thursday 7|31

Bach For Free

BACH'S TOPS IN SEASIDE One of the nicest things the Carmel Bach Festival does is put on a free concert in Seaside every summer, with added sponsorship by the city of Seaside, the Seaside Cultural Arts Group and Monterey Bay Links. It's a great way to see the stars of the Bach Fest without shelling out the big dough, and it encourages families to bring the kids along and expose them to the best of classical music. This year's offering has Bruce Lamott directing the Bach Festival Chorale in musical highlights from the shows going on over the hill in Carmel. Stick around after the show for an 8:30pm "meet the artists" reception. [SF]

7:30pm. Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby Ave., Seaside. Free. 899-6805.

friday 8|1

Where's the Pinata?

CARMEL VALLEY FIESTA For 14 years, the Kiwanis Club of Carmel Valley has been promoting family fun with the Carmel Valley Fiesta. Now, you may be wondering, just how many fun-filled family events can possibly be crunched into a three-day event? The answer is parades, dog shows, train rides, games, arts and crafts, food, barbecues, music, raffles, a street dance, and not one but two pancake breakfasts. Whew! [NP]

6pm-10pm today and 8am-5pm Saturday and Sunday. Carmel Valley Trail and Saddle Club off Carmel Valley Road today, Carmel Valley Community Park at Carmel Valley Road and Ford Road on Saturday and Sunday. 659-2038.

Anything But Sweet

CANDYE KANE Kane has been known to knock a few socks off in her former profession within the sex industry, but now she prefers to do it orally--with a sultry, powerful blues performance. But despite her past, Candye is not a novelty act--she won Best Blues Band in the San Diego Music Awards for a record sixth time, and has headlined the East Coast Rhythm and Roots Festival with artists like Keb Mo, Ozomatli and Bela Fleck. Candye is currently celebrating the release of her Whole Lotta Love CD with a tour that spans California, Arizona and Europe. (See story p. 32) [AW]

Tonight and tomorrow night at Sly McFly's, 700 Cannery Row, Monterey. 649-8050.

saturday 8|2

Aye Laddie!

SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GAMES AND CELTIC Grab your kilts and bagpipes and join in at the 36th Annual Monterey Scottish Highland Games and Celtic Festival. It's a family event with a plethora of food, sharp objects, and a variety of entertainment such as pipe band competitions, Celtic and Scottish dancing, and Scottish athletic competitions. Watch in amazement as large bearded men toss telephone poles end over end and hurl 10-gallon weights backwards over a high-bar. It's a shame that sports like these have gone out of style in America. [NP]

Gates open at 8:30am today and tomorrow. Toro Park, Highway 68, Salinas. 647-6311 or www.montereyscotgames.com for more info.

Turkish Delights

TURKISH FESTIVAL Experience a taste of Turkey this weekend at the 6th annual Turkish Arts & Culture Festival. The event is free, and features live music, folk dancing and belly dancing. Cemali (pronounced jem'ali), Turkey's original alternative pop band, headlines both days at 3pm. Arts enthusiasts can check out carpet weaving, marbling and other arts and craft exhibits, and there will be plenty of activities for the kiddies, including puppet making, painting, storytelling, folk dancing and games. Don't forget to take a bite out of Turkish cuisine, and try the Doner Kebap, borek, baklava and Turkish coffee. [JL]

11am-6pm today and Sunday. Monterey Custom House Plaza, next to Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey. 646-1916.

Four In One

STORM NILSON QUARTET Back when he was a student at Carmel High, Storm Nilson was a blues guitar phenom--appearing at the Monterey Bay Blues Festival and performing with the likes of Clarence Gatemouth Brown. Now he is a student at Cal Arts in LA, and is studying with the likes of Charlie Haden, the legendary jazz bass virtuoso and master composer. Tonight Nilson fronts a quartet of young players from diverse backgrounds who are coming together to explore ideas about composition and improvisation. Sounds very cool. [EJ]

7:30pm. Jazz and Blues Co., The Crossroads Shopping Center, Rio Road at Highway 1, Carmel. $25 (students under 18 half price). BYOB. 624-6431.

Move Your Feet

MOVING ARTS DANCE Art imitates life, especially in a dancer's world, where the human body is used to express emotion and movement. One of the East Bay's top modern dance companies, Moving Arts Dance, visits Monterey County this weekend for the ongoing Central Coast SummmerFest dance series, hosted by SpectorDance Studio. Five original pieces display the talents of Michael Lowe (who danced for almost 30 years with the Oakland Ballet), Anandha Ray (who founded Moving Arts almost 10 years ago), and others. Lowe's piece "Upstream" depicts dancers swirling through circular tides and waters, and his work "Concubine" looks at a relationship and is set to Mongolian folk music. Get your tickets now to see this top-notch troupe. [CC]

8pm. SpectorDance Studio, 3343 Paul Davis Dr., Marina. $20/advance, $25/door. 384-1050.

Cello Fellow

CELLIST RUSHAD EGGLESTON When Carmel High grad Rushad Eggleston debuted his compositions at his senior recital at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, the crowd was a little bit shocked. "They are probably not used to hearing happy melodies in weird languages," he says. The cellist says the crowd reacted favorably to his tunes which sometimes employ made-up words to describe imaginary landscapes. Eggleston, who was nominated for a Grammy for his work with Boston's Fiddlers 4, will tonight unveil music he describes as "sneaky and playful." [ST]

8pm. Tickets are available at the door and at Do Re Mi Music in Carmel. Sister Carlotta Performing Arts Center, Santa Catalina School, 1500 Mark Thomas Dr., Monterey. $20. 659-1796.

sunday 8|03

Last Call

SUNDAY BLUES IN THE PARK Annie Sampson has been gathering accolades since her first performance in a church talent show when she was five years old. Since then, she has performed in the American Conservatory Theater's version of Hair, fronted a rock group called Stoneground, and launched a successful solo career. On her 1996 album, Under the Moon, Sampson proves she can make any song her own by transforming the Dylan classic "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" into an R & B ballad. Sampson will be joined by local blues group Red Beans & Rice for this summer's last installment of the popular series. [ST]

1pm. Free. Laguna Grande Park, corner of Canyon del Rey and Harcourt, Seaside. 899-6805.

Jazzified

SMOOTH JAZZ CONCERT Come hear the smooth sounds of jazz/pop vocalist and bass player Slim Man, accompanied by saxophonist Mindi Abair. Slim Man has received recognition from across the globe and recently made an international tour. He has performed with numerous musical talents including Acoustic Alchemy, Spyro Gyra, Kenny Loggins, and Ken Navarro. If you're looking to relax and have a good time, this performance might just be the ticket. [NP]

7pm. Hyatt Regency Ballroom, 1 Old Golf Course Rd., Monterey. $35/general, $55/reserved, $75/premium. 649-1223.