SANTA CRUZ

Charles Duhigg talks communication at Rio Theatre

Communication is key when it comes to navigating through life, especially when it comes to building connections with others. This is something Charles Duhigg is well-versed in, and he will be discussing the many facets of communication and how we can all take it a step further with a lecture at the Rio Theatre Thursday titled, “Communicating in a Complicated World.”

A resident of Santa Cruz, Duhigg is a longtime journalist, having reported for the Los Angeles Times and New York Times, and also written numerous articles for the New Yorker. While on the staff at the New York Times, he was among a team of reporters who received a Pulitzer Prize for the paper’s coverage of technology companies’ business practices. He is also a best-selling author whose books include “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business,” “Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business” and “Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection.” The latter book is a dive into the neuroscience and psychology of how everyone can be “super communicators” in life and work. The lecture is a benefit for Leadership Santa Cruz County and is sponsored by Dignity Health in partnership with Bookshop Santa Cruz, Event Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce.

The event is 7 p.m. Thursday at the Rio, 1205 Soquel Ave. Tickets are $19.95 for general admission, $39.95 with a copy of “The Power of Habit” and $49.95 with a copy of “Supercommunicators.” For more information, go to RioTheatre.com.

Kuumbwa Jazz Camp serves as concert coda to students’ lessons

In recent weeks, budding jazz musicians have been learning all the tricks of the art form in the annual Kuumbwa Jazz Camp. Now audiences can see what these young musicians have worked on as they perform a finale concert at Kuumbwa Jazz Friday.

Kuumbwa’s Jazz Camp teaches students 12 to 18 everything from the history of jazz to music theory to concepts like soloing, improvisation and performing live. The students have received personalized instruction through a daily camp at Cabrillo College’s Visual, Applied and Performing Arts complex. Now they will be showcasing what they learned with the Kuumbwa Jazz Camp Concert.

The show is 7 p.m. Friday at Kuumbwa Jazz, 320 Cedar St. Doors open at 6. Admission is free. For more information, go to KuumbwaJazz.org.

Take a musical trip with Poi Rogers at The Crepe Place

Whether you are going on a vacation this summer or not, Friday’s show at The Crepe Place promises to take audiences on a journey all over the world — musically speaking, that is. Attendees will get the Western swing of Texas in the ’40s, the sweet strums of Hawaii in the ’50s and the honky tonk rhythms of the South before rock and roll, all courtesy of Santa Cruz’s very own Poi Rogers.

Comprised of Gerard Egan on acoustic guitar and triple neck steel and Carolyn Sills on standup bass, Poi Rogers have performed a variety of vintage styles over the years. In their other band, the Carolyn Sills Combo, the two have received Ameripolitan Awards for Western Swing Group, Sills was named the Academy of Western Artists’ Western Swing Female Vocalist of 2021 and both have been inducted into the Sacramento Western Swing Hall of Fame. They have also opened locally for notable musicians like Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Dave Alvin, as well as Margo Cilker. They released their debut album, “Twilight Blues,” earlier this month which reached the top 10 on the Alt Country Specialty Charts. Opening will be Santa Cruz alt country band Kentucky Mule.

The concert is 8 p.m. Friday at The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave. Tickets are $10. For information, go to TheCrepePlace.com.

Things get spooky with 45 Grave at Moe’s Alley

Halloween is four months away, but this Sunday, Moe’s Alley will be a haven for the dark and macabre as horror punk legends 45 Grave headline a spooky bill.

Formed in Los Angeles in 1979, 45 Grave received plenty of attention in their local burgeoning punk scene and had an early lineup that also included members of The Gun Club and The Germs, including future Nirvana and Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear. They got airplay on MTV, were featured on the “Return of the Living Dead” soundtrack with their song “Partytime” and appeared as extras in the 1982 movie “Blade Runner.”

The band broke up in 1985, but 45 Grave have reformed on two separate occasions, the latter of which has been performing since 2005. The band has shared stages with the likes of Bauhaus and Morrissey in recent years, and their mixture of punk and goth is sure to put audiences in a morbid mood. Opening will be Santa Cruz horror punk band Dark Ride and Santa Cruz garage punk band Critical Response. There will also be a DJ set by DJ Archive 65.

The concert is 7 p.m. Sunday at Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way. Doors open at 6. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the show. This is a 21-and-older concert. For more information, go to MoesAlley.com.

This week’s calendar was compiled by Nick Sestanovich.