Tag Archives: Seasons Magazine

SBIFF Announces Guests for Producers and Womens Panels

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courtesy SBIFF

courtesy SBIFF

The film festival isn’t just about about movies and movie stars, the industry panels are also a fabulous treat.

Movers and Shakers—the first Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) panel of the weekend, which brings together some of today’s most established producers to the Lobero Theatre on Saturday, February 1 at 11 a.m.—will feature Albert Berger (Nebraska), Robbie Brenner (Dallas Buyers Club), Dana Brunetti (Captain Phillips), Dede Gardner (12 Years a Slave), Joey McFarland (Wolf of Wall Street), Charles Roven (American Hustle), Gaby Tana (Philomena) and Ron Yerxa (Nebraska).  The moderator will be  Los Angeles Times film writer John Horn.

At 2 p.m. is SBIFF’s Creative Forces: Women in the Biz panel which spotlights creative decision-makers sharing the challenges and successes they have faced as women in the industry. Moderated by Madelyn Hammond, this year’s panelists include: Kristine Belson (producer, The Croods), Dede Gardner (producer, 12 Years a Slave), Lauren MacMullen (director, Get A Horse, animated short), Rachel Winter (producer, Dallas Buyers Club) and Sara Woodhatch (producer, Before Midnight).

All panels take place at the recently renovated Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. For more information or to purchase tickets click here.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on January 29, 2014.

Widespread Panic comes to the Arlington April 3

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Widespread Panic, courtesy photo

Widespread Panic, courtesy photo

Tickets are now on sale for alternative rock band Widespread Panic. The oft-touring American band will play at the Arlington Theatre  (1317 State St.) on April 3 at 8 p.m.

Since their inception in Athens, Georgia, in 1986, Widespread Panic has risen to elite status among American jam bands. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz, keyboardist John “JoJo” Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring. Michael Houser and George McConnell have also played lead guitar for the band.

For more information or to purchase tickets click here.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on January 24, 2014.

Forge into Santa Barbara Art Foundry

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Sculpture by Tim Cotterill, courtesy SB Art Foundry

Sculpture by Tim Cotterill, courtesy SB Art Foundry

Smile-inducing surprises are tucked into almost every nook and cranny of the Funk Zone. Our latest cool find is the new Santa Barbara Art Foundry (120 Santa Barbara St., 805/324-4230, sbartfoundry.com), a real working foundry where visitors can watch skilled craftspeople transform molten bronze into unique and beautiful sculptures.

It’s fascinating to see each step in the casting process. These bronze sculptures are created using the “lost wax” method, which can be traced back 4,000 years to ancient civilizations of Greece, Rome, South America and Asia. Watching these intricate procedures firsthand is sure to give visitors an even greater appreciation for all of the work that goes into these sculptures, conveniently on view in an onsite gallery.

Santa Barbara Art Foundry features the work of “anchor artist” Tim Cotterill, also known as “The Frogman,” whose frog sculptures are in collections all over the world and sold in more than 130 fine art galleries worldwide. Also on view are art deco sculptures by Erté, a well-known European artist and costume designer for films, and revered Chinese artist Ting Shao Kuang, whose work is seen in museums around the world.

As if the behind-the-scenes tour and the art itself weren’t enough to lure visitors into this distinctive new attraction, the venue also features a new tasting room, Fox Wine Company, headed by award-winning winemaker Blair Fox and his wife Sarah. Blair Fox Cellars is an ultra-boutique winery in Los Olivos owned and operated by the couple. This is their first tasting room in Santa Barbara and spotlights a new label created with the desire to produce elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as showcase their bold Syrah and unique blends. “We are thrilled to introduce this new label and are so happy to be part of the new gallery,” say the Foxes. “This is the one and only location where you can find these unique wines.”

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in the Winter 2013/14 issue of Santa Barbara SEASONS Magazine.

 

Sings Like Hell is Back at the Lobero With Series #34

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Sings Like HellThe Devil Is Back at the Historic Lobero Theatre and better than ever with a terrific line-up of Sings Like Hell shows coming this season.

First up is JIMMER (Yes, from the Rave-Ups!)+ JUDE JOHNSTONE on Saturday, January 25 at 8 p.m. “F. Scott Fitzgerald once said that there are no second acts in American lives. He would have changed his mind if he knew the story of Jimmer Podrasky,” says Sings Like Hell’s Peggie Jones. “Jimmer, a former punk and closeted John Prine fan, emerged from Carnegie Mellon and promptly formed The Rave-Ups with his old college pals. A natural lyricist armed with a literary sense of irony, The Rave-Ups made quick work of Pittsburg and blasted their way onto the national scene…where the music industry (Epic) promptly released two of the best albums of that decade. Then Jimmer vanished. Well, sort of. He raised his beautiful son Chance as a single father. His first album in 23 years, The Would-Be Plans is Podrasky’s strongest work to date. Flanked by a powerhouse band and showcasing his sardonic, dangerously sharp wit, this is a staggering return to form.”

As for Jude Johnstone, “she had her career launched by Clarence Clemons, furthered by T-Bone Burnett and Leonard Cohen, and has had her songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Bette Midler, Stevie Nicks, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood and Jennifer Warnes (list not complete!). But there is nothing like hearing her slink around her own lyrics herself, with a soulful, melodic grace and artful simplicity that is uniquely her very own.”

Next up is An Entire Evening of JACK SHIT + Special Guests on Sunday, February 16. As Jones says, “Jack Shit is the ultimate in-crowd event. This band is so full of shit, it spills out into the audience. Seriously, go the website and follow the links…it stinks so good! Davey Faragher, Val McCallum and Pete Thomas form the backbone…but you can expect a bunch of their shitty friends (there’s free beer for the band).”

Third in the series is THE WATKINS FAMILY HOUR featuring Sara & Sean Watkins + Special Guests on Friday, March 21. “Sings Like Hell favorites Sean & Sara Watkins have been at the Lobero many times,” says Jones. “T-Bone Burnett brought them for Down From The Mountain, they are part of Works Progress Administration, and of course we loved them with Nickel Creek. The Watkins Family Hour is a regular feature at Largo and McCabes in Los Angeles and now they are coming back in all their low-key, artistically superb glory to charm the Hell out of, well, Hell.”

ARIANA GILLIS + Special Guest are next up, on Saturday, April 19. Rock ‘n roll writer Dave Marsh, admits to being Ariana Gillis’s biggest fan. He played the track “John and the Monster” on his Sirius XM radio show and the first caller was Bernie Taupin, Elton John’s lyricist and songwriting partner. Later on his own show, Taupin had this to say, “I’m staggered by how good she is. There is not much that impresses me these days…but I can honestly say she’s the single most exciting thing I’ve heard in a long time.” Not bad for a 21 year old from Niagara, Ontario!

SATURDAY, May 3 is a MYSTERY DATE. We’ll keep you posted.

Then on Saturday, June 28 they’ll have CHUCK PROPHET & THE MISSION EXPRESS WITH STRINGS. “Chuck Prophet is singularly creative, deafeningly original and helms one of the very best bands in American rock’n’roll today. We would be stupid not to present him as often as possible,” says Jones. “This is an entire evening of Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express, recreating the Great American Music Hall drop-dead sold-out concerts, with a string section. Brace yourself.”

All shows start at 8 p.m. at the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St. (805/963-0761), with a reception with the artists following each show.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on January 19, 2014.

Cocktail Corner: The Whole Universe in a Glass of Wine

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Thephotoholic photo, freedigitalphotos.net

Thephotoholic photo, freedigitalphotos.net

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! by Leslie Dinaberg |

Whether or not you’re familiar with Richard P. Feynman‘s famous quote, we think you’ll enjoy this lovely short video from the PBS series “It’s Okay to Be Smart,” which illustrates his lecture on the relationship of wine to the universe.

“A poet once said, ‘The whole universe is in a glass of wine.’ We will probably never know in what sense he meant it, for poets do not write to be understood. But it is true that if we look at a glass of wine closely enough we see the entire universe. There are the things of physics: the twisting liquid which evaporates depending on the wind and weather, the reflection in the glass; and our imagination adds atoms. The glass is a distillation of the earth’s rocks, and in its composition we see the secrets of the universe’s age, and the evolution of stars. What strange array of chemicals are in the wine? How did they come to be? There are the ferments, the enzymes, the substrates, and the products. There in wine is found the great generalization; all life is fermentation. Nobody can discover the chemistry of wine without discovering, as did Louis Pasteur, the cause of much disease. How vivid is the claret, pressing its existence into the consciousness that watches it! If our small minds, for some convenience, divide this glass of wine, this universe, into parts—physics, biology, geology, astronomy, psychology, and so on—remember that nature does not know it! So let us put it all back together, not forgetting ultimately what it is for. Let it give us one more final pleasure; drink it and forget it all!”

Check it out.

Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on January 17, 2014.

Leslie Dinaberg

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

“The Bachelor” Wedding Comes to The Biltmore Santa Barbara

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"The Bachelor" Sean Lowe proposes to Catherine Giudici (courtesy ABC.com) "The Bachelor" Sean Lowe proposes to Catherine Giudici (courtesy ABC.com)

“The Bachelor” Sean Lowe proposes to Catherine Giudici (courtesy ABC.com)

Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara will be live in primetime on January 26, when “THE BACHELOR: SEAN AND CATHERINE’S WEDDING,” airs, featuring former Bachelor Sean Lowe and fiancée Catherine Giudici in a live telecast of their nuptials.

The program airs live on Sunday, January 26 at 8 p.m. on ABC. This will mark the first time ever that a “Bachelor” wedding has been telecast live.

The Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara has been a dream setting for weddings since 1927. This legendary property practically bursts with romance and classic elegance, not to mention 20 acres of lush botanical gardens, and an incomparable ocean view.

“It’s a truly special place that has served as inspiration and fairytale wedding destination for thousands of brides and grooms over the decades,” says Karen Earp, general manager. “We are so happy to be the location for Sean and Catherine’s wedding celebration and honored to forever be a part of their love story.”

Lowe and  Giudici became engaged in beautiful, exotic Thailand at the finish of filming Lowe ’s edition (Season 17) of “The Bachelor” in November 2012. Hosted by Chris Harrison, the show will let viewers in on all the exciting festivities, from planning the big day to the next stage of their romantic journey with a beautiful wedding ceremony in the perfect location.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on January 16, 2014.

Free Screening of “Dislecksia: The Movie” and Q & A with Filmmaker Harvey Hubbell

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DIS-400x600_R3Dyslexia affects 1 in 5 individuals, and Harvey Hubbell (who has dyslexia) is spreading the word across the nation that dyslexia is a difference, not a disability. The award-winning independent filmmaker screens his well-reviewed film, Dislecksia: The Movie at a special appearance at Santa Barbara High School on Friday, January 17 at 7 p.m. (700 E. Anapamu St.).

The event is FREE to the public and is the only Central Coast showing scheduled during Hubbell’s West Coast tour. A Q & A session will follow the film.

The film explores the issue of learning differences that are widely misunderstood, and the reason for much difficulty in school; due to increasing research and technological advances, these differences can be handled in a positive way  when there’s greater awareness and understanding.

The event is sponsored by the Santa Barbara School District, the Santa Barbara Education Foundation, The Kirby Jones Family Foundation and The Dyslexia Project. Spanish interpretation will be available.

For more information email TheDyslexiaProject@gmail.com.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on January 13, 2014.

Cocktail Corner: Tupelo Junction Cafe

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The Whistling Dixie at Tupelo Junction Cafe, photo by Leslie Dinaberg

The Whistling Dixie at Tupelo Junction Cafe, photo by Leslie Dinaberg

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! by Leslie Dinaberg |

You’ll find Southern comfort food in spades at Tupelo Junction Cafe, but this reliable old favorite downtown restaurant also has a creative and well-priced cocktail menu (1218 State St., 805/899-3100).

This week my tipple of choice was the Whistling Dixie, a smooth concoction of Maker’s Mark Whisky, Fresh Squeezed Lemonade and Soda that was just the ticket before a yummy meal of the Crispy Fried “Free Range” Chicken with Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Swiss Chard, Sweet Corn & Herbed Pan Gravy. Delicious … and just like Grammy used to make, if my Grandma didn’t specialize in making reservations!

Tupelo’s specialty martini list has clever home-fried names—which the writer in me approves of—and lip-smacking top shelf potions—which the drinker in me approves of. For example:

The Kentucky Derby, made with 10 Cane Rum, Amaretto, Pineapple, Orange Juice & Cherry.

The Sweet “Tea”ni, made with Ketel One Citroen, Blackberry Sage Iced Tea & Lemonade.

The Sour Lemon Drop, made with Grey Goose Vodka, Fresh Squeezed Lemon & served in a sugar rimmed glass.

The Pink Flamingo, with Tanqueray Gin, fresh squeezed Pink Grapefruit Juice & Soda.

The Southern Belle, an Absolut Mandarin Cosmopolitan with Cranberry and Lime Juice.

The Rajin’ Cajun, with Absolut Peppar, Chipotle Bloody Mary & Pickled Green Beans. This is definitely a brunch time favorite for Bloody Mary fans. Try the Wild Mushroom, Asparagus, Black Truffle Cheese Scramble with Baby Green Salad & Homemade Bread—you’ll swear you’ve died and gone to truffle-sniffing heaven!

The Spicy Smoked Chipotle & Crab Bloody Mary also has a lot of brunch time takers.

And for dessert, try the Velvet Elvis, made with Stoli Vanilla, Kahlua, Baileys, Banana Liquer & Chocolate. If you really want to “love me tender,” pair this with the Chocolate Turtle Beignets with Crème Anglaise & Candied Pecans. Ahhh, such sweet nirvana!

Happy Hour is also a great time to visit Tupelo Junction Cafe. Every night from 5–7 p.m. (they’re closed Mondays) they have selected cocktails for just $6, including The Rajin’ Cajun and The Southern Belle, as well as a Farmer’s Market Blackberry Mojito and a terrific Margarita with Fresh Lime, Mint, Cucumber & Tangerines. Selected wines by the glass are only $5 during happy hour, in addition to a whole slew of tasty small plates, including Cheddar Cheese Hush Puppies with Spicy Pepper Jam, Fried Green Tomatoes with Herb Buttermilk Dressing, and those Chocolate Turtle Beignets I was telling you about.

I’ll definitely be back again soon. Hope to see you…I mean y’all, there.

Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Leslie Dinaberg

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Global Gardens Café and Olive Oil Store Opens in Los Alamos

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Photo Jeffrey Bloom Photography, courtesy Global Gardens

Photo Jeffrey Bloom Photography, courtesy Global Gardens

Vegetarians and locavores in the Santa Ynez Valley now have an entire restaurant devoted to their cuisine.  Global Gardens’ Caliterranean Café features a fresh, rotating vegetarian menu with daily specials including phyllo “pitas,” stuffed French toast, a “daily dip,” hearty salads, the daily “pickle” and a weekly list of craft beers and local wines.  All menu items are made with Global Gardens’ handcrafted olive oils and balsamic vinegars.  Customers with a sweet tooth can choose from a selection of olive oil desserts including handmade olive oil ice cream, “Ani’s EVOO Ice Cream,” made by owner Theo Stephan’s daughter, Anita.  The sweet treat comes in several flavors such as vanilla bean, coffee and lemon ginger.

The Caliterranean Café celebrates local produce and products.  Stephan says of the café’s new menu, “Eating healthy doesn’t have to taste like cardboard. The bounty of Santa Barbara and the Central Coast makes truly memorable, flavorful vegetarian dishes.”

Global Gardens and the Caliterranean Café is open Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.  They are located at 380 Bell Street in Los Alamos.

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on January 7, 2014.

Santa Barbara Spotlight: Local Photographer/Teacher Judy Duchesne-Peckham Shines a Light on One of Afghanistan’s Bright Spots

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A welcome sight, girls returning home from school, Kabul, photo by Judy Duchesne-Peckham

A welcome sight, girls returning home from school, Kabul, photo by Judy Duchesne-Peckham

Though she had traveled extensively around the world, when Judy Duchesne-Peckham first traveled to Afghanistan in 2003, she was amazed at what she saw. “Seriously, it was like being in another planet. … I’ve been to a lot of poor places and I photographed in Vietnam and I kept thinking how can this be different,” says Duchesne-Peckham, taking a short break from her work as a photography and French teacher at San Marcos High School.

 

“I had never been to a country that was currently at war before and it was very different. I had just never seen so much suffering and trauma in people’s faces,” she says. “But I had never met such a generous and sweet and loving group of people. They were so hospitable.”

 

Original residents at House of Flowers, photo by Judy Duchesne-Peckham

Original residents at House of Flowers, photo by Judy Duchesne-Peckham

Throughout her multiple trips to Afghanistan, Duchesne-Peckham documented much despair, but also found many images of hope, particularly in a small Montessori-based orphanage school called The House of Flowers, founded by Dr. Mostafa Vaziri and Allison Lide, both of whom contribute essays in the book, along with family therapist Casi Kushel and educators Dr. Inayatullah Majaddiddi, Amanullah Nasrat and Faheem Abrahimi.

 

It’s this positive light in country of darkness, which Duchesne-Peckham has chosen to spotlight in her new book, Healing Afghanistan: Hope for the Children, a high quality, coffee table photo and essay collection containing the faces and stories of “a small number of people and children who represent the dazzling spirit of this country.” She is donating 100% of the profits from book sales to The House of Flowers orphanage.

 

The contrast between what she describes as “the prevailing despair in the large government orphanages and the beginning of hope in one small Montessori-based ophanage/school” is what really struck Duchesne-Peckham, who describes her work as documentary photography.

 

Zacki welcoming visitors to House of Flowers, photo by Judy Duchesne-Peckham

Zacki welcoming visitors to House of Flowers, photo by Judy Duchesne-Peckham

 

“I always teach my students lessons about what an amazing impact documentary photography has had on the world and how people need to see it. It’s not always easy to see it, but they need to know and a picture is worth a thousand words as they say, so you want your photography to have an impact on people,” she says.

 

Her work has already had an impact on donations to the school, and she’s just getting started.

 

“(The House of Flowers) was beautiful and quiet and peaceful. I just fell in love with the kids. If they had let me take them home I probably would have been an instant mother of about seven children. … Everything was just well cared for. All of the kids had jobs to do. They cleaned up and they prepared the meals they roll the tablecloth off the floor and sweep the crumbs up afterward and recite poems by Rumi,” says Duchesne-Peckham. “They are learning English they were learning Farsi and their letters. It was fabulous. I just want to do what I can to help.”

 

Duchesne-Peckham will sign and discuss Healing Afghanistan: Hope for the Children on Thursday, January 9, at 7:30 p.m. at Granada Books, 1224 State St. For more information about The House of Flowers and its parent nonprofit MEPO (Medical, Education and Peace Organization) visit mepoonline.org.

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on January 8, 2014.