This year’s Outside Lands festival, all hyperbole aside, was nothing short of spectacular—topped by memorable performance by Sir Paul McCartney.

Friday night wrapped up an already impressive day of music that included the Heavy, Band of Horses, and The National before McCartney headlined.

At 71 McCartney has the stage presence and energy of a man one third his age. With his famous Hofner violin bass, he started the set with the Beatles’ “Eight Days A Week” and a selection of Wings tunes and carried on for almost three hours with music from the last four decades. During “Live and Let Die,” the main stage erupted with fireworks that lit up the entire polo field.

As the temperature dropped, and the fog mixed in with the haze left by the fireworks above the crowd, McCartney sang “Hey Jude.” For a a few extended moments, if felt like we were all on the Yellow Submarine, surrounded by the warm purple glow of the illuminated trees that surrounded us and a voice many in that audience were deeply familiar with.

The second day of the festival was an appropriate sequel to Friday. Blues guitarists Guy Clark Jr. started the festivities early before Jurassic 5 got the crowd primed for the night’s headliners.

The polo field was a solid block of people for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and by the time Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails walked onto the stage, the crowd was so packed it would have been easier to just walk on top of the people rather than through them.

Sunday—always the toughest day to get through at Outside Lands—had some of us shaking off the groggy morning blues until Hall and Oates began their set. Willie Nelson and Vampire weekend performed on opposite stages shortly there after. There were people sobbing during Kaskade and women screaming like teenage girls when Anthony Kiedis walked on stage.

When the Chili Peppers finished their set with their 90s hit “Give it Away,” and the festival had officially come to a close, the crowd started to slowly dissipate through the exits, kicking up plumes of dust. Walking out of Golden Gate Park that night almost felt like a communal dream. We all made our way to our separate homes together.

Continue to the next page to see more photos by Metro photographer Jennifer Anderson at Tomek Mackowiak.

In the mid-90s, San Jose was bursting at the seams with good bands. One of the best punk acts of the day was Curbside, an outfit that exemplified the energy and quality of music being created at that time. After disbanding at the height of their career in 1999, Curbside returns to the stage for one night on November 30 at the Blank Club.

Curbside began in late 1994 when guitarist/vocalist Josh Santaga recruited drummer Jiri Ciernava. Santaga had just purchased a Ludwig Vistalited rum set and needed someone to sit behind it. Ciernava’s lightning-quick reflexes did not disappoint, and soon the outfit was joined by Mike Davis on bass, and Sean Bjordahl on vocals/harmonica.

In the very early days, Bjordahl would send lyrics to Santaga from the boiler room of the USS Ouellet, where he was stationed during a stint in the Navy. Upon discharge (honorable) from the Navy, Bjordahl joined Curbside as their front man.

From the mid to late 90s, Curbside dominated the South Bay music scene, went on several European tours, sold a mountain of tapes and CDs and enjoyed recognition by local and international audiences before vanishing in 1999.

By the summer of 1995, Curbside was going full steam, playing with acts like Fang, Goldfinger, Papa Roach, Incubus, Zeke, Supersuckers, Seven Year Bitch, Saxon, DOA and Motorhead.

“We just hit the ground running,” says Santaga. “We played a lot.”

Curbside’s unofficial homebase in Europe was Usti nad Labem in the Czech Republic. From there, the band would launch its European tours.

Back home, Curbside were regulars at the Cactus Club, The Pizza Depot, and other venues of the day.

Their trajectory was cut short in 1999, when Curbside disappeared. Some would attest this to their lead singer not showing up during an A&R showcase with Papa Roach. The official statement from the band lists the “Internet” as their downfall.

Today, the band is more or less the same. The only change is Shawn Packer, a member of local act Shitkickers, filling in for Mike Davis. With a respect and reverence for Mike D’s style, Packer is a perfect stand in. Packer understands the work Curbside put in during their tenure.

Curbside will return to to stage for one night at the Blank Club on November 30th in celebration of their guitarist/vocalist Josh Santagas’s 40th birthday.

Joseph Demaree, a San Jose native who balances his time between painting, music and live performances as his alter ego Captain Nowhere, returns for South First Friday for his first major showing in San Jose in the last few years.

The artist reception Friday at Metro Newspaper’s lobby will also feature an acoustic performance from Demaree. He is know for his surrealist work as a painter; even though he’s evolved as an artist, his most memorable pieces include Dali-esque imagery.

Demaree brings his musical experience into his paintings, which often showcase his favorite tools—pedals, amps, guitars and analog recording equipment. The Metro gallery show will be unique in the fact that the artist will showcase all aspects of his endeavors, and the audience will be able to connect the dots between the paintings and the music.

His musical endeavors range from the avant-garde compositions of The Unit Breed to the neo-folk he croons today. He even had a children’s band, The Abominable Snowmen that charmed kids with songs like “Eat your veggies” and “Pie in the face.”

These days Demaree has shaken the dust he’s collected on his boots from years of traveling and has once again taken up residence in the South Bay. As he puts it, “San Jose is my home. When I look at the people, sky and mountains that surround this valley I know I am home. To catapult an adventurer: What beauty in the flight, and long trek home.”

His sometimes cryptic responses to questions about his travels and experiences parallel his art. Demaree realizes the benefit of work and often cajoles his audience into finding hidden meanings in his images and music. To him, the benefit of interaction and the sharing of ideas take precedence above all. Discovering different angles to life’s moments is his crusade. It’s all part of a three dimensional timeline where he likes to create and play. He explains, “There are so many ways to tell a story and participate in it. I am fortunate to have accumulated so many perspectives to help tell the tale. At times it can be quite maddening. “

The controlled madness that Demaree employs in all his endeavors is at times hidden, and when necessary, takes center stage. When it does unfold, with a backdrop of music or paint, it grabs the audience by their heart’s throat. The work can approach being emotionally dangerous, but the artist is always in control, and he’s not in the business of pushing his audience over the edge. He’s gone himself, and just wants to share the joy of falling, and climbing back up again.

Even though Silicon Valley plays a major role in Movie distribution, we rarely see a worldwide premier come to town. That changes Friday at BIG Cinemas, which is kicking off a release event that includes more than 150 theaters across the globe. The movie, Panithuli, was partly filmed in San Jose, and San Francisco, and heavily leans on local and international talent. 

The producers and directors have done a good job keeping the plot details a surprise, but inside sources hint that it begins with a mafia-style murder and wraps up as a romantic comedy. It’s not your average, every-day production.

Executive Producer Narayan Sundararajan answered questions about Panithuli.

The Indian influence on American culture is seen with a very high regard, especially in the Bay Area but there is still a cultural mystery that seems to put a wall between some Americans and their Indian neighbors. Do you think that is true, and if so, how will Panithuli help to unravel that cultural mystery?

While it might be true in other parts of the U.S., I think the cultural mystery seems to be less and that wall seems to be much shorter in the Bay Area. That’s thanks to the international and cosmopolitan nature of the population here, and as you pointed out, the contributions, the influence and the assimilation of the Indian Americans in the Bay Area. Interestingly, Panithuli, with most of its scenes set in the U.S., will actually shed more light on how Indians live in the U.S., their struggles, aspirations etc. to the population back in India. As only the second movie (the first one, Meipporul, was also our production) to be shot mostly in the U.S., it will show the lifestyle, trials and tribulations of Indian Americans living in the U.S.

Explain the basic idea/plot of Panithuli.

Panithuli is a romantic thriller. It has an unusual screenplay with an element of suspense in the end. The breathtaking visuals and the performance of all the artists are its two outstanding aspects. An appropriate tagline would be “Everything is fair in love.”

The star of the film is obviously on his way to major stardom. Can you talk a little about him, his background, and where you see his professional trajectory in the coming years?

Ganesh Venkatraman is an Indian and Tamil film model-turned-actor. He won the Mr. India Gladrags Manhunt Contest (2003). He then went on to do movies and rose to fame following his performances in films such as The Angrez, Abhiyum Naanum, Unnaipol Oruvan and Kandahar acting alongside Indian film industry greats such as Amitabh Bachan, Kamal Hasan, Mohanlal and Prakash Raj. He recently completed shooting for a huge special effects sci-fi movie in the Telugu industry and has signed on many films after that in the different Indian languages such as Hindi, Tamil and Kannada.

Panithuli was filmed in San Jose. Why did you choose this area?

Fantastic locations, supportive infrastructure and great talent pool.

What’s next for the team, will you be filming more feature-length projects in the area?

We certainly hope to continue on this trajectory and make more interesting feature-length projects, and honestly think that there is no better place to do it than San Jose and the Bay Area.

The Panithuli Premier is August 10th at 7:20pm at BIG Cinemas. Admission is $15

A four-piece comprised of Takashi Makino, Maxewell Borkenhagen, Todd Flanagan and Nick Lopez, Ugly Winner’s latest album Inside Your Wave will be available on 180-gram vinyl, a testament to the band’s commitment to sound.

The San Jose-based band celebrates the release with a record release party at Black and Brown this Saturday, July 21st, with Dinners, Hazel’s Wart, and Breathing Patterns. We checked in with Takashi for an interview before the show.

What’s this new album about? What were you major influences when writing the songs?

I tend to tell myself that this album doesn’t have a specific meaning or influence, but that’s not true. The meanings/ideas are scattered and so vaguely documented/written down that it took me a while to understand mostly what this album’s general meaning would stand for.

Inside Your Wave, for me, is about what has happened or is happening to me and what I’m surrounded by, specifically in the past few years until present. The most personal of personals is what this album is written about, and also the changes and growth any person can go through. Being truthful and understanding, whether it hurts feelings or you end up being alone. So the meaning is vast, from heartfelt aches, health, not partying and holding the door open for a stranger.

I think for everyone in the band this album means something different and unique. This doesn’t concern the instrumentation side, just the words. Instrumentally, we all have are own influences that shapes the way we play as individuals. It ranges from old folk to punk to classical and old Reggae.

Where did you record the album?

The record was recorded entirely at home sweet home.

Did you stick with your sound on your new album or did you guys experiment with different setups and sounds?

We did stick with our band sound, for the most part, but tried to sound bigger for this album. There is some minor usage of melodica and organ synths for a couple songs, but all and all we stuck with our usual set up. We also acquired a second guitarist, Maxewell Borkenhagen to play lead parts and share rhythm.

You’re doing a tour in early August. What’s that going to look like?

Our tour in August is starting off here in California and going through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and consists of 18 shows. Playing in different cities is one of our favorite things to do as a band. It’s definitely a refreshing way to travel and see the country. Hopefully we’ll be able to do a second tour in late fall/early winter further out East but we’ll see.

You guys are the band most associated with the Gingerbread House.  Where is that 7^th Street sound going? Starting with the Unit Breed, up to you guys now and everything that came in between, that little block south of Keyes has produced a lot of quality music. Why do you think that is?

I think we’re most associated with the Gingerbread House because our bass player Todd Flanagan lives there and curates all the shows that are thrown there. Timing and location has been the main factor of why these shows have existed.

In one house, Joe Demaree threw shows at a rehearsal space for a handful of years where Unit Breed practiced. Some amazing shows have happened with bands coming through on tour from all over the country/world. After Joe moved, Todd began doing the same thing in the house next door as an alternative to going to bars and clubs to see a live show, and it kinda just continued form there.

It really just came down to them willing to open up their home for bands to come in and express their craft. San Jose has been really lucky to have it as a venue. As far as where that 7th street sound is going, not sure, but it’s going to continue to make some noise I’m sure.

Where do you see the SJ music scene heading?

The indie music scene only has room to grow in San Jose and I see it doing tremendous things in the years to come. There’s some awesome music around, musicians seem pretty motivated right now, bands are taking things into their own hands, and that’s when things get interesting. We can only wait and see what the future will hold for this little big town.

You guys play some unique venues, Do you see the idea of a standard “music club” diminishing, or will traditional venues always play an important role in live music?

There will always be music clubs and traditional venues and there is nothing wrong that. As far as us playing at unique venues, we enjoy that side of it because we like playing for all ages and there is a lot of freedom and creativeness that comes with playing at DIY events, galleries and houses that are based more on supporting each other’s projects.

Our record release show is being held at Black and Brown. They’ve always been very supportive towards artists and musicians, local and touring, and we love what they’re doing as a business & gallery. We want to support them as well, and so for us it’s the most ideal space to host this show.

Ugly Winner performs Saturday, July 21st, 2012 for a record release party at Black and Brown 7:30pm. Admission is $5.

Rock Bottom bring a taste of San Franicsco’s Mission District to the Caravan tonight (May 10th) with their brand of “sleaze rock ‘n’ roll.” We caught up with singer/guitarist Alex Kieth for an interview before the show.
According to your bio, “Rock Bottom is comprised of six mature seasoned musicians ranging from age 30 to 50.” That sounds very exciting. Could you elaborate, maybe share the names of the band members and what kind of music you play?

A: Not sure what website you are talking about, but we are a three-piece beer/skate/sleaze rock & roll band from San Francisco’s Mission District. I sing and play guitar, “Delaware” Adam Benson plays bass and sings backup, and Jack Given plays the drums like a man. As for our sound, the best one I’ve heard was from an older dude who was at one of our shows in Santa Cruz awhile back, he said “You guys have it just right, you have the Chuck Berry and the Motorhead sound but all together.” He seemed like he was on some weird Santa Cruz drugs but it was a great compliment to me.

Is this your first time playing The Caravan? How many times have you had the opportunity to party in San Jose?

This will be our first time playing the Caravan and our first time in San Jose, for that matter. We go down to skate in San Jose every once in a while because the parks are rad, and there’s backyards going sometimes, but I’ve never actually been down there just to party. I hope there’s some major babes there. We party in the Mission like Axl Rose in 1987, every day!  I hope San Jose is ready (laughs).

Some people call San Jose the Milan of the South Bay, some people call it the Las Vegas of the North Valley, others call it the Atlantis beyond the Peninsula, which one of these monikers do you agree with most and why?

I have never heard San Jose referred to as the “Milan of the South Bay,” but that’s the one that made me laugh the hardest so I’ll back that one.

Once you’ve played The Caravan, you will have played 36 percent of all live-music venues in San Jose (not including HP Pavilion). How does that make you feel?

Well, once we are finished with the Caravan, I guess the next step is to start selling out the HP Pavilion some time around Christmas, hopefully. We have a summer tour lined up called the “Rock Bottom Delusions Of Grandeur Tour” that is going to make us world famous.

Speaking of feelings, how would your ex-girlfriends describe you?

Oh god, ex-girlfriends! Well if they say I’m no good in bed they are lying, and after that it would probably be them complaining about how I didn’t like their weird friends and how they hated me only wanting to sit around and drink beer and listen to Dayglo Abortions and Motorhead all the time. They love how rough-edge I am in the beginning, but then realize that it’s all too real after a few months. Then I’m back at the bar singing about the one that got away.

On a scale of one to infinity, how excited are you about playing in San Jose?

To tell you the truth, I’m really looking forward to playing San Jose, and were bringing our favorite band to play with (also from the Mission in SF) Vanishing Breed, the kings of power partying. On a scale of one to infinity, I would say about 9 million.

Q: Final thoughts?

Listen to Rock Bottom via it’s Bandcamp page.

Josh Perkins is the “JP” in San Jose’s JP and the Rhythm Chasers. The band’s repertoire focuses on music from around WWII, with an emphasis on the various incarnations of swing that existed during that time.

It’s a genre of music that requires considerable skill, not only because timing is of utmost importance and it requires a flawless knowledge of hundreds of chords and scale variations, it all has to be done with ease and a smile. The form comes from a time when you weren’t considered a musician if you couldn’t sight-read, and it was almost rude to look down at your fretboard instead of towards the audience.

Needless to say, things have changed and that type of showmanship has disappeared from the spotlight of American popular music. It’s difficult to find the buttery-smooth chord changes that seem to fall into each other, the bouncing guitar solos that can turn on a dime, and the gabardine suits and hair held firm with pomade. Times are different, and there is nothing wrong with that, but there is something very captivating, nostalgic, and uplifting about what JP and the Rhythm Chasers do.

Josh Perkins is a third-generation guitar luthier. He works with his father and brother at C.B. Perkins, an 89 year-old business his grandfather started in San Jose. He’s even about to release a reproduction of the old DeArmond Rhythm Chief pickup that was responsible for a large portion of the electric guitar sound from the swing era. That’s probably why Josh can reach back and grab hold of the music so easily. His brother, Eric, takes care of the bass duties, playing a 1940s Kay double-bass. David Phillips backs them up on slide guitar, David Nelson keeps the drums tight, and Kevin Deibert works the saxophone.

Their dedication to authenticity is proven in how they record their work. Imagine a track recorded with one microphone, one take, with the band standing around and playing live. That’s how JP and the Rhythm Chasers do it, and they do it with a 70-year-old RCA mic.

JP and the Rhythm Chasers, \”It\’ll Be Me.\”

To see them live is even better. While some swing acts like to add more modern influences to their performances, JP and the Rhythm Chasers focus on keeping the tunes as close to what people were playing in the 30s, 40s and 50s as possible.

As Josh says, ““My philosophy has always been: let’s sound like a band of that era. We’re not going to be a carbon copy of one particular band, but let’s play within that format, within that feel “

Sure, a little Western vibe can seep out of the slide guitar, and Josh has been know to sprinkle leads ala Django over certain tunes, but it all fits together like a well-tailored suit.

It’s a rare type of music these days. The atmosphere at the shows is lively, with energetic dancing near the stage, but it also allows for intimate conversation and an overall felling that these guys are here to entertain the crowd and not vice versa. It’s the type of music that makes people want to get dressed up and be cordial. JP puts it best, “We’re all things swing.”

JP and the Rhythm Chasers will be releasing their new album in a few months. They will perform live at the Hedley Club (hotel De Anza) Saturday, May 12^th.

It’s going to be a bike weekend. No, not thumpy Harleys, or top-end monsters from Japan or Italy, this weekend is dedicated to the humble, yet ever exciting, bicycle.

It’s all about that simple, two-wheeled machine that pedaled humanity into the Industrial Revolution and beyond. The child of gun manufacturing and sewing machine technology, the bicycle has evolved to represent affluence, self-reliance, fringe culture, the status quo, balance, injury, the cutting edge of technology, and the unsurpassed quality of yesteryear. Its symbolism is really a grab bag of whatever you want it to be. There are so many iterations of the machine, it’s as permutable as our own DNA; and luckily, most permutations are successful and fun to ride.

The action starts at our hilly neighbor to the north at San Francisco’s Justin Herman Plaza. Red Bull hosting a throw-down for the best fixie acrobats around at its Ride + Style Event. Supposedly, they will be doing “tricks” on bicycles that are “fixed-gear,” and some say the event will be, “mad sick,” so you might want to bring some Airborne.

Later that night, San Jose Bike party is joining forces with East Bay Bike Party, San Francisco Bike Party and the Midnight Ridazz for what is being touted as a “Hella Big” Bike Party. The action starts at the Lake Merrit BART station at 7:30. Once you get back home, take a nap, not too long though, because the Bike Clinic will set up shop at San Pedro Square market at noon on Sunday.

On Sunday, back at San Jose’s San Pedro Square Market, the Bike to Work Day Bike Clinic will help you get your “whip” into shape for the May 10^th event. The Bike Clinic will provide multiple workshops to help you along if the inevitable happens on your way to/from work. Expert riders will help you with everything from helmet sizing to wheel repair. There will also be a demonstration on how to properly lock bikes. This may seem rudimentary, but far too many cyclists exit work to find their wheels and seat missing. Mechanics will be on hand to answer some more exciting questions as well.

Back in 2003, an editor at Harper’s had a titillating and thrilling idea (that’s what people at Harpers do). A gentleman, by the name of Bill Wasik (a familiar if you read Wired Magazine), would organize a group of people who would descend upon an unsuspecting area of Manhattan and do something silly, in unison.  He didn’t have much luck the first time around, but his second try was the absolute genesis for everything henceforth known as a “flash mob.”

Wasik’s original design was a simple mechanism, which involved hundreds of people. His idea was to bring awareness to conformity, and especially to spotlight those individuals who are blind to the fact that utter conformity is part of their idea of individualism.

Wasik’s no dummy, and credit should go to where it’s due.  Also, there should be some kind of margin of respect that implies you shouldn’t take someone’s idea, borrow it’s basic mechanics and then use it for means not intended by the original designer. Sure, that sort of stuff may happen all the time, but most people have the decency to name it something else.

As part of a bigthink interview, Wlasik said, “Part of what I was trying to lampoon with the flash mob was the idea of the next big thing…I’ll tell you what the next big thing is…it’s nothing, let’s all get together for nothing at all.”

It seems that today the idea of the flash mob could be easily made into a “one of these is not like the other” games. It could be explained in two panels, one would be 2003, and the other 2012.  In 2012, flash mobs are not social experiments designed to celebrate the idea of celebrating nothing but each other’s company. These days they have become support-group meeting for various commercial efforts.

T-Mobile and Eurovision are some of the biggest offenders. They have used the term for commercial purposes and have lost sight of the original intention of the idea. Some may say it is an evolution of the idea, but it seems it is a devolution of Waski’s original effort.

The most recent manifestation of this is brought to you by: Body by Vi. This Saturday, Santa Row will host the Body by Vi “flash mob.” It’s just one location used for a national effort. Overall, the company seems to have good intentions at its core. They provide weight-loss solutions, and boast over 1 million members.

What’s irksome is their marketing tactics. Calling an event with corporate backing, utilizing massive marketing campaigns, which span months of development, a “flash mob” is like calling the Olympics a “grass-roots” effort. This “flash mob” also has a dance. It’s based on the “Carlton,” from the “Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” If you’re wondering, you can learn the dance, and it does feature Alfonso Ribeiro as the MC.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you’re curious, the event begins at noon on Saturday. Santana Row will assuredly be bustling with inconspicuous flash mobbers with Bodies by Vi.

San Jose held its first Taco Festival of Innovation last Saturday, and it was an event unlike any other. Thousands of eager taco fans filled History Park to capacity to sample a variety of taco recipes to the back drop of live entertainment and local music.

In addition to local bands, lucha libre wrestlers entertained the crowd, along with an air-accordion competition. “With the popularity of accordion growing, air-accordion competitions are expanding (pun intended),” said Ron Muriera, aka Enrico Roselli, who took second place in the competition.

The competition intensified when it came time to judge the tacos. Koja Kitchen took first place and their taco was lifted into space on board “The Spirit of San Jose,” a taco-specific spacecraft. So, while North Korea failed to put its satellite into orbit last week, a taco was successfully launched from History Park.

All aspects of the event were excellent. Great live music, a lot of fun, and, of course, awesome tacos. The organizers are hinting that there will be an event in the fall, something about “spicy and sweet?”

View the full gallery.