Events

5:30-7:30pm

Influenced by 70’s Funk & Soul, 80’s Reggae and 90’s Grunge, Haz Bin is a power trio from right here in Santa Cruz. Playing all original music, Haz Bin is Joe Gray on bass, Dustin DiMauro on drums, and Brent Witmer is on guitar and vocals.

3:00-5:00pm

Love Creek is a folk-rock/jam band from Santa Cruz, California. Current band members consist of Malakai Lawton (vocals/guitar), Alex Bahler (lead guitar), Ryan Jensen (bass/vocals), Ed Levy (keys), and Rob Borella (drums).

Love Creek pulls from a musical headwaters of jam band and folk rock influences, creating original material that is both heartfelt and powerful, both lyrically and instrumentally. Along with a growing repertoire of original songs, Love Creek also performs music written by artists such as: Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, Jerry Garcia Band, The Cure, Van Morrison, Marshall Tucker Band, Rusted Root, America, as well as many others.

3:00-5:00pm

Jazz On Tap plays jazz standards from The Great American Song Book. Featuring crooner Rocky Pase on vocals, Richard Robinson (sax, clarinet), Preston Brahm (piano) Thom Nold (Bass) and Bruce handloff (drums). Come out, enjoy a beer and swing with us!

Every Monday our brewers select a Keg of Honor, and YOU enjoy $5 pints from it all day long (until it’s gone)!

12/23: Stay Tuned!

Movies in the Taproom Every Monday!

5:45pm start time

12/23: Stay Tuned!

5:30-7:30pm

Singer and musician Alecia Haselton is excited to be back in her hometown for this show, visiting from Nashville where she now sings professionally full time. Expect originals, covers and song requests! Don’t miss this one…

5:30-7:30pm

Joel Martin‘s Grateful Zone – Acoustic one man show featuring Joel Martin

Joel Martin is a professionally touring solo performer who has performed over 250 solo shows since the end of 2022! His sets are high energy, featuring an uncommonly large acoustic guitar sound, extremely fun song selections and use of creative looping to add to the grooving. In Los Angeles he leads the Grateful Dead tribute band Grateful To The Core. Join us on 12/27!

3:00-5:00pm

Acoustic Beatles and Classic Rock Covers from Liam Gillespie, Pattie Gilbert, and Peter Stroet

3:00-5:00pm

Junebug Bayer is a singer/songwriter from Santa Cruz, California who specializes in folk-fusion fingerstyle guitar, occasionally adding harmonica, tap dance, autoharp, kazoo, ukulele, and banjo into the mix.

5:30-7:30pm
Every 1st Thursday of the Month!

About Matt Hartle:

As the lead guitarist for the China Cats and Painted Mandolin, Matt Hartle has established himself as the preeminent jam band guitarist for Santa Cruz and the Bay Area. You can also find him hosting a weekly deep dead jam, where he welcomes Bay Area players for Grateful Sunday shenanigans. Matt’s unique voice and intricate playing style always gets the audience on their feet and feeling their groove. You’ll be dancing to songs from legends like Jerry Garcia, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, as well as rock, blues, jazz, americana, and of course some Matt Hartle originals. Stop by for a “Thursday after work” brew and some hot hartle licks when Matt returns to Discretion Brewing every First Thursday!

5:30-7:30pm

Axe & Acoustic is a new local band with classic covers, fun originals, harmonies, harmonicas, all kinds of strings and drums.

3:00-5:00pm

The Dirt Rakers (acoustic trio) are an Americana band featuring Erik Rozite (guitar and vocals), Jayne Williams (mandolin and vocals), and Sean Woodward (lead guitar), a home-brewed group out of the redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains, blending a high octane / cask-fermented feel, purdy harmonies, and a deep love of all rootsy genres of music. Rock, country, bluegrass, and folk all swirl together in their magical musical brew.

3:00-5:00pm

The BACK PORCH BOYS dig into the glorious roots of American music from the Delta blues in Mississippi to New Orleans up to Memphis over to Austin and jumpin’ to Chicago. Singer-guitarist RICH COWAN and harmonica enthusiast VIRGIL THRASHER put their combined 90 odd years of playing music on display. You will hear the likes of Tampa Red, Mississippi John Hurt, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Fats Domino among other icons from the early days.

Next Trivia Night: 1/7/25 – See you in the New Year!
6:00-7:30pm
Hosted by Michael Cahalan

5:30-7:30pm

Brian Fitzgerald (7- and 6-string guitars) is an active member of the Bay Area music scene. An accomplished jazz guitarist and teacher, he draws from a deep musical background and education, covering a wide range of influences. He has toured and performed extensively as both a sideman and band leader. In addition to a wealth of studio and recording experience, he is well versed in both jazz and classical theory and composition, and has had years of experience writing and arranging for big bands, R&B groups, and jazz ensembles.

A short list of the venues includes Monterey Jazz Festival, Cabrillo Music Festival, Los Gatos Fiesta de Artes, Bing Music Series at Stanford, Santa Cruz Jazz Festival, Scotts Valley Art & Wine Festival, Capitola Art & Wine Festival, Artichoke Festival, Begonia Festival, and Jazz On The Wharf.

He is the dynamo behind the scenes at Kuumbwa Jazz who handles all the education programs (including their Summer Jazz Camp) and manages all the booked artists.

“My actual bio is long and boring, but diverse and very Irish. It includes much formal classical and jazz training and education, some great programs and teachers, tons of coffee and endless hours of disciplined practice.”

3:00-5:00pm

Jazz quintet offering up swing, ballads, bossas, and standards drawn from a wide range of time periods on trumpet, piano, guitar, bass, and drums.

3:00-5:00pm

Raging Stone is a roots reggae band formed in Santa Cruz, CA in 2018. They play a wide range of different sub genres of reggae music, anything from ska and rocksteady to dancehall and dub.

5:30-7:30pm

With a big map and no planned destination, this trio of seasoned improvisers from the jazz and jam band worlds use song and structure the way spacecrafts use planets: not to land and stay, but to SLINGSHOT around and be propelled back out into the galaxy. During this mostly-improv show, a familiar song could materialize at any time. Or not. All we can promise is that nobody knows what’s going to happen.

Slingshot is:

Guitar and Vocals: Matt Hartle (China Cats, Painted Mandolin, Shady Groove, Grateful Sundays with Matt Hartle and Friends)
Bass: Pete Novembre (OM Trio, Coffee Zombie Collective, Aza, Elephino)
Drums: Bret Bailey (Shady Groove, Elephino, Cosmic Pinball, BlissNinnies)

5:30-7:30

The Trolley Drops Brass Band will be playing dance music from the 20s and 30s, hokum blues & novelty tunes on banjo, guitar & bass, trombone, clarinet, trumpet & percussion and kazoo, (jug band music without a jug).

3:00-5:00pm

Fan-coined “Americana-meets-Vaudeville” singer-songwriter trio

Original story-songs, dramedy, stellar vocals, sweet harmonies, great entertainment!

Bonny June & Bonfire are an original music trio that sing together like birds on a wire. Their entertainment style has been coined by fans as “Americana meets Vaudeville”. Bonny’s wild storytelling blends sweet & saucy, drama & comedy with fantastical characters such as cowgirls & pirates, heroes & villains, lovers & monsters. Beloved local guitarist/singer/producer Ken Kraft established popular bands Snail & The White Album Ensemble. Excellent bassist/singer Craig Owens’ varied history includes The Messiahs & Lacy J Dalton. With stellar vocals, beautiful harmonies and seasoned players, a Bonfire show is sure to have you listening & laughing, crying & drinking, singing & swaying and fully entertained!

5:30-7:30pm

Faulty Plan is an acoustic cover band out of San Jose playing a wide variety of music including Grateful Dead, Phish, Neil Young, Bowie, Stones, Clapton, The Band, Dylan and much more. Popular and deep cuts.

3:00-5:00pm

Cap Quirk is a one-man band, rhythmic story-teller. His timeless folk-americana style is embellished by his captivating lyrics and musical inventiveness. Born and raised in the small town, family culture of rural Indiana, Cap is a dreamer and a creator; someone who relates to a piece of everyone.

3:00-5:00pm

Acoustic rock trio, ranging from The Beatles to Chuck Berry to very catchy originals. You may find yourself wanting to get off your bar stool and dance.

Stormin Norman is long time lead singer for Stormin Norman & the Cyclones. Ken Kraft is lead player and singer for the Cyclones, plays with the White Album Ensemble and was formerly with the legendary Snail band. Jo Jo Fox is bass player and singer for the Cyclones and also with Karen Phoenix Band.

5:30-7:30pm

Moonshine Crossroads plays Rollicking Americana Music – everything from jazz standards and doo-wop classics to outlaw country and classic rock. With strong vocal harmonies and vibrant electric guitar and kanzoo solos, their eclectic repertoire is sure to include a song that is “your” song and will get your toes tapping.

5:30-7:30pm

As the lead guitarist for the China Cats and Painted Mandolin, Matt Hartle has established himself as the preeminent jam band guitarist for Santa Cruz and the Bay Area. You can also find him hosting a weekly deep dead jam, where he welcomes Bay Area players for Grateful Sunday shenanigans. Matt’s unique voice and intricate playing style always gets the audience on their feet and feeling their groove. You’ll be dancing to songs from legends like Jerry Garcia, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, as well as rock, blues, jazz, americana, and of course some Matt Hartle originals. Stop by for a “Thursday after work” brew and some hot hartle licks.

5:30-7:30pm

Local Honey is a Santa Cruz-based band that drips with honey sweet harmony and hums with tight, inventive musicianship. Local Honey’s repertoire pays homage to some of the the big voices of the last seven decades, including Big Mama Thornton, Rachael Price, Gladys Knight, Stevie Nicks, Grace Slick, and Amy Winehouse, among other divas. They seek out feel-good songs with strong vocals and infectious beats and make them their own. Though Local Honey is a new band, all of them are veterans of the Santa Cruz and Monterey music scenes. Members have worked with Honeytone, Ten O’Clock Lunch, Come Together, Backyard Birds, Menage, and Bay Bop. Over the years they’ve played in different combinations at many venues, including Michael’s on Main, Chaminade, Davenport Roadhouse, Hallcrest Vineyards, Joe’s Bar and the Food Lounge.

3:00-5:00pm

An offshoot of Santa Cruz’s iconic rock band Snail, the Messiahs’ original melodies, hot guitar riffs & killer vocals will transport you to rock nirvana. Featuring Bobby O’Neill, Ken Kraft & Craig Owens.

5:30-7:30pm

THE JAMISSARIES – Featuring Arindam Krishna Das’ originals as well as funked-up versions of music they love by the likes of The Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, Cream, Donovan, Joe Cocker, David Bowie, Tenacious D and more…

With Arindam on guitar/keys/vocals, Devii Grace DiMarco on violin/vocals, Jonathan Kessler on bass/vocals, Rob Borella on drums/vocals and Alex Bahler on lead guitar, their funky, sweet, sticky, psychedelic Jamz will get your Soul grooving and your body moving!

3:00-5:00pm

The Owls are Bob O’Neill—songwriter & founding member of Snail—on vocals & guitar, Craig Owens–bass player and vocalist extraordinaire and Harpin Jonny– virtuoso harmonica player & vocalist in the Larry Hosford band and many others.

This unique trio has come together to create a brilliant balance of blues, R&B, and original tunes. The Owls will take you on a fascinating musical flight!

5:30-7:30pm

With a big map and no planned destination, this trio of seasoned improvisers from the jazz and jam band worlds use song and structure the way spacecrafts use planets: not to land and stay, but to SLINGSHOT around and be propelled back out into the galaxy. During this mostly-improv show, a familiar song could materialize at any time. Or not. All we can promise is that nobody knows what’s going to happen.

Slingshot is:

Guitar and Vocals: Matt Hartle (China Cats, Painted Mandolin, Shady Groove, Grateful Sundays with Matt Hartle and Friends)
Bass: Pete Novembre (OM Trio, Coffee Zombie Collective, Aza, Elephino)
Drums: Bret Bailey (Shady Groove, Elephino, Cosmic Pinball, BlissNinnies)

5:30-7:30pm

Lucas Lawson is a young contemporary folk artist who grew up on a farm just north of Santa Cruz, California. In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, while spending time alone on the farm, Lucas developed the 5 songs that make up his debut EP, Revisited Harbor. This isolation encouraged him to complete the process of recording Revisited Harbor by himself. Once finalized on October 23rd of 2020, Revisited Harbor came to the ears of Lucas’s growing community.

Lucas’s upbringing on an organic farm exposed him to the balance and harmonies that all living things have to offer. At a young age, Lucas began attending bluegrass barn dances on the farm, where he first learned to play the guitar alongside local group, the County Line Pickers. When those sadly came to a halt in March of 2020, Lucas found himself writing songs more than ever.

3:00-5:00pm

Harpin’ and Clark are Jon Troutner and Peter Clark. They are a guitar and harmonica duo playing Americana, jazz, blues, ragtime, country and folk. Mixing carefully selected traditional and popular tunes with original songs, their combination of chromatic and blues harmonica and fingerstyle guitar provides a uniquely listenable musical experience. Jon and Peter have been developing their craft and entertaining Santa Cruz audiences for over forty years.

3:00-5:00pm

“Jazz with a Twist”

The Jenny O’Leary Quartet is led by the swinging and talented vocalist Jenny O’ Leary. Jenny sings standards, blues, and bossa novas while accompanied by guitar, bass and drums.

5:30-7:30pm

A longtime Santa Cruz local, Billy Reese is a multi-instrumentalist playing an eclectic mix of rock, folk, americana, country, and blues. He has spent the last several years performing with bands in the Pacific Northwest, California and beyond.