‘A Little Night Music’ soars

Some Stephen Sondheim musicals are more recognizable and identifiable than others. Sweeney Todd? Murderous barber. Into the Woods? Fractured fairy tales. Assassins? Assassins. A Little Night Music? Ummm… clowns?

Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, now running at the Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park through Feb. 26, received a dozen Tony nominations in 1973 and won six, including Best Musical. Most people know it for the Grammy-winning song, “Send in the Clowns.  A melancholy rumination on a life filled with regret, it became a standard for Frank Sinatra and a hit for Judy Collins.

Based on the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film, Smiles of a Summer Night, the show is basically a sex comedy. Everybody either is having or wants to have sex with someone else in the show.

Middle-aged lawyer Fredrik Egerman (Larry Williams) has been waiting for 11 months to consummate his marriage with his 18-year-old bride, Anne (Brenna Sammon). Fredrick’s son, Henrik (Samuel J. Gleason), tries to balance his studies for the ministry with his carnal desires. He seeks to relieve some of the pressure with dalliances with a house servant (Kaela Mariano), but that pressure is compounded by his feelings for his young stepmother.

A night at the theater brings stage star Desiree Armfeldt (Daniela Innocenti Beem) back into Fredrik’s life and into her bed, much to the consternation of Desiree’s current fling, the insanely jealous but also-married Count Carl-Magnus Malcom (Michael C. Murdock). Things come to a head when everyone ends up spending a weekend at the estate of Desiree’s mother, Madame Armfeldt (Eileen Morris).  

Director Sheri Lee Miller has gathered a cast of North Bay veterans and up-and-coming young talent and produced a very sweet, amusing and melodious show. The veterans are veterans for a reason. Highlights from them include a terrific comedic performance by Taylor Bartolucci as the weary but had-it-up-to-here-with-her-wandering-husband Countess Charlotte Malcom. Beem delivers a wonderfully understated and incredibly poignant rendition of the show’s best-known tune.

The younger folks acquit themselves quite nicely as well. Gleason and Sammons bring earnestness to their characters, and Molly Belle Hart is a delight as Desiree’s young daughter, Fredrika.

Musical director Janis Dunson Wilson expertly guides a 12-piece orchestra through the often-challenging Sondheim score.

By show’s end, everybody ends up in the arms of the right person. It would be great if this show ends up being seen by sizable audiences. 

Send in the crowds.

‘A Little Night Music’ runs through Feb. 26 at the Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. Thurs-Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. $12-$36. 707.588.3400. spreckelsonline.com.

Homebrewed Coffee doesn’t have to be a grind

When it comes to coffee, Sonoma County is blessed with a panoply of amazing local roasters and cafes.

But how much of what is tasted and smelled in coffee comes from the bean itself or from the roasting process? And what is the best way to preserve the quality and flavor of favorite ethically sourced, locally roasted coffee beans when they are used at home?

First, the flavor profiles and aromas of the coffee beans themselves are fruity, floral and vegetal. The roasting process changes these flavor profiles, adding more nutty, chocolate and other aromas as the roast level increases.

“A light roast is sort of like ‘unlocking the flavor of the bean.’ The fewer flavors contributed from the roasting process, the more pure flavor of the coffee,” says Thomas Chandler of Black Oak Coffee. “The darker you go, you’re going to eventually start roasting out some of the acid of the coffee and start getting more body in the coffee. This is when notes of chocolate start to develop. You’re also going to get more caramelization aspects, and as the roast gets darker, things will move from milk chocolate to bakers’ chocolate flavors and aromas.”

How does one make sure that justice is done to those amazing quality, organically grown, fair trade farmed beans? Here are a few tips gleaned from local coffee roasters:

Make sure to use a burr grinder to grind beans. A burr grinder is a type of grinder that has two plates with ridges that spin around so that the beans drop through a gap that they can only pass through if they are small enough. So coffee grind/particle is going to be more consistent. It is not an expensive or difficult to find grinder and is something one may already have. If unsure, check the box or look grinder details up online.

Don’t use boiling water to steep coffee. Let the water sit for about 10-15 seconds before pouring it over coffee. Water that is too hot pulls out more bitterness (alkaloids) from coffee.

Opt for the pour over method vs. using a French press, if possible. Why? There will be more control over the steep time with the pour over method, and one will get a much more even extraction than with a French press.

If one doesn’t have the right equipment for a pour over at home, or simply prefers to use a French press, roaster Julia Lancer from Avid Coffee recommends using a coarser grind level for French press than one would for pour over.

Recommended grind settings (if using a Burr grinder, which is preferable) for espresso, pour over and French press are as follows:

Espresso 1-5 (very fine)

Pour Over 6-10 (medium)

French Press/Cold Brew 11-15 (coarse)

Here are few great seasonal blends from local roasters to try at home:

Four Seasons, Bella Rosa Coffee Co.

This blend of Central and Southern American beans produces a complex coffee with a rich mouthfeel and notes of Mexican chocolate, vanilla, nutmeg and citrus. It’s the perfect blend for either espresso or drip coffee.

Redd: Winter, Black Oak Coffee Roasters

Offering notes of hazelnut, chocolate and warm baking spices, this light to medium roast espresso blend (to be used for either espresso or drip coffee) is both rich and complex.

Ice Breaker Seasonal Blend, Avid Coffee

With aromas and flavors of bittersweet chocolate, this toasty blend of Central American and African beans is the perfect coffee with which to warm up during winter months.

Culture Crush, Week of Feb. 23

San Francisco

Noise Pop

This weekend kicks off the 100-plus concerts that make up the massive celebration of independent music “that has been the pride of San Francisco’s alternative music scene for 30 years,” writes Bohemian and Sun music writer, Michael Giotis, in his exclusive online interview with Noise Pop festival organizer Jordan Kurland (readable at pacificsun.com/noise-pop-30 and bohemian.com/noise-pop-30, respectively). Giotis handpicked some can’t-miss shows for this landmark year: Bob Mould—guitar legend and older brother of post punk noise pop, plays The Chapel, 777 Valencia St., San Francisco. $27.50–$30. All ages. Overwhelming Colorfast—plays a life tribute to San Francisco scene photographer Peter Ellenby at The Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St., San Francisco. $20–$25. All ages. Tommy Guerrero—skate phenom turned instrument loop art guitarist, plays at The Chapel, 777 Valencia St., San Francisco. $20. All ages. Check out NoisePopFest.com for the full concert schedule, plus festival films and gallery shows.

Sonoma

Saturday Morning Movies

Those old enough to remember the ancient Saturday morning ritual of parking in front of the TV and watching cartoons whilst spooning cereal into their young faces might find the Sebastiani Theatre’s new initiative somewhat familiar—”Saturday Morning Movies for Kids.” Beginning this weekend, the vintage theater in the heart of Sonoma will screen Disney’s modern classic, Frozen. Local impresario and magician Roger Rhoten, the “Magic Man,” will also be on hand (or is that sleight of hand?) to provide additional magical moments. The show starts at 10am, Saturday, Feb. 25. Admission is $1, and children are encouraged to pay their own way in at the door. The Sebastiani Theatre is located at 476 First St. East, Sonoma. For more information and tickets, visit sebastianitheatre.com.

Santa Rosa

‘A Melodious Affair’

This weekend, The Lost Church plays host to a new series of local R&B singers and rappers in collaboration with live bands entitled, “A Melodious Affair.” The inaugural performance features local band Crumb Dread backing Simoné Mosely, KingLung and Audio Angel. The intimate, one-of-a-kind performances are presented by Timeless Experience, a new area production company in collaboration with North Bay music maven Josh Windmiller. Crumb Dread will also open the show, which begins at 7:30pm, Saturday, Feb. 25, at The Lost Church, 427 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. Tickets are $12 and are available at the door or at thelostchurch.org.

Napa

Comedian Tim Dillon

The man has worn many hats—mortgage broker, tour guide and, more recently, podcaster and comedian. Meet Tim Dillon, who Vulture described as “simultaneously a boisterous, conservative-leaning Long Island native and a thoughtful, homosexual foodie with a soft spot for frozen yogurt.” Dillon is known for his articulate if contrarian comedy stylings, which he brings to the stage at 8pm, Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Uptown Theatre Napa, 1350 Third St., Napa. Tickets are $50 to $90 and available via ticketmaster.com.

Free Will Astrology, Week of Feb. 23

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Philosopher John O’Donohue wrote a prayer not so much to God as to life. It’s perfect for your needs right now. He said, “May my mind come alive today to the invisible geography that invites me to new frontiers, to break the dead shell of yesterdays, to risk being disturbed and changed.” I think you will generate an interesting onrush of healing, Aries, if you break the dead shell of yesterdays and risk being disturbed and changed. The new frontier is calling to you. To respond with alacrity, you must shed some baggage.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Rightwing religious influencers are rambling amuck in the United States. In recent months, their repressive pressures have forced over 1,600 books to be banned in 138 school districts in 38 states. The forbidden books include some about heroes Nelson Mandela, Cesar Chavez and Rosa Parks. With this appalling trend as a motivational force, I encourage you Tauruses to take inventory of any tendencies you might have to censor the information you expose yourself to. According to my reading of the astrological omens, now is an excellent time to pry open your mind to consider ideas and facts you have shut out. Be eager to get educated and inspired by stimuli outside your usual scope.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I think we can all agree that it’s really fun to fall in love. Those times when we feel a thrilling infatuation welling up within us are among the most pleasurable of all human experiences. Wouldn’t it be great if we could do it over and over again as the years go by? Just keep getting bowled over by fresh immersions in swooning adoration? Maybe we could drum up two or three bouts of mad love explosions every year. But alas, giving in to such a temptation might make it hard to build intimacy and trust with a committed, long-term partner. Here’s a possible alternative: Instead of getting smitten with an endless series of new paramours, we could get swept away by novel teachings, revelatory meditations, lovable animals, sublime art or music, amazing landscapes or sanctuaries, and exhilarating adventures. I hope you will be doing that in the coming weeks, Gemini.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The scientific method is an excellent approach for understanding reality. It’s not the only one, and should not be used to the exclusion of other ways of knowing. But even if you’re allergic to physics or never step into a chemistry lab, you are wise to use the scientific method in your daily life. The coming weeks will be an especially good time to enjoy its benefits. What would that mean, practically speaking? Set aside your subjective opinions and habitual responses. Instead, simply gather evidence. Treasure actual facts. Try to be as objective as you can in evaluating everything that happens. Be highly attuned to your feelings, but also be aware that they may not provide all facets of the truth.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Is there anything in your psychological makeup that would help you do some detective work? How are your skills as a researcher? Are you willing to be cagey and strategic as you investigate what’s going on behind the scenes? If so, I invite you to carry out any or all of these four tasks in the coming weeks: 1. Try to become aware of shrouded half-truths. 2. Be alert for shadowy stuff lurking in bright, shiny environments. 3. Uncover secret agendas and unacknowledged evidence. 4. Explore stories and situations that no one else seems curious about.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The country of Nepal, which has strong Virgo qualities, is divided into seven provinces. One is simply called “Province No.1,” while the others are Sudurpashchim, Karnali, Gandaki, Lumbini, Bagmati and Janakpur. I advise Nepal to give Province No. 1 a decent name very soon. I also recommend that you Virgos extend a similar outreach to some of the unnamed beauty in your sphere. Have fun with it. Give names to your phone, your computer, your bed, your hairdryer and your lamps, as well as your favorite trees, houseplants and clouds. You may find that the gift of naming helps make the world a more welcoming place with which you have a more intimate relationship. And that would be an artful response to current cosmic rhythms.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Are you aimless, impassive and stuck, floundering as you try to preserve and maintain? Or are you fiercely and joyfully in quest of vigorous and dynamic success? What you do in the coming weeks will determine which of these two forks in your destiny will be your path for the rest of 2023. I’ll be rooting for the second option. Here is a tip to help you be strong and bold. Learn the distinctions between your own soulful definition of success and the superficial, irrelevant, meaningless definitions of success that our culture celebrates. Then swear an oath to love, honor and serve your soulful definition.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The next four weeks will be a time of germination, metaphorically analogous to the beginning of a pregnancy. The attitudes and feelings that predominate during this time will put a strong imprint on the seeds that will mature into full ripeness by late 2023. What do you want to give birth to in 40 weeks or so, Scorpio? Choose wisely! And make sure that in this early, impressionable part of the process, you provide your growing creations with positive, nurturing influences.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I recommend you set up Designated Arguing Summits (DAT). These will be short periods when you and your allies get disputes out in the open. Disagreements must be confined to these intervals. You are not allowed to squabble at any other time. Why do I make this recommendation? I believe that many positive accomplishments are possible for you in the coming weeks, and it would be counterproductive to expend more than the minimal necessary amount on sparring. Your glorious assignment: Be emotionally available and eager to embrace the budding opportunities.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Actor Judi Dench won an Oscar for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the film, Shakespeare in Love—even though she was onscreen for just eight minutes. Beatrice Straight got an Oscar for her role in the movie, Network, though she appeared for less than six minutes. I expect a similar phenomenon in your world, Capricorn. A seemingly small pivot will lead to a vivid turning point. A modest seed will sprout into a prismatic bloom. A cameo performance will generate long-term ripples. Be alert for the signs.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Most of us are constantly skirmishing with time, doing our best to coax it or compel it to give us more slack. But lately, you Aquarians have slipped into a more intense conflict. And from what I’ve been able to determine, time is kicking your ass. What can you do to relieve the pressure? Maybe you could edit your priority list—eliminate two mildly interesting pursuits to make more room for a fascinating one. You might also consider reading a book to help you with time management and organizational strategies, like these: 1. Getting Things Done by David Allen. 2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. 3. 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management by Kevin Kruse.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “What is originality?” asked philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Here’s how he answered: “to see something that has no name as yet, and hence cannot be mentioned though it stares us all in the face.” Got that, Pisces? I hope so, because your fun assignments in the coming days include the following: 1. to make a shimmering dream coalesce into a concrete reality; 2. to cause a figment of the imagination to materialize into a useful accessory; 3. to coax an unborn truth to sprout into a galvanizing insight.

Noise Pop 30: A Conversation with Festival Organizer Jordan Kurland

This weekend kicks off the roughly 100 concerts that make up the massive celebration of independent music that has been the pride of San Francisco’s alternative music scene for 30 years.

In this landmark anniversary year, I spoke with Jordan Kurland, festival organizer since ‘98.

Giotis: I’m a huge fan of the festival. In 1993 I was definitely deep into noise and it felt so good to have San Francisco be the place where that whole genre and ethos found a home. 

Jordan Kurland: I appreciate that you appreciate it so much. That’s certainly why we keep doing it at this point. You know, it’s hard to believe we’d still be doing this 30 years on. It’s really great that we’re still able to do it and people like yourself still appreciate what we do. It’s certainly not a get rich quick scheme. 

G: Yeah. Neither is journalism. 

JK: [Laughs]

G: It’s fun though and here I am getting a festival pass to Noise Pop. The festival is in its 30th year. What was the “Why” of getting the thing started and what is the “Why” now?

JK: Well, you know, Kevin [Arnold] started it in 1993 to shed light on some bands and genres of music that weren’t getting a lot of attention in the Bay Area, with no intention of doing it ever again. Just sort of booking some bands like the Fastbacks and the Meices on a Saturday night at the Kennel Club during a slow time of year and it ended up selling out.

And then when I got involved, he was at a crossroads, [ready to grow from] one or two shows a day for a five day week. The reason why we’re still doing it is the community. We’re not Outside Lands. We’re not Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. We’re not catering to tens of thousand people a day, we’re catering to a small community of people.

G: At the time there was this genre of noise pop or noise—and you’ve got the Flaming Lips new Bubble Concert movie playing this time—in 1998 there was the classic “boombox experiment” where Wayne and Steven of the Flaming Lips orchestrated the audience who played different cassette tapes of noise on an assortment of boomboxes. To create a space for something like that was really important in what was a really cool period for rock experimentalism and the scene in San Francisco. I’m looking at the line up now and it’s very different from that. There’s definitely some eclecticism in there. Could you talk about the evolution of style over the years?

JK: Originally it was kind of like that noisy pop, punk, type stuff and then it kind of evolved to be more encompassing, more about ethos, than about the exact style of music. From the 2000s for sure we started doing more independently-minded hip-hop and dance music, for example. [Still,] there’s always going to be those more like core noise pop bands. Bob Mould is playing the festival again this year. I mean, [his band] Hüsker Dü is the definitive noise pop band.

G: Looking at your own career, you’ve been active in music organizing even in college. Why?

JK: I love the community. I love the curatorial aspects of putting together a multi-act show or festivals like Noise Pop or Treasure Island. For me that’s always been a big driver. Being very passionate about the arts community of San Francisco and the Bay Area.

G: You’ve taken your experience in organizing and brought it into activism. Can you share some of your work there?

JK: [SF author] Dave Eggers, and I had been working on kind of politically-minded projects, [which lead to] serving on the board of 826 National.

G: And that led to work with the Obama and Biden administrations.

JK: Yeah. I manage artists who are really passionate about causes. They want to get involved [at the national level] and it’s intimidating in order to start. They don’t know how to get a hold of someone in the Biden camp or any camp, you know? We can say to both sides, ‘yeah this person is legit’ [and make connections]. That’s really gratifying work. 

2020 was the most impactful. Some of the records we put together netted six hundred thousand dollars for voters’ rights organizations which obviously proved to be very helpful. I’m in a position where I can reach people and help them to donate their time or their music. I’ve been inspired by my clients who do that all the time. 

Suggested Noise and More

  • Bob Mould — guitar legend and older brother of post punk noise pop plays The Chapel, 777 Valencia Street, San Francisco. $27.50–$30. All Ages.
  • Duster — the original slowcore duo plays the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco on February 24. Sold out but maybe you can slide in if you gaze at yr shoes.
  • Overwhelming Colorfast — plays a life tribute to SF scene photographer Peter Ellenby at The Bottom of the Hill, 1233 17th St, San Francisco. $20–$25. All Ages.
  • Tommy Guerrero — skate phenom turned instrument loop art guitarist plays at The Chapel, 777 Valencia Street, San Francisco. $20. All Ages.
  • Spellling — who Kurland calls “one of the stories of the BA music Scene in recent years,” plays slow-fly funk music at the immortal Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell St, San Francisco. $25. All Ages.

Check out NoisePopFest.com for the full concert schedule plus festival films and gallery shows.

Sonoma County Restaurant Week 2023

Days to Indulge

Beginning Monday, Feb. 20 (which just so happens to be the Presidents Day holiday) and running through Sunday, Feb. 26, Sonoma County Restaurant Week is back for its 14th annual culinary celebration.

With foodie destination counties all around Sonoma and in bigger, nearby Bay Area cities, it’s becoming widely known that Sonoma County has an incredible variety of restaurants to suit any palate or pocketbook. Sonoma County Restaurant Week gives everyone a chance to revisit an old favorite or try a spot they’ve been meaning to visit.

Sonoma County Economic Development Board (EDB) conference and communications coordinator Aleena Decker, along with the economic fellows and business assistance team, helps lead Sonoma County Restaurant Week, and Decker is excited things are slowly returning to normal for the popular event.

“For the 2021 Restaurant Week, we departed from the usual prix fixe menus and did a campaign to go out and support restaurants through buying online gift cards, ordering take out and dining out safely,” said Decker. “It was also the first year we launched the new Restaurant Week website (socorestaurantweek.org), which includes features to easily order online and purchase gift cards. 2022 was the first year going back to the prix fixe menu format.”

Here’s how it works: Sonoma County restaurants create menus based off a pricing tier, charging anywhere from $10- $25 for lunch, $25- $55 for dinner and $5 for “sweet perks” and desserts. Patrons simply visit the Sonoma County Restaurant Week website, search through the multitude of delicacies and see what that restaurant has planned for those partaking in the event.

Decker said she’s “happy to say there are new restaurants, less than a year old, that are participating. Many are confirmed veteran chefs and restaurateurs who are opening their first location or a second restaurant.” She added, “At the moment, there are 87 participating locations and counting.”

Here are some of the more exciting (and deal-oriented) restaurants participating this year. While they obviously can’t all be covered, these are diverse picks in out of the way places BoHo readers might enjoy. Note: There’s nothing saying one can’t bring a friend and mix and match dinners in order to get the full experience. As always, one should be sure to check restaurant hours via their website before making the trip.

The Matheson, Sonoma Resort, 106 Matheson St., Healdsburg

(thematheson.com)

Upscale farm to table dining at regular people prices? Look no further than this delicious $55 dinner menu for Sonoma County Restaurant Week attendees. Owner and chef Dustin Valette is offering up a few selections of some amazing sounding dinners. First course choices include burrata with Asian pear, beets, pistachio and sourdough, or a celeriac and chestnut soup with duck carnitas, mole negro and spiced pumpkin seeds. Whoa.

The main course choices include Mt. Lassen steelhead trout with whipped potato, pork belly and brassicas in a smoked clam broth, or a prime beef bavette with potato pave, umami hollandaise, chili crunch and romanesco. If there’s room, dessert choices include “Baba au Rhum” with toffee, blood orange, cardamom and chantilly, or a rich Chocolate Pot de Creme with cinnamon crumble, caramel and chiffon cake. The Matheson also boasts a rooftop bar and lounge.

Grata Italian Eatery, 186 Windsor River Rd., Windsor

(gratawindsor.com)

One of 2020’s best new restaurants, Windsor’s stellar Italian eatery Grata is rolling out two delicious dinner menu options. Option one is a three-course dinner for $35 that starts off with a choice of a house salad or little gem Caesar salad. From there, one may enjoy a hearty spaghetti Bolognese or shrimp scampi in buttery garlic sauce. For dessert, a classic tiramisu is always a good option, or a zesty, creamy lemon ricotta cheesecake may be more one’s speed.

Speaking of speeds, why not kick it up a notch and go for Grata’s four-course menu offering, which also starts off with a choice of a house salad or little gem Caesar salad? From there, a pasta course features “cacio de pepe,” which translates to “cheese and pepper,” or what covers the spaghetti noodles.

Entrees include chicken saltimbocca served with parmesan bread pudding, fried Brussels sprouts and sage gravy. Or perhaps wine braised short ribs served with creamy polenta and roasted carrots is what one’s tummy wants most. Desserts include the tiramisu or the creamy lemon ricotta cheesecake.

boon eat + drink, 16248 Main St., Guerneville.

(eatatboon.com)

Boasting a robust farm-to-table menu that’s all locally sourced, boon eat + drink is offering a scrumptious variety for dinner at only $35. Starters include a choice of arugula salad or flash fried Brussels sprouts. The main course choices include a chili braised pork shoulder with polenta, wilted greens and a ricotta salata; Moroccan chicken with couscous, preserved lemon and smoked almond yogurt; or polenta lasagna with spicy marinara, mixed veggies, rainbow chard and ricotta salata.

Finishing out the well-rounded group of choices is a classic chocolate fudge brownie with caramel and chantilly or panna cotta with seasonal compote and an anise butter cookie. What a way to end a day hanging out in the venerable river town.

L’Oro Di Napoli, 629 4th St., Santa Rosa

(lorodinapolisr.com)

One of Santa Rosa’s newer restaurants, the quaint L’Oro Di Napoli offers up authentic Neapolitan cuisine, as well as providing Sonoma County Restaurant Week connoisseurs with a nice variety of lunch or dinner options. They also are filling the pizza void in downtown Santa Rosa, as the area sadly lost its Mary’s Pizza. Featuring wood-fired, thin and crunchy crust pizza, the lunch menu comes in at $35 for all three courses, with two salad offerings to start.

Insalata Mista has mixed green salad, artichokes, red onion, cherry tomato, black olives and cucumber tossed in a lemon mustard vinaigrette, while Stagionale has wild arugula, roasted butternut squash puree, sliced almonds, topped with pecorino cheese, in an orange mustard honey dressing with balsamic glaze on top. Pizza choices are either a classic Margarita or Vegeteriana (vegetarian) pizza.

The dinner menu consists of three courses for $25 each, starting with a choice of bruschetta pomodori or a pick of the Insalata Mista or Stagionale salads. Main courses are lasagna (beef bolognese) or a choice of the aforementioned pizzas. Dessert options are panna cotta or a Caprese consisting of dark chocolate cake made with almond flour and amaretto. Yum!

EDB’s Decker closes out by saying, “Recovery for restaurants continues to be an uphill battle from impacts of the pandemic, workforce attraction and retention, rising cost of goods and other natural disaster events. We are always inspired by the resiliency of Sonoma County restaurants and the overwhelming support from residents for the restaurant industry.

“We are happy to see restaurants that had to take a break during the pandemic coming back to celebrate with us this year,” she continued. “Also thrilled to see new restaurants and local chefs and restaurateurs expanding their businesses.”

For more information, visit socorestaurantweek.org.

Not Supercilious: ‘SUPER-SILLY-US’ MarinMOCA

The Marin Museum of Contemporary Art (MarinMOCA) has a long and deeply-rooted history in supporting local art and artists from communities across the Bay Area.

The museum itself, located in the historic building that once housed the Hamilton Air Force Base Headquarters, was technically founded in 2007—but the idea behind MarinMOCA can be traced all the way back to 1983 when 11 College of Marin students came together with a shared goal: to bring accessible contemporary art to the community.

Though a lot has changed since the museum’s inception (including its name and location), much of the original concept remains intact. This includes the annual Bay Area Legends exhibition, a MarinMOCA springtime tradition that celebrates a local and legendary Bay Area artist.

“We started working on this exhibition in the spring of last year. It’s a part of our annual Bay Area Legends exhibition series,” explained Amy Owen, executive director of MarinMOCA.

“Since I started my tenure here, I’ve been really interested in presenting historically underrepresented artists of the region.”

MarinMOCA is currently setting up to host the next installation of the series with its upcoming “SUPER-SILLY-US” exhibition, featuring the art of two legendary local female artists: Barbara “Bobbie” Stauffacher Solomon and her daughter, Nellie King Solomon. The exhibition will run from March 25 to June 4, with an open reception on April 1.

“It’s been great working with Bobbie and her daughter, Nellie, who plays a key role in her mother’s work as a collaborator and is an accomplished painter in her own right,” said Owen.

“Since Bobbie is now 94 years old, Nellie is often boots on the ground in handling logistical aspects of projects.”

This mother and daughter duo share more than just a passion for art and an upcoming exhibition, however, and their similar yet wholly unique experiences and styles lend to an exhibition that is simultaneously as diverse as it is cohesive.

“Nellie’s work is abstract and irreverent, and has a kind of relationship to movement and the body,” explained Owen. “Bobbie’s work is really informed by her meticulous training in Swiss graphic design with set rules behind it. That said, they were both trained as architects, and it’s interesting to see how each of them has taken that interest and translated it in very different ways through visual art.”

Stauffacher Solomon is a legendary San Franciscan artist, born in 1928 and perhaps best known for her work as a graphic designer and as a landscape architect. As a young woman, she worked as a dancer and studied painting and sculpture at the San Francisco Art Institute. After the death of her first husband, she left America to study graphic design in Switzerland and, years later, studied architecture at the University of California, Berkeley.

“When Bobbie’s husband died and she was trying to find a way to make her way in the world, she packed her bags and went to Switzerland to make her living through graphic design,” explained Owen. “She studied there for a few years and later started working for Laurence Halprin and got an office with him—from there it evolved, and the idea of Supergraphics happened almost by accident.”

Stauffacher Solomon famously pioneered the concept of Supergraphics (a popular interior design technique, first used at Sea Ranch in Sonoma County in the 1960s as a response to its large-scale architecture).

INSTALLED ‘Land(e)scape 2018,’ an installation by Barbara Stauffacher Solomon at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, circa Aug. 15, 2018 to March 3, 2019. Photo courtesy of JKA Photography

“[Bobbie] just kind of fell into her art, in many respects,” said Owen. “It’s interesting, given Bobbie’s history with dance and many other kinds of disciplines such as landscape architecture, seeing how she pulls from those various points of knowledge and interest and expertise.”

Stauffacher Solomon remarried in 1969 to an architect and professor named Daniel Solomon (father to Nellie King Solomon). King Solomon grew up to become an established artist in her own right, having studied architecture before receiving her BA in art from University of California, Santa Cruz and a MFA from California College of the Arts, San Francisco. She has also taught art at Stanford University. King Solomon resides in Los Angeles and continues to make waves in the artistic community.

King Solomon played an integral role in planning this year’s MarinMOCA Bay Area Legends exhibition for both herself and her mother. Not only did King Solomon make a name for herself in the competitive landscape of abstract art, but she did so in a way that simultaneously reflects and remains entirely independent from the work of her iconic mother.

“Bobbie works in a very site-responsive way, so we commissioned her to create a new lobby space which will open with the exhibition and continue into the year and will be accompanied by images from one of her handmade books: SUPER-SILLY-US,” said Owen.

Those who visit this year’s Bay Area Legends exhibition will have the opportunity to see drawings from Stauffacher Solomon’s hand-made book, the namesake of the exhibit: “SUPER-SILLY-US.” These drawings have never before been shown in an exhibition. And, to top it off, a new Supergraphic installation, designed specifically to complement the historic Hamilton Field building’s original 1933 architecture, will stretch across the museum’s Main Gallery and Ron Collins Lobby Gallery.

“Seeing Bobbie’s art here in Marin is an opportunity to see her work in relation to place, site and the landscape of Northern California—in that way, it makes it a much richer experience,” said Owen.

Owen is particularly excited for MarinMOCA’s April Fools opening reception for the “SUPER-SILLY-US” exhibition, which will be open to the public. King Solomon is set to attend and is designing Supergraphics for a 1969 Ford Econoline that is, in many ways, the iconic centerpiece of the opening party—and not just because it will be parked outside with a DJ booth and a bar inside of it.

“We’re always aiming to appeal to the masses at MarinMOCA. I think there’s something for everyone with this exhibition, which is both rigorous and playful all at once,” said Owen. “There’s opportunity for intimate engagement but also an expansive, physical and immersive experience with the works…depending on how you like to engage with museum works.”

The Marin Museum of Contemporary Art is located in Novato at 500 Palm Dr. and is open to the public Wednesday through Friday from 11am to 4pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 5pm. General museum admission costs $10 while seniors (aged 65 or older), military and student tickets cost $8 each. Children aged 12 and under and MarinMOCA members may visit the museum for free.

For more information about MarinMOCA and the ‘SUPER-SILLY-US’ exhibition, visit the website at marinmoca.org, send an email to in**@*******ca.org or call 415.506.0137.

Fossil fueling climate change

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By Rivera Sun

When I was a teenager, I knew global warming was caused by fossil fuels. So did Exxon.

For decades, Exxon has been hiding the truth about the climate crisis, burying their own scientific reports. From 1970 to 2003, the oil company ran studies that accurately predicted the disastrous consequences of continuing to burn fossil fuels.

They modeled out the alarming reality of the disasters humans are living in. They knew that continuing to burn oil would lead to the forest fires that burnt my friend’s house to the ground, the floods that destroyed the coastal California city I lived in and the drought that threatens the water supply of the high-altitude desert where I worked for 10 years.

All this time has been wasted, 30 years when they could have been putting their skills and strengths to work solving the problem. Because of their climate denialism propaganda, now is a time of threat of the collapse of civilizations, ecosystems, biodiversity and the future of humanity.

As I write this, students are on school strike, walking out of classrooms. What is the point of studying algebra if the planet’s ecosystem is collapsing? Why prepare for a future that will likely never come to pass? It’s hard to be excited about graduating high school or college in 2030, the year of passing the point of no return if there is not a rapid transition off of fossil fuels.

When I was their age, I was also worried about climate change. That was in the 1990s, when there were still decades to avoid the catastrophe now being faced. Back then, people often spoke about how fossil fuels were leading toward disaster. Then climate denialism took hold.

My whole life, Exxon has been lying about the dangers of burning oil. Today, the truth is known. The climate crisis is real. Even Exxon proved it. The only question that remains is: Will humans act fast enough to save everything … and everyone?

Rivera Sun is the author of ‘The Dandelion Insurrection’ and editor of ‘Nonviolence News’ and a nationwide trainer in strategy for nonviolent campaigns.

Free Will Astrology, Week of Feb. 15

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries director Francis Ford Coppola was asked to name the year’s worst movie. The question didn’t interest him, he said. He listed his favorite films, then declared, “Movies are hard to make, so I’d say, all the other ones were fine!” Coppola’s comments remind me of author Dave Eggers’: “Do not dismiss a book until you have written one, and do not dismiss a movie until you have made one, and do not dismiss a person until you have met them.” In accordance with astrological omens, Aries, your assignment is to explore and embody these perspectives. Refrain from judging efforts about which you have no personal knowledge. Be as open-minded and generous as you can. Doing so will give you fuller access to half-dormant aspects of your own potentials.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Artist Andy Warhol said, only half in jest, “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art, and working is art, and good business is the best art.” More than any other sign, Tauruses embody this attitude with flare. When you are at your best, you’re not a greedy materialist who places a higher value on money than everything else. Instead, you approach the gathering of necessary resources, including money, as a fun art project that you perform with love and creativity. I invite you to ascend to an even higher octave of this talent.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You are gliding into the Season of Maximum Volition, Autonomy and Liberty. Now is a favorable time to explore and expand the pleasures of personal sovereignty. You will be at the peak of your power to declare your independence from influences that hinder and limit you. To prepare, try two experiments. 1. Act as if free will is an illusion. It doesn’t exist. There’s no such thing. Then visualize what your destiny would be like. 2. Act as if free will is real. Imagine that in the coming months you can have more of it at your disposal than ever before. What will your destiny be like?

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The ethereal, dreamy side of your nature must continually find ways to express itself beautifully and playfully. And I do mean “continually.” If you’re not always allowing your imagination to roam and romp around in Wonderland, your imagination may lapse into spinning out crabby delusions. Luckily, I don’t think you will have any problems attending to this necessary luxury in the coming weeks. From what I can tell, you will be highly motivated to generate fluidic fun by rambling through fantasy realms. Bonus! I suspect this will generate practical benefits.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t treat your allies or yourself with neglect and insensitivity. For the sake of your mental and physical health, you need to do the exact opposite. I’m not exaggerating! To enhance your well-being, be almost ridiculously positive. Be vigorously nice and rigorously kind. Bestow blessings and dole out compliments, both to others and yourself. See the best and expect the best in both others and yourself.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Is there a bug in the sanctuary of love? A parasite or saboteur? If so, banish it. Is there a cranky monster grumbling in the basement or attic or closet? Feed that creature chunks of raw cookie dough imbued with a crushed-up valium pill. Do you have a stuffed animal or holy statue to which you can spill your deep, dark, delicious secrets? If not, get one. Have you been spending quality time rumbling around in your fantasy world in quest of spectacular healings? If not, get busy. Those healings are ready for you to pluck them.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): There’s a weird magic operating in your vicinity these days—a curious, uncanny kind of luck. So while my counsel here might sound counter-intuitive, I think it’s true. Here are four affirmations to chant regularly: 1. “I will attract and acquire what I want by acting as if I don’t care if I get what I want.” 2. “I will become grounded and relaxed with the help of beautiful messes and rowdy fun.” 3. “My worries and fears will subside as I make fun of them and joke about them.” 4. “I will activate my deeper ambition by giving myself permission to be lazy.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): How many people would fight for their country? Below I list the countries where my horoscopes are published and the percentage of their populations ready and willing to take up arms against their nations’ enemies: 11% in Japan; Netherlands, 15%; Italy, 20%; France, 29%; Canada, 30%; U.S., 44%. So I surmise that Japanese readers are most likely to welcome my advice here, which is threefold: 1. The coming months will be a good time to cultivate your love for your country’s land, people and culture, but not for your country’s government and armed forces. 2. Minimize your aggressiveness unless you invoke it to improve your personal life—in which case, pump it up and harness it. 3. Don’t get riled up about vague abstractions and fear-based fantasies. But do wield your constructive militancy in behalf of intimate, practical improvements.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): By the time she was 33, Sagittarian actor Jane Fonda was famous and popular. She had already won many awards, including an Oscar. Then she became an outspoken opponent of America’s war in Vietnam. Some of her less-liberal fans were outraged. For a few years, her success in films waned. Offers didn’t come easily to her. She later explained that while the industry had not completely “blacklisted” her, she had been “greylisted.” Despite the setback, she kept working—and never diluted her political activism. By the time she was in her 40s, her career and reputation had fully recovered. Today, at age 84, she is busy with creative projects. In accordance with astrological rhythms, I propose we make her your role model in the coming months. May she inspire you to be true to your principles, even if some people disapprove. Be loyal to what you know is right.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Charles V (1500–1558) had more than 20 titles, including Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, and Lord of the Netherlands. He was also a patron of the arts and architecture. Once, while visiting the renowned Italian painter Titian to have his portrait done, he did something no monarch had ever done. When Titian dropped his paintbrush on the floor, Charles humbly picked it up and gave it to him. I foresee a different but equally interesting switcheroo in your vicinity during the coming weeks. Maybe you will be aided by a big shot or get a blessing from someone you consider out of your league. Perhaps you will earn a status boost or will benefit from a shift in a hierarchy.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Some people I respect regard the Bible as a great work of literature. I don’t share that view. Like psychologist Valerie Tarico, I believe the so-called good book is filled with “repetition, awkward constructions, inconsistent voice, weak character development, boring tangents and passages where nobody can tell what the writer meant to convey.” I bring this to your attention, Aquarius, because I believe now is a good time to rebel against conventional wisdom, escape from experts’ opinions and formulate your own unique perspectives about pretty much everything. Be like Valerie Tarico and me.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I suspect that arrivederci and au revoir and sayōnara will overlap with birth cries and welcomes and initiations in the coming days. Are you beginning or ending? Leaving or arriving? Letting go or hanging on? Here’s what I think: You will be beginning and ending, leaving and arriving, letting go and hanging on. That could be confusing, but it could also be fun. The mix of emotions will be rich and soulful.

Your Letters, Week of Feb. 15

Perpetual Madness

Again and again, seeming to never end, a civil war is fought for justice and the simple basic right for life and the liberty not to be persecuted because of skin color.

If it’s not the color of skin, it’s the choice of religion or beliefs or the gender one is born with. There’s no sense to it, no reason, no cause except ignorance and propensity for hate and violence. Humans blindly destroy one another, take the lives of millions, of any age, practically anywhere and still, still, they have not learned, if not love, then simple tolerance and respect for all beings.

I came into this life at a time when the world was at war, the carnage incomprehensible; from babies to the aged ones, none were spared. From the cauldrons of the camps to the battlefields, cities and nations destroyed. And why? No goddamn reason really. Ignorance, hatred and fear ruled the day. And so it continues, day after day, year after year, and where it ends nobody knows.

I contend that at the root of insane actions, from the Native American genocide to the police murder of Tyre Nichols, for no reason, it is ignorance and the cognizant insistence not to correct it that drives this perpetual madness. The epitaph of humankind?

Will Shonbrun

Boyes Springs

Let’s Talk

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By Rivera Sun When I was a teenager, I knew global warming was caused by fossil fuels. So did Exxon. For decades, Exxon has been hiding the truth about the climate crisis, burying their own scientific reports. From 1970 to 2003, the oil company ran studies that accurately predicted the disastrous consequences of continuing to burn fossil fuels. They modeled out the...

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