Thursday, June 18 STAR BRIGHT The hit that first put Madonna on the Billboard charts, “Lucky Star,” had a music video that inspired fashion and dance trends from the 1980s onward and is the focus of a “Throwback Music Video Class” in Sand City. Familiarity with the Queen of Pop is not a requisite for the interactive event, which is intended for participants with or without Madonna-level dancing skills. The free community dance class is meant to inspire creativity through movement and music and invites community members to have fun and express themselves—and improve their dance moves. [AS] 6:30-8pm Thursday, June 18. Residence Inn by Marriott, 800 Morgans Way, Sand City. Free. (831) 855-4104, tina.bell@ aquaaston.com, event.marriott.com. FEELIN’ IT You cannot touch music. Guitar strings or a fiddle bow, certainly. But scientists will tell you that to physically grasp sound is impossible. But in these unreasonable times, how often are scientists deemed right? The music and lyrics of the roots-folk duo Dan Frechette and Laurel Thomsen are palpable. Blending original music with the stories related to the songs, they pose matters of today in tones that span time, with a sensibility rooted in truth. Both blend so easily into genres and each other, you could never tell that they are different in foundation. Frechette basked in folk tradition while Thomsen was classically trained. Their current tour, “Portraits in Song,” comes to…hang on a minute. Does that mean you can see their music, too? [DF] 7pm Thursday, June 18. Carl Cherry Center, 4th and Guadalupe, Carmel. $25. (831) 624-7491, carlcherrycenter. org. SOPHISTICATED STRUM After just a moment of listening to guitarist Hao Yang, goosebumps are likely to form, and within seconds, her soulful style and masterful skill completely capture the attention of anyone within earshot. Yang is an internationally acclaimed guitarist, having performed at the Panama, Cleveland and Beijing International Guitar Festivals and at venues including Carnegie 26 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 18-24, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com STEPHANIE LANGLEY Monterey artist Stephanie Langley has been recently accepted to the Carmel Art Association, an iconic institution which has been serving local artists since 1927. Her works are part of New Members Inaugural Exhibition, currently on display at the CAA’s gallery in Carmel. Langley, who was raised in Monterey, left the area and worked as an illustrator in Palo Alto before returning in 2026 to paint full time. Her latest works are massive triptychs that combine abstract geometric forms with soft leaky and round lines, female features being the ultimate representation of the latter. On display until July 6. CAA is located at Dolores between 5th and 6th, Carmel. Open 10am-5pm daily. [AP] 18-24 JUNE HOT PICKS To see more local events, and add your own, visit montereycountynow.com/events STEPHANIE LANGLEY VISUALS CHERYL KAMPE June in Venture Gallery in downtown Monterey belongs to painter Cheryl Kampe, whose Water Lilies and Paris Lights exhibit is now on display there. Kampe credits a trip to Paris and Giverny, France as an inspiration. “Monet’s garden was particularly beautiful on a sunny autumn day,” she shared in an artist statement. “Outdoor cafes, patisseries, and parks have all left lasting impressions. Walking through the colorful flower beds to the renowned water lilies was a painting at every turn.” Consider it a guide to the show, which, by the way, shows just one side of Kampe as an artist. To see another aspect of her work, visit the Pacific Grove Art Center (568 Lighthouse Ave., P.G.) where her environmental pieces are on display until June 26. Venture Gallery is at 260 Alvarado St., Monterey, and is open 10am-6pm daily, with Kampe’s work up through June. [AP] Mike E. Winfield, who you may have seen on The Office and The Late Show with David Letterman, takes the stage at Folktale Winery as part of the San Francisco Comedy Competition on June 19 (see details, p. 28). @FDJPHOTOGRAPHY Dance instructor Blair Cronin of Groove Carmel will teach community members how to dance like Madonna for the “Throwback Music Video Class” on Thursday, June 18. TINABELL CHERYL KAMPE
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