June already. How’d that happen? It’s not the 21st yet, but we might as well call it summer: Gigs are trickling in. I just came back from a very inspiring weekend of music (and time with friends) at the Strawberry Music Festival. And this week I finished a song that’s been stuck, half-finished, in my head for months – which in theory frees up room to write another.

Here’s a list of what’s coming up and what’s new here on the web site:

Sat June 8 – Resource Center for Nonviolence
612 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz CA
Joining Nancy Cassidy, Sharon Allen, and a whole bunch of Santa Cruz songwriters in a benefit for the Santa Cruz Police Department’s “Buy ’em Back” program. Starts at 7:30 pm. Suggested donation $15. Details here.

Fri Jun 14 – Corralitos Cultural Center
127 Hames Road, Watsonville CA
Hosting Dayan Kai in a special CD-release party. (Dayan moved to Maui on us earlier this year. He’s back for a few weeks.) I’ll do a short set sometime during the evening, too. Starts at 7:30 pm. Suggested donation $10-$20. Email me for reservations.

Fri Jun 28 – BBQ 152
8295 Monterey Street, Gilroy CA
Playing at a new music night in this fine BBQ spot, backed by Mark Fenny on harmonica. Music 6:30 from 8:30 pm. No cover.

Note: An extra, non-music event if you’re near Capitola: Michaella Olavarri, owner of the cafe inside the Capitola Book Cafe, recently won her battle with cancer. On Wed, June 12, the cafe is holding a fundraiser to help her offset her medical expenses.

Food is being donated by Shadowbrook, Paradise Beach Grill, Stockton Bridge Grill, and Classic Wines. Dinner at 5:00 pm. Tickets are $25. Call the cafe at (831) 454-6768 for details.

New Podcast – Nancy Cassidy’s “Song of Joy”
Nancy has TWO new CDs making the rounds: “Song of Joy” and the soon-to-be-released “Memphis”. We did a long kitchen-table chat about both records, her songwriting process, and how being a California farm girl (and ex-river rat) influences her music. Click here to listen (and/or to subscribe to the podcast for free in iTunes):

New Blogs
I’ve been sprucing things up here, fixing stuff that admittedly only I probably notice. Have a look if you haven’t been there in awhile. Two new blogs if you’re so inclined:

• Starlite Elementary Playlist – A recap of a concert I did for the third graders at the very same spot where our Starlite Drive-In once stood.
• Ray Harryhausen: A Legend Moves On – I spent many years writing about video and movies for the Santa Cruz Sentinel. When one of my childhood heroes passed last month, I had to put something together on the guy who breathed magic into the animation of “Jason and the Argonauts” and “Earth vs the Flying Saucers”.

There’s lots more coming in July, including a co-bill with Steve Kritzer at The Ugly Mug in Soquel. Check over on the Calendar page for details. As always, many thanks for the support, for my own shows, the podcast, and the folks we’re lucky enough to present out in Corralitos.