Beneficial
Perhaps you've recently seen footage of our "president" chucking paper towels at the people of Puerto Rico and telling them how they knocked the US budget "a little out of whack" in the wake of Hurricane Maria and thought, "Wow, that's not enough, even at all." And you'd be right. Puerto Rico has been devastated, leaving countless Americans—yes, they're Americans—without access to basic services, water, food or electricity.
But one of the very best things about people is that they'll generally step up and help others when they can, and Santa Feans are no exception. "I'm Puerto Rican," local artist and organizer of the upcoming Benefit for Puerto Rico event at Skylight, Celia Santos, says. "I have family on the island. It's been rough."
Santos has been in action for weeks now. "I held a weekend-long donation drop-off and shipped supplies to my family directly," she says. "It didn't feel like enough; being Puerto Rican means everyone on the island is my family." Santos was able to put together the benefit in short order. "A friend put me in touch with [Skylight co-owner] Kate Kennedy, and she was more than happy to offer Skylight for free—I just had to put out a call for music," Santos says. "Only 24 hours after I reached out, all the time slots were filled by local musicians who were happy to help."
Performances include a tech-house from DJ Billiam, rock from JJ and the Hooligans, a reading from the inimitable Israel Francisco Haros Lopez and more. Local businesses like Second Street Brewery, Coyote Café and Cuba Fe stepped up as well to offer help in the form of gift certificates to be raffled off. Santos is almost overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from the community. "The level of support I have received is immeasurable," she tells SFR. "I am so grateful." (Alex De Vore)
6 pm Thursday Oct. 12. $5; optional raffle tickets $5 each.
Skylight,
139 W San Francisco St.,
982-0775
Pop it Off
Oh, we've mentioned Vanilla Pop to you before, partly because they turn the whole concept of cover band on its head with sexy, '80s-pop versions of soul, funk and rock songs. But it's also because we like them mustaches they wear. Honestly, we've never been to a Vanilla Pop event that didn't get the majority of the room on their feet and dancing. It could be because people seem to love songs they already know, but it could also have something to do with the staggering level of musicianship required to practically rewrite hits from the last 40 years as a two-piece act that never takes itself too seriously but does know a thing or two about partying. (ADV)
10 pm Friday Oct. 13. $10.
Palace Saloon,
142 E Palace Ave.,
428-0690.
McCarthyism
Artist JC McCarthy packs her work with textured detail and symbology so rich in vision that each is a fascinating microcosm worthy of prolonged viewing. How else would you appreciate everything that's going on? And there is much going on. Almost aboriginal in content, the mixed-media works revel in dreamlike and representational imaginings of the intertwining of the natural and the spiritual, like metaphysical movements of color (or lack thereof) that tell a story so engaging, you're practically falling into her large-scale pieces simply by observing them. Explore each yourself at McCarthy's upcoming solo show—some things you really just need to see for yourself. (ADV)
5 pm Saturday Oct. 14. Free.
The David Copher Gallery,
307 Johnson St.,
235-3641
Directorial
Is it a dream that Santa Fe has one space where one might see anything from simulcast opera in HD, community concerts, stand-up comics like Dave Chappelle, classical music, big-name bands and appearances from the likes of John Waters? The Lensic has always been a cultural spotlight of which our town should be proud, but under Executive Director Joel Aalberts' vision, the future seems bright. Aalberts came to the position a little over a year ago after serving as the executive director for Eastern Kentucky University's Center for the Arts, and we can't wait to see what he has planned. Meet the guy and hear about his future plans as part of Journeysantafe's ongoing lecture series. (ADV)
Journeysantafe: Joel Aalberts:
11 am Sunday Oct. 15. Free.
Collected Works Bookstore and Coffeehouse,
202 Galisteo St.,
988-4226.
