Ziggy Alberts

For any touring musician, booking a show at a place like Santa Cruz must be an absolute pleasure. We’ve got it all: stunning beaches, an abundance of natural beauty, a multitude of tasty dining establishments, and endless inviting bars and pubs where to whet one’s whistle after a night performing for a robust crowd of energetic music lovers. Now if you happen to be a lifelong surf junkie, this pleasure veers into the lane of ecstasy with the sheer bounty of amazing surf breaks on tap for the touring musician. Just ask Australia’s perennially-smiling Ziggy Alberts.

When Alberts made the trek down from San Francisco to perform at the Catalyst last Friday as part of the final stretch of his “Where Does the Love Go” tour, he couldn’t have picked a better date to perform in our storied surf town. After a long summer devoid of substantial surf, Alberts’ and company were welcomed by the first solid northwest swell of the season, which saw shoulder-to-head-high surf peeling beautifully under sunny, blue skies.

“It was a treat showing up to a place like Steamer Lane this morning with a cup of coffee on the cliffs,” said the thirty-year-old Sunshine Coast native after opening his set, which included songs from his newly released album and plenty of old favorites.

“It’s incredible for a surf junkie such as myself to be welcomed by strangers kind enough to loan me a surfboard and wetsuit to catch some waves before performing.”

As it turns out, some of those strangers he met happened to be in attendance, standing right next to me during the packed performance, which boasted traditional acoustic folk singer Garret Kato as an opener. Jordan Brownlee, accompanied by his son Cooper and daughter Emma, led the Alberts welcoming committee, showing the gifted singer the ropes out in the pumping surf at the Lane before the show, and was there to soak in the sweet sounds later that night.

Emma Brownlee, a gifted singer and guitar player in her own right, knew Alberts through her connections in the music industry and was honored to show him around.

“He’s one of the most genuine artists and humans I’ve crossed paths with,” she said, after the show.

“We got to chat about his journey and he was really encouraging, giving me advice about how to navigate my own path as a songwriter. His love of surfing and the ocean is so evident in all the music he writes and I feel his music definitely captures the soul of the Santa Cruz ocean lifestyle.”

Alberts’ act on Friday night was punctuated with lively vocals and masterful acoustic guitar playing during the hour-and-a-half long set. The adoring crowd sang along to the songs that put the blonde mullet-sporting entertainer on the map, including Runaway and Gone (The Pocahontas Song), as well as singles from his new album, “Where Does the Love Go”.

During several of the transitions in Albert’s ’ performance, while the increasingly popular musician tuned his impressive quiver of gorgeous acoustic guitars, passages of prerecorded passages of his Alan Watts-esque prose were played over the sound system, providing a different layer of depth to the experience. Alberts also chatted up the audience on a number of subjects, including his decision to quit his job and follow his dreams as a professional musician at the young age of nineteen, a risky  gamble to say the least.

It turns out his gamble has paid off, garnering him a multitude of die-hard fans from across the globe. One such fan in attendance on Friday took the opportunity between songs to let Alberts know just how influential his music was in the context of his life.

“I named my son Ziggy!” he shouted while Alberts tuned his guitar.

“Really? Well, he’s gonna be a legend. This one’s for Zig!” said Alberts before jumping into another fan-favorite tune.

During the rest of the performance, which saw Alberts, accompanied on stage for a duet with Kato, bust out a hilarious, impromptu Donald Trump impersonation which prompted the opener to shake his head and say, “You are so canceled”. In response, Alberts grinned cheekily and shrugged, before jumping into their inspired rendition of “Love me Now”. Earlier in the show, a barefoot Alberts even ditched his guitar in favor of a miniature piano, showcasing his range and versatility as a musician.

Alberts’ performance throughout the evening was brimming with energy, and his love for his craft apparent to all in attendance as he bowed appreciatively after each and every song. After the show, Alberts was gushing about his first stay here in Santa Cruz, and plans to make it a regular stop in the future.

“When I first got to Santa Cruz, after completing my morning meditation and yoga practice, I got a coffee and walked to the surf at Steamer Lane. The waves were really fun, about 3-4 foot, so I took my 10 foot Glider out and got some really fun ones. Santa Cruz had good waves and a great venue in town, with lots of people busking on the streets, which reminded me a lot of Byron Bay, where I started out my career busking about ten years ago. I came into this show with no preconceived notions, and didn’t know how music heavy Santa Cruz was, so that was really positive and cool. I’ll be back next year!”