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Mike Huguenor on June 16, 2021
There sure are a lot of white guys in classical music. Bach: white guy. Beethoven: white guy. Mozart: pretty sure he was a white guy. As a corrective to this pasty predicament, pianist Ihang Lin and vocalist Von Bringhurst perform live on YouTube a selection of compositions entirely written by female, POC, or LGBTQ composers. The final concert in Community School of Music and Arts’ Community Concert Series, ‘Exploring Equity’ centers the works of composers like Lili Boulanger, Fanny Mendelssohn, Ana Carolina Sousa, and more. By the way, if Bringhurst’s name sounds familiar, maybe that’s because he sang on the Kingdom Hearts soundtrack. Continue reading »
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Jay Edgar on June 16, 2021
After years of being overlooked, the Bay Area wrestling scene is finally making big waves. During the pandemic, television viewers across the country were introduced to Bay Area indie icons like the spunky Shotzi Blackheart on WWE’s NXT, and “Powerhouse” Will Hobbs on All Elite Wrestling. Both superstars were regular fixtures in San Jose’s own long-running fixture Underground Wrestling Alliance. This Saturday, the promotion is returning to its backyard roots with an outdoor show at the LVL UP patio in San Jose, giving wrestling fans their first chance in over a year to scope out the next generation of badass Bay Area performers. Continue reading »
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Grace Stetson on June 16, 2021
Summer is a time of celebration, and Juneteenth is the perfect kickoff. This Saturday, for the 40th year, the African American Community Service Agency brings Juneteenth festivities to the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds with a wide variety of celebratory entertainment, food, artwork and retailers to draw the community together. Saturday’s dynamic hosts include Grammy Award-winning vocalist Ledisi, NBC Bay Area anchor Marcus Washington, and Sunday Best starring gospel singer Le’Andria Johnson, all supporting a united African American community in Silicon Valley. Continue reading »
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Mike Huguenor on June 16, 2021
In anticipation of the Tokyo Olympics, Art Ventures Gallery presents a new show of Olympic photography by three world-class artists: David Burnett, John Todd, and David Madison. Known most recently for his meditative portraits of President Barack Obama, Burnett’s Olympic works capture moments of breathtaking clarity amid whirling action. Madison brings selections from over five decades as a photographer for publications like Sports Illustrated and Life. Meanwhile, Todd has been team photographer for the Earthquakes since 1996 (among many other accolades). This muscular collection opens Saturday, and runs through July 31. Continue reading »
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Grace Stetson on June 16, 2021
Ready to get your stitch fix? This Friday, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles reopens to the general public with three new exhibits. Throughout the pandemic, the museum stayed engaged with stitchers and quilters near and far via weekly Textile Talks and other online offerings. Those services will continue, but stitch stans now have the chance to experience exhibitions like the 13th annual American Tapestry Biennial in person, alongside an extended showing of Kira Dominguez Hultgren’s recent solo exhibition of woven sculptures and installations, I Was India. Advance reservations available. Continue reading »
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Mike Huguenor on June 16, 2021
Travel writer Chaney Kwak has been to some strange places. From abandoned amusement parks, to decommissioned Soviet military bases, to shuttered embassies, Kwak has built his career on going exactly where he shouldn’t. Thursday’s livestream ‘Our Stories, Ourselves’ features local actors performing works by local authors, including a section from Kwak’s upcoming memoir The Passenger. His work comes to life alongside selections from fourteen other literary locals, exploring everything from Chinese New Year, to police violence, to gardening. A free tour of the literary arts scene of the South Bay, live streamed from San Jose Museum of Art. Continue reading »
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Mike Huguenor on June 16, 2021
Influenced by the presence of his grandfather, a curandero, or healer, Hector Dionicio Mendoza has made healing, repair and community central themes of his art. The Michoacan-born, Monterey-based artist’s newest piece Creando Espacio (“Creating Space”) reimagines his grandfather’s spiritual dwelling place as inhabitable art. Opening this Wednesday at Montalvo Arts Center, the public is invited to participate in periodic acts of ritual and rite at the piece, starting with its opening ceremony this Wednesday. Inspired by the healing of individuals, the piece aims for the healing of a community. Bay Area artists Amalia Mesa-Baines and Viviana Paredes also contribute. Continue reading »
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Mike Huguenor on June 16, 2021
The Bay Area’s own Legoland Discovery Center is now open, and, my fellow blockheads, there are some things you should know. On top of its interactive Lego ride and 4D theater with new Lego Movie inspired shorts, there are VR races, freeform building stations with master builders on site, an interactive pirate ship, and even a NINJAGO “Laser Maze.” But all that is merely prelude to Miniland, the 1,000,000-block recreation of the Bay Area complete with functioning BART cars, Basilica of St. Joseph, and San Jose City Hall Rotunda. Word is rent for a 1×1 brick apartment has now reached $3,800.
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Grace Stetson on June 10, 2021
At the tail end of May, 443 days after its closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tech Interactive, San Jose’s family-friendly science and technology center, reopened to the public. Throughout the busy day, staff was visibly enthusiastic to see its community members again.
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Mike Huguenor on June 9, 2021
Taking their name from one of the most harrowing manga series known to man, San Jose hip hop collective Barefoot Gen are like the South Bay’s answer to Odd Future. And after a slew of Bandcamp one-offs and EPs, the group swings big on their startling new LP .Wav Clube Zen. Informed equally by the Asian-American experience as it is by the urban sounds of San Jose, .Wav Clube Zen is full of psychedelic desperation and rattling trap bass drops, and rarely settles anywhere for long. A fierce statement from an exciting young group, out via Bandcamp on Monday. Continue reading »
