Ken has played at our association annual dinner for over ten years!…read more We have dubbed him our official musician because he's perfect for our event and very reliable. His mix is always recognizable and appreciated by our diners. This year we had a bit of a hippy summer of love theme and Ken was well prepared with songs from that era. His repertoire and arrangements are wonderful!

Wow! Ken is fantastic. We had Ken play at our rehearsal dinner at The Chaminade and the entire…read morenight was so magical with his music on the sunset patio. Ken was so easy to work with and when beyond our expectations. All of our guests commented on how great the music was. I can't say enough about Ken. He really loves to entertain. Thanks so very much for making our night so special.

Wonderful, danceable music! Positive vibe! Fun band! Highly recommended!…read moreHappy and fun for any occasion.

Love this band and the fun fun vibe they send out. They are a wonderful dance band R&B, Funk, Feel…read moregood jams. Don is a superb guitarist, Anthony on the keyboards makes it sound like there's a horn section too. Love to see Donnie's smiling face on the drums.

This is actually "Daughters & Sons of the Beach" ukulele club (basically a gathering of locals who…read morelove the nimble sounds of this stringed instrument). We attended the Ukele Jam, which according to their website, occurs every Saturday 10am-12noon behind Crow's Nest, but more accurately behind Java Junction which is perfect for enjoying the entertainment while sipping on your favorite beverages. Seating was easy to find in the back patio of the cafe right in front of the music taking place on the sand. This is a cute and casual event, where the musicians seem to all be having fun. And they don't just play ukuleles, there were other instruments being played as well including the kazoo, upright bass, mandolin, keyboard, bongo, and guitar. This past weekend, they performed songs including Three Little Birds, Twist and Shout, and Have You Ever Seen the Rain. They post their upcoming set list online early in the week, so you can actually see this in advance. This is great free entertainment on the beach if you like live music and are looking for a positive carefree environment to spend time with loved ones.

We hired Juli for our wedding at Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz this past month. She was terrific to work…read morewith - we met via phone & she helped to make a number of great suggestions for the ceremony selections and cocktail hour. She showed up on time, looked great, had a positive disposition, and played absolutely beautifully. We highly recommend her for adding a classy touch.

I hired Juli to play the harp during my wedding ceremony, and during cocktail hour. Just as I am…read moreabout to walk down the aisle, my wedding planner informs me that Juli hasn't shown up yet, she was supposed to get there 30 minutes before hand to play while people were taking their seats. I decided to go on with the ceremony without her, and just use CD music of hers. I learned later that she got her time wrong. I had talked to her several times, and hired her months in advance, and she got the time wrong! Then she shows up plays for about 45 minutes during cocktail hour, then sends me 1/2 the money back. Wouldn't you think out of common courtesy, and the fact that she missed the most important part of the whole day that she would send all the money back? I would stay away from Juli Alexander if you want someone reliable

I've been dancing with A Polynesian Performance for a little over 2 years now. I absolutely love…read moreit! Lokeanna is a fantastic instructor. She's so patient and genuinely loves teaching the class. It's her passion and it shows when she teaches us the moves. Dancing has now become my passion as well. I always leave the class feeling like I've had an awesome workout!

Aloha, They did an amazing job. It was well worth the money. The dancers arrived on time and it was…read morea hectic day for me. I've been running around preparing everything for our engagement party. I swear everything that day seemed to go wrong (another person tried to take our advanced ordered roast pig, etc etc). Then the Polynesian dancers came to rescue by relaxing me and started the fun luau. They got the groom, uncles, dad to dance on stage as well as me, my mom, aunties, cousins to dance. It was so fun and it was truly a ONCE IN A LIFETIME experience that we will never forget. The family (old & young) still talk about it. The kids were shaking their bums all night long and running around. After the performances, they also didn't rush me at all. We had about 100 people at the party and everyone was able to take pictures. I would totally hire them again! Mahalo!

Love this class and team for learning Cuban-Style Salsa Rueda. Its also very friendly for first…read moretime beginners in a culture where there are so many experienced dancers. Ive enjoyed going back to the basics which i never really got while being led by good leaders. This is giving me the confidence and foundation to step out and participate in our vibrant Bay Area Salsa community. I'm really excited. Chris and Jessica are superb teachers. They give very clear, easy to follow instructions and demonstrations. They are inclusive and conscious about the pacing. They always participate in the Circle so we all get a chance to dance with each other. Its so fun and dynamic dancing Rueda Style (in the round). One moment you're practicing the latest step with one partner and the next moment with the next. By the time everyone has gone around the circle and you're back with the first person again, there is an exponential sense of advancement. Everyone learns from everyone. It's humbling and joyful at the same time. truly exhilarating and excellent exercise.

Salsa Gente Any…read moreclass is only as good as its teachers, and Jessica & Chris are truly exceptional. I'm not usually one to write reviews, but this was one of the best courses I've ever taken. They are passionate, knowledgeable instructors who radiate welcoming warmth & wisdom. Their instruction is clear, intelligent, and easy to follow, with plenty of practice time built in. Even as a complete novice, I felt supported, confident, and genuinely excited to learn. Their love of Cuban music is infectious, and their energy makes every class pure joy. Fun for the body and the soul! Highly recommend!

The Fringe Festival is fabulous. We saw creativity in all shows and acts. There are so many things,…read moreit's hard to comment on the "Festival" as each act is it's own experience. Overall, a wonderful experience. Described here are two notable performances; Ouroboros Shadow Pictures http://www.santacruzfringefestival.com/index.php/tickets/by-artist/item/201-ouroboros Save your money! It's not only that this was slow or boring, but consider that people in the audience were sleeping. Many walked out. The images were confusing and repetitive. The music was markedly uninteresting. They worked hard to set up a show, but the content was weak. A group of four of us went together, and there was not a single comment of appreciation amounts us. It was a really sad, sad waste of time. But the evening was saved by a trip to the ice cream store* and dancing to the Singing Wood marimba group! * The Penny Ice Creamery 913 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 http://goo.gl/maps/G1OR2 Flex Dance http://www.santacruzfringefestival.com/index.php/tickets/by-artist/item/35-flex-dance-company Fabulous, fabulous performance! Even including fun audience participation, this group knows how to entertain. Mainly a dance show, seductive, attractive and energetic, this group thrills and excites. The lead dancer was funny and creative and knew how to work with the audience. Even impromptu humor was spectacular. There was a "hat" of suggestion cards to pull from, where the guests wrote "fantasies" that the dance group acted out. We would love to see this group again. Congratulations on such a brilliant performance!

This past week has been the premiere of the Santa Cruz Fringe Festival. Other cities have had the…read moreprivilege to host such events before, and Santa Cruz artists courageously took the step to make it happen here! Like any new creation with many moving parts, there have been some hiccups, but overall, the quality of organization and performance has been truly inspiring. I was happy to get the chance to see multiple shows. Perhaps a bit surprisingly, many of the performances I was aiming to see sold out completely. Being one who plans ahead, that should not have been a problem since I bought tickets ahead of time for almost every show I attended. Unfortunately, one of the shows I bought an advanced ticket to sold out, and though I arrived at most five minutes after "start time", I was informed at the box office that my ticket had been sold. This is very poor form and extremely disappointing. Considering that the giant line still awaiting news of their entry-fate was at a standstill when I arrived, I imagine that my ticket was sold even before the actual show time came around. There should be a disclaimer when purchasing tickets, or somewhere on SC Fringe's website, stating to arrive at least "x" minutes in advance of showtime or your ticket will be sold to someone else. Sadly, that was one of the hottest shows, and the last performance, so I missed it entirely. Still, I've spent the week laughing, cheering, applauding, and feeling spectacular about all the live theater I've patronized. I look forward to next year, and congratulate this year's performers for making this festival a hit.

First timer at the tequila & taco music festival...Had an absolute blast!? Who would of thought…read morecombining my two favorite things would bring so much joy! We arrived early and wow there was surely a line to meet us. It was pretty smooth entering when you arrive when the event starts. Now let's taco bout how awesome this event was!? We opted to get the souvenir glass with the one margarita drink purchase. We walked up to the margarita stands trying to see the options. One of the bartenders came up to us and asked, do you want to try the best margarita you'll ever had!? I mean who could say no to that, we were like game on! I was a bit skeptical at first because that's a tall order to serve. Once I took my first sip, my eyes lit up and I immediately took in all the flavor. I have to say, that was the best margarita I've ever tasted! It was a perfect combination of sweetness, watermelon flavor, salt, and spicy mix. Big shout out to Red and Aria for fixing a mean delicious drink! I set out to find the best al pastor tacos and I sure found many. So many choices of wonderfully authentic Mexican food. But, it's all about the tacos! There were carne asada fries, al pastor galore, lobster tacos, and so much more! The event got more and more busy as the day went on so we appreciated coming when they opened. We got to go home with full happy bellies, souvenir t-shirts, and souvenir glasses. We'll definitely be back for years to come! Cheers to tacos and tequila!