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Patti was building masts for racing boats, and looked into getting into coffee, because "that's the last thing people would give up" - during Covid, they learned that this was indeed true, as they were declared an "essential business"; Patti started Alta in Newport Beach in 1984, & moved to Santa Cruz in 1998; Patti, when she was "Sleepy John's" girlfriend, went to Costa Rica where they went to a finca (farm) which had the best coffee they had ever tasted; Patti looked into different kids of roasters, & decided on an air roaster, when there were hardly any small roasting companies, just the enormous ones putting out industrial coffee; Lilly, Patti's granddaughter, was born in 1999, and was "born into Alta Coffee"; Melia, Lilly's aunt (the family tree would take a half hour to explain!), was a Newport kid, and, after graduating UCSC, managed Alta in Santa Cruz; their roaster is big enough to climb into, & roasts 33 pounds at a time, roasting before the shop opens at 8am; they have a few single orig

"2-year bills" had a January deadline to pass out of their House of Origin - Assemblymember Pellerin's bill on Janus Services passed out of the Assembly, & is now in the Senate (it would allow a campus like Janus to have an umbrella license, simplifying inspections & administration); Assemblymember Pellerin reviewed the bills she has submitted or will submit today as this year's bill package - it includes AB1548, the Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority, or MBASA, for creative funding solutions that support conservation & stewardship; AB1668, on Open Space Property Tax Exemption; AB1736 on Deceptive Lobbying; AB1988, the "Pause Act" (using 988 because that's the mental health hotline #), which would require chatbots to pause for 20 minutes & a real human to come on the line if there's a risk of suicide; once a bill is submitted, there's a "30 days in print" rule before any hearings can happen; once a bill is assigned to a policy committee by the Rules Committee, the Assemblymember & her

Sonia didn't decide to play banjo originally...she was a cello player, but one of her oldest friends played the banjo, and Sonia wanted to find out if she could play as well (or better); was accepted to grad school when she decided to join a band instead - Sidesaddle (which had formed in 1979, but Sonia was asked to join in 1984)...Sonia played & toured with Sidesaddle for 9 years, until she quit to have kids, but later returned to the band; 90% of bluegrass is written from a man's point of view, and Sonia enjoys modifying the pronouns so that a song would be from a woman's point of view - the problem is, if the song is under copyright, she could get sued...but songs in the public domain are far game!!! (such as "I'm My Own Grandpa", which Sonia changed to be "I'm My Own Grandma") - 40 years ago she just sang it, but this last week, revisiting the lyrics (because Dangerous Dan requested it), she sees how the family structure evolves (Dan would like to diagram it sometime! :) // Sonia writes, but all of he

Ashwin lived in India until he was 12, where he played drums with his mother, before moving to England; dad was a vocalist by profession, but played sitar - he plays sitar in the Beatles movie, "Help!"; Ashwin lived in England until he was 21, & he learned sitar from his dad; at 21, he started at Cabrillo, and his family had a restaurant where Ashwin played sitar every night; the tablas are 2 separate drums, pitched, tuned to a "tonic" (middle C) - the doluk is a 2 headed drum made out of a hollowed log; Bollywood is completely different - more like Indian pop music; but his dad was from Lahore pre-Parition, which at the time was called "Lollywood" - after Partition, the movie industry moved to Bombay, thus "Bollywood"; Ashwin's dad started the first musician's union; Ashwin teaches 4 different classes at U.C. Santa Cruz, including tabla, singing, and raga jazz; Keshav recently completed his Ph.D. in music, playing what he calls "Indo Jazz" melody and rhythms, "Alap"-style - unmetered; the Money Question?

starting in 1980 the "Continental Drifters", followed later in the 1980s with "Harmony Grits" - "Continental Drifters" started as bluegrass, but evolved into country rock - "Harmony Grits" was bluegrass; first heard Todd Snider at The Fat Fry,a KPIG / KUSP music festival at Aptos Village Park; Jim later joined a Leftover Salmon (Vince Hermon) spin off band "Great American Taxi", touring with them for 5 years - Todd Snider was in a similar orbit, and Great American Taxi occassionally opened for Todd, & then would play wiht Todd; Todd helped produce GAT CDs, as well as Jim Lewin's CDs; Jim played on Todd's "Live (The Storyteller)" album; JIm never got into any trouble playing some of Todd's more in-your-face songs, but Todd managed to get into trouble; "The Money Question" - yes!!! through a lot of day jobs...taught a lot of guitar...rent out part of his house... and playing in *many* bands both locally (duo with Diane Z; Tiger's Tails; backing 2 local women banjo players, Sonia Shell & Alison Steele) a

City manager for 4 years, having moved to the area for the job; previously, Nevada County government (Grass Valley, Nevada City & Truckeet): from the forest & snow to Scotts Valley; bachelor's degree in political science, with a masters in public administration; there are various paths into city government, hers was analyst, but there's also finance & police; the Scotts Valley Citizens Academy does not have a hard requirement to be a Scotts Valley resident, but they'll prioritiae that, as well as people who want to get involved in local government; they have a mix of ages - and they provide dinner; it'll be in person, in the city council chambers, but with tours most weeks, including the police department (& not for being bad), wastewater treatment, & Scott House - it'll be a deep dive into how the city works; Scotts Valley just launched an ADU guide, with many affordable housing projects in progress - it'll be a 25% increase in units in 8 years!, including the Town Center project; Q: What

Why did you join Pacific Voices? Krista - it was the dead middle of the pandemic, & her other singing group was not able to meet; upcoming concert theme, "Wisdom of the Ages"; Q: where is the best place to listen to a choir, outside, or in a building? A: a capella means "in the style of the chapel," referring to music performed in a church without musical accompaniment, so a church is the best place to hear a choir - but this weekend's concert is in a hall built for spoken word; Mitch joined Pacific Voices because he was raising 4 kids, & needed to re-connect with *his* passion; how do they visually spice up their music? Not so much, but they have a surprise for the upcoming show; impact of Pacific Voices on their lives? Tommy: connected to community; Camilla: Family (after arriving in 2023 & knowing no one); Most enjoyable aspect of Pacific Voices? Tommy: creativity. The "+ 1" is Bonnie Holmer-Orange (tenor), currently chair of the Pacific Voices Choir Council. An interview on "The Bushwhacker's

When we spoke in 2023, we discussed how bad things had gotten...& now we pine for those days!! "What's transpired in the last year, and even the last 2 weeks, is an administration that is off the rails!!" California is facing a deficit, with cuts to medical / medicare where state funding is interleved with federal funds....& the cuts are being felt, & will be felt; the insults & assaults are adding up, pushing independents away from the administration; how frame Democrats? "One size does not fit all." - candidates need to fit their district, & address what the issues are at the local level; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's speech at Davos 2 days ago, that "Middle countries cannot acquiesce to bullying." Listener Q: "Why can't Dems vote together?" A: it's a Big Tent, with Diverse Voices - so it's a tightrope walk, built on relationships; The Grateful Dead Archive in Monning's Senate District (U.C. Santa Cruz McHenry Library); Bobby Weir's passing - the youngest in the group - leaves be

Joe got the nickname "Rooster" back in the Way Out West trio days; Larry is dreaming up a Bob Weir tribute for tomorrow night's show; Larry has written a ton of songs since the Sweet Rain CD 3 years ago, and this Monday they will be in the studio recording a song with lyrics written by Bobby Peterson, who wrote the lyrics to Unbroken Chain & Pride of Cucamonga; CD sales? Physical media sales suffering due to the financial devaluation of recorded music in the era of streaming - CDs become a promotional tool, a "business card" - this puts a premium on live music, especially for jam-oriented bands; have to raise prices for live music (tomorrow night's double bill, with Broken Compass Bluegrass, is $30); "Music is religion...and requires feeding / watering / nurturing and a culture of support." - Joe Craven; The Money Question: Joe - everything requirs feeding & watering...wind up making a go of it if you have enough eggs in the basket; Larry - "if you rehearse, it's not new!" Joe - David Lindley never re

Back in the district; last night, presented an award at the Santa Cruz Warriors arena to the Harlem Globetrotters celebration 100 years; just starting the 2nd year of a 2 year legislative session; "2 year bills" that were held over have been heard in policy committee - the deadline for new bill submittals is Feb. 20; Assemblymemember Pellerin's bill package is not finalized - working on public safety, mental health, consumer protection, AI...one bill that has received a number is AB-1548, the Monterey Bay Area Stewardship Authority - now that it has a #, it's in a "30 day introduction hold" when the rules committee will assign it to a policy committee; last year, Assemblymember Pellerin advanced 10 bills, and all 10 were signed by the governor; 2 year bill: Janus (Roman god of new beginnings & doorways) single license, also clean up AI in elections bill; Governor's "State of the State" address - in person - first time since 2020: California as a leader, highlighting 9% reduction in homelessness, but

"The Overextended" is a band that, with longtime collaborator (and keyboardist extraordinaire) Ben Jacobs' encouragement, was born before COVID, with songs released in the lead up to the 2020 election; Russ' day job is in musical production as part of the Bay Area union; upcoming festival gigs, including Rogue River 'Fest; "We're Alright" was written in 2018 in the lead up to the 2020 election to both highlight political things going on and to inspire hope (and action) - it's relevant again today! deep dive into tropical diseases and malaria, which Russ got not once, not twice, but three times in Tanzania, with the 3rd time serious enough that he got medi-vac''d to London; truly making lemonade out of lemons, Russ wrote a song about it (with a chorus that includes 4 different anti-malarial medications - a musical first!); "World Keeps Spinning" is a song to daughter Eliana about being her father, particularly during the teen years.   An interview on "The Bushwhacker's Breakfast Club" with "Dangerous Dan"

woke up in Denver, and headed to Estes Park; new CD is all about family, including Jackson's 4-year-old daughter, and parenting, and Jackson has nicknamed it the "Tired Dad Album"; Jackson's been a touring musican for years, and that life has shifts & stresses; "Home Improvement" is about fixing up the house - a DIY lament; Jackson uploads songs through Distro Kid, and Spinitron picks it up, also a new service called the "Mechanical Licensing Collective"; The Money Question: are you able to make a living playing music, and if so, how? A: It's highly variable...royalties are not good...but being on the road selling workshops, & "experiences" help - but the biggest help is coming to a show & purchasing merch / CDs directly; if not buying at a show, CDs/music are best purchased through Band Camp, where the artist may set a minimum price, but it's up to the purchaser to put their price down ("Band Camp is a little shop that allows someone who likes their music to support that musician directly through

The day is off to a busy start, with Darwin (her dog) off to Doggy Day Camp, & a pot of pea soup on the stove! Deep dive into Prop. 50 re-districting initiative passed, and Texas' re-districting struck down for "racial gerrymandering" by the District Court - language in Prop. 50 that it would kick in only if Texas re-districted was removed from the initiative...3 or 4 days before the legislature voted on it! Prop. 50 includes a sunset (2032) - Assemblymember Pellerin says that what we need is a nationwide system of independent re-districting committees; 2025 election hindsight? It's "affordability"!, + what's happening on the streets & withholding food from seniors & children; California fighting back against Washington's swipes ($80MM for food banks, health care affordability, keeping hospitals open, fighting back against assault on the planet); preview of 2026 bill themes and discussion of "2-year bills" submitted in 2025 but not passed or vetoed; the last day to move bills that involve $$ is 1/

Phone interview with Comdedian/Writer Richard Stockton reguarding his upcoming preformances and life as a comdian. Includes his suggestions for the "Mount Rushmore of Comedians" :) An interview on "The Bushwhacker's Breakfast Club" with "DJ Spark Plug", airing Friday mornings on KZSC Santa Cruz, California.

Don relocated to Santa Cruz in January; as an artist, made some hand-sized art in grad school with pipe cleaners, and his professor urged him to try something larger; that was 2006, & now this is his signature medium; Don's art is in a gallery in downtown Santa Cruz, as well as other galleries around the country (e.g.: Tuscon); moved to New York City after grad school because, "if you want to be in the movies, you move to LA, but if you want to be an artist, you have to go to a city that's big & that supports artists!"; the Money Question? Are you able to make a living as an artist, and if so, how? The answer is Yes! and it's by having his art in enough galleries, but also having his art picked up by people like Lou Reed's guitar player, who asked him to create his album cover; music is another outlet for art, and the Face Urchins have been playing for 25 years; Don got into music by growing up going to the Strawberry Music Festival where he was exposed to lots of great acoustic music and jamming mu

Kristin Paley is the Executive Director of Horse Sense Education & Advocacy, a relatively new (3 years) local non-profit that runs a range of programs that heal horses & help humans; they are having a Wine & Whinnies weekend to support the adoption of MyDunn, a horse that has been in the Hearts & Hooves program; they also have a Children's Reading Program (Horse Tales) the 1st Saturday of every month February to November, & a Diamond Program for building confidence; What posessed her to start a non-profit? So thankful you asked! Horses are non-judgemental, & stick with people...they can help with trauma recovery...horses inspire 1) community, 2) grounding [as they uniquely mirror humans], 3) love of nature [and our mountains], and 4) can teach children; Venus, one of their horses, is an artist! [horses love smells & colors]; horse life expectancy 20-27, some 30, few 40, oldest ever is 43; Horse Sense Education & Advocacy has volunteers [& values them!], who they teach how t

Pre-recorded interview with Singer/Songwriter Ian George. This interview covers their currenrt tour, making a living as a muscian, and creative processes.

Elected in March, 2024, installed in December, 2024 - City Council Member for District 5, which includes most of U.C. Santa Cruz; background is Civil Engineering - Water Resources - on Water Supply Advisory Committee, and Public Safety Task Force; if you divide the salary ($20k) by the # of hours per week put in to the job, do you make at least the Santa Cruz County Minimum Wage ($16.50/hour)? "Not a chance!!"; review of Councilmember O'Hara's week, from Housing Matters (elimination of day services) to Public Safety to Radius Gallery to FLOC cameras! She arrived in Santa Cruz in 2006 (her husband is an academic), and has worked for the City Manager and the Water Resources Department; deep dive into "Affordable Housing", and what "local preference" is; Pure Water Soquel project, transfering tertiary treated water from the Regional Wastewater Treatment plan to Soquel Ave Treatment plant for injection into an aquifer to combat salt water intrusion (we're all "One Water"); Murray Street Bridge challenges, and rea

Golden Voice Gene started out with solo shows...later, Alia joined in harmonies, then bass & sax, and Wade showed up with electric guitar and also vocals; "The Fintztones" formed in 2010; Golden Voice Gene put out a CD, and later the "Fintztones" put one out, "Make It Right"; The Money Question? Golden Voice Gene: "day job" with the DMV (which meant all of his friends could end up wtih a drivers license photo they didn't cringe at everytime they saw it) gave him the means to pursue music on his time; Alia has a remote day job that is totally supportive, and she has several musical outlets (shout out to "Lady Kiah", trumpet / flugelhorn player in last night's show, who is making a go of it as a full time musician); Wade-O no longer has a day job, and enjoys playing music & performing; the 3 of them are scatterred, but bring it together for gigs; songwriting discussion, with both Alia & Gene writing tunes; friendly ribbing over ratio of originals to covers at gigs; Golden Voice Gene never makes a se

Live in the Studio interview with members of Karen with a K. The interview covered thier beginnings as band, how they write their music, and some live performances! Laura February Strange, who lives in Corralitos (South Santa Cruz County), wrote the "Musical Temper Tantrum" exploring, & poking fun at, the "Karen"-meme. As they describe themselves, it's a "A garage-rock musical, social satire. Titular character Karen (with a K) is a woman stumbling through a very bad day. Wearing her self-serving flaws like a gaudy, costume tiara, her current ordeals are conceived in a dozen or so songs written by Laura February Strange and performed by Strange Bedfellows. Strange Bedfellows are group made up of veteran musicians Laura February Strange, Scott Kail, Jojo Fox, Jack Hanson and Orbrad Darbro plus vocalists Stephanie Madrigal, Bonny June and Judy Appleby." (source: karenwithak.net/about-the-show, accessed 10/31/2025) An interview on "The Bushwhacker's Breakfast Club" with "DJ Spark Plug", airing Friday mornings