FELTON

Felton Music Hall sends in a clown

Puddles, the alias of Atlanta-based performer Michael Geier, is a 7-foot tall clown who has been performing since 1998 and gained a wide audience through his collaborations with retro covers collective Postmodern Jukebox, who have racked up millions of views on YouTube through their jazzy renditions of popular songs, with Puddles joining on melancholy covers from the likes of Lorde, Sia and even Blink 182. Puddles even has his own solo channel with 912,000 subscribers, was a quarterfinalist on “America’s Got Talent” and will be joining “Weird Al” Yankovic on his “Bigger & Weirder 2025 Tour.” That’s nothing to clown about.

The concert is 8 p.m. Friday at Felton Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9. Doors open at 7. This is a fully seated show, but you can be placed on a waitlist by going to the concert page at FeltonMusicHall.com. Tickets will be first come, first served. This is a 21-and-older show.

Local rockers Trestles kick off 2025 with Felton show

Felton Music Hall hosts a wide variety of artists, from national and international acts to local bands making a name for themselves. It is the latter who will take the stage Saturday when Santa Cruz indie rock quartet Trestles kick off their first show of the year.

Trestles are a four-piece formed in 2021who blend modern indie sounds with ’60s garage rock for a style that has made them a favorite within Santa Cruz’s live music scene, including multiple shows at the Catalyst Club. They were even named Band of the Year at the NEXTies Awards, which honor Santa Cruz musicians. Their debut album, “Halfway Up the Hill,” was released in 2022. Prior to their headlining spot at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco on Jan. 16, Trestles will be performing live in their own county, and they will be joined by fellow local bands Hearsing and Vertiginous who will open.

The concert is 8 p.m. Saturday at Felton Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9. Doors open at 7. Tickets are $22.63 for advance general admission and $20.57 for a general admission four-pack. This is a 21-and-older concert. For more information, go to FeltonMusicHall.com.

SANTA CRUZ

Afrobeats Nite Santa Cruz brings first show of year to Moe’s

Afrobeats Nite Santa Cruz is a series of dance parties curated by local DJ Monk Earl as a way to celebrate Santa Cruz’s local and international community. Earl will be performing along with drummer and DJ Clay Bandy, and calypso and reggae singer LemoLive. All three will provide a blend of dancing and international culture that will make for a very exciting evening.

The show begins promptly after doors open at 8 p.m. Saturday at Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way. Tickets are $20 in advance and $23 the day of the show. This is a 21-and-older event. For more information, go to MoesAlley.com.

Now I wanna see your dog: Jazz the Dog to play Crepe Place

There are plenty of cover bands out there, but there are none quite like Jazz the Dog. While other tribute acts will perform songs in the style of the artists who made them famous, Jazz the Dog put new spins on old favorites. Also, it features a dog who is just as much a part of the band’s identity as any of its three members. If this has piqued your appetite in any way, that’s good because Jazz the Dog will be playing a dinner show at The Crepe Place Tuesday, Jan. 7.

Jazz the Dog consists of Rick Zeek on guitar and vocals, Patti Maxine on lap steel and vocals and Rhan Wilson on guitars, vocals and looping. They are rounded out by their namesake mascot, Jazz, a canine who was part German shepherd and part coyote and served as Zeek’s companion after picking her up from a litter left near the Venice Beach Boardwalk. Sadly, Jazz died of complications from degenerative myelopathy in 1998, but she was taxidermized and continues to have a presence at all of Jazz the Dog’s shows.

Much like how Jazz was a hybrid of different species, Jazz the Dog is a hybrid of different genres. They have covered Hank Williams’ country classic “Hey Good Lookin’” in a bossa nova style, John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery” — another country classic — in a slow funky style, and a mashup of Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel,” Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Helpless” in a very soulful manner. They have even sung the theme to “The Brady Bunch” to the tune of the George Gershwin standard “Summertime.” Jazz the Dog will bring a little of everything as audiences nosh on crepes.

The free concert is 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday at The Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave. For more information, go to TheCrepePlace.com.

This week’s calendar was compiled by Nick Sestanovich.