aiplannersanta cruz events & things to do in february
Exciting events and experiences happening this month in Santa Cruz.
Moe's Alley Presents: Coco Montoya
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Coco is coming back for rockin blues Sunday afternoon show! Sunday, February 1, 2026Doors: 3:00 pm / Show: 4:00 pm$25 in advance / $30 day of the show21+*All sales are final*Avoid scammers! Only purchase tickets from moesalley.com or ticketweb.com====COCO MONTOYAOne of the most prodigious and gifted electric bluesmen on the planet...a deeply soulful singer and incendiary guitarist [with] a seemingly endless penchant for invention. AllMusicSmoking songs and heavy hitting guitar full of fire and passion...Montoyas rough-edged voice is filled with feeling. Bluesy, powerful and unpredictable...[It]really gets the blood flowing. Blues Music MagazineMontoya is a show-stopper...heartfelt singing and merciless guitar with a wicked icy burn. He is one of the truly gifted blues artists of his generation. Living BluesJust play what you feel, be real about it, and enjoy yourself. Thats what Albert Collins taught me, says the award-winning guitar virtuoso and soul-deep singer Coco Montoya. The self-taught, left-handed Montoya mastered his craft under Collins tutelage. Incorporating lessons learned from his mentors, the iconic Collins (for whom he originally drummed), and UK legend John Mayall, Montoya puts his own stamp onto every song he performs. Since his first solo album in 1995 (which won him the Blues Music Award for Best New Artist), Montoyas endlessly inventive guitar work and passionate, hard-hitting vocals have kept him at the top of the blues world. With his new Alligator Records album, Writing On The Wall (his sixth for the label), Montoya delivers what he is already calling one of the best records hes ever made. For the very first time on Alligator, he decided to bring his road-tested bandnoted keyboardist and songwriter Jeff Paris (Keb Mo, Bill Withers), bassist Nathan Brown, and drummer Rena Beaversinto the studio with him. Between the camaraderie of the long-time bandmates and the sheer talent of all involved, the results have left Coco, in his words, over the moon.
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(((folkYEAH!))) Presents - Tropical Fuck Storm w/ J.R.C.G.
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(((folkYEAH!))) presents Australias own Tropical Fuck Storm with special guest Sub Pop recording artist J.R.C.G.!Monday, February 2, 2026Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm$25 in advance / $30 day of the show21+*Tickets on sale Friday, October 24th at 10am PT**All sales are final*Avoid scammers! Only purchase tickets from moesalley.com or ticketweb.com====TROPICAL FUCK STORMIt was the silence as much as the disease that proved so unsettling. The world had gone inside, underground, taking with it some of its more destructive aspects. The clean and clear air in major cities was a jarring reminder of the airborne rot we had grown used to. Stuck indoors, we went stir crazy, imagined new worlds, dystopian worlds, apocalypses of the small and large variety. There were viral social media stories, most of them fake, about animals reoccupying cities, dolphins taking back the canals of Venice, elephants getting drunk in abandoned Chinese corn wine distilleries and passing out in tea gardens . In those first fearful days of the pandemic, we wrote ourselves out of existence and imagined what the world would be like without us. We missed the noise; we carried it inside us. We tried to find melody in the madness.Most of us have lived some inner Tropical Fuck Storm over this past year and a half. Gareth Liddiard, frontman for the Aussie band with a name perfectly suited to the times, was like the rest of us in feeling the malaise. On not writing any new songs for the first six months of the global shutdown, he says, Why would I? Everything seemed pointless. Even for a band thats made a career out of crafting songs attuned to political and social crisis, there was a new bleak in the air, what the band calls give-a-fuck fatigue. A Laughing Death in Meatspace and Braindrops, Tropical Fuck Storms 2018 and 2019 records, probed the destructive force of consumerist culture, the imperialistic reaches of the United States, the threat posed by a warming planet. The band wedded a brave new worldview to an ever lively acid punk sound. Which made you sometimes despair. While still wanting to dance.J.R.C.G.To experience Justin R. Cruz Gallegos pulverizing Sub Pop debut is to get burned down to ashes and burst forth, born anew. Grim Iconic(Sadistic Mantra), the Tacoma-based artists second album, is driven by opposing forces: noisy abstractions and tightly structured beats, anguish and dissolution at the outside world and empowerment within, apathy and catharsis. Grim Iconic(Sadistic Mantra) weds scouring electronics to hooky songs and Gallegos powerful drumming in a way that feels visceral and new. Its his most personal statement to date, at once playful and intent, driven and combustible, total fucking chaos mixed into glints of broken-glass beauty.Born in Tucson, Arizona, Gallego experienced culture shock as a child after relocating to the frigid climes of the Pacific Northwest. He found solace in the Seattle punk scene centered around Iron Lung Records and has since remained a fixture in the underground community.
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Moe's Alley Presents: Say She She "Cut & Rewind Tour" w/ Katzù Oso + DJ Archive 65
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Moes Alley presents the return of Say She She with special guest Katz Oso plus DJ Archive 65!Tuesday, February 3, 2026Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm$30 in advance / $35 day of the show21+*All sales are final*Avoid scammers! Only purchase tickets from moesalley.com or ticketweb.com=====SAY SHE SHETheres nothing more resonant than the human voice. It contains timbres and textures no other instrument can replicate, but most importantly, its immensely powerful: One voice can spark an uprising, but many voices in unison create a movement. Nya Gazelle Brown, Sabrina Cunningham, and Piya Malik, the three women who front NYC punk-chic, discodelic band Say She She, understand how to wield such power. They soar above irresistible grooves, locking together in gorgeous three-part harmonies that cleverly disguise the feeling of righteous rebellion permeating their music. Theirs is a multi-pronged call to action: Move your body, expand your mind, and recognize your strength. KATZ OSOKatz Oso is a Chicano artist born and raised in the heart of Los Angeles. His melodic vocals and contemporary sounds are influenced by his multicultural upbringing in East LA and Boyle Heights. After the release of his two buzzworthy harmonic EPs, Colour, and Pastel, Katz Oso takes us to another alternative dimension with his debut album, Tm. Osos album is a timeline portal into his heros journey growing up in his Boyle Heights neighborhood. From the heart and soul he brings to life una historia de amor to escape the current reality and transcend into a melodic universe filled with synthesizer and upbeat tempos. Visually, our hero takes on the new alter ego with the Luchador mask, a symbolic representation of his roots and serves as an ode to his Chicano cultura.
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TOBACCO CITY, SCOTT HIRSCH
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Soul Majestic "Bob Marley Birthday Celebration" w/ KnoLij Tafari + Selecta 7
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Moes Alley presents a special evening with Soul Majestic as we celebrate the birthday of legend Bob Marley. Special guests KnoLij Tafari and Seleca 7 round out the night! Friday, February 6, 2026Doors: 8pm / Show: 9pm$20 in advance / $25 day of the show21+*All sales are final*Avoid scammers! Only purchase tickets from moesalley.com or ticketweb.com===SOUL MAJESTICWith a resume that includes recording with some of the greatest legends in the business (such as Sly and Robbie), sharing festival stages with the likes of Rebelution, Matisyahu, Sean Paul, and Damian Marley, and extensive touring of North America both headlining and as a support act for Jamaican dancehall artist Anthony B, Soul Majestic has managed to amass a worldwide fan base. They have journeyed together through many adventures and growth opportunities in their career, from a pilgrimage to Jamaica to record their second album Until that Day at Bob Marleys Tuff Gong Studio, to touring Canada in support of their third album, Better World (which received an award for Galaxy Radio Canadastop 10 international reggae albums of the year). Through it all they have maintained a strong unity and drive to continue to do what they love most: uplifting people through music. KNOLIJ TAFARILij OReggio born on September 2,1992, better known by his stage name KnoLij Tafari is a Jamaican Reggae Artist from Kingston Jamaica. He lived in Marvaley, Drewsland and presently Glendale and went to The Tarrant High School. He has a one year old daughter by the name of Imami OReggio. He is from an ethiopian roots and background. Lij OReggio is the grandson of Leo Oreggio aka Big Daddy.The name Lij was given to him by his mother which means Prince of Peace and is the first name of the Emperor Haille Selassie. While growing up Lij wanted to be a Cricketer as that was his favourite sport as a child. He then developed a passion for reggae music and started singing at the age of 18.He taught skank dancing at the Merl Grove High School For Girls a year later. His first single entitled Raggamuffin in Love was produced Drew Stewart of Muzic House Productions in March 2017 .
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(((folkYEAH))) Presents: STINGRAY With YEOBO
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Proposition Mole presents 'Til Death Do Us Part: A Whack-A-Mole Drag Show Extravaganza
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For the broken hearts and the morbid lovers, we present Til Death Do Us Part, a WHACK-A-MOLE drag show extravaganza, put on by Proposition Mole. Dance the night away with tunes by Dj Crop Top, 10 show stopping drag performances, tattoos, tooth gems, and caricatures! Its time to get weird and dark this Valentines season. As with all of our events, we want to use this moment of community to help our neighbors who need support right now. All of the profits of this event will be donated to organizations helping to provide resources to families being displaced from the genocides in Sudan and Congo. Come support this event, not only for the queer Santa Cruz community, but for the communities overseas facing unjustly dangerous conditions. Tickets are available for $10 presale, and $15 at the door. We will be accepting further donations at the event for anyone wanting to help out more! QUEER ART IS RESISTANCESaturday, February 7, 2026Doors: 8pm / Drag Show: 9:30$10 in advance / $15 day of the show21+*All sales are final*Avoid scammers! Only purchase tickets from moesalley.com or ticketweb.com
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THE VAXXINES, JONNY MANAK AND THE DEPRESSIVES
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MANIA: The ABBA Tribute
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Western Wednesday #87: Jerry B. Logan & The Country Squires + Henry Warde
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Hot damn! Weve got a slick double bill for ya with Jerry B. Logan & The Country Squires plus Henry Warde! Wednesday, February 11, 2026Doors: 7pm / Two-Step Lesson: 7:30pm / Show: 8pm$15 in advance / $20 day of the show21+* All sales are final* Avoid scammers! Only purchase tickets from moesalley.com or ticketweb.com* Tickets requested by email will be delivered 3 days prior to the event* Will Call tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event====
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The Dead Cassettes w/ Birdcalls + Slow Coast
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Moes Alley Presents The Dead Cassettes with special guests Birdcalls and Slow Coast!Thursday, February 12, 2026Doors: 7pm / Show: 8pm$15 in advance / $20 day of the show21+* All sales are fina* Avoid scammers! Only purchase tickets from moesalley.com or ticketweb.com* Tickets requested by email will be delivered 3 days prior to the event* Will Call tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event======
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Moe's Alley Presents: Wailing Souls w/ Boom Draw + DJ Spleece
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Moes Alley presents legendary reggare artists Wailing Souls! Special guest Boom Draw opens the show with DJ Spleece on the 1s and 2s!Friday, February 13, 2026Doors: 8pm / Show: 9pm$25 in advance / $30 day of the show21+*All sales are final*Avoid scammers! Only purchase tickets from moesalley.com or ticketweb.com====WAILING SOULSWailing Souls are standard bearers and among the few active surviving elder statesmen from the birth and the golden era of reggae music. With a career spanning more than five decades, from rock steady through reggae to dancehall and beyond, their canon is part of the soundtrack of Jamaica itself. Songs including Fire House Rock, Jah Jah Give Us Life, Mr. Fire Coal Man, and Shark Attack mark creative high points in reggae history.2021 marked the 40th anniversary of both Fire House Rock and Wailing, the former release by Greensleeves in 1981 and the latter by VP through its Jah Guidance imprint. Wailing is celebrated through its first definitive reissue for Record Store Day 2021. These milestones come on the heels of the release of the groups 25thstudio album, Back-A-Yard in August 2020, marking a return to Greensleeves. The follow-up dub companion, Back-A-Yard Dub, was released in April 2021. Both albums were produced by label mate Alborosie.Pipe and Breads creative history dates to Jamaicas rock steady days in a group called The Renegades with George Haye. A number of name changes would take place into the 1970s, while they would first use the name Wailing Souls for a track called Gold Digger for producer Lloyd Daley in 1970. At that time, Pipe and Bread were joined by Norman Fats D Davis and Oswald Sabu Downer. With this lineup, the group also made a series of key recordings for Coxson Dodds iconic Studio One label, which included Mr. Fire Coal Man, Back Out, and Things These recordings either credited Wailing Souls or The Classics.BOOM DRAWBOOM DRAW is a 6-piece reggae band specializing in the sweet and soulful sounds of foundation-era rocksteady music. Hailing from Santa Cruz, they feature an all-star, multi-generational lineup of dedicated singers and players known for backing countless Jamaican reggae artists on tour and in the studio. Locally, BOOM DRAWs ranks include members of Santa Cruz and Bay Area reggae institutions like Pure Roots, Dub Congress, Inka Inka, Root Awakening, the Rastafarians, the Sugarbeats, and more. Their mission: to rock a dancefloor near you with boom draws strictly classic songs drawn from reggaes early years, when the vibes were crucial and the rhythm was king.
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