by
Gary Singh on February 27, 2019
In 1981, when downtown San Jose resembled a cracked mosaic of dying retail and skid row environs, Ted Gehrke conspired to launch a blues festival on the campus of San Jose State University. Thirty-eight years later, that festival is still held every summer. Gehrke, who passed away last weekend at 79, was a true promotional warrior for all things music, all things San Jose and all things poetry. Continue reading »
The curtains on the sliding back door were wide open as I pranced around in my skivvies fresh out of the shower. I was listening to the radio, singing along and trying to pick out what pants to wear ignorantly blissful that I had an audience. That is, until I spun around to see that—oh yeah!—today’s the day the gardener comes by. There he was in the backyard staring wide-eyed at my naked glory until I locked eyes and he darted his away as quickly as he could. The whole thing was so embarrassing that I canceled my monthly contract with the guy, even though it’s my fault I didn’t close the curtains.
I Saw You is an anonymous “man on the street” column. Email your rants and raves about co-workers or any badly behaving citizens to [email protected], or send to 380 S. First St, San Jose, 95113. Submissions should stick to about 100 words.
by
Wallace Baine on February 20, 2019
Let’s hope that sci-fi and fantasy novelist Charlie Jane Anders has plenty of shelf space at home, because otherwise she’s got a storage unit somewhere jammed with awards. The San Francisco writer, podcaster and literary troublemaker has already won a Hugo, a Nebula, a Crawford, a Sturgeon, a Locus and a Lambda Literary Award for outstanding LGBTQ literature. Her latest novel, The City in the Middle of the Night, is prompting reviewers to dust off their Ursula K. Le Guin comparisons. It’s about a band of humans clinging to life in a thin strip of habitable land between two dangerous extremes. Gee, wonder where she got that idea. Continue reading »
by
Wallace Baine on February 20, 2019
Bay Area artist Sofie Ramos really loves familiar household objects—pillows, chairs, stools, whatever. But she also likes to reimagine the context of such things in her installations. In STUFF(ed), she creates walk-in art spaces in which bold colors bleed and bounce all over the place, and violate the natural boundaries between wall, floor and ceiling. She calls her work in this installation “living paintings,” and they’ve come about thanks to the SJICA’s Sandbox Projects, which allow artists to stretch their muscles with site-specific work. This beguiling new installation will be at the ICA until June. Continue reading »
by
Metro Staff on February 20, 2019
After a highly successful run, Jessica Lang Dance is hanging up its slippers. This isn’t the end of the line for the celebrated choreographer, as Lang will continue to work on new projects and collaborations. The New York-based troupe is disbanding after seven years. In that time, the Bessie Award-winning Lang worked with her dancers to create 25 original works that were performed for national and international audiences around the globe. “Lang has a knack for conceiving a complete universe in each dance,” wrote the New York Times, “distinctive in its look and mood, sound, and atmosphere.” Continue reading »
by
Wallace Baine on February 20, 2019
The Polynesian reggae artist George Veikoso, who performs as Fiji, was born in his namesake country but moved to Hawaii as a teen, which explains the title of his latest project 50th State of Mind. The jam-packed two-disc collection is a kind of retrospective, looking back at his 25-year career and sprinkled with some previously unreleased and new material. With a foot planted in both Fijian and Hawaiian culture, Fiji has nurtured a dedicated following with his idiosyncratic and mellow sound, which blends love songs with island chants. It’s all exactly what you might need in the middle of a gray February. Continue reading »
by
Metro Staff on February 20, 2019
The Sunnyvale Community Players have been sticking to the classics this year, and their forthcoming show is no exception. The local theater company’s annual junior production is Bye Bye Birdie. The musical follows a group of local high schoolers, their families, a soon-to-be-enlisted rock & roll star and his management team in Sweet Apple, Ohio—the kind of saccharine sweet suburban American town that never really was. While Conrad Birdie’s handlers are trying to stage one last publicity stunt before he is shipped overseas, 15-year-old Kim MacAfee and her folks are chomping at the bit to appear alongside their daughter on The Ed Sullivan Show. Runs through March 10. Continue reading »
by
Metro Staff on February 20, 2019
Local indie rockers Bylines officially release their debut album this Friday. Summit Road is a seven-song set of laid-back grooves, echoing open chords and intertwining guitar leads. The record’s lead single, “Easy To Do,” vaults over the kind of self-absorption posturing as sassy self-awareness in the standard down-and-out rock & roll ballad—as the track’s narrator owns up to his apathy: “It’s easy to do,” he sings, before shrugging in resignation. “It’s easier not to do.” One imagines he could be talking about apologizing, putting down the bottle or just being more present. The lyric’s opacity will likely mean different things to different listeners, a hallmark of any great pop song. Continue reading »
by
Wallace Baine on February 20, 2019
Shakespeare’s tale of the high-stakes love affair between a Roman general and an Egyptian queen comes to the big screen via one of the world’s biggest stages. National Theater Live specializes in filmed versions of staged theater productions—all shot in front of live audiences in London. Their latest offering, Antony & Cleopatra, packs some impressive star power. The play’s title characters are played by dramatic heavyweights Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient) and Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda), and the production is directed by Shakespeare heavyweight Simon Godwin. It will be screened again Mar. 3 at 2pm. Continue reading »
by
Metro Staff on February 20, 2019
The Bay Area’s powerhouse dance company Smuin Ballet kicks off its 25th season with a performance of several new works by a variety of choreographers. This year’s Dance Series 01 includes a tribute to the late diva Etta James; founder Michael Smuin’s piece inspired by the iconic work of the sculptor Rodin, as well as his classic ballet set to Schubert; and a trio of pieces from Smuin performers-turned-choreographers. The show runs through Feb. 24 with two performances on Saturday and a Sunday matinee. Continue reading »
