This edition of ON Culture was originally emailed to subscribers on May 9, 2025. To receive Leslie Dinaberg’s arts newsletter in your inbox on Fridays, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.
ON the Stage
MCA Santa Barbara has been crushing it lately with their live events, including mini-concerts with Los Tranquilos and Valgur. Now they’ve got something really special up their sleeves: Juneteenth with Jon Boogz. Coming our way on Thursday, June 19, is a just-announced performance featuring live dance, short film screenings, and a Q&A with the lovely and creative Jon Boogz, moderated by his frequent collaborator, the world renowned street dance artist Lil Buck. I had the pleasure of trailing around with these two during their UCSB Arts & Lectures residency last fall, along with Indy photographer and MCASB board member Ingrid Bostrom, who helped arrange this special appearance (read our cover feature here), and you are definitely in for a treat! Click here for tickets and more details.
Comic legend Albert Brooks is paying a visit to the Lobero on May 29, accompanied by special guest host Kevin Pollak. Brooks, the filmmaker behind some of my all-time favorite movies — Broadcast News, Defending Your Life, Lost in America — is sure to deliver an evening of wit and insight as he discusses the artistry that has made him such a beloved figure in entertainment. (Click here for tickets)
Another legend, the late David Crosby, is the focus of a beautiful tribute at the Granada on May 24. Locals and Legends: Celebrating The Music of David Crosby is a collaboration between the Granada, Santa Barbara Records, and The Santa Barbara Symphony, coming together to showcase an exceptional lineup of artists, including Glen Phillips, Chris and John Beland, Shawn Thies, Jonathan Firey, and Kathleen Sieck, joined by an all-star band and the Santa Barbara Symphony, under Music and Artistic Director Nir Kabaretti, performing David Crosby’s iconic songs and original works from some of the region’s finest musicians. Also featured are special guests who have played pivotal roles in Crosby’s musical legacy. James Raymond, Crosby’s son and longtime musical collaborator, and Steve Postell, Crosby’s music director and guitarist, will take the stage to perform some of the legendary musician’s most beloved songs. Vocalists Miriam Dance and Lois Mahalia will lend their powerful voices, adding new depth to Crosby’s timeless catalog. Click here for tickets.
We had an amuse-bouche of the Santa Barbara Bowl season with April’s Avett Brothers show (review here), but the concerts are really in full swing starting next week. First up in this month’s lineup is two nights of James Taylor (May 13-14), followed by Jack White (May 15), two nights of Khruangbin (May 21-22), and then Justice on May 23. And the calendar keeps filling up from there, with recent announcements of The Marías (July 19), the Mariachi Festival (August 2), Maren Morris (August 3), Slightly Stoopid and Iration (August 17), Mac DeMarco (September 29), and Haim (October 11).
I must have personally channeled that last one while watching the incredible sisters of Larkin Poe a couple of Sundays ago at the Arlington (courtesy of A&L, see Joe Woodard’s review here), because the Haim sisters have long been on my wish list. I can’t wait to finally see them live.
ON the (Big) Screen
I popped into the Illuminate Film Festival last weekend to see the beautiful short film Circle of Grace, a truly creative work of art from the imagination of the incredible Grace Fisher. The film not only chronicles her amazing life, but her visual art work is featured and she composed the score — painstakingly using a paintbrush attached to an apparatus in her mouth. The festival also awarded Grace with the Local Luminary Award.
Joe Woodard has an in-depth report on the Illuminate Film Festival here, and if you missed out, you didn’t completely miss out, because the Illuminate Virtual Film Festival has films currently screening through Sunday, May 11. See illuminatefilmfestival.com/virtual-festival for details.
Also on the festival front, our friends at SBIFF are always busy. Here’s the latest on the new film center from Ryan P. Cruz. In addition, the dates are locked in for the 2026 Santa Barbara Film Festival, which will take place February 4-15 using the gorgeous new film center, which should be complete by then. Also happening (with passes on sale here) July 11-17 is the French Wave Film Festival at the Riviera Theatre, with a lineup that includes: Jim’s Story (Le roman de Jim), The Marching Band (En fanfare), Meet The Barbarians (Les barbares), Souleymane’s Story (L’histoire de Souleymane), and Three Friends (Trois amies). Click here for more information about the films.
ON the (Small) Screen
Sex and the City was on at such a pivotal time in my life, so much so that even though the more contemporary spin-off doesn’t quite have the same dazzle as the original, I’m still a fan. Here’s a look at the trailer for And Just Like That, which returns to Max on May 29.
ON the Calendar
The Santa Barbara Gay Men’s Chorus returns to the Lobero on Monday, May 12th, for its spring concert, Fight and Flight. This evening embraces both sides of the classic survival response with a wide range of music from the 1950s to present day. From Sinatra’s classic “Fly me to the Moon” to Rachel Platten’s anthem “Fight Song,” the concert features pop, rock, folk, and musical theater. “I wanted to go with a program that shows strength and hope in these days when everything seems so chaotic,” said Artistic Director Timothy Accurso. “We’ve been so thankful for our community’s support, and I hope this concert will re-energize you and lift you up!” Click here for tickets.
For a complete calendar of events this week and beyond, visit independent.com/events/.
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