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Amani Hamed on August 25, 2021
Writer, actor and former emergency medicine doctor Fred Pitts would like you to know that he looks nothing like Will Smith.
In his new one-man play Aren’t You…?—the first live performance at Palo Alto’s Lucie Stern Theater in over 18 months—Pitts chronicles his 2012 travels down the California coast to visit each of the state’s twenty-one missions, and how, along the way, he was told over and over again how much he resembles other Black people. The story Pitts weaves is as much about the racial bias he encountered as it is about mission history and the indigenous people who lived, were subjugated and died there. Continue reading »
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Mike Huguenor on August 25, 2021
When the late Alice Coltrane ran her hand along the harp’s 47 strings, it was as though the totality of existence vibrated with her.
“The whole vibration shifts upward,” says harpist Destiny Muhammad.
Since 2018, Muhammad has been performing tributes to Alice Coltrane, beginning with a moving performance at SF Jazz 11 years after the musician’s passing. This weekend, Muhammad comes to the Tabard Theatre to perform her tribute to the spiritual jazz master in an event presented by local Coltrane enthusiasts TraneTraxx Lounge. Continue reading »
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Alec Adams on August 25, 2021
Gogol Bordello have a reputation for their live shows, creating a sense that the audience is watching a real family for whom life is a party every single night. This Tuesday, the party comes to Saratoga as frontman Eugene Hutz and his Avengers-sized ensemble of musicians and dancers bring their circus bravado, endless energy and unmatched rock violin chops to the Mountain Winery—the perfect venue match up for this worldly group of art-punks. Wanderlust has always been their brand, and there’s no doubt these guys will return to touring life with a vengeance. One can only guess what they’ll have in store. Continue reading »
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Grace Stetson on August 25, 2021
Hearty laughs and good beer—what else do we really need? This Tuesday, local comics Ruben Escobedo III and BMo bring their monthly game show “Pick Your Poison” to Clandestine Brewing. The 90-minute show will have five TBA comics perform two sets each, with the first being completely improvised and the second being their regular material. All the more chance to dive into some of Clandestine’s most aptly named brews, from Hindsight is 2020 to Don’t Panic (a good reminder for the comics). Continue reading »
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Mike Huguenor on August 25, 2021
Mexico City’s Rock en Espanol legends Caifanes llevar la rock to San Jose this weekend. Since 1985, the moody and exploratory band have been combining gothy British new wave and prog rock with Latin rhythms and textures to create their own unique spin on Latin rock. Though the group originally broke up in 1995, they’ve been playing together again since 2010. In 2019, they even released a new song, the vibey rocker “Heridos” (“Wounded”), which transitions from a Cure-like verse to a massive chorus invoking wild kisses—and is sure to have the San Jose Civic soaring. Continue reading »
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Grace Stetson on August 25, 2021
LGBTQ+ community, assemble! This weekend, the South Bay is hosting the Silicon Valley Pride Parade and Festival for residents near and far to come celebrate. This year’s theme: “Standing for love and Liberation.” The weekend will kick off with a night festival on Saturday, including two stages for DJ’s and live performances, with Sunday including a parade along Market Street, dancers, artists and live bands. The festival will include fun for the youngsters with the family-friendly Family Garden, and adults with the cocktail lounge and live visual art exhibits. Continue reading »
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Elliott Sky Case on August 25, 2021
Hawai’i may be overwhelmed with tourists, but South Bay locals can enjoy some island vibes on Friday right in their own city. Venture on down to Art Boutiki for Tikiyaki 5-0, a four-piece outfit delivering classic surf grooves with an old-school spy movie edge. Opening is Pollo Del Mar, whose decidedly Californian mood rides to shore on psych-tinged guitar lines. There couldn’t be a more fitting venue to find the perfect windows-down soundtrack for your next drive over the hill to Santa Cruz to catch the last waves of summer. Continue reading »
Sometimes you just can’t choose between seeing live music and live comedy, and there’s a long line of performers that can fill that niche—though “niche” is often exactly how to describe those acts. Morgan Jay is different, striving to be a musical comedian for people who usually don’t like musical comedy. Armed with an acoustic guitar and a repertoire of improv-heavy songs that incorporate a herculean amount of crowdwork, Jay is used to charming and disarming audiences with ease. He’s got a YouTube special, but Jay’s also built a big audience on TikTok. Continue reading »
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Elliott Sky Case on August 25, 2021
You don’t need three strikes to be OUT AT THE BALLPARK! Silicon Valley Pride’s official Pre-Pride event is a free, family-friendly evening featuring entertainment of Giants proportions no matter what team you play for. Brazilian percussion and dance ensemble Bloco do Sol San Jose is sure to excite eyes and ears, while the iconic CHEER SF—the world’s first LGBTQ-identified cheerleading team—will travel down from the peninsula to turn the loud-and-proud energy up to eleven. The event also includes a screening of musical favorite Mamma Mia!, and pride-goers are encouraged to bring a blanket to lay out on the field. Continue reading »
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Jay Edgar on August 25, 2021
Last year at the height of the pandemic, Music in the Park held an online bracket tournament to determine the most popular headliner in the concert series’ venerable history. Coming out on top of the stacked competition was SoCal reggae singer J Boog. The Samoan-descendent singer has had something of a breakout year thanks to his 2011 song “Let’s Do It Again” going viral on TikTok, exposing millions to his sunny combination of Pacific and Caribbean sounds with a dash of R&B. See what the buzz is about at this year’s sole Music in the Park outing. Continue reading »
