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Wallace Baine on May 23, 2018
This classic of Chicano street theater by El Teatro Campesino visionary Luis Valdez was first staged in 1974. It tells the epic story of Latino farmworkers in America, largely through the story of one idealistic Mexican who comes to the U.S. for a better life, only to be tricked and exploited at…
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Wallace Baine on May 23, 2018
If you were a long-haired adolescent in the 1970s who bore some resemblance to either of the two guys in Wayne’s World, then “Carry On Wayward Son” is probably more intimately familiar to you than your mother’s voice. No self-respecting soundtrack of the Jimmy Carter years would be complete without it.
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Yousif Kassab on May 23, 2018
I was sprawled out on the floor of my childhood home when I first saw Princess Mononoke. The heady conflict between humankind’s constant consumption and nature’s inherent need for preservation flew right over my 6-year-old head. However, I do vividly recall the one-two punch of the film’s ornate animation and moving score.
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Nick Veronin on May 23, 2018
Psychedelic bars and spacey beats are having a moment in mainstream hip-hop, as emcees embrace the weird. But lysergic lyrical constructions and out-there instrumentals are nothing new in rap music. Just ask Del the Funkee Homosapien and Amp Live. Both Bay Area-based artists have been experimenting with alternative approaches to their respective…
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Bill Kopp on May 21, 2018
Henry Threadgill has a well-deserved reputation as a jazz innovator. Working with unusual ensembles that include instrumental combinations not often thought of in a jazz context, Threadgill has made a series of boundary-pushing albums beginning in the 1970s and continuing today. For his efforts, the composer, saxophonist and flutist has earned many…
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Avi Salem on May 18, 2018
An all-female cast of composers and songwriters perform 20 original songs inspired by and in honor of 20 remarkable women leaders, paying homage to the extraordinary achievements and courageous life choices made by women worldwide. A collaboration between the Women Like Us Foundation and Vital Voices, two female-run nonprofits focused on uplifting…
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Avi Salem on May 18, 2018
The South Bay Musical Theater’s musical adaptation of the story of Quasimodo incorporates elements of both the original Victor Hugo novel as well as the Disney animation that brought it to millions of American households. Featuring music by Grammy award-winning composer Alan Menken—who composed the scores to such ’90s Disney films as…
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Nick Veronin on May 18, 2018
Some people think of the ukulele as a souvenir, says the Hawaiian born uke virtuoso Taimane. She doesn’t take offense. In fact, she likes it, as it sets audience expectations low. That’s when she comes in and blows minds. With 24 years’ experience on the diminutive “underdog of instruments,” Taimane is comfortable…
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Avi Salem on May 18, 2018
Calling all tinkerers, hackers and makers: Over the course of three days, immerse yourself in the curiosity and creativity of the Bay Area Maker Faire—a celebration of all aspects of maker culture. With over 800 exhibits and nine stages of performers, speakers and demonstrators, the whole family can explore hands-on activities as…
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Avi Salem on May 18, 2018
Make America hyphy again at the Back Bar SoFa, where Northern California rappers Clyde Carson, Celly Cel and Big Tone will get live for an evening that will undoubtedly include thizz dancing and hopefully, at least one audience singalong to Mac Dre’s “Feeling Myself.” Carson, known as the former leader of rap…
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