Joe Payne
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Bibliotopia found at Broadway Books

Local book lovers can rejoice in the new store, which specializes in scarce and collectible books
by Joe Payne

A friendly aroma greets my nostrils upon walking into Broadway Books. It’s the scent of books that have been lovingly tended and carefully stored. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face, nor could I stop my eyes darting from shelf to shelf, quickly scanning the spines of scores of books, any of which could […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Exploring Cyrano

Derrick Lee Weeden stars in the PCPA production of Cyrano de Bergerac
by Joe Payne

PCPA Theaterfest is enjoying an astounding season, presenting a range from such iconic classics as Fiddler on the Roof to the romping hilarity of Spamalot. The company has definitely been flexing its muscles. For the latest production, the poetic Cyrano de Bergerac, PCPA has called in a new face to the theater company. Derrick Lee […]

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Prairie Home meets wine country’s own

Bedford Winery presents another installment of the wine-country-themed W.I.N.O. Radio Dinner Show
by Joe Payne

Forget about Lake Wobegon. This transmission is coming from Los Alamos. You can also forget about hearing from Dusty and Lefty; Captain Bucky is here. And your beloved Guy Noir has been replaced with the wine-centric gumshoe Peno Noir. Bedford Winery is raring up for its 11th annual “W.I.N.O. Radio Dinner Show.” The annual event—a […]

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Shake it, Bell Street

Los Alamos Merchant Society’s Saturday
by Joe Payne

The Los Alamos Merchant Society’s upcoming third Saturday “Evening Stroll” series invites locals to shake their moneymakers! The theme for the event is hoops, including traditional hula-hoops and any other kind of hoop. The various businesses in Los Alamos will be offering specials—as is the case for most of the restaurants—or will be participating in […]

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Fun for all ages

Michaels Art Supplies helps crafty kids customize for school
by Joe Payne

The Santa Maria Michaels presents arts and crafts events for kids, including a “Kids Club Bookmark Event” Aug. 17. A “Kids Club Duct Tape Book Cover Event” is Aug. 24. Each event runs from 10 a.m. to noon in half-hour sessions at Michaels, 1934 S. Broadway, Santa Maria. More info: 349-8801.

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Make it quick

Santa Ynez Valley Arts hosts 27th Annual Quick Draw and Arts Festival
by Joe Payne

Santa Ynez Valley Arts is again playing host to the popular annual Quick Draw and Arts Festival, now in its 27th year. The event is a long-standing free event that showcases the talent of several skilled artists who must all complete an art piece within one hour. The event begins at 10 a.m. on Aug. […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Attention singers

Santa Ynez Valley Master Chorale, Youth Chorale, and Orchestra, and the St. Mary’s Choir need you
by Joe Payne

The Santa Ynez Valley Master Chorale, Youth Chorale, and Orchestra, and the St. Mary’s Choir welcome local singers to join the throng and lend their voices to the choir. The performance ensembles are preparing for the upcoming holiday season and next year’s concert season. The St. Mary’s Choir performs regularly as part of the St. […]

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Crazy about Cline

PCPA Theaterfest celebrates Patsy Cline in all her down-home honky-tonk glory
by Joe Payne

Country music has always been popular because it’s accessible to so many people. Never pretentious and always relating a feeling we can all identify with, a good country song perfectly captures a small part of the human experience in a direct way. Country starlet Patsy Cline was beloved for her no-frills style, earning her a […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Lee-Volker Cox breaks the ice

Retired USAF commander shares his photographs of life in the Arctic Circle at the Santa Maria Public Library
by Joe Payne

One must admit; it’s pretty easy living on the Central Coast. Take a look at the clothes and houses the ancient Chumash would make and you get the idea. The photography show of one local showcases not the Central Coast, but one of the most difficult places in the world for life to flourish: Greenland. […]

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Lezlie’s Showcase of Talent spotlights acts of all ages

Musicians, dancers, and comedians from all walks of life perform in a non-competitive environment
by Joe Payne

Talent comes in many forms. I should know, having judged this year’s Santa Maria Has Talent competition. An upcoming event inspired by that model—but without the competition—will feature performers of all ages and abilities. Lezlie’s Showcase of Talent is gearing up for its first-ever talent show, which is set to continue as a quarterly event […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Lompoc Library Foundation offers ‘Concerts on the Library Lawn’

This ‘sit-back-and-relax’ series features distinctly American music
by Joe Payne

The Lompoc Library Foundation has been offering a concert series every year since 2007 as a gift to the community that’s given the small nonprofit so much support. The “Concerts on the Library Lawn” always feature three consecutive concerts in August that bring fun, relaxing music to the patch of grass outside of the library. […]

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