We all know we are staring down the barrel of a windy, stormy mess of a week. While nights bundled up inside with hot drinks and warm company are always amazing, the best defense again Seasonal Affective Disorder is movement. These shows all promise high energy and warm vibes, so once you get to the show, the only chill you’ll feel is between your car heater and venue doors.
Friday, January 13 + Saturday, January 14
Iration double-header at The Catalyst Main Stage
One night isn’t enough for Iration fans. Members of this beloved five-piece reggae group hail from Hawaii, and grew up playing upbeat covers of their favorite “sunshine reggae” songs on the hard-partying streets of Isla Vista in Santa Barbara. Ten years after recording their first EP “New Roots”, Iration is now one of the most popular reggae groups in the US. Although they’ve cycled through a few members since their inception, the band always offers a high energy and well-oiled live show dripping with good vibes.
Show at 9 pm. Tickets $27.50
Saturday, January 14
Voodoo Glow Skulls at The Catalyst Atrium
Alright all you two-tone rude boys and rude girls, we’ve got a show for you this week. While ska has some new groups out there carrying the torch, the brightest days for the genre were the late 90s and early 00s, during which time the Voodoo Glow Skulls came on the scene. With a start playing backyard parties in Riverside, CA, the band eventually ended up touring all over South America, Mexico, and the US, sharing the stage and cementing themselves as ska royalty alongside groups like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Angry Samoans, and Murphy’s Law. Even if you don’t fancy yourself a ska fan, these guys have a horn section with enough brass to get a corpse movin’, so don’t miss out.
Show at 9 pm. Tickets $13 in advance/$15 at the door
Saturday, January 14
Sambada with special guests at Moe’s Alley
If you love seeing live music in Santa Cruz, you’ve probably crossed paths with SambaDa at least once since they formed here back in 1998. Easily one of the hottest Brazilian bands in the United States, these guys have been tearing up festivals and stages all across the globe for the last 15 years. The band is known for their high-energy percussion, constantly changing visuals, and insanely danceable grooves accompanied by amazing costumes and crowd performers. This show will feature a little extra Brazilian flavor from Energia Do Samba, Yabas Dance Group & Capoeira Raizes Do Brasil, who will be performing traditional Brazilian music as well as the Brazilian martial art Capoeira, which combines elements of dance, music and acrobatics.
Show at 9 pm. Tickets $15 in advance/$20 at the door
Monday, January 16
Walter TV at The Crepe Place
“When a surfing vacation with some tight bros goes horribly wrong, a hero is born. An arduous start in the ravaging surf is matched by a free-for-all with some new enemies. who will reign supreme in this man vs man drama? Man?” This is the quirky yet awesome description that accompanies Walter TV’s “Pooka Shell Necklace” music video. The video features them green screen-surfing on comically fake waves in some Hawaiian dystopian surf nightmare. There’s a reason these eccentric Canadian indie-rockers made the weekly list with a Monday show—they’re super fun live. Once you hear their dreamy, counter-culture indie tunes, they might ring a bell—this is Mac Demarco’s old band before he went out on his own, and still features many of the band members that play in his current band.
Show at 9 pm. Tickets $10 in advance/$12 at the door
