Dynamic duo
The Pioneer Center Youth Programs’ Free Family Series and the University of Nevada, Reno’s Performing Arts Series welcome international fusion band House of Waters. Nominated for the Best Contemporary Instrumental album at the 2024 Grammy Awards, House of Waters incorporates elements of West African, jazz, psychedelic, indie rock, classical and world music into their incomparable sound. For 16 years, Max ZT (hammered dulcimer) and Moto Fukushima (six-string electric bass) have carefully crafted a combined voice. Max, originally from Chicago and now based in Brooklyn, began playing the dulcimer at age 2 and later expanded his repertoire by studying West African music in Senegal. Fukushima, born in Kobe, Japan, and now based in New York City, blends his background in Japanese traditional music with jazz to create a unique style characterized by finesse and power. Together, they push the boundaries of sound and composition with creativity and curiosity. The duo will give a free, hour-long performance starting at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, March 6, at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St. Admission is first come, first served. Visit pioneercenter.com for details. They will give a free performance at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 12, at the North Valleys Library, 1075 North Hills Blvd., Suite 340, in the North Hill Shopping Center. See events.washoecountylibrary.us. Finally, the musicians will perform at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 13, at the Nightingale Concert Hall, 1335 N. Virginia St., inside the Church Fine Arts Building at the University of Nevada, Reno. Tickets are $40 for general admission; $38 for seniors, and UNR faculty and staff; $16 for youth ages 3-17; and $5 for UNR students with ID. Call 775-784-4278, or go to www.unr.edu/pas.
On the write path
Step away from the desk; go outside; and get a fresh perspective on the writing process by participating in Trails to Tales, a series of workshops for writers looking to shake up their routine. Explore local landscapes with host (and RN&R contributing writer) Helena Guglielmino, who will guide fellow writers through area trails with discussions on scene, works of literature and journal prompts to provoke inspiration and hopefully remove stubborn cases of writers block. All group members must be able to walk at least one mile and have the ability to be on their feet for up to an hour. These events are open to all ages (minors must be accompanied by parents or guardians) and all writing levels. After the guided tour, the group will reconvene at the Sierra Arts Studios/Academy, 17 N. Virginia St., for a post-hike hour of writing time. This month’s guided tour will take participants along Evans Creek Trail at North San Rafael Regional Park, starting at 1 p.m., Saturday, March 8, and again on Sunday, March 23. Park at the Reno Softball Complex, 2975 N. Virginia St. Tickets are $20 for Sierra Arts members, and $25 for non-members. Visit sierraarts.org/event/trails-to-tales-evans-creek-march-8th for more details.
A touch of glass
The Historic Reno Preservation Society’s Second Sunday Speaker Program continues with “Through Colored Windows: Stained Glass in Reno.” The program is the result of producer and freelance videographer Sunny Minedew asking Pat Klos, founding president of HRPS, for a video idea that could be done indoors in the winter in Reno. The stained glass windows inside Saint Thomas Aquinas Cathedral depicting the beginnings of Nevada seemed like a logical start. As the project progressed, they divided it into two parts: Houses of Worship and Other Places. Attendees will get to see some of Reno’s stained glass gems at this free presentation, which starts at noon, Sunday, March 9, in the auditorium at the Downtown Reno Library, 301 S. Center St. Go to www.historicreno.org or events.washoecountylibrary.us/event/12894341.
Jesters’ game
Southern California experimental rock duo The Garden return to the area as part of their Nine Desperate Dates tour. Bassist Wyatt Shears and drummer Fletcher Shears have been carving their own path since their formation in 2011. Known musically for their fast, punk-influenced drum and bass styles, the twin brothers call their free form approach to music “vada vada,” a term which they say “represents total freedom of expression without boundaries or guidelines of any sort.” They apply that philosophy to their live performances, often dressing up in jester makeup and stage-diving into the crowd when the mood strikes. The Shears Brothers regularly tour across North America, and have performed at major music festivals, including Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Riot Fest, Sasquatch! Music Festival and When We Were Young. The Garden have released five studio albums and five EPs, including LPs The Life and Times of a Paperclip (2013), haha (2015), Mirror Might Steal Your Charm (2018), Kiss My Super Bowl Ring (2020) and Horseshit on Route 66 (2022). The boys’ latest effort is Six Desperate Ballads. The Garden will perform along with Danish post-punk band Iceage at 8 p.m., Sunday, March 9, at Virginia Street Brewhouse, 211 N. Virginia St. Tickets are $32. The show is open those age 18 or older. Go to renobrewhouse.com or www.jmaxproductions.net/tm-event/the-garden-iceage-2.
On the trail
Washoe County Parks and Open Space invites volunteers to help with improvements at Hidden Valley Trail. In July 2024, the popular trail network weaving through Hidden Valley Regional Park and the neighborhoods surrounding the park were heavily impacted by flash floods. This project will focus on decommissioning sections of trail that were destroyed by the floods, repairing sections where possible and improving signage. All tools and gloves will be provided. Volunteers should wear closed-toed shoes, pants, a long-sleeve shirt and a sun-shielding hat. This is a weather-dependent project and is subject to change. The trail work takes place from 1 to 5 p.m., Thursday, March 13, through Sunday, March 16, at Hidden Valley Regional Park, 4740 Parkway Drive. For more details, visit www.washoecounty.gov/parks/calendar.php. To sign up for available shifts, go to signup.com/go/jYcHavy.
Banned in the U.S.A.
The University of Nevada, Reno’s Core Humanities program, the College of Liberal Arts and Laughing Planet presents “A Century of Banned Books: 1920s to 2020s,” as part of the Thought on Tap public engagement series. The 1920s ushered in the Prohibition era in more ways than one. Not only was the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcoholic beverages outlawed; many works of literature were banned from the public, including James Joyce’s 1922 masterpiece Ulysses and D. H. Lawrence’s 1928 novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover. In the 2020s, a network of activists and politicians have pushed for bans on the teaching of certain texts and topics and have fought to pull contentious books from libraries. Panelists will compare and contrast these two time periods and figure out what connections can be drawn between past attempts to ban books and the present-day drive to censor or remove controversial literature. The discussion starts at 6 p.m., Thursday, March 13, at Laughing Planet, 941 N. Virginia St. Visit events.unr.edu/event/thought-on-tap-a-century-of-banned-books-1920s-to-2020s-wednesday-february-28th-6pm.
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