This Thursday, the Mexican Heritage Plaza holds its 10th annual Native UnThanksgiving Sunrise Ceremony, honoring the Indigenous peoples of the Americas and commemorating the 1969-1971 reclamation of Alcatraz. 

Aztec dance group Calpulli Tonalehqueh—which means “community of warriors who accompany the sun” in the Nahuatl language—will lead the Sunrise Ceremony, performing Aztec dances that were once outlawed and punishable by death during Spanish colonization of what is now Mexico. 

Yei Tochtli Mitlalpilli founded the Calpulli Tonalehqueh in 2004 after becoming a father. Sunrise Ceremonies, like the one performed at the UnThanksgiving celebration, are all about awareness and the transformative change necessary beyond one cold morning in November.

“It’s not so much what are we going to do that day, but what are we going to do today going forward?” Mitlalpilli says. “We can’t change the past, but we can change right now.”

After the 18-month reclamation of Alcatraz, many tribes began to perform sunrise ceremonies as a way to celebrate Indigenous heritage and raise awareness of the issues facing the community. The dawn gatherings also show solidarity with other tribes across the country who observe National Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving in somber remembrance of Native Americans lost to colonization and genocide.

While the dances are not religious, Mitlalpilli says they are spiritual and connected to respecting land and nature. 

“There’s a respect for the elements: the fire, the water, the wind, the earth,” he says. “We’re not going to dance one day and then go pollute the water the next day. Everything’s connected.” 

Aquihua Perez, dancer and instructor in the Calpulli Tonalehqueh, is descended from the Caxcan and Wixarika nations of the southern Zacatecas. Perez says many Indigenous people still face the ongoing consequences of colonization including racism, over-policing and gentrification.

“As Native people, we continue to suffer the effects of the system similar to African-Americans or anybody else that is struggling with racism, with displacement, with gentrification,” Perez says. “Those are the things that we continue to fight against. To promote our cultural heritage allows us to come together as a community to support each other.”

Perez says he hopes to see Thanksgiving transform from a tradition which tacitly celebrates the genocide of Indigenous peoples with football and over-indulging, into a day of service and community which inspires lasting change.

That change, Perez says, needs to begin with a recognition of what Thanksgiving as it is celebrated today stands for. 

“You can’t ignore how this holiday came about, you have to understand the history of it,” he says.

Whether Indigenous or not, Perez encourages people to connect with their roots—as well as each other—in a way that is mindful of Thanksgiving’s sordid past, and to keep working towards a better future.

“There are so many ways that we can create unity, a sense of togetherness and a sense of purposefulness that can be so much more productive,” Perez says. “We continue to fight against this Thanksgiving narrative, and we want to do it in a way that honors our ancestors’ teachings—our own philosophy as Native people.”

Joseph Torres is a member of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, who are indigenous to the San Francisco Bay Area and descend from the Native peoples who persisted here after Spanish missionization. Torres is helping to revive his tribe’s dances after they were lost to colonization and forced assimilation. He and Perez both say that connecting with their culture through dance is a healing experience.

“We’re carrying that medicine,” Torres says. “It’s an old way that we’re reviving. Ancestral responsibilities are kicking in. I’ve been put in a sacred responsibility to bring back the dance.”

At a flag-raising ceremony for the Muwekma Ohlone tribe on November 6, Torres participated in the first Muwekma Ohlone ceremonial dances in over 150 years.

“It’s healing, it’s a beautiful thing to see,” Perez says. “We all have that DNA in us of our original ancestors. And once we begin to discover our own identity, that DNA is awakened. It is like a small explosion of energy and beauty.”

Sunrise Ceremony
Thu, 5am, Free
Mexican Heritage Plaza, San Jose

In California of the ’60s, a style of music known as Chicano soul (sometimes referred to as “brown-eyed soul”) took hold among listeners. Groups like Cannibal & the Headhunters (“Land of a Thousand Dances”) and Thee Midniters (“Whittier Boulevard”) thrilled audiences and achieved national success. But as prevailing styles came and went, Chicano soul seemed to disappear into history.

Yet for lovers of the style like San Jose resident J.M. Valle, Chicano soul never went away. Thanks in part to his efforts, and to the work of current acts like San Jose’s Thee Baby Cuffs, the genre is today enjoying a spirited resurgence. Connecting with the passion among listeners following the genre’s renewed popularity, Valle launched a record label for Chicano soul music, Raza del Soul, in 2014.

Valle doesn’t shy away from taking a bit of credit where it’s due.

“I’m basically one of the pioneers of the current explosion of the soul scene,” he says. “The thing that’s going on right now is probably as big as it’s ever been.”

A decade ago, Valle co-hosted Block 2 Block Radio with David Madrid on 91.5 FM KKUP-FM. That helped keep the music alive, bringing it to a new generation of listeners.

Today, the popularity of classic American soul has extended far and wide—even to Finland, home to Timmion Records, a label focusing on contemporary soul and funk. After some time, Valle noticed that neo-soul labels like Daptone and Numero Group were starting to focus on the Chicano market.

“My thought was, as Chicanos, why don’t we not only be marketed to as the customers? We can be the artists and even the label owners.”

Valle describes his original vision for Raza del Soul: “I thought, ‘If I’m able to connect [labels like] Timmion with the low-rider community, record collectors and the people who go to the Super Love Jams,’” he says, “‘then sure enough, something’s bound to happen.’”

Starting as an online record shop selling new pressings of classic soul 45s, Raza del Soul has quickly grown in popularity. All the while, Valle has been encouraging the modern-day revival of Chicano soul, especially in San Jose. 

“I just kept on pushing it, pushing it, pushing it,” he says. “Eventually it exploded on its own, with little to no influence from me.”

In its early days, Raza del Soul concentrated on collaborative projects. “I would buy records wholesale, and then do exclusive limited runs of somebody else’s record, but with a special sleeve with artwork on it,” Valle says. “That’s how I got started. But then I got these guys together like Thee Baby Cuffs.”

Despite being recorded in the 21st century, everything about Thee Baby Cuffs’ sound suggests the music was waxed sometime between 1965 and 1972. Joe Narvaez is the vocal trio’s lead singer. Gilberto Rodriguez, the trio’s second lead, handles the Spanish-language vocals. Reality Jonez sings the falsetto parts.

“I grew up with that kind of music,” Narvaez says. “Because I’m an older dude, I was there. And I guess that’s where the authenticity comes from.”

Valle’s guiding hand as songwriter and producer helped with the band’s authentic sound. 

“We do it old school,” he says. “We record on tape, and we release the music on records. There’s no autotune or anything like that. The stories are real. They’re singing straight from the heart. I think that’s what people are in need of right now.”

Backed by San Francisco-based instrumental soul group The M-Tet, Thee Baby Cuffs’ debut single, “Where Did Our Pride Go?” was pressed in a run of 500 7” records. It promptly sold out. 

“They go for about $60 online now,” Valle says with a laugh. The group’s follow-up singles “My My My Baby” and “You’re My Reason,” feature Thee Baby Cuffs backed by Finnish soul powerhouse instrumental group Cold Diamond & Mink.

Valle’s plan to keep bringing Chicano soul to today’s listeners involves a slow and steady approach. To date, Raza del Soul has released only five titles. But a sixth, Thee Baby Cuffs’ psychedelic soul-flavored “How Could I Right All My Wrongs” is due by Christmas—on a vinyl 45, of course.

In the words of Valle: “We’ve got some good stuff coming out.”

Thee Baby Cuffs
“You’re My Reason” single
Out Now
https://razadelsoul.bandcamp.com/

Charles Addams’ lovable family of macabre aristocrats are so identifiable that it’s hard to remember how long they’ve been around. The 1938 comic strips led to the TV series of the ’60s, which led to the classic movies from the ’90s, and have all given these goth weirdos a permanent place in the iconography of American media. As it turns out, spooky and wacky are just two great tastes that taste great together. 2010 gave the family a new home in the world of Broadway musicals, and West Valley Light Opera brings their production of the acclaimed show to the Saratoga Civic Theater for their 56th season.

Addams Family
Sat-Sun, Various Times, $47
Saratoga Civic Theatre, Saratoga

The past isn’t so far removed from the present, and playwright Jennifer Maisel showcases that fact in her play “Eight Nights.” Winner of the 2021 Ovation Award for Best Playwriting, the play tells the story of Chanukah from 1949 to 2016. Protagonist Rebecca Blum arrives in the U.S. at just 19 years old after surviving the Holocaust, and experiences the holiday differently year after year with loved ones while trying to forget her traumatic past. The play is a great opportunity for families to learn more about the power of Chanukah, and to learn about how to make the future better for our collective society.
Eight Nights
Opens Sat, Various Times, $38+
Pear Theatre, Mountain View

What’s it like to be a girl in 1960s Baltimore with big hair and even bigger dreams? Well, with John Waters’s 1988 classic Hairspray—which has since become a hit on Broadway and in London’s West End—audiences can join in 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad’s dreams, all while she attempts to change the world. The musical provides audiences the chance to twist and shout, indulge in popular tunes and learn some great lessons about friendship, popularity and self discovery. The all-new touring production is great for the whole family and will help bring a new generation back to the theater.

Hairspray
Open Fri, Various Times, $38+
Center for the Performing Arts, San Jose

This Friday, Record Store Day teams up with Black Friday for a particularly powerful bang/buck combo for music lovers. In the South Bay, local favorites like On the Corner Music, Needle to the Groove and Streetlight Records all participate, stocking up on limited edition copies of 2021 RSD releases by greats like Mobb Deep, Motorhead, RZA as Bobby Digital, Tammi Terrell and Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. For collectors, there are rare 12” singles, like a Ramones cover by Weird Al and an Ozzy Osbourne picture disc. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, and it’s all available at a local record store.

Record Store Day
Fri, All Day, Free
Throughout the Valley

On Wednesday, the illustrious banda musician Chuy Lizarraga will take over Club Rodeo for a banda spectacular in San Jose. The famous singer from Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico first soared to fame and success in the early 2000s with his distinguished banda blasting trumpets, drums, percussion, tubas and more. He has made a name for himself all around the world as a renowned banda singer and artist. Donning a straw cowboy hat, he embodies the lifestyle of a Latin rockstar and sings his tunes to beloved fans all over Mexico, California and further. Lizarraga will be accompanied by his robust hometown banda, Tierra Sinaloense.

Chuy Lizarraga
Wed, 9pm, $60
Club Rodeo, San Jose

Figuring out what to do the night before Thanksgiving can be tricky. Old friends are back in town, restaurants are crowded and family weirdness weighs heavy on the mind (or maybe I’m just projecting). Luckily, indie soul project Noah & The Arkiteks have been building a new tradition for Thanksgiving Eve in San Jose: a kickass night of live music. The trio returns to the Boutiki again, sure to have a great combination of original tunes like “Soul Fire” as well as some eclectic covers like the favorite from last year: Rufus and Chaka Khan’s “Tell Me Something Good.”

Noah & The Arkiteks
Wed, 8:30pm, $15
Art Boutiki, San Jose

Rock and roll music in its meteoric rise in popularity has always been enhanced by the narrative surrounding it—the stories of ordinary people teaching themselves the skills to bare their musical souls to the universe. El Tri has been baring theirs since 1968, and played a crucial role in helping shape the sound of rock music in Mexico. Though Rock en Espanol was once regarded with skepticism in America, the doubters have been all but silenced now by the band’s monumental 45 albums and 53 year career. The pioneering shredders bring their 2021 release Pa` Que Te Enamores to San Jose Civic this Wednesday for a face melting affair.

El Tri
Wed, 8pm, $67+
San Jose Civic, San Jose

After 19 years together, a band can go through a lot of changes. Over the past two decades, LA punks The Bronx went from indie stars to a major label only to go independent again. They’ve lost members, gained a couple more and even started a mariachi side project—Mariachi El Bronx—that has earned the respect of its own dedicated fanbase.

Now, on the cusp of their 20th year together, The Bronx are entering a new phase: maturity.

“I always thought the band was going to implode and break-up or I was going to get kicked out,” explains lead singer and lyricist Matt Caughthran. “It took so long for me to take it and my instrument seriously.” 

On their latest album, VI—on which they are currently touring with fellow punks Rancid and the Dropkick Murphys—the band’s approach is evident. Produced by Joe Baressi (Tool, Queens of the Stone Age, Judas Priest) VI is decidedly more polished, with stadium-sized production, hard rock undertones and even a couple glam rock riffs.

But that doesn’t mean the band is going corporate anytime soon. Since the beginning, each Bronx album has been markedly different, yet with a consistent flavor. Simmering in punk,  their music adds in hard rock spices, chunks of heavy metal, a blend of serious and humorous lyrics, and a smorgasbord of toppings from Latin to garage rock for a hearty sound that is all their own.

It’s a hard recipe to accomplish, even harder while trying to please both fans and critics, which the five-piece consistently manage to do.

“We just try to throw it all against the wall and see what sounds good,” says Caughthran. “We don’t really try to confine what we do, especially when writing for a record. That’s the fun part about it.”

Take “Mexican Summer,” a coming-of-age track with Latin rhythms that Caughthran describes as being about “the death of ego.”

“It’s about saying goodbye to a version of myself that I didn’t like,” he says. “I think I was romanticizing a lot of my bad character traits because I didn’t want to fix them. Shit is just draining when you can’t be honest with yourself or other people.”

While 2020 was the perfect year for anyone to become accountable for their flaws and mistakes, “Mexican Summer”—like the rest of VI—was written in 2019 and originally set to be released last year. As the pandemic raged and America faced itself in the mirror over racial justice issues and law enforcement reform, The Bronx held the material. Avid record collectors, they eventually decided to release a track a month, pressed as limited seven-inch singles, in a nod to the early days of punk.

Today, almost two years out since the beginning of the pandemic, Caughthran says the whole experience has given him a new perspective.

“Music matters,” he states. “I think art matters. It’s a place for people to go when they want to feel or express something when all these bigger problems are happening.”

Problems like the death of 26 year old Breonna Taylor, the Black Louisville woman who was killed by plainclothes police officers in her own apartment while she slept. Bassist Brad Magers, is a Louisville native. When news of Taylor’s death first circulated, the band raised over $20,000 for her family over the course of a weekend. 

“Nobody loves a city more than Brad loves Louisville,” Caughthran explains. “So it really made sense for us with Breonna and everything that was happening.”

It’s an example of The Bronx’s belief that punk rock is still protest music: that it still has power to change minds, attitudes and society at large. All it takes is someone who cares enough to act.

“It’s about standing up and saying ‘fuck you’ to oppressors, or those who are anti-equality or racist,” he states. “Those ideas are important to uphold in the genre.” 

As the big 2-0 approaches, Caughthran says the best is yet to come. However, they’re not giving away any spoilers.

“We’ve got some tricks up our sleeves,” he laughs. “But they’ve got to remain there. The 20th anniversary is going to be really special.”

The Bronx w/ Rancid, Dropkick Murphys
Thu, 6pm, $45
Frost Amphitheatre, Palo Alto