20 minute read
Happenings
Happenings includes community events, meetings, classes, resources, and needs. To submit an item for inclusion email to: happenings@ vcreporter.com. Note: some event venues have mask or vaccination requirements in effect. Contact venue for details.
THURSDAY – LUCK OF THE IRISH TO YOU!
COFFEE WITH A COP | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The Fillmore Police Department is proud to announce “Coffee with a Cop” day. Coffee with a Cop brings deputies and community members together, over coffee, to discuss issues and learn more about resources, services and needs of the community. Fillmore deputies along with the Fillmore Police Chief will be at La Michoacana in Fillmore, sharing a cup of coffee with neighbors. Community trust is one of the key elements to the success of the Fillmore Police Department. By sitting down and having a simple conversation, deputies and the community members they serve can continue building and growing together. The Fillmore Police Department invites the community to come out and ask questions, voice concerns, get crime prevention advice and get to know the officers in your neighborhood. This is a relaxed, informal event and is not about speeches or agendas but simply about casual conversation. The goal of Coffee with a Cop is to get to know the community better and hear about issues the residents feel are important. Building relationships – one cup at a time. La Michoacana, 511 Sespe Avenue, Fillmore.
CHANNEL ISLANDS GULLS FUNDRAISING
LUNCHEON | 11 a.m. Join in the fun at the Channel Islands Gulls’ March luncheon and help raise funds for Project Understanding Tutoring Centers. The centers provide extra instruction for students grades K-5 with volunteer tutors in one-to-one interaction. The Social Hour takes place at 11 a.m., with the meeting and lunch to follow at 12 noon. $40 per person; advance reservations and payment required. Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club, 2600 Harbor Blvd., Oxnard, cigullsreservations@gmail.com or 805263-7759; www.channelislandsgulls.org.
VIRTUAL DONOR LUNCH AND LEARN | 12-1 p.m.
The Ventura County Community Foundation is hosting an informational call to share information for and from local nonprofit organizations. This session will include Susy Lopez-Garcia, executive director at Community Action of Ventura County. Free with registration at: https://bit.ly/34qE7oU
ST. PATRICK’S DAY SHENANIGANS | 4:30-10
p.m. Celebrate St. Paddy’s at Ojai Valley Brewery starting at 4:30 p.m.! The evening’s “shenanigans” include live music by TD Lind, Greg Weiser and Karl Hunter of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, who will take the audience through some fun drinking songs. Hot corned beef sandwiches will also be available, which you can wash down with one of the 15+ beers on tap. A Makers Market will feature local vintage apparel, handmade goods and more. Ojai Valley Brewery, 307 Bryant St., Ojai, www.ojaivalleybrewery.com.
GREEN FULL MOON SUNSET NATURE HIKE AND
AFTER-PARTY | 5:30-7:45 p.m. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day out under the rising full moon with native plant guide Lanny Kaufer. The hike is 1.5 miles on a dirt road with an elevation gain to see the simultaneous sunset and moonrise and be introduced to useful native plants along the way. Wear your green, bring your flashlight for the hike back and then join Kaufer and friends at Ojai Valley Brewery in the heated outdoor patio for a St. Patrick’s Day party with locally sourced beers, ales, stouts and non-alcoholic beverages and Irish Food. Hike is $35 per person. Details provided with registration. Register: 805-646-6281, register@HerbWalks.com, www.HerbWalks.com.
DOUG PEACOCK’S WAS IT WORTH IT | 7 p.m.
Patagonia Ventura will host Doug Peacock in celebration of his new book, Was It Worth It? A Wilderness Warrior’s Long Trail Home. This is a collection of gripping stories of Peacock’s adventures and reflections on a life lived in the wild, recounting sojourns with Edward Abbey, as well as Peter Matthiessen, Doug Tompkins, Jim Harrison, Yvon Chouinard and others, Peacock observes that what he calls “solitary walks” were the greatest curST. PATRICK’S DAY AT VENTURA BOTANICAL GARDENS | Thursday, March 17, 9-5 p.m. Enjoy FREE entry to the beautiful Ventura Botanical Gardens all day on St. Patrick’s Day! Stroll through nature’s many shades of green (as well as all the colors of flowers in bloom) while you enjoy the fresh air and beautiful views of the city and the ocean. Dogs on leash will be welcome as well. In addition, the Courtyard Garden Shop, featuring gifts, pottery, plants and more, will be open. The Ventura Botanical Gardens are open 9-5 p.m. 567 S. Poli St., Ventura, 805-232-3113, venturabotanicalgardens.com. Photo submitted.
rency he and his buddies ever shared.Peacock will be in conversation with Rick Ridgeway, former Patagonia vice president of public engagement and the author of several books, most recently Life Lived Wild. The event will take place behind the store in Patagonia’s courtyard, and the gate opens at 6:30 p.m. Feel free to park in the main parking lot and enter through the gate door into the courtyard. 235 W. Santa Clara St., Ventura, 805-643-6074, https://wasitworthitbooktour-0583.splashthat.com/.
DAS EXPERIMENT | 8 p.m. In the 2001 German film Das Experiment, the fine line between play-acting and reality is blurred beyond recognition in a psychological experiment gone wrong. Directed by Oliver Hirschviegel, the film stars Moritz Bleibtreu, Justus von Dohnányi and Christian Berkel. The film is in German with English subtitles. The Department of Languages and Cultures and the History Department at California Lutheran University are presenting the free event. For information, contact Walter Stewart at 805-493-3436 or stewart@CalLutheran.edu. Richter Hall 100, CLU, 60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks, www.callutheran.edu.
FRIDAY
| 9 a.m.-12:10 p.m. Tune into the next virtual Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) Advisory Council meeting on Friday, March 18. Meeting highlights will include new council member introductions, announcements, the CINMS superintendent’s reports and a presentation by guest speaker Abi Powell (Lynker, under contract to NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center) on the exploration and characterization of the potential deep sponge reef that was discovered at CINMS in 2020. There will also be a public comment period. To join the meeting, please register in advance by clicking on the following link, or by copying and pasting it into your web browser: https://attendee. gotowebinar.com/register/9014214558327723532. For reference, the Webinar ID number is 284-536-163.
POPPIES GUEST ARTIST ANTHONY MCMAHON
| 5-7 p.m. Poppies Arts and Gifts hosts guest artist Anthony “Tony” McMahon for March. The multitalented McMahon is a musician and artist who came to the United States from Ireland with his guitar. He worked as a musician throughout the country until he made his way to Ojai in 2017. During the pandemic and with no live gigs, McMahon began working on his visual art again, focusing on the sights of Ojai. He will perform Irish and American music during a reception in his honor, and his colorful art will be available for purchase through March 31. The event is free and everyone is invited. Refreshments will be served. Poppies, 323 E. Matilija St., Ojai, 805-798-0033, poppiesartandgifts.indiemade.com.
ROD THE MOD TRIBUTE BAND | 7 p.m. The Camarillo Fiesta Association presents the Rod Steward tribute band Rod the Mod at Rancho Campana High School. Tickets start at $15. For more information, email CamarilloFiesta@gmail. Part of the 2022 Winter Concert series. Rancho Campana High School, 4235 Mar Vista Dr., Camarillo. https://bit.ly/3M5lBDx
THE PIPES | 7 p.m. The Pipes are musicians Brid Simon and Gary Best. They will be performing traditional Irish favorites such as “Danny Boy,” “Parting Glass” and “The Auld Triangle” as well as more contemporary ballads from the Cranberries, Brandy Carlyle and John Prine. NAMBA is delighted to have these talented musicians in house! $15. NAMBA Performing Arts Space, 47 S. Oak St., Ventura, 805628-9250, www.nambaarts.com.
SATURDAY
SICKLE CELL DISEASE CONFERENCE | 8 a.m.-5
p.m. Cayenne Wellness Center, which supports people with sickle cell disease in California, will hold the Sickle Cell Disease Conference for the People 2022 in Oxnard. The conference is free to attend. Through keynote speeches, videos and discussions, the conference will educate attendees about sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait, including the pathophysiology, complications, management and treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Speakers will include Dr. Keith Quirolo, RN Pat Corley and Carolyn Rowley, Ph.D. GBT, Global Blood Therapeutics, is sponsoring the event. To learn more, contact Mary Alcocer at Cayenne Wellness Center at 818-940-0079 or mary@cayennewellness.org. Bethel AME Church, 855 S. F St., Oxnard, www.facebook.com/cayennewellness/.
MONARCH MADNESS | 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Ventura Land Trust’s annual Monarch Madness community land restoration event is back for 2022! Monarch Madness celebrates the importance of monarch butterflies and monarch habitat for a healthy ecosystem in and around Ventura. This is a free, family-friendly event. Members of the community are invited to help plant pollinator plants at Hayden Teaching Preserve, explore art and science activities, and take home plants and seeds from Green Valley Project and Santa Monica Mountains Fund. Ventura Land Trust will provide plants, shovels, mulch and watering materials. Guests should bring water, and be sure to wear sturdy shoes and sun protection. For questions and more information, contact Development Director Leslie Velez at 805-643-8044 or leslie@venturalandtrust.org. Hayden Teaching Preserve, Canada Larga Road, Ventura, www.venturalandtrust.org/monarchmadness.
PERSIAN NEW YEAR CELEBRATION | 12-2 p.m
Usher in spring and the Persian New Year with family and friends at the Museum of Ventura County. Join the celebration and learn more about the Persian New Year, called Nowruz, with crafts and music. Nowruz translates to “new day” and is celebrated on the spring equinox by millions of people across the globe as a season of rebirth and good luck. One popular feature of Nowruz is the haft-seen, a table decorated with seven items that begin with the letter “seen” in Farsi and other things of significance. Come see our beautiful haft-seen, make tissue paper hyacinths, painted eggs and egg-carton goldfish, dance to Iranian music and listen to poetry. Fun for families and adults alike! Proof of vaccination will be required on arrival for in-person attendees. Masks will not be required for this event. If you would like a mask, we’re happy to provide one for you. Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main St., Ventura, 805-6530323, venturamuseum.org.
17TH ANNUAL NAMIWALKS KICKOFF AND
RALLY | 12:30 p.m. Join NAMI Ventura County for the 2022 NAMIWalks Kickoff and Rally! On Saturday, March 19, we will honor NAMI Ventura County’s 40th anniversary, celebrate our 2021 Walk Stars and Top Teams, and introduce NAMIWalks 2022. Come enjoy a tasty BBQ lunch while mingling with all your NAMI Ventura County friends. Orvene S. Carpenter Community Center, 550 Park Ave., Port Hueneme, www.namiwalks.org/venturacounty.
FLUID ART CLASS | 1-3 p.m. Go with the flow! Join Ojai artist Heidi Williams for a class in the popular form of acrylic fluid art to be held on the patio at Poppies Art and Gifts. Learn the basics of cup pours and other techniques. The process can be messy so dress appropriately. A canvas (10 x 10 inches), paint and supplies will be provided. Cost is $45 and space is limited to eight participants. Bring a box larger than 10 x 10 inches to take your painting home. Poppies Arts and Gifts, 323 E. Matilija St., Ojai, 805-798-0033, www.poppiesartandgifts.com.
FAMILY ART DAY: LANDSCAPE DIORAMAS |
2 p.m. Get inspired by the beautiful landscape scenes in CMATO’s current exhibition at our next Family Art Day! We’ll be making landscape dioramas with our friends from CReATE STUDIO using recycled and found objects. Turn your favorite exhibition piece into your own personal diorama scene in this fun and hands-on activity for the whole family. All you need is your imagination; all other materials are provided. Free to museum members; $6 for nonmembers. Registration required. California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks, The Oaks Mall, Second Level, 350 W. Hillcrest Dr., Thousand Oaks, 805-405-5240, cmato.org.
March 20, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.. In this two-day workshop taught by Megan Bisbee, participants will be guided through meditation, writing and art techniques that allow them to build their own symbolic and miniature house by instructor Megan Bisbee. Each house will have a specific meaning to the participants. Whether one builds a house of creativity, a soul house, a house for your inner child, a miniature art studio, or a dream house, we will explore facets of the symbolism of houses as they relate to our creativity, imagination, minds, bodies and dreams. Participants will learn a variety of techniques for building and decorating miniature buildings, meditation, mindful movement (yoga for all bodies), and self reflection through writing and discussion. Participants will leave with their own miniature house and a rich exploration of what it means to them. $160, materials included, Limited to 10 students. Vita Art Center, 28 W. Main St., Ventura, 805-644-9214, www. vitaartcenter.com.
CONCERT IN THE GALLERY:
EMERGENCE | 7 p.m. Studio Channel Islands hosts this performance by three young professional musicians – soprano Natalie Buickians, tenor Matthew Miles and cellist Yoshika Masuda – who will join chamber pianist Armen Guzelimian for an evening of classical music in the art center’s Blackboard Gallery. $35-55. Studio Channel Islands, 2222 E. Ventura Blvd., Camarillo, 805-383-1368, studiochannelislands.org symbolic and miniature house by instructor Megan Bisbee. Each house will have a specific meaning to the participants. Whether one builds a house of creativity, a soul house, a house for your inner child, a miniature art studio, or a dream house, we will explore facets of the symbolism of houses as they relate to our creativity, imagination, minds, bodies and dreams. Participants will learn a variety of techniques for building and decorating miniature buildings, meditation, mindful movement (yoga for all bodies), and self reflection through writing and discussion. Participants will leave with their own miniature house and a rich exploration of what it means to them. $160, materials included, Limited to 10 students. Vita Art Center, 28 W. Main St., Ventura, 805-644-9214, www.vitaartcenter.com.
MERMAID MEET AND GREET AND POP-UP
MARKET | 12-4 p.m. Mermaid Month at Ventura Harbor Village continues with a chance to meet mermaids (1-4 p.m.) in the flesh/fins. Children will be charmed by these frolickers of the sea, who will happily pose for photos. Face painting, live music, exotic birds and a scavenger hunt only add to the fun. Check out the Channel Islands Courtyard starting at 12 noon to find handcrafted and other specialty items from talented artisans and makers at the Pop-Up Mermaid Market. 1583 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, 805-477-0470, www.venturaharborvillage.com.
MONDAY
THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD | 3:30
p.m. and 6:30 p. A modern drama/comedy/ romance about the quest for love and meaning in contemporary Oslo. It chronicles four years in the life of Julie (Renate Reinsve), a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is. An Academy Award nomination for Best International Film and Best Original Screenplay. Rated R (language, nudity, drugs); 2 hours 7 minutes runtime. In Norwegian with English subtitles. $8-$11.25. Presented by the Oxnard Film Society and screened at Plaza Cinemas 14, 255 W. Fifth St., Oxnard, www.oxnardfilmsociety.org. ♦
For more Happenings visit www.vcreporter.com
SUNDAY
PAUL BYROM ST. PATRICK’S DAY CONCERT | Thursday, March
17, 7:30-9:30 p.m. One of Ireland’s premier tenors, Paul Byrom, will perform at Cantara Cellars/Flat Fish Brewing Company on Thursday, March 17, as part of his 12-city U.S. 2022 tour. What better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than with a popular Irish tenor, straight from Dublin? Many people remember Byrom from his days as a lead singer with the hugely successful singing group Celtic Thunder. But his career began long before – when he recorded his first album at 14 years old. He has recorded several other albums along the way, including last year’s What I Did for Love and the newly released By Contrast. He enjoys a career as an actor and solo artist now as well. Byrom’s sparkling Irish wit comes to life as he tells stories about his life and career. His concerts include Irish tunes, of course, as well as songs from Broadway and the pop world. An evening with Paul Byrom is not to be missed! Cantara Cellars andFlat Fish Brewing Co., 126 N. Wood Road, Camarillo, 805-484-9600, camarillobarrelworks.com.
Eric Hilton (left) and Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation, coming to
Ventura March 24. Photo by Jen Maler
Synthesis in sound
Thievery Corporation to bring its mixed-up, multicultural EDM to Ventura Music Hall
by Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
Ventura’s newest music venue will be pulsing with hypnotic electronic multiculturalism when Thievery Corporation comes to town next week. This marks the first time that the genre-defying, influence-mixing band comes to Ventura County, and it’s a coup for the newly opened Ventura Music Hall, which took over the space once occupied by Discovery in Midtown.
Thievery Corporation has been a darling of the electronic dance world for more than a quarter century. But as any fan can tell you, the outfit founded by Rob Garza and Eric Hilton in 1995 is about much more than EDM. Everything from trip hop to dub to bossa nova, jazz and world fusion is in the mix, with lyrics sung in a variety of languages, including English, French, Hindi, Persian, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish. The artistry of Garza and Hilton, brought to the studio and stage with the help
SUN APR 10 7PM
TICKETS FOR ALL SHOWS ARE AVAILABLE AT: BAPACThousandOaks.com ticketmaster.com
All events will be subject to State, County, and other governmental agency COVID-19 pandemic mandates and regulations. Due to present circumstances surrounding COVID-19, the event status is subject to change. of a frequently shifting lineup of talented musicians, has given Thievery Corporation a sound uniquely its own.
From ’80s punk to Eighteenth Street Lounge
Some of that multiculturalism undoubtedly comes from the band’s hometown of Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital and the seat of numerous cultural and international organizations. But the D.C. punk scene was Rob Garza’s first musical love.
“I was really into a lot of the punk and post punk, Dischord [Records] scene,” recalls Garza, who was a teenager in the 1980s and rocked out to bands like Fugazi, Bad Brains and State of Alert (better known as S.O.A. and fronted by Henry Rollins — who would later move to California to join Black Flag).
He recalls getting into music almost by accident, simply by participating in an electronic music program, where he had the opportunity to play with synthesizers, drums and other instruments on machines.
“That’s when I fell in love with electronic music and creating music,” Garza says.
By the 1990s, he was a familiar face on the D.C. club scene, which is where he eventually met Hilton.
That would be the renowned Eighteenth Street Lounge, where instead of hardcore punk, Garza heard bossa nova, dub and jazz.
“It was something very unique at that time.”
Hilton was there, and the two realized they had a lot of overlapping interests. They decided to “create a project,” sharing equipment — a common way that musicians came together in those days, as it was rare for any one person to have all the various equipment needed for a band — and using the Eighteenth Street Lounge as a practice space and studio.
“We started off in the liquor room creating those first singles,” says Garza.
Independent spirit
From the very beginning, Thievery Corporation followed a do-it-yourself ethos.
“With Thievery, we had our own record label,” Garza explains. “We did everything very independently. If you had drive and a passion to create music, you didn’t have to wait for a label to discover you.
But Thievery Corporation was absolutely a success. Shortly after the duo began releasing singles, “all of a sudden we’re getting calls from London and Germany, wanting more . . . it just kind of snowballed.”
The band’s first studio album, Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi, was released in Germany in 1996, and in the United States the following year, peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums list. Nine more albums were to follow between 2000 and 2020, with The Richest Man in Babylon (2002), The Cosmic Game (2005) and Radio Retaliation all searing up the U.S. dance charts. The band also toured extensively, both stateside and internationally.
Being independent was far from being a hindrance. “The business could be challenging . . . but people were falling in love with the music. We were part of the zeitgeist. That allowed everything to flow smoothly.”
Daydream-er
During the pandemic, Garza enjoyed spending time with his son, now 11.
Thievery Corporation’s 2020 touring hiatus also allowed Garza and Hilton to pursue solo projects. Hilton produced three albums (Infinite Everywhere, The Impossible Silence and Ceremony) while Garza released Daydream Accelerator, under the eponymously named GARZA, on Garza’s independent label, Magnetic Moon Records.
“I’m constantly working on music . . . and during the pandemic, it opened up a lot of time to explore those ideas and sketches. For me, it was a great time, to be honest. We’ve been touring and traveling for 25 years . . . which is OK, that’s part of the creative cycle . . . but I finally had time to stretch out.”
Garza explains that Daydream Accelerator allowed him to pay tribute to the musical influences of his youth, “more what I considered to be pop. I really love that sort of independent spirit, New Wave synth sound.”
As one half of Thievery Corporation, Garza has had the opportunity to work with the likes of David Byrne, Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips and Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell. But with GARZA, he found that he “opened up to the spirit of collaboration even more.”
Daydream Accelerator features the talents of alt-synth band Enemy Planes, deep house producers Walker and Royce, up-and-coming singer/songwriters Calica and EMELINE, and frequent Thievery Corporation vocalists Natalia Clavier and Racquel Jones.
“To have these sort of different ideas to explore with different writers and producers, it allowed me to step out of my own head space.
Back on the road
At the moment, however, it’s back to Thievery Corporation for Garza — and back to a busy touring schedule.
“We’re getting ready to hit the road in the next couple of weeks,” he says, referencing The Outernational Tour v.2, which will take the band across the U.S. this spring and then to Europe in the summer. His break was a productive one, but he’s excited to get back to live performances — and finds he’s more appreciative than ever that he has the opportunity to do so.
“It’s really such a beautiful thing in your life, to play music for people,” Garza says. “After doing it for so long, you take it for granted. Then during the pandemic, there was this sense that this could be taken away. But getting to do it again is so incredible.” ♦
Thievery Corporation performs with Boostive on Thursday, March 24, at Ventura Music Hall, 1888 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura. Doors open at 7 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit www.venturamusichall.com.
