Send ideas to calendar@montereycountynow.com 30 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 15-21, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Ocean and 6th, Carmel. Free; $75/gala. 6264000, carmelartfestivalcalifornia.com. Friday, May 16 JAMMING INTO SUMMER Summer officially starts in about a month, but you don’t need to wait for the solstice for things to start feeling like the season. Example: Terrace Hour is back. Sunset Cultural Center’s annual outdoor concert series features local musicians who have already made a name for themselves. Case in point is Flaco El Jandro, the first artist to kick off the weekly series for this year. The Chicano singer/songwriter, whose given name is Alejandro Gomez, from Salinas was a social media sensation in 2022 when his cumbia tune “Mi Encendedor” went viral. Gomez and his band Los Perros Callejeros were chosen to perform for the 2024 NPR Tiny Desk Contest on the Road, and recently released a music video for their song “Heridas” that was filmed at Pop & Hiss in Pacific Grove. Every week, check out the talent that’s right in our backyard, for a price that can’t be beat. [EC] 6-7pm Friday, May 16. Sunset Cultural Center, San Carlos Street and 9th Avenue, Carmel. Free. 620-2048, sunsetcenter.org. LIFE’S A MOVIE Folktale Winery & Vineyards is one of the prettiest garden winery settings, especially when the night is warm. Add candles for soft lighting, and then music to bring out emotions on people’s faces. Make that some of the most emotive music out there—film and TV music, which adds another layer of nostalgia. Monterey String Quartet will play music from iconic scores, such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Back to the Future, Pinocchio, Dirty Dancing and more. A menu of food and beverages will be available for purchase, from the comfort of your seat. [AP] 7-9:30pm Friday, May 16. Folktale Winery & Winyards, 8940 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel. $50. 293-7500, folktalewinery.com. Saturday, May 17 BLUES BY THE SEA It’s a double-header featuring some of the most beloved local blues artists, on a stage in the middle of Carmel-bythe-Sea’s moody landscape. Blues in the Forest includes sets by the Shane Dwight Band and the Al James Band, each delivering class rootsy, soulful songs. Wear your layers for this outdoor show, and prepare to dance—or lie back and listen to the music, looking up at the forest above you, and take it all in. [SR] 5pm Saturday, May 17. Outdoor Forest Theater, Mountain View Avenue and Santa Rita Street, Carmel. $30. 622-0100, pacrep. org/blues-in-the-forest. Saturday, May 17- Sunday, May 18 RURAL LIFE Many people know everyday life in a rural community, especially Monterey County residents. But instead of modern rural California, this story for the stage happens in another time and place. Outside Mullingar, is set on a cattle ranch in the Midlands of Ireland, where dating options are quite limited. The play, written by John Patrick Shanley, explores family disagreements, romance, land disputes and more, with as a sprinkle of eccentricity and misfit characters willing to dive into universal topics like the complexity of love and second chances. [CJ] 7:30pm Fridays and Saturdays, 2pm Sundays, May 17-June 8. The Western Stage Studio Theater, 411 Central Ave., Building K, Salinas. $12-$28. 755-6816, westernstage.com. HOT PICKS from Beethoven while the second is Brahms—neither one slouches in terms of fame. Today it would be “That’s not gonna sell, Ludwig. Let’s change it to ‘Girl at Home’—and let’s work on your name.” The point is, Beethoven and Brahms did not need to fit a mold. And three masters—Livia Sohn (violin), Luigi Piovano (cello) and Bernadene Blaha (piano) will give these pieces full chamber music expression. The program is “Timeless Titans”—a catchy name for music that needs no marketing. [DF] 7pm Thursday, May 15. SandBox, 440 Ortiz Ave., Sand City. $40; $25/students, military. sandboxsandcity.com. ECLECTIC STRINGS If you’re seeking a versatile performance and enjoy catchy lyrics, Ty Segall, a singer-songwriter who is also a multi-instrumentalist, will capture your ear. The slow-fi singer is a prolific musician with more than a dozen albums under his belt. On May 30 he will release his latest album, titled Possession. Segall’s music has elements including psych rock, indie rock and garage rock. His repertoire includes songs such as “My Lady Is On Fire” and “Feel and Distraction.” Cass McCombs, an alternative singer-songwriter, opens. [CJ] 7pm Thursday, May 15. Henry Miller Memorial Library, 48603 Highway 1, Big Sur. Tickets start at $110. info@folkyeah.com, folkyeah. com/ty-segall-big-sur-515. Friday, May 16- Sunday, May 18 BRUSH HOUR The Carmel Art Festival is far from your average arts event. Here’s how it works: Sixty plein air artists from around the world—including a few international talents—will arrive in Monterey to capture scenes from the Monterey Peninsula and Big Sur. Starting Wednesday, May 14, the artists have just two days to complete their pieces, selecting two finished works to submit by Friday afternoon. That submission marks the kickoff of the threeday festival. At 4pm Friday, a panel judges the works and selects the top pieces, which are then made available for public sale into the evening. Those who purchase a painting, or donate $75 are invited to an exclusive gala, featuring food and wine from local tasting rooms such as Albatross Ridge and Folktale, all set to live music by San Francisco artist Carlos Reyes. Saturday brings a more intense challenge: the Quick Draw competition. Artists have just two hours to create a new painting of coastal Carmel to be auctioned off that afternoon. Throughout the weekend, enjoy live music, local bites and beverages—and watch as some of your favorite coastal landscapes are transformed into vibrant works of art. [KR] 2-9pm Friday, May 16; 9am-2:30pm Saturday, May 18; 9am-3pm Sunday, May 19. Devendorf Park, 6th Avenue and Mission Street; “Quick Draw” and auction, Mission Street between Ty Segall is a California musician who plays this weekend at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur. He combines elements of garage rock, lo-fi, indie rock and psychedelic rock. DENÉE SEGALL Rooted in the great singing traditions of Latin America, Flaco El Jandro speaks and sings in Spanglish, the Chicano language of California. This Salinas-based musician’s given name is Alejandro Gomez. COURTESY OF FLACO EL JANDRO
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