www.montereycountynow.com AUGUST 20-26, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 33 MUSIC Sitting behind the East Village bar 96 Tears in New York City is a piece of music history: an ashtray with a pop art image and the words, “Enjoy Banana.” It’s the iconic ashtray that inspired Andy Warhol’s album cover for The Velvet Underground & Nico. And while the ashtray isn’t making its way to the West Coast to be displayed any time soon, the bar’s owner, Jonathan Toubin, is coming to spin 45s for an all-ages party at Pop & Hiss on Sunday, Aug. 23. Toubin is the party master behind the garage rock scene in the Big Apple and keeps later midcentury rock ‘n’ roll and soul music’s heart pounding. The DJ, multiple-venue owner and parttime writer for Cream magazine is fresh off of the Lizard King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s Field of Vision Festival in Buena Vista, Colorado. Now he, his wife Amy Franz and their dog Bette Davis are road tripping west to see their friend, Pacific Grove DJ and drummer Kim Sollecito (aka Kim the Beat). Like the ashtray behind his bar, Toubin believes that when something is good there’s no need to replace it. The music he spins is a testament that the soul-stepping beats from the 1960s and ’70s are still proof of life. “One thing about capitalism is they’re always trying to get you to throw away the last thing that they sold you,” Toubin says, speaking about how the garage rock ‘n’ roll music never really came back or left in the first place. “People don’t want to throw away good music and good culture.” That good culture that Toubin refuses to get rid of took on a life of its own when he started the New York Night Train parties back in 2006. Those gatherings landed him plenty of accolades, including one from Rolling Stone as “the most-liked man in the soul music scene.” This time he’s bringing his second signature to Pacific Grove: the Soul Clap & Dance-Off. Toubin plans to host with Sollecito at the turntables with a legendary collection of 45s, while the audience tests their dancing and clapping abilities as a panel of judges decides who gets to take home $100. For the dance party, Toubin is narrowing in on soul, funk and some Latin soul. But also within his collection are a few pieces that he describes as some “weird” covers. “It’s a community thing,” he explains. “At this dance contest, the public becomes the entertainment.” Jonathan Toubin Soul Clap & Dance-Off 7-10pm Sunday, Aug. 23. Pop & Hiss, 214 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. $5. (831) 275-3303, popandhiss.net. ALEXANDER THOMPSON Old Soul Acclaimed rock and roll vinyl DJ Jonathan Toubin hosts a dance party in Pacific Grove. By Sloan Campi Jonathan Toubin has made a name for himself as “the most-liked man in the soul music scene” in New York, and is bringing his dance party concept to Pacific Grove. www.folktalewinery.com C medy SAN FRANCISCO COMEDY COMPETITION OPENING NIGHT OF THE 50TH SAN FRANCISCO COMEDY COMPETITION: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 03 JOIN US FOR AN EVENING OF WINE, FOOD, AND BIG LAUGHS AS 16 TALENTED COMEDIANS TAKE THE STAGE!
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