Thursday, May 14 RADEMAKER RECORDS Brent Rademaker is a veteran of the music business. Hailing from Florida, he came to Los Angeles in the 1980s before later creating a cosmo-country band called Beachwood Sparks, inspired by West Coast legendary bands such as The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers and Buffalo Springfield. In recent years, he launched an independent record label named Curation Records specializing in featuring artists who have crafted the “California Cool” sound, all artists that can only be found on the West Coast. You can get your own dose of California Cool at Bud’s at La Playa, where Rademaker will be spinning records for the next vinyl session. [KR] 6pm Thursday, May 14. Bud’s at La Playa, Camino Real and 8th, Carmel. Free. (831) 293-6100, fadeawaysessions.com. NO SCALPING A rock show thrown by The Scalps is grungy and punky in all the best ways. And the punks are alive and well in Pacific Grove—yeah that’s right—aka “Pacific Grave,” home of the “newlyweds and nearly-deads,” which is a phrase you can get on a black T-shirt at Pop & Hiss. Fashion sense aside, the rockers emerge for a high-energy show in the back bar, also welcoming the ethereal voice of Sarah Parson from Rum River Cult. Whether she decides to jump onstage with acoustic or electric guitar is entirely up to her, but make no mistake—she can rock just as hard as the dudes. [SC] 7-10pm Thursday, May 14. Pop & Hiss, 215 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. $5. (831) 275-3303, popandhiss.net. Thursday, May 14-Saturday, May 16 MAGIC QUEST Submerge into Abigail’s quest as she navigates a new school and city and a mystical kingdom, Subterra. Abigail explores a dark new world populated with wizards, fantastic creatures and riddles. She relies on science and her own determination to restore Subterra to normal while finding her way back home. This story is told onstage in Merlin’s Apprentice, ARIEL Theatrical’s latest musical, appropriately star24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 14-20, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com MELANIE WALKER The Center for Photographic Art is showing works by its 2024 Critical Mass Solo Show award winner, Melanie Walker. In the exhibit Nomadic Dreamer: A Modern Myth of Shelter and Passage, Walker constructs a surreal allegorical world where figures wear houses as heads, merging architecture with identity. The work explores how we carry history, memory and belonging within us, questioning what separates “house” from “home.” Playful yet unsettling, the show reimagines reality through constructed forms and emotional truth. Walker is a third-generation photographic artist, a Californian, now living and working in Colorado. An opening reception takes place from 4-6pm Saturday, May 16. Regular gallery hours are noon-4pm WednesdaySunday inside Sunset Center at 9th and San Carlos, Carmel. On display until June 14. [AP] 14-20 MAY HOT PICKS To see more local events, and add your own, visit montereycountynow.com/events MELANIE WALKER SUSAN SWARD VISUALS SUSAN SWARD Three Sisters, Three Visions is the title of another exhibit opening this Saturday, May 16. This group show at Gallery at Del Mesa features works of, fittingly, three sisters—Susan Sward, Charlene Sward McNally and Cheryl Sward. Susan Sward is a Rhode Island–based painter whose work reflects the quiet beauty of coastal landscapes and the natural world. Raised on the East Coast, all three sisters developed a sensitivity to landscape, season and place. While each approaches their subject differently, all are drawn to moments of quiet and stillness. Join an opening reception at 4-6pm Saturday, May 16. Gallery hours: 11am-8pm Wednesday-Sunday at Del Mesa, 500 Del Mesa Drive, Carmel. Through July 5. [AP] The Salinas Valley Fair in King City brings a smorgasbord of sweet and savory treats to enjoy between carnival rides, while taking in live tunes or watching one of the many races and competitions featured at the annual event. IVAN GARCIA PHOTOGRAPHY Clay Adventures workshops are accessible for beginners to learn the basics of how to hand-build using clay. Join in at Earthbound Farm on Sunday, May 17 (details on p. 28).
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