Cover: Big Blues
Moe's Alley builds the blues into a Santa Cruz institution.

News: Generation C
Called the Silent Epidemic, the blood-borne hepatitis C virus strikes at the heart of a generation.

Fins de Siècle: Bruce Bratton hunts the seas for historical sharks and endangered fish food.

Real Magic: Painter Frank Galuszka mixes magic and myth for imagery that evokes both Caravaggio and Bonnard.

Tribal Techno: Lost at Last adds synthesizers to tribal beats and creates a dance club phenomenon.

Sights and Sounds: Quintessential urban punks X and roots hero Dave Alvin get into (two-)step at Palookaville show.

Notes From the Underground: The Santa Cruz Artists Movement makes a big show of politicizing an art community.

Autumnal Classics: As the temperatures drop, Pearl Alley Bistro becomes a brasserie devoted to big flavors.

A La Carte: Homemade treats fortify early risers at Henfling's in Ben Lomond.

Kiss and Tell: Teen girls wrestle with lesbian urges in Swedish import 'Show Me Love.'

Big Mouse House: Frank Darabont and Stephen King's prestige prison pic shocks with sentiment and nostalgia.

Please don't forget to write! Metro Santa Cruz welcomes letters. Like any great work of art, they should be originals -- not copies of letters sent elsewhere. Include address and daytime phone (for verification purposes only). Letters may be edited for length and clarity or to correct factual inaccuracies known to us. Postal: Metro Santa Cruz Letters, 115 Cooper St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Fax: 831/457-5828. Email:

JavaScript must be enabled to display this email address.