When members of the swing indie band Royal Jelly Jive recorded their second album at the Prairie Sun studio in Cotati, the young musicians were excited because one of their heroes, singer-songwriter Tom Waits, had made records there.
They even asked the reclusive west Sonoma County resident to sit in on the “Stand Up” sessions, but that didn’t happen.
“We sent him a letter, inviting him to play with us, but he likes to be in his own world, with his own family,” said Jesse Lemme Adams, 27, a Petaluma High School graduate who plays accordion and keyboards with Royal Jelly Jive.
That didn’t keep the band from recording a heartfelt tribute titled “Dear Mr. Waits,” with a lively vocal by the band’s lead singer Lauren Bjelde, 26, whose own singing style evokes a bit of Waits’ raspy delivery but with a sweet side.
Adams and Bjelde plan to include cuts from that album as they headline The Independent in San Francisco, one of several major dates they’ve been invited to play this year. They also performed at Outside Lands in San Francisco and BottleRock in Napa, and July 15 they will appear as part of downtown Cloverdale’s free “Friday Night Live” concert series.
“Stand Up” also includes the band’s versions of “Green Grass” by Waits and “Tommy the Cat,” written by Sebastopol-based Les Claypool and his band, Primus.
Lauren Michelle Bjelde and Royal Jelly Jive combine elements of Soul, Rock, Swing and Hip-Hop. (www.royaljellyjive.com)
“I was inspired listening to Tom Waits’ music growing up,” said Bjelde.
The use of the word “jive” in the band’s name is certainly truthful, with Bjelde’s vocals backed by snappy arrangements for accordion, clarinet, trombone, acoustic bass and drums, occasionally augmented fiddle and guitar. And despite the band’s affinity for 1930s and ’40s fedoras, vests and pin-striped suits, this is not a nostalgic act. Most of the music is new, written by Adams and Bjelde.
“We like to look classic and have a little old-meets-new,” Bjelde said.
“We love that revival throwback thing, but we’re not tied to that,” Adams added. “We like modern music, and we like to integrate that. We throw in some hip-hop, rock and pop. Then there’s the other side, with a jazzy edge.
“Everyone’s a really well-trained musician, so it’s not just a rock band with guitars. We don’t even have guitar most of the time. People are surprised by how much we can rock without using guitar.”
Adams has been a bit of a commuter during the past several years, toggling between San Francisco and his parents’ home in the Petaluma area. He met Bjelde while studying at San Francisco State University, and the pair have been writing songs and touring together for the past several years. Last year they decided to settle in the North Bay.
They now live in a small house in Penngrove, which sometimes doubles as a rehearsal space and a set for music videos, but continue to play with the rest of the band at major San Francisco venues that include the Great American Music Hall and the venerable nightclub Slim’s. For a while, the group also had a monthly gig at the Boom Boom Room.
The band includes clarinetist Robby Elfman, a Los Angeles transplant who now lives in Petaluma. The rest of the band — drummer Felix Macnee, bassist Tyden Binsted and trombonist Luke Zavala — is based in San Francisco.
Before Adams joined the band, Bjelde sang at the Boom Boom Room with an earlier version of the band under the name The Sufis.
“When she was playing in that group there was a hype about her, like, ‘Have you seen the Sufis girl?’” he said.
“She connects with the audience really well. She’s so theatrical that she brings everyone in. I was lucky enough to sit in with them. Once that band fell apart, there was a perfect moment for me to step in.”
Royal Jelly Jive members have assembled several albums’ worth of material and want to continue touring, including a current sweep through the Pacific Northwest and a New Orleans trip planned for October.
“We’re doing what we want to do,” Bjelde said. “We’re making great music and getting it out to the people.”
The writer of what has been called “the summer’s hottest novel” is trying hard to stay grounded, even as she is being anointed with the kind of superlative-laden praise that could send any tender, newly-published writer to Crazytown.
Emma Cline’s “The Girls,” inspired by the slavish young women caught up in the bloody cult of Charles Manson, has garnered a breathtaking body of stories and reviews from the top echelons of media in the run-up to its official June 15 release by Penguin Random House.
Stories and reviews have appeared in publications from The New York Times to the Washington Post and The Guardian, and James Wood in the The New Yorker called the 27-year-old Sonoma-grown writer “a talented stylist fast-tracked by the Muses.”
She is at a young age that intrigues critics and the literary press, who forget that the twenties is a fresh and fertile time for writers. Consider Michael Chabon, Norman Mailer, Mary Shelley, Jane Austen and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Keats was dead by 25.
And yet it has to be a breathtaking experience getting caught up in a whirl of publicity and praise, and the expectations that go along with that. Cline’s manuscript, written over a three-year period while she was living in a 9- by 12-foot gardening shed in a friend’s yard in Brooklyn, set off a bidding war that resulted in a reported seven figure deal for the young writer.
“A friend who was just published recently said it’s like getting knocked over by a tidal wave,” said Cline, speaking by phone from Minneapolis, where she had touched down during a book tour that also took her to London.
She returns home to Sonoma County this week, with book talks scheduled Wednesday at Readers Books in Sonoma and Friday at Copperfield’s in Petaluma.
Emma Cline sold her debut novel “The Girls” for $2 million as part of a three-book deal with Random House, and mega-producer Scott Rudin (The Social Network, Captain Phillips) has bought the film rights.
Keeping Focus
Cline said she’s keeping her focus on her real purpose as a writer in the midst of the flurry of attention and accolades.
“I feel theres a lot of noise, but to me it’s helpful to remind myself it is not why I write and it’s not why I wrote this me,” she said. “I would have written this book even if no one wanted to read it. That’s what I focus on — and thinking about writing the next projects.”
It’s apt that she’s making her homecoming appearances in Sonoma and Petaluma. She grew up in Sonoma as one of seven kids of Fred and Nancy Cline, founders of Cline Family Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Winery. And Cline chose to place her protagonist, the 14-year-old Evie Boyd who is living a dull, semi-neglected adolescence, just over the hills from her family’s winery in Petaluma.
Sonoma County during the late 1960s and early 1970s was a counter-cultural haven and home to hippie communes like The Morningstar Ranch. So her storyline isn’t out of the realm of believability, even though the real Manson killings took place in the glitzy neighborhoods of LA. The most celebrated victim was the young and pregnant actress Sharon Tate.
“I guess as a novelist I’m interested in writing about extremes, side by side,” Cline said of her setting. “I think especially the California landscape is so idyllic, so beautiful. And I’m interested in that sense of peace and danger.”
As the setting for her own fictional cult’s ranch, Cline said she drew from Olompali State Park south of Petaluma, where a group that called themselves “The Chosen Family” hung out during the late 1960s. For a time, The Grateful Dead also lived there.
Emma Cline’s “The Girls,” inspired by the slavish young women caught up in the bloody cult of Charles Manson, has garnered a breathtaking body of stories and reviews from the top echelons of media. (Courtesy photo)
Dark Fascination
Cline sets her story in the same turbulent summer of 1969 as the Manson killings, the summer of Woodstock and the first moon landing. But only bits and pieces of that cultural context seep into the bubble of Evie’s existence.
“There is sort of a dark fascination there, and in the case of Manson, I feel like there were so many different cultural forces of the ‘60s that got refracted through him in terms of celebrity and Hollywood and the music scene down there. All these things crossed over with Manson in an interesting way.”
Cline said her first experience with Manson was driving past San Quentin as a child and her parents commenting that it was “Charles Manson’s house.” She didn’t really know what that meant or even who Manson was. But later, as teenager (she attended St. Francis Solano School in Sonoma and Sonoma Academy) she stumbled across a copy of “Helter Skelter” by Vince Bugliosi, who prosecuted Manson. She raced through it and became obsessed with knowing more. She found herself reading everything she could.
“Their story had never been told in a way that gave them their full humanity. They were cutouts. They were cliches, reduced to brainless followers. I wanted to know more about them.”
To do that she had to fictionally inhabit the mind of a 14-year-old. Evie becomes enamored of the older girls of the cult, who she observes in a park in Petaluma. She enters their world but remains on the periphery.
Cline said she mined her memory for vestiges of her 14-year-old self.
“They operate on very black and white terms. Everything is either the best thing that ever happened or the worst tragedy to befall anyone on the planet,” she said.
To get a feel for the age and the times, she read her mother’s diary from 1969; her mother was not quite a teenager that summer. Cline admits she was a bit disappointed at the vapidity of a child’s mind during such a historically significant time.
“I expected it would be all about man landing on the moon. Instead, it was about how she had a bad haircut or had a crush on a boy. But that was very helpful to keep in mind when writing about the ‘60s, to think about how a 14-year-old girl without experience was in that cultural moment. So it was important to stay away from some of the most familiar ‘60s signposts and not overdo it.”
Emma Cline featured in W Magazine. (wmagazine.com)
Community of Writers
Cline attributes her affinity for writing to a childhood steeped in books.
“That’s what comes first. Just loving books. For me, books were a great way to be alone in such a big family,” said Cline, the oldest of the five girls in her family. After high school, she tried her hand at acting but admits she was “terrible at it.” Instead, she majored in art at Middlebury College in Vermont.“Then I decided to go to grad school because I had been working on a novel, and I wanted to be in a community of writers,” she said. She got her MFA from Columbia and began working as a fiction reader at The New Yorker.
One change Cline has permitted since her book sold is moving out of the shed and into a real apartment nearby. But the tiny shed, without Wi-Fi, remains her writing space. She’s now deep into a second novel.“It’s a great place to write because it is so immersive,” she said.
“I can be incredibly focused on the book without intrusions.”
Blow off some steam by watching the Russian River Rodeo in the historic hamlet of Duncans Mills. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
These cool upcoming events will surely beat the heat. This Friday, check out the adorably ugly pooches at the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest. Tame your inner cowboy at the Russian River Rodeo. And rev your engines for the Toyota/SaveMart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. All this and more is in our list of things to do.
FRIDAY, June 24
Sonoma-Marin Fair: The fair in Petaluma continues through Sunday, shining a spotlight on everything we love about our county, with pig races, fair exhibits, the carnival, livestock shows, agriculture, live entertainment, and, of course, the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest on Friday. Admission is $5-$15. Find out all the details at sonoma-marinfair.org. (through June 26)
Russian River Rodeo: Hold on to your hats, because the 50th annual Russian River Rodeo takes place all weekend long at “Bill Parmeter Field” in Duncan’s Mills. It kicks off on Friday evening with a 4D Barrel Race at 7 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, fuel your day with a cowboy breakfast from 7 a.m. to noon., followed by competitions throughout both days. Admission is $5-$12. Find out all the details and a schedule of events at russianriverrodeo.org. (through June 26)
Toyota/SaveMart 350: Rev your engines, the Toyota/SaveMart 350 takes its mark this Friday for a weekend of car racing fun. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events includes a variety of racing events, including the final farewell to two-time Sonoma winner Tony Stewart during his final season. For a full lineup of the events and admission costs, visit racesonoma.com. (through June 26)
Dana Gioia: California State Poet Laureate, 7 tonight, Copperfield’s Books, Montgomery Village, Santa Rosa. Free. 578-8938, copperfieldsbooks.com.
‘Forever Plaid’: Musical with nostalgic pop hits of the 1950s, opens 8 tonight, 6th Street Playhouse, Santa Rosa. $15-$37. 523-3544, 6thstreetplayhouse.com.
‘Nice Work If You Can Get It’: Gershwin musical comedy, Summer Repertory Theatre, opens 8 tonight, Burbank Auditorium, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa. $18-$25. 527-4307, summerrep.com.
‘Bye Bye Birdie’: Raven Players’ production of the musical comedy opens 8 tonight, Raven Performing Arts Theater, Healdsburg. $10-$30. 433-6335, raventheater.org.
Hold on to your hats, because the 50th annual Russian River Rodeo takes place all weekend long at “Bill Parmeter Field” in Duncan’s Mills. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
SATURDAY, June 25
Armstrong Redwoods Family Day: This Saturday, the stewards of Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve are hosting a fun-filled for families under the redwoods. From noon to 5 p.m., the event will feature nature-based activities, including wildlife presentations, nature walks, games, arts & crafts and more. Food and beverages are available for purchase, and this is the final day to bid on items in the summer auction. Find out all the details at stewardscr.org.
Community SAIF: The 1st annual Community Safety, Awareness and Involvement Festival takes place noon to 4 p.m. this Saturday. The focus of this event is equip the community with practical safety tips, resources and volunteer opportunities. Throughout the day, enjoy music and shopping, food and vendor events, and lots of vital information. Find out more at facebook.com/CommunitySAIF.
Solar and Star Party: This Saturday, take a close look at the sky with the Robert Ferguson Observatory in Sugarloaf opens to the public for their monthly stargazing event. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., safely view the sun through solar telescopes. There will also be a yard sale at the same time, complete with telescopes, tripods, filters and more. Then at 8 p.m., the Observatory’s main telescopes will be open for public viewing. Docents will offer presentations on astronomical topics, and are available to answer any questions. The daytime solar event is free, and the Star Party is $3. Find out more at rfo.org.
Days of Wine & Lavender: The sold out event at Matanzas Creek Winery in Bennett Valley shares the bounty of their lavender harvest, enhanced by an afternoon of live music, food and wine pairings, vineyard tours and more. Noon to 4 p.m. For more information, visit matanzascreek.com.
Pueblo Day: On Saturday, celebrate the founding of Sonoma with an afternoon of historical fun. From 1-4 p.m., the Sonoma Barracks Courtyard takes a step back in time with costumed soldiers, settlers and servants from 1835. The free event will feature opportunities to make your own salsa and tortillas, and even your own Pueblo Flag. For more information, contact (707) 477-1398.
‘Thompsonia!’: Americana, rockabilly and blues with Suzy, Eric and Allegra Thompson, 8 p.m. Saturday, Occidental Center for the Arts. $25. 874-9392, occidentalcenterforthearts.org.
‘Fresh Paint’: Sonoma Valley Museum of Art gala with Los Boleros Cuban and Latin band and performer Ellen Toscano, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Hanna Boys Center, Sonoma. $250. 939-7862, svma.org.
‘Charles M. Schulz’s Art & Life’: Lecture with Schulz Museum archivist Cesar Gallegos, 2 p.m. Saturday, Rohnert Park-Cotati Regional Library, Rohnert Park. Free. 584-9121, sonomalibrary.org.
Timothy O’Neil Band: Folk-Americana plus The Sam Chase and The Untraditional, 9 p.m. Saturday, HopMonk Tavern, Sebastopol. $15. 829-7300, hopmonk-sebastopol.ticketfly.com.
Garratt Wilkin & The Parrotheads: Jimmy Buffett tribute band, noon-3 p.m. Saturday, Village Court, Montgomery Village, Santa Rosa. Free. 545-3844, mvshops.com.
Matanzas Creek Winery in Bennett Valley shares the bounty of their lavender harvest, enhanced by an afternoon of live music, food and wine pairings, vineyard tours and more. (Courtesy photo)
SUNDAY, June 26
Ranch Readiness Day: This free community event on Sunday is geared toward preparing rural families with animals for any emergency. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Shone Farm in Santa Rosa, there will be kids activities, CPR and large animal rescue demos, microchipping, firefighting and more. Find out all the details at ranchreadinessday.com.
Farewell Dinner Concert: Nina Gerber, Chris Webster and special guests at restaurant’s final night, 7-9:30 p.m. Sunday, French Garden, Sebastopol. $25-$30, sold out. 824-2030, frenchgardenrestaurant.com.
Chicago: Iconic rock band with ever-classic songs, plus special guest Rita Wilson, 8 p.m. Sunday, Luther Burbank Center, Santa Rosa. $86-$125. 546-3600, lutherburbankcenter.org.
‘The Three Musketeers’: Swashbuckling, romance and humor with Pegasus Theater Co., closing performance, 6 p.m. Sunday, Riverkeeper Stewardship Park, Guerneville. $18-$25. (800) 838-3006, pegasustheater.com.
Kate Wolf Music Festival: Final day, four stages, 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday, Neko Case, k.d. lang and Laura Veirs at 9:45 p.m., Black Oak Ranch, Laytonville. $120. katewolfmusicfestival.com.
A Peek at Next Week…
Monday, June 27
MNE 15-Year Anniversary: Reggae/hip hop with Kabaka Pyramid and The Bebble Rockers Band, 10 p.m. Monday, HopMonk Tavern, Sebastopol. $20. 829-7300, hopmonk-sebastopol.ticketfly.com.
Tuesday, June 28
Kenny Rogers: ‘Final World Tour: The Gambler’s Last Deal,’ plus special guest Linda Davis, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Luther Burbank Center, Santa Rosa. $69-$250. 546-3600, lutherburbankcenter.org.
Miracle Mule: Country music, ‘Tuesdays in the Plaza’ outdoor concert series, 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Healdsburg Plaza. Free. 431-3301, ci.healdsburg.ca.us.
‘Boeing Boeing’: Summer Repertory Theatre opening night production of the high-flying comedy, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Newman Auditorium, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa. $15-$25. 527-4307, summerrep.com.
Wednesday, June 29
‘Benedettiville’: Songs and stories for kids with Gio & Jen Benedetti, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Copperfield’s Books, Sebastopol. Free. 823-2618, copperfieldsbooks.com.
‘L’Elisir d’Amore’: Met Opera Summer Encores screening of the comic gem, 1:30 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Rialto Cinemas, Sebastopol. $12.50. 525-4840, rialtocinemas.com.
Danny Sorentino: Folk-rocker and covers and originals with Laughing Gravy, ‘Peacetown Summer Concert Series’ opener, 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Ives Park, Sebastopol. Free. 823-1511, sebastopol.org.
Thursday, June 30
Real Estate: New Jersey rock band, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Old Redwood Barn, Gundlach Bundschu Winery, Sonoma. $35. gunbun.ticketfly.com.
Foreverland: Fourteen-piece Michael Jackson tribute band, ‘Concerts Under the Stars,’ 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Village Court, Montgomery Village, Santa Rosa. Free. 545-3844, mvshops.com.
Monophonics: Psychedelic soul band and soul artist Allen Stone, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sonoma Mountain Village Event Center, Rohnert Park. $38. somoconcerts.com.
Aqua Nett: Hair metal legends band, ‘Summer Nights on the Green’ outdoor concert series, 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Windsor Town Green. Free. 838-1260, townofwindsor.com.
Friday, July 1
‘Macbeth’: Opening night of the outdoors ‘Shakespeare in the Cannery’ tragedy, 7 p.m. July 1, Railroad Square, Santa Rosa. $5-$50. shakespeareinthecannery.com.
SFJAZZ Collective: Music of Michael Jackson plus original compositions, 7:30 p.m. July 1, Weill Hall, Green Music Center, Rohnert Park. $30. (866) 955-6040, gmc.sonoma.edu.
Funky Dozen: Dance music from the ’70s to the ’90s, ‘Funky Friday’ outdoor concert series, 7 p.m. July 1, Hood Mansion, Santa Rosa. $10. 833-6288, funkyfridays.info.
David Luning Band/The Sam Chase: Americana, ‘Friday Night Live’ outdoor concert series, 7 p.m. July 1, Cloverdale Plaza. Free. 894-4410, cloverdaleartsalliance.org.
Saturday, July 2
Penngrove Celebration: A weekend of fun awaits you next week in downtown Penngrove. Saturday, July 2, enjoy a pancake breakfast at the Rancho Adobe Fire Station from 7-11 a.m. Then on Sunday, July 3, don’t miss the “Biggest Little Parade in Northern California, kicking off at 11 a.m. Also on Sunday, the SMART train will be open for tours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a BBQ will be held at Penngrove Park from noon to 4 p.m. Find out all the details at www.penngrovesocialfiremen.org.
‘Surf Craft’: Exhibit opening, reception at 6:30 p.m., ‘Chasing Mavericks’ film at 8 p.m. July 2, Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma. $20. 939-7862, svma.org.
Guerneville Independence Day Weekend: Laser Light Show and Uncle Sam’s River Dance, 8 p.m.-midnight July 2, Main Street, downtown Guerneville. $5 suggested donation. 869-9000, russianriver.com.
‘Fireworks Over Bodega Bay’: Fireworks display, 9:30 p.m. July 2, Westside Park, Bodega Bay. Handicap parking only; show visible along Bodega Bay harbor. Free, donations taken. visitbodegabay.com.
American Authors: ‘Summer Concerts’ series opener, indie rock band and post-show fireworks, 7 p.m. July 2, Robert Mondavi Winery, Oakville. $70-$100. (888) 769-5299, robertmondaviwinery.com.
California Beach Boys: The Beach Boys tribute band, ‘Rockin’ Concerts’ series, noon-3 p.m. July 2, Village Court, Montgomery Village, Santa Rosa. Free. 545-3844, mvshops.com.
Sunday, July 3
Monte Rio Fireworks: Water Carnival Boat Parade at dusk, Water Curtain patriotic show, followed by fireworks, July 3, Monte Rio Beach. Free. 865-6100, monterio.org.
Windsor ‘Kaboom!’: Kid Zone activities, Foreverland and McKenna Faith performances, food trucks, fireworks finale, 4-10 p.m. July 3, Keiser Park, Windsor. $5. windsorkaboom.com.
Sebastopol Fireworks and Music Festival: Jason Beard and Poor Man’s Whiskey, games, food, fireworks, 5:30 p.m. gates, July 3, Analy High School football field, Sebastopol. $5-$10. sebastopolkiwanis.org.
The Lucky Losers: Rhythm and blues, ‘Live at Juilliard’ summer concert series opener, 5-7 p.m. July 3, Juilliard Park, Santa Rosa. Free. 543-4512, srcity.org/liveatjuilliard.
Rick Lenzi & Roustabout: Tribute to Buddy Holly and Elvis, noon-3 p.m. July 3, Village Court, Montgomery Village, Santa Rosa. Free. 545-3844, mvshops.com.
Pick’s Drive-In in Cloverdale, California on Monday, March 28, 2011. (BETH SCHLANKER/ The Press Democrat)
In the ongoing awesome-ization of Cloverdale, news broke today that the owners of the Healdsburger restaurant have purchased the town’s historic Pick’s Drive-In.
David Alioto, who revamped a former A+W into the wildly popular burger shack on Healdsburg Ave. confirmed that he has purchased Pick’s from Claudia Clow in a “very friendly transaction.” “We expect to keep the charm of the 1923 restaurant, including their secret red relish recipe while implementing the same menu and quality of Healdsburger,” Alioto said.
Awesome news. The revitalized restaurant will join the burgeoning Cloverdale restaurant scene that includes Savvy on First, Trading Post Market and Bakery, Plank Coffee and Tea, Railroad Station Bar and Grill, Piacere, Zini’s Diner and of course, the World Famous Hamburger Ranch and BBQ.
Healdsburger was opened in 2012, and has become a favorite casual burger spot for locals and visitors in a town that’s become a foodie destination for everything from foie gras and white tablecloth dining to more casual picnic and family fare.
Claudia Clow serves customers at Pick’s Drive-In in Cloverdale. (The Press Democrat, file)
In the ongoing awesome-ization of Cloverdale, news broke today that the owners of the Healdsburger restaurant have purchased the town’s historic Pick’s Drive-In.
David Alioto, who revamped a former A+W into the wildly popular burger shack on Healdsburg Ave. confirmed that he has purchased Pick’s from Claudia Clow in a “very friendly transaction.” “We expect to keep the charm of the 1923 restaurant, including their secret red relish recipe while implementing the same menu and quality of Healdsburger,” Alioto said.
Awesome news. The revitalized restaurant will join the burgeoning Cloverdale restaurant scene that includes Savvy on First, Trading Post Market and Bakery, Plank Coffee and Tea, Railroad Station Bar and Grill, Piacere, Zini’s Diner and of course, the World Famous Hamburger Ranch and BBQ.
Healdsburger was opened in 2012, and has become a favorite casual burger spot for locals and visitors in a town that’s become a foodie destination for everything from foie gras and white tablecloth dining to more casual picnic and family fare.
Sebastopol’s century-old Analy high school was gussied up Friday with fresh paint and landscaping for a starring role in a Netflix series, “13 Reasons Why,” based on a best-selling young adult novel about teenage bullying.
Netflix is adapting best-selling young adult novel into a miniseries. Selena Gomez will be one of the series’ executive producers. (Variety.com)
The 13-episode series — directed by Tom McCarthy, fresh off his best picture Academy Award for “Spotlight,” co-produced by Disney star Selena Gomez and backed by Paramount Television — has plenty of Hollywood power behind it.
But Analy, No. 1,900 and a silver medal winner in U.S. News & World Report’s 2016 Best High Schools rankings, will be discernible only to those who know it well.
The signs over Analy’s front door and library door now read “Liberty High School,” and the 14-page contract between Paramount and the West Sonoma County High School District stipulates the television company shall not use the school name “in any manner whatsoever in connection with its use or exhibition of the photographic product.”
The Analy High School sign on the library is temporarily changed to Liberty High School for the filming of the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” in Sebastopol, California on Friday, June 17, 2016. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)
Paramount is paying the district $60,000 for up to 30 days of filming at Analy through Nov. 23, with an allowance for additional days for a fee of $2,500 a day. Once classes resume, the company is assured of access to the campus only from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays and all day on Sundays.
On Friday, a large klieg light illuminated the school’s front door, but all the filming was going on inside the building, closed to the public. Robert Scott, a production manager, told a reporter and photographer it was a “closed set.”
Two yellow school buses, with no school identification on them, were parked in front of Analy/Liberty High, along with a dark brown coffee truck summoned from San Francisco to serve the crew.
“We’re excited they’re here,” said Jennie Bruneman, the district’s director of facilities, maintenance and operation. “They’ve been really good to the campus.”
The filmmakers painted the vertical columns on the school’s facade light green, placed fresh brown bark mulch over some landscaping and planted 10 bushes in front of the 108-year-old school, with more plantings in the interior quad.
“We can’t afford landscaping,” Bruneman said, noting that Analy Tiger boosters had wanted to make those improvements for years. Proceeds from the filming will go to improvements at the Analy campus, the district said.
The first round of filming wrapped up Friday, but the Liberty High signs will remain in place at least through July, when the crew is expected to return.
Book cover of ‘Thirteen Reasons Why’ by Jay Asher. (bashclub.com)
“It’s great that they selected a small community and we get to be involved,” Bruneman said.
Sonoma County has a storied history of cinematography dating as far back as 1914, including scenes at both Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park’s Rancho Cotate high schools. In 1996, the Santa Rosa school board refused to let director Wes Craven film part of “Scream” at the high school, but he used alternate locations in town and scored a hit with the gory teen slasher flick.
“13 Reasons Why” is based on an adaptation — by Pulitzer Prize-winning lyricist Brian Yorkey — of the New York Times bestselling novel by Jay Asher, published in 2007 and printed in 35 languages, according to Variety. The story revolves around a shoebox of cassette tapes from a girl named Hannah Baker who explains to 13 people how they each played a role in driving her to suicide.
In a January interview with TeenVogue, Selena Gomez, a 23-year-old singer and actress, said her mother, Mandy Teefey, was struck by Asher’s book.
“Four or five years ago, she found this book and fell in love with it,” Gomez said. “I think I was still in high school. Now we’re here. We took our time with it.”
Analy’s previous appearance on the silver screen in the 1999 comedy-drama “Mumford,” featuring Ted Danson and Jason Lee and costing $28 million, got lukewarm critical reviews and was a financial flop, earning only $4.6 million in the United States.
Sonoma County hot air balloons! Mugs and dishes at Redwood Gospel Mission Thrift.
Want a guaranteed shopping adventure? Check out a couple of Santa Rosa’s best thrift stores on Piner Road.
Sonoma County hot air balloons! Mugs and dishes at Redwood Gospel Mission Thrift.
The Redwood Gospel Mission Thrift Store is a great source for furniture, clothing, and artwork. Prices are reasonable and the staff are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.
At Pick of the Litter, expect well known brands in addition to lots of new pet items and a robust section of books and linens. Shoppers can even sneak a peek at cats awaiting adoption.
Statement shoes, Pick of the Litter.Wine country finds, Pick of the Litter.
Don’t go with an agenda, searching for a specific item. Instead, embrace the adventure and be open to possibility. Thrift store shopping is a fun (often inexpensive way) to support your community and causes you care about.
Vintage, hand painted chromolithograph prints, some over 100 years old, $4 each at Pick of the Litter.
I enjoy thrifting without a “wish list”. For me, it’s all about exploring and making discoveries. From excess inventory (new items from local stores) to furniture, framed art, vintage and collectibles, you never know what you’ll find.
Summer time purses at Redwood Gospel Mission.
With a little imagination (and inspiration from Pinterest), items can be upcycled and given a new purpose. Chalk paint and spray paint are a thrifter’s best friend. Ornate, gold frames take on a new life when painted white or a bright color like turquoise. Ceramics and vintage tin cans are perfect for planting succulents.
Enjoy the adventure!
Explore the gallery below for inspiration… Photography by Amy Schaus
Picnic basket with plasticware, Pick of the Litter.Summer hats, Pick of the Litter.Wicker desk for bedroom/boudoir, transform dark wood with chalk paint makeover, Redwood Gospel Mission.Vintage patterns make cool wrapping paper, Redwood Gospel Mission.Vintage Chips and Dip set, complete with pink flamingoes, Redwood Gospel Mission.Buttons for assemblage craft or sewing project, Pick of the Litter.
The Redwood Gospel Mission Thrift Store, 1821 Piner Road, Santa Rosa Pick of the Litter, 1701 Piner Road, Santa Rosa
Smokey Sebastopol burger with bacon, cheddar and in-house made barbecue sauce at Barley and Hops Tavern in Occidental. May 16, 2016. (Photo: Erik Castro
The dog romping outside Barley and Hops Tavern in Occidental looked to be part Norwich terrier, part French bulldog and perhaps part sea otter. It jumped to race past on the wood stairs to the restaurant’s front porch, and I asked its guardian what it might be.
“Bat,” he said with a wry smile, corralling the wayward pup. “His name is Batboy.”
Occidental has a lot of color and character, and the man fit the look, with long hair, a flowing beard and scruffy garb. He might have been a longtime, relaxed Russian River resident, or he might have been a busy vineyard owner drawn to the area for its Sonoma Coast cool climate and abundant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay landscapes.
Molly Shanley-Musso owns Barley and Hops Tavern in Occidental with her husband Giancarlo Musso.
That’s just part of the fun of dining at Barley and Hops; you never know who will be in the three-story yellow clapboard Victorian house. People watching is part of the authentic experience as you sip a beer and nibble a housemade Bavarian pretzel so big and plump it looks like challah ($5), served hot and salty for pulling apart and dunking in stone ground mustard.
Beer led Noah Bolmer and Mirjam Maggio Bolmer to open their tavern in the summer of 2008. Frequent pub-goers and longtime homebrewers, they wanted to create their own personal shrine to suds, and in early 2014 they also opened Warped Brewing Co. at The Barlow in Sebastopol.
Fish and chips at Barley and Hops Tavern in Occidental.
Last February they closed Warped, and in December they sold Barley to Molly Shanley Musso and Giancarlo Musso, staying on as advisers until March to help smooth the transition.
And smooth it is. While the original was great for its top-notch beers and live music line-ups, this revamp is an improvement for diners. Local and boutique beers remain a hallmark, spanning some 50 pages including ciders, but in April the Mussos unveiled an updated food menu.
Bartender Buffalo Bang pulling from the taps at Barley and Hops Tavern.
A handful of more ambitious items now make an appearance, such as sautéed prawns with buttery sofrito sauce over cilantro rice with avocado salad ($17.75), and on a recent evening I loved the elegance of eating Thai chicken lettuce cups doused in vibrant ginger and chile garlic sauce ($13) while listening to “The Boy Who Smelled Real Good,” performed live by Clark “Big Kitty” Williams on tour from Chattanooga, Tenn.
Still, nobody has gotten uppity, and the heart and soul remains satisfying, reliable food that tastes even better thanks to the great beers and welcoming West Sonoma County neighborhood vibe.
Prawns in soffritto with cilantro rice.
We enter at the bar, a dark and lovingly faded space of beat-up wood, a half dozen comfortable full back stools, parlor chandeliers (one hung with a pink plastic flamingo), a chalkboard listing rotating beers and a wall display of antique beer taps.
A cubbyhole collection of small dining rooms offers utilitarian seating amid yellow walls anchored by charcoal-black painted wainscoting, plus a hand painted sign reading, “A good friend will come and bail you out of jail … but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, ‘Damn … that was fun!’”
The dining room at Barley and Hops Tavern in Occidental.
We toast acts like Talia Keys funk/soul/reggae/rock while sipping the dark hop monster Sunshine Fix American double/Imperial IPA crafted by San Francisco’s Social Kitchen & Brewery. Or we raise a glass to Brothers Gadjo BoHo swing guitar, toasting with Rye Ryerish Irish Dry Stout style beer brewed by Berryessa Brewing Co. in Winters.
The wine bible on each table brims with wine-worthy tasting notes, but as I hesitated over so many choices, my server offered to bring a few complimentary samples.
Beer partners well with dishes like honey ale chicken wings ($9.75 for a half dozen) or house-baked flatbread lightly strewn with manchego, prosciutto, smoked onions and arugula ($10.50), but salute the surrounding dairy farmers with panko-coated goat cheese croquettes ($5.25). The hot, tangy local chevre oozes under the fork, and it’s better than any mozzarella stick.
Herb-spice seasoned Niman Ranch grass fed burgers ($11) are generous fork-and-knife affairs, though mine needed more Swiss and mushrooms ($1). Garlic fries ($5/$7.50) aren’t for wimps, meanwhile, the thick cut, skin-on wands smothered in fresh minced, pungent cloves.
Ribeye steak with mashed potatoes and kale slaw.
Chimay chicken ($15.75) is messy on the plate, too, the sliced breast shouldered with chunky mashed potatoes, sautéed mixed vegetables and an ocean of gravy.
But this longtime signature is a heaping helping of terrific comfort food, the tender bird coated in crunchy pretzel beer batter and fried crisp, the sauce swimming with gutsy mustard and sweet cream, and the local veggies smoothed in butter.
I’m a fan of the Bodega Catch, as well, the cornmeal-crusted rock cod grilled and layered with lettuce, tomato and remoulade on brioche ($12).
You can taste the local fish’s freshness, paired with fries and housemade pickles.
I’ll pass on the fish and chips, though ($15.75). The beer battered slabs glistened with grease, the fries were limp this time, remoulade tasted like mayonnaise, and yogurt slaw was watery.
It won’t be too long before Barley and Hops Tavern morphs some more. The Mussos plan to expand this fall to create a kid-friendly space with a kid-friendly menu, opening up more room for the music.
The only bummer? Dogs recently have been banned from the porch. Sorry, Batboy.
Spicy Tan Tan Ramen with Sapporo noodles, sesame, scallion, pork belly chashu, spicy ground pork, charred cabbage, woodier and a 6 minute egg from Ramen Gaijin in Sebastopol. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
An interesting thing has been happening these past few months when I mention Sebastopol. Faces light up, and people say, “Oh, Ramen Gaijin! I love that place.”
There’s so much to love about the small town already, but this restaurant seems to be putting emoji hearts in everyone’s eyes. More friends suddenly find it convenient to visit me — I live about five minutes from the Japanese izakaya — and I’ve been drawn into conversations about noodles and pickles with perfect strangers.
The food is great, and part of the joy comes from cheering for the little guy. The eatery began life in July 2014, as a once-a-month pop-up inside Woodfour Brewing Company at The Barlow. On the first evening of business, first-time restaurateurs Matthew Williams and Moishe Hahn-Schuman sold 120 bowls before running out of soup.
The Pickle Plate, Yakitori (from top; Chicken Tsukune, Hokkaido Scallop, Broccoli, and Wagyu Short Rib) and Maguro Poke from Ramen Gaijin in Sebastopol.
Success, indeed — five months later, the shop relocated to a larger space inside Forchetta/Bastoni restaurant just across the street, and then, exactly one year later, the Japanese eatery took over the entire two-story building.
It was all roses, except Forchetta/Bastoni’s closure included some state problems, including their hard alcohol license being suspended. Williams and Hahn-Schuman considered relocating, and even after they got the license settled, they faced extensive renovations to the former Asian/Italian space.
The open kitchen at Ramen Gaijin in Sebastopol.
This past December, Ramen Gaijin closed, finally reopening in March with a new look including concrete and undulating redwood bars backed by reclaimed barn-wood paneling, Japanese hanging lanterns, izakaya pub interior signage, old school Japanese paintings updated with modern day superheroes, and a cute, tiny Godzilla bonsai garden on the eat-in counter overlooking the new kitchen.
It was worth the wait. While Japanese food is all the Wine Country rage these days— think the new Miminashi in Napa, Persimmon in Healdsburg, the soon-to-open Two Birds One Stone in St. Helena and the up-coming Single Threat in Healdsburg — Ramen Gaijin shines among the best dining I’ve enjoyed anywhere.
Attention to detail is brilliant, with a simple donburi bowl ($13) boasting authentic Japanese Kewpie mayo, a rice vinegar-based sauce that’s richer and creamier than standard USA issue. Here, it’s infused with yuzu before being dolloped on a bed of rice topped in pork belly, farm egg, tobiko, kimchee, bonito, pickled red onion, Bull-Dog tonkatsu sauce and goma furika seasoning of toasted sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar and salt.
Ashimagari, Kyuri Bay and Blade gin with lemon, apricot, thyme and lemon from the bar at Ramen Gaijin in Sebastopol.
The effort is all the more impressive considering the duo had been cooking for their entire professional lives, but really didn’t know the first thing about specialties like the skinny noodles called chūka soba. The word gaijin, notably, is the Japanese term for a non-Japanese person, and it took the chefs nine months to figure the perfect ramen recipe, based on handcrafted rye noodles that are toasted for even more aroma and a firmer chew. They tested many miso recipes using a variety of sprouted grains and legumes, and pickled everything they could get their hands on.
Years of living in Japan made me a ramen fanatic, and this team has nailed it. Tender noodles have the perfect, slightly rubber band texture, and the shoyu broth is deep, savory and just-right salty with notes of kombu, garlic and ginger amid the silky emulsified fats from whole chicken, pork neck and smoked hocks.
Maguro poke with ahi, hijack, avocado, puffed brown rice and chili vinegar from Ramen Gaijin in Sebastopol.
Shoyu ramen ($15) showcases the commitment to pristine ingredients, stocking that elegant broth-noodle bowl with slippery curls of wakame (soft seaweed), big flaps of meaty wood ear mushroom, shaved leek, tender menma bits (fermented bamboo), a halved six-minute egg cooked to perfect runny custard yolk, and a rich crown of pork belly chashu that’s the best bacon in the universe for its slow roasted browned texture and rich but clean tasting marbling. It pains me to write about the soup now, with no leftovers to eat.
A shiitake miso vegetarian broth version ($15) is nearly as flavorful, boasting fried tofu, bok choy, woodear mushroom, wakame, scallion, and crunchy togarashi roasted carrots. My companion doesn’t care for egg, but I adore it, so the kitchen politely placed her serving in a prettily little pottery side dish for me.
Still, my favorite is the spicy tan tan ramen ($15), with the rust-red broth packing wonderful heat that sneaks up slowly. Delicious fat tempers the burn, delivered via thick slabs of slow roasted pork belly chashu, crumbled spicy ground pork and egg. Plus, as a special one day, the chefs had rolled more chashu, then sliced it nearly as thin as carpaccio ($3 add-in), bringing even more pork flavor against charred cabbage, woodear mushrooms, mustard greens, sesame and scallion.
Amara Yeats, 5, enjoys a bowl of noodles using kids chopsticks at Ramen Gaijin in Sebastopol.
The perfect meal also includes a crisp salad to refresh the palate. Daikon no sunomono ($8) is a delicate toss of amethyst and white daikon curls, julienne Nantes carrot, shiso, and whisper light curls of katsuobushi (dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna). The idea is to get a bit of each ingredient in your chopsticks, and stir to the bottom of the bowl for a sop in sanbaizu, a brisk, sweet vinegar dressing.
Each vegetable on the pickle plate ($7), meanwhile, has bathed in an individual brine, delivering highly spicy turnip, sweet-tart white strawberries, tangy shiitakes, fiery kimchee, ginger, fennel, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber and watermelon radish. Contrasting flavors, colors and textures are marvelous.
The chefs offer artistry extends to maguro poke ($14), with tiny cubes of line caught ahi arranged in multiple small mounds on a rectangular pottery plate, scattered with crispy puffed brown rice, and topped in frilly mustard greens. Here and there are large and small spoonfuls of avocado cream, and tiny bits of hijiki (black seaweed). As our server checks back often to make sure we’re happy, our smiles say it all.
Black sesame ice cream with matcha meringue, miso caramel and coconut granola from Ramen Gaijin in Sebastopol.
At night, Ramen Gaijin expands with a longer izakaya menu, though keep the mood distinct, the full izakaya menu is not available on the main dining room side, and ramen isn’t served in the izakaya bar.
It’s delightful to nestle at the bar, eating chile vinegar dipped pork shoulder-scallion gyoza ($10) and kaarage (juicy fried chicken thigh nubbins, $8), while sipping sakes, beers and wines on tap, or seasonal artisan cocktails created by celebrity mixologist Scott Beattie.
A Root Down marries Blade Gin with homemade Nantes carrot shrub, lemon, pickled root vegetables and coriander ($11) for a crisp, layered quaff, while Japanese highballs are made with kashi Whisky infused with Samovar Japanese teas like Sencha green tea plus a bit of seltzer ($13); even the ice is art, crystal clear and hand-cut into spears.
The bar at Ramen Gaijin in Sebastopol serves a selection of Japanese tea high balls along with traditional favorites.
Yakitori is elevated beyond pub food, as well. Besides the traditional robata grilled chicken thigh marinated in Sonoma County-crafted Bachan’s teriyaki sauce ($4), there is the Wagyu-style short rib topped in Meyer kosho, a citrusy Japanese hot sauce ($8), and succulent Hokkaido scallop kissed with barrel aged sake and chives ($6).
Japanese dessert aren’t often stars, except here, the chefs think through each ingredient, resulting in intriguing flavors like black sesame ice cream, the charcoal gray creamy mixture set atop coconut granola with a puddle of miso caramel and little puffs of matcha meringue ($7). It’s a big, earthy mix, and begs for a cocktail alongside. Perhaps the Ashimagari ($11), a pale purple quaff of Torikai shochu, shiso plum liqueur and a delicate lily pad of purple nori.
The open kitchen design allows eating at the bar while watching the action at the Yakitori grill at Ramen Gaijin in Sebastopol.
Carey Sweet is a Santa Rosa-based food and restaurant writer. Read her restaurant reviews every other week in Sonoma Life. Contact her at carey@careysweet.com.
Oyster Girls are opening a brick and mortar restaurant in Petaluma summer 2016. PD File
It’s the first brick and mortar for the Oyster Girls!
The Shuckery is slated to open at the newly-restored Hotel Petaluma later this summer. The 54-seat oyster bar and restaurant is being spearheaded by sisters Aluxa and Jazmine Lalicker, best known as The Oyster Girls.
Their traveling oyster bar has been a Bay Area fixture since 2007, with the two often dressed in formal attire with special utility belts around their waists holding oysters, caviar or shrimp in stainless steel buckets as part of the entertainment. The fun-loving sisters say that customers can expect swift shucking lessons and a menu inspired by East Coast transplant, Chef Seth Harvey. The sisters are calling the restaurant “the first seafood restaurant in downtown Petaluma” and plan to include local purveyors like Tomales Bay Oyster CompaLavenderndar Hill Honey, First Light Farm, Singing Frogs Farm and SF’s TwoXSea for their coast to coast seafood menu.
