ON Culture: Modest Mouse, ‘60s Music, NOMA Projects and More

Modest Mouse will be at the Libbey Bowl on August 4. | Photo: Courtesy

To receive Leslie Dinaberg’s arts newsletter in your inbox on Fridays, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

ON the Stage

I saw a great show — Ed Sheeran — at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas last weekend. But as excellent as he was, being in that ginormous setting made me feel oh-so-grateful for the intimate, mostly hassle free venues in our area. Our beloved Santa Barbara Bowl has an awesome summer lineup of shows to come, including Trevor Noah; Sierra Ferrell; Santa Barbara Mariachi Festival; Tedeschi Trucks Band; Interpol; 311 & Dirty Heads; Train; Diana Ross; Thee Sacred Souls; Johnny Blue Skies & the Dark Clouds; Santana; Earth, Wind & Fire; Freya Skye; Brandi Carlile; Beck; Alabama Shakes; Jack Johnson; and Jungle. See sbbowl.com for all of the details.

Ojai’s Libbey Bowl — a 1,500 seat outdoor venue, has a packed summer lineup as well, with Santigold, Grateful Shred, Modest Mouse, Gipsy Kings, Ani DiFranco, The Movement & Pepper, Cat Power, Mavis Staples, Kamasi Washington, Big Thief, Laurie Anderson, Alice Phoebe Lou, Poolside, Jacob Collier, Fitz and The Tantrums, and Rodrigo y Gabriela still to come. For more information, go to libbeybowl.org.

As someone who grew up watching General Hospital with my grandmother, Rick Springfield has a special place in my heart. Hopefully he’ll sing “Jessie’s Girl” when he comes to the Chumash Casino on July 31. His other hits include songs like “I’ve Done Everything for You,” “Love is Alright Tonight,” and “Don’t Talk to Strangers.” See chumashcasino.com for tickets and details.

From left, Analisa Idalia, Madeline Grace Jones, and Mia Mekjian | Photo: Luis Escobar

Musicals about musicians continue to be all the rage. If PCPA’s production of Beehive: The 60s Musical is half as good as ETC’s production of Janis was, then it will be worth the drive to Santa Maria (July 23-August 2) or Solvang (August 7-23) to see it. This time around, the feel-good musical celebrates legends Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Janis Joplin, Carole King, Tina Turner, Dusty Springfield, and many more singing chart-topping favorites such as “My Boyfriend’s Back,” “Son of a Preacher Man,” “Me and Bobby McGee,” along with dozens of other iconic hits. See pcpa.org for tickets and additional information.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco | Photo: Jay Blakesberg

Festivals are a great way to see a wide variety of bands in a single weekend. Goldenvoice (who books the Santa Barbara Bowl), announced a new one recently and Xavier Pereyra has the scoop on the Ocean Way Festival, with The Killers and Olivia Dean as headliners September 26-27 on Santa Monica beach. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass returns to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park October 2-4 with artists including Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, My Morning Jacket, and Old Crow Medicine Show, among others. Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Festival returns to Dana Point September 25-27 with Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder & Friends, Tyler Childers, Maná, Alabama Shakes, Fontaines D.C., Billy Idol, Pixies, Rilo Kiley, Jon Batiste, Men I Trust, Bad Religion, and many more.

ON the Page

I’m a big fan of little free libraries (yes, I do have one at my house), so I was tickled to hear about the new “Library on the Fly” at the Santa Barbara Airport. It’s a collab between Santa Barbara Public Library and Santa Barbara Airport where travelers can take a book if they need one or donate a book if they’ve finished reading it. How brilliant is that! For more information, visit Library on the Fly.

ON the Podium

I try to never take my job at the Independent for granted because I get to do the coolest things! Case in point: Last week was a fascinating discussion at the Music Academy with Pulitzer Prize and Grammy-winning composer Kevin Puts, Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and renowned collaborative pianist John Churchwell, who co-direct Music Academy of the West’s (MAW) Lehrer Vocal Institute. While I am very much looking forward to seeing Puts’s opera Elizabeth Cree at the Granada this weekend, I am not a big opera buff by any means. But I was completely enthralled by the passion and pure joy expressed by Puts as he talked about his work with an intimate group of MAW Fellows and supporters.

Puts won the Pulitzer for his very first opera out of the gate (Silent Night in 2012). Asked how he felt after his first venture was such a success, Puts said “It was so much fun that I just wanted it to continue.” Read Joe Woodard’s extensive preview interview with Puts here. Elizabeth Cree will be performed Friday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 26 at 2 p.m. at the Granada. For tickets and information, click here.

Lou Schad painting at Babcock Winery | Photo: Courtesy

ON the Walls

On Sunday, July 26, Babcock Wines celebrates the release of their limited edition Brut Nature wine, a sparkling rose featuring original artwork by Artist-in-Residence Lou Schad of Dirty Folk and an immersive experience of the landscape that informs both the wine and the artwork. The day will include live music from Sage City, Chef Michael’s freshly prepared gourmet lunch, and vintage finds from Lisa Babcock Vault. And guests are invited to experience Lou Schad’s work in person through a display of recent paintings and a live painting session unfolding throughout the day. As part of her residency, Schad will also present new work inspired by the upper pastures, where wild mustangs graze as part of Babcock’s regenerative farming landscape — an ongoing reminder of the relationship between land stewardship, wildness, and renewal. See babcockwinery.com for more information.

ON State Street

That ultra cool home and lifestyle space in Victoria Court — domecíl — will host a special one-day pop-up featuring NOMA Projects, the pantry and fermentation company founded by the team behind the internationally acclaimed restaurant NOMA.

Following the conclusion of their recent Los Angeles residency and before returning to Copenhagen, members of the NOMA Projects team will make a rare stop in Santa Barbara, offering guests a unique opportunity for complimentary tastings in domecíl’s studio space throughout the day. Members of the NOMA Projects team will also be on hand to share the stories behind the products, explain their approach to flavor and fermentation, and offer insights into how these extraordinary ingredients can inspire everyday cooking.

The event is free and open to the public on Saturday, July 25 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at domicíle, 1223 State Street. See domecil.com/pages/events.

ICYMI

Wynton Marsalis Septet review

Music Academy of the West debuts a high school intensive program this summer

Dudley crafts first new album after 30 years

Artists Pedro De La Cruz and Olivia Joffrey at Art & Soul

Ruth Ellen Hoag opens a new art gallery on Anapamu

This One Time at (SBIFF) Film Camp

ON the Calendar

‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ is at Center Stage Theater July 24-26. | Photo: Courtesy

Broken Leg Theatre Company is back in action this weekend with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Center Stage Theater July 24-26. A tale of oddballs coming together over a shared love of spelling, this musical touches on what it means to be alienated, proudly decrying the importance of finding community not despite, but because of that alienation. Click here for more information.

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