by
Li Patron on September 22, 2021
The chapters in Names for Light: A Family History, the new book by Thirii Myo Kyaw Myint, are each named for a locale where either the author or her ancestors lived. Among these homelands—cities in Asia, Europe and North America—are a curious pair of long dashes. It is in these chapters, demarcated by a place-holding line, that Myint writes of Santa Clara County. Continue reading »
by
Mike Huguenor on September 22, 2021
Seen from one angle, Imago Philosophia, the current exhibit at San Jose’s Anno Domini Gallery, glistens like the fabled streets of El Dorado. Seen from another, it all slips away into a flat black matte.
Consisting of 73 hand-drawn images printed in gold leaf on black, the exhibit—much like the ideas which inspired it—changes remarkably depending on the observer’s vantage point. Continue reading »
by
Alec Adams on September 22, 2021
For one brief evening this Sunday, Mr. Worldwide becomes Mr. Mountain View. It’s hard to remember the last time Pitbull wasn’t blowing up our radio stations with dance anthems. “Timber” is already stuck in my head just thinking about this show, that song pretty much was the entire year 2012 for me. On his first tour in four years, he brings along Iggy Azalea for what is sure to be an energetic affair: he makes his views on parties pretty clear in his hit song “Don’t Stop the Party.” No reason to start doubting him now. Continue reading »
by
Kyle Martin on September 22, 2021
This Sunday, music and arts will engulf Downtown San Jose’s SoFA District once more with the return of SoFA Street Fair. After a year’s hiatus, vendors like Streetlight Records, Goddesses, The Swagger Fool and Make Me Holey Body Piercing will once again take over the streets with toys, merch, jewelry, clothing and more. On site food trucks will be serving up waffles, burgers, burritos, drinks and other luxuries, and musicians will be rocking the festival’s stages with music as varied as the wares, with acts like Barely Funktional, the Wet Bandits and Douglas Von Irvin’s Carnival playing hip-hop, jazz, punk, R&B, and just about everything in between. Continue reading »
by
Grace Stetson on September 22, 2021
One of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a laughably fantastical time that explores what falling in love really is—and all the misadventures associated with the experience. This weekend, San Jose Dance Theatre brings the flirtatious tale to life in dazzling motion in their fall performance. Mischievous Puck casts a spell on Titania, causing her to fall in love with a donkey, and there’s a play within a play also about the misadventures of love. VIP experiences will include a meet-and-greet, along with exclusive entry to the Fairy Kingdom Party. Continue reading »
by
Mike Huguenor on September 22, 2021
In celebration of its 25th year, the Mission Chamber Orchestra of San Jose has made all performances in its 2021-22 season free. The season highlights the works of women and composers of color, and in addition to the standard Beethoven (here represented in his “first large-scale groundbreaking work,” the “Eroica” symphony), the Mission Chamber will perform the mesmeric 2021 composition A-ri-a-rang by South Korean-American composer HyeKyung Lee. Lee’s works bubble with moody swells and display surprising rhythmic modernity for orchestral pieces. Virtuoso guitarist Christopher Mann joins with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s classic Guitar Concerto No. 1. Continue reading »
by
Mike Huguenor on September 22, 2021
The rise of Filipino singer Arnel Pineda is one of the most inspiring underdog stories in rock. Since the early ‘80s, the musician had entertained locals around the Philippines and Hong Kong in a variety of popular bands—though his immense vocal talents went overlooked by the rest of the world. That is, until the band Journey found his covers on YouTube and asked him to become their new lead singer. Since, Pineda has been a joy to watch, finally provided with canvas large enough for his soaring voice. At the CPA he’s joined by none other than Bamboo Mañalac, singer of both Rivermaya and Bamboo. Continue reading »
by
Mike Huguenor on September 22, 2021
The very phrase “Silicon Valley” speaks to the outsize influence of tech on our humble, multifaceted home. For this year’s Silicon Valley Sculpture event, Menlo Park Public Art hope to change that a little with “Shifting Perspectives,” an event which combines large-scale sculpture with performance art, and highlights many of the valley’s underlying issues, like displacement, equality and an increasingly tricky thing in this digital age—privacy. In contrast to the code and algorithms of the region’s business sector, SVS recenters nature, the body and play. Saturday’s event includes two panel discussions with sculptors and organizers. Continue reading »
by
Alec Adams on September 22, 2021
Poor House Bistro has got to be among San Jose’s most underrated concert venues. Since 2005, SAP Center’s next door neighbor has been shelling out rock solid cajun-inspired comfort food, while still finding time to keep vital blues and jazz alive in the South Bay. On Saturday, they host Chris Cain, San Jose homegrown guitar guru and certified shredder. Coming off a brand new LP and a nomination in the Blues Music Awards, Cain is sure to give the local crowd a showcase of face-melting guitar chops. Chris Cain in the membrane! Continue reading »
by
Jay Edgar on September 22, 2021
East Bay virtuosos Wander have earned a reputation for their cosmic, epic instrumental post-rock, flowing from twinkly tranquility to distorted intensity and back with seamless precision. While fans are eagerly awaiting the release of their fourth LP, Home, the shredders will offer a preview at their first live show since 2020. They’re co-headlining with Bay Area screamo stalwarts Hawak, whose latest release, nước, has already been turning heads with its eclectic mix of heavy music with mathy atmospherics and lyrical exploration of Asian-American alienation. They’re joined by San Jose emos Superworld and power poppers Star 99 to boot. Continue reading »
