ON Culture | A Full Dance Card of Performances, Films, Art and Entertainment

Compagnie Hervé Koubi | Photo: Courtesy

This edition of ON Culture was originally emailed to subscribers on January 9, 2026. To receive Leslie Dinaberg’s arts newsletter in your inbox on Fridays, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

ON the Stage

Our dance card is quite joyously full for the next few weeks, with hip hop from the French company Compagnie Hervé Koubi performing Sol Invictus on Sunday, January 25, at the Granada; followed by two Argentine dance performances of Germán Cornejo’s Tango After Dark on February 1 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Lobero; and then the national dance company of the Republic of Guinea, Les Ballets Africains, on February 6 at the Granada. All of this wonderful armchair travel entertainment comes to us courtesy of UCSB Arts & Lectures. Click here for more information.

It’s a whole vibe at BottleRock. This is the Hendrick’s Gin booth. | Photo: Nataschia Hadley

The Santa Barbara Bowl season announcements are coming in quickly these days, with tickets now on sale for Disclosure, Charlie Puth, James Taylor, and Lord Huron, as well as the previously announced shows by David Byrne, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Train, and Jack Johnson. See sbbowl.com/concerts for all of the details.

BottleRock Napa Valley, which is perhaps my second favorite place to see outdoor shows besides the Bowl, just announced their Memorial Day weekend lineup, which includes Foo Fighters, Backstreet Boys, Lorde, Teddy Swims, LCD Soundsystem, and SOMBR, as well as Joan Jett, Lil Wayne, Chaka Khan, Ludacris, Kool & The Gang, Men at Work, Mt. Joy, Slightly Stoopid, Rilo Kiley, Better Than Ezra, Busta Rhymes, and dozens more.

Honestly — they had me at Foo Fighters. Go to BottleRockNapaValley.com for ticket details.

‘We Are Resilient’ features cover art by Grace Fisher | Photo: Courtesy

ON the Page

Mother-Daughter writing team Sissy Taran and Tiffany Howard are having a special book launch party on Sunday, January 25, to celebrate their book We Are Resilient from 1-3 p.m. at the Grace Fisher Foundation Inclusive Arts Clubhouse in La Cumbre Plaza. All proceeds from the book — a powerful collection of many different voices highlighting perseverance, creativity, and strength in the face of adversity, including Grace Fisher herself — will go directly support the Grace Fisher Foundation’s inclusive arts and education programs, which serve individuals of all ages and abilities throughout Santa Barbara County.

The launch party is open to the public and designed to be inclusive and family-friendly. Guests are encouraged to come meet the authors, purchase signed copies of the book, and learn more about Grace Fisher Foundation’s programs.

ON the (Big) Screen

Mark your calendars. I’m so excited for the beautiful new McHurley Film Center to open downtown! One of my favorite movies of all time, Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire (view trailer here) is coming to SBIFF’s Film Center on February 25, for one night only, with a 4K Restoration. This truly is one of the most beautiful and romantic films ever. It’s the timeless story of an angel who tires of his purely ethereal life of merely overseeing the human activity of Berlin’s residents and longs for the tangible joys of physical existence when he falls in love with a mortal. Click here for tickets and information.

‘Pistachio Wars’ screens at UCSB on Jan. 27 | Photo: Courtesy

Cool things are also constantly happening at UCSB’s Carsey Wolf Center, and a screening that caught my eye is Pistachio Wars, on Tuesday, January 27. The 2024 documentary follows journalist Yasha Levine as he investigates a small-town water deal and uncovers a hidden side of California’s health-food industry. At the center is the agricultural empire of America’s wealthiest farmers, Stewart and Lynda Resnick of the Wonderful Company (Wonderful Pistachios, POM Wonderful, and Fiji Water). These billionaires dominate California’s pistachio industry, but more importantly, own much of the state’s water, more than the entire city of Los Angeles. The film unveils how the hidden world of industrial agriculture fuels the state’s growing climate injustices, from worsening droughts to increasingly destructive megafires.

View trailer here. The event is at 7 p.m. on Jan. 27, followed by a conversation with filmmakers Yasha Levine & Rowan Wernham. Click here for tickets (it’s free but tickets are requested).

We’ve got loads of SBIFF coverage coming your way for the next few weeks, but I wanted to give a special shout out to the local films that will be featured. This includes four features: Eternal Stoke, the world premiere of the final cut of Joshua Pomer’s film tracing Santa Barbara surfer Chris Brown from prodigy to world-tour standout and urchin diver. A portrait of brilliance, community, and the enduring mystery surrounding his untimely death, the film screens on February 11, February 12, and February 13.

Imbalance, the world premiere of Dale Griffiths Stamos’s story about an esteemed philosophy professor (played by Sharon Lawrence) guided by principles of rationality, who finds herself — in the midst of the #MeToo movement — confronting a passion for her teaching assistant (she’s also his advisor) that challenges her ideals. The film premieres on February 10, with an additional screening on February 12.

Relatively Normal, the world premiere of Amy Wendel’s story of a 16 year-old girl who is stuck at home during the pandemic and knows she’ll survive COVID, but isn’t sure she’ll survive her dysfunctional family. The film premieres on February 6, with additional showings on February 7 and February 9.

Stand By, Mother is also a world premiere. Directed by Kerrilee Gore, when a mysterious book comes alive in the hands of a curious boy, he finds himself on a magical, musical journey — without ever leaving his garage. The premiere is on February 10, with another showing on February 13.

In addition, the short films by Santa Barbara filmmakers include: The Bear Beneath, Committee Animal, The Crash Out, Fil-Am, The Gift of Darkness, La Tormenta, The Green Truck, My Type, Memory Experiment, Nuns with Guns, The Other Roe, A Sunday on the Moon, My 14 Year Old Self, and Wonders of the Wolf.

The SBIFF app is my favorite way by far to navigate the schedule, but you can also get the information and schedule at sbiff.org. My story about a few of the additional highlights is here.

ON the (Small) Screen

Super Bowl Sunday is coming on February 8, and everyone knows that in addition to the half-time show with Bad Bunny as the headliner (see awesome official trailer here) and Green Day (special tribute hometown act), Brandi Carlile (“America the Beautiful” during the pre-show), Charlie Puth (National Anthem), and Coco Jones (“Lift Every Voice” during the pre-show), the food is the other part that’s guaranteed to be good. According to a recent survey from a company called RotoGrinders, buffalo wings are the top Super Bowl snack food in California, with queso as the most popular dip. (I would bet it’s actually guacamole here in Santa Barbara.) Along with the general category of chips & dips, pizza and nachos were also popular Super Bowl snacks.

Favorite Super Bowl Snacks by State | Credit: RotoGrinders

ON the Walls

‘Fare Trade’ and Santa Barbara Papel Picado at City Hall | Photo: Courtesy

There’s a closing reception tonight (January 23) at Santa Barbara City Hall Gallery for the exhibit Fare Trade, which features photography by Patricia Houghton Clarke and Brett Leigh Dicks, documenting taquerias and diners across Santa Barbara County and Western Australia. This exhibition is paired with iconic Santa Barbara Papel Picado, a site-specific installation by Irene Ramirez inspired by local landmarks and traditions.

Taking place from 5-7 p.m., the event also includes a live poetry reading organized by City of Santa Barbara Poet Laureate (and Independent writer) George Yatchisin featuring ekphrastic works by local poets, including former Poets Laureate Melinda Palacio (who writes our poetry column), Chryss Yost, and Natalie Damjanovich-Napoleon, a former Santa Barbaran who will be attending from Australia. Read Joe Woodard’s thoughtful review of Fare Trade (which debuted at the Architectural Foundation Gallery) here.

ON the Air

The ‘Independent’s Senior Writer Matt Kettmann (left) and a friend move a couch in Isla Vista in the late 90s. | Courtesy of Matthew Kettmann

I’m such an audiobook addict that I’m not much of a podcast person. However — with no bias whatsoever — I can highly recommend Christina McDermott’s (our Mickey Flacks Fellow) “Welcome to Isla Vista” series about how Isla Vista came to be the way it is. Click here for the scoop. It’s so interesting and well done. I’ve been entertained and also learning new things every week.’’

In Memory of Bobby Weir show flyer | Photo: Courtesy

ON the Calendar

Deadheads will gather to honor one of their heroes with a very special tribute to Bob Weir on Sunday, January 25, at SOhO. Guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and founding member of the Grateful Dead, Weir passed away on January 10 at 78 years old, and folks can celebrate him with a multi-generational lineup that includes the longest continually running Santa Barbara Grateful Dead tribute band, No Simple Highway, along with The McCrees and three local bands hailing from the next generation of Deadhead musicians: Ladyfinger, Jackson Gillies & Jax Plays Dead, and Dead Set 805.

The doors open at 4 p.m. for this all ages show. Music begins at 5 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Click here for more information.

For a complete calendar of events this week and beyond, visit independent.com/events/.