by
Anne Gelhaus on March 20, 2019
Known by his last name—the Hawaiian word for righteous—Kapono has been a musical representative for his home state since the ’60s. He has taken home 14 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards—Hawaii’s Grammy—including Album of the Year and Lifetime Achievement. In the ’70s he played with the duo Cecilio & Kapono, the first Hawaiian group to achieve a national recording contract (with Columbia Records). Kapano launched a solo career in 1981 and has released 17 albums to date. But he’s still known for collaborations like the Wild Hawaiian in 2006, which combined driving rock and slam poetry with Hawaiian chant, and Rough Riders in 2015, which celebrated Hawaii’s cowboys (paniolo). Continue reading »
by
Metro Staff on March 20, 2019
There’s just something about putting a bunch of talented singers together with some top notch producers, dressing them up in sharp suits and letting the cameras roll. It worked with The Monkees, it worked with The Supremes, it worked with The Backstreet Boys and it’s surely working with Why Don’t We. Comprising five promising young singers from around the country, Why Don’t We first came together in 2016. After a requisite string of EPs and a Christmas album—natch—the boys dropped their full-length debut, 8 Letters, last summer. They come to SJSU this weekend. Continue reading »
It is derided as a lesser art form—not heady enough for the classical and jazz crowds; not gritty or pure enough for devotees of rock & roll, hip-hop and “real” country. It is manufactured, overly processed, formulaic.
It is simple.
Continue reading »
by
Metro Staff on March 20, 2019
There’s a lot of ’80s nostalgia out there these days, but Com Truise is less nostalgia and more like a person still physically living within the ’80s. The L.A.-based electronic musician is famous for his use of vintage synths and drum machines, patching together atmospheric dance tracks with the equipment of the time. If you ever wanted to be in a club scene in a John Carpenter movie, this is the closest you’ll get. He makes the kind of music you’d expect to hear in the workout class of a cyborg spin class heldo on a massive star ship orbiting some distant star. Continue reading »
by
Metro Staff on March 20, 2019
One of San Jose’s best vintage and used clothing boutiques, Black & Brown has been going strong for well over a decade. The shop has endured multiple location changes and volatile shifts in the economy by sticking to what it does best—curating a badass selection of high style threads. This year the shop celebrates 14 years in business with a party at The Continental on March 28 and an in-store event this weekend. Partnering with Instagram tastemaker Abby Mills of @clothesandpizza, it’s a chance to mingle with fellow fashionistas, grab a slice and enjoy a drink while perusing the racks. Continue reading »
by
Metro Staff on March 20, 2019
After a wet winter, the sun is awakening magnificent floral displays everywhere. In fact, the so-called “super bloom” is drawing hordes of tourists to oft-overlooked towns in the Inland Empire, with wondrous displays of desert flora. You don’t have to go all that way to see an amazing collection of flowers, though. San Jose’s very own Rich Santoro, a.k.a. “The Bulb Guy,” is opening up his big backyard to anyone who wants to take a peek at his 84,000 bulbs. He’s been at it since 1985 and is recognized as having the largest private bulb garden in the country. Continue reading »
by
Metro Staff on March 20, 2019
Born in Bosnia, the EDM producer and DJ Salvatore Ganacci (neé Emir Kobilić) made a name for himself spinning up dancehall and moombahton house tracks in his adopted home, Sweden. As with most promising beat-makers in the island bass archipelago, he is on Diplo’s radar and has collaborated with Jillionaire of Major Lazer on the duo’s EP, Fresh, which also featured Swedish dancehall chameleon Sanjin. His latest Soundcloud single, Kill A Soundboy, is a club banger, featuring a stomping, four-on-the-floor, anthemic synth horns and a defiant vocal from Trinidadian singer Nailah Blackman. Continue reading »
by
Anne Gelhaus on March 20, 2019
Hailed by the New York Times as the “greatest living interpreter of Groucho Marx’s material,” Frank Ferrante portrays the young Groucho of stage and film, while reacquainting the audience with brothers Harpo and Chico as well as the much-maligned Zeppo and the rarely seen Gummo. Ferrante also invokes his peers Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields, Greta Garbo and Margaret Dumont, who was Groucho’s comic foil in many movies. In addition to Groucho’s comic timing, Ferrante also has his song-and-dance patter down; the show features songs like “Hooray for Captain Spaulding” and “Lydia, the Tattooed Lady.” Audiences should come prepared for some “You Bet Your Life”-style interaction. Continue reading »
by
Metro Staff on March 20, 2019
It’s practically a universal truth: working out sucks. Well… most of the time. If you’re running on a treadmill or pumping iron next to sweaty strangers, of course exercise is going to feel more like a chore than recreation. Then there’s climbing. The Studio Climbing gym gives members a place to socialize, work in teams or alone, and solve fun challenges (it takes time figuring out how to get up that wall). Amateurs, aspiring pros and those just beginning to dabble in the sport are all welcome to come check it out and learn more at this open ropes competition. Continue reading »
by
Anne Gelhaus on March 20, 2019
Leo Tolstoy’s novel, first published as a serial from 1875-1877, has inspired more than 30 screen adaptations, a play and a ballet, but it is only recently that the tragic love story has been set to music. The Moscow Operetta Theatre’s version of Anna Karenina opened in October 2016, and 3Below is screening a performance of the production, which was filmed before a live audience. The operetta’s lush sets and costuming are a backdrop for the story of doomed lovers Anna and Vronsky, reflecting the glitter and luxury of the Russian nobility in the second half of the 19th century. The film has multiple screenings through Sunday. Continue reading »
