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Wearing Green Won’t Stop a Pinched Nerve Dear Friend, I wanted to let everyone know what happened while I was in college. It was a moment that changed my life forever. But before I tell you about my experience, I wanted to tell you my story from the start. Let me start by explaining the photo in this letter, I’m the guy in the middle, Dr. Taatjes. You know when I meet people in town and they usually say, “Oh yeah, I know you, you’re Dr. Taatjes. You’ve been in Petaluma for years…” Well, that’s me. Twenty-six years ago something happened to me that changed my life forever. Let me tell you my story. I was studying pre-Med in college, in hopes of becoming a medical doctor. Things were looking up, and life was good, until things took a turn for the worse. I began to have terrible back and stomach problems. For a young guy, I felt pretty rotten. My back hurt so badly that I had a hard time even concentrating in class. I was miserable. The medical doctors tried different drugs, but they only made me feel like I was in a “cloud.” I was just not getting better. A friend of mine convinced me to give a chiropractor a try. The chiropractor did an my spine. The adjustment didn’t hurt, it actually felt good. I got relief, and I soon was off all medication. It worked so well that I decided, then and there, to become a chiropractor myself. Now for my kids, Hayden and Henry. They have been under chiropractic care their entire lives. And, unlike most other kids in their class, they never get the “common” childhood illnesses like ear infections, asthma and allergies. In fact, they have never taken a drug in their lives. And they are now 19 and 21! It’s strange how life is, because now people come to see me with their back problems and stomach problems. They come to me with their headaches, migraines, chronic pain, neck pain, shoulder/arm pain, whiplash from car accidents, asthma, allergies, numbness in limbs, athletic injuries, just to name a few. If drugs make people well, then those who take the most should be the healthiest, but that simply isn’t the case. With chiropractic we don’t add anything to the body or take anything from it. We
Tea with Doc and remove it thus enhancing the healing capacities of the body. We get tremendous results…it really is as simple as that. Here’s what some of my patients had to say: “I have had a problem with migraines as well as low back pain. Even after seeing doctors and other health professionals, the pains remained. After coming to Dr. Joel, they have helped tremendously. They even take away my migraines. They’re great!” (Judy E.) “I came in pending laser surgery for two herniated discs. Over a few months here the need for surgery subsided, and the pain has subsided to a mild discomfort with occasional morning stiffness. Over all, I feel better visit after visit. It’s a gradual process.” (Jaime O.) Several times a day patients thank me for helping them with their health problems. But I can’t really take the credit. Find out for yourself and benefit from an AMAZING OFFER. Look, it shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg to correct your health. You are going to write a check to someone for your health care expenses, you may as well write one for a lesser amount for chiropractic. When you bring in this article by April 8, 2015, you will receive my entire new patient exam for $27. That’s with ball of wax. This exam could cost you $350 elsewhere. Great care at a great fee… Please, I hope that there’s no misunderstanding about quality of care just because I have a lower exam fee. You’ll get
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I’m a graduate of Northwestern College of Chiropractic who regularly goes to monthly educational chiropractic seminars. I’ve been entrusted to take care of tiny babies to neighbors that you may know. I just have that low exam fee to help more people who need care. My associates, Dr. Lee, Dr. Thau, Dr. Phifer and I are ready to see if we can help you. Our offices are both friendly and warm and we try our best to make you feel at home. We have a wonderful service, at an exceptional fee. Our office is called REDWOOD CHIROPRACTIC and we now have two locations. Our main office is located at 937 Lakeville Street, Petaluma, phone number is 763-8910. Dr. Taatjes would love to help you at this location. Call Amanda, Megan or Wendy. Our second location is at 255 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, with Dr. Thau (who is awesome), and the phone number is 775-2545. Call today for an appointment. We can help you. Thank you. – Dr. Joel Taatjes offering the second family member this same examination for only $10.
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Modern Divorce Is Done Without Lawyers
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Dan Pulcrano NORTH BAY BOHEMIAN [ISSN 1532-0154] (incorporating the Sonoma County Independent) is published weekly, on Wednesdays, by Metrosa Inc., located at: 847 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, CA 95404. Phone: 707.527.1200; fax: 707.527.1288; e-mail: editor@bohemian.com. It is a legally adjudicated publication of the county of Sonoma by Superior Court of California decree No. 119483. Member: Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, National Newspaper Association, California Newspaper Publishers Association, Verified Audit Circulation. Subscriptions (per year): Sonoma County $75; out-of-county $90. Thirdclass postage paid at Santa Rosa, CA. FREE DISTRIBUTION: The BOHEMIAN is available free of charge at numerous locations, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for one dollar, payable in advance at The BOHEMIAN’s office. The BOHEMIAN may be distributed only by its authorized distributors. No person may, without permission of the publisher, take more than one copy of each issue.The BOHEMIAN is printed on 40 % recycled paper.
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‘‘Consensus of the scientific community’ is always the most conservative position available.’ OPEN MI C P7 Call of the Wild Elk COV ER STORY P15
‘Wild Tales’ Wild Ride FI LM P 2 6
Mexican-‘American Night’ A RTS & EV E N TS P33 Rhapsodies & Rants p6 The Paper p8 Dining p10 Wineries p13 Swirl p14
Cover Feature p15 Culture Crush p23 Arts & Ideas p24 Stage p25 Film p26
Clubs & Concerts p28 Arts & Events p31 Classified p35 Astrology p35
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nb INTO THE SUNSET?
The future of Point Reyes’ elk population is uncertain, p15.
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BOHEMIAN
Rhapsodies
Ghost Hunter
Right before Tom Gaffey took over the Phoenix Theater, my friend’s dad was the manager (“Ghost Stories,” Feb. 25). We were about 11 or 12 years old at the time, and basically lived there and helped him with everything from ushering to selling concessions. I saw many things while hanging out there before and after hours. The
projection booth ghost was seen many times. I’ve also have seen someone in the balcony on several occasions. I’ve never been afraid, though. Hanging at the Phoenix was partly responsible for me being a ghost hunter myself. Good times!
NIKKI STRAS
Via Bohemian.com
Cures for Cancer Tom, you certainly are a solid writer,
THIS MODERN WORLD
even a decent journalist, but what you ain’t is a doctor, so stop playing one in your paper. The next time you make the statement that turmeric has the power to kill cancer (“Turmeric, Wonder Spice,” Feb. 4) please feel free to mix in the words “maybe” or “might,” otherwise what your playing is the part of a charlatan.
I’m a third-generation cancer survivor of lymphoma B cell. My grandmother had it back in the ’30s when all they had was cobalt, which didn’t work for her, but I know from the research I’ve done
By Tom Tomorrow
that cobalt did work for some. My mom had the same cancer twice and beat it both times; once with radiation, the other with chemo. In 2000, when I turned 45, I also received the news. Again, lymphoma on my liver. Doctors gave me a 10 percent chance of making it. I did a month of research because I sure as shit wasn’t going to put the poisonous garbage in my body after 40-plus years of doing heroin. But in the end, I decided that chemo gave me my best chance. Last year, my brother’s wife was diagnosed with cancer. Doctors told her that she had a good chance of survival if she did the juice. If she didn’t, she’d die. She decided to go the holistic route, because a friend of hers, who was in his late 70s, terminally ill from cancer and given only months to live did both cannabis oil and turmeric, and his cancer was gone in three months. Coincidence? My brother’s wife was dead within six months.
I knew a guy who claimed that by using a trampoline, his tumor was broken up. His doctors could only shake their heads. BS? Coincidence? Should we all run out and buy trampolines? My point is, in the world of cancer there are no absolutes. Don’t you think that if turmeric or any other of the alternatives medicines absolutely worked, every cancer patient would be doing it? Because in the end, it’s all about luck.
DAVID DALE
Sonoma Valley
Tom Gogola’s statement that turmeric cures cancer was written with a grain of salt. The next line says the “anti-inflammatory qualities are less debatable.” Meaning, the cancer-curing claims are debatable.—Editor
Write to us at letters@bohemian.com.
Unsettled Science The case is not closed on vaccinations BY ABRAHAM ENTIN
F
orty years ago our first child was born at home. A progressive and intelligent friend was very upset that we had “endangered the life of our unborn child” by ignoring “the consensus of the scientific community” with this decision. We pointed out to him that Holland, where 99 percent of births occur at home with midwives, had the lowest infant mortality in the world and the United States had the highest rates of medically questionable caesareans. We mostly pointed out that the “consensus of the scientific community” is always the most conservative position available. In the 19th century, any doctor who washed his hands between autopsies and childbirth could and would be driven out of the profession. Ignaz Semmelweis, the father of antiseptic procedures, was hounded into an insane asylum for these views. In the mid-20th century, any doctor who suggested a link between diet and cancer was ipso facto a quack, according to the AMA, FDA and American Cancer Society, and should be stripped of his license and sent to jail. Today, we are told that vaccination safety and efficacy is “settled science,” and that every reputable doctor and scientist is leveling the finger of blame at parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. This scares me to death. There is no such thing as “settled science.” It is against the nature of the scientific enterprise to suggest such a thing. It is akin to closing the patent office because everything has already been invented. Levels of asthma and autoimmune diseases in children have increased exponentially over the past several decades. We don’t have to worry about measles, mumps and rubella. We have to worry about celeriac, Type 1 diabetes and a myriad of other autoimmune conditions. Is it possible that the old diseases of childhood played some role in stimulating the auto-immune system in ways that protected children in later life? I do not know. I do know that if I were a doctor, I would be very hesitant to raise the question. I would never get any research money and would likely be drummed out of the profession for making such an absurd suggestion. I might even end up in jail. Or an insane asylum. Abraham Entin is the father of three grown children, all born at home and none vaccinated. He is also a longtime activist for positive social change. Open Mic is a weekly feature in the ‘Bohemian.’ We welcome your contribution. To have your topical essay of 350 words considered for publication, write openmic@bohemian.com.
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Rants
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Paper THE
THE JUICE Customers who switch to Sonoma Clean Power or Marin Clean Energy are still not free of PG&E. But that could change as the new community power providers grow in numbers.
Power Play
PG&E cuts into the savings promised by Sonoma Clean Power BY TOM GOGOLA
S
omething looked amiss to Santa Rosa resident Ethan Wilde as he scanned his first electricity bill of the new year. Wilde is one of thousands of Sonoma County residents who recently switched his power company from the investor-owned utility Pacific Gas & Electric to Sonoma Clean Power (SCP), the
local power company formed out of a national push toward what’s called “community choice aggregation” models of greener, more localized energy generation. But PG&E is still responsible for the transmission of electricity in the county. Wilde, for one, would like to pull the plug on that arrangement. PG&E transmission charges showed up as a $136 “delivery charge.” This was the first bill Wilde got
as a new SCP customer, and it seemed out of whack with what Wilde had been paying: his total bill from the previous month had been $155, when he was still with PG&E for generation and transmission of electricity. Curiously, PG&E sent the transmission part of the bill separate from the SCP generation bill of $63.84, even though they covered the same time period. The PG&E delivery bill was
dated Feb. 4; the SCP bill for the same period was dated Jan. 13. They both roughly covered his December usage. This was confusing to Wilde, and to the SCP employees he showed it to. “They thought it was very strange that they were splitting the charges across two bills.” None can deny that SCP is fulfilling its mission to provide power that’s cheaper and cleaner than PG&E. Wilde says his bill is cheaper under SCP. But it could be cheaper still, says SCP CEO Geof Syphers—were it not for PG&E. Even as SCP customers are seeing their bills reduced by between 6 and 14 percent, “it’s frustrating that PG&E is raising their rates that much when wholesale markets are actually down,” says Syphers. The utility giant is delivering electricity to SCP ratepayers and remains the “provider of last resort.” While paying for the transmission of electricty is unavoidable, CCA supporters would rather pay their local utility than PG&E. Beyond that, critics of PG&E point to other charges utility customers feel are less justified—and less visible. Some of the promised SCP savings to ratepayers are being absorbed by PG&E, thanks in part to actions taken by the California Public Utilities Commission. (Commission president Michael Peevey was forced to resign in January after his cozy relationship with PG&E was revealed in a massive email trove.) As he was scanning his bill, Wilde paused over the line item for the “power charge indifference adjustment,” or PCIA. It’s not a big charge, about $9, but it’s a persistent one that the CPUC re-upped in October on behalf of PG&E. Wilde called SCP and was told the PCIA was a fee PG&E charged customers who had jumped ship to SCP, and is based on prior contracts it had signed on their behalf. Syphers says the issue with the PCIA isn’t the propriety of it, but the duration. It’s one thing to recoup charges—especially when the state told PG&E to enter into the contracts—but the utility has foisted up to 20 years’ worth of charges onto ratepayers,
to procure resources for our own customer base,” he says, “and on our ability to have autonomy over the procurement.” In other words, this dynamic stymies exactly the innovation that SCP ratepayers had hoped for when they signed on to this far-reaching plan for locally controlled and created energy. “What could be possible with changes to the CAM is that we could have the ability to build combined heat and power units within Sonoma County,” says Syphers, who adds that the effects would include economic stimulus, the creation of local jobs and other benefits. “We would like to be localizing power sources and making them as clean as we can,” says Syphers. But under the CAM? “We’re compelled to not do that—that’s the situation today.” Waen notes that persistence of the PCIA and the CAM indicate what PG&E would like ratepayers to believe—that these CCAs aren’t as reliable as PG&E, and no matter what, the big power company will be there for you. Yet Marin Clean Energy doesn’t plan on going anywhere soon, says Waen, except to expand into Napa. Furthermore, Syphers notes that the nascent CCAs in the North Bay are the tip of a growing CCA movement stateside. Sacramento lawmakers are getting used to the idea, he says, that the CCAs weren’t created to destroy a monopoly, but to complement it and create savings for ratepayers. Syphers points to a recent comment from a CPUC official that broached the possibility that the future of power in California may be the decoupled generation and transmission dynamic at play in the local CCAs. The best way to ensure that PG&E doesn’t ride herd over the state regulators charged to protect ratepayers? “Good oversight at the CPUC,” says Syphers, “and more CCAs, so that we have more people watching what happens over there—so that we make sure our customers’ needs are being taken care of.” PG&E did not get back to the Bohemian in time for our deadline.
D EBRIEFER Salmon in Salmon Creek? On Feb. 26, a worker at the Osmosis Day Spa in Freestone plucked a dead male coho salmon from Salmon Creek. So what? Apparently it’s the first time a coho has been spotted in the creek in decades. The fish had a California Department of Fish & Wildlife tag attached. The spa posted photos of the expired creature on its Facebook page—and not long after, you could hear the celebratory ooohs and aaahs: As if through osmosis, news of the coho spread throughout the county. The spa has been going for 30 years and is located on six acres that run along Salmon Creek. Osmosis president Michael Stusser says they see lots of steelheads come through, and that it’s “quite a sight to see.” But a steelhead is not a salmon, it’s a trout, and the creek is not called Trout Creek, now is it? “In ancient times, the Miwoks said Salmon Creek was so full of salmon you could cross the creek on the backs of the fish,” Stusser says. “They disappeared in the 1960s.” Speaking of the 1960s, Stusser recalls the time Beat writer Gary Snyder came to the property: “We lamented the absence of salmon and all that it signified.” Stusser called the phone number on the tag—the guy who tagged the fish was excited to hear the news, he says. And where’s the fish now? Stusser says the raccoons probably ate it.
Smooth Sailing Debriefer was a little worried there for a minute. About two weeks ago we got an email from the North Coast congressional delegation saying that they’d written a letter to the White House Office of
Management and Budget, asking it to referee an interagency dispute between the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Coast Guard. The NOAA had just carved out a set of new rules for an expanded Farallones Islands Marine Sanctuary, which nearly trebled the size of the protected zone. It had also doubled the size of the Cordell Banks National Marine Sanctuary. But now the whole deal was in jeopardy—just as the new sanctuary was to be unveiled. The Coast Guard had asked for an “exemption” from new federal rules as they applied to the expanded marine zone under consideration. The request put the deal on hold. Debriefer checked the proposed NOAA rules and discovered that the Coast Guard already had numerous exemptions in the protected areas. The only point of departure seemed to be over some language that could have restricted routine training exercises in the new area. Richard Charter at the Ocean Foundation told Debriefer to not worry about it, which only made us worry about it. “Everyone is continuing the pressure to get this freed up, and every indication is that it’s going to forward soon,” Charter said, adding that interagency disputes are par for the course. Charter, who is based in Bodega Bay, has worked on four marine sanctuary projects. Debriefer hit up the Coast Guard about this “exemption” they are asking for. Coastie Chad Saylor wrote to say, sorry, “I called our environmental law division, but they, unfortunately, have nothing more to add.” Saylor, fortunately, did have something to add: “However, they did say the rule is ‘done,’ and that it should be online in the Federal Register on or about March 12.” Yet we still don’t know why this was delayed.—Tom Gogola
The Bohemian started as The Paper in 1978.
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depending on the length of a procurement contract associated with a particular meter. “The big debate is over whether [the charges] should phase out as those contracts start ending,” says Syphers. Critics say PG&E could end the PCIA through better forecasting its future energy needs—and engage in a good-faith forecasting of the rapid growth of CCAs in the state while they are at it. Jeremy Waen is a regulatory analyst for Marin Clean Power, the other local CCA that’s grappling with PG&E’s presence in the new power mix. That PG&E could possibly charge a fee to a customer for 20 years of power it will never deliver, he says, “is mind-boggling.” The company, says Waen, should do a better job of estimating its future procurements, “so they are not buying excessive amounts of energy.” Marin Clean Energy expanded its service into Napa County in February, he says, and PG&E could “shift contracts and supplies so they are bringing less energy on.” It hasn’t done so. There’s another part of Wilde’s power bill that PG&E has its thumb on, but it doesn’t show up in the fine print: charges associated with the cost allocation mechanism, or CAM. This charge is to ensure that there is sufficient capacity in the power grid to account for fluctuations or emergencies. The CAM is a legacy of past energy crises in the state, and critics say it needs to go. But the state has decreed that PG&E is the so-called energy provider of last resort. As such, “our resources are not counted by the CPUC’s planning process,” says Waen. That restricts the ability of SCP and MCE to build-in extra capacity into their systems for emergencies or fluctuations. “We’re forced to buy the capacity that the utilities are buying on our behalf,” says Waen. This arrangement cripples any CCA’s ability to procure extra capacity on its own, says Waen, since the local CCA is compelled to rely on electricity generated by PG&E. “It cuts down on our ability
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Dining NEW START After Hurricane Katrina, Michelle Elmore moved west to open Hummingbird Cafe.
Humming Along Fairfax’s Hummingbird Cafe offers a Taste of New Orleans BY MINA RIOS
F
airfax bustles with cyclists, dog lovers and locals chilling over a leisurely coffee or bite to eat. Must be that potent joie de vivre vibe that’s causing people to line up outside Marin County’s one and only authentic Cajun/Creole cafe, the Hummingbird, which has been serving Southernstyle fixings since 2010.
Not even Hurricane Katrina kept chef-owner Michelle Elmore from meeting her destiny. In spite of losing her New Orleans home to the natural disaster in 2005, Elmore made a new life for herself in Marin, transitioning from street photographer to restaurant owner. Elmore and co-owner Jose Pool offer patrons a good taste of both Cajun and Creole worlds. Different cultures entirely, the cuisines have subtle differences. While Cajun dishes (country food) are often spicy and use oil-based roux
in its sauces, Creole dishes (city food) use tomatoes and dairybased roux. Creole dishes also incorporate Caribbean influences. Tickling our senses as we enter is the glorious smell of chicory coffee, ragtime music and mellowyellow walls highlighting Elmore’s pictorial achievements. Greeted right away by a hospitable staff, we’re graciously invited to seat ourselves. We sit at a corner table by the kitchen, next to the daily specials and a “Shut Up and Eat” sign.
Taking our orders is Elmore herself. “How ’bout some beignets?” she asks in a friendly voice. “Two orders,” I reply. Yes, ma’am.” Minutes later, we have three piping hot, powder-coated pillows of perfection ($4.30); minutes after that, blankets of confectioner’s sugar is all that remains. With such offerings as chicken and waffles ($14.60), shrimp ’n’ grits ($15.60) and the alligator omelet ($15.60), picking a main dish is tough. Eager to try a Louisiana classic, I have a few bites of my guest’s Everything Gumbo, with chicken, sausage, oysters, shrimp, Dungeness crab and tomatoes ($15.60). Generous in the fruits de mer, this intensely flavorful tribute to New Orleans does not disappoint. Appealing to my own taste buds are the seafood specials. Between the shrimp étouffée ($15.60) and the lobster eggs Benedict ($15.60), choosing is impossible. What to do? Order both. Thankfully, Elmore is kind enough to accommodate me with a side of shrimp étouffée to accompany my lobster eggs Ben. The side dish ($5), served in a small cup over rice, with shrimp, broth and the holy trinity of Cajun and Creole cuisine (diced onion, celery and bell pepper), is light, balanced and delicious. Larger shrimp, however, would have made a world of difference, as the bay shrimp are borderline microscopic. Putting me in my happy place for the day is the lobster Benedict: two perfectly poached, organic Red Hill Farm eggs smothered in rich, creamy hollandaise atop sweet succulent lobster, sautéed spinach and an English muffin. With each bite, I savor every ingredient. More surprises come with the occasional bits of lobster peeking through my side of rosemary potatoes. With this dish—and Hummingbird Cafe—I struck it rich. Hummingbird Cafe, 57 Broadway Blvd., Fairfax. 415.457.9866.
Our selective list of North Bay restaurants is subject to menu, pricing and schedule changes. Call first for confirmation. Restaurants in these listings appear on a rotating basis. For expanded listings, visit www.bohemian.com. COST: $ = Under $12; $$ = $13-$20; $$$ = $21-$26; $$$$ = Over $27
Rating indicates the low to average cost of a full dinner for one person, exclusive of desserts, beverages and tip.
S O N OMA CO U N TY Cafe Zazzle Eclectic cafe. $-$$. Colorful, tasty food cooked Mexican-, Japanese-, Thai- and Italian-style. Lunch and dinner daily. 121 Kentucky St, Petaluma. 707.762.1700. Diavola Italian/Pizza. $$. Chef Dino Bugica brings classic and authentic Italian cooking techniques to pizzeria/ salumeria. Lunch and dinner daily. 21021 Geyserville Ave, Geyserville. 707.814.0111.
Gypsy Cafe Diner. $$. Breakfast all day and excellent lunch featuring eggs Benedict, chilaquiles and pulled-pork sandwiches. Friday night dinners feature signature fried chicken, fresh local fish, burgundy pot roast, Diestel turkey meatloaf and organic spinach ravioli. Breakfast and lunch, Wed-Mon; dinner, Fri. 162 N Main St, Sebastopol. 707.861.3825.
Highland Dell Lodge German-Californian. $$. Newly renovated, beautiful setting at the Russian River; locals’ nights Mon and Thurs. Dinner, Thurs-Tues; brunch, Sun. 21050 River Blvd, Monte Rio. 707.865.2300.
JoJo Sushi Japanese. $-$$. Hip downtown eatery features fresh sushi, sashimi, teriyaki, and innovative specials. Lunch and dinner daily. 645 Fourth St, Santa Rosa. 707.569.8588.
Kirin Chinese. $$. Specializing in Mandarin, Szechuan and Peking styles. Kirin’s pot stickers are the best in Sonoma County. Lunch and dinner, Tues-Sat; dinner, Sun. 2700 Yulupa Ave, Santa Rosa. 707.525.1957.
Le Bistro French. $$. A tiny space, simple menu, excellent food–and a reasonable price. Dinner, Wed-Sun.
312 Petaluma Blvd S, Petaluma. 707.762.8292.
Murphy’s Irish Pub Pub fare. $. Casual, homey place serving no-nonsense pub grub like shepherd’s pie. Lunch and dinner daily. 464 First St E, Sonoma. 707.935.0660.
Phyllis’ Giant Burgers American. $. Come with a hearty appetite for an oldfashioned patty. Lunch and dinner daily. Two Sonoma County locations: 4910 Sonoma Hwy, Ste B, Santa Rosa. 707.538.4000. 1774 Piner Road #B, Santa Rosa. 707.521.0890. Two Marin County locations: 924 Diablo Ave, Novato. 415.898.8294. 2202 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.456.0866.
Royal China. Chinese. $$. Smart décor, professional service, very solid wonton soup. Lunch and dinner, Mon-Sat; dinner, Sun. 3080 Marlowe Rd, Santa Rosa. 707.545.2911.
Simply Vietnam Vietnamese. $. Friendly Vietnamese for all ethnic tastes. Savory, satisfying and filling. Pho can be hit or miss, depending on the meat quality. Lunch and dinner daily. 966 N Dutton Ave, Santa Rosa. 707.566.8910.
Sushi Hana Japanese. $$. Popular sushi destination offers delightful treats. Dollar sushi night on Wed and Sat really packs ’em in. Lunch and dinner daily. 6930 Burnett St, Sebastopol. 707.823.3778.
Trattoria Lupo Italian. $$. Reliable home-style Italian cooking. Dinner, TuesSun. 4776 Sonoma Hwy, Santa Rosa. 707.539.0260.
Underwood Bar & Bistro European bistro. $$. The Underwood’s classy bistro menu and impressive bar belie its rural setting. Lunch and dinner, Tues-Sat; dinner, Sun. 9113 Graton Rd, Graton. 707.823.7023.
The Villa Italian. $-$$.
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MA R I N CO U N T Y Arigatou Japanese Food to Go Japanese. $. Cheap, delicious and ready to go. Lunch and dinner daily. Miracle Mile Plaza, 2046 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.453.8990.
#sofreshan
dsocleanse
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Boca South American. $$$$$$$. Enjoy flavorful and rich regional fare in the rustic décor of an Argentinean ranch. Lunch, Mon-Fri; dinner daily. 340 Ignacio Blvd, Novato. 415.833.0901.
Serving Sonoma County 7 days a week!
Finnegan’s Marin Pub
The Bay View Restaurant
fare. $$. Irish bar with the traditional stuff. Lunch and dinner daily. 877 Grant Ave, Novato. 415.899.1516.
welcomes
Fish Seafood. $$-$$$. Incredibly fresh seafood in incredibly relaxed setting overlooking bay. Lunch and dinner daily. (Cash only.) 350 Harbor Dr, Sausalito. 415.331.FISH.
Dinner with the Winemaker Friday, March 20, 2015 Special Guest: Dick Vermeil NFL Coach
Fradelizio’s Italian. $$. Locally sourced northern Italian dishes with a Californiacuisine touch. The house red is a custom blend from owner Paul Fradelizio. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch, Sat-Sun. 35 Broadway Blvd, Fairfax. 415.459.1618.
Frantoio Italian. $$-$$$. Perennial winner of SF Chron’s “100 Best,” Frantoio also produces all of its own olive oil. Dinner daily. 152 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley. 415.289.5777.
Left Bank French. $$-$$$. Splendid, authentic French cuisine. Lunch and dinner daily. 507 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.927.3331.
Sol Food Puerto Rican. $. Flavorful, authentic and homestyle at this Puerto Rican eatery, which is as hole-in-thewall as they come. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. San Rafael locations: 811 Fourth St; 901 & 903 Lincoln Ave. 415.451.4765. Mill Valley location: 401 Miller Ave, Mill Valley. 415.380.1986.
Tommy’s Wok Chinese. $-$$. Tasty
) 12
5-Course Dinner Including Vermeil Wines $ 119 plus tax and gratuity
RESERVATIONS: 707.875.2751
Inn at the Tides 800 Hwy One, Bodega Bay 707.875.2751 www.InnattheTides.com
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Dining
Spectacular views, superb service. Seafood, steak, poultry, seasonal specialties, pizza from wood-burning oven, patio dining. Open 7 days a week. 3901 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa 707.528.7755.
NORTH BAY BOH EMI A N | MAR C H 1 1-17, 20 1 5 | BO H E M I AN.COM
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JJoin oin us us on on a
Culinar y Culinary Journey Jo ur ne y
Dining ( 11 and filling Chinese fare without the greasy weigh-down. Nice vegetarian selections, too. Lunch and dinner, Mon-Sat; dinner only, Sun; closed Tues. 3001 Bridgeway Ave, Sausalito. 415.332.5818.
The William Tell House American & Italian.
Award-Winning! A ward-Winning ! 10 years 10 years strong! s t ro n g ! Original O r iginal Owners O w ne rss
NORTH N ORT H INDIAN INDI A N CUISINE C U ISINE
707.538.3367 70 7. 538 . 33 67
52 Mission 52 M ission Circle, Ci rcle, Santa Sa nt a Rosa Ro os a Blvd.) ((at at Hwy Hw y 12 12 & Mission Mi s s i o n B lvdd .) www.pamposhrestaurant.com w w w.pamposhrestaurant.com
$$. Marin County’s oldest saloon. Casual and jovial atmosphere. Steaks, pasta, chicken and fish all served with soup or salad. Lunch and dinner daily. 26955 Hwy 1, Tomales. 707.878.2403
Yet Wah Chinese. $$. Can’t go wrong here. Special Dungeness crab dishes for dinner; dim sum for lunch. Lunch and dinner daily. 1238 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.460.9883.
N A PA CO U N T Y Brannan’s Grill California cuisine. $$-$$$. Creative cuisine in handsome Craftsman setting. Lunch and dinner daily. 1374 Lincoln Ave, Calistoga. 707.942.2233.
Buster’s Barbecue Barbecue. $. A very busy roadside destination–for a reason. It’s the hot sauce, available in two heats: regular and hot. And the hot, as the sign says, means “hot!” Lunch and dinner daily. 1207 Foothill Blvd, Calistoga. 707.942.5606.
B 1 Entree Buy Receive 2nd Entreee R
Free
(Equal or lesser value) Valid with purchase of 2 beverages. Exp. 3/31/15
Cole’s Chop House American steakhouse. $$$$$. Handsome, upscale 1950s-era steakhouse serving chophouse classics like dryaged porterhouse steak and Black Angus filet mignon. Wash down the red meat with a “nostalgia” cocktail. Dinner daily. 1122 Main St, Napa. 707.224.6328.
Compadres Rio Grille
20 Years Strong in Sonoma County County! y! Serving authentic Thai cuisine 707.829.8889 In Downtown Sebast Sebastopol opol 707.575.9296 Santa Rosa M–F 11–3 & 4:30-9pm, Sat 12-9p 12-9pm pm thaipotrestaurant.com
Western/Mexican. $-$$. Contemporary food and outdoor dining with a Mexican flavor. Located on the river and serving authentic cocktails. Nightly specials and an abiding love of the San Francisco Giants. 505 Lincoln Ave, Napa. Lunch and dinner daily. 707.253.1111.
Red Rock Cafe & Backdoor BBQ American.
SMALL BITES
Salmon Party To say the Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA) is dedicated to salmon is an understatement. Comprised of fishermen, businesses, elected officials, families and communities that rely on salmon, the GGSA restores and protects the ecosystems that the salmon rely on, especially waterways and Bay Area rivers where salmon spawn and swim. This week, the GGSA hosts its second annual Salmon Celebration dinner and fundraiser which this year honors special guest winemaker and conservationist Mike Benziger (pictured). The managing general partner of the Benziger Family Winery and Imagery Estate Winery in Glen Ellen, Benziger has long been known as a pioneering biodynamic farmer whose conservation and water-reuse practices are immensely valued in California’s ongoing struggles with droughtstrained agriculture. He is increasingly recognized on a national level, earning Benziger a National Resources Defense Council water steward award in 2010. The salmon celebration dinner will feature Benziger family wines, cocktails, a silent and open auction and a chance to hear the latest news on the current state of affairs in the billion-dollar salmon industry, and how GGSA is trying to keep the industry strong in a water dependent region. The Sonoma Salmon Celebration Dinner and Fundraiser takes place on Friday, March 13, at Ramekins Culinary School, 450 W. Spain St., Sonoma. RSVP required. 5:30pm. $125. 855.251.4472—Charlie Swanson.
$-$$. Cafe specializing in barbecue and classic diner fare. Messy, delicious. Lunch and dinner daily. 1010 Lincoln Ave, Napa. 707.252.9250.
Siena California-Tuscan. $$$$. Sophisticated, terroirinformed cooking celebrates the local and seasonal, with electric combinations like sorrel-wrapped ahi tuna puttanesca. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily; brunch, Sun.
875 Bordeaux Way, Napa. 707.251.1900.
Zuzu Spanish tapas. $$. Graze your way through a selection of tasty tapas in a lively rustic chic setting with a popular wine bar. Bite-sized Spanish and Latin American specialties include prawns and Brazilian style steamed mussels. Lunch, Mon-Fri; dinner daily. 829 Main St, Napa. 707.224.8555.
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Most reviews by James Knight. Note: Those listings marked ‘WC’ denote wineries with caves. These wineries are usually only open to the public by appointment. Wineries in these listings appear on a rotating basis.
S O N OM A CO U N T Y Banshee Wines Everything’s for sale at rustichipster aesthetic downtown tasting room, including the nicely priced Sonoma Coast Pinot. 325 Center St., Healdsburg. Daily, 11am–7pm. Tasting fee, $15–$30. 707.395.0915.
Freeman Vineyard & Winery Rundown, trashed—this little winery had seen better times when the Freemans found it. With a spotless crush pad and new horseshoe-shaped cave, it’s giving back the love. Pinot Noir from top West County vineyards. 1300 Montgomery Road, Sebastopol. By appointment only. 707.823.6937.
Harvest Moon Winery Two paths diverged in a bramble, and the one lesstraveled leads here. Tart, taut, and enchanting loweralcohol Zinfandel in modest, comfortable tasting room in the middle of family-owned vineyards. Sparkling Gewßrz, too. 2192 Olivet Road, Santa Rosa. Open daily, 10:30am– 5pm. 707.573.8711.
Jordan Vineyard & Winery Fronted by poplars, wreathed in ivy, robed in privets—à la chateau. Favored by restaurants nationwide, Cab and Chardonnay are served in a sumptuous sitdown tasting with cheese and hors d’oeuvres. How do they peel those little eggs? 1474 Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg. Tour and tasting, Monday–Saturday, Sundays through October. $20–$30. 800.654.1213.
Kunde Estate Winery (WC) Kunde is one of 12 wineries in Sonoma County to be distinguished with Second Level Green Business Certification. It also has beautiful wine caves carved into 5-million-year-old volcanic rock. 9825 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood. Tasting room
open daily, 10:30am–4:30pm. 707.833.5501.
Longboard Vineyards If serious surfers are said to anticipate an approaching wave with focused contemplation, then it only follows that they’d pursue winemaking with corresponding studiousness. That’s the case at Longboard. 5 Fitch St., Healdsburg. Open Thursday–Saturday, 11am– 7pm; Sunday, 11am–5pm. 707.433.3473.
Mutt Lynch Lap up “Man’s Best Friend� Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel and other delish wines; sales benefit dog organizations. Bren. New, dogfriendly location. 9050 Windsor Road, Windsor. Mon–Sat 11am–6pm; Sun noon–5pm. 707.687.5089.
Old World Winery Meaning, a simpler time when grapes were trodden under bare foot and wine was made the natural way? Yes. Fun fact: the small, family-owned winery was the original Williams-Selyem location. 850 River Road, Fulton. Thursday– Sunday 11am–5pm or by appointment. Tasting fee $5. 707.578.3148.
Sanglier Cellars The core wines are sourced from Kick Ranch, the sought-after Rhône varietal sensation. 132 Plaza St., Healdsburg. Open daily, 11am–5pm; Saturday til 7pm. Tasting fee, $10. 707.433.6104.
Sonoma Valley Portworks Although it’s a small-time crime to call a wine “port� what wasn’t made in Portugal, it’s all on the level here at the home of DECO California Port. Everybody gets a button: “Lick my glass!� 613 Second St., Petaluma. Thursday–Monday, noon to 5pm. No fee. 707.769.5203.
N A PA CO U N TY Beaulieu Vineyard History in a glassful of dust– Rutherford dust. Somethingfor-everyone smorgasbord
VIETNAMESE CUISINE
New Menu Items!
BBQ BANH MI
with Fresh Baked Bread
of solid varietal wines, plus library selections of flagship Georges de Latour Cab back to 1970. 1960 St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford. Daily, 10am–5pm. Tastings $15–$20; Reserve Room, $35. 707.967.5233.
SSanta a n ta Rosa Rosa
Cain Think you know about what food to pair with Napa Valley “mountain grown� Cabernet Sauvignon? How about sake-marinated poached cod in a light broth? Yeah, it is different up here. 3800 Langtry Road, St. Helena. Tour and tasting by appointment only, Monday– Friday, 10am and 11:30am; Saturday, 10am and noon. $35. 707.963.1616.
Goosecross Cellars Taste Sauvignon Blanc in friendly barrel room bar; your choice of goose or snow leopard on the label. 119 State Lane, Yountville. By appointment, 10am–4:30 pm. Tasting fee $20–$25. 707.944.1986.
Sebastopol S e b a s to p o l
5528.3278 2 8 . 3 2 7 8 823.7492 8 2 3 .74 9 2
KEFIR
• GMO free beef • free range poultry • organic veggies & tofu 320 West 3rd St, Ste G Santa Rosa • 707.595.4447 www.phocrazy.biz
non-dairy
Come visit us and experience our Non-Dairy KeďŹ r beverages at our kid-friendly tasting bar!
t -FNPO (JOHFS t 3PPUCFFS t .FYJDBO $IPDPMBUF t 'MPXFS 1PXFS t )JCJTDVT .BZB t 5VSNFSJD t #MVF (SFFO .BOOB t +BTNJOF 1FBSM (SFFO 5FB and don’t forget our Probiotic KeďŹ r Popsicles
thekeďŹ ry.com 707.634.4906 972 Gravenstein Hwy S Sebastopol, CA North Bay Wholesale, Keg and Bottle Inquiries Welcome!
Monticello Vineyards Thomas Jefferson had no success growing wine grapes; happily, the Corley family has made a go of it. Although winetasting is not conducted in the handsome reproduction building itself, there’s a shaded picnic area adjacent. 4242 Big Ranch Rd., Napa. Open daily, 10am–4:30pm. $15. 707.253.2802, ext. 18.
Aordable Aordable Vaccination V accination Clinics C linics
every ever y Sunday S unday a 9:30–11:30am 9: 30 –11: 3 0 am a
Western W estern F Farm arm Center Center
RustRidge Ranch Down one of Napa’s less-traveled roads, the story began with thoroughbred horses. Bed and breakfast stays available in a rambling ranch house with wall-to-wall horse decor. 2910 Lower Chiles Valley Road, St. Helena. By appointment, 10am–4pm. Tasting fee, $20. 707.965.9353.
21 W 21 West est 7 7th th S Street tr e et 3ANTA 2OSA s 3 ANTA 2OSA s www.westernfarmcenter.com w w w.westernfarmc enter. com
Swanson Vineyards Not lotus-eating, per se, but caviar, Grana Padano, artisan chocolate bonbons–same idea. Whimsically elegant Salon or informal, candy-striped Sip Shoppe. 1271 Manley Lane, Rutherford. Sip Shoppe Thursday–Sunday 11am–5pm; call or ring gate. Fee $15–$20. Salon by appointment, $60. 707.754.4018.
Thai House
$
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29 2 9P PRE RE FIXE FIX E D DINNER INNE R
'LASS OF 3PARKLING 7INE s 3ALAD "AR 'LASS OF 3PARKLING 7INE s 3ALAD "AR 0ARADE OF #UTS OF -EAT s $ESSERT 0 AR AD E OF # U T S OF - E AT s $ E SSE R T
505 Mendocino 505 M endocino A Ave, ve, S Santa a nt a R Rosa os a s (OUSE "EER s (OUSE "EER WWW THEBRASA COM W W W THEBRASA COM
Lunch specials start at $7.95 Includes soup or salad Mon-Fri only
Open 7 days a week Sun-Th 11:30-9:30 Fri-Sat 11:30-10:00 525 4th Street(Upstairs) 707.526.3939
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Wineries
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Medium-Plus Toast
Irish eyes smile on Chardonnay BY JAMES KNIGHT
T
he booze flows both ways between the Golden State and the Emerald Isle. While Americans clink pints of Guinness while trying to slur “slĂĄinte,â€? the Irish are tanking up on top-selling Blossom Hill from a wine factory near Hollister. Either way, Diageo wins—the multinational beverage giant owns both brands.
Drunk or Buzzed Driving = Arrest! Police are out looking for drunk drivers in Santa Rosa and throughout Sonoma County C ou nt y d during uring the the week we e k o off St. S t . Patrick’s Patrick’s Day. Day. V isit and Visit and like l i ke u us so on nF Facebook: acebook : www.facebook.com/SRSafeCommunity w w w.facebook.com / SRSafeCommunit y www.capsonoma.org w w w.capsonoma .or g T his message This message was was brought brought to to you you by by the t he SSanta ant a R Rosa osa SSafe afe Community C ommunit y Initiative, Initiative, Santa S ant a Rosa R osa Police Police Department Depar tment and and Community C ommunit y AAction ction PPartnership ar tner ship ooff SSonoma onoma County. C ount y. PPromoting romoting a safer safer and and healthier healthier Santa S ant a R Rosa. osa.
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No shocker that Chardonnay tops the list of favorite white wine flavors. Reflecting on a recent tasting of local Chardonnays, however, the genre seems directionless. Seeking to distinguish theirs from the big, oaky-buttery style that is dismissed in all corners and that sells like hotcakes, wineries are toning it down through the use of targeted yeast strains and sophisticated barrel programs. But what’s left? At least you can dye it green. Silver Palm 2013 North Coast Chardonnay ($15) As tropical as the sharp labeling suggests, this has pineapple aromas over dusty oak, Meyer lemon plus butterscotch, and a sweet-bodied finish. Not complex, but it’s got personality and drive at a good price point. Matanzas Creek 2012 Sonoma County Chardonnay ($26) It’s got a little of the frank toastiness of singed oak, but winemaker Marcia Monahan has banished the winery’s famed malolactic strain, so the wine only hints at baked apple and buttery pie crust, and is more woody, austere and dry than you might expect. It’s at the top of the list for elegance. Angeline 2013 Signature Reserve Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($16) The aroma veers from wood to green weeds and back, but the palate is consistently semi-rich and glycerin-like, with some citrus zest sharpening up the “this is pretty varietal Chardonnay for the priceâ€? finish. Arrowood 2013 Sonoma County Chardonnay ($25) Bitter melon and lemon flavors betray a wispy hint of caramel and wellseasoned oak, and it’s fairly dry. But where’s the fruit? Rodney Strong 2013 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($20) Lime, grapefruit acidity, and so crisp, it’s almost like an unoaked style, which is a great way to showcase pure, fresh, fruit. Would that it were so. Cuvaison 2012 Carneros Chardonnay ($25) High marks for quality oak aroma, with hints of bay leaf and savory lees. Elegant, with a light, lemony, citrus spritz on the palate, it looks like an intense and focused, if lean, Chardonnay, but it slacks off on the finish. Sub it for a FumĂŠ Blanc.
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T
he picture he pictu ure seems seems to tell th thee story. story y. A tule elk b bull ull stan stands ds on th thee ccoastal oastal prairie at P Point oint Reyes Re yes N National ational Se Seashore, ashore, he head ad lowered, lo wered, open-m open-mouthed, outhed, hi hiss to towering wering antlers tangled mess wire. ant lers tan gled in nam ess of barbed barbed wir e. Some S ome might say say th thee wir wiree iiss hurting hurting the the elk, but but thee photo was taken during th photo w as ta ken in in October, Octoberr, durin g the the rut, and an d he he might just as as well well be bugling bugling a lusty lusty call call that tto o aavailable vailab ble ffemales. eemales. Others O ers ssee Oth ee an elk th at just wrecked wr ecked a ffence. eence. Thiss b Thi bull’s ull’s rreal eal problem prob blem is is that that he’s he’s tangled tangled up in a controversy controversy th that at has has dairy dairy and and cattle cattle ranchers, ranchers, environmentalists and thee N National Park Service en nv vironmentalists an nd th ational P ark S ervice far-reaching questionss aabout thee futur futuree of aasking sking far -reaching question q b bout th tthe he seashore. seashore.
David Press familiar with Wire D avid v Pr ess iiss famili ar wi ith “Barbed W ire Guy,” Guy y,” aass h hee ccalls alls him. “F ortunately, if he he ccan an make make it ffor or another another couple couple “Fortunately, months,” m onths,” Press Press says says cheerily, cheerily, “h “he’ll e’ll drop drop his his antlers, antlers, and But an d then—problem then—problem solved!” solved!”” B ut if the the situation w orsens, ssays ays Pr ess, th arrk’s wildlif fe ec ologist, worsens, Press, thee p park’s wildlife ecologist, they’d th ey’d “dart “dart him down,” down,” remove rem move the the wire wire and and send send hiss w way. him on hi ay. I’m ridin riding g aalong long with Pr Press esss an and dP Point oint R Reyes eyes National N ation ti al Seashore Seashore (PRNS) outreach outr t each h coordinator coordin di attor M elanie Gunn Gunn to to fin d tule el lk in th astoral zzone, one, Melanie find elk thee p pastoral a large large slice slice of the the seashore seashore where, where, unique to to Point Point Reyes, R eyes, ranches ranches esta established ab blished 150 1 years years aago go ccontinue ontinue operate thee p park. tto o oper ate per aagreement greement with w th ark. Th that live live at Point Point Reyes Reyes were were m ore legen d Thee elk that more legend th an reality reality to to me me until one one day day last last year year when when a than friend frien d posted posted a picture picture on social soci o al media. media. Look, Look, she she
thee ssaid, aid d, elk are are everywhere. everywhere. As As ssoon oon aass I got th ch an nce, I cycled cycled down down th picturessque penin sula, chance, thee picturesque peninsula, mainly visit thee annua annuall elephant m aiinly tto o vi sit th elephan nt seal seal colony. colon ny. But But kept herds Ik ep pt an eeye ye peeled ffor or h erds of wild w tule elk. saw n o elk. Instead, Instead, I saw saw ccows, ows, lots l of cows, cows, I saw no bl ack c and and white white H olsteins backgrounded backgroun u ded by by the the black Holsteins glim mmering bl ue P acific Oc ean lik ommercial ffor or o glimmering blue Pacific Ocean likee a ccommercial happy h app py C California alifornia ccows. ows. S So o I ttook ook pic pictures ctures of ccows. ows. According to to Point Point Reyes Reyes ranchers, ranchers, there there are are According plen nty of elk here—an here—an e an “elk “elk invasion,” in nvasion, n ” some some ccall all it, it plenty cl aim ming that that elk are are eating eating grass grass m eant ffor or th eir claiming meant their ccows ows and and cattle, cattlee, and and threatening threatening th heir organic organic their ccertification. erttification. As As PRNS prepares prepares to to extend extend ranch ranch le ases at the the direction direction of former former secretary secr e etary of th leases thee int e erior Ken Salazar Salazar after after he he allowed allowed th year interior Ken thee 4040-year lease le ase of an oyster oyster farm in Drake’s Drake’s Bay Bay to Ba to expire, expire, a fr eee-ranging h erd of tule elk has has become become free-ranging herd ) 16
© Jim Coda
DO ELK HAVE A PLACE IN PT. REYES? BY JAMES KNIGHT
NORTH BAY BOH E MI AN | MAR C H 1 1-17, 20 1 5 | BO H E M I AN.COM
a sticking point in the park’s attempts to develop a “ranch comprehensive management plan,” the park’s first-ever master plan for ranching. “We’re sort of on the front end of the process at this point,” says Gunn. Although the park accepted scoping comments from April to June last year (a call for public feedback on what the plan should include), wildlife advocates say they’ve been largely shut out of the discussion, and that removing the elk to appease ranchers would run counter to the mission of the National Park Service.
The Elk Zone At D Ranch, we meet up with Tim Bernot, a park wildlife biotechnician. Bernot has been counting elk all morning for the annual census. It’s not that easy. “They still surprise me every day,” says Bernot. “They’re not as dumb as they look, sometimes. They’re pretty interesting animals.” Gesturing to a ridge that looks half a mile away, Press says, “You see those three elk bedded down there? They’re all on areas that are not permitted for grazing currently, so that’s kind of where we want them to be.” Where? In a few seconds I count 60 dairy cows, but it seems like the rangers have eyes like raptors where elk are concerned. Then I see them, beige dots scattered in the brush. An older one, Bernot says, has separated from the rest because she’s on her way out. One of the original elk from a herd relocated in 1999, she’ll be dead before the end of the year. But I came here to see an elk invasion. At C Ranch, we find a bachelor group, just where they were supposed to be—well, not supposed to be, but expected to be. Outside of the rut, most male elk hang out together in noncompetitive groups. “Ten elk today isn’t so bad, but when you have 60 animals over there as well,” Press gestures to D Ranch, “and those other guys on that far ridge, you’ve got close to a
hundred animals.” The argument that ranchers are making, says Press, is that there’s only so much grass to go around. “Even though they spend a fair amount of time over in those nonleased areas, there’s nothing keeping them from coming and going.” Though they’re mostly laying around, they are striking. The core group of four prime bulls have massive antlers, with downwardcurving tips. Antlers are shed every year, but grow back bigger than ever, requiring calcium, phosphate and selenium from the environment in the process. Quite unlike cattle, the elk are alert and aware of our presence at a distance of several hundred yards. The word majestic is no cliché for this sight, which is unfamiliar in the California I’ve known all my life, and unmistakably wild—almost exotic. They are anything but exotic.
Herds of the Past In 2007, the park set its sights on hundreds of axis and fallow deer then roaming the seashore. Exotic in the biological sense, these non-native species hailed from India and the Near East. In the 1940s and 1950s, before PRNS was established, a few dozen were introduced for sport-hunting enthusiasts. They’d become invasive, the park said, competing with native mule deer and tule elk. When a controversial eradication plan turned from contraception to professional riflemen—although park rangers had culled deer in the past—Sen. Dianne Feinstein and other lawmakers were besieged by outraged constituents and rushed to intervene. Too late for the last luckless axis deer, but the park has a remnant, declining population of about 60 fallow deer. Tule elk are endemic to California, meaning that their historic range was confined to this state. One of four surviving subspecies in North America—two in the east were rubbed out—tule elk are slightly smaller than their relatives. But before 1800, their numbers were huge. On the coastal prairie from Santa Barbara to Sonoma County, and
James Knight
16 Elk ( 15
GET OFF MY LAWN A female elk wanders onto cattle grazing lands.
throughout the Central Valley, an estimated half-million tule elk were the dominant grazers in California. Over a hundred years of hunting, habitat loss and cattle ranching brought them to the brink of extinction. Because elk are bigger than deer, gather in herds and live in open grassland, they were targeted by Californios for hides and tallow during the Spanish period. “They would come out on big hunts,” says Press, “where they’d take down 40 or 50 at a time.” Later, teams of hunters serving Gold Rush–era meat markets “finished up,” in the words of one, all the elk from wide swaths of the state. Tule elk were thought extinct by 1874, when a wealthy rancher spared a few survivors he discovered while draining one of the Central Valley’s oncevast marshlands. All of the approximately 4,000 tule elk in 22 herds on public and private land are descended from those.
Welcome to Point Reyes The establishment of a herd at Point Reyes was no lark. “It was a real long-term goal at the time,”
Press explains. “It was very well thought out.” In 1971, in response to decimating hunts when the main herd in Owens Valley still numbered only in the hundreds, State Sen. Peter Behr sponsored legislation that banned hunting of tule elk until the population reached 2,000. Congress passed a companion bill in 1976 that instructed the secretary of the interior to work with the state to identify potential elk habitat on federal lands, including Point Reyes National Seashore. Ten elk were placed in a 2,600acre preserve at Tomales Point in 1978. By 1998, the population had expanded, and the park prepared a management plan that was mixed on the carrying capacity of the narrow reserve, but recommended relocation of some animals to the Limantour area of the park’s wilderness. The environmental assessment for the plan anticipated “no significant impact.” Within weeks, two females left the wilderness and found their way to the pastoral zone across Drakes Bay. One of those, nicknamed “White” for her radio collar, is still a herd matriarch. They returned for the rut, but came back with a calf in tow. According to the park’s
in Point Reyes Station on Nov. 21, 2014. Beaming under their iconic wide-brimmed hats, park employees and officials ringed the room while a team of professional facilitators set the stage. A convivial buzz settled when David Press, who grew up in Inverness, began a PowerPoint overview of the tule elk situation. After explaining that habitat enhancement efforts had concentrated animals in an area outside of ranch boundaries from July 2013 to July 2014, Press detailed the pros and cons of the park’s available options for managing tule elk in the pastoral zones. Then Press asked the crowd to “put your flat hats on,” and they broke up into groups to discuss ways that the PRNS might best resolve the issue. At first, you might have split the crowd into West Marin stereotypes—farmers wearing ag-branded ball caps, bearded environmentalists in L.L. Bean parkas. But upon prompting from the facilitator, people left their cliques and crossed the room to meet with the other side—most everyone knows who’s who. Chairs closed. People leaned forward into heated discussion. Markers were scrawled on flip charts and pages went flying as if blown by the wind to the walls of the Dance Palace. The community is impassioned, but civil debate looked like a success. After the tightly scheduled sessions, group spokespersons presented their findings. Many declared that the elk must go, and there was some support for trophy hunting. But mostly they found that they didn’t agree: “Our group was fairly split” and “I want to make it clear, there was no agreement among our group” were typical sentiments. At least everybody had his say. But as one spokesman in camouflage hunting pants summed up what he said was his group’s position, a bearded gentleman opposite him seemed to glare into the middle distance, eyes narrowed, tight-lipped. Perhaps I wasn’t getting the whole picture. ) 18
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2014 census, this splinter herd now numbers 92, while 120 remain mostly in Limantour. The elk total 498 in all. Elk have no natural predators in the area. Mountain lions prefer deer, coyotes mostly don’t dare and California’s only wolf chose to raise his family in Oregon. Over the decade leading up to the ranch management plan process, ranch and dairy operators have increasingly voiced their frustration with the free-ranging herd. Pointing to the 1998 plan, they say the park is obligated to manage the elk should they impact neighboring properties. How the park responds to their concerns may depend on how one defines a neighbor. The ranches at Point Reyes have their origins in chaotic litigation that followed the dissolution of Mexican land grants. When the dust settled, the only folks left standing were the lawyers. The partners of San Francisco law firm Shafter, Shafter, Park & Heydenfeldt diced the peninsula into ranches (later named A through Z), leased them back to tenant farmers and founded a name-brand dairy empire. The properties were sold to ranchers between 1919 and 1939. A generation later, a historic deal was struck between ranchers, environmentalists and the National Park Service to establish Point Reyes National Seashore, in 1962. As funds became available, the park purchased the ranches at market rate and offered the sellers a reservation of use and occupancy of not more than 25 years, or until the death of the owner or spouse. Today, the North Bay’s renewed food culture celebrates the products of Point Reyes farms, from gourmet cheese to grass-fed beef. But the long-term leases have termed out. “We made it clear from day one,” Gunn says. “It’s not a question of if there’s going to be ranching, but how we do it.” In an attempt to build consensus around the Ranch CMP and the tule elk issue, PRNS invited the community to a series of workshops. It was a packed house at the Dance Palace Community Center
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Elk ( 17 Save the Elk “It seems the workshops were a failure, at least to the extent the park was hoping to find consensus on any topics,” Jim Coda complained in a follow-up letter to park superintendent Cicily Muldoon. Coda, a wildlife photographer who attended both meetings, says that the workshop started from the assumption that elk must be removed from the pastoral zone without discussion about why cattle should have precedence over them. In his view, there’s something missing from the debate: national parks have a different purpose than ranching. “They are special lands that are set aside for the preservation of natural resources and the scenic beauty there,” Coda says. Coda used to enjoy hunting, until he took up photography and bought a big telephoto lens. “And I’m glad I did that,” he says. “I could never hunt today. Except with a camera.” He hadn’t been out to Point Reyes for years, but after returning from Yellowstone National Park, he gave it a try. He was surprised. “I saw bobcats and coyotes pretty regularly, and I thought, this is pretty cool—this is my Yellowstone at home.” The problems that ranchers are having with fences, says Coda, are more the fault of the fence than the elk. He points to guidelines the Bureau of Land Management uses, both to reduce injury and death caused to elk and deer by “scissoring” when their legs catch improperly spaced wires, and to reduce damage to fencing. “Those wildlife-friendly fences are supposed to be adequate for cattle,” says Coda. “That’s the whole point!” None of the 21 fences that Coda measured at PRNS met Land Management standards. “I just find that it’s astounding that a national park would take such a position on wildlife-friendly fencing,” he says. The last thing that the park needs, says Tule Elk Foundation’s Julie Phillips, is another eightfoot fence like the one at Tomales
Point. Phillips, a tule elk biologist, says free-ranging elk are not an aberration, but the “natural next step” in keeping with the park’s mission to restore natural processes. “The vision of allowing tule elk to help in the restoration of California’s native grasslands, coastal prairie, oak woodlands and more is gaining momentum,” Phillips says in an email. Instead of ramping up farming activities, she suggests, “tule elk should take priority over non-native domestic livestock especially within federally owned national lands.” Nothing against organic farming, says West Marin resident Jeff Miller, a conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity (CDB). “Ranchers can make a living, and make a good living,” Miller says, “and continue to provide organic food, without demanding that the public get rid of the wildlife. I don’t see how any business that is sustainable and touts itself as being good for the environment would want to remove the native wildlife.” Based in Arizona, the CBD encouraged its members to comment on the ranch management plan. While the environmental group celebrated the results of its web campaign, others said that “outsiders” had butted in on a local matter. But there’s nothing locals-only about a national park, according to Miller. “The ranchers like to frame the issue as, ‘the elk are somehow trespassing on the pastoral zone,’ when in fact the elk are supposed to be there,” Miller says. “The proposal to fence these elk in and have them as an exhibit is contrary to what the national park is supposed to be about.” Furthermore, Miller alleges that ranchers are stocking more animals than they are allowed to, while paying below-market rates for the land ($7 per animal unit month; dairies have a different arrangement), and then blaming the elk for overgrazing during the drought. “The elk are being scapegoated for those conditions,” says Miller. “Having been around the West, I don’t think there’s a shortage of cattle operations,” says Karen Klitz,
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DON’T BOX ME IN Separating cattle from elk with fences sounds simple.
But it isn’t.
a board member of the Western Watersheds Project. “You can go many places and see those.” In contrast, says Klitz, the public does have an interest in “a real national park with native animals.” She says that a park docent recently affirmed to her that the public is excited about the wildlife. “But nobody asks to see the cows.” Some advocates for free-ranging elk envision a fenceless coastal prairie where visitors could experience a landscape that existed for more than 10,000 years before European settlement. But most are resigned to compromise—or hopeful for it. Edward Loosli, president of the Wildlife Trust, based in Walnut Creek, which is now focusing on Point Reyes wildlife and habitat restoration, and also operates in Kenya, offers this: “The Maasai rancher pastoralists in Kenya, East Africa, have been co-existing with wildlife for many hundreds of years. If they can do it, so can we.”
Boot the Elk No such compromise is likely, says Albert Straus, president of Straus Family Creamery and a leader in organic dairying. “That’s not sustainable. It’s not going to work either short-term or long-term.”
Straus does not lease land in Point Reyes, and his own herd is across Tomales Bay in Marshall. But he recently contracted with the Mendoza dairy on B Ranch, and is sympathetic to their concerns. “As a stakeholder in the park,” says Straus, “I’m going to all the hearings, put in public comments, and am meeting with public officials to advocate for organic farming and the sustainability of farming in our community.” Summarizing the position of ranchers in the pastoral zone, Straus says that elk were never meant to be there. “They’re not supposed to be on that land, that’s the basic thing— there’s a management plan that had them in the wildlife area, not the pastoral zone.” Straus blames the park for neglecting the elk. “Last winter, they had a third of the elk die in the wilderness areas because they starved to death or didn’t have enough water. In my mind, that’s not a sustainable management system.” Straus supports the park’s proposed long-term lease plan, saying it will improve ranchers’ business relationships and ability to get loans from banks. “I think there’s a huge opportunity for the park to work with the farms, to make them a model for ) 20 how it can work,” he says.
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Restaurant Week Prix Fixe Menus $ 10 LUNCH The Picadillo Joe
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Back on D Ranch, David Press shows me a livestock pond that the park is filling from 3,000 feet of pipe connected to the Drakes Beach water system, in an effort to provide better habitat for the elk, away from nearby dairies. When elk graze in a lush pasture that’s adjacent to one dairy’s milking barn, Bernot and other rangers “haze” them away. A little arm-waving goes a long way. On Drakes Beach Road, Press points out elk crossings they installed after identifying key corridors of movement within the park. Lower than the fence and reinforced with two-by-sixes, the crossings minimize fence damage. Some elk are fitted with GPS collars to monitor the herd’s range. Information on the elks’ movement is collected every three hours and beamed to a satellite that downloads it to a server that spits an email to Press’ cell phone. When I call Press at his office later and ask about White, he says, “Hang on a second, I’ll pull up her file.” So far, I’m seeing more wildlife micromanagement than mismanagement.
Mending Fences The park is exploring several options for removing the freeranging herd from the pastoral zone, should they find a need to do so. Simply putting them somewhere else in California is not simple at all. The tule elk at Point Reyes are the only herd known to carry Johne’s disease (“yo-nees”), a gastrointestinal bug that affects ruminants. Even this has become politicized: ranchers smear the elk for carrying “the dreaded Johne’s disease,” while Miller says, “The elk are not a reservoir for the disease; it’s almost guaranteed the elk got it from the cattle.” Ultimately, any movement of elk outside of PRNS is up to the state of California, says state elk and antelope coordinator Joe Hobbs: “The state is going to take a cautious approach, that they get a clean bill of health, wherever they’re going.”
Meanwhile, park staff are out there collecting elk feces to send to a lab at the University of Wisconsin. Capturing and providing contraception to the elk would be labor-intensive, may induce undesirable behavioral changes and would have little effect for five to 10 years. The construction of an elk-proof fence across the Phillip Burton Wilderness may be the most popular option. One challenge is that a wide buffer zone would have to be slashed through the wilderness in order to construct and maintain such a fence. Another problem is that it wouldn’t be elk-proof. “We brought some of our Park Service ungulate-management specialists from Colorado to consult with us on this matter,” says Press. They had concerns. Elk will follow fence lines until they can get around, and nothing would stop them at the eastern end of the fence. Also, elk can swim. Press has some experience with fencing fiascos. Once, he attempted to build a seal-proof fence to keep elephant seals from an area at Drakes Beach. They made short work of it. “It was just a whole bunch of splintered boards,” Press says ruefully. Another option: shoot the elk. The positive spin on having park staff or contractors do the killing is that elk meat could be distributed to homeless shelters or the California Condor Recovery Program. A state program for private landholders would provide another model. After developing a fiveyear plan to improve wildlife habitat in cooperation with the state, landholders are permitted to sell elk hunting tags worth up to $15,000. “It’s a nonstarter,” Miller says. “First off, the park service would never go for it. This is a park with millions of visitors, hikers, birders—it’s a pipe dream for the ranchers.” But thus far, it’s on the table. “What I’ve been trying to communicate from day one with this issue,” Press says, “is that there are really no easy solutions.”
James Knight
20 Elk ( 19
OVER THERE David Press , right, and Tim Bernot spot tule elk on D Ranch.
Thorny Issues That’s surely an understatement. But even identifying the problem is a tough call, too. Is there such a thing as an “unauthorized elk herd,” as characterized in a scoping letter submitted by the Point Reyes Seashore Ranchers Association? The argument is that the 1998 tule elk management plan designated an 18,000-acre elk range within a defined boundary. The plan does include a map with a shaded area marked “proposed tule elk range.” “We didn’t anticipate that there would be elk in the pastoral area,” says Gunn, “but I wouldn’t call them unauthorized. It’s a wild population, and migration occurs.” Where it holds the park responsible for mitigating impacts on neighbors, the plan’s language explicitly refers to landowners outside the seashore. “There’s no question that they are consuming forage on these pastures,” Press says of the pastoral zone elk. “What we don’t know is whether there is a level of competition between cattle and elk.” “As a scientist, I’m interested in evidence,” says Hall Cushman, professor of biology at Sonoma State University. Cushman—who is at pains to emphasize he does not advocate for one position or
another, but would like to play a positive role in the discussion—has been studying a tule elk exclosure experiment at Tomales Point since 2002, and has studied the impact of elk across the West. “There really isn’t a lot of strong evidence that elk are negatively affecting cattle,” Cushman says. “It doesn’t mean that it’s not happening,” he cautions, “but I’m not aware of studies that propose such data,” he says about Point Reyes in particular. Arguing that their expertise should count for more than that of National Park Service range ecologists, ranchers have also requested that park managers remove “arbitrary” limits on how many animals they may stock. By packing more animals on pasture, the ranchers association letter goes on to suggest, they will improve the ecosystem. According to the park’s estimate, Point Reyes hosts a fluctuating population of 5,000 to 6,000 beef and dairy animals, depending on the season. “We simply don’t have the capacity to go out there and count cows,” says Gunn. They do count elk. There are 92 in the D Ranch group, and a few dozen more from the Limantour herd wander into ranches to the north. A Holstein weighs around 1,500 pounds; Tule elk weigh ) 22
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COMING NEXT WEEK
march 18 issue
NO RTH BAY BO H E M I AN | MAR C H 1 1-17, 20 1 5 | BOH EMI A N.COM
THE BEST OF THE NORTH BAY
WILD CARDS Nicki Bluhm & the Gamblers play for high stakes three consecutive Wednesday nights at Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael. See Clubs & Venues, p30.
YOUNTVILLE
GLEN ELLEN
SAN RAFAEL/MILL VALLEY
SONOMA
Big Shot
Unveil the Trail
Gala Weekend
Major Case
Rock and roll photographer Guy Webster has shot some of the most recognizable faces in music and film of the past 50 years. Currently, an in-depth look at Webster’s work is on display in the “Big Shots” exhibit at the Napa Valley Museum. Webster’s portraits of such icons as Bob Dylan and Jack Nicholson have been seen around the world, and this week Webster appears for a discussion before the viewing wraps on Sunday. Don’t miss this chance to get a closeup appreciation of these images and hear Webster recall a lifetime of shots on Thursday, March 12, at Napa Valley Museum, 55 Presidents Circle, Yountville. 5:30pm. $5–$10. 707.944.0500.
After two decades of work, Jack London State Park is cutting the ribbon on a new ridge trail on the east slope of Sonoma Mountain. This land has never been open and accessible to the public before, meaning that hikers, cyclists and equestrians will all experience new breathtaking views of the Sonoma Valley. A community celebration at the park’s Beauty Ranch kicks off a day of exploration, including a full 13-mile hike led by Craig Anderson of LandPaths and others. If 13 miles sounds too daunting, don’t sweat it, as numerous turn-around points and family-friendly activities offer something for everyone. The new east slope ridge trail is unveiled on Saturday, March 14, at Jack London State Park, 2400 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen. 10:30am. 707.938.5216.
For 15 years, the Mill Valley Philharmonic has been sharing classical works and premiering original orchestral pieces through free concerts open to all. This weekend, the orchestra is very busy with a concert and gala celebration. First, the MVP performs its latest program, “Fate Knocks,” with movements from Beethoven’s famous Fifth Symphony as well as Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 and others highlighting the evening. Then, the MVP hosts the 15th Annual Gala Celebration with food, fun and music by the orchestra. “Fate Knocks” is performed on Saturday, March 14, at Angelico Hall, Dominican University, 50 Acacia Ave., San Rafael. 2pm. Free. The Gala takes place on Sunday, March 15, at Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley. 2pm. $100. 415.383.0930.
Since beginning his musical career as a street performer in 1970s San Francisco, singer and songwriter Peter Case has made a name for himself as an immensely talented troubadour and authentic presence on the Americana scene. As a bandleader back in the day with the Nerves and the Plimsouls, Case scored power pop and rock and roll hits. As a solo performer using nothing more than his voice and an acoustic guitar, his nuanced style makes him a force of nature. This weekend, Peter Case comes to the new “listening room” at HopMonk’s Sonoma locale, and the intimate space and dynamic music make a perfect match on Sunday, March 15, at HopMonk Tavern, 691 Broadway, Sonoma. 8pm. $25. 707.935.9100.
—Charlie Swanson
23 NO R RTH TH BAY B AY B BO OHEMIA AN N | MAR M AR C H 1 1-17, 1 - 1 7, 20 114 4 | B BOH OHE EMI MI AN A N.COM .C O M
The week’s events: a selective guide
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Arts Ideas SHE’S THE MANN Aimee Mann showcases her rockier side on her new release with Ted Leo.
Liven-Up
Yountville pulls out all the stops for upcoming music and food fest BY CHARLIE SWANSON
I
f there’s one thing the folks in Yountville know how to do right, it’s throwing a worldclass party. And this month, it looks like everybody in the valley is pitching in for a four-day immersion of food, wine and live music.
Taking place March 19–22, Yountville Live is a moveable festival that incorporates the small though sophisticated burg’s best restaurants, wineries and
venues, and hosts renowned local chefs and national headlining acts like O.A.R., Aimee Mann, Colbie Caillat and others. This is the inaugural year for the festival, organized by the same team that puts on the Taste of Yountville every spring. That 20-plus year tradition takes place on March 21, though now it’s incorporated into Yountville Live. The festivities kick off March 19 at Brix Restaurant & Gardens where the French-inspired cuisine pairs with local estate wines. A
special acoustic performance by alternative rock band Blue October will fill the intimate space. The platinum-selling group announced last month that they were entering the studio to record their eighth record, and hinted at a slew of new songs in the works. March 20, begins with several afternoon concerts, each complemented with food and wine pairings. At the Vintage Inn’s historic Barrel Room, Austin-based rock outfit Alpha Rev perform. Jessup Cellars hosts
British indie pop group Scars on 45. And in the Generations Room of the Yountville Community Center, young indie folk singer Noah Gundersen brings a resonant and passionate depth to songs of faith and recklessness. There will be no shortage of delectables with chefs like Michael Chiarello of Bottega Ristorante and caterer extraordinaire Richard Visconte. But how about some real rock and roll? Yountville Live’s main stage performances are filling the seats at the Napa Valley Performing Arts Center at Lincoln Theater with some of the North Bay’s favorite big-name bands. First up on Saturday, popular singer and songwriter Aimee Mann and Maryland rock band O.A.R. take the stage. Mann has been focusing on her collaborative duo, the Both, with songwriter Ted Leo. Their selftitled debut album, released last year, is a bona fide rock and roll gem and Mann’s foremost foray into the genre, as she’s usually stayed on the folk side of the sound. O.A.R. is all rock and roll, and their latest release, last year’s Rockville LP, saw the group return to their roots. If Saturday is a little bit rock and roll, then Sunday, the final night, is a little bit country, featuring acoustic star Colbie Caillat and country rocker Matt Nathanson. Caillat has recently expanded her palette, working out of her comfort zone with R&B producer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. Nathanson has made his name with dynamic performances and songwriting, both of which he brings as the closer for Yountville Live. Yountville Live happens Thu–Sun, March 19–22, at various locations throughout Yountville. www.yountvillelive.com.
Stage on Stage
New Belrose Theater show takes a selfreferential look at making theater BY DAVID TEMPLETON
T
itle of show] is a play about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical,” explains Fernando Sui, shouting to be heard above the din of 300 happy theater people.
It’s 9:30pm at the Victoria Theater in San Francisco, where the San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle awards have just ended. Sui, who was nominated for his role as a nonexistent teenager in Next to Normal, takes a moment to talk about his next show, opening this weekend at Belrose Theater in San Rafael. “It’s kind of crazy,” Sui says, describing [title of show], written by Jeff Bown and Hunter Bell, and presented by Marin Onstage. Sui raises his voice again to be heard above the nearby Carl Jordan, the director of [title of show], who just won for directing last year’s Return to the Forbidden Planet. “It’s really a show about creating something out of thin air,” Sui says. “A lot of times, when you start a new creative project, your expectations are low, but then, little by little, you start to believe that something really special might be happening.” As it so happens, Sui’s three co-actors in [title of show] were all nominated tonight. Abbey Lee took home a win for her supporting role in 6th Street Playhouse’s Victor/Victoria. Phillip Percy Williams and Amanda Morando were both nominated for roles in Forbidden Planet, with Williams winning for playing a dashing rock-singing space captain. “Half of the songs in the show are about what it’s like to be a theater artist, desperately hoping someone notices what it is we’re doing,” says Sui. “It’s nice to be noticed for the work you do. I really think audiences will leave [title of show] totally inspired to do whatever it is they want to do, to make what they want to make—to just take a chance and see what happens.” ‘[title of show]’ runs Friday–Saturday, March 13–18 at Belrose Theater, 1415 Fifth Ave., San Rafael. 2pm matinees on Saturday. $10–$25. 415.448.6152.
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IN BRACKETS ‘[title of show]’ is a play about making a musical.
Sarah Nelson
Stage
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Film
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ROAD RAGE ‘Wild Tales’ probes life in society gone off the rails.
Mortal Sin
Carnivorous pleasure abounds in Argentinean ‘Wild Tales’ BY RICHARD VON BUSACK
W
ild Tales is a masterfully filmed cautionary tale in the form of a half-dozen stories of terrorism, revenge and extortion. The film presents a roster of crimes in a society gone rotten as old cheese.
33/13–3/19 /13–3 /19
HHonorable onor able
Second B Second Best est Exotic Exotic Marigold M arigold H Hotel otel PG ((10:15-1:00-3:45)-6:30-9:10 10 :15-1: 00-3 : 45 ) -6 : 30-9 :10
Wild W ild T Tales ales R ((11:00-1:45-5:00)-8:00 11: 00-1: 45-5 : 00 ) -8 : 00
Song S ong o off tthe he S Sea ea PG ((10:45-1:30-4:00)-6:15-8:30 10 : 45-1: 30- 4 : 00 ) -6 :15-8 : 30
Leviathan R (2(2:00)-8:15 Leviathan : 00 ) -8 :15 What W hat We We Do Do in in the the Shadows S hadows NR (3:30)-8:45 ( 3 : 30 ) -8 : 45 Thurs Thur s 3/19 3 /19 only: only : (3:30) ( 3 : 30 )
Still A Still Alice lice PPG13 G13 (11:15-5:15) (11:15-5 :15 ) The T he Imitation Imitation Game Game (10 :15-12: 45 ) -6 : 00, Wed (10:15-12:45)-6:00, Wed 3/18 3 /18 only: onl y : (12:45)-6:00 (12: 45 ) -6 : 00 TThurs hur s 3/19 3 /19 only: onl y : (12:45) (12: 45 ) Celebr a t e National Celebrate Na t ional Nutrition Nu t r i t ion Month Mon t h with w i t h 4Cs 4 C s and and First F ir s t 5 SSonoma onoma County Coun t y with w i t h a FREE F R EE sshowing ho w ing ooff FFed ed UUp. p. TThursday hur sda y 3/19 3 /19 at a t 6:30pm. 6 : 30pm. Seating Sea t ing isis on on a first f ir s t come c ome ffirst ir s t serve ser ve basis. basis .
551 5 51 Summerfield Summer field Road R oad Santa Rosa Santa R osa
707.522.0719 70 7. 522 .0719
www.summerfieldcinemas.com w w w. s -ummer-fieldcinemas .c om
This banquet of bad behavior, directed by Damián Szifron and co-produced by the Almodóvar brothers, shows artisanship in the complexity of the shots, with such fresh points of view as the inside of a luggage compartment on a jet and the keypad of an ATM. After a blackout, we come to in a dark tunnel, lined with flashing blue lights; it turns out to be the floor of a grain silo about to be blown up. Rather than banal film-school slickness, Szifron demonstrates that same assuredness that makes Hitchcock a pleasure to rewatch—he insists on surface beauty in these anecdotes of human nastiness. While the half-dozen episodes are apparently unrelated, they have rhyming motifs about drivers, cakes and explosions. A weird plausibility underscores these events, as if they were all copied from a newsfeed. Strangely, for all the vile, carnal things that go on in Wild Tales, you feel Szifron trusts in his audience’s gentleness, their belief in reconciliation after the hurt. Yet Wild Tales gets us right in the carnivore part of our brain. Early on, a female airline traveler regards a magazine photo of a pack of cheetahs surrounding a nervous gazelle. In voiceover, the man two seats over asks, “Business or pleasure?” Does he mean the lady’s travel plans, or is he asking a question about the motives of predators? Despite his ardor for mortal sin, Szifron always picks out something elegant. A woman considers suicide on a tower’s roof, and a boom of heat lightning on the far horizon amps up the madness. Two skulls left over from a mutual homicide, cheekbone to cheekbone, have lovely smiles of satisfaction. ‘Wild Tales’ is playing at the Christopher B. Smith Film Center (1118 Fourth St., San Rafael. 415.454.1222) and opens at Summerfield Cinemas, March 13 (551 Summerfield Road, Santa Rosa. 707.522.0719).
27 NO RTH BAY BO H E M I AN | MAR C H 1 1-17, 20 1 5 | BOH EMI A N.COM
NOW OPEN ~ Book Today!
2 for 1 Floats and Lucia #3 Light Sessions Floatation Therapy is a great way to relax and unwind yourself and your mind. Each treatment room has its own private shower for your total comfort and relaxation. We are also very excited to have our very own Lucia #3 hypnagogic light experience, “neuro art”, where you become the artist. You have to try it to believe it! First and only one available in Northern California.
Float $ 75 60 min
Light $ 20 20 min
Theta Wave Float Spa 130 S. Main St. #204, Sebastopol 707.861.9227 thetawavefloatspa.com
Music
NORTH BAY BOH EMI A N | MAR C H 1 1-17, 20 1 5 | BO H E M I AN.COM
28
Concerts
DON’T FORGET‌WE SERVE FOOD, TOO!
McNear’s Dining House
SONOMA COUNTY
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The Crux EP release show for the Crux is also a farewell to the small, beloved Yard. Includes art showing and the Haymarket Squares opening. Mar 14, 4pm. $8-$15. The Yard, 769 Wilson St, Santa Rosa.
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North Bay Alt-Pop Party Dylan Chambers & the Midnight Transit, Kingsborough, Midori & Ezra Boy and others party down. Mar 13, 8pm. $10. 755 After Dark (Aubergine), 755 Petaluma Ave, Sebastopol. 707.829.2722.
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This year’s lineup includes Si Kahn, Crary, Spurgin & Evans, Kathy Kallick Band, Steep Ravine, Anne & Pete Sibley and Bean Creek. Mar 14, 1pm. $30-$35. Sebastopol Community Center, 390 Morris St, Sebastopol. 707.829.8012.
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Sonoma Community Center LIVE MUSIC & DANCING EVERY FRI & SAT NIGHT!
Doors 8pm/Show 9:30/$10 Adv–$12 Door
MAR 13 > Alternative, Rock, Blues, Americana
Girls & Boys
MAR 14 > Rhythm and Blues
UB707
MAR 20 > Classic Rock
Featherwitch MAR 21 > Party Band
Stereo Bounce
MAR 27 > Dance, Party, Rock
Notorious
APR 3 > Rolling Stones Tribute Band $
18 Adv or Door
The Unauthorized Rolling Stones APR 4 > Party Rock Band
The Department of Rock 2777 4th Street | Santa Rosa flamingoresort.inticketing.com
WINTER SERIES The Free Spirits Gospel Choir No religious agenda; just great music!
March 14 Films for the Future:
Russian River –All Rivers Boom, Bust & Binge—a Morning After Water Story
March 20
Two Singer/ Songwriters, One Grand Piano Trysette & Bob Malone
March 21 Storytelling Series Fairytales & Folklore from Ireland for Families
Featuring awardwinning celtic harpist
Patrick Ball
March 22, 3pm SHOWS BEGIN AT 7:30PM
TICKETS: 707.938.4626 x1 or www.SVBO.org SONOMA COMMUNITY CENTER 276 East Napa Street, Sonoma
Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen Famed singer-songwriter duo is on tour from Vermont. Mar 13, 7pm. $12-$15. Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Ct, Occidental. 707.542.7143.
MARIN COUNTY Fate Knocks Mill Valley Philharmonic weaves together the music of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Berlioz. Mar 14, 2pm. Free. Angelico Hall, Dominican University, 50 Acacia Ave, San Rafael. 415.383.0930.
Howlin’ Rain San Francisco band led by former Comets on Fire member Ethan Miller plays classic blues rock jams with a psychedelic passion, with the Blank Tapes opening. Mar 14, 9pm. $15-$17. Sweetwater Music Hall, 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.3850.
NAPA COUNTY Jake Shimabukuro Ukulele virtuoso returns to the North Bay. Mar 17, 8pm. Uptown Theatre, 1350 Third St, Napa. 707.259.0123.
The Juliana Hatfield Three The alt rocker gets the band back together and performs her acclaimed album “Become What You Are� in its entirety, as well as debuting new material. Mar 14, 8pm. $15-$20. City Winery Napa, 1030 Main St, Napa. 707.260.1600.
Clubs & Venues SONOMA COUNTY Aqus Cafe Mar 11, open jazz jam. Mar 12, David Pascoe. Mar 13, Honey Dippers. Mar 14, Jeff Troiano and Steve Della Maggiora. Mar 15, Page 17. Mar 17, Wild Green. Mar 18, West Coast Songwriters. 189 H St, Petaluma. 707.778.6060.
Arlene Francis Center Mar 12, Phèdre with the Gooch Palms and Secret Cat. Mar 14, Wrath of Vesuvius with Inanimate Existence. Wed, Open Mic. 99 Sixth St, Santa Rosa. 707.528.3009.
The Big Easy Mar 11, Bruce Gordon & the Acrosonics featuring Nicky Otis. Mar 12, Will Blades Trio. Mar 13, Brad Wilson & the Rhythm Drivers. Mar 14, Royal Jelly Jive. Mar 15, MianoJazz Trio. Mar 17, the Kandinsky Effect. Mar 18, HE3. 128 American Alley, Petaluma.
Cinnabar Theater Mar 15, the Ring of Truth Trio. 3333 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma. 707.763.8920.
dhyana Center Mar 15, 6:30pm, Kirtans with Jens Jarvie, Sahar and friends. 186 N Main St, Sebastopol. 800.796.6863.
Dry Creek Kitchen Mar 16, Christian Foley-Beining and Tom Shader Duo. Mar 17, John Stowell and Randy Vincent Duo. 317 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg. 707.431.0330.
Epicurean Connection Mar 13, Kevin Russell and His So-Called Friends. Mar 18, Spring Equinox Shindig. Second Thursday of every month, open mic with Josh Windmiller. 122 West Napa St, Sonoma. 707.935.7960.
Green Music Center Mar 11, Jazz Orchestra with Harold Jones. Mar 15, Curtis Chamber Orchestra. 1801 East Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, 866.955.6040.
HopMonk Sebastopol Mar 11, Scott Pemberton. Mar 13, Mike Saliani. Mar 14, Diego’s Umbrella. Mar 16, “Welcome to Shamrock� bash with DJ Jacques and DJ Guacamole. Tues, open mic night. 230 Petaluma Ave, Sebastopol. 707.829.7300.
HopMonk Sonoma Mar 13, Aaron Redner. Mar 14, Kyle Williams. Mar 15, Peter Case. 691 Broadway, Sonoma. 707.935.9100.
Jamison’s Roaring Donkey Mar 12, Hip Hop night. Mar 13, the Country Lips with the Easy Leaves. Mar 14, the Rusty String Express. 146 Kentucky St, Petaluma. 707.772.5478.
Lagunitas Tap Room Mar 11, Tony Gagarin. Mar 12, Hunter and the Dirty Jacks. Mar 13, Royal Deuces. Mar 14, Jason Bodlovich. Mar 15, the Mad Maggies. 1280 N McDowell Blvd, Petaluma. 707.778.8776.
Main Street Station Mar 11, Greg Hester. Mar 12, Susan Sutton. Mar 13, Janie Roberts. Mar 14, Eddie Neon Band. Mar 16, Country Dan. 16280 Main St, Guerneville. 707.869.0501.
Murphy’s Irish Pub Mar 12, 4 Shillings Short. Mar 13, Kith and Kin. Mar 14, Mostly Simply Bluegrass. 464 First St E, Sonoma. 707.935.0660.
Mystic Theatre Mar 14, Vaud & the Villians. Mar 18, the Southern Troubadour. 23 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma. 707.765.2121.
Occidental Center for the Arts Mar 14, Lysander Piano Trio. 3850 Doris Murphy Ct, Occidental. 707.874.9392.
Phoenix Theater Mar 13, Philthy Rich with Cookie Money and Joe Blow. Tues, 7pm, Acoustic Americana jam. Sun, 5pm, rock and blues jam. 201 Washington St, Petaluma. 707.762.3565.
R3 Hotel Piano Bar Mar 13-14, Joe Wicht. 16390 Fourth St, Guerneville. 707.869.8399.
Redwood Cafe Mar 11, Sound Kitchen. Mar 14, Betty & the Side Effects. Mar 15,
CRITIC’S CHOICE
Upcoming Concerts at Sebastopol Community Cultural Center
Cheryl Wheeler
755 After Dark
Americana Folk with a hint of humor
Mar 12, the Linda Ferro Band. Mar 14, Serpent Tribe with Kalya Scintilla and Ev Olution. Mar 15, Frankie & the Witch Fingers. Mar 18, Space Apes with Wil Banks. Wed, open mic night. 755 Petaluma Ave, Sebastopol. 707.829.2722.
with Kenny White Friday, March 13, 8 pm Tickets: Premium $35 General $30 advance /$33 door
Green Music Center Schroeder Hall Mar 14, Come My Children: Baltimore Consort Family Show. 1801 E Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, 866.955.6040.
Sonoma Valley Regional Library Mar 14, 1 and 2:30pm, Santa Rosa Symphony Brass Quintet. Free. 755 W Napa St, Sonoma. 707.939.0379.
Tradewinds Mar 13, DJ Lurch. Mar 14, Vickie Guilleroy and the Sugar Cats. Tues, Jeremy’s Open Mic. Wed, Sonoma County Blues Society. Thurs, DJ Dave. 8210 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati. 707.795.7878.
Twin Oaks Tavern Mar 11, Old School Country Band. Mar 12, the Bootleg Honeys. Mar 13, the Incubators. Mar 14, Sherrie Philips. Mar 15, Blues and BBQ with Weekend At Bernie’s. Mar 16, Blues Defenders Pro Jam. Mar 18, the Harvest Band. 5745 Old Redwood Hwy, Penngrove. 707.795.5118.
Whiskey Tip Mar 12, DJ Enfo and DJ E20. Mar 13, Eric Wiley Trio. Mar 14, DJ Crisp. Mar 17, St Paddy’s Day Party with Paulies Garage. 1910 Sebastopol Rd, Santa Rosa. 707.843.5535.
Zodiacs Mar 12, the California Honeydrops. Mar 13, the Doors Unlocked. Mar 14, Mighty Mike Shermer, Chris Cain and Daniel Castro. Mar 17, New Kingston. Mar 18, D’Bunchovus. 256 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma. 707.773.7751.
The Beatles plus British Invasion Songs
Sharp Metal WRVTH promise to melt skulls at Arlene Francis Center
Sing-Along and Dance Sat March 28 at 7pm Tickets: Advance $12; Door $18
For nearly eight years, the Central Valley’s WRVTH have been hoping to break through to a larger audience. Though the band’s new progressive death metal opus isn’t set to be released until June 16, WRVTH are playing the material on the road. WRVTH play Santa Rosa’s Arlene Francis Center on March 14. “The tour has been going good and the shows have been fun,� says drummer Joseph Serrano, speaking while on tour driving through Denver. “We have been playing a whole new set, with each song being a new song from our new album. Looking forward to playing Santa Rosa, of course. Our show there last time was so awesome.� The band’s new songs feature some serious guitar wizardry and double bass calisthenics amidst the usual flurry of calculated screaming and growls. Go see WRVTH now, since all indications say they’re headed in the right direction. Most importantly, buy a damn T-shirt! These guys gotta eat. WRVTH play March 14 at the Arlene Francis Center in Santa Rosa with Inanimate Existence, Water into Blood, the Know Nothings, Damascus, Eyes of Mara, Aberration and Abominous. 8pm. $10 advance; $13 at the door. All ages. 99 Sixth St, Santa Rosa. 707.528.3009.—Eddie Jorgensen
Also Coming Soon Youth Talent Showcase – March 27 Ukulele Festival – April 4th Blame Sally – April 10th
Tickets and Information: seb.org or 707-823-1511
Monday ~ Open Mic Night with Austin
DeLone 8pm
7KX 0DU ‡ SP ‡
)UL 0DU ‡ SP ‡
Sat
Foreverland An Electrifying 14-Piece Michael Jackson Tribute 6DW 0DU ‡ SP ‡ $OO $JHV
Howlin Rain
with The Blank Tapes, The Shelters
Acoustic JazzGrass 8:00 / No Cover Best of the 60’s Mar 14 R EVOLVER 8:30 Sun
AND HIS ST. PADDY ’S JIG BAND
7XH 0DU ‡ SP ‡ $OO $JHV
feat members of Hot Buttered Rum & Poor Man's Whiskey
Sun
)UL 0DU ‡ SP ‡
Vinyl
6DW 0DU ‡ SP ‡
Irish Night with
Mar 15 JERRY HANNAN Fri
Grateful Bluegrass Boys
Mar 20
with Rusty Zinn
6XQ 0DU ‡ SP ‡
Savoy Family Cajun Band :HG 0DU ‡ SP ‡ $OO $JHV
with The Painted Horses
jam. 919 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.813.5600.
842 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.226.0262.
George’s Nightclub
HopMonk Novato
Mar 13, Bradford. Wed, Rock and R&B Jam. Sat, DJ night. Sun, Mexican Banda.
Mar 11, open mic night with Ethan Kenning. Mar 12, Sol Seed. Mar 13, )
THE DETROIT DISCIPLES Soulful Rock 8:00
Sat
Mar 28
“Northbay’s Best Band� Nominee
Fri
MOJO RISING
Apr 3
DANNY CLICK
& THE HELL YEAHS ! 8:30 Rancho
TEAL COLLINS & JOSH ZEE Debut! Rockin’ Blues 8:00
Sat
Apr 4
Easter Eve Gospel Show & Dinner! 8:00
THE PRIESTHOOD
7KX 0DU ‡ SP ‡ $OO $JHV
JOIN US FOR OUR A NNUAL
with The Lady Crooners
Easter Sunday Buffet
T Sisters
6XQ 0DU ‡ SP ‡ $OO $JHV
30
6:00
Great Dance Band!
ODOS SANTOS WITH WENDY FITZ Mar 22 T Warm Harmonies 5:00/ No Cover
The English Beat
MARIN COUNTY Mar 12, Rob Bayne. Mar 13, Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88s. Mar 14, Wall Street. Mar 15, 11:30am, Greenhouse. Mar 15, 6:30pm, the Stachel Quintet. Tues, open mic. Wed, Pro blues
D I N N E R & A S H OW
Fri
with The Easy Leaves (duo)
Fireside Dining 7 Days a Week
Mar 13 THE PINE NEEDLES
Billy Joe Shaver
Pert Near Sandstone Fenix
Lunch & Dinner Sat & Sun Brunch
JD Souther
www.sweetwatermusichall.com 19 Corte Madera Ave Mill Valley CafĂŠ 415.388.1700 | Box Office 415.388.3850
A PR 5, 10AM–4PM Reservations Advised Reservations Advised
415.662.2219
On the Town Square, Nicasio www.ranchonicasio.com
29 NO RTH BAY BO H E M I AN | MAR C H 1 1-17, 201 5 | BOH E MI A N.COM
11am, Robby-Neal Gordon. Mar 15, 4pm, Gold Coast Jazz Band. Mar 16, Neil Buckley Octet. Mar 17, St Patrick’s Day party. Thurs, Open Mic. 8240 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati. 707.795.7868.
Music ( 29
NORTH BAY BOH EMI A N | MAR C H 1 1-17, 20 1 5 | BO H E M I AN.COM
30 Wed, Mar 11 8:00–9:00am JAZZERCISE with PATTI JOHNSON 10:15am– SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE 12:40pm Youth and Family 5:45-6:45pm REGULAR JAZZERCISE 7–10pm SINGLES & PAIRS Square Dance Club Thur, Mar 12 8:45–9:45am JAZZERCISE with PATTI JOHNSON 5:45-6:40pm REGULAR JAZZERCISE 7:15–10:30pm CIRCLES N' SQUARES Square Dance Club Fri, Mar 13 8:45–9:40am JAZZERCISE with PATTI JOHNSON 7:30–10:30pm CALIFORNIA BALLROOM DANCE with Waltz lesson Sat, Mar 14 8:45–9:45am JAZZERCISE 10:30–12:30pm SCOTTISH CHALLENGE DANCE CLASS 7–10pm CIRCLES N’ SQUARES HOEDOWN with caller Lawrence Johnstone and Cuer Jeanne VanBlarcom Sun, Mar 15 8:45–9:45am JAZZERCISE with alternating instructors 5–9:30pm Steve Luther DJ COUNTRY WESTERN LESSONS AND DANCING Mon, Mar 16 8:45–9:45am JAZZERCISE with PATTI JOHNSON 5:45-6:45pm REGULAR JAZZERCISE 7–9:30pm SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCING Tue, Mar 17 8:40–9:40am JAZZERCISE with PATTI JOHNSON 5:45-6:40pm REGULAR JAZZERCISE 7–9pm RAZZMATAZ FOLK DANCE CLUB
Santa Rosa’s Social Hall since 1922
1400 W. College Avenue • Santa Rosa, CA 707.539.5507 • www.monroe-hall.com
707.829.7300 70 7. 829 . 7 3 0 0 230 P E TA L U M A A V E | SEBASTOPOL S E B AS T OP OL 230 PETALUMA AVE
OPEN O P E N MIC M I C NIGHT NIGHT
EVERY TUES EVERY TUES AT AT 7PM 7PM WITH WITH CHRIS CH R I S WED W ED M MAR AR 1 11 1 CD IINDIE NDIE | R ROCK O CK
REL
SCOTT SCOTT P PEMBERTON EMBERTON
EAS
E
$$10/DOORS 10 / DOORS 77/SHOW /SHOW 8/21+ 8 /21+
FRI F RI M MAR AR 1 13 3
IINDIE NDIE | R ROCK O CK
MIKE M IKE SALIANI SALIANI
$$8/DOORS 8 / DOORS 88/SHOW /SHOW 9/21+ 9/21+
SAT S AT M MAR AR 14 14
GYPSY G YPSY | MEXICALI M E XI C ALI | P POLKA O LK A R ROCK O CK
DIEGOS D IEGOS U UMBRELLA MBRELLA $$15/DOORS 15/DOORS 88/SHOW /SHOW 9/21+ 9/21+
SUN SU N MAR MAR 15 15
COMEDY C OMEDY
COMEDY C OMEDY OPEN OPEN MIC M IC ((EVERY EVERY 3RD 3RD SUNDAY) SUNDAY)
FFREE/DOORS REE/ DOORS 7/SHOW 7/SHOW 8/21+ 8 /21+
MON M ON M MAR AR 1 16 6
REGGAE R EGGAE | DANCEHALL DANCEHALL | HIP HIP H HOP OP
5TH 5 TH ANNUAL ANNUAL
WELCOME T WELCOME TO OS SHAMROCK HAMROCK W WITH ITH DJJ JACQUES D JACQUES & D DJJ G GUACAMOLE UACAMOLE
$$8/LADIES 8/LADIES FREE FREE B4 B4 11/DOORS-SHOW 11/DOORS-SHOW 10/21+ 10/21+
THU T HU MAR MAR 19 19
BLUEGRASS B LUEGR A SS | A ACOUSTIC COUS TIC | A AMERICANA M ER I C ANA
WILLIE W ILLIE WATSON WATSON $$15/DOORS 15/DOORS 77/SHOW /SHOW 8/21+ 8/21+
WWW.HOPMONK.COM W W W. H O PM ONK .CO M BBook ookk yyour our
n e x t eevent vent with with u s, u p tto o2 50, kkim@hopmonk.com im@hopmonk .com next us, up 250,
Wonderbread 5. Mar 14, Daze on the Green. Mar 15, Dan Hicks and Bayside Jazz. Mar 17, St Paddys Day with the Yard Dogs. Mar 18, open mic night night with Marin Jazz Trio. 224 Vintage Way, Novato. 415.892.6200.
Marin Center’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium Mar 13, In the Mood. Mar 14, Orquesta Sinfonica del Estado de Mexico. 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 415.473.6800.
19 Broadway Club Mar 11, Sergei & Full Soul Jacket. Mar 12, Steppin’ Up dance party. Mar 13, South Bay Dub All Stars. Mar 14, Sunshine Garcia Band with Stu Allen and friends. Mar 15, 4pm, Erika Alstrom with Dale Alstrom’s Jazz Society. Mar 15, 9pm, Cole Bailey and friends. Mar 17, St Patricks Day with Just Friends. Mar 18, Jethro Jeremiah Band. Mon, open mic. 17 Broadway Blvd, Fairfax. 415.459.1091.
No Name Bar Mar 11, Glenn Burke and friends. Mar 12, Jimmy & Ray Ray All Stars. Mar 14, Darryl Rowe. Mar 15, Migrant Pickers. Mar 18, Tracy Ruggles. Tues, open mic. Fri, Michael Aragon Quartet. Mon, Kimrea and Dreamdogs. 757 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.332.1392.
Sausalito Seahorse
Terrapin Crossroads
Mar 12, College of Marin Big Swing Jazz Band. Mar 13, Joe Tate Blue Monday Band and the Hippie Voices. Mar 14, Tito su Son de Cuba and DJ Jose Ruiz. Mar 15, Mazacote with Louis Romero. Tues, Jazz with Noel Jewkes and friends. Wed, Tango with Marcello and Seth. Mon, open mic with Marty Atkinson and April May. 305 Harbor View Dr, Sausalito. 415.331.2899.
Mar 11, Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers in the Grate Room. Mar 12, Grateful Dead funk night. Mar 13, Communion. Mar 14, Scott Law and friends. Mar 15, Midnight North. Mar 16, Colonel & the Mermaids. Mar 17, Terrapin Nation St. Patty’s Day Hoedown. Mar 18, Cochrane and friends. Mar 18, Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers in the Grate Room. 100 Yacht Club Dr, San Rafael. 415.524.2773.
Sleeping Lady Mar 11, Teja Gerken acoustic showcase. Mar 13, Culaan’s Hounds and Molly’s Revenge. Mar 14, Darren Nelson and friends. Mar 15, youth music showcase. Mar 17, St Patrick’s Day with the Mild Colonial Boys. Mar 18, Ring of Truth Trio. Sat, Ukulele Jam Session. Sun, 2pm, traditional Irish music jam. Mon, open mic with Simon Costa. 23 Broadway, Fairfax. 415.485.1182.
Sweetwater Music Hall Mar 11, Crossroads Music School concert. Mar 12, Billy Joe Shaver. Mar 13, Foreverland. Mar 15, My Amp Student Showcase. Mar 17, the Grateful Bluegrass Boys. Mon, Open Mic. 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.3850.
NAPA COUNTY City Winery Napa Mar 11, Billy Joe Shaver. Mar 12, Dustbowl Revival. Mar 13, Wavy Gravy. Mar 16, Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses). 1030 Main St, Napa. 707.260.1600.
Silo’s Mar 11, Syria T Berry. Mar 12, Tommy Alexander and Jared Dustin Griffin. Mar 13, Go by Ocean with This Old Earthquake. Mar 14, the Fabulous Screwtops. Wed, Mike Greensill jazz. 530 Main St, Napa. 707.251.5833.
Uptown Theatre Mar 13, the Fab Four. Mar 15, Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. 1350 Third St, Napa. 707.259.0123.
Osteria Divino Mar 11, Jonathan Poretz. Mar 12, Passion Habanera. Mar 13, Grant Levin Trio. Mar 14, Ken Cook Trio. Mar 15, Joan Getz. Mar 17, Ken Cook. Mar 18, J Kevin Durkin. 37 Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.9355.
THU MAR 12 › Starts at 8pm › $8 "Sultry, Sassy, Rockin!"
THE LINDA FERRO BAND FRI MAR 13 › Starts at 8pm › $10 Rock / Pop / Alternative
NORTHBAY ALT/POP PARTY 3 DYLAN CHAMBERS / KINGSBOROUGH / MIDORI & EZRA BOY SAT MAR 14 › Starts at 8:30pm › $25 Celtic / Tribal / EDM
California Buckeyes by Lucy Martin, 2014
5FOUI 4U 4BOUB 3PTB t 5VFo4BU o 707 t calabigallery.com
SERPENT TRIBE
KALYA SCINTILLA & EVE OLUTION / METAL MOTHER / ZACH DARLING SUN MAR 15 ›Starts at noon › No Cover Memorial Gathering / Open Mic
SUN MAR 15 › Starts at 7pm › $5 Garage Rock / Punk / Psychedelic
FRANKIE AND THE WITCH FINGERS GREEN HOUSE
Open 4pm Tues–Sun <> Happy Hour 4–7pm 755 Petaluma Ave, Sebastopol CA
Mar 11, John Hoy. Mar 12, Wanda Stafford. Mar 15, Martha Crawford and friends. Mar 17, Swing Fever. Mar 18, Marianna August. 4 Bayview St, San Rafael. 415.457.3993.
Peri’s Silver Dollar
UNCLE BILL LIFE CELERBATION
CONSPIRACY-A-GO-GO / THE CAPRISONS TUE MAR 17 › 7:30–10pm › $5 › Celtic Fusion
Panama Hotel Restaurant
At the Veterans Building 282 South High St. Sebastopol, CA 95472 707.829.4797 www.sebarts.org
Mar 12, Mark’s Jam Sammich. Mar 13, Sabbath Lives. Mar 14, San Anselmo Co-Op fundraiser. Mar 15, La Mandanga. Mar 18, the Elvis Johnson Soul Revue. Tues, Tommy Odetto and Tim Baker. Mon, Billy D’s open mic. 29 Broadway, Fairfax. 415.459.9910.
Rancho Nicasio Mar 13, the Pine Needles. Mar 14, Revolver. Mar 15, Jerry Hannan. 1 Old Rancheria Rd, Nicasio. 415.662.2219.
San Francisco’s City Guide
The Shams S.F.’s hard-hitting Irish rock band is known for punk beats and fiery shows. Mar 13 at Great American Music Hall.
Billy Boy Arnold The Chicago blues legend and harmonica player is still playing with swagger. Mar 13-14 at Biscuits & Blues.
A Place to Bury Strangers “New York’s loudest band� blasts a heavy shoegaze wall of sound on new album, “Transfixiation.� Mar 14 at the Chapel.
Coffis Bros. & Mountain Men From the Santa Cruz Mountains comes this country folk ensemble steeped in a bygone era. Mar 15 at Slim’s.
Tweedy Father-son duo of Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and his son, drummer Spencer Tweedy, play two shows. Mar 17-18 at the Fillmore.
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Galleries RECEPTIONS Mar 11 Helen Putnam Community Room, “Spring Library Show,” works by artist members of the Petaluma Arts Association consist of watercolors, photography, sculpture, ceramics and more. 5pm. Petaluma Library, 100 Fairgrounds Dr, Petaluma. 707.763.9801.
SONOMA COUNTY Agrella Art Gallery Through Mar 12, “30 Years of SRJC Printmaking,” prints by art faculty and staff are on display. SRJC, Doyle Library, 1501 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa. Mon-Thurs, 10 to 4; Sat 12 to 4. 707.527.4298.
Akoia Day Spa Through Mar 31, “NatureMonks,” original paintings by Sonoma county artist Clay Vajgrt explore the meditative movements of the natural world. 105-A Plaza St, Healdsburg. 707.433.1270.
Calabi Gallery Seager Gray Gallery, “Fresh Paint,” solo exhibit by Leslie Allen demonstrates her abstract abilities. 6pm. 108 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley.
Through Mar 28, “Art Inspired by the Natural World,” gallery artists get outside and get inspired with works ranging from the traditional to the abstract. 456 10th St, Santa Rosa. Tues-Sun, 11 to 5. 707.781.7070.
Mar 13 & 15
Charles M. Schulz Museum
Mar 13
Red Barn Gallery, “Connections,” women environmental artists encourage care for our habitat. Noon. 1 Bear Valley Rd, Pt Reyes Station. 415.464.5125.
Mar 14 Riverfront Art Gallery, “Showin’ on the River,” Sonoma and Marin artists offer photography, painting and multi media art. 5pm. 132 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma. 707.775.4ART. Upstairs Art Gallery, “The Color of Water,” solo exhibit of watercolor paintings by John Warner. 1pm. 306 Center St, Healdsburg. 707.431.4214.
Mar 15 San Geronimo Valley Community Center, “From the East to the West,” solo exhibit of multimedia photography from Gaetano De Felice. 3pm. 6350 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Geronimo. 415.488.8888.
Through Apr 13, “Juxtapositions,” from Lucy’s psychiatric advice to Charlie Brown’s apprehensions, this exhibition follows the sophistication of Schulz’s writing in over 70 comic strips. Through Apr 26, “Peanuts in Wonderland,” a Peanuts-style tribute to the classic Lewis Carroll tale, including Snoopy masquerading as the Cheshire Beagle. 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa. Mon-Fri, noon to 5; Sat-Sun, 10 to 5. 707.579.4452.
Finley Community Center Through Mar 27, “National Arts Program,” exhibit features the artwork of 200 local artists of all ages and backgrounds. 2060 W College Ave, Santa Rosa. Mon-Fri, 8 to 7; Sat, 9 to 1 707.543.3737.
Healdsburg Center for the Arts Mar 18-Apr 19, “Art of Gastronomy,” juried exhibition that presents the passion of food and drink and the mystique and culture surrounding it. 130 Plaza St, Healdsburg. Daily, 11 to 6. 707.431.1970.
Herold Mahoney Library Gallery Through Mar 26, “Pepperwood Preserve: Paintings by Marsha Connell” explores the
synergy of art and science, as paintings and drawings of the Preserve’s landscape highlight the biodiversity of the park. SRJC, 680 Sonoma Mountain Pkwy, Petaluma. Mon-Thurs, 8 to 9; Fri, 9 to 1; Sat, 10 to 3. 707.778.3974.
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Kitty Hawk Through Mar 30, “Scantily Clad,” the revealing letterpress art of Lyn Dillin displays. 7203 Bodega Ave, Sebastopol. Wed-Sun, 11am to 5pm. 847.226.3280.
Pie Eyed Open Studio Mar 14-15, “Photography of Robin Beatie,” a weekend exhibit that finds the poetic in the ordinary. 2371 Gravenstein Hwy S, Sebastopol. Sat-Sun, 12 to 3 707.477.9442.
Sebastopol Center for the Arts Through Mar 29, “Peoples,” juried, multi-media exhibit focuses on representation of the body and the essence of human experience. 282 S High St, Sebastopol. Tues-Fri, 10 to 4; Sat, 1 to 4. 707.829.4797.
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Sonoma County Museum Through Apr 5, “IndiVisible,” exhibit explores the experience of Native Americans and African-Americans. Through Apr 20, “Thistle and Twitch,” Alison Sarr’s art is informed by artistic traditions from the Americas to Africa and beyond. 425 Seventh St, Santa Rosa. Tues-Sun, 11am to 4pm. 707.579.1500.
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art Through May 16, “Shaker Stories,” an exceptional, worldclass collection of Shaker furniture and objects. Through May 17, “Unconventional and Unexpected: Quilts Below the Radar, 1950-2000,” dynamic and vibrant selection of American pieced quilts and quilt tops from the mid to late 20th century. 551 Broadway, Sonoma. Wed-Sun, 11 to 5. 707.939.SVMA.
The Sonoma House at Patz & Hall Through Apr 5, “Art Harvest,” the gallery’s ongoing series of quarterly shows continues with the art of Erin Parish. 21200 Eighth ) St E, Sonoma.
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Arts Events
BOHEMIAN BE BOHEMIAN BEST ST OOFF TTHE HE NNORTH ORTH BBAY AY 22015 015
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Thurs-Mon; 10am to 4pm 707.265.7700.
MARIN COUNTY COM Fine Art Gallery Through Mar 22, “Drama Department 50th Retrospective Exhibition,” a half century of theater productions are seen in archived set designs, costumes, pictures, programs and more. College of Marin, 835 College Ave, Kentfield. 415.485.9494.
Napa Valley Museum Through Mar 15, “Big Shot,” the photography of Guy Webster, an innovative rock ‘n roll photographer, spans music, films and politics. 55 Presidents Circle, Yountville. Tues-Sun, 10am to 4pm. 707.944.0500.
Napa Valley Roasting Company Through Mar 29, “Eileen Reis Photography Exhibit,” the Napa Valley photographer displays a selection of glowing landscapes and mysterious skyscapes. 948 Main St, Napa.
Desta Art & Tea Galley Through Mar 26, “Dwelling in Art,” featuring artwork from several renowned Bay Area artists working in different media. 417 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo.
Marin MOCA Through Apr 5, “Legends of the Bay Area: Lawrence Ferlinghetti,” the artist, poet and activist is celebrated in this extensive exhibit. Novato Arts Center, Hamilton Field, 500 Palm Dr, Novato. Wed-Sun, 11 to 4, 415.506.0137.
Marin Society of Artists Gallery
6 th Annual
Through Mar 21, “Medium,” juried exhibit will be displayed by medium–oil, sculpture, printmaking, etc. 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross. Mon-Thurs, 11am to 4pm; Sat-Sun, noon to 4pm. 415.454.9561.
Osher Marin JCC Through Mar 26, “Giving as a Work of Art,” artist Chris Hellman presents a botanical series of watercolor paintings. 200 N San Pedro Rd, San Rafael. 415.444.8000.
Toby’s Feed Barn Through Mar 29, “Mapping a New Geography of Hope,” juried selection of art from painting to sculpture to fabric arts that meditates on and extends the theme of women and the land. 11250 Hwy 1, Pt Reyes Station. Mon-Sat, 9 to 5; Sun, 9:30 to 4. 415.663.1223.
NAPA COUNTY
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LUNCH
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di Rosa Through Apr 26, “the fallibility of intent,” the first Bay Area exhibition of British-born, San Francisco-based artist Richard T. Walker explores language, music and the human condition. 5200 Sonoma Hwy, Napa. Wed-Sun, 10am to 6pm. 707.226.5991.
Events Cast Party! Marin Theatre hosts this fundraising night complete with cocktails and fine wines, lively auctions, music and dancing and a chance to meet artists of the popular performing company. Mar 14, 6pm. $250. Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley.
Daniel Ka Directly from Spain, internationally renowned magician and master of visual magic has to be seen to be believed. Mar 14, 8pm. $20$35. 142 Throckmorton Theatre, 142 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley, 415.383.9600.
Mill Valley Philharmonic Gala Celebration MVP marks 15 years with an afternoon of drinks, dancing and orchestral sing-alongs with live auction and more, all benefiting the philharmonic. Mar 15, 2pm. $100. Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, 415.383.0930.
Outer Planes 10th Anniversary Party Comic Book shops celebrates a decade with artist signings, music and food, a cosplay contest and the grand opening of the Carbonite Chamber toy store. Mar 14-15. Free. Outer Planes Comics and Games, 519 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, 707.546.2000.
St. Patrick’s Day 5K Race is followed by a celebration complete with a judged costume contest, live music, activities and giveaways. Mar 15, 3pm. $20-$45. Juilliard Park, 227 Santa Rosa Ave, Santa Rosa, 707.291.2450.
West Marin Almanac Launch Party Local music and readings, as part of the ongoing Local Music Restoration Project. Mar 13, 7:30pm. $10. Dance Palace, 503 B St, Pt Reyes Station, 415.663.1075.
Field Trips Duvoul Creek Spring Hike Enjoy the blooming wildflowers and cross the creeks of the Bohemia Preserve. Preregistration is required. Mar 14, 9am. Bohemia Ecological Preserve, 8759 Bohemian Hwy, Occidental.
New Trail Opening Ribbon cutting ceremony and first public hike of new East Slope Sonoma Mountain Ridge Trail offers sweeping panoramic views from the top of Sonoma Mountain. Mar 14, 10:30am. Free. Jack London State Park, 2400 London Ranch Rd, Glen Ellen, 707.938.5216.
Film David & Me Forensic pathologist Dr Judy Melinek will discuss her work, with a screening of the new documentary on a convict and those seeking evidence to exonerate him. Mar 16, 7pm. Smith Rafael Film Center, 1118 Fourth St, San Rafael, 415.454.1222.
Hearing Radmilla Documentary focuses on Radmilla Cody, Native American/African American pageant winner, activist and singer; and explores her controversial career. Mar 12, 6pm. $5-$8. USF Santa Rosa Campus, 416 B St, Santa Rosa.
Lunafest Short films festival is dedicated to promoting awareness about women’s issues, highlighting women filmmakers, and bringing women together in their communities. Mar 12, 6:30pm. $15-$40. Lincoln Theater, 100 California Dr, Yountville, 707.944.9900.
The Red Violin Academy Award-winning film is presented with music from the Napa Youth Chamber Ensemble. Mar 17, 7:30pm. $10.
City Winery Napa, 1030 Main St, Napa, 707.260.1600.
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CRITIC’S CHOICE
QR CODE
The documentary looks at the value of this American watershed. With filmmakers in person. Mar 12, 7pm. Smith Rafael Film Center, 1118 Fourth St, San Rafael, 415.454.1222.
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Shadows of Liberty Filmmaker Jean-Philippe Tremblay documents the need for media reform. Mar 12, 7:30pm. $5-$10. Redwoods Presbyterian Church, 110 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur.
2425 Cleveland Ave, Suite 175, Santa Rosa Highway 101 at Steele Lane, next to Big 5
Sit Stay Ride The story of America’s sidecar dogs is presented by Lily’s Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary. Mar 11, 6:30pm. $20. Mystic Theatre, 23 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma, 707.765.2121.
Zero Motivation Celebrating women in film, Israeli filmmaker Talya Lavie’s debut feature about women in the military is fun, witty and relatable to all. Fri, Mar 13, 7pm and Sun, Mar 15, 4pm. $7. Sonoma Film Institute, Warren Auditorium, SSU, 1801 E Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, 707.664.2606.
Food & Drink Sonoma Salmon Celebration Dinner Fundraising event features special guest vintner and water conservation advocate Mike Benziger. Mar 13, 5:30pm. $125. Ramekins Culinary School, 50 W Spain St, Sonoma, 855.251.4472.
VinOlivo Weekend Showcases more than 60 wineries and 25 top restaurateurs from throughout the valley, including the valley’s largest annual winetasting event. Mar 13-15. $75 and up. Sonoma Valley wineries, Wine Country, Sonoma.
Lectures Honeybees for Life Bee-centered seminar looks at alternative hive designs, working with natural comb and biodynamic management techniques for hive health. Mar 14, 12pm. $30.
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Mexican Dreams ‘American Night’ takes on immigration Few issues are as topical and controversial right now as immigration. From all the red faces on FOX News and the angry words running in newspapers, one wouldn’t think the subject could ever be funny. So it’s quite a feat for Richard Montoya and his Chicano-American political sketch group Culture Clash to have done just that. In American Night: The Ballad of Juan JosĂŠ, opening this weekend at Santa Rosa Junior College, Juan JosĂŠ is a young Mexican immigrant, pulling an all-nighter studying for his American citizenship exam when he slips into an Alice-in-Wonderlandstyle dream world and experiences bits and pieces of historical facts blended with true stories that will probably not be on the test in the morning. Who knew that so many of America’s unsung heroes were Hispanic, black or Native American? Directed by Reed Martin (of the Reduced Shakespeare Co.), American Night channels the spirits of Sacagawea, Jackie Robinson and Bob Dylan, along with a host of real but unknown ďŹ gures, all of whom appear in irreverent, Pythonesque scenes that are both deadly serious and dropdead hilarious. American Night runs Wednesday–Sunday, March 6–15 at Burbank Auditorium on the Santa Rosa Junior College campus. 1501 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. Wednesday–Saturday at 8pm; 2pm matinees on Saturday March 7 and both Sundays. $12–$18. 707.527.4343.—David Templeton
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Ignite Talks Series of rapid fire TED-like meant to enlighten quickly. Mar 14, 7pm. $18-$20. Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, 707.528.4222.
Tibet Lecture Series HG Gala Rinpoche gives a series of talks about both ancient and modern aspects of Tibet, as part of the “Mystical Arts of Tibet” exhibit. Through Mar 15. $15. The Tibetan Gallery & Studio, 6770 McKinley #130 (in the Barlow), Sebastopol, 707-509-3777.
Vulnerable Marin Environmental talk looks at climate change in Marin. Mar 11, 7pm. First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael, 1510 Fifth St, San Rafael.
2777 Fourth St, Santa Rosa 707.545.8530.
Jamison’s Roaring Donkey Mar 16, 6pm, “Migratory Animals” with Mary Helen Specht, a Copperfield’s “Debut Brews” event. 146 Kentucky St, Petaluma 707.772.5478.
Murphy’s Irish Pub Mar 15-16, 6pm, reading of Rose Murphy’s unpublished works. 464 First St E, Sonoma 707.935.0660.
Napa Valley Museum Mar 18, 7pm, “From Bubbles to Boardrooms” with Michaela Rodeno, includes winetasting. $10-$15. 55 Presidents Circle, Yountville 707.944.0500.
Petaluma Arts Center Mar 15, 6pm, “Changing Harm to Harmony: Bullies & Bystanders Project,” several poets read from this anthology. 230 Lakeville St, Petaluma 707.762.5600.
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Mar 11, 12pm, “Live Right and Find Happiness (Although Beer Is Much Faster)” with Dave Barry, a literary lunch. $55. Mar 12, 7pm, “Miss Hazel and the Rosa Parks League” with Jonathan Odell. Mar 13, 7pm, “The Luminous Heart of Jonah S.” & “Tehran at Twilight” with Gina Nahai & Salar Abdoh. Mar 14, 1pm, “More Love (Less Panic)” with Claude Knobler. Mar 14, 7pm, “Inside Tracks” with Rick Smolan. Mar 15, 4pm, “The Deception Artist” with Fayette Fox. Mar 15, 7pm, “Life from Scratch” with Sasha Martin. Mar 16, 7pm, “Bettyville: A Memoir” with George Hodgman. Mar 17, 7pm, “The Beauty: Poems” with Jane Hirshfield. Mar 18, 7pm, “Daybreak in Myanmar” with Geoffrey Hiller. 51 Tamal Vista Blvd, Corte Madera 415.927.0960.
Santa Rosa Copperfield’s Books Mar 12, 7pm, “Murder on the Champ de Mars” with Cara Black. Mar 13, 7pm, “All the Old Knives” with Olen Steinhauer. 775 Village Court, Santa Rosa 707.578.8938.
Flamingo Resort Hotel Mar 11, 7pm, “Live Right and Find Happiness (Although Beer Is Much Faster)” with Dave Barry, presented by Copperfield’s Books. $20.
Mar 12, 7pm, “Heirloom Beans” with Steve Sando, presented by Copperfield’s Books. 199 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma 707.773.1336.
Theater 42nd Street Put on by the Throckmorton Youth Performers; who provides engaging and educational theatrical experiences for young people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities. Through Mar 15. 142 Throckmorton Theatre, 142 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley, 415.383.9600.
American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose This timely and funny satire fearlessly takes on issues such as immigration and race. Through Mar 15. Burbank Auditorium, SRJC, 1501 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa.
Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds With the reggae music of Bob Marley, this modern-day fairytale will fill your children with positive vibrations. Through Mar 15. $18-$22. Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller Ave, Mill Valley, 415.388.5208.
Bonnie & Clyde A musical adaptation of the electrifying true story that captured the excited attention of an entire country. Through
Mar 15. $25-$37. Sixth Street Playhouse, 52 W Sixth St, Santa Rosa, 707.523.4185.
The Comedy of Errors Beloved director James Dunn helms the College of Marin’s presentation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece. Through Mar 22. $10-$20. College of Marin Kentfield Campus, 835 College Ave, Kentfield, 415.485.9555.
The Convert The Bay Area premiere of this heartfelt story of a young girl torn between between colonial and ancestral ways of life. Through Mar 15. $35$51. Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller Ave, Mill Valley, 415.388.5208.
Last Gas Calistoga Theater Company presents the new romantic comedy from playwright John Cariani that looks at love lost and found. Mar 12-22. $20. Calistoga Art Center, 1435 North Oak St, Calistoga, 707.341.3278.
A Month in the Country Ross Valley Players present this fresh adaptation of the moving and iconic comedy. Mar 12-Apr 12. Barn Theatre, Marin Art and Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross, 415.456.9555.
On the Verge, or the Geography of Yearning The Raven Players present this comical farce about three women explores traveling through space and time, encountering eccentric characters along the way. Through Mar 15. $10-$25. Raven Theater, 115 North St, Healdsburg, 707.433.3145.
Shining City Set in Dublin, Ireland, Conor McPherson’s newest play is a ghost story based around the visits of a widower to a therapist, claiming he has seen his dead wife in his house. Through Mar 15. $15-$27. Main Stage West, 104 N Main St, Sebastopol, 707.823.0177.
The BOHEMIAN’s calendar is produced as a service to the community. If you have an item for the calendar, send it to calendar@bohemian. com, or mail it to: NORTH BAY BOHEMIAN, 847 Fifth St, Santa Rosa CA 95404. Events costing more than $65 may be withheld. Deadline is two weeks prior to desired publication date.
BOHEMIAN
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ARIES (March 21–April 19) In the old Superman comics, Mister Mxyztplk was a fiendish imp whose home was in the fifth dimension. He sometimes sneaked over into our world to bedevil the Man of Steel with pranks. There was one sure way he could be instantly banished back to his own realm for a long time: if Superman fooled him into saying his own name backwards. You might think it would be hard to trick a magic rascal into saying “Klptzyxm” when he knew very well what the consequences would be, but Superman usually succeeded. I’d like to suggest that you have a similar power to get rid of a bugaboo that has been bothering you, Aries. Don’t underestimate your ability to outsmart the pest. TAURUS (April 20–May 20)
In 1637, mathematician Pierre de Fermat declared that he had solved the “Last Theorem,” a particularly knotty mathematical problem. Unfortunately, he never actually provided the proof that he had done so. The mystery remained. Other math experts toiled for centuries looking for the answer. It wasn’t until 1994, more than 350 years later, that anyone succeeded. I think you are on the verge of discovering a possible solution to one of your own long-running riddles, Taurus. It may take a few more weeks, but you’re almost there. Can you sense that twinkle in your third eye? Keep the faith.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your upcoming efforts might not be flawless in all respects, but I suspect you will triumph anyway. You may not even be completely sure of what you want, but I bet you’ll get a reward you didn’t know you were looking for. Cagey innocence and high expectations will be your secret weapons. Dumb luck and crazy coincidences will be your X-factors. Here’s one of your main tasks: as the unreasonable blessings flow in your direction, don’t disrupt or obstruct the flow. CANCER (June 21–July 22)
As soon as a baby loggerhead turtle leaves its nest on a Florida beach, it heads for the ocean. It’s only two inches long. Although it can swim just one mile every two hours, it begins an 8,000-mile journey that takes 10 years. It travels east to Africa, then turns around and circles back to where it originated. Along the way it grows big and strong as it eats a wide variety of food, from corals to sea cucumbers to squid. Succeeding at such an epic journey requires a stellar sense of direction and a prodigious will to thrive. I nominate the loggerhead turtle to be your power animal for the coming weeks, Cancerian.
LEO (July 23–August 22) In 1961, 19-year-old Bob Dylan began doing solo performances of folk songs at New York clubs. To accompany his vocals, he played an acoustic guitar and harmonica. By 1963, his career had skyrocketed. Critics called him a creative genius. Pop stars were recording the songs he wrote, making him rich. But he still kept his instrumentation simple, relying entirely on his acoustic guitar and harmonica. That changed in 1965, when he made the leap to rock and roll. For the first time, his music featured a full drum set and electric guitar, bass and keyboards. Some of his fans were offended. How dare he renounce his folk roots? I wonder if it might be time for you to consider a comparable transition, Leo. Are you willing to risk disorienting or disturbing those who would prefer you to stay as you are? VIRGO (August 23–September 22) “Whoever travels without a guide needs 200 years for a twoday journey.” That’s an old Sufi saying sometimes attributed to the poet Rumi. I don’t think it’s accurate in all cases. Sometimes we are drawn to wander into frontiers that few people have visited and none have mastered. There are no guides! On other occasions, we can’t get the fullness of our learning experience unless we are free to stumble and bumble all by ourselves. A knowledgeable helper would only interfere with that odd magic. But right now, Virgo, I believe the Sufi saying holds true for you. Where you’re headed, you would benefit from an advisor, teacher or role model. LIBRA (September 23–October 22) There’s a meme rolling around Tumblr and Facebook that goes like this: “Everyone wants a magical solution for their
problems, but they refuse to believe in magic.” Judging from the astrological omens, I think this internet folk wisdom applies to your current situation. As I see it, you have two choices. If you intend to keep fantasizing about finding a magical solution, you will have to work harder to believe in magic. But if you can’t finagle your brain into actually believing in magic, you should stop fantasizing about a magical solution. Which will it be?
SCORPIO (October 23–November 21)
I have taken a passage from a letter that Henry Miller wrote to Anaïs Nin, and I have chopped it up and rearranged it and added to it so as to create an oracle that’s perfect for you right now. Ready? “This is the wild dream: you with your chameleon’s soul being anchored always in no matter what storm, sensing you are at home wherever you are. You asserting yourself, getting the rich varied life you desire; and the more you assert yourself, the more you love going deeper, thicker, fuller. Resurrection after resurrection: that’s your gift, your promise. The insatiable delight of constant change.”
SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21) One of your important assignments in the coming week is to get high without the use of drugs and alcohol. Let me elaborate. In my oracular opinion, you simply must escape the numbing trance of the daily rhythm. Experiencing altered states of awareness will provide you with crucial benefits. At the same time, you can’t afford to risk hurting yourself, and it’s essential to avoid stupidly excessive behavior that has negative repercussions. So what do you think? Do you have any methods to get sozzled and squiffed or jiggled and jingled that will also keep you sane and healthy? CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19) Singer Gloria Gaynor recorded the song “I Will Survive” in 1978. It sold over 2 million copies, and ultimately became an iconic disco anthem. And yet it was originally the B-side of “Substitute,” the song that Gaynor’s record company released as her main offering. Luckily, radio DJs ignored “Substitute” and played the hell out of “I Will Survive,” making it a global hit. I foresee the possibility of a similar development for you, Capricorn. What you currently consider to be secondary should perhaps be primary. A gift or creation or skill you think is less important could turn out to be pre-eminent. AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18)
I’m tempted to furrow my brow and raise my voice as I tell you to please please please go out and do the dicey task you’ve been postponing. But that would just be a way to vent my frustration, and would probably not be helpful or constructive for you. So here’s my wiser advice: to prepare for that dicey task, lock yourself in your sanctuary until you figure out what you first need to change about yourself before you can accomplish the dicey task. I think that once you make the inner shift, doing the deed will be pretty easy.
PISCES (February 19–March 20)
In the fairy tale “The Ugly Duckling,” the young hero suffers from a peculiar case of mistaken identity. He believes that he is a duck. All of his problems stem from this erroneous idea. By duck standards, he is a homely mess. He gets taunted and abused by other animals, goes into exile and endures terrible loneliness. In the end, though, his anguish dissolves when he finally realizes that he is in fact a swan. United with his true nature, he no longer compares himself to an inappropriate ideal. Fellow swans welcome him into their community, and he flies away with them. Is there anything in this story that resonates with you, Pisces? I’m guessing there is. It’s high time to free yourself from false notions about who you really are.
Go to REALASTROLOGY.COM to check out Rob Brezsny’s Expanded Weekly Audio Horoscopes and Daily Text Message Horoscopes. Audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1.877.873.4888 or 1.900.950.7700.
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