SANTA CRUZ

Dirty Cello demonstrates possibilities of instrument

There are many places one expects to hear cellos: in orchestras to provide low-register harmonies, in pop or rock songs to invoke melancholy moods and so on. One place you might not expect to find cellos are as the lead instruments in blues or rock songs, but that is exactly what Oakland band Dirty Cello will bring to Kuumbwa Jazz Friday.

Fronted by longtime cellist Rebecca Roudman, Dirty Cello combines blues, bluegrass and classic rock — all with the cello as a primary instrument. The band has even been known to do renditions of Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” and The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” that heavily incorporate the instrument. They have played at venues all over Santa Cruz County, including Hallcrest Vineyards in Felton, Michael’s on Main in Soquel and the Twilight Concerts series in Capitola. Now they will play at Kuumbwa Jazz where audiences will walk away with a completely new view of the cello.

The concert is 7:30 p.m. Friday at Kuumbwa Jazz, 320 Cedar St. Doors open at 6:45. Tickets are $28.52 in advance and $30 at the door. For more information, go to KuumbwaJazz.org.

Rick Steves to share stories from Hippie Trail

(Note: This event is sold out, but people may join a waitlist to see if tickets become available.)

For decades, Rick Steves has provided a window to the world and inevitably sparked a lot of travel ideas. He will be sharing one of his travel stories, about a 1978 visit to the famed “Hippie Trail,” at the Rio Theatre Sunday.

Steves has traveled all over the world for decades, written many guidebooks, a syndicated newspaper column and hosted the TV series “Rick Steves’ Europe,” which continues to air on PBS stations. One of the places he traveled was along the so-called “Hippie Trail,” which saw many members of the ’60s counterculture traverse through on journeys that started in Europe and ended as far away as Bangkok. The portion Steves embarked on in 1978 took him from Istanbul to Kathmandu, and he documented all aspects of the trek from making friends in Iran to getting high for the first time in Afghanistan to fighting off leeches in Nepal. These stories are the subject of his memoir, “On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer” which includes photos and a reflection on how the trip changed his life.

The event is 4 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Rio, 1205 Soquel Ave. It is sponsored by Bookshop Santa Cruz and the UC Santa Cruz Humanities Institute. Those who have not already purchased tickets may request to be put on a waitlist by going to Tickettailor.com/events/bookshopsantacruz/1490826. For information, go to BookshopSantaCruz.com.

Saint Motel have stay at the Catalyst

If you’re looking for an indie rock band with dreamy instrumentation while also invoking ’70s pop, Saint Motel are just your type. They can be seen at the Catalyst Club Tuesday.

The Los Angeles quartet scored a major hit in 2015 with the disco-influenced “My Type,” which became a top 10 alternative hit and was featured in several TV shows and commercials. This led to a performance at Coachella that year, and they later opened for the likes of Twenty One Pilots and Panic! at the Disco. In February, Saint Motel released their fourth album “Saint Motel & the Symphony in the Sky” and are embarking on a 33-date tour in support. Opening will be Ohio folk trio Oliver Hazard.

The concert is 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Catalyst, 1101 Pacific Ave. Doors open at 7. Tickets are $47.14 for general admission and $134.32 and $242.32 respectively for two different pre-show VIP experiences. This is a 16-and-older concert. For more information, go to CatalystClub.com.

FELTON

Celebrate with Celtic renditions of The Grateful Dead

St. Patrick’s Day is coming up Monday, so why not get into the spirit this Saturday, Santa Cruz County style? That means seeing Celtic-themed Grateful Dead tribute band Wake the Dead at Felton Music Hall.

Wake the Dead bill themselves as “the world’s only Celtic all-star Grateful Dead jam band.” Using instruments like fiddles, pipes and mandolins, Wake the Dead perform The Grateful Dead’s most popular songs in a style that will have audiences dancing a merry jig. Santa Cruz has no shortage of Grateful Dead tribute bands, but we’re certain you’ve never seen one quite like this.

The concert is 8 p.m. Saturday at Felton Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9. Doors open at 7. Tickets are $29.83 in advance. This is a 21-and-older concert. For more information, go to FeltonMusicHall.com.

This week’s calendar was compiled by Nick Sestanovich.