Upcoming Performances
Join us for these upcoming performances. Or better yet, come play with us. We'll rock the house, yo.
| Long-Haul Infoshop 15th Birthday 3124 Shattuck Ave |
Friday Aug 8th 8pm Berkeley, CA |
| The Long Haul has served as a resource center and community space for radical grassroots activists for 15 years. Trash Orchestra will be there to help celebrate. Vegan birthday cake, music, dancing, refreshments, and a general good time. Starts immediately after the Berkeley Critical Mass ride. Website. | |
| Weekly Practice & Performance San Lorenzo Park, near the Courthouse |
Sundays 3-5pm Santa Cruz |
| Every practice is also a performance (but then again, every performance is also practice). As much as possible we try to blur the line between practice and performance, participants and spectators. Come join us and play with us. If you are interested in possibly being invited to join Trash Orchestra, this is the best way for us to try each other out. | |
Past Performances
| Fire Arts Festival Kirkham Street and 5th Street |
Friday July 11th 8pm Oakland, CA |
| The Crucible’s Fire Arts Festival celebrates creativity through fire and light with a spectacular open-air exhibition of interactive fire art, performance and the largest collection of outdoor fire sculpture on the West Coast. Website. | |
| Fourth of Juplaya Black Rock Playa |
July 3rd-6th Gerlach, Nevada |
| Like Burning Man back in the day, back when we started going in '93. The infinite desert, explosives, and bone-shaking trash percussion. Including a performance at the burning of the desert town of Dismal. | |
| Modesto DIY Fest 410 James St |
Saturday Jun 14th 3pm Modesto, CA |
| Trash Orchestra returns to Modesto. Summer is almost here and what better way to celebrate beautiful weather than to spend it building autonomous networks through DIY skill sharing and workshops encompassing a world we won't compromise any other way than complete anti-capitalist green sustainability. The DIY Fest starts at Noon. | |
| Santa Cruz LGBT Pride Parade Pacific Ave |
Sunday June 1st 11am Santa Cruz, CA |
| Trash Orchestra joins the annual pride parade, a celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, intersex and questioning community. Come support your queer friends, family, and neighbors.Website. | |
| River Arts Festival San Lorenzo Park |
Sunday May 18th 11:30am Santa Cruz, CA |
| According to the website, this is an exciting new annual festival celebrating the Monterey Bay's rich cultural and natural resources. The park's bench lands will be transformed into the "Piazza di San Lorenzo", an aesthetic contemporary arts and crafts marketplace. We will be celebrating the diversity of our town's tremendous cultural riches and creativity in the very same park in which Santa Cruz police daily chase out modern day hobos and troubadours. | |
| Santa Cruz Rollergirls Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St |
Saturday May 10th 6pm Santa Cruz, CA |
| The Santa Cruz Rollergirls, is the first all-female, full contact, flat-track derby league in Santa Cruz. The SCRG is a grassroots organization built by the hands of a small group of even-headed smart women who had the dream to bring the sport and art of roller derby back to Santa Cruz. This is a home game against the Silicon Valley Roller Girls and we play halftime! Website | |
| Homeless Garden Fundraiser Homeless Garden, Shaffer Rd. |
Saturday Apr 19th 4pm Santa Cruz, CA |
| The Homeless Garden Project will be holding its annual Spring Plant Sale featuring food crops, flowers, succulents, shade plants and more. The sale will be from 9am-6pm - a day featuring local musicians and artists and farm related workshops. | |
| Counter Recruitment March Bay Tree Plaza, UCSC |
Tuesday Apr 22th 10am Santa Cruz, CA |
| Military Recruiters have been blocked from recruiting for three years at UCSC, and have been absent for over a year now, but it looks like they're going to try and come back. The upcoming career fair has FBI, CHP, Santa Cruz Justice Department, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corp, and the Army health department, along with a lot of other heinous corporations and institutions. So what are we going to do about it? | |
| Fun With Scrap Metal Bike Church, 703 Pacific Ave |
Saturday Apr 26th 11am Santa Cruz, CA |
| A Trash Orchestra Build Day with the Bike Church. We are sick and tired of sending busted bike parts and other metal to the scrap pile at Dimeo Lane when it has so much potential to be turned into mobiles, jewelry and musical instruments! Come, play around, and try your hand at making metal stuff out of other metal stuff. We'll make new and never-before-seen creations, new instruments, a trash symphony. Feel free to bring any other materials you would be interested in incorporating into your design. | |
| Aromas Live! at the Aromas Grange |
Saturday Apr 26th 7pm Aromas, CA |
| Tagline: "It's fun, It's free, It's BACK…and Better Than Ever!" Aromas Live! is our very own vaudeville-style variety show featuring local music, comedy, and commentary at the Aromas Grange. See and hear talented area Artists, Personalities, and Pundits presenting Fabulous Feats of Comedy and Marvelous Musical Numbers, with Original Songs, and Original Takes on Old Favorites. Website | |
| World Cafe | 8pm Wed March 19th 449 Blair Blvd, Eugene, OR |
| Catch us in the central Whittaker neighborhood of Eugene at the funky bakery/restaurant/beergarden World Cafe. If you don't come we'll just go and get drunk, so our livers are in your hands. | |
| Student Walkout Against the War North Park Blocks |
1pm Fri March 20th Burnside, Portland, OR |
| As part of a nationwide day of action to mark the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, students in the Portland metropolitan area will walk out of class on March 20. More than just symbolic, the walkout is also direct action, halting for at least one day the damage that these institutions do to our planet and our minds. The universities that students attend are very much part of the war machine, often doing weapons research and testing, administering weapons labs, and selling students into years of perilous military service. Most universities are preparing, preening, and educating students for entry into the middle-class world. This work -- something we consider the unquestioned and unavoidable dues of our citizenship -- and the consumerism that comes with it, is very much the problem, destroying what's good and beautiful on this planet and tearing apart the fabric of our relationships with each other and the Earth. We'll be there supporting the walkout, resistance to business as usual, youth liberation, and people taking greater control of their lives. Website. | |
| Sonic Lozenge Showcase Rotture Lounge |
9pm Fri March 20th 315 SE Third, Portland, OR |
| We join Sonic Lozenge for the night, a diverse selection of experimental music through collaborations with the surplus of excellent experimentalists of the Pacific northwest. Website. | |
| Honk Fest West | March 21st-23rd Seattle, Washington |
| Across the country and around the world, a new type of street band is emerging. Acoustic and mobile, borrowing repertoire and inspiration from a diverse set of folk music traditions, these “honkers” all share a commitment to several core principles. Metaphorically speaking, they honk their horns for the same reasons motorists honk theirs: to arouse fellow travelers, to warn of danger, to celebrate milestones, and to just plain have fun. Though we don't "honk" in the traditional marching band sense, we'll be there. Website. | |
| Ballard Takeover | Fri March 21st Old Ballard, Seattle, Washington |
| Performances with other street bands as part of Honk Fest West. | |
| Workshop | Sat March 22nd 1706 NW Market Street Odd Fellows Hall, Ballard, Seattle |
| We help host a workshop that we originally suggested be titled, Enlisting Total Amateurs to Make Big Noise in a Vaguely Rhythmic and Sloppy Manner While Remaining Collectively and Non-Hierarchically Organized. Website. | |
| Georgetown Takeover | Sat Eve Mar 22nd Georgetown, Seattle, Washington |
| We take over Georgetown at several clubs TBA. Mix and match your venue. Part of Honk Fest West. Website. | |
| Ballard Farmer's Market & Parade | Sun Mar 23rd Farmer's Market, Bergren Park, Seattle |
| Sunday an outdoor procession and performance by Ballard's Farmer's Market at Bergren Park. Part of Honk Fest West. Website. | |
| Chevron Refinery Blockade | 1pm Sat March 15th Richmond, CA |
| Direct action against the Chevron refinery in Richmond to shut it down for the day, and to support community efforts to stop Chevron from expanding its refinery, which will increase pollution and cause asthma, cancer and rising death rates in surrounding communities. Chevron is driving the war and occupation in Iraq, refining over a million barrels of stolen Iraqi oil in Richmond a month, and actively lobbying for the privatization of Iraq¹s oil fields so companies like Chevron can seize control of them. | |
| Mount Diablo Peace and Justice Center Anti-War March | 11am Sat March 15th Walnut Creek BART |
| March and rally in Walnut Creek on the 5th Anniversary of the U.S. Invasion of Iraq. We will part of the youth contingent to spice up the only anti-war march in the east bay. Website. | |
|
Trash Orchestra Benefit |
7-11pm Fri March 7th Seabright & Broadway |
| Our fundraiser in preparation for our tour to Seattle's Honk Fest West, which we estimate will cost us a thousand dollars. We'll be joined by the motha fuckin' Brass Liberation Orchestra. With the help of Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In, we'll be showing a film Honk You Very Much -- a documentary about radical street bands -- and the film Auto Re-Vision -- a short doc about a handful of kids sealed in a room, who convert an automobile into an array of musical instruments. $10-20 sliding scale | |
| Opening for Bajskorv | 8pm Fri Feb 22nd Catalyst, Santa Cruz |
| Free show in the atrium of the Catalyst with D.C. industrial band, Bajskorv Website. | |
| Defense of Market Drummers | Wed Jan 23rd 4pm Santa Cruz Farmer's Market |
| In past weeks police disrupted and dispersed public assemblies of drummers. But this time the Community, with the help of the Trash Orchestra and Food Not Bombs, repeated their victory of January 9th and renewed community outrage against keystone kop kapers cracking down on an accepted weekly tradition--the Farmer's Market Drum Circle! Indymedia. | |
| Support for Market Drummers | Wed Jan 9th 4pm Santa Cruz Farmer's Market |
| Last week the ever-present drum circle was evicted from their spot under the tree in the parking lot by police using the new 15-minute law (persons cannot be in any city parking lot longer than 15 minutes). Join us to protest that eviction and reclaim that public space! Indymedia. | |
2007
| Last Night DIY Parade and Street Party | Sunset, Dec 31st Lot behind Saturn Cafe |
| "The parade is not merely a celebration, but a celebration of the power that we all have when we gather together to make something happen. Not just a street party, but a party to reclaim our streets." Trash Orchestra returns to the event that gave it life in 2005! Website. | |
| Rally and March Against the LRDP | Wednesday Nov 7th 11am Baytree Plaza, UCSC |
| "The future growth of UC Santa Cruz has been decided without the meaningful participation or consent of the student body, and in disregard of Santa Cruz residents' concerns. On November 7th, we will vocalize and make visible our opposition to UCSC's Long Range Development Plan." Website. | |
| Reclaim the Streets and Street Party |
Friday Oct 12th 4pm Crown College Firehouse, UCSC |
| "This is a march and street party to raise awareness of and resistance to the UCSC Long-Range Development Plan, including campus plans to log up to 150 acres of upper campus forest, a new entrance and road through the upper campus, and meadows and woods plowed under to make room for parking lots and athletic fields." It will be a long march through several of the colleges. Wear good shoes and comfy clothes. If you can't make this Bataan Death March, you can meet us at Porter Quad with your instrument where we will end up in an ear-shattering performance. Website. | |
| Gault Elementary Halloween Parade |
Saturday Oct 27th 9am Branciforte Ave, Soquel Ave, & Seabright |
| The 59th (!) annual celebration begins with a costume parade -- featuring Trash Orchestra -- and ends with games, food, music and more. Parade begins at Branciforte Elementary and ends at the Gault School on Seabright. | |
| Punk Soccer Halftime | Saturday Oct 6th 2pm Harvey West Park, Santa Cruz |
| On a weekend filled with revolutionary zeal, join Punk Soccer in Harvey West Park. Trash Orchestra will be performing as the halftime entertainment. Soccer starts at 1pm, Trash performs at 1pm or thereabouts. All sorts of things are happening that afternoon before the A-Cafe later that night. See you there. | |
Curse is Cast! Farewell Show |
Friday, Sep 21st, 7pm or so 239 Jackson St, Santa Cruz |
| Come say farewell to the local Santa Cruz emo jug band, The Curse Is Cast! This is their last slow playing together, and we are honored to be invited to play with them. Trash Orchestra will be an early set, so don't be your usual fashionably late self. Website. | |
Free Skool Community Picnic |
Saturday, Sep 22nd, 1pm Ocean View Park |
| Come play with us in the park. Students, teachers, organizers, community members, friends new and old. Bring food to share and stuff to play with. They'll be music by the Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra, workshops/skill-sharing, some disorganized frolicking and games. Meet Free Skool folks and get involved for next quarter. Website. | |
| Aromas Day Parade! | Sun Aug 26th, 2pm Downtown Aromas |
| What more could you want? A small town parade, country-style breakfast, art, artists, pony rides, and farm animal petting zoo, and a parade that locals call the Beer and Trash Festival, featuring appropriately enough, the Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra. The Parade is at 2:00 and not to be missed! | |
| Modesto Anarchist Cafe | Friday Aug 31st, 8pm 10th & J Streets, Downtown Modesto |
| Can't stand the thought of another day in the office? Need to fight the police state, kick back, and liberate your desires free of bosses and bureaucrats? Meet up with other thought criminals for a night of fun, learning, food, and networking! Right after Critical Mass. Trash Orchestra playing in the streets of Modesto! Audio. | |
| San Francisco Theater Festival | Sun July 22nd, 2pm & 4:30pm Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco |
| An interactive performance in the children's area at the San Francisco Theater Festival, the 4th annual one-day theater extravaganza. Also, we may offer a dynamic, high-energy performance as part of the festival's finale. Photos. | |
| Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest |
Sat July 7th, 3pm-7pm Moscone Center, San Francisco |
| Why are we playing at Moscone Center for tens of thousands of screaming baseball fans? Well, because recycled percussion and baseball go together like, uh... well, we're not sure. We'll see, I guess. Major League Baseball brings this five-day baseball-lover's extravaganza to Moscone West. Expected attendance is over 100,000 for this event. And we're playing in on Saturday. | |
| Special Trash Orchestra Practice | Friday June 15th, 5:30pm-8pm SC City Hall Courtyard |
| Special Practice before half of us leave for the river in preparation for the Moscone Center performance. |
|
Support Alette! UCSC March & Rally |
May 2007 UCSC, Kerr Hall |
|
| This is a fucked up incident whatever way you look at it. When the UC regents came to UCSC late last year, the students protested in an attempt to hold them accountable for nuclear weapons contracts, labor dealings, and tuition hikes. The university brought cops from UC Berkeley who overreacted to the student protest and turned violent. In a very typical cop move, they charged the protesters who were attacked with assault. They are still threatening to suspend and bring charges against the only black woman who was charged. Join Angela Davis in this march/rally to voice our outrage at the unfair treatment of Alette, and how it represents a traditional hostility towards communities of color on campus and growing repression of student & worker rights. Photos. | ||
Free Skool Community Picnic |
Saturday, May 4th Noon to 4pm Ocean View Park |
| Come play with us in the park. Students, teachers, organizers, community members, friends new and old. Bring food to share and stuff to play with. They'll be music by the Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra, workshops/skill-sharing, some disorganized frolicking and games. Meet Free Skool folks and get involved for next quarter. Website. Audio. | |
| Guerilla Drive-In 5 Year Anniversary |
Friday, April 20, 8pm Check for location |
| This spring Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In celebrates its five-year anniversary with a showing of Dr. Strangelove in GDI's original Harvey West location on Friday April 20th at 8pm. The five-year anniversary showing will feature subversive short films, food, entertainment, and music. Trash Orchestra will be there. Website. |
|
| Free Skool Resisting the Police State/Know Your Rights Class |
Sunday April 8th O'Neil Plaza/Cooper & Pacific |
| After the workshop Trash Orchestra took over Santa Cruz' de facto town plaza... only to be shutdown a little while later by the cops after a complaint from a woman who lives in the Palomar Hotel who regularly complains about the noise. Why she chooses to live downtown, we don't know. We moved to the little plaza at Front and Pacific near Lulu Carpenter's. Want to know more about your rights? Check out the Free Skool Know Your Rights & Resist the Police State info. | |
UCSC Anti-War Demonstration |
Monday Feb 5th UCSC Baytree Plaza |
| By invitation of Students Against War -- the demo postponed, but Trash Orchestra is not put off so easily. We show up anyway. The University of California Administration -- managers of the Livermore Weapons Labs, deep investors in the Military-Industrial economy -- needs a good bit of shaking up. CANCELLED - didn't quite achieve critical mass. Next time. | |
| UCSC College 9 & 10 College Night |
Tuesday Jan 23rd UCSC College 9 & 10 |
| A 45-minute interactive performance -- a mix of musical improv, interspersed with brief philosophizing, and finally an interactive jam including everyone in the audience. Audio. | |
| Free Skool Community Picnic |
Saturday Jan 20th Ocean View Park |
| Come play with us in the park. Students, teachers, organizers, community members, friends new and old. Bring food to share and stuff to play with. They'll be music by the Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra, workshops/skill-sharing, some disorganized frolicking and games. Meet Free Skool folks and get involved for next quarter. Website. | |
| Santa Cruz Farmer's Market |
Wednesday Jan 17th 5pm-6pm Cedar and Lincoln |
| Playing guerilla-style at the Farmer's Market (since we didn't get the okay from the market manager). Either in the farmer's market proper, or across the street at the church. In any case, we are not the hippie drum jam, so don't get confused. | |
2006
| 2006 Last Night DIY Parade |
New Year's Eve, Dec 31st, 2006 Pacific Ave, Downtown |
| Again, Trash Orchestra returns to it's roots as part of the Last Night DIY parade, this time culminating with a huge street party at Santa Cruz' de facto town square. Last Night DIY Website. | |
| Last Rights Parade |
New Year's Eve, July 5th Cedar Street, Santa Cruz |
| Join us for a sorrowful funeral parade for our first amendment rights and right to privacy. A protest against the city's failure to resolve the Police Spying Scandal. A demand that city managers put truly adequate and power-full restrictions on police power to spy on us. A funeral, a parade, and civil disobedience. | |
| South Central Farm Solidarity Action |
July 9th, 2006 Front St / Pacific Ave |
| On July 9th, people paraded through downtown Santa Cruz as part of the international days of solidarity with the South Central Farm in Los Angeles. Marchers carried colorful anti-development signs and banners, handed out leaflets, taped posters up everywhere, and played improvised drums. Photos. Audio. | |
2005
| 2005 Last Night DIY Parade |
New Year's Eve, Dec 31st, 2005 Pacific Ave, Downtown |
| Trash Orchestra first began as a part of the Last Night Parade in Santa Cruz on New Year's Eve 2005, genially thrown together in a non-organized, non-structured manner. Though the collective has grown since its humble beginnings, the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-thrift-store-pants mentality has remained. Photos. | |