www.montereycountynow.com JANUARY 15-21, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 25 Send ideas to montereycountynow.com/events HOT PICKS 211 Hillcrest Ave., Marina.) Free. (831) 2381988, montereycountypops.org/events. Tuesday, Jan. 20 DEEP SEA Not sure if you’ve heard—the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute has a relatively new CEO (May 2025), and she’s giving a talk at Hopkins Marine Station. Antje Boetius is a renowned deep-sea polar biologist who has worked with many MBARI scientists over an impressive 30-year career. She delivers a lecture titled “Deep Ocean Connections,” about recent discoveries from the abyss and implications for conservation efforts. The deep sea is Earth’s largest biome, with so much marine life living under extreme conditions, and with so much still yet to be discovered. She’ll discuss new technologies that provide a better understanding of this environment and where we’re headed next with research. You can join online or in person. [KR] 6-7pm Tuesday, Jan. 20. Hopkins Marine Station, Izzie Abbott Boatworks Auditorium, 120 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove. Free. (831) 655-6200, events.stanford.edu/event/ deep-ocean-connections. Wednesday, Jan. 21 TRUTH AND THE FREE PRESS Join award-winning author, former New York Times columnist, and Columbia University professor emeritus Samuel G. Freedman for an in-depth discussion about the power of language in journalism. Freedman, who has authored 10 books and contributed to numerous publications, will be joined in the discussion by former USA Today correspondent Marco della Cava. Together, the two veteran journalists will share insights from their careers and discuss how the Fourth Estate promotes truth, gives a voice to the marginalized and protects democracy. [AS] 7pm Wednesday, Jan. 21. Carpenter Hall at Sunset Center, San Carlos and 8th, Carmel. Free. (831) 624-2811, carmelpubliclibraryfoundation.org. F IT When he plays with ZZ Top, he’s Billy Gibbons. But when he gathers his own crew, Gibbons adds a big F. And with that Texas blues attitude, he dips into some of the legendary trio’s early material and deep cuts, including pieces rarely played live. Billy F. Gibbons and the BFG Band also hits original stuff, as well as covers appropriate to his style. Yes, the set list includes favorites such as “Jesus Just Left Chicago,” “La Grange” and “Sharp Dressed Man,” but the MTV era pieces are performed with a raw blues sound—less synthetic, more honest. Gibbons is touring now with his beer drinkin’, hell raisin’ BFGs, before joining the ZZ Top tour later this year. [DF] 8pm Wednesday, Jan. 21. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $54- $346. (831) 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre. com. Hot Picks by Sloan Campi, Erik Chalhoub, Dave Faries, Celia Jiménez, Pam Marino, Agata Popęda, Katie Rodriguez, Sara Rubin and Aric Sleeper. Salinas native and rising star Alan Truong guest conducts Espressivo Orchestra’s winter concert. (Details on p. 24.) TICKETS ON SALE NOW! SAN CARLOS ST AT 9 AVE, CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, CA 93921 TH BOX OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY – FRIDAY, NOON – 4 PM 831.620.2048 | BOXOFFICE@SUNSETCENTER.ORG | SUNSETCENTER.ORG SUNSET CULTURAL CENTER, INC. IS A 501(C)3 NONPROFIT | TAX ID #52-2404864 UP NEXT AT SUNSET CENTER LIVE CONCERT EXPERIENCE LEGENDS: A TRIBUTE TO TAYLOR SWIFT MUSIC FEATURING CHRISTINA SHAW FRI. JAN 23, 2026 7:30 PM TANGO AFTER DARK THU. JAN 29, 2026 7:30 PM DANCE THEATER
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