Thursday-Friday, Oct. 30-31 NEVER TOO EARLY The musicians of Oberlin College and Conservatory in Ohio return to Hidden Valley, this time with early music concerts which are presented by the school faculty (on Oct. 30 and Nov. 6) and by the students (Oct. 31 and Nov. 7). A Musical Cornucopia, as the concert is titled, lets the audience explore the delights of medieval to Baroque music from England, France, Spain, Italy and Germany. Each year, such free concerts follow the Road Scholar Early Music Workshop that gathers renowned faculty for two weeks of intensive learning. Hear the fruits of that labor and study. [AP] 7:30pm Thursdays, Oct. 30 and Nov. 6; 6pm Fridays, Oct. 31 and Nov. 7. Hidden Valley Music Seminars, 104 W. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley. Free. (831) 659-3115, hiddenvalleymusic.org/event. Saturday, Nov. 1 WHISKEY RIVER In a perfect world, whiskey and other spirits, wine and beer would be flowing freely. Chefs from great local restaurants such as Lucia, Grasing’s, The Pocket and Peppoli and others would be cooking over fire and presenting you with gourmet creations. There would be barbecue and offerings from The Cheese Shop. But only in a dream could…wait a second. It’s not just a dream. Whiskey & Fire brings the finest craft whiskies and spirits from around the world to one place. Local chefs prepare dishes using fire. There are great wines, too. And no need for drink tickets. There are dozens of distilleries represented, from the famed labels of Scotland to American artisanal producers, pouring their best. No, it’s not free. The world isn’t that perfect. But this event is as close as it gets. [DF] 6-9pm Saturday, Nov. 1. Inn at Spanish Bay, 2700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach. $250. (831) 574-5605, heritagefiretour. com. ELEGANT INTERPLAY Founded in New York City in 2005, the Escher String Quartet was formed by musicians who met while studying at the Manhattan School of Music. Since then, they went on to become a widely acclaimed 22 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com CHRIS SHAKE COLLECTION Step back into history. Monterey History and Art at Stanton Center presents On the Waterfront: The Chris Shake Collection. The show contains 40 historic photographs of the Fisherman’s Wharf and its surroundings from the collection of Chris Shake, one of six sons of legendary restaurant owner Sabu Shake, Sr., who founded Old Fisherman’s Grotto in 1950. Shake’s collection has been growing for years. The exhibit will be on display from Saturday, Nov. 1-Jan. 25, 2026. Its theme is the labor done at and around Old Fisherman’s Wharf, a lesson in history of the location and Monterey in general. The Stanton Center is at 5 Custom House Plaza, Monterey; gallery hours are noon-4pm Thursday-Monday. [AP] HOT PICKS OCTOBER 30–NOVEMBER 05 To see more local events, and add your own, visit montereycountynow.com/events COURTESY OF CHRIS SHAKE SARA RUBIN VISUALS JEAN BRENNER History has a way of repeating. At 90, Jean Brenner has seen that in action. She began documenting people—in humane, relational photographs— throughout the Muslim world in 2006, at a time she says Islamophobia was on the rise. Her exhibit, “The Face of Islam,” is deeply relevant today and on display again. The collection shows people, many starting straight into the viewer’s eyes, in Syria, Kenya, Egypt and beyond. Brenner spent a lifetime traveling, then undertook a journey focused on exploring Muslim communities after her husband died. She says she’s always been able to connect, across language and culture, and it shows in her photos. “Before asking permission to take a picture, I always try to establish contact with a smile,” she wrote in an artist statement. The smiles are returned. Viewable until Friday, Oct. 31 at Carmel Valley Manor, 8545 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel. [SR] No Name Restaurant is a 2022 German film about an ultra-orthodox Jew and a Bedouin forced to unite under difficult circumstances. A screening kicks off the 2025 Carmel Jewish Film Festival, which starts on Sunday, Nov. 2. (See p. 24.) ENIGMA FILM Escher String Quartet serves as Artists of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York City. The musicians will play on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Sunset Center. RANDY DUCHAINE
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==