Fifty-Fifty: The Odds of Aging

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Fifty-Fifty: The Odds of Aging

There are many milestones when it comes to aging. 16 (driving), 18 (adultishness), 25 (first million, right?), 30 (wait, no millions yet?), 40 (nevermind) and onward… 

Then the big ones—most of which land at the beginnings of decades. Like turning 50. This is my new decade as of yesterday. Am I pleased about it? Well, besides being cheap fodder to feed the deadline monster, suddenly turning 50, has afforded me a certain kind of age-related relief. 

Whatever I do now—no matter how behind the curve or outre my plan—my efforts take on a kind of “bucket list” gravitas. Or not. No one cares but me. And the merry dranksters (typo intended) who join me on these Quixotic adventures.

Age has evacuated my ambition, leaving only my own cockeyed aesthetic aspirations with which to work. I no longer have the need, nor the opportunity—if I ever did—to “make it.” Now, what my collaborators and I achieve is what we make it. Like literally—we make, and do…and make do. And it gets done.

My rubric for success hearkens back to before I had any understanding of selling out, which my generation abhorred but I was always desperate to do because I needed to feed my ego and later my kids.

The question I ask myself is whether or not  my 16-year-old self would respect who I am now. Perhaps not the most mature policy, but definitely the purest—never is anyone more clear-eyed about why adults suck than at 16.

And the answer is, yes, my 16-year-old self would approve of the general contours of my life thus far (but, no, I will not buy him alcohol, so don’t ask, kid).

I wasn’t a child prodigy, but I was clever and canny, though I eventually had to reckon with the fact that I was just another kid from Petaluma trying to be someone not from Petaluma. As a friend of mine later put it, I was “a fast kid in a slow town, but in a fast town I would’ve been a slow kid.”

Now I’m 50. And I can say that I’m precisely who I expected to be. As e.e. cummings wrote in a poem I first read in my teens, a “coward, clown, traitor, idiot, dreamer, beast—such was a poet and shall be and is.” 

I’ve gotten close a few times (and have the singed feathers to prove it), but the thing about stories like mine it seems, is that, no matter how they end, they get better with age.

Editor Daedalus Howell is out directing his second feature film, ‘Wolftone.’ Visit daedalushowell.com.

CPAC Takes Wing in Leonard Gershe’s Butterflies are Free

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CPAC Takes Wing in Leonard Gershe’s Butterflies are Free

One may recognize Leonard Gershe’s Butterflies are Free, written and set in 1969, from the film adaptation starring Goldie Hawn. The Cloverdale Performing Arts Center (CPAC) has a production of this running through July 31.

Loosely inspired by the early life of blind Harvard-educated lawyer Harold Krents, the story follows a day in the life of young, blind and motivated Don Baker. Don is one month into a two-month sabbatical from his overprotective mother (Athena Gundlach). Living on his own for the first time, he meets next-door neighbor Jill (Shannon Sawyer), whom he falls for instantly. 

Predictably, mother shows up to find the two unclothed and seemingly sharing an apartment. Mama Baker scares the young Jill with a nightmare scenario of life with a blind man, which leads her back into the arms of her friend Ralph (Christopher Johnston).

There is much to like here. Few local directors have Amy Lovato’s calm competency. Regardless of script shortfalls, she always delivers a professional, engrossing play. 

Gundlach, Johnston and Hamilton Lee are well cast. Gundlach’s Mrs. Baker is a force with which to be reckoned. Hamilton-Lee’s Don is grounded and moody, with wit presented more as keen sarcasm than humor. Johnston is loudly over-the-top in the best possible way. Sawyer, however, tends to play at a surface level and never finds depth in her character, making the play’s finale even more troublesome.

There are two elephants in this room. The first is blindness being portrayed by a sighted actor. Cloverdale is a house that always strives to do things equitably with an eye to advance all populations, and thoughtfully brought in a vision consultant (Jonathan Jose Esparza) to advise the cast. Whether casting a sighted actor was the correct decision is not for a sighted reviewer to make.

The second elephant is to be expected from a play written by a man in the ’60s: casual misogyny. The “happy” ending of this play is in reality the fallout of emotional bullying. It’s unfortunate that this wasn’t addressed, as it could have been a teaching moment for all. 

Butterflies are Free is an evenly directed, well-cast, and well-costumed play. Just be prepared to leave modern sensibilities at the door (and for gawd’s-sake, leave cell phones at the door, too).

‘’Butterflies are Free’ runs through July 31 at the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center, 209 N. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale. Saturday, 7:30pm; Sunday, 2pm. $12 -$25. Special Club 99 performance Thursday, July 21, $50. Recommended for viewers aged 13 and up due to mature language and brief sexual content. 707.894.2219. cloverdaleperformingarts.com

Sampling North Bay Wines on ‘the Boulevard’

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Sampling North Bay Wines on ‘the Boulevard’

A fine harvest of wine experiences for every taste can be found along “the Boulevard,” that is Petaluma Boulevard, running roughly north and south through downtown Petaluma. 

Wine has long been a part of the Petaluma weekend life. The town is the perfect distance up from San Francisco for a stop along the routes to other wine locales up the road or further along the bay.

“Can you say some of the geeky stuff you said about geology?” I ask at the bar of Black Knight Vineyards’ downtown Petaluma tasting room (155 Petaluma Blvd N). 

Sonic Youth plays on the house speakers as proprietor Lexine Black pours out a flight for my wife (I’m not much of a drinker). Black was a geologist before making wine professionally with her father. “So [Black Knight Vineyards is] on Taylor Mountain, which is an extinct volcano that last erupted three and a half million years ago,” she says, speaking about the vineyard property in Bennett Valley.

“[That vineyard] is pumice, volcanic, ash, lots of petrified woods and loamy clays, which are all soils that vines respond really well to.” She adds, “They have a good porosity to permeability [ratio]. So they retain water without giving wet feet and vines, which makes them rot.” 

More than a waypoint along the highway, Petaluma is a recognized winegrowing region in its own right, with the official AVA appellation of “Petaluma Gap,” which straddles southern Sonoma and northern Marin counties. Brooks Note Winery (426 Petaluma Blvd N), which produces its wine along the Boulevard north of downtown, specializes in wines from the Gap.

“The wind is really what was the defining factor when they drew the wines of the [Petaluma Gap appellation]. AVAs are basically drawn by soil maps,” Reed Kinnek, assistant winemaker, tells us. “[Here the wind blows] always the same direction.” The wind, it turns out, is what has the greatest impact on grapes from the Petaluma Gap.

Describing the unique way the appellation was defined, Kinnek tells us that surveyors “put up little devices to measure the wind speed you know, and all these different locations.” 

Really this whole Boulevard thing is about the vibe. And the vibe-iest wine place in town is still La Dolce Vita Wine Lounge (151 Petaluma Blvd S).

“At La Dolce Vita, we endeavor to create a place for people to experience ‘the sweet life,’ whether that’s touring the world via our selection of international wines, or as simple as enjoying prosciutto and melon paired with a locally-made rosé [on the patio] in the warm summer breeze—we hope you find your ‘sweet life’ here,” says owner Sahar Garhai.

This is a delightful nook of a wine bar, located in the Theatre Square along the Boulevard, where one can chat with refinement to the background hum of Felinni’s 8 1/2 on the discrete movie screens placed about. Garhai and staff are intuitively either friendly or reserved as the customer requires. 

The fact that any number of classic movies are playing in the background is a perfect example of the unique atmosphere of each of these locations. 

Black Knight takes its name from the game of chess, much loved by the family who runs the winery. The tasting room doubles as a chess space; each coffee table has a lovely chess set ready to play. A magnetic set hangs mounted on a wall. Black promises they love to see two kids sitting down to a game, “just not at the bar.”

Avinage (15 Petaluma Blvd N), a wine shop next to the Mystic Theater, offers a chance for one to quickly grab a favorite bottle. “Avinage focuses on European-style wine from around the world, featuring small producers that farm organically and use low intervention techniques in the cellar,” says Damien Carney. “We don’t yet have a tasting license, but we should have in-store tastings by mid-summer.”

So there you have it, a four tasting stroll through the heart of Petaluma, the city right at the very start of wine country, welcoming eclectic tastes along the river that was once the main travel hub of the North Bay. Now a tourist hub, let this be the constant: fabulous wine to drink.

Sonoma and Marin Locations Make Work Cool

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Sonoma and Marin Locations Make Work Cool

While coworking spaces were certainly around before the pandemic, the number of  professionals working remotely or from home has increased dramatically over the past two and a half years.

This has led to a surge in the popularity of coworking spaces, which prior to the pandemic were primarily utilized by entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Post pandemic, working from home isn’t just for entrepreneurs anymore. With every type of professional, from government employees and sales professionals to high level managers and “almost retired, but not quite yet” retirees working a few consulting hours, there has been a continued growing demand for more and better spaces to work from in Sonoma and Marin counties.

Those wondering why those who are allowed to work from home would prefer to pay for a shared office space instead of actually working from home aren’t alone. Here are the most common responses we got from those we spoke to who work from coworking spaces in Sonoma and Marin.

– Need a more professional environment, and an excuse to get dressed and get out of the house every day (aka don’t fall prey to the pajama pant work day)

-Don’t have a home office

-Have a partner who is also working from home or a stay-at-home parent partner, making it difficult to focus on work (a few said coworking spaces have “saved their marriage”!)

-Crave social interaction/working from home can be isolating/want to see other humans

-It’s simply more convenient (fresh coffee is always ready, comfortable chairs and different workspaces/desk options, printer is available and conducive to their professional needs, meeting rooms available for client meetings, walking distance to cafe or restaurant for meetings, high speed wifi that doesn’t cut out during Zoom calls, etc.)

Keller Street CoWork (Petaluma)

Located just a 5-10 minute walk from much of downtown Petaluma. Flexible hot desk memberships, make yourself comfortable at any open table, desk, etc. or purchase a membership that comes with a dedicated desk, and access to two conference rooms, four phone booths and a kitchen/coffee station.

Monthly memberships run from $300-$400/month for unlimited hours/usage (hot desk or dedicated desk), but Keller also offers less expensive options for those who don’t need a full space, such as day passes ($30/day) and 10 day passes ($200).

What we love most about this space:

– Freshly brewed drip coffee + Nespresso espresso machine always available

– Ability to book group meeting or conference rooms included in membership

-Regular social networking events such as Happy Hour Fridays, Stretch Labs and more

-Fun social extras such as a downstairs ping pong room, a keg on tap, etc.

-Walking distance to markets, restaurants and cafes

-Flexible day pass and lower package options

Things to know:

-While there is plenty of free parking available near this space, there are two and four hour limits, so it’s necessary to move your car at least once a day. 

Address: 140 Keller St., Petaluma

Website: www.kellerstreetcowork.com

SOMO Cowork (Rohnert Park)

Slated to open in the next several months, SOMO is currently in the final stages of construction. The space will feature 65 private offices, 24 designated desks, 80 flexible desks (for hot desk members), six flexible membership offices, six phone booths, four huddle/Zoom rooms and a podcast room. 

Members can have complimentary coffee, flat and sparkling water, and will be able to fuel up with healthy snacks at the SOMO Cowork Cafe. The space is also taking the “healthy workspace” concept to a new level, with plans for health and wellness focused features and amenities such as massage and maternity rooms, a Peloton bike room, a Zen Garden workstation and showers under way. 

The SOMO Cowork offices are located in SOMO Village in Rohnert Park, just  .5 miles from the Cotati SMART train station. The space is slated to open by late August/early September. 

Address: 1500 Valley House Dr., Rohnert Park

Website: www.somocowork.com

CoLab (Santa Rosa)

Located just a few blocks from 4th Street in the heart of downtown Santa Rosa, CoLab offers a convenient location, as well as plenty of space for both those in search of flexible hot desk memberships plus those seeking a permanent dedicated desk space in a shared office environment. The CoLab building is also home to a handful of local business offices or headquarters.

CoLab memberships include affordable and flexible community memberships and monthly packages that start at $35 for a day pass (but allow the member to add on additional days for $20/day) or $199/month for a “Collaborative Membership,” which includes 10 day passes/month.

Regular monthly coworking membership rates are $299/month and include unlimited use of the space, seven days/week. Monthly memberships also include a certain number of hours’ use of meeting rooms/conference rooms by appointment. 

CoLab access hours are Sunday through Saturday from 5am–midnight.

What we like best about this space:

-Free sparkling water and coffee

-Ability to book group meeting rooms included in membership

-Plenty of space and different options for where to sit as a flexible hot desk member

-Located just blocks from downtown Santa Rosa and plenty of restaurants (Indian, Vietnamese, Mexican, American, bistro, etc.), cafes, markets and the Wednesday night Santa Rosa market

-Affordable day pass and lower monthly plan options

-Dedicated/private parking lot (with passes to display in car for members)

-Dog friendly

Address: 427 Mendocino Ave., Suite 100, Santa Rosa

Website: www.colabconnect.com



CraftWork (Healdsburg)

Situated in downtown Healdsburg, CraftWork has served as a shared workspace, office space and gathering space for local professionals since early 2020. The space features a lobby (complete with a fireplace and cozy seating), a large open space with flexible and dedicated desks/seating, two meeting/conference rooms, two phone booths and a handful of private offices. 

Monthly “Bohemian” memberships  (use any open desk space at open tables/desks) at CraftWork cost $300, while a dedicated desk is $450/month, day passes are $35/day and packages of 10 half-days are $200. 

All monthly memberships include use of meeting rooms (a certain number of hours is included in membership) by reservation, attendance at entrepreneurial events and social mixers, and printing services.

CraftWork is open to members (who have full monthly memberships) from 6am to midnight, seven days a week.

What we like best about this space:

-Free sparkling water

-Free snacks are always available (nuts, granola bars, chocolate, etc.)

-Freshly brewed (local) coffee and access to an espresso/cappuccino machine, where members can make their own espresso, steam milk, etc. 

-Access to an outdoor patio, where members can have coffee or lunch or take phone calls

-Walking distance to everything in downtown Healdsburg (tons of restaurants)

-Ability to book group meeting rooms included in membership

-Regular social networking events that include food and/or drinks and which are well attended (i.e. the management here works hard to ensure that events are successful and that people connect with each other on a regular basis)

-Walking distance to everything downtown Healdsburg has to offer: restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, etc.

-The space is dog friendly

Address: 445 Center St., Healdsburg

Website: www.craftworkhbg.com

Trailhead Coworking (Mill Valley and Corte Madera)

Located off of East Blithedale Avenue in Mill Valley and with another location in Corte Madera,  Trailhead Coworking offers private offices and shared work spaces. Coworking memberships come with access to phone booths and/or conference rooms (to take calls or hold meetings), and shared workspaces feature electronic stand-up/sit-down desks. 

Monthly memberships ($450) are for dedicated desks in a shared space. There are also private offices available for rent. 

What we like best about this coworking space:

-Collaborative, supportive and social environment

-Responsive ownership/management

-Privacy and comfort features such as privacy dividers for desks and stand-up/sit-down desks

-Walking distance to Whole Foods and fitness studios (Mill Valley location)

What Trailhead Coworking doesn’t offer:

-Hot desk memberships 

-Day passes or packages of day passes 

Address: 650 E Blithedale Ave., Suite M, Mill Valley

Website: www.trailheadmarin.com

Venture Pad (San Rafael)

Venture Pad is located in the heart of downtown San Rafael, at the corner of B St. and Julia St., within one block of a paid public parking lot.

Venture Pad offers flexible daily, weekly and monthly membership packages, as well as both private offices and shared spaces. Amenities at Venture Pad include 500 MBPS Wi-Fi, a kitchen (where members can prepare lunches, keep things refrigerated, etc.), four meeting rooms and three phone booths. 

Members can choose a month-to-month membership that automatically renews each month or purchase single day, five-pack or 10-pack day pass options. All memberships include 10 hours of meeting space access per month.

At $435/month for a flexible hot desk membership, this is one of the more expensive options on this list for a regular monthly coworking space membership (that doesn’t come with a dedicated desk). However, with day passes at $25/day and packages of five day passes for $100 and 10 for $150, 

Venture Pad provides some great affordable options for those who may not want to spend $400+ a month or who don’t want or need to use a space five days a week.

What we like best about this coworking space:

-Within a few blocks of lots of different businesses (restaurants, cafes, banks, theaters, etc.)

-Flexible membership options

-Free coffee, espresso, water, tea

-Kitchen to prepare lunches

-Dog friendly 

– Venture Pad spearheads or is involved in a lot of different community initiatives and events. They host four active Meetup groups (one for startup founders), as well as events related to social justice, climate change, sustainability and more. The space also hosts a monthly Lunch and Learn event series for space members.  

Address: 1020 B St., San Rafael

Website: www.venturepad.works

The Livery CoWork (Sebastopol)

Surrounded by downtown Sebastopol businesses and services and adjacent to ample free public parking, the Livery offers a variety of membership options, all with high-speed fiber internet, access to meeting rooms, front desk support, community support and networking, kitchen access, and bottomless tea and Retrograde coffee.  Common areas feature sit-stand hot desks with ergonomic chairs, bistro tables and a lounge complete with sofa and armchairs. Private spaces include state-of-the art ventilated ROOM phone booths, focus rooms, and limited dedicated offices. Memberships start at $200 per month. Day passes are also available. 

What we love most about this space:

-Stylish-this is an industrial space with plenty of natural light and greenery, art by local artists, and a tech-equipped community table custom milled by a local artisan with lumber from a redwood tree that once grew on Mill Station Road.

– Leafy balcony with comfortable outdoor seating

– Bottomless Retrograde coffee and Numi teas

-Weekly yoga classes and “Third Thursday” learning labs free to members

-The space is available 24/7 to monthly members

Address: 6940 Burnett St., Sebastopol

Website: www.livery135.com/the-cowork

Kronos Quartet: The legendary San Francisco quartet comes to Rancho Nicasio

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Kronos Quartet: The legendary San Francisco quartet comes to Rancho Nicasio

Kronos Quartet, a staple of the San Francisco music scene since 1978, is returning to Rancho Nicasio on Sunday, July 24 for the venue’s BBQ on the Lawn series. The night promises to be clement, with plentiful brews flowing freely and eclectic music emanating from the Kronos Quartet’s strings. 

Kronos Quartet is decidedly not the traditional string quartet experience. Those concerned about a sleepy performance featuring snoring seatmates need not worry. Not only is Rancho Nicasio a lively and refreshing outdoor venue; the group is known for taking audiences along for an often unexpected, always exciting, classical thrill ride. According to its website, the quartet exists “to create, perform and promote music from a global perspective that responds to the world we share and expand the understanding of music’s role as a powerful force in society.” 

Think of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” which for those unfamiliar features live cannon fire, chimes and brass fanfare, for a general sense—minus the cannons—of Kronos’ adventurous, explorative and invigorating productions. This musical institution, including a nonprofit branch dedicated to developing the musical capacities of future generation artists and listeners, honors the profundity of music that only music can convey. 

Kronos Quartet was first founded in 1973 in Seattle, WA, by violinist David Harrington and moved to its now home of San Francisco in 1978. Made up of four members, the quartet currently consists of Harrington on violin, John Sherba on violin, Hank Dutt on viola and Sunny Yang—the newest member—on cello.  

The group has performed worldwide, recorded over 40 albums and is considered by many to be the most famous contemporary classical music group in the world. Their repertoire is expansive, with over 1,000 pieces commissioned over their nearly 50 years of performing. The group plays a strikingly diverse range of music, from work by minimalist composers such as John Adams, Arvo Pärt and Philip Glass, to pieces composed for them by Frank Zappa, to adaptations of works by Prince and Sigur Ros. 

Kronos Quartet has performed alongside Allen Ginsberg, Björk, the National, Tom Waits and David Bowie. They have received over 40 musical awards, including two Grammy awards, the Polar Music Prize, the 2018 WOMEX Artist Award, and the Rolf Schock Prize and the Avery Fisher Prize, among others. They are constantly revolutionizing the quartet music experience and pushing the boundaries of classical music. The quartet tours five months of each year, appearing in the world’s most prestigious music venues, 

The Kronos Performing Arts Association gives back to the music community in myriad ways, both in the Bay Area and internationally. Photo by Lenny Gonzalez.

Says founder Harrington of the group’s ethos, “I’ve always wanted the string quartet to be vital, and energetic, and alive, and cool, and not afraid to kick ass and be absolutely beautiful and ugly if it has to be. But it has to be expressive of life. To tell the story with grace and humor and depth. And to tell the whole story, if possible.”   

Along with their illustrious and lengthy career transforming the landscape of classical music, their nonprofit arm, the Kronos Performing Arts Association (KPAA),  has also built and sustained programs mentoring emerging musicians and composers, both in the United States and abroad. 

“There are certain experiences in life that set the bar higher,” says Harrington. “One of them for me was when in 1974 Rostislav Dubinsky, the Borodin Quartet’s first violinist, spent three hours going over with me every question I had about Shostakovich’s 8th Quartet. This lesson set the bar for me as to what an elder musician ought to do for a younger musician. Each member of Kronos has received this kind of generous guidance from many people over the years. We have been given a wealth of spirit and knowledge that we hope to share.” 

In 2015, Kronos Quartet and KPAA, which manages all aspects of the Kronos Quartet, launched 50 For the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire. This project is commissioning and freely distributing 50 new works for string quartets, designed specifically to educate and train new to mid-career string musicians and quartets. These commissioned pieces of music play many roles, including being used as remixable samples in KPAA’s collaboration with Sunset Youth Services, which supports young music producers, engineers and hip-hop artists. These remixes will be released by Sunset Youth Services’ in-house record label, Upstar Records. 

Their ongoing dedication to keeping the story of classical music alive, contemporary and valuable to the community has made Kronos Quartet a musical institution and a gem in the crown of the Bay Area arts scene.  

Check out Kronos Quartet this Sunday, July 24 at Rancho Nicasio, playing a set including works by Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, Mazz Swift, Peni Candra Rini, Philip Glass and Michael Gordon.

For information and tickets to BBQ on the Lawn, visit www.ranchonicasio.com. More information about the quartet can be found at www.kronosquartet.org.

Culture Crush—New Yorker Cartoons and Wine, Jazz and Art, and More

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Culture Crush—New Yorker Cartoons and Wine, Jazz and Art, and More

Sonoma

Cartoons + Wine 

What better a combination than wine and cartoons? For those with a creative inkling and a love of wine, join New Yorker cartoonist, author and filmmaker Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell at the La Prenda Tasting Room for Cartooning Classes. Fitzgerald’s debut memoir, Murder Book, has been nominated as the best non-fiction mystery novel in this year’s Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, and she has illustrated books like Feminist Fight Club and Are You My Uber? Her second memoir, The Joy of Snacking, is scheduled to come to bookstores in 2023. Though she resides in New York, Fitzgerald is a Sonoma-born artist, and is looking forward to bringing her cartooning gifts to her hometown. Join Fitzgerald at the La Prenda Tasting Room, 535 1st St W, Sonoma, on Thursday, July 21 at 6:30pm, or Thursday, Aug. 25 at 6:30pm. $50, including supplies and a glass of La Prenda wine. www.laprendawines.com  

Sonoma

Jazz and Art

Yet another great combination—art and jazz! Join the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (SVMA) for Jazzin’ It Up at ArtNight, a lively night of music, food, art and cocktails, inspired by the museum’s current exhibition, “Dancing with Charlie: Bay Area Art from the Campbell Collection.” Featuring music from A Band for All Seasons—a group formed specifically for this occasion—including Roy Blumenfeld, Jef Labes, Richard Olsen, Joni Maxx, Paul Robinson and Paul Smith. Take a trip through the evolution of jazz during Charlie Campbell’s lifetime, including the Charleston, Lindy Hop, Swing and the jazz sounds of North Beach. Enjoy the art, have a drink and shake a leg! This event is held at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, 551 Broadway, Sonoma, from 6pm-9pm. $35 SVMA members, $40 for non-members. One cocktail is included with admission. Reservations are required. www.svma.org 

Petaluma

Rivertown Revival 

This Petaluma staple returns for 2022. Come celebrate the slough at Rivertown Revival! 

Food, art and drinks for all are guaranteed. And this year, to make up for lost time, Rivertown Revival is offering even more.This year’s festivities include two days packed with $5 weddings, curios, and performances by Sean Hayes, La Gente, The Musers and many more. There will be a family area for all ages, including crafts and dancing, and a quiet area for tired little ones. Proceeds from the Rivertown Revival benefit Friends of the Petaluma River, a local non-profit dedicated to educating the community about the Petaluma River and its watershed. Throughout the year, the nonprofit hosts river cleanups, free boating programs, nature camps for kids, environmental education courses, community celebrations and much more. Rivertown Revival is held at 100 E D St, Petaluma. July 23-24. 11am-7pm. Tickets from $5-$40. www.rivertownrevival.com 

San Rafael

Married, Single, Mingle! 

Looking for something new to do this weekend? Head over to Ounces Outdoors for Married, Single, Mingle! Join a group of strangers waiting to be friends at the outdoor beer garden for light snacks, mixer games that make mingling easy and all kinds of opportunities. The event is co-sponsored by The Society of Single Professionals, the world’s largest nonprofit singles organization, and benefits the Seva Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing and treating blindness. Ounces Outdoors, which opened this summer, is dog friendly, and features craft beer, cider, wine and bocce courts. Come check out a new venue, try a new beer and make a new friend. Dressy casual attire is suggested for this event, held on Sunday, July 24 at Ounces Outdoors, 5800 Northgate Dr, San Rafael. From 3pm-5pm. Tickets $10. www.stayhappening.com 

—Jane Vick 

Axial Tilt brings Grateful Dead tunes to Rohnert Park

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Axial Tilt brings Grateful Dead tunes to Rohnert Park

Leaning into a lyric that some Grateful Dead fans may find useful during this protracted “unprecedented moment,” “Through this world of trouble we must love one another.”

The line is from “My Sisters and Brothers,” which might be among the lineup performed over  two days as part of Axial Tilt, an all-star Grateful Dead celebration coming to SoMo Village in Rohnert Park this weekend. 

The upcoming event is a reprise of sorts for Axial Tilt—the first took place in 2015 during New Orleans-based Jazz Fest and was timed to celebrate the Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary as a band. Mounted by impresario Mitch Stein’s Poolside Productions, this iteration of the event is the first to transpire in the Bay Area—birthplace of the Dead. 

“The Grateful Dead and their fans are the embodiment of ‘community,’” says Stein of the band’s enduring legacy in the Bay Area and beyond. “Regarding the musicality inherent in any Grateful Dead show and, in our Deadheads’ lingo—and reference to a lyric from [the song] ‘The Music Never Stopped’—the music really does play the band with the Grateful Dead.” 

The two-day musical event consists of one acoustic set and two electric sets, culminating in five hours of live Grateful Dead music, with nary a song repeated either night. The band is comprised of names long-associated in the extended Grateful Dead family, including guitarist Stu Allen (Phil Lesh & Friends, Stu Allen & Mars Hotel), guitarist Rob Eaton (Dark Star Orchestra), vocalist Lisa Mackey (Dark Star Orchestra), bassist Stephen Ramirez (CRYPTICAL, Zen Tricksters), drummer Jay Lane (RatDog, Wolf Brothers, Primus) and percussionist Wally Ingram (Bob Weir + Phil Lesh Duo). Stein, himself a veteran keyboardist for CRYPTICAL and Gatorators, will also perform.

As for the band the aforementioned musicians are celebrating, Stein attributes the Grateful Dead’s enduring legacy to a variety of factors.

“I can’t think of another collection of musicians—let alone one that performed more than 2,300 concerts over 50 years, and who continue to perform in various configurations to this day—whose symbiotic relationship with their fans is as much of the experience as the notes being played,” says Stein. He also attributes the fact that the original Grateful Dead allowed, if not encouraged, their fans to record their live concerts and share the copies of the material, which spread their music “farther and wider than anything the record company could have done.” 

Going “viral” in an analogue age was no mean feat pre-Internet. These days, however, notions of virality come fraught with Covid considerations. Stein and his collaborators are prepared. 

“This is not a political issue for us,” says Stein, who is steadfastly clear-eyed about the pandemic. “Covid is still very much around, and while those of us involved with Axial Tilt are thrilled to be able to get back to doing what we love to do—and are specifically doing it outdoors—we can only do so with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that every single person in attendance is as protected as they can be.”

Proof of vaccination (including at least a single booster) is required, and masks are not mandated but are encouraged.

Axial Tilt commences 5:30pm, July 23 and 24, SOMO Village Redwood Grove, 1100 Valley House Drive, Rohnert Park. For more information and tickets, visit ddhowl.com/axialtilt.

Call for Art and Poetry

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Call for Art and Poetry

Petaluma Arts Center is calling for submissions of poetry and art for an upcoming exhibition called Agri-CULTURED: Reflections on our Local Food’ by Land and by Hand.

This new exhibition and tandem lecture series explore cross-cultural intersections of food and farming in our region.

The project brings together food producers, purveyors, and artists who work locally and align with global concerns of sustainable practice and cultural memory.

It not only bridges art, science, and agriculture but also engages the spheres of hospitality, tourism, and the economy of Sonoma
County.

Call for Art

The center invites works from Petaluma and surrounding Sonoma County communities that respond to at least one of the following:

  • Food and the environment: through the lenses of drought, wildfires.
    and climate change
  • Food and culture: as an expression of family, community, and ritual.
  • Food and the economy: exploring labor issues, distribution, and ethical practice.

The center reminds artists that all artwork must be ready for installation. All framed, wall-hung work must be securely wired for hanging. Likewise, all work must have a label attached to the back of the piece that includes artist information, title, medium, year, price, and any special installation instructions. Wall-hung work must not be over 50 lbs. All work must be original (and the artist receives 60% of the sales price for any works sold).

Call for Poetry

The center is also seeking poetry themed on food and memory—all forms of poetry accepted.

The deadline for both art and poetry is July 15. Artists will be notified of selected works by July 22. Only two submissions per artist. Submission fees are $15 for arts center members and $25 for non-members.

Links to submit work online can be found here.

This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and from Creative Sonoma.

Drought Affects Petaluma Viticulture

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Drought Affects Petaluma Viticulture

Petaluma Gap wines are said to have a bit more balance and refinement because the wind hardens and thickens the grape skins, producing more tannins, which render the feeling of texture in your mouth. The microclimate produces wine with a combination of freshness, refinement and elegance with more intensity from the tannins. 

But like the rest of the Bay Area, the Petaluma Gap climate is changing. At the Golden Gate Bridge, sea level rose 9 inches between 1854 and 2016 as a result of melting land ice and the thermal expansion of ocean water. Over the last 100 years, Bodega Bay sea level rose 8.5 inches. And since 1961, average ocean temperature at Point Reyes has risen about 2 degrees Fahrenheit.

Climate science is very complex. Stewart Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley, his master’s degree from Yale and his J.D. from Hastings. But none of it prepared him for the challenges of growing grapes on the Marin side of the Petaluma Gap, where the soil is particularly thick and tough for roots to penetrate. The drought put Chileno Valley Vineyards out of business and prevented Griffin’s Lair from delivering a crop last year.

“I irrigate with a pond that catches runoff every winter. Even through the previous years of drought, I always had a full pond. In 2021, I didn’t get a drop. I had to haul in recycled water,” says Johnson, who gave his Kendric Vineyards about half the water he usually does just to keep the pinot noir and syrah vines alive. 

All in, it cost him $27,000 to bring in enough water to eke out what he considered to be a sacrificial crop. The syrah grapes hang longer and fared worse than his pinot noir. He used to get eight to 10 barrels of syrah. Last year, he only got one. Climate change exacted a hefty toll.

The Petaluma Gap, which comprises roughly 200,000 acres and 4,000 vineyard acres that get wind swept with fog from the Pacific Ocean, was first recognized in 2017 as an American Viticulture Area (AVA) for its unique Sonoma County microclimate. The AVA is defined by its wind pattern, and is home to roughly 90 vineyards, nine wineries and seven wine tasting rooms. 

Warmer temperatures inland draw coastal fog from the Pacific Ocean through a gap in the mountains at Bodega Bay. The wind current travels east until it hits the Sonoma Mountains, where it gets deflected south to San Pablo Bay. So the Petaluma Gap is essentially a wind tunnel, and some of the AVA’s most famous vineyards—like Gap’s Crown, Robert’s Road and Sun Chase—are along the western side of the Sonoma Mountains, which serves as a sort of wind tunnel inflection point.

In April 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency in Sonoma and Mendocino counties due to dry conditions in the Russian River watershed, which includes the hills and mountains that straddle the Russian River, as well as the mountains alongside the Eel River, which feeds into the Russian River at the Lake Mendocino Reservoir in Ukiah by means of a man-made diversion tunnel built in 1908.

In an attempt to defer water curtailments, local stakeholders launched a voluntary water sharing program for Upper Russian River rights holders earlier this month. Warmer temperatures make surface water evaporate faster. Add to that low precipitation, and you can start to see why wine growers have been hit so hard by climate change. For the last 26 consecutive months, Marin, Sonoma and Napa have been experiencing severe drought conditions.

“More than being hot, it’s unpredictable. And we’ve not had water for the past two or three years. We’ve been irrigating in March, which is something we have never done,” says Ana Keller, director at Keller Estates, which has vineyards, a winery and a tasting room in the Petaluma Gap. 

“We lost grapes in 2010 and 2011 because they were the two coldest years on record in this part of Sonoma,” says Mitch Black, who grows grapes with his daughter, Lexine, at Black Knight Vineyards on Taylor Mountain, overlooking the Petaluma Gap. “We’re having such strong swings from cold to warm.” Black Knight grows Clone 828 Pinot Noir grapes originating from Dijon, France for Halleck Vineyard.

Combined land and ocean temperature has increased at an average rate of 0.13 degrees Fahrenheit per decade since 1880. But the average rate of increase since 1981 has jumped to twice that rate, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency’s 2020 Annual Climate Report. Rising temperatures also means snowpack melts earlier, leading to dryer and more flammable vegetation, longer fire seasons and higher burn intensities.

Fires west of the Sonoma Mountains pose a much greater risk to Petaluma Gap wines. If the smoke from neighboring fires reaches a vineyard within 12 hours, it can ruin the crop. Unlike white wines, where the skins are discarded, pinot noir hangs on the vine longer and is extremely susceptible to smoke taint,” says Tom Gendall, director of winemaking and viticulture at Cline Cellars.

Three of the 10 most costly fires in the history of the U.S. were in 2020, according to a report from the Insurance Information Institute. And two out of those three were in wine country. 

The LNU Lightning Complex fire, which started just south of the Quail Ridge Ecological Reserve on Aug. 17, 2020 and burned 363,220 acres, was responsible for $2.43 billion in damages and posed an agricultural threat to the Petaluma Gap, because it was west of the Sonoma Mountains, so the winds had the potential to envelop Gap vineyards with thick, black smoke.

“Wildfires are becoming a bigger source of loss for insurance companies in the last five years. And since 2017, Northern Californians are suffering more losses,” says Janet Ruiz, director of strategic communications at the Insurance Information Institute, a nonprofit, industry-backed association. 

Eric Schwartzman is editor of the ‘Sonoma Wine Tasting Blog.’

Trivia

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QUESTIONS:

1 California’s longest highway has what route number?

2 What animal was named “eight feet” in Greek and Latin?

3 What is the Inuit word for house?

4 What popular appetizer was invented in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in a city of upstate New York, after which it was named?

5 What two chemical elements comprise 99% of the air we breathe?

6  We’re looking for four countries whose names begin with M: Two are located in the southeast of Africa, as well as two island nations that lie off the southeast coast of Africa.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is TRIVIA-1-Allee-des-Baobabs-Madagascar.png

7 This original singer has over 45 million YouTube subscribers and over 100 million Instagram followers. She has won multiple Grammys and one Academy Award and some Billboard Music awards, and was one of the youngest entertainers to ever top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Who is she?

8 Name the two major league baseball players who’ve been on the All-Star team roster the most: One played mostly for Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves and was on the All Star Roster 21 seasons from 1954 to 1976, and the other played mostly for the New York/San Francisco Giants, and made the team 20 times from 1948 through 1973.

9 What company involved in the beverage business is named for Captain Ahab’s first mate?

10 What movie characters sing, “Heigh ho, heigh ho, it’s off to work we go,” in what 1938 movie?

BONUS QUESTION: France’s biggest holiday, Bastille Day, is celebrated on July 14 of every year, in memory of what events?

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is TRIVIA-2-Bastille-day.jpg

Want more live trivia? You’re invited to our next Trivia Cafe team contest at the Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley on Sunday, July 24 at 5pm, hosted by Howard Rachelson.  Free admission, with a food menu and full bar available. Contact ho*****@********fe.com.

ANSWERS:

1 Route 101

2 Octopus: Octo=eight + pous=foot

3 Igloo or iglu

4 Buffalo wings

5 78% nitrogen, 21.5% oxygen

6 Mozambique and Malawi on the mainland, and the islands of Madagascar (shown in photo) and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean

7 Billie Eilish

8 Hank Aaron, Willie Mays

9 Starbucks—he was a shipmate in the novel Moby Dick.

10 Seven Dwarfs, in the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

BONUS ANSWER: The holiday commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison on July 14, 1789 by the common people, which began the French Revolution and ended the “ancien régime.”

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Call for Art and Poetry

Petaluma Arts Center is calling for submissions of poetry and art for an upcoming exhibition called Agri-CULTURED: Reflections on our Local Food’ by Land and by Hand. This new exhibition and tandem lecture series explore cross-cultural intersections of food and farming in our region. The project brings together food producers, purveyors, and artists who work locally and align with global concerns of...
Read more

Drought Affects Petaluma Viticulture

Petaluma Gap wines are said to have a bit more balance and refinement because the wind hardens and thickens the grape skins, producing more tannins, which render the feeling of texture in your mouth. The microclimate produces wine with a combination of freshness, refinement and elegance with more intensity from the tannins.  But like the rest of the Bay Area,...
Read more

Trivia

QUESTIONS: 1 California’s longest highway has what route number? 2 What animal was named “eight feet” in Greek and Latin? 3 What is the Inuit word for house? 4 What popular appetizer was invented in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in a city of upstate New York, after which it was named? 5 What two chemical elements comprise 99% of the air we breathe? 6 ...
Read more
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