Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals’ Lifeline: Recorded in a Paris studio over a mere seven days without the help of Pro Tools or any digital mumbo jumbo, this latest album from the Claremont groovester is raw, untreated, and vintage Harper. Using sound checks during their recent European tour as time for pre-album practicing, Harper and band show that they’re at their very best when simply making the neo-blues rock they’ve become world famous for.
Guaranteeing the working man (and woman) a much-needed three-day weekend, Labor Day provides the ideal opportunity to head to the beach, kick back a beer, and soak up the last few sunny rays of summer. And, if you’re looking to add some music, eats, or outdoor activities to your day of rest, check out the Labor Day celebrations taking place all weekend long.
When it comes to the settings of classic detective stories, Santa Barbara doesn’t instantly spring to mind as offering a suitable web of intrigue. Yet for Ross Macdonald, the goings on in this seaside city provided the inspiration for what would become one of America’s celebrated series of detective novels. Macdonald-actually a pseudonym employed by longtime Santa Barbara resident Kenneth Millar-lived here with his wife, writer Margaret Millar, between 1946 and 1983.
Forartist Brian Chandler, what began as a 10-year-old’s interest in fire has become his life’s work. Now a professional solar carving artist, Chandler-known around town as Solar B-initially drew inspiration from the character Piggy using the lenses of his glasses to start a fire in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.
They are easy to miss for most of the year, but right now these native shrubs are laden with a bounty of purple fruits. Western elderberry (Sambucus mexicana) bushes grow in almost any situation. They naturally occur along creeks and at the edges of hard chaparral in the foothills. They are also very adaptable to garden situations from full sun to partial shade.
Here’s a little multiple-choice scenario: You’re a smart, successful, sexy woman with more than a little bit of cash to burn (oh, would that it were true). Do you {a} snap up that delicious pair of Jimmy Choos you’ve been drooling over; {b} invest the dough in your 401(k), the stock market, or some other fiscally responsible repository of which your accountant would wholeheartedly approve; or {c} purchase for yourself a man?
As NancyBell Coe sits in her spacious office at Miraflores, the shockingly lovely 10-acre garden estate that is home to the Music Academy of the West, I notice that the third-year president of the academy is gently bouncing on a large, black, rubber ball that doubles as a desk chair. It was a particularly good day for her; 140 of the most talented young musicians in the world were about to show up and become her houseguests.
The Zaca Fire may nearly be contained, but its effects continue to burn one beloved landmark. Though Cold Spring Tavern, located at 5995 Stagecoach Road, was closed for only one week, business continues to take a huge hit. July and August, generally the tavern’s best months, were essentially lost, and it’s in need of our support.
“There are two ways to see Hawai’i,” a friend once told me. “One, you get off the plane, strip down to your bathing suit in your hotel room and spend a week down at the pool, reading well-written contemporary trash that has absolutely nothing to do with Hawai’i. Two, explore these amazing islands and learn from the Hawaiian people.”
Singer/songwriter Palmer was approached by Zach Madden and Mike Echternacht of Corporate Nightmare Records in 2005 to do a solo album, but came up with a band name too awesome to pass up for a solo career.
