomas Evans). They’ve been living together for some time, but they are finally “Getting Married Today.” Or are they?
The second act brings us a deeper look into his relationship with April, a surprising conversation with Peter, and an evening with Larry (Nicholas J. Augusta) and Joanne (Katie Watts-Whitaker) that leads Robert to really confront himself about his situation.0
Director Steven David Martin’s decision to mount Company at the Windsor High Playhouse pays off in terms of the intimacy the space provides and the upgrade in most technical elements. Sound levels were a real issue*, though, with music director Kelly Considine’s three-piece band drowning out many of Sondheim’s lyrics. Thankfully, Shine’s energetic delivery of “Getting Married Today” and Watts-Whitaker’s powerhouse presentation of “Ladies Who Lunch” were highlights of the evening.
The ensemble does nice work, especially in the larger musical numbers and with Michella Moerbeek’s choreography.
There’s a lot to like about this Company.
The Raven Players present ‘Company’ through July 21 in The Playhouse at Windsor High School, 8695 Windsor Rd. Fri–Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm, with a Thur, July 11 show at 7:30pm. $10–$40. 707.433.6335. raventheater.org.
* The company attributes the sound issues at the opening night performance to faulty microphones and states that the issue has been resolved.
For this early summer-time entry, I sought out the summer sound of Echolyptus, my current favorite Santa Rosa band.
I met its members for a smoke-sesh rap-sesh outside their house in Roseland, which contains their rehearsal space and their recording space, Thorn Rose Studios. Their current smoke-sesh lineup includes Jaz Pa!ge, the singer, rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter; Cesar “Crow” Lopez, drummer, recordist and studio engineer; and Kevin Santucci, lead guitar. Their newest member, Ella Hoffman, subs for former bassist Chris Olney.
Currently, Echolyptus is tuning up for a West Coast tour with sludgy Santa Rosa shoe-gazers Ulyssescfm. They also have a new EP. Scan the QR and listen to their sound while skimming this. I recommend “U+Me=Infinity.”
CH: You have a new album. Congratulations. What’s the album name and lead single?
EL: Girl on Rose Avenue and “U+Me=Infinity.” Though people have been digging the groovy dark funk of “Backseat.” We would say the self-titled song, “Girl on Rose Avenue,” holds the energy of the entire EP.
CH: A candidate for SoCo song of the summer. What’s the sound of the album?
EL: We have the flexibility of switching stylistically. The album has the ethereal dreaminess of dream pop but also punk, post-punk, gothic, surf and garage sounds. It’s got a lot of flavors in there!
CH: What are the album’s influences?
EL: B-52’s, The Police, Broadcast, The Sundays, Bam Bam Zounds, The Cranberries.
CH: Doubtless, you will continue to influence others. How was the album written?
EL: Jaz wrote the lyrics and the core rhythm guitar parts, and the band noodled on them until the songs became what they need to be. We give each other notes.
CH: What is the message or the journey of the album?
EL: The songs were written by Jaz between 18 and 26. They hold the energy of pain, anger, feelings of abandonment, self-doubt and grief, processing really difficult friendship and relationship losses and hard breaks.
CH: The struggle, and you can dance to it. What destination does the album arrive at?
EL: A place of accountability, acceptance, self-forgiveness, and the other, self-support and love.
Click here to listen to the whole album. Echolyptus needs more followers and collaborators. They are open to co-writing songs, hopping on bills, recording your stuff at their Thorn Rose Studio and collaborating every which way, especially with musicians in the area and double especially with POC-fronted bands rocking the alt space.
It’s the morning after the so-called first “debate” between a frail-appearing, stuttering President Biden and a railing, ranting former President Trump.
I shudder to think that the oft-cited “American people” might decide the future of our democracy on theater and showmanship?! How can a respectable, dedicated, trustworthy public servant of the U.S.—hailed internationally for his decency and character—come to be pitted against a corrupted, heartless, self-aggrandizing, truth-evading, delusional demagogue and convicted criminal in the first place? How is American mainstream media buying into, promoting, dignifying and normalizing a false equivalency between two fundamentally different candidates?
And talk about bully pulpits: Trump uses his pulpit literally to bully, harass, divide, lie and cheat with impunity. Biden uses his pulpit to promote a vision and policies aimed at protecting and evolving our democracy. Without real-time fact-checking (disastrous) and Biden’s mic under CNN’s control, he had too short a time to address complex questions, so the network helped elevate the bully’s pulpit.
Besides enabling false equivalencies, ageism reigns as daily gossip and conjecture about age as being essentially detrimental. Little illumination is given to its gifts of experience, competence, resilience and wisdom.
Yes, 81-year-old Biden showed up taxed to the max: sick, unrested—cold meds? He seemed to grapple with details and rehearsed arguments, including his administration’s policy achievements and goals, facts and accurate numbers. He was not grounded. He was in his foggy head. It took him a while to settle in, to respond instead of react.
Meanwhile, DJT was in his 24/7 singular reality tunnel, spewing his toxic mix of exaggeration, fabrication, angry epithets, denials, delusions and fascistic aspirations. Sadly, Biden, champion of democracy, wasn’t up to countering the sheer audacity and insanity of Trump.
Millions of “fellow” Americans think a louder, bombastic, bullying, “confident” Trump won a debate. Biden was physically down, softer spoken, stumbling to establish a foothold in the swamp. However, a debate is meant to be a respectful, civil presentation of divergent ideas and factual information. We witnessed an altercation between a legitimate debater and a schoolyard bully.
Will we, “the American people,” reduce the seriousness of what these two men represent for our nation’s future to a performance contest? Which bully pulpit will win?
Marcia Singer, MSW is a mindful living coach and columnist in Santa Rosa.
Where’s America? Has America become a nation of grifters and grifter wannabes? How come we appear to be in thrall to a bloated flatulent blowhard whose criminal record is at least three looooong arms’ lengths?
Cheater (he even cheats at golf!). Volcanic liar. Sexual abuser. A guy who stiffs workers. A guy who trained at the feet of Roy Cohn, and then deserted him when he was dying of AIDS? An insurrectionist. Election denier. So this morally vacuous excuse for a human being (assuming your moral sensibilities are just north of an alley cat’s) is now poised to become president of the United States of America? AGAIN?
Look in the mirror, America! We have been shucked and jived and rolled. We are an idiot polity. We need to wise up. Otherwise, SHAME ON US!
Anne Dorsey
Sausalito
Corrections Dept.
In a recent story on tennis instructor Brent Zeller (“Tennis, Everyone,” Pacific Sun, June 26, 2024), the original subheadline inaccurately depicted his efforts. Instead, “Celebrating 50 Years Creating a Physically & Psychologically Healthier Way to Learn,” would have been preferred. We regret the error. Read Zeller’s book, Evolutionary Education—Beyond Competition, and visit evolutionaryeducation.com.
Blame Game
When will humans, in their ignorance, stupidity and denial, ever truly realize that they have
been the main cause of climate change? Overpopulation is rarely mentioned as the primary
cause of extreme weather events globally and many other problems. We hippies tried to warn
everyone a long time ago.
I chose surgical, permanent contraception in 1974. It is too late now for...
Santa Rosa's Own Will Evankovich on joining Styx
Of the 99.99% of local bands that aspire to be touring national and international acts playing arenas and amphitheaters, only the remaining 0.01% make it through to the big leagues of rock and roll stardom.
While many amazing bands from Sonoma County were destined to break away from the Santa Rosa music...
Remember when we perceived reality through the visceral experience of bodies and senses? Yep. It’s difficult to recall a time when our experiences weren’t mitigated by a screen, and our decisions anticipated by an algorithm or a veritable alphabet soup of AI to VR weren't conspiring to drown out our self-conception as humans. Fortunately, there’s help.
Imagine an evening that...
Much is expected of the California voter. In any election year, we may be asked to dust off our labor lawyer hats, brush up on oil and gas regulations, reacquaint ourselves with decades of tax policy or analyze infrastructure funding.
We may have to weigh the moral pros and cons of capital punishment, marriage equality or pig protection and—over and...
In an age of performers making their name as Instagram influencers and TikTok flavors of the month, Charlie Musselwhite is the equivalent of a landline—steady, reliable and a link to the past.
Born in Mississippi and raised in Memphis, the 78-year-old musician has spent a career dating back to his 1967 debut, Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite’s Southside Band,...
Taj Mahal has anecdotes that can go on for days. Given the extraordinary musical life he’s already lived, it’s no surprise.
He got his start in 1964 as a 22-year-old joining forces with a then-17-year-old Ry Cooder to form the cult group, The Rising Sons. This quartet was the only American act invited to be part of the 1968 concert...
After a Covid-related postponement, the Raven Players production of Company is now open for business.
The classic Stephen Sondheim and George Furth musical runs in the Playhouse at Windsor High School through July 21.
A smash hit in 1970, the show is a series of musical vignettes in no particular order about human relationships and marriage. The central character, Robert/Bobby (Samuel...
For this early summer-time entry, I sought out the summer sound of Echolyptus, my current favorite Santa Rosa band.
I met its members for a smoke-sesh rap-sesh outside their house in Roseland, which contains their rehearsal space and their recording space, Thorn Rose Studios. Their current smoke-sesh lineup includes Jaz Pa!ge, the singer, rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter; Cesar “Crow”...
It’s the morning after the so-called first “debate” between a frail-appearing, stuttering President Biden and a railing, ranting former President Trump.
I shudder to think that the oft-cited “American people” might decide the future of our democracy on theater and showmanship?! How can a respectable, dedicated, trustworthy public servant of the U.S.—hailed internationally for his decency and character—come to be...
Off the Map
Where’s America? Has America become a nation of grifters and grifter wannabes? How come we appear to be in thrall to a bloated flatulent blowhard whose criminal record is at least three looooong arms’ lengths?
Cheater (he even cheats at golf!). Volcanic liar. Sexual abuser. A guy who stiffs workers. A guy who trained at the feet of...
