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Kyle Martin on October 20, 2021
This Saturday, the smooth, velvety tones of Trish Toledo will bless The Ritz, a downtown San Jose staple which only recently reopened its doors after the pandemic. Toledo, an Ecuadorian and Guatemalan soul singer and artist from Carson, has a powerful voice that looms over the soft and steady beat of her live band. Her music is something to dance to, to swing to, to hold someone close to. There is love, heartbreak, history and more in her music. Opening for Toledo will be Kris Lager, a blues rocker from Nebraska, and San Jose’s DJ Albert Jenkins and DJ David Ma. Continue reading »
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Mike Huguenor on October 13, 2021
On a Wednesday in July, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert hosted a musical guest on its “Play At Home” series who many around San Jose might have recognized.
Following a brightly colored title card with the iconic show name (and another with the hashtag #Playathome), cameras revealed a stage decked out like a campsite. There to perform the first single off their debut full-length Camp Nowhere were Peach Tree Rascals, a group of musicians who, not long ago, met in high school on San Jose’s south side. Continue reading »
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Mike Huguenor on October 13, 2021
Jeffrey Lo has been dreaming about staging Lauren Yee’s The Great Leap since before the play was even published.
“I watched a stage reading of an early draft maybe four or so years ago in San Francisco, while she was still revising and editing it,” Lo says. “For me, as an Asian American director, and a huge fan of basketball, my eyes were getting bigger and bigger as it went, and I thought, I was meant to direct this play.” Continue reading »
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Bill Kopp on October 13, 2021
Though he was already well-established as a metal guitarist, when Miguel Iniguez launched Starfarer in 2017 he was a total newcomer to the world of electronic music. Memories of 1980s horror and sci-fi soundtracks fired his imagination, inspiring him to take his new project in a radically different direction. Continue reading »
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Kyle Martin on October 13, 2021
Mexico City rock band Elefante is coming to Club Rodeo in San Jose Sunday night while the kids are asleep with a babysitter watching the house. Winding acoustic guitar riffs and powerful vocals in Spanish from this band are like a party where cousins and neighbors share barbacoa, tequila, mezcal and cervezas and wander around busy streets having fun. When this band hits the stage it’s a carnival, a fiesta, with booming drums and heart-pumping music. With them are Mexican ska band Inspector, right on time for the revival of ska music in America. Asi es la vida! Continue reading »
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Jay Edgar on October 13, 2021
Jazz is the place to go when you want to see musicians at the peak of their craft, and vocal jazz is where the human voice is truly put to the test. With her velvety vocals, excellent command of pitch, and airy and eclectic backing instrumentals, Jackie Gage has been waving the banner for vocal jazz in the South Bay for years now. Currently at work on an album with Grammy-winning songwriter Jesse Harris, now is the chance to see the talented singer at the peak of her own craft. This show will take place in hybrid format, with tickets available in-person at the Art Boutiki or virtually on their livestream. Continue reading »
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Alec Adams on October 13, 2021
Can-co, Should-Co, Wilco! Not content with simply turning in 10 classic albums and calling it a good career, Chicago’s indie rock sextet are back touring their 2019 release Ode to Joy. They were supposed to tour it in 2020, but apparently something big came up that year which prevented it. Ode to Joy sees the band paring down arrangements, turning to airy, subdued songs that shake up their classic country-inspired sound without forcing anything uncalled for. For these guys, exploration truly feels effortless. This long overdue show comes to San Jose Civic Saturday night. Continue reading »
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Grace Stetson on October 13, 2021
There’s nothing like classical orchestral piano compositions to ease us into the autumnal season. This weekend, Finnish pianist Juho Pohjonen performs selections from his growing discography in four virtual performances for Bay Area fans. For this year’s Steinway Society season, Pohjonen will draw from Bach’s “Goldberg Variations,” with his musical interpretations often characterized as intense, thoughtful and fearless. Tune in to listen to the talented pianist, who’s been described as “one of the brightest young instrumental talents to emerge from Finland today.” Continue reading »
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Jay Edgar on October 13, 2021
The son of ranchera legend Vincente Fernandez, Alejandro followed in his father’s footsteps in the national tradition, gaining fame in his own right before successfully crossing over to pop with his classic 1997 album Me Estoy Enamorando. On last year’s Hecho en Mexico, his sixteenth, Fernandez pivoted again, recording his first-ever all-Mariachi record, which immediately shot to #1 on the US Latin charts. At SAP Center, he brings his signature baritone to the sweeping strings and horns of the Jalisco art form, alongside his classic repertoire of ranchera hits like “Nube Viajera” and “Estuve” and recent pop songs alike. Continue reading »
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Mike Huguenor on October 13, 2021
The work of Afro-Caribbean vocalist Christelle Durandy is frequently intoxicating. Whether singing dusky jazz numbers evocative of smokey basement clubs, or leading her all-female collective Cocomama over vivacious Afro-Carribean cinquillos, Durandy’s voice grabs listeners and holds on tight. At Mezcal, she’s joined by guitarist David Lechuga, a young virtuoso known for his work in underground rock music as well as jazz, having contributed to albums by awakebutstillinbed and recently performed with Mars Volta drummer Thomas Pridgen. Continue reading »
