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Wallace Baine on December 13, 2018
Sure, you can listen to your neighbors’ off-key version of “We Three Kings” on your doorstep without leaving the house. But wouldn’t you rather get your holiday music fix from a Grammy-winning jazz legend? The great Dianne Reeves belongs in the lineage of Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan, and she’s been bringing her magic to Christmas music for many years now. At this Stanford concert, she’ll take on a number of classics including “The Little Drummer Boy,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and—though sadly it’s not in the Bay Area forecast—“Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.” Continue reading »
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Wallace Baine on December 13, 2018
For those depraved souls whose holiday tradition includes adult beverages and Bad Santa, there is a live theater show just for you. Who’s Holiday is a decidedly raunchy, not-for-kids take on the Dr. Seuss classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This one-woman show stars Shannon Guggenheim as the all-grown-up Cindy Lou Who—now a boozy bottle blonde living in a trailer. Cindy Lou has some memories about the Grinch that, uh, didn’t quite make the original manuscript. The tale is told entirely in verse. But, again, for God’s sake, leave the children at home! Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 22. Continue reading »
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Wallace Baine on December 13, 2018
True to its name, The San Jose Nutcracker adapts the iconic Tchaikovsky-scored ballet for local audiences—bringing the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Mouse King and all those marching toy soldiers into the orchards of the Valley of Heart’s Delight. Performed by the New Ballet School, the production also features plenty of South Bay twists, such as the dance of the California Poppies and scenery that San Jose history buffs will recognize, like the city’s legendary light tower. Call it the “California roll” of Nutcracker productions. The ballet runs through Dec. 24 with evening and matinee showings. Continue reading »
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Wallace Baine on December 13, 2018
Massachusetts-born standup comic Alingon Mitra has all the bonafides, both as a performer (Conan, Last Comic Standing, Craig Ferguson, Colbert) and as a writer (The Daily Show, Adam Ruins Everything, the Harvard Lampoon). He loves Katy Perry, the pope and reality TV, doesn’t like the word “gonorrhea,” and has deep suspicions about the sexual politics of football. He’s headlining four nights—through Dec. 16—at Rooster T. Feathers in Sunnyvale, appearing with fellow comics Michael Cella and Emily Catalano. Continue reading »
Thanks to Gary Singh for pointing me to the Peace Center on Seventh Street on a recent Wednesday night. There was a talk by a witness to the storied Refugee Caravan that night. I had seen a poster, which was subsequently torn down. As luck would have it, however, I spotted Gary walking by just 15 minutes before the event, and he provided an educated guess as to where it would be. Of course Mr. San Jose was correct and I was able to find the event. Again, many thanks to Gary for his help.
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.
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Mike Huguenor on December 5, 2018
In the binary universe of the Santería religion, Iré (blessing) is the opposite of Osogbo (curse). However, like true binaries, neither could exist without the other. Written by playwright, author, poet and professor Paul S. Flores, We Have Iré is a new theater project that uses the cosmology of Santería to explore the Cuban-American identity in all its complexity. Flores has teamed up with jazz composers, DJs and choreographers for the project, making We Have Iré an ambitious and highly multidisciplinary experience. This Saturday, the public has a brief opportunity to see the exciting play in development, witnessing its formation in real time. Continue reading »
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Mike Huguenor on December 5, 2018
One of the best bands to come from indie rock’s late ’90s-early ’00s golden age, Pinback inspired a generation of musicians to stray from chords, distortion and just about every other standard rock trope. When bands like Franz Ferdinand and Yeah Yeah Yeahs went for angularity, Pinback went for the gracefully slanted. When Modest Mouse transitioned to stadium-size positivity, Pinback retained the quiet experimentalism of a bedroom project. Members Rob Crow and Zach Smith have never stopped making music in their various other projects, but it’s been six years since a new Pinback record. Does this tour harken new music? Let’s hope. Continue reading »
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Tad Malone on December 5, 2018
What started in 1991 as a small acoustic-only offering by a local radio station has grown over the decades into an alternative rock spectacular. ALT 105’s annual one-day winter show Not So Silent Night features the biggest names in rock and its various sects, and this year’s show at the SAP Center is no different. Featuring Death Cab for Cutie, Bastille, Florence and the Machine, Young the Giant, Chvrches, The Struts and many more, the annual Not So Silent Night festival has become a staple of the musically inclined Bay Area holiday season. Continue reading »
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Tad Malone on December 5, 2018
The zany, uptempo style of Louisiana folk music known as Zydeco first emerged from the sweltering swamps of New Orleans—the result of French, German, Spanish, American Indian and Afro-Caribbean co-mingling. The genre has been centuries in the making, and Dwayne “Dopsie” Rubin aims to keep the tradition fluid with his zydeco-fusion band, Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers. Rubin, who has been called “America’s Hottest Accordion Player,” plays explosive mix of zydeco, blues, jazz and reggae, while also incorporating other far-reaching genres. The result speaks for itself; the Hellraisers have found fans all over the world with their distinct blend. Continue reading »
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Nick Veronin on December 5, 2018
No serious examination of the facts will lead a sensible person to conclude that the Trump trolls have a point when they say it’s a “scary time” for straight white men in America today. That doesn’t mean cis dudes don’t face any challenges. Comedian Matt Braunger manages to coax some non-confrontational laughs out of the insecurities that arise from being single and 39 in the #MeToo era. “I don’t want to be creepy!” he says, lamenting the unfortunate nature of his own biological imperatives. “No matter how smooth you break the ice, the objective is still the same.” Thru Dec. 9. Continue reading »
