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Cover design by Tabi Zarrinnaal. NORTH BAY BOHEMIAN [ISSN 1532-0154] (incorporating the Sonoma County Independent) is published weekly, on Wednesdays, by Metrosa Inc., located at: 847 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, CA 95404. Phone: 707.527.1200; fax: 707.527.1288; e-mail: editor@bohemian.com. It is a legally adjudicated publication of the county of Sonoma by Superior Court of California decree No. 119483. Member: Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, National Newspaper Association, California Newspaper Publishers Association, Verified Audit Circulation. Subscriptions (per year): Sonoma County $75; out-of-county $90. Thirdclass postage paid at Santa Rosa, CA. FREE DISTRIBUTION: The BOHEMIAN is available free of charge at numerous locations, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for one dollar, payable in advance at The BOHEMIAN’s office. The BOHEMIAN may be distributed only by its authorized distributors. No person may, without permission of the publisher, take more than one copy of each issue.The BOHEMIAN is printed on 40 % recycled paper.

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Rhapsodies BOHEMIAN

Core Values AshBritt responds to ‘Bohemian’ fire-cleanup coverage BY GERARDO CASTILLO

n recent articles, the Bohemian did not include important facts when reporting about AshBritt Environmental’s involvement in last year’s wildfire debris cleanup in Sonoma and Napa counties (“Dirty Business,” March 6; “Cleanup Crew,” Feb. 13). Thank you for the opportunity to set the record straight. AshBritt started as a small, family operated landscaping firm that assisted as a subcontractor in debris recovery efforts in 1992 after Hurricane Andrew. Since then, we have successfully served more than 500 clients and been directly involved in the recovery efforts of more than 60 federally declared disasters in 19 states as a prime contractor. Our work has led to collaboration with many federal and state agencies, including FEMA, CalOES, CalEPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The greatest assurance we can provide is that during our 25 years in the emergency-response industry, we have never failed to complete a project. Recently, the Bohemian reported that AshBritt and Tetra Tech were listed as defendants in a lawsuit over excavation of properties that were subject to cleanup under the USACE contracts after the 2017 wildfires in Sonoma County. What the paper failed to tell readers is that the same law firm had launched a parallel lawsuit against AshBritt and Tetra Tech, as well as ECC Contractors, for their role in cleanup work in Napa County, and those claims have already been dismissed, specifically against AshBritt. In the lawsuit reported on last week, AshBritt’s role is limited to work performed on a single property, for which we strenuously deny the claim. In fact, ECC Contractors performed work on the majority of properties in that suit. ECC is currently one of the prime contractors for CalRecycle’s Camp

fire and Woolsey fire in Paradise and Ventura, respectively. AshBritt maintains the highest levels of safety, quality and integrity in conducting all of our services and operations. In this instance, our work was closely supervised by the USACE and was in strict compliance with its specifications. Furthermore, our excavation is consistent with the work of other prime contractors, and with previous state-managed and supervised CalRecycle debrisremoval projects. Another misleading item in the Bohemian’s reporting is the implication about the company’s relationship with state lobbyist Darius Anderson. The emergency-response work mentioned in the article is a federal project for which he had no involvement or role. Other state contracts mentioned are competitively awarded or were not won by AshBritt. Simply put, he has had no role procuring or representing AshBritt in any of the work cited in several of the Bohemian’s stories. AshBritt is proud to have been a USACE contractor, and we stand by our work on the project and that of our over 30 local and California contractors that performed debris-removal on properties. Now as the nation’s leading disaster-recovery firm, our core values about paying it forward are ever present—whether that is hiring local, small business contractors, as we did in Sonoma and Napa counties, or finding communityidentified recovery projects like the Hopper Wall reconstruction project. We are there when communities need us. Gerardo Castillo is chief of staff for AshBritt Environmental. Open Mic is a weekly feature in the ‘Bohemian.’ We welcome your contribution. To have your topical essay of 350 words considered for publication, write openmic@bohemian.com.

Floating Away I’m glad to see the Bohemian begin to introduce your readers to the fastapproaching floating offshore wind industry (“Full Tilt,” Feb. 27). Going forward, it would be useful to see a more balanced coverage of something that may well permanently industrialize significant portions of California’s coastal waters, rather than a reprint of the industry’s own public relations while failing to mention its sometimes adverse impacts on our natural world. One of the key entities behind the emerging PR blitz for floating wind cited in the Boho story says it exists to help the oil and gas offshore oil and gas drilling industry “diversify” its portfolio of projects. Not surprisingly, since one of the most probable dominant bidders for offshore tracts in California waters being offered by Trump’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently dropped the word “oil” from its corporate name. And unfortunately, the recent federal government shutdown cut short the public comment period for the Humboldt and Morro Bay coastal wind lease offerings so severely that even key agencies were unable to comment, while requests for an extension of the comment deadline went unheeded by BOEM. As with any major irreversible planning decision, sound science should be guiding the public and our decision makers, but a lot of the relevant scientific questions about stray electrical fields in ocean waters from unhooked “plug and play” power cables; about whale entanglements amid the virtual net of seafloor anchor cables; about attraction of—and potential damage to—sensitive species of at-risk seabirds; and about how to ensure safety where commercial fishing overlaps (or is displaced by) the proposed wind leases, still remain unanswered. Offshore wind projects would inevitably have onshore impacts if they are to deliver power to sites on land, meaning more transmission lines and infrastructure. Any rational energy strategy for the future of our state should include energy-efficiency and energyconservation implementation, rather than blithely ignoring that part of the equation.

THIS MODERN WORLD

When we know that the industrial supply chain for floating offshore wind is comprised almost exclusively of some of the biggest firms in the global offshore oil drilling complex, when so many of the wind bidders here will be oil companies, and in a world where fracked natural gas is being wastefully burned off and thrown away at record rates by “flaring” in various states, a PR-fueled rush to exploit our most productive coastal upwelling waters might benefit from being just a bit more precautionary and sciencebased than is presently being suggested by its paid cheerleaders.

RICHARD CHARTER

Bodega Bay

Air It Out I am once again disappointed with Will Carruthers’ lazy reporting on the firedebris-removal scandal involving AshBritt and other contractors (“Dirty Business,” March 13). There is a real story here: the excessive charges for debris removal are scandalous, and the statement by state’s emergency services director that debrisremoval contractors defrauded the state demands real investigation. The issues

By Tom Tomorrow

raised in the new lawsuit against AshBritt and Tetra Tech demand investigation. But instead of real investigation, Carruthers gives us another loosely woven house of straw built on innuendo and implied (but never documented) collusion. The latest article implies something is amiss with the county’s new emergency manager, Christopher Godley, because he didn’t update his LinkedIn profile and because other employees working for a separate division of Godley’s prior employer (Tetra Tech) evidently falsified hazardous materials testing results on a San Francisco development project. What kind of guilt-by-association hokum is that? I worked with Chris during his prior employment with Sonoma County, and he was a model of professionalism and integrity. And, of course, the article concludes with another of Carruthers’ obligatory swipes at Darius Anderson for reasons that remain unclear. If there’s really “something” there, let’s air it out. Our community deserves better reporting on these issues.

PETE PARKINSON

Santa Rosa

Write to us at letters@bohemian.com.

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ON THE TIER San Quentin State Prison has crushed many a soul.

Lost Time

How California’s broken prison system exacts its toll on families of the incarcerated BY JONAH RASKIN

yodor Dostoevsky— who poured blood, sweat and tears into the pages of Crime and Punishment—would feel at home in John Beck’s splendid, searing new documentary, Invisible Bars, which runs 56 minutes and packs a wallop every step of the way. “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering

its prisons,” the great Russian novelist Dostoevsky exclaimed. Jailed by Czar Nicolas I for reading “dangerous” literature, he was lined up before a firing squad and pardoned at the proverbial last minute. Dostoevsky only served six years in a Siberian prison, a grim yet redemptive experience that fueled Crime and Punishment. Beck’s Invisible Bars, which he worked on intermittently for five years, suggests that a society ought to be judged not only by what goes

on inside prisons, but also by what happens on the outside to kids who suffer the loss of an incarcerated parent. As Invisible Bars argues, those kids grow up with the stigma of a mom or a dad locked up in places like San Quentin. Invisible Bars spits out facts as hard and as cold as the walls of the state’s famous Marin County prison. California has only 5 percent of the world’s population, but 25 percent of the world’s inmates. In California every year, half a million kids grow

Tom Gogola

NORTH BAY BOH EMI A N | MAR C H 1 3-19, 20 19 | BO H E M I AN.COM

up with a parent in prison. In the United States, 5 million kids have parents behind bars. Those figures come near the start of Beck’s movie, along with the trenchant comment that America is the most “incarcerated country in the world.” More men and women are in prison here than in Putin’s Russia. Invisible Bars doesn’t analyze why this country has the world’s most highly developed “prison-industrial complex.” That’s the responsibility of students of criminal justice. Beck set out to raise awareness about mass incarceration and what he does exceeding well is put inmates and their children in front of the camera and provide a space for them to talk about the pain, the suffering, the shame—and the enduring love that isn’t snuffed out by prisons bars. Beck showcases two San Francisco public defenders, Jeff Adachi, who died in February, and Chesa Boudin. At the start of Invisible Bars, Adachi explains, “When it comes to children, the California criminal justice system is cold-hearted.” Boudin takes over from there. The child of parents who belonged to the Weather Underground, he was raised by Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers after his biological mother and father, Kathy Boudin and David Gilbert, were jailed following a botched robbery of a Brinks vehicle in 1981. Three men died; two of them police officers. Gilbert is still in prison. Kathy Boudin was released after 22 years behind bars. Looking back at his traumatic childhood, Chesa says he blamed himself for the incarceration of his parents. Now he’s running for San Francisco District Attorney to, he says, inject justice into the criminal justice system. Invisible Bars shows how punishing prisons can be on kids like Chesa, but it doesn’t punish viewers. Rather, it uplifts and inspires by showing families as they break down barriers, tell stories and focus their hurt and anger. Because of kid protesters, Marin County now boasts a Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights.

ilmmaker Beck walked away from his job at Santa Rosa’s Press Democrat in 2009, after

n a rainy Saturday morning, Stillman—who lives in San Francisco in transitional housing—visited Jessica in Santa Rosa, where she works at the Rape, Crisis Trauma and Healing Center. She’s trying to persuade Sonoma County to adopt a Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights, similar to Marin’s. Stillman explains that, over the course of more than two decades, prison authorities moved him from Pelican Bay, where he was in solitary, to Susanville and then to New Folsom, followed by a string of penal institutions in Salinas Valley, Jamestown and Soledad, which was, he says, “a picnic compared to the other places.” It wasn’t until he

espite its heavy topic, Invisible Bars has an upbeat soundtrack that includes music by the rap group E-Dub and the Grateful Dead, who performed at San Quentin in 1968, shortly before Johnny Cash sang there. “Invisible Bars was about as DIY as you can get,” Beck says. “The only way I could make the film was to wear a lot of different hats as cinematographer, editor and sound recorder, as well as writer, producer and director. They all add up to storyteller.” In the last scene, Stillman faces the camera and says he would still be in prison “if it wasn’t for my kids.” “It took decades,” Beck says, “but the Stillmans got past the stigma, the shame and the guilt, and rebuilt their family.” KQED will broadcast Invisible Bars on March 19 at 11pm, March 20 at 5am and March 21 at 10am.

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was housed at Soledad that he was allowed to touch his children and they were allowed to touch him. “For a long time, I was a monster in prison,” Stillman says. “Then I learned to accept responsibility for my own actions.” He figures it cost the state of California $1.15 million to warehouse him for 23 years. He was convicted of murder in 1995. As he points out, the prison-industrialcomplex is big business. “I almost gave up on myself,” Stillman says. “But my kids never abandoned me, and once I joined the Long Term Offenders Program at Solano, I knew I had a chance to get out.” One of Stillman’s biggest challenges was juggling gang membership. To survive, he says he had to join a gang while, at the same time, denying gang affiliation when authorities accused him of membership in one. To guards, who insisted he belonged to a white gang, he replied, “That’s not possible. My mother was Mexican and no white gang would want a Mexican.” On Aug. 6, 2018, the day of his release, Stillman walked around Fisherman’s Wharf, admired the Golden Gate Bridge and enjoyed the view of the bay from Sausalito.

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12 years as a staff writer. Since then, he’s made documentaries, including one about ugly-dog contests and another about a Trappist monastery near Chico. Filming Invisible Bars took him to places he had never been before. Surprisingly, San Quentin wasn’t the prison where Beck heard what he calls the most “honest heartfelt stories.” That was Solano State Prison in Vacaville, where he witnessed the workings of the Long Term Offender Program—which aims to rehabilitate and not punish, a rare thing these days. “When I went to Solano, I never felt unsafe,” Beck says. “Rather, I knew I was getting a rare opportunity to go behind the curtain and hear real dialogue.” Last year, Beck joined Fred Stillman’s seven children when they traveled by van from Santa Rosa to Solano—a 90-minute drive—to meet and greet their father, who was released after serving 23 years. Stillman, now 60, and his daughter, Jessica, 32, saw Invisible Bars behind bars at Solano, where Beck arranged for the film to have its world premiere. “That was heavy, watching the film on the inside with my dad and other prisoners,” Jessica says. For much of her childhood, Jessica rarely saw her father. When she did, it was through a glass partition. Stillman’s mother raised her. Now she has a BA from the University of San Diego and an MA from the University of San Francisco.

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Dining CHEESE SHOP Bohemian Creamery’s place of purveyance is pleased to negotiate the vending of some cheesy comestibles.

Surfin’ Curds

Using the power of pedals and cheese to find—more cheese BY JAMES KNIGHT

y late January, it was clear that I was not on track to meet my New Year’s dietary goals, so I cast about for any possible culprit besides my own selfdiscipline. My eyes landed on the plate of cheese I’d enjoyed almost nightly with crackers, maybe a little

secchi salami, and maybe a little wine. No, not the cheese! Suppose it was the crackers? “A small amount of fat is better than a slice of bread,” Maureen Cunnie tells me. Cautioning that she is not a nutritionist, but operations manager at Cowgirl Creamery, Cunnie affirms that I’m behind the times if I feel guilty about indulging in their doublecream cheese products because of the bad rap on fat.

“Well, that trend is actually changing very rapidly. There’s high demand for high-protein, high-fat foods, and away from overly processed foods.” Matter of fact, says Cunnie, a nationwide cream and butter shortage is looming as a result. Cheese is definitely part of an everyday diet, says Cunnie. “Cheese is very nutritious, it has fat and protein. If you’re athletic or into working out or doing cross

training, you need both that fat and protein to retain muscle.” I’m getting an idea, since the endless steak-scarfing of low-carbohydrate diet schemes like Atkins, or various “paleo” concepts, just feels a bit tedious. Why not, instead of gnawing on ribs in some spurious version of the Upper Paleolithic, move the clock forward a few thousand years to the pastoral era? Pastoralism is more than a pretty picture. For thousands of years pastoral societies in Africa, Asia and Europe have herded goats, sheep, yaks—you name it, it’s got milk, they herd it—and made various fermented products. Borrowing a page from controversial “keto” diets, where the idea is to focus the body’s attention on fat, I’ll go further and bastardize food philosopher Michael Pollan’s “eat food” precept: Eat cheese. Lots of it. Go nuts. A rigorous survey of online resources—or the first page of Google results, where any modern chump gets his healthcare information—turned up just one mention of pastoralism writ as fad diet, and trademarked, no less: “The Pastoral Life—Home of The Pastoral Diet™ & Movement Plan.” (Consult the digital influencer of your choice, or better yet, a doctor, before beginning any new diet.) Unfortunately, the author let the site’s hosting expire shortly thereafter, but from what I remember it goes like this: I can eat plenty of cheese if I mimic the active lifestyle of a wiry herdsman leading his flock around the mountains. And oh yeah, a little goatskin flask of wine is absolutely OK. That’s it. I’m sold. Soon, I’m pushing my herd uphill to greener pastures on Point Reyes-Petaluma Road. Though it’d be a kick to run a bunch of bleating sheep down D Street, my herd is actually two wheels on a steel-frame road bike. But I’m climbing hills in cow country, all right, and the cars that pass me do exhibit curious herding behavior, following each other almost nose to tail on this well-worn trail. My first stop is Marin French

WHEYWARD Nice place to park your goat, too, at Bohemian Creamery.

Cheese, founded in 1865 when, apropos, a sudden demand for a high-protein egg alternative was filled with the Petite Breakfast Cheese. The hot tip here is to get the discounted off-weighted samples. I catch a round of Schloss that’s still sliceable and move on. I learn from my friendly cheesemonger at Cowgirl Creamery that their aromatic Red Hawk is only made in Point Reyes Station because it wouldn’t ripen the same in another environment. I opt for Wagon Wheel, which is like a fontina but more rich and buttery. A detour to Nicasio Valley Cheese nets a rare hunk of aged San Geronimo—fine-textured, less buttery but almost smoky, with a meaty umami quality. Cheesemaking at this creamery, which has Swiss-Italian heritage, can be viewed through a window while one nibbles on samples. Back in town, I find something besides cheddar and ice cream at Petaluma Creamery—a dry Jack goat cheese that’s flaky and tangy. Midway up a treacherous path in the hills of West County— Occidental Road—the tiny shop at Bohemian Creamery is packed with artisan treats like Bo Peep. Now this looks like something an old shepherd pulled out of

his rucksack, but it’s creamy under the rustic-looking rind, like Toma. In town, Sebastopol’s Wm. Cofield Cheesemakers specializes in English-style cheddar and a Stilton-style cheese called Bodega Blue that’s got a hint of cheddar, in contrast to Point Reyes Bay Blue. Finally, a long lonely trek down Llano Road is rewarded with wholesale-priced St. George at Joe Matos Cheese Factory. The farmstead and its population of phlegmatic farm cats is charmingly unimproved, but the dependable St. George cheese has lately been joined by two extraaged versions. OK, by month’s end I’ve gained five pounds. But I don’t blame the cheese, the beautiful cheese, and let us not speak of the wine. I blame the weather—seems the shepherd took shelter for much of this rainy February. See if you can do better at next weekend’s Artisan Cheese Festival, where the curds are mounded high at Sunday’s walkaround tasting. Go ahead, climb every mountain. Need more exercise, do another lap. California Artisan Cheese Festival, March 23–24. Tickets, $25–$150. Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. 707.545.4200. artisancheesefestival.com.

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Those are the sort of tweedy, fusty images that I found gallantly contradicted in a few articles from the good writers at the Irish Times on the subject of port wine. Instead, they said, Irish bartenders these days are mixing it up in cocktails or serving it chilled and neat. But that’s all I’ve got, vis-à-vis the

obligatory St. Paddy’s Day theme, so I’m moving on to one that, if very much about a binge, less so concerns drinking: the California Artisan Cheese Festival the following weekend. In the nexus of both stories, I discovered that tawny port is a cheese pairing nonpareil. It all started when I was offered a few samples of tawny port from Portugal. Sure it’s “out of market,” but being part Irish, at least the part that counts when it comes to freely offered samples of fortified wines, I said, sure. Now I had to find the local stuff. What’s the difference between ruby and tawny? “My understanding is that in Portugal, ports have to be aged a minimum of 10 years before the tawny designation can be used,” explains local port maker Bill Reading at Sonoma Portworks. Reading says that in some other countries and production contexts, so-called tawny port might have as little as three years aging, hastily accelerated by the use of heat. “My view is that there is only one way to achieve the rich flavors and amber color of true tawny ports—and that is through an application of patience.” Reading just released a third batch of his Maduro Reserve tawny port ($48), aged 13 years in oak, and it earned 94 points from Sonoma County’s own Christopher Sawyer. I didn’t know he did points! It’s a lighter hue than both Dow’s 10-year ($37) and 20-year ($65) tawny port, yet still on the red side of the sunset spectrum. With notes of roasted Macadamia nuts and oiled teak, it’s similar yet earthier and less syrupy than the Portugal wines, with more acid in the center: the bright red fruit sings through a bite of Cofield Bodega Blue Stilton–style cheese, lifting the flavors of both instead of smothering one or the other, as so many touted wine pairings tend to do. Wow. For sipping solo, try Meadowcroft’s All She Wrote port-style dessert wine ($36), a style in between ruby and tawny, only available at the tasting room in Cornerstone Gardens. It’s more tannic than the others, yet beguiling in its silky, Zinfandel fruited intensity. That’ll put some tweed on your vest.

Film events and festivals bloom in the North Bay BY CHARLIE SWANSON

STAR DATE

Captain’s log: 5-16-2019. Expect to encounter highly intelligent lifeforms at the Marin Center in San Rafael . . .

ith March well under way and spring around the corner, the clouds are starting to clear in the North Bay, meaning the stars are coming out to shine. From now through May, several of Hollywood’s top actors, emerging filmmakers, gifted documentarians and others will make their way to Sonoma and Marin for special screenings and festivals offering one-ofa-kind film experiences for local audiences.

‘High Fidelity’ First up, one of the most recognizable faces in movies for the last 30 years, John Cusack comes to Santa Rosa to screen

and discuss his hit comedy High Fidelity on March 15 at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. The story of record shop owner Rob Gordon (Cusack) recounting his top five failed relationships

is set against a backdrop of over 70 pop songs spanning multiple decades and genres of music; the film has become one of the most beloved romantic comedies for music and film lovers alike. Cusack not only starred in the movie, he co-wrote and coproduced it, bringing the novel by Nick Hornby to life. “I had made a bunch of films with Joe Roth, who ran Disney,” says Cusack. “And I had just made the first film I wrote and produced called Grosse Pointe Blank. We had a really good experience, and

we had a big soundtrack on that movie. Kathy Nelson, who was the music supervisor, was a real wizard.” After the success of Grosse Pointe Blank, Cusack turned to High Fidelity and brought Nelson along for another music-centric film. But this time, the music took on a physical role, with Cusack and his friends (Jack Black and Todd Louiso) hanging out in a record shop and debating various top five lists like “Top five recording artists” and ) 14 “Top five musical crimes

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Spring Screens

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14 Spring Screens ( 13 Sonoma International Film Festival

TOP FIVE Why see John Cusack in Sonoma County on March 15? (1) He likes the Who; (2) he once said to Charlie Rose, referring to the Brat Pack, ‘Who would want to be a part of that?’; (3) ‘Better Off Dead’; (4) he endorsed Bernie Sanders in 2016; (5) ‘High Fidelity.’

perpetrated by Stevie Wonder in the ’80s and ’90s.” High Fidelity also told a compelling story about love and relationships, as Rob attempts to figure out where he went wrong in the past and fix his current romantic situation, while also reorganizing his record collection autobiographically. “I’m not as much of a collector in person, but I certainly value music the same way,” says Cusack of his character. “A lot of people live autobiographically through art, and they have albums and songs and movies that mean something to them in their life, when they first heard the song, or the era of the song. Those themes run close with me.” High Fidelity was also the breakout role for Jack Black, whom Cusack recruited for the part. “I knew we had an ending to the film because I knew Jack and had seen his act Tenacious D in Los Angeles,” says Cusack. “I knew the part was perfect for

him and that he would be able to knock ’em dead with the music at the end. We had a ball.” Beyond being one of the most entertaining movies about music ever, High Fidelity captured an audience through the relatable characters and emotional narrative. “It tells a lot of secrets about men, our inner monologue and thought processes,” says Cusack. On hand for the screening and conversation, Cusack looks forward to the chance to talk with fans of the film. “What we usually like to do is take questions directly from the audience,” says Cusack, who has toured with other films. “They’re into the movies and know them well. I like to take questions and let them ask whatever they want.” John Cusack appears Friday, March 15, at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 7:30pm. $39 and up. 707.546.3600.

Celebrating its 22nd year, the Sonoma International Film Festival takes over Sonoma's historic plaza for five days, March 27–31. The fully walkable festival includes more than 90 films ranging from independent features, shorts and documentaries from around the world. Past guests to SIFF have included stars like Bruce Willis, Susan Sarandon, Meg Ryan, Robin Williams and Danny Glover, and it wouldn’t be a Sonoma event without offering world-class cuisine from local artisans and exceptional wine from Sonoma vintners to go with the films. This year includes another packed lineup of parties and screenings, starting with the opening-night reception featuring live music from the Rich Little Band and a screening of the new film Ladies in Black, about the lives of a group of department store employees in 1959 Sydney and directed by the Oscarnominated Bruce Beresford. Other special events include the very popular Chefs and Shorts Dinner on March 28, featuring highly regarded culinary luminaries preparing a fivecourse dinner inspired by short food films from around the world. Another must-see highlight of this year’s SIFF is the UFO symposium on March 30, boasting two investigative documentaries, Aliens at the Pentagon and The Nimitz Encounter, and a panel discussion. There’s also a showcase of the Lunafest traveling film festival on March 30 with a program of films by women filmmakers. Beyond the festivities, SIFF supports the visual arts educational programs in Sonoma Valley schools and community outreach programs. Passes for the Sonoma International Film Festival, running Wednesday to Sunday, March 27–31, at Sebastiani Theatre and nearby venues in Sonoma, are available at sonomafilmfest.org.

Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival

Founded in 2007, the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival is the North Bay's premier showcase of independent documentaries from both international filmmakers and homegrown talent. Returning this March 28–31 for its 12th year, this year’s festival boasts one of its most locally focused programs yet, with films covering the breadth of lives in the North Bay. Opening night’s film, Harvest Season, follows the stories of Mexican-American winemakers and the migrant workers in Napa and Sonoma counties, who grapple with several issues while 2017’s wildfires ravaged the region. The next night, the documentary Holly Near: Singing for Our Lives shines a spotlight on Sonoma County resident and songwriting activist icon Holly Near. Directed by veteran filmmaker Jim Brown, the film comprises Near’s own footage and recordings, interviews with contemporaries like Gloria Steinem and Jane Fonda, and a live concert filmed at Berkeley’s Freight & Salvage. Throughout it all, Near’s work in several social endeavors highlights her ability to inspire peace, justice, feminism and multicultural consciousness. Other film highlights includes the March 31 anniversary screening of the early internet documentary Home Page and filmmaker Doug Block’s subsequent blog, the D-Word, an online discussion forum that includes over 16,500 members from 128 countries, and is in its 20th year. Several short film programs, conversations, panels and other special events complement the feature film schedule, taking place Thursday to Sunday, March 28–31, at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts and Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol. Festival schedule and passes available at sebastopolfilmfestival.org.

‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’

William Shatner beams down Thursday, May 16, to the Marin Center’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 7:30pm. $39 and up. 415.473.6800.

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Finally, San Rafael takes to the stars in a big way when it welcomes iconic actor, writer and director William Shatner to town for a conversation to accompany a screening of the best Star Trek movie ever, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, on May 16 at the Marin Center. In revisiting his beloved character of James T. Kirk, captain of the starship Enterprise in both the original 1966 Star Trek television series and then in seven feature films, the first thing that Shatner points out is that the character almost didn’t exist. “The people who were doing Star Trek had made a pilot with another actor,” says Shatner. “And they couldn’t sell it, but the idea was intriguing enough. A very unusual and maybe unique event took place; NBC said make another pilot with a different script and recast everybody except the guy playing the Vulcan [Leonard Nimoy].” So it was, and the role of Captain Pike was changed to Captain Kirk. Shatner was called in to read the new part. “I thought they took themselves a little too seriously and I suggested that we have more fun with it,” he says. “I had, the year before, done a film on Alexander the Great and I was riding horses, wearing a breechcloth and doing weight training. So I had an idea of what a hero might act like, and I kept thinking of a phrase I had heard somewhere, ‘the look of eagles.’” Taking all that, Shatner created an archetype in science fiction, the brash but brave Captain Kirk, who fights for his crew and for the good of all. Though the original series lasted only three short years, the crew of the starship Enterprise would return in 1979 for the first of several feature films. Those films also famously spawned many other television series that continue to this day, not to mention books, video games and other media. In revisiting the character of Captain Kirk in the movies, the actor approached Kirk as an older, wiser captain. “I began to look

more closely on how an aging hero, who is one step slower, might act and feel,” says Shatner. “And on the loneliness of having an inanimate ship as the love of his life. There were many strains of things that I didn’t comprehend or look at when I was playing him on television.” While 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture garnered mixed reviews, the sequel became a smash hit with critics and audiences. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is in fact a sequel to an episode from the original series, “Space Seed,” in which the superhuman Khan is revived from suspended animation and attempts to capture the Enterprise. That episode ends with Khan and his crew being exiled to a planet, where we find them at the beginning of the 1982 film. “Somebody knowledgeable said, ‘Let’s get back to the series,’” says Shatner of Wrath of Khan. “The stories were the important part. So when they said let’s do a story instead of running-and-jumping, I thought that was the right way to go. And it turned out to be a success because we did that.” As the title points out, Khan makes his wrath known in the movie, and as portrayed by the late Ricardo Montalbán, Khan is considered one of Star Trek’s greatest villains. The film concludes with not only one of the most memorable yells in cinema history (“Khhaaaan!”) it features Shatner, Montalbán and Nimoy all giving world-class performances. “Leonard was a wonderful actor, everything done so internally, and a great gentleman and wonderful friend,” says Shatner. “The best of acting is a tennis game between the actors, and there’s this playful thing that should happen. If it’s there, it becomes alive; even if the dialogue isn’t necessarily sparkling, actors can bring it to life if they bring themselves to life, and these guys were able to that.”

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CULTURE The week’s events: a selective guide

Liven Up Already considered a treasure trove of food and wine experiences, the Napa Valley town of Yountville added music to its world-class offerings when the annual Yountville Live began in 2015. Returning this week for a lineup of concert and culinary mashups, the townwide festival features performances by singer-songwriters and bands like Tennessee-based rock group Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors, fast-rising country-pop artist Lauren Duski and multi-platinum group the Tenors at several venues in town, with over 20 restaurants and some 40 wineries participating. Yountville goes live Thursday through Sunday, March 14–17, at various locations in and around the town. Information and tickets are available at yountvillelive.com.

Jason Simmons

YOUNTVILLE

PERPETUAL MOTION MUSICIAN Rising indie songwriter Ezra Furman plays a rare solo show on Thursday, March 14, at Arlene Francis Center in Santa Rosa. See Concerts, p23.

S T. H E L E N A

Irish Staple SEBASTOPOL

S A N TA R O S A

Tribute Night

Musical Musings

The nationally touring, critically acclaimed tribute group the Garcia Project faithfully performs full, classic Jerry Garcia Band setlists spanning 1976 to 1995. This month, the Project invites vocalist Maria Muldaur, best known for her 1974 mega-hit “Midnight at the Oasis,” to join them for a concert that celebrates the Jerry Garcia Band “Cats Under the Stars” tour from 1977–78, at which time Muldaur was a member of the band. Revisit the memories and relive grooves of Jerry Garcia with the Garcia Project on Thursday, March 14, at HopMonk Tavern, 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. 7pm. $20–$30. 707.829.7300.

Sonoma County poet Ed Coletti’s written works pulse with rhythms influenced by his lifelong love of music. Coletti’s new book, Apollo Blue’s Harp and the Gods of Song, pays direct homage to that love with poems featuring musical themes including rock, classical, blues and jazz. Centered around the character Apollo Blue, a Southern blues harp player who’s crossed paths with and taught licks to the likes of Dylan and Lennon, the book is available now and get a release party featuring Coletti reading and live music on Saturday, March 16, at SoCo Coffee, 1015 Fourth St., Santa Rosa. 4:30pm. Free. mccaabooks.com.

For 30 years, St. Patrick’s Day in Napa Valley has included a concert by the region’s beloved traditional Irish band Kith & Kin, who celebrate the holiday and mark the 30th anniversary of the group this weekend. Formed by the late John Kelley and still featuring original members Linda Howard and Michael Waterson, the multifaceted band got its start in St. Helena, and their annual St. Patrick’s Day shows are always a spirited assortment of jigs, ballads and traditional tunes played with traditional instruments like the mandolin-looking Irish bouzouki. Kith & Kin perform on Sunday, March 17, at the White Barn, 2727 Sulphur Springs Ave., St. Helena. 4pm and 8pm. $30. 707.987.8225.

—Charlie Swanson

ROHNERT PARK & COTATI

Cotati isn’t only about the squeezebox festival—just mostly.

Double Down

The best of Rohnert Park and Cotati, accordion to our correspondent BY RICHARD VON BUSACK

t is truly right and just to go full Huell Howser on Cotati and its bigger sibling Rohnert Park, my own gateway to Sonomaphilia in 1976.

Visiting from L.A., I was taken around the place by an old girlfriend who was about to go to Sonoma State University. Out of the dust-dry south, I was dazzled

by the leafiniess, the fractaled branches of the oaks, the river (“Where’s the concrete?”) and the then-free winetastings. At night, she took me to the New Albion brewery in Penngrove. Though it burned down years ago, the sign, a sacred relic of this very early California brewpub, hangs in a place of honor behind the bar at the Russian River Brewery. Since

my idea of what a brewery looked like was Busch Gardens, it was astonishing to see beer could be made in a space lacking five-story steel yeast tanks and monorails. We met interesting locals, such as a female shade-tree mechanic who operated on the old girlfriend’s Volvo from inside a dugout that she used in lieu of a gas station’s pit. We watched SNL in the Belushi age, in a late-

night cafe on the Old Redwood Highway. My love for the area continued long after the girl in question kicked me to the curb, having correctly realized that the curb is the proper place for moist, spaniel-eyed young schmucks. While now Cotati and Rohnert Park are more or less one big amoeba, in the old days, there was a bit of rivalry between the funky college village and rapidly built housing tract that filled up Waldo Rohnert’s farm. “Robot Park,” the counterculturites called it. Cut to 1990, a red-letter year for Cotati, the first year of the Cotati Accordion Fest. I’ve been to about 20 of them, fueling up on Lagunitas in the lawn chair, hauling up Little Red, the 12-bass Communist East German-made Bandmaster I got from Sears in 1988. As long as I can, I’ll be joining the “Lady of Spain” ring underneath a wheeling flock of confused-looking wedding doves. The minor-key waltzes on stage complement the slight melancholy of the event; the buckets of bubble-gum-scented amaryllises scattered around are a sign of time passing. They’re called “pink naked ladies,” but could just as easily be called “farewell to summer,” since the school sessions start up the day after the accordions are silenced. cott Goree and Linda Conner of the Cotati Accordion Fest are busy with this coming summer’s ruckus, searching for more agony-box virtuosos from around the world. Goree says he has a large library of potential guests, augmented by YouTube, club dates he checks out and recommendations from previous guests. This August’s fest has its theme and its poster ready: Honoring Our First Responders. The caption: “We honor the ) 18

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Spotlight ( 17 First Responders past, present and future. The future part is the most important, since we’re not out of the woods yet . . .” Such is life in this valley, first plagued by fire and then by water. The day may come when you’ll have to explain a “Use an Accordion—Go to Jail” bumper sticker to a kid. Accordions have lost the stigma they once had. Last year, a young crowd mobbed the second stage at the Cotati fest for the Travelling Spectacular caravan. But not everyone in Cotati is crazy about the crowds and the amplified wheezing. “Some people love us, some people hate us,” Goree says. “The merchants complain that the people who come in don’t patronize their businesses, and that their regular customers can’t come in because of the traffic.” Both Goree and Conner are proud of the fact that the fest has, over its history, donated $500,000 to local nonprofits. They’re the largest yearly donors to the Education Foundation. They’re the sole supporters of the music program at Thomas Page Academy, annual donors to the Boy Scouts Troop 4 camping trip, a major supporter of the outdoor programs at Penngrove Elementary—and the fest gave enough money to the PenngroveRohnert Park Co-op for them to acquire a playground on the premises. “It’s been a windfall for the community, and it’s really put Cotati on the map.” Goree says. Even in galaxies far away, they’ve heard of Cotati. Avengers: Infinity War had Gamora ogling the unconscious Thor’s muscles and likening their strength to Cotati fibers. This is no reference to the weavers at Cotati’s Fiber Circle Studio, but rather to the technology of that superintelligent race of trees, the Cotati of the Kree homeworld. They were introduced into The Avengers comics by Steve Englehart and Sal Buscema, in 1975. “Mike” from Santa Rosa’s Batcave comic shop got me in touch with Jon Athens, a

long-time local comics fan, who explained how that happened: “Back in 1972, we actually had a comic con in Cotati, the Cotati Con. That was back before almost anyone did comic cons. It was at the Inn of the Beginning” (the saloon is now known as Spancky’s and in its day hosted Janis Joplin, Etta James, the Jefferson Airplane . . . ). “Two of our biggest guests were Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner. Steve was a cool guy. He liked the area so much that he honored it.” It’s my virgin visit to the Graton Resort and Casino. I’d waited for the traffic to die down since it opened; six years seems to have done the trick—a little, since there were careening psychos in oversized trucks on the Congressman Don Clausen overcrossing. How many times driving by had I promised myself that act of rebellion: to run off, drive up, and make some real money for a change? And now at last . . . ut past the Reading Cinema, the center looms. A large structure the size of a convention center at the end of an expressway, patrolled by restless security guards. At the gate, a line of somber, perhaps cleaned-out elders are ready for the busses back to San Francisco or San Jose. At noon, the action is mostly with the slots; dogged players are sometimes rewarded with an electronic tintinnabulation that simulated a jackpot. Strange licensing abounds, including Lord of the Rings. I never thought of conflating Middle Earth and Las Vegas, but Arwen and Aragorn pose on his-and-hers slots. Señor Tapatia, the sombrero-wearing Gomez Addams–lookalike on the hot sauce bottle, is the theme of another one-armed bandit. Wait! There’s a Diamonds Are Forever slot machine with Sean Connery looking aged but formidable. For sure, a portent of good luck. I’d seen that cheesy movie on opening day and three times after

19 of the hotel, reminiscing about the cowboys and the fancy women whose feet trod the very boards where your Crocs rest today. U.S. Grant once came and spoke from the balcony of this weathered inn that served as slaughterhouse, Post Office and hostelry. The poor bastard was stationed five months in the freezing fog at Fort Humboldt— it’s amazing he ever came back to Northern California. Like the Graton Resort and the St. Vincent’s, I’d passed the Washoe House forever on drives, and always wanted to go in. No disappointment. Dawdled a little over a horseradish-laden Bloody Mary and a reuben (they had marble rye, yet). A good crowd of 1pm sippers, and a well-picked musical program of sobbing vocalists and steel guitars. Sade’s “The Sweetest Taboo” gave way to Jerry Jeff Walker singing about Mr. Bojangles and his sad dead dog. A ceiling tinted an autumnleaf color—from decades of nicotine—features thousands of thumbtacked dollar bills, scribbled with black-markered messages, hanging like bats. Clearly throwing away money had been the order of the day. Always a compulsive graffiti reader, I saw the back of a vandalized $1 bill “stONEr”—God, I wish I’d thought of that in high school. And on a squandered fiver “This Is for White Bird.” The cryptic messages, the old photos of couples giving each other a squeeze, the handcuffs and boxing gloves over the beer taps—all signs meant to be read by some passerby, to reassure them of some form of permanence in this part of the world, flotsam to cling to in the flood of time.

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that, in the dashed hopes that it would become better on a new viewing. Sadly, the Bond machine is out of order, as the technicians work on it, as are the Thunderball and Casino Royale slots, the latter with a large screen montage of Daniel Craig thumping a bunch of deserving henches. I find something with Chinese dragons spinning around it, evaporate $15, and head off to the car like a Hemingway hero, vanquished yet defeated. I do my gambling at thrift shops, anyway. One breaches the door, electrified: this will be the day that I find something that will change my life, an original Miro some chump got rid of because it wigged him out. And the St. Vincent de Paul on Redwood Highway is a four-out-of-five-star thrift shop. Everything 40 percent off for seniors and students on Wednesdays. Used books are less expensive than toilet paper these days, but they had a lot of Australiana as well as a CD soundtrack for Trainspotting for 25 cents. Such a deal. I get out of the car to recheck the loot in my trunk, and lock myself out. Thanks Yarbrough Towing, and the ebullient guy they send to use a couple of klaxon horn-like air pumps and a slim jim to pry the door open and rescue me from my stupidity. Lunch in Cotati means the Washoe House. It’s officially in Petaluma, which is nonsense. The historic two-story inn is one or two miles north of Railroad Avenue, and Railroad Avenue is the gateway to Cotati. The vicinity doesn’t look like Chickentown at all—it’s out among the Holsteins. And would a bar in Petaluma be able to orate about itself? Hardly. Inside, the Washoe House menu is a first person prose-poem history

Lunch in Cotati means the Washoe House. It’s officially in Petaluma, which is nonsense.

Finding Our New Normal. Together. As our region recovers from the 2017 fires, Healthcare Foundation, together with local and national partners, created the Wildfire Mental Health Collaborative. We want all local residents to have access to evidence-based strategies to recover and build resiliency post-wildfire, including: Drop-in counseling sessions • Individual and group counseling • Download the free app Sonoma Rises • Online wellness self-assessment MySonomaStrong.com • Restorative yoga and meditation sessions • Mental health professionals available to work with your group. Please donate to fund these free bilingual services to support our employees, friends and neighbors in their healing. Visit healthcarefoundation.net or call 707-473-0583 today.

Free health services brought to you by the Wildfire Mental Health Collaborative— an initiative of the Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County. Media campaign supported by the Community Foundation Sonoma County’s Resilience Fund, Constellation Brands and Medtronic. Support also provided by Tipping Point Community Emergency Relief Fund.

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RUBEN COLLECTOR 2 AcademyBRANDT, Award Noms Including Best Actor!

FRI MAR 22 / 9–11pm

“A Triumph!” – New Observer “A Glorious Throwback ToYork The MoreR Stylized, (12:15 2:45 5:10) 7:30 9:40 Subtitled THE WRESTLER Painterly Work Of Decades Past!” – LA (12:20) 5:10 9:45 R Times LA2:45 VIE EN 7:30 ROSE (12:45) 3:45 6:45OF 9:45 PG-13 THEAward SECRET KELLS 10 Academy Noms Including Best Picture! (12:50 3:103:00 5:25) Subtitled (1:00) 5:007:40 7:009:50 9:00 RNR SLuMDOG MILLIONAIRE “★★★★ – Really, Truly, Deeply – “Superb! No One Could Make This 4:00 7:10 R Believable One of (1:15) This Year’s Best!”9:40 – Newsday If It Were2:40 Fiction!” San Francisco Chronicle (12:20 5:00)– 7:20 9:45 PG-13 CC DV

FRI MAR 29 / 9–11pm

MILK (1:15 3:15 7:15 –9:15 G CC DV “Haunting and5:15) Hypnotic!” Rolling Stone “Wise, Humble and Effortlessly (1:30) 4:10 6:45 Funny!” 9:30 R – Newsweek

SUN MAR 17 / 12–5pm

CLIMAX

IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC-DANCE GROUP

CAPTIVE STATE

ONCE 8 Academy Award Noms Including PRODIGAL SONS R (1:00) 3:10 5:20 Best Picture, Actor7:30 & Best9:40 Director! (2:20) 9:10 Best NR No 9:10 Show Tue or Thu

TRI-POLAR

APOLLO 11 MILK

THE GIRL WITH THE TATTOO Please Note: 1:30 Show Sat, No WONDER Please Note: No No 1:30 ShowDRAGON Sat,PARK No 6:45 6:45 Show Show Thu Thu WAITRESS

ROAD ELEVEN

WAITRESS (1:10) 4:306:30 7:30 8:30 NR 2:30 4:30) CC DV (1:30) 4:00 7:10 9:30 Best R PGPicture! 5(12:30 Academy Award Noms Including “★★★1/2! An unexpected Sat: 12:30 at Gem!” 12:15 – USA Today FROST/NIXON

SAT MAR 30 / 9–11pm

FROST/NIXON

(2:15)Mysterious, 7:20 R GREENBERG “Swoonly Romatic, Hilarious!” (12:00) 9:50 R – Slant5:00 Magazine

WHO WILL WRITE REVOLuTIONARY ROAD OUR STORY? “Deliciously unsettling!” PARIS, JE T’AIME (11:45) 4:45 9:50– RLA Times

LONG STORY SHORT FRI APR 5 / 8:30–11:30pm

(11:45) 4:45 9:50 R (12:00 (1:15) 2:15 4:25)7:00 6:40 8:45 4:15 9:30 R

COMEDY: BOB ZANEY

eventbrite.com/e/comedy-night-with-bobzany-and-friends-tickets-58319626573 FRI APR 12 / 9–11pm

JOHN SNODGRASS — NICK MACHADO — TIM O’NEIL

Purchase Tixs in Advance: Eventbrite.com TheReelFishShop.com 707.343.0044 401 Grove St, Sonoma 95476

3/15–3/21

THE presents GHOST Kevin Jorgenson the WRITER California Premiere of Sat: No 12:00 NR CC

(2:15) 7:15 PG-13

PuRE: A BOuLDERING FLICK Michael Moore’s Feb 26th at 7:15 FREE SOLO THE Thu, MOST DANGEROuS SICKO Fri-Mon: (12:10 2:30 4:50) 7:10 9:30 MOVIES MORNING MANIN INTHE AMERICA

PG-13

Starts Fri, June (4:50) 29th! 7:10 9:30 Tue: (3:00) 9:30 Wed: Fri, Sat, Sun &PENTAGON Mon DANIEL ELLSBERG AND THENow PAPERS Advance Tickets On Sale at Box Office! Thu:6:50 (12:10 2:30 4:50) 9:50 AM (12:10) 4:30 NR No7:30 6:50 Show Tue or Thu FROZEN RIVER (12:00) 2:30 5:00 10:00 10:15 AM VICKY Their CRISTINA BARCELONA First Joint Venture In 25 Years! 10:20 AM CHANGELING Venessa RedgraveAND Meryl CHONG’S Streep Glenn CloseAM CHEECH 10:40 RACHEL GETTING MARRIED 10:45 AM HEYSHORTS WATCH 2009 LIVE ACTION (Fri/Mon Only))PG EVENING (12:00 2:20 4:35) 6:50THIS 9:10 CC DV 10:45 Sat, Apr17th at 11pm & Tue, Apr 20th 8pmAM 2009 ANIMATED SHORTS Only) Starts Fri,(Sun June 29th!

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD CAT VIDEO FEST

Sat, Mar 16 12pm Benefits Forgotten Felines

Thu 3⁄13 • Doors 7pm ⁄ $25–30 • All Ages

– CC & AD – R 11:00-1:45-4:45-7:45

Apollo 11 – CC G 10:45-1:30-4:30-7:30 Saint Judy PG13 10:30-1:00-7:00 Birds of Passage – Subtitled NR 4:00pm

Everybody Knows – Subtitled – CC & AD R 10:15-4:15

Never Look Away – Subtitled – AD R 12:45-6:45, Thursday 3/21: 12:45

Green Book – CC & AD PG13 Arctic – CC & AD PG13 10:30-4:30

1:15-7:15

Thursday 3/21: 10:30am

Gloria Bell – R

Thursday 3/21: 5:00-7:30 Sneak Preview! Opens Friday 3/22

Rhett Miller of Old 97s

with Jenny O. (seated show) Thu 3⁄14 • Doors 7pm ⁄ $12–15 • All Ages

The Holy Stoned Revival Tour with S.o.S, King Daniel & Friends Fri 3⁄15 • Doors 8pm ⁄ $25–30 • 21+ The Garcia Project with

Maria Muldaur Performing a full, classic 1978 Jerry Garcia Band set list Sat 3⁄16 • Doors 8pm ⁄ $32–37 • 21+

Black Uhuru with Special Guest Onesty Sun 3⁄17 • Doors 7pm ⁄ $15–17 • All Ages

Celebrate St. Patricks Day with

Zoo Station The Complete U2 Experience

551 SUMMERFIELD ROAD • SANTA ROSA 707.525.8909 • SUMMERFIELDCINEMAS.COM

Thu 3⁄21 • Doors 7pm ⁄ $14–16 • All Ages Kuinka with Caitlin Jemma Fri 3⁄22 & Sat 3⁄23 • Doors 8pm ⁄ $22–25 • 21+

RAVENFILMCENTER.COM HEALDSBURG

the All-Female Zeppelin Powerhouse Fri 3⁄22 with Gretchen Menn Trio Sat 3⁄23 with Phantom Power Fri 3⁄30 • Doors 8pm & Sat 3⁄31 • Doors 7pm $28–34 • 21+

Bistro Menu Items Beer & Wine available in all 4 Auditoriums

Sat 3⁄31 Tribute to The Isley Brothers and Sly & The Family Stone

FOR SHOWTIMES: 707.525.8909

Schloemp is interrogated over virtual crimes in ‘The Nether.’

Dark Matters

Left Edge dives into the underbelly of the internet

Honorable

The Wedding Guest

TOUGH QUESTIONS Chris

Zepparella

Dumpstaphunk

www.sweetwatermusichall.com 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley Café 388-1700 | Box Office 388-3850

BY HARRY DUKE

n a Feb. 27 letter to the editor of this publication, a theater patron decried one North Bay company for its tendency to program shows with dark themes that portray men and women at their worst. The letter writer went on to suggest attending a then-running show at Santa Rosa’s Left Edge Theatre. That patron may want to skip what’s running there now through March 24. The Nether is playwright Jennifer Haley’s look at a not-too-distant future where the internet has evolved into a virtual realm that is rapidly replacing components of the real world. Students don’t go to schools anymore. Vacationers don’t travel anywhere. They all just “plug in.”

Eric Chazankin

RITE.COM/E/COMEDYAND-FRIENDS-TICK-

Stage

Within the Nether, there’s a deeply hidden place called, appropriately enough, “the Hideaway,” where visitors can indulge in their every whim and lead “a life without consequence,” because it all just happens in the participant’s minds. It’s the invention of a man named Sims (Chris Schloemp) who designed it as a way to deal with his pedophilia. If he can satisfy his urges through avatars created by other consenting adults, is anyone really hurt? An investigator named Morris (Leila Rosa) seems to think so, and a great deal of the play involves her interrogation of Sims and a weary Hideaway visitor named Doyle (David Yen). The rest of the play takes place in that virtual world, a Victorian home whose main occupant is an 11-yearold girl named Iris (adult Lana Spring). The arrival of a new visitor (Jared N. Wright) brings both worlds crashing down. “Policing the internet” is a phrase we hear often these days, and Haley takes that thought and runs with it in provocative and challenging ways. I’ve revealed little of the details and direction that this show eventually goes, but enough in the hope that you won’t feel the need, as several audience members did at the performance I attended, to exit at intermission. I’m not sure why director Argo Thompson inserted that intermission in this originally 80-minute show, but I think it suffers for it. This is a show best experienced in a single, uninterrupted and, yes, uncomfortable sitting. It’s got a generally strong cast handling very difficult material, though Rosa’s investigator seemed to be channeling Jack Webb at times. Theater doesn’t get any tougher than The Nether. It’s not for everyone, or maybe anyone, but if you do attend, prepare to be bothered. Rating (out of 5): ‘The Nether’ runs through March 24 at Left Edge Theatre. 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. Friday– Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. $25–$40. 707.546.3600. leftedgetheatre.com.

TS TICKE E EDUL & SCH ABLE AVAIL W O N

cs.org sebdo MIND THE GAP, CAP Real heroes take the train in ‘Captain Marvel.’

Space Force

Brie Larson heads Marvel’s first female-centric superhero flick

AMAZING HUMAN STORIES IMPORTANT WORLD ISSUES

BY RICHARD VON BUSACK

xpert script-flippage gives texture to the heartfelt female empowerment message in Captain Marvel. It begins as a war-on-terror movie, with an extraterrestrial military gearing up for a mission against the shape-shifting Skrulls, hiding among the locals on a planet that looks like Afghanistan. Later, we arrive at our more current malaise when the film’s true villain starts talking of aliens who “threaten our borders.”

Brie Larson’s brown-eyed and appealing underplaying sells this material, which isn’t the freshest. She is called “Vers,” an amnesiac soldier of the outer space Kree empire, with the ability to blast photon rays from her fists. After a skirmish, Vers falls to earth like a comet into 1990s North Hollywood. The ruckus summons America’s top secret agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson, digitized to a younger form and still possessing both eyes). The corpse of a dead Skrull convinces Fury of Vers’ story. As they try to round up the aliens, the jagged bits of Vers’ past keep

flashing back: she recalls her former life as an air force fighter pilot and her lifelong friendship with her fellow pilot Marie Rambeau (Lashana Lynch). Larson and Jackson have a smooth rapport. If Larson brings in a great deal of feeling to the role, she also brings some playfulness. Our heroine can be slightly bratty, pestering Fury at a bar about why he thinks everyone should call him by his last name—an echo of all the raffish word-bandying that went on in Pulp Fiction. “And what will your kids call you?” “Fury.” Despite some starchy Louisiana heartland sequences, this is an effective fantasy of power used with grace and without arrogance. Captain Marvel isn’t as supermacha as GI Jane or Starship Troopers, however; the movie is not about Vers becoming a good, disciplined soldier. She finds her independence at last. When Captain Marvel is over, one notes that a conventional romantic lead isn’t here, and also wasn’t missed. Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, and the five credited writers give this heroine’s journey the same attractive solitude that male heroes—super and otherwise—have enjoyed in the movies forever. ‘Captain Marvel’ is playing in wide release in the North Bay.

707.829.4797

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Film

4 days 67 films 49 countries 6 screens

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Music

HOPMONK .COM

SEBASTOPOL

The Abbey WED, MAR 13 • 7:00

LE HOT JAZZ

THU, MAR 14 • 7:00

THE GARCIA PROJECT WITH MARIA MULDAUR FRI, MAR 15 • 9:00 PHUTUREPRIMITIVE SAT, MAR 16 • 8:00 AFROFUNK EXPERIENCE SUN, MAR 17 • 7:00 • EVERY 3RD SUNDAY COMEDY OPEN MIC MON, MAR 18 • 10:00PM

SOUND AFFECTS Bill Bowker’s name is synonymous with the blues.

Still Bleeding Blues

MONDAY NIGHT EDUTAINMENT

Local legend marks 40 years on the air BY AIYANA MOYA

DJ GUIDANCE TUE, MAR 19 • 7:00 • EVERY TUES OPEN MIC NIGHT W⁄ CENI FRI, MAR 22 • 8:00 MANZANITA FALLS SAT, MAR 23 • 7:00 GRATEFUL BLUEGRASS BOYS MON, MAR 25 • 10:00PM

ill Bowker: it’s a name that’s fun to say, and one familiar to residents across Sonoma County. His voice is just as familiar, and contributes to the longevity of his show, Blues with Bowker, celebrating 40 years on the radio March 16.

MONDAY NIGHT EDUTAINMENT

DJ SMOKY & DELWIN G FRI, MAR 29 • 9:00 MARK FARINA SAT, MAR 30 • 8:00 IRIEFUSE CLEAR CONSCIENCE

TWIN OAKS PENNGROVE

The Grand Ballroom FRI, MAR 15 • 8:00

ROADHOUSE RUMBLE FEAT

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HOUSE PROJECT MAR 15 MARSHALL SOUL • DOORS 7:30PM • 21+ SATURDAY

MAR 16

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THE SAM CHASE & THE

SATURDAY

STEVE POLTZ WITH DANIEL

SUNDAY

STEPHEN MARLEY (ACOUSTIC)

BLOOMFIELD BLUEGRASS BAND

WITH THE SOFT MAR 21 UNTRADITIONAL WHITE SIXTIES ROCK • DOORS 7:30PM• 21+

SAT, MAR 16 • 8:00

OF ELEPHANT REVIVAL MAR 23 RODRIGUEZ AMERICANA • DOORS 7:30PM • 21+

L.A. EDWARDS TUE, MAR 19 • 7:00 TRIVIA NIGHT WED,MAR 20 • 7:30

HONKY TONK NIGHT

EVERY 1ST & 3RD WEDNESDAY THU, MAR 21 • 7:00

COUNTRY LINE DANCE SAT, MAR 23 • 8:00

CRYING TIME

SAT, MAR 30 • 8:00

TRAIN WRECK JUNCTION 20+ SHOWS PER WEEK VISIT HOPMONK.COM FOR FULL CALENDAR

SEBASTOPOL | SONOMA NOVATO | PENNGROVE

MAR 24 FRIDAY

MAR 29

WITH MYSTIC MARLEY REGGAE • DOORS 6PM • 21+

MUSTACHE HARBOR

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THURSAY THE KING STREET GIANTS, CRUX, ALISON HARRIS APR 4 THE JAZZ • DOORS 7:30PM • 21+ FRIDAY

APR 5

LOW CUT CONNIE ROCK • DOORS 7:30PM • 21+

4⁄19 The Purples Ones - Insatiable Tribute to Prince, 4⁄20 Midnight North, 4⁄23 White Denim w/Once and Future Band, 4⁄24 Legendary Shack Shakers / Van Goat, 4⁄25 Tech N9ne, 4⁄26 Chicano Batman w/ Brainstory, 4⁄30 Gungor, The Brilliance & Propaganda, 5⁄2 Black Sheep Brass Band w/ Barrio Manouche & French Oak, 5⁄3 Mickey Avalon & Dirt Nasty

WWW.MYSTICTHEATRE.COM 23 PETALUMA BLVD N. PETALUMA, CA 94952

Bowker has been involved in radio longer than that, though. “As a young kid with my folks, I came out to Southern California, and in 1961 is when I went to radio school,” he says. “I heard Howlin’ Wolf do a song called ‘Evil,’ and it was pretty scary to me as a kid, but what was crazy was that a song could affect me so much.” It was after hearing this rough, gravelly blues song that Bowker really began delving into the world of blues and radio. After getting his license from broadcasting school, he went to work for a country station in 1969. “That weekend was Woodstock, that weekend when I first got hired,” Bowker laughs. During this same time, FM radio was developing as a creative space. “What we called ‘freeform radio’ was emerging. It allowed us to play whatever we wanted, because it was so new and unexplored,” he says. In 1979, the station he worked for expanded to KVRE in Sonoma

County, and Bowker traded Los Angeles for Northern California. “When we came up here it was like freedom again, it was a place where we could make something happen. It gave us a chance to do something here,” Bowker says. What he did was take part in a radio show that has kept from succumbing to the world of mainstream music. Bowker eventually moved from KVRE to the Krush, 95.9-FM, where Blues with Bowker broadcasts weekdays from 3pm to 7pm and Sundays from 7pm to 9pm. “Blues music is initially how I realized my affection for music,” Bowker says. “The music is so free—I like that freedom.” Though he has a fondness for the blues, what he really has an affection for is the song. “It’s about quality, not genre,” he says. This is evident on his weekday show, which plays music stretching from rock to Americana, and often features local artists. “I just think, this is something I like, and I hope I can expose it and I hope it works,” he says. Forty years later, it’s safe to say it does. The ‘Blues with Bowker’ 40th anniversary show is on Saturday, March 16, at Redwood Cafe, 8240 Old Redwood Hwy., Cotati. Sold-out. 707.795.7868.

Concerts SONOMA Ezra Furman

Melodic power-pop star makes a rare solo appearance, with opening sets by local acts Hose Rips, Gender Trash and SupperBloom. Mar 14, 7pm. $12-$15. Arlene Francis Center, 99 Sixth St, Santa Rosa. 707.528.3009.

Eileen Ivers

Santa Rosa Symphony Conductor Emeritus Jeffrey Kahane returns to lead new program, “American Dreams,” featuring music by Gershwin and more. Mar 16-18. $24 and up. Green Music Center Weill Hall, 1801 East Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park. 866.955.6040.

MARIN Mike Doughty

Founder of ‘90s band Soul Coughing plays the group’s debut LP, “Ruby Vroom,” in full for its 25th anniversary. Mar 19, 8pm. $25-$30. HopMonk Novato, 224 Vintage Way, Novato. 415.892.6200.

The Holy Stoned Revival Tour

Concert features up-andcoming indie and folk artists SoS (Andrew Hagar) and King Daniel. Mar 14, 8pm. $12-$15. Sweetwater Music Hall, 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.3850.

Jonathan Wilson

Credited with revitalizing the Laurel Canyon music scene, the singer-songwriter performs a solo acoustic show with opener Calvin Love. Mar 15, 8:30pm. $25-$30. Terrapin Crossroads, 100 Yacht Club Dr, San Rafael. 415.524.2773.

NAPA Jack Wright’s Stories & Songs of Neil Diamond Highly acclaimed national touring show comes to Napa as a fundraiser for youth and

Kith & Kin

Napa Valley Celtic band plays a St Patrick’s Day show featuring traditional Irish tunes. Mar 17, 4pm. $30. The White Barn, 2727 Sulphur Springs Ave, St Helena. 707.987.8225.

Clubs & Venues SONOMA Barley & Hops Tavern Mar 15, Awesome Hotcakes. 3688 Bohemian Hwy, Occidental. 707.874.9037.

Coyote Sonoma

Mar 15, Rachel Steele. 44F Mill St, Healdsburg. 707.385.9133.

Elephant in the Room Mar 15, Sakoyana. 177-A Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg, elephantintheroompub.com.

Fern Bar

Mar 14, jazz night with Michael Price & Co. Mar 15, the Jazz Age Quartet with Stella Heath. Mar 16, DJ Passenger Seat. Mar 17, David Pascoe and friends. Mar 18, Nathan Bickart. 6780 Depot St, Suite 120, Sebastopol. 707.861.9603.

Flamingo Lounge

Mar 15, Matt Alpin & the Midnight Band. Mar 16, Ascension. 2777 Fourth St, Santa Rosa. 707.545.8530.

Geyserville Gun Club Bar & Lounge

Mar 15, Highway Poets. Mar 16, Trace Repeat. 21025 Geyserville Ave, Geyserville. 707.814.0036.

HopMonk Sebastopol

Mar 13, Le Hot Jazz. Mar 14, the Garcia Project with Maria Muldaur. Mar 15, Phutureprimitive. Mar 16, Afrofunk Experience. Mar 18, DJ Guidance. 230 Petaluma Ave, Sebastopol. 707.829.7300.

Mar 14, Susan Sutton. Mar 15, Levi Lloyd. Mar 16, Fargo Brothers. Mar 17, Mac & Potter. 16280 Main St, Guerneville. 707.869.0501.

Murphy’s Irish Pub & Restaurant

Mar 15, Kith & Kin. Mar 16, Sue Albano and Scarlett Letters. Mar 17, 3pm, Tudo Bem. Mar 18, Timothy O’Neil. 464 First St E, Sonoma. 707.935.0660.

Mystic Theatre & Music Hall

Mar 15, the Suffers with Marshall House Project. Mar 16, Kitchen Dwellers with Goodnight, Texas. 23 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma. 707.775.6048.

Occidental Center for the Arts Mar 16, the Black Brothers Band. 3850 Doris Murphy Ct, Occidental. 707.874.9392.

The Phoenix Theater

Mar 15, Corrupted Morals with B-Ward and Deathglam. 201 Washington St, Petaluma. 707.762.3565.

Ray’s Deli & Tavern

Mar 15, 6pm, Danny Montana. 900 Western Ave, Petaluma. 707.762.9492.

Red Brick

Mar 15, Junk Parlor. Mar 16, Foxes in the Henhouse. Mar 17, 2pm, Blame the Whiskey. 101 Second St, Petaluma. 707.765.4567.

Redwood Cafe

Mar 14, Cúlarán. Mar 15, Greenhouse. Mar 16, Blues with Bowker 40th Anniversary Show with Rick Estrin & the Nightcats. Mar 17, 5pm, St Patrick’s Day Celebration. 8240 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati. 707.795.7868.

The Reel Fish Shop & Grill

Mar 15, Culann’s Hounds and Gentlemen Soldiers. Mar 16, Lucky Ol’ Bones and Timothy O’Neil Band. Mar 17, 12pm, traditional Irish music with Napa School of Dance. 401 Grove St, Sonoma. 707.343.0044.

HopMonk Sonoma

Sebastopol Center for the Arts

Lagunitas Tap Room

Sebastopol Community Church

Mar 15, Silver Lake 66. Mar 16, Covenhoven. 691 Broadway, Sonoma. 707.935.9100. Mar 14, Dustin Saylor Duo. Mar 15, Solid Air. Mar 16, Miracle Mule. Mar 17, Augustus. Mar 18,

Mar 16, Dgiin. 282 S High St, Sebastopol. 707.829.4797.

Mar 14, Greg Brown. 1000 Gravenstein Hwy N, Sebastopol, 707.823.2484.

Roman Cho

Preeminent Irish fiddler performs with support from traditional string band JigJam. Mar 16, 8pm. $40-$60. Raven Theater, 115 North St, Healdsburg. 707.433.3145.

education programs. Mar 16, 7:30pm. $45-$75. JaM Cellars Ballroom at the Margrit Mondavi Theatre, 1030 Main St, Napa. 707.880.2300.

Main Street Bistro

BROWN STUDY Midwest troubadour Greg Brown plays the Sebastopol Community Church on March 14. See Clubs & Venues, below.

Starling Bar

Mar 16, John Paul Hodge. Mar 17, 4pm, Saint Patrick’s Day Celebration with Gentlemen Soldiers. 19380 Hwy 12, Sonoma. 707.938.7442.

Stout Brothers Irish Pub

Mar 13, Rhythm Drivers. Mar 20, Levi Lloyd. 527 Fourth St, Santa Rosa. 707.636.0240.

Twin Oaks Roadhouse Mar 16, LA Edwards. 5745 Old Redwood Hwy, Penngrove. 707.795.5118.

Whiskey Tip

Mar 14, Edgy Open Mic with Star Blue. Mar 15, Northbass. Mar 16, silent disco. Mar 17, 6pm, St Paddy’s Day Blow-Out with North Bay Cabaret. 1910 Sebastopol Rd, Santa Rosa. 707.843.5535.

MARIN HopMonk Novato

Mar 15, Petty Theft. Mar 16, Shred Zeppelin and Ann Halen. Mar 17, Tim Flannery & the Lunatic Fringe. Mar 20, Lindi Ortega with Lizzy Gundersen. 224 Vintage Way, Novato. 415.892.6200.

19 Broadway Nightclub

Mar 14, Brightsilver with Billy & Dolly. Mar 15, tribute to Little Feat with Mark Karan and friends. Mar 16, Crossroads music school concert. Mar 17, Kaptain Bottletop. Mar

19, Studpuppies. Mar 20, songwriters in the round with Danny Uzi. 17 Broadway Blvd, Fairfax. 415.459.1091.

“Peanuts.” 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa. Mon-Fri, noon to 5; Sat-Sun, 10 to 5. 707.579.4452.

Osher Marin JCC

Mar 15, “March Art Show,” several artists who open their studios. Reception, Mar 15 at 5pm. 1200 River Rd, Fulton. Sat-Sun, noon to 5pm 707.536.3305.

Mar 16, Joshua Nelson & the Kosher Gospel Singers. 200 N San Pedro Rd, San Rafael. 415.444.8000.

Sweetwater Music Hall

Mar 13, Rhett Miller with Jenny O. Mar 15, the Garcia Project with Maria Muldaur. Mar 16, Black Uhuru and Onesty. Mar 17, Zoo Station. 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.3850.

NAPA Blue Note Napa

Mar 13, the Smooth Jazz Alley with Joel Del Rosario. Mar 14, Barrio Manouche. Mar 15-16, Tuck & Patti. Mar 17, 11am, Sunday Brunch with Mike Greensill. Mar 19, Mix It Up pro jam. Mar 20, Connie Han. 1030 Main St, Napa. 707.880.2300.

Fulton Crossing

Comedy Coyote Sonoma Comedy Roundabout

Laugh it up with local comedians James Rowan and Steve Ausburne. Mar 16, 8pm. $15. Coyote Sonoma, 44F Mill St, Healdsburg. 707.385.9133.

Dance Santa Rosa Arts Center

Mar 18, 7:30pm, Luz, An Evening of Flamenco, featuring Seattle-based Flamenco dancer Savannah Fuentes. 312 South A St, Santa Rosa. santarosaartscenter.org.

Art Openings Events Charles M Schulz Museum

Mar 17-Sep 8, “Peace, Love & Woodstock,” exhibit covers all things Woodstock, from namesake to nest, to celebrate Snoopy’s friend from

Heart Strings for Flood Relief Live Shibari performance, music, art and cocktails come together to benefit ) the SchoolBox

NO RTH BAY BO H E M I AN | MAR C H 1 3-19, 2019 | BOH E MI A N.COM

Calendar

MCHS arts fundraiser with Soul Fuse. 1280 N McDowell Blvd, Petaluma. 707.778.8776.

NORTH BAY BOH E MI AN | MAR C H 1 3-19, 20 19 | BO H E M I AN.COM

Fireside Dining Sat & Sun Brunch 11–3

Lunch & Dinner 7 Days a Week

Din n er & A Show

Danny Uzilevsky & Rancho Mar 15 Essence 8:00 ⁄ No Cover Debut! Sat Marin All Stars Mar 16 Fri

MARCH 27

Celebrating The Band with Dustbowl Revival & Hot Club of Cowtown

MARCH 28

Arlo Guthrie The Alice’s Restaurant 50th Anniversary Tour

Dan Durkin, Michael Blakeman,

Rancho Marty Fuetch and Vernon Black Debut! 8:00

St. Patrick’s Day Party Mar 17 Irish Specials, Green Beer! Sun

San Geronimo

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers

Weekend

Mar 22 & Mar 23 Fri Night Only! Special Guest Ron Thompson Sun

MARCH 29

Kip Moore - Room to Spare Acoustic Tour special guest Muscadine Bloodline

APRIL 7

Brian Regan

6:00

LoWatters

Lowdown Roots 5:00 ⁄ No Cover

Rockin’ Johnny Burgin

Mar 29 Real Chicago Blues 8:00 ⁄ No Cover

Stompy Jones featuring Mar 30 Sat

Annette Moreno 8:00

Sun

Sugartown

Mar 31 String Band, Originals,

Rancho Debut! Dance Party! Rancho Debut!

Heavy on Harmonies 5:00 ⁄ No Cover Reservations Advised

707.546.3600 | yourLBC.org

Project Mar 19, 8pm. $50. Fern Bar, 6780 Depot St, Suite 120, Sebastopol. 707.861.9603.

Muse Days

Women are invited to let their inner diva out in a day of healing and movement. Mar 16, 11am. $197. MUSEA, 75 Fremont Dr, Sonoma. 415.306.4927.

Spring Equinox Party

Celebrate the return of spring with a spa party that will soothe and soak away the winter doldrums. Mar 20, 6pm. $25. Calistoga Motor Lodge & Spa, 1880 Lincoln Ave, Calistoga. 707.942.0991.

St Paddy’s Day on the Square

Mar 24 High Lonesome Twang to Fri

Calendar ( 23

415.662.2219

On the Town Square, Nicasio www.ranchonicasio.com

Irish faire, food and drinks, live music, Irish dancers, family activities and more abound for the holiday party. Mar 17, 1pm. Free admission. Courthouse Square, Third Street and Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa. 707.701.3620.

Women in Conversation

Actress, comedia a social advocate for equity Tracee Ellis Ross speaks with two inspiring young local women. Mar 20, 6:30pm. $58. Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd, Santa Rosa. 707.546.3600.

Yountville Live

OPEN MIC

EVERY MONDAY • 6:30–9:30

Magic Is In The Air

FRIDAY, MARCH 15 • 7PM • $5

JUNK PARLOR

SATURDAY, MARCH 16 • 7PM • $5

FOXES IN THE HENHOUSE SUNDAY, MARCH 17 • 2PM

ST. PATRICKS DAY PARTY

BLAME THE WHISKEY BAND FRIDAY, MARCH 22 • 7PM • $10

THE POYNTLYSS SISTARS SATURDAY, MARCH 23 • 7PM • $5

ONYE AND THE MESSENGERS SUNDAY, MARCH 24 • 12PM

PETER WELKER SEXTET FEATURING JEFF OSTER FRIDAY, MARCH 29 • 7PM • $5

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March 24th 2pm Arsenic and Old Lace March 18th 7pm

Show and A Show

Movie: Days Of Heaven Music: Allie Crow Buckley March 22nd 7pm

The Greatest Showman Sing-Along March 23rd 3pm

www.SebastianiTheatre.com

Annual wine, food and music celebration features entertainment from several musical artists with the valley’s finest restaurants and vintners providing intimate culinary experiences. Mar 14-17. Napa Valley, various locations, Napa, yountvillelive.com.

Field Trips Essence of the Garden

Docent Kathleen Aspennsleads an early spring stroll in the garden. Advanced registration requested. Mar 16, 10am. $20. Quarryhill Botanical Gardens, 12841 Hwy 12, Glen Ellen. 707.996.3166.

Forest Therapy Hike

Walk for well-being as part of the Parks RX program. Mar 16, 9:30am. $20. Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, 2605 Adobe Canyon Rd, Kenwood. 707.833.5712.

Pond Farm Tour

Take a docent-led tour of Pond Farm Pottery and learn about

the history of this significant cultural site. Mar 16, 9:30am. $20. Armstrong Volunteer Center, 17000 Armstrong Woods Rd, Guerneville, stewardscr.org.

Barely Legal presents a screening of the cult musical comedy. Mar 16, 11pm. $10. The Phoenix Theater, 201 Washington St, Petaluma. 707.762.3565.

St Paddy’s Day 5K

The Wild Pear Tree

Fleet Feet presents a race with costume contest and post-run celebration. Mar 17, 11am. $20$35. Courthouse Square, Third Street and Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa. 707.701.3620.

Tracking Patterns on a Landscpae Observe animal behavior by tracking in a non-invasive way to research and conserve wildlife. Mar 16, 9am. $20. Bodega Dunes Campground, 3095 Hwy 1, Bodega Bay. stewardscr.org.

Film Cinema & Psyche

Five-session film class looks at Hitchcock in the fifties. Mar 14, 6:30pm. Santa Rosa Junior College, 1501 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa. cinemaandpsyche. com.

‘High Fidelity’ with John Cusack

Screening of the popular film is followed with a live conversation with Cusack, including audience Q&A. Mar 15, 7:30pm. $39 and up. Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd, Santa Rosa. 707.546.3600.

Israeli Film Festival

JCC Sonoma County presents two screenings of “The Testament,” about a Holocaust scholar trying to stop urban development in Austria where he believes a massacre of Jews took place. Mar 19, 1 and 7pm. $10-$14. Rialto Cinemas, 6868 McKinley St, Sebastopol. 707.525.4840.

Let’s Talk About Death Final Passages screens the film “Sea of Trees,” and leads a discussion. Mar 13, 6:30pm. Sebastopol Grange Hall, 6000 Sebastopol Ave, Sebastopol.

Petaluma Cinema Series

Recent award-winning film “Gravity” screens with lecture by astronomy professor Laura Sparks and discussion. Mar 13, 6pm. $6. Carole L Ellis Auditorium, SRJC Petaluma Campus, 680 Sonoma Mountain Pkwy, Petaluma. petalumafilmalliance.org.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Palme d’Or winning film is an achingly beautiful portrait of an ambitious young writer returning home after college. Fri, Mar 15, 7pm and Sun, Mar 17, 3pm. $5 donation. Sonoma Film Institute, Warren Auditorium, SSU, 1801 E Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park. 707.664.2606.

Food & Drink Barrel Tasting at Deerfield Ranch Winery

Sample wines straight from the barrel with winemaker Robert Rex. Mar 16-17, noon. $25. Deerfield Ranch Winery, 10200 Sonoma Hwy, Kenwood. 707.833.2270.

Cabernet Season Food & Wine Pairing

Indulge in critically acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon wines paired with bites from chef Alex Lovick in intimate setting. Space is limited, reservations recommended, Wed, 1:30pm. $165. Inglenook Winery, 1991 St Helena Hwy, Rutherford. 707.968.1161.

Cabernet Season Wine Tastings Complimentary winetasting featuring select wineries and winemakers from the Napa Valley. Fri, 11am. through Mar 15. Free. Napa Valley Welcome Center, 600 Main St, Napa. 707.251.5895.

Cookbook Exchange & Bake Sale Napa Valley Cooking School’s second annual fundraiser features books to purchase and swap, and homemade treats. Mar 16, 1pm. Napa Valley College Upper Valley Campus Library, 1088 College Ave, St Helena. napavalley.edu.

Creating a Storybook

Writing camp for kids ages 8 to 12 includes lessons on creating characters and plot. Mar 18-21. $128. Finley Community Center, 2060 W College Ave, Santa Rosa. 707.543.3737.

Pigs & Pinot

Celebratory weekend offers a series of intimate dining and

The Rooftop’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

Enjoy Irish Coffees and green Shirley Temples along with other festive cocktails and special dishes. Mar 17, 3pm. Harmon Guest House, 227 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg. 707.431.8220.

Vertical Tasting

St. Patrick’s Day weekend celebration features Emerald Ridge Pinot Noir. Mar 16, 12pm. $30. Dutton-Goldfield Winery, 3100 Gravenstein Hwy N, Sebastopol. 707.827.3600.

For Kids Animal Vet Spring Break Camp

Kids ages 8 to 12 can learn about responsible pet ownership and care with models and demonstrations. Mar 18, 9am. $245. Steele Lane Community Center. 415 Steele Lane, Santa Rosa. 707.543.3282.

Read to a Dog

For all ages. Sat, Mar 16, 1pm. Guerneville Library, 14107 Armstrong Woods Rd, Guerneville. 707.869.9004.

wine region’s history and what characteristics to look for in the wines from the appellation. Mar 16, 10am. $50. WALT Wines, 380 First St West, Sonoma. 707.933.4440.

Readings Cloverdale Performing Arts Center

Mar 14, 7pm, Books on Stage, featuring author Ellen Sussman and followed by wine and cheese reception. $10 donation. 209 N Cloverdale Blvd, Cloverdale 707.829.2214.

Readers’ Books

Mar 13, 6:30pm, “The Gardener of Eden” with David Downie. Mar 16, 2pm, poetry reading with Jane Shore and Iris Dunkle. 130 E Napa St, Sonoma 707.939.1779.

Theater 13: The Musical!

Sonoma Arts Live presents the high-energy play that distills early teenhood in a laugh-out-loud musical masterpiece. Through Mar 17. $15-$22. Sonoma Community Center, 276 E Napa St, Sonoma. sonomaartslive.org.

All the Great Books (Abridged)

Lectures

Play presents brief, comedic renditions of the works of great writers and thinkers such as Confucius and Thoreau. Through Mar 17. Director and playwright Reed Martin leads a rollercoaster ride through all the great books. Through Mar 17. Newman Auditorium, SRJC, 1501 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa. 707.527.4307.

Conscious Aging

Encore

Wa-Tam Spring Camp

Kids ages 6 to 12 can enjoy old fashioned outdoor fun including kayaking and archery. Mar 18-22. $195. Howarth Park, 630 Summerfield Rd, Santa Rosa. 707.543.3425.

Presentation is of interest for those imagining a new paradigm of aging. Mar 14, 7:30pm. $5. Many Rivers Books & Tea, 130 S Main St, Sebastopol. 707.829.8871.

Crazy Love: The Romances of the Great Composers Historian and pianist Kayleen Asbo offers a series of lectures and recitals about some of the most passionate love affairs of the 19th century. Mon, 10:30am. Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 20 Fourth St, Petaluma. 707.778.4398.

Mile Marker Series

Workshop dives into a specific

Justin-Siena Theatre marks its 50th anniversary with a celebration of musical theatre hits from across the decades. Mar 15-24. $25. Napa Valley Performing Arts Center at Lincoln Theater, 100 California Dr, Yountville. 707.944.9900.

Million Dollar Quartet

Hit Broadway musical tells the story of when Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley came together in a jam session in 1956. Through Mar 24. $38-$48, $35 for ages under 30. 6th Street Playhouse, 52 W Sixth St, Santa Rosa. 707.523.4185.

The Nether Left Edge Theatre presents the dramatic mystery thriller about a detective uncovering a disturbing brand of virtual reality entertainment. Through Mar 24. $25-$40. Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd, Santa Rosa. 707.546.3600.

Only Kidding! An over-the-hill standup and a young joke writer team up to break into showbiz in this funny dissection of comedy. Through Mar 17. $12-$25. Cloverdale Performing Arts Center, 209 N Cloverdale Blvd, Cloverdale. 707.829.2214.

The Revolutionists A playwright, an assassin, a spy and former queen Marie Antoinette star in Lauren Gunderson’s take on modern feminism. Mar 15-Apr 7. $23$28. 6th Street Playhouse, 52 W Sixth St, Santa Rosa. 707.523.4185.

Spike Heels Curtain Call Theatre presents the comedy that explores gender roles, relationships and how high heels make a difference. Through Mar 23. $15-$20. Russian River Hall, 20347 Hwy 116, Monte Rio. 707.524.8739.

The Spy Who Killed Me Get a Clue Productions hosts an interactive and humorous murder-mystery dinner theater experience. Fri, Mar 15, 7pm. $68 (includes meal). Charlie’s Restaurant, Windsor Golf Club, 1320 19th Hole Dr, Windsor. getaclueproductions.com.

Surprise Party Raven Players go on the road to premiere the racially charged drama written by local author Ron Nash. Mar 14-23. $15$25. Hudson Street Wineries, 428 Hudson St, Healdsburg. 707.433.2364.

The BOHEMIAN’s calendar is produced as a service to the community. If you have an item for the calendar, send it to calendar@bohemian. com, or mail it to: NORTH BAY BOHEMIAN, 847 Fifth St, Santa Rosa CA 95404. Inclusion of events in the print edition is at the editor’s discretion. Deadline is two weeks prior to desired publication date.

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NO RTH BAY BO H E M I AN | MAR C H 1 3-19, 2019 | BOH E MI A N.COM

educational events hosted by chef Charlie Palmer. Mar 15-16. Sold-out. Hotel Healdsburg, 25 Matheson St, Healdsburg. 707.431.2800.

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26 NORTH BAY BOH EMI A N | MAR C H 1 3-19, 20 19 | BO H E M I AN.COM

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Pot novelist on the art of growing ganja

BY CHRISTY STILLWELL

oday’s pot is hardly the skunkweed of the ’80s. While this won’t be news to many, I wonder if people realize the complexities involved in growing today’s designer weed, medicinal or recreational. I certainly didn’t when I set out to write a novel featuring a medical-marijuana operation.

The Wolf Tone takes place in 2011 Montana, ancient history by industry standards. These were the days of the cannabis caravan, a roving convoy of RVs and trailers that traveled the state, setting up in box-store parking lots to offer patients a one-stop shop. State law was hazier back then. One of the FAQs on the state health and human services website was whether a tenant had to tell his landlord if he

was growing weed. The answer? The law was “ambiguous on the matter.” Banks were willing to issue business loans to providers, so long as they were in compliance with the state laws, murky as they may be. Private equity backers were interested in Montana commercial growers. Providers were interviewed on television, allowing the public to scrutinize this new form of entrepreneur. Through extensive interviews with my brother, who had a small grow in Oregon, I learned the mathematical side of plant cultivation. He had three plants under two high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps that yielded close to three pounds of product every harvest. I learned the difference between indica and sativa strains— indica will put you on the couch, while sativa can offer a functioning high. I filled a notebook with equations: X number of HPS lamps could take this number of plants, which would equal a predictable yield. A lot could go wrong. Spider mites, for instance. Plant mold. Like most specialized growers, one who concentrates on a particular strain, my brother had his own brew of nutrients and products he used to combat mold and pests. Growing cannabis is complex. The flowering females need a period of 12 hours in darkness to begin forming buds. Once the plants are ready for harvest, they must be cured. Cure time effects THC levels, and thus the quality of the product. My brother believed in a long, slow cure at room temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees. Three weeks total, give or take. He could tell when his flowers were ready to be cut by the feel of the buds and the crispness of the branches. After trimming, he would pack the flowers in large glass jars for the final weeks of cure, airing them out multiple times a day. People have gotten better at growing dope, just as we’ve gotten better at cultivating organic apples and designing energy efficient homes. Getting better at stuff is what our species does. Source: Alternet.

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Astrology For the week of March 13

ARIES (March 21–April 19) The coming weeks might be a good time to acquire a flamethrower. It would come in handy if you felt the urge to go to a beach and incinerate mementoes from an ex-ally. It would also be useful if you wanted to burn stuff that reminds you of who you used to be and don’t want to be any more; or if you got in the mood to set ablaze symbols of questionable ideas you used to believe in but can’t afford to believe in any more. If you don’t want to spend $1,600-plus on a flamethrower, just close your eyes for 10 minutes and visualize yourself performing acts of creative destruction like those I mentioned. TAURUS (April 20–May 20) Taurus aphorist

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Olivia Dresher writes that she would like to be “a force of nature,” but “not causing any suffering.” The way I interpret her longing is that she wants to be wild, elemental, uninhibited, primal, raw, pure—all the while without inflicting any hurt or damage on herself or anyone else. In accordance with your astrological omens, Taurus, that’s a state I encourage you to embody in the coming weeks. If you’re feeling extra smart—which I suspect you will—you could go even further. You may be able to heal yourself and others with your wild, elemental, uninhibited, primal, raw, pure energy.

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GEMINI (May 21–June 20) In some major cities, the buttons you push at a crosswalk don’t actually work to make the traffic light turn green faster. The same is true about the “Close Door” buttons in many elevators. Pushing them doesn’t have any effect on the door. Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer says these buttons are like placebos that give you “the illusion of control.” I bring this phenomenon to your attention, Gemini, in hope of inspiring you to scout around for comparable things in your life. Is there any situation where you imagine you have power or influence, but probably don’t? If so, now is an excellent time to find out—and remedy that problem.

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Classic massage by a unique gentleman. Women, men, couples. Since 1991. Aft/eve appts. Santa Rosa 707.799.4467(C) or 707.535.0511 (L) Jimmy ....................................

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Philip Boit was born and raised in Kenya, where it never snows except on the very top of Mount Kenya. Yet he represented his country in the cross-country skiing events at the Winter Olympics in 2002 and 2006. How did he do it? He trained up north in snowy Finland. Meanwhile, Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong competed for Ghana in the slalom in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Since there was no snow in his homeland, he practiced his skills in the French Alps. These two are your role models for the coming months, Cancerian. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you’ll have the potential to achieve success in tasks and activities that may not seem like a natural fit.

LEO (July 23–August 22) In the process of casting for his movie The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, director David Fincher considered selecting A-list actress Scarlet Johansson to play the heroine. But ultimately he decided she was too sexy and radiant. He wanted a pale, thin, tougher-looking actress, whom he found in Rooney Mara. I suspect that in a somewhat similar way, you may be perceived as being too much something for a role you would actually perform quite well. But in my astrological opinion, you’re not at all too much. In fact, you’re just right. Is there anything you can do—with full integrity—to adjust how people see you and understand you without diluting your brightness and strength? VIRGO (August 23–September 22) In 1993, an English gardener named Eric Lawes used his metal detector to look for a hammer that his farmer friend had lost in a field. Instead of the hammer, he found the unexpected: a buried box containing 15,234 old Roman silver and gold worth more than $4 million today. I bring this to your attention, Virgo, because I suspect that you, too, will soon discover something different from what you’re searching for. Like the treasure Lawes located, it might even be more valuable than what you thought you wanted. LIBRA (September 23–October 22) “The role of the artist is exactly the same as the role of the lover,” wrote author James Baldwin. “If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don’t see.” To fully endorse that statement, I’d need to add two adverbs. My version would be, “The role of the artist is exactly the same as the role of the lover. If I love

BY ROB BREZSNY

you, I have to kindly and compassionately make you conscious of the things you don’t see.” In accordance with current astrological omens, I recommend that you Libras enthusiastically adopt that mission during the coming weeks. With tenderness and care, help those you care about to become aware of what they’ve been missing—and ask for the same from them toward you.

SCORPIO (October 23–November 21)

For thousands of generations, our early ancestors were able to get some of the food they needed through a practice known as persistence hunting. They usually couldn’t run as fast as the animals they chased. But they had a distinct advantage: they could keep moving relentlessly until their prey grew exhausted. In part that’s because they had far less hair than the animals, and thus could cool off better. I propose that we adopt this theme as a metaphor for your life in the coming weeks and months. You won’t need to be extra fast or super ferocious or impossibly clever to get what you want. All you have to do is be persistent and dogged and disciplined.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21)

Wompsi’kuk Skeesucks Brooke is a Native American woman of the Mohegan tribe. According to her description of Mohegan naming traditions, and reported by author Elisabeth Pearson Waugaman, “Children receive names that are descriptive. They may be given new names at adolescence, and again as they go through life according to what their life experiences and accomplishments are.” She concludes that names “change as the individual changes.” If you have been thinking about transforming the way you express and present yourself, you might want to consider such a shift. 2019 will be a favorable time to at least add a new nickname or title. And I suspect you’ll have maximum inspiration to do so in the coming weeks.

CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19) For many of us, smell is our most neglected sense. We see, hear, taste and feel with vividness and eagerness, but allow our olfactory powers to go underused. In accordance with astrological omens, I hope you will compensate for that dearth in the coming weeks. There is subtle information you can obtain—and in my opinion, need quite strongly—that will come your way only with the help of your nose. Trust the guidance provided by scent. AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18) Essayist Nassim Nicholas Taleb says humans come in three types: fragile, robust or antifragile. Those who are fragile work hard to shield themselves from life’s messiness. The downside? They are deprived of experiences that might spur them to grow smarter. As for robust people, Taleb believes they are firm in the face of messiness. They remain who they are even when they’re disrupted. The potential problem? They may be too strong to surrender to necessary transformations. If you’re the third type, antifragile, you engage with the messiness and use it as motivation to become more creative and resilient. The downside? None. In accordance with the astrological omens, Aquarius, I urge you to adopt the antifragile approach in the coming weeks. PISCES (February 19–March 20)

In 2014, NASA managed to place its MAVEN spacecraft into orbit around Mars. The cost of the mission was $671 million. Soon thereafter, the Indian government put its own vehicle, the Mangalyaan, into orbit around the Red Planet. It spent $74 million. As you plan your own big project, Pisces, I recommend you emulate the Mangalyaan rather than the MAVEN. I suspect you can do great things—maybe even your personal equivalent of sending a spacecraft to Mars—on a relatively modest budget.

Go to REALASTROLOGY.COM to check out Rob Brezsny’s Expanded Weekly Audio Horoscopes and Daily Text Message Horoscopes. Audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1.877.873.4888.

27 NO RTH BAY BO H E M I AN | MAR C H 1 3-19, 2019 | BOH E MI A N.COM

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