Caleb Wiseblood

Imagine (pun intended) if John Lennon and Paul McCartney were advised to shelter in place with each other prior to The Beatles’ breakup—how many new songs would they have collaborated on?  Living under the same roof during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, local musicians Gary Criscione (late 40s) and his son, Caleb Criscione (late teens), found […]

Despite the cancellation of its last two spring productions (the remaining performances of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and the formerly upcoming The Sound of Music), leaders of the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) in mid-March remained hopeful about its summer lineup.  Less than two months later, the company’s artistic director, Mark Booher, would officially announce […]

Repressed childhood memories haunt four residents of a quiet mountain community in Fathers of Edenville, Corrine Ardoin’s first novel. The Santa Maria author previously penned a local historical text, A Natural History of the Nipomo Mesa Region, but Edenville marks her first foray into long-form fiction.  The novel hit virtual book stands on April 16 […]

More than $75,000 will be disbursed—in two cycles—to support Santa Barbara County arts and culture nonprofits impacted by COVID-19, as part of a new relief grant program, according to the county.  The grant was created in recognition of the arts sector’s influence on the county’s economy, among other reasons, and will be administered by the […]

The staff of the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature can’t let visitors back inside the museum quite yet, but that’s not stopping them from letting the sunshine in—so to speak.  Thanks to support from Solarize Nonprofit, a pilot project headed by the Community Environmental Council (CEC) of Santa Barbara, the Solvang museum was able […]

Santa Maria Civic Theatre’s production of The Red Velvet Cake War was canceled abruptly—like many public events that week—the night before its premiere performance (March 13). Some cast and crew members didn’t find out until arriving for dress rehearsal that evening. “We were to open the next day, and we were all informed that the […]

My ears aren’t pierced but some of Stormy Wadham’s earring motifs are making me wish otherwise, specifically the pairs that resemble Dungeons and Dragons dice—D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, D20, the gang’s all here.  Whether you’re a chaotic neutral bard like me (in-character) or just an average joe on the prowl for some local, giftable […]

“Honey we’ve been talking, staying up all night/I’ve been trying to reach your body through the phone/Honey close the door/This time I want more/And talking is the last thing we’ll do.” The lyrics of Lompoc trio Angie and the Nightmares’ latest single, “Talking,” tell the story of two long-distance lovers rekindling a weary relationship through […]

I might as well be stepping outside Apollo 11 onto the moon’s surface, but in reality, I’m just gearing up to exit my Chevy Aveo in the Walmart parking lot. Mask, check; gloves, check; sanity, indeterminable—there’s just no time. I’ve already wasted enough as is, sitting in this car for minutes, taking my right glove off […]

Writing fantasy fiction was already a diversion of sorts for Central Coast-based author Kathryn Blanche—who began developing her Laila of Midgard series during a rough patch in college—long before the COVID-19 crisis.  “I find that writing is an escape, so diving into the various worlds in my novels is my primary way of keeping my […]

Most of Chris Lambert’s inbox is flooded with questions regarding Kristin Smart—whose 1996 disappearance he documented in the popular true-crime podcast, Your Own Backyard, which currently sits at more than 4 million downloads worldwide. Aside from the case itself, another aspect of the podcast people frequently email Lambert about is the music.  For anyone who’s […]

Fourteen-year-old Madi Curran chooses a cloth from an assortment of colorful, themed fabrics—ranging from checkered patterns to different shapes and even animals. With help from a Brother sewing machine and a few elastic straps, Curran converts the fabric into a custom, viable cloth mask. Although these cloth masks aren’t CDC approved in the fight against […]