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Kael Austria on July 3, 2019
San Jose has a long and thriving blues tradition, but there’s no one on the scene quite like Aki Kumar. The San Jose denizen has made a name for himself by incorporating Bollywood elements into his Chicago-rooted soul music. “The Only Bombay Blues Man” grew up listening to Bollywood and traditional Indian music long before picking up a harmonica. Kumar learned fast, diving head first into the local blues community and becoming a dedicated student of the distinctly American artform. In addition to his many South Bay residencies, Kumar has performed at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and toured Russia and Scandinavia. Continue reading »
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Metro Staff on July 3, 2019
The one and only Sir Paul McCartney is coming to the SAP Center next week. But tickets to see living legends are expensive. Ticket to Ride, on the other hand, are playing for free at Redwood City’s family-friendly Music on the Square series. This Beatles tribute act has been channeling its collective passion for the Fab Four into energetic live shows around the Bay Area for more than two decades. You don’t need to be a math whiz to work it out. Continue reading »
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Nick Veronin on July 3, 2019
Tom Shimura apologizes for losing the thread as he weaves through heavy traffic. The 46-year-old rapper and producer is speaking over his car’s Bluetooth speaker system. It’s Pride weekend, and he’s just trying to knock out this interview on the way to his next engagement.
“It’s been a busy couple of years,” the man better known as Lyrics Born says.
Continue reading »
Not all heroes wear capes. Not all heroes carry adamantium shields or swing Asgardian hammers. The one in my block wears cargo shorts, and his weapon of choice: some orange washable spray chalk. He doesn’t break up gang fights or thwart package thieves from running away with your latest Amazon shipment. His skill, his expertise, his crime fighting prowess is writing the word “STOP” in big bold letters with the “O” circling unpicked-up dog shit—a growing trend that’s been plaguing this neighborhood.This brave sneaker savior is striking fear in the hearts of dog-walking scofflaws, letting them know that he’s got a bone to pick if they don’t give enough of a crap about picking up shit. So if you think you can let your dog defecate on the streets and yards where our children play, better beware. The Banksy of Dog Dung is out there, a do-gooder fighting the doodoo-ers.
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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Nick Veronin on June 26, 2019
It’s hard enough aging gracefully as a rock star. But when it comes to hip-hop—a genre obsessed with the hustle of youth and the hardscrabble realities of urban life—it can seem downright impossible. Continue reading »
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Metro Staff on June 26, 2019
Just a short drive south from the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley, folks take life a little slower. There are fewer Teslas, more tractors and the ultimate low-emission mode of transportation is a horse. The Boots & Brews Country Music Festival raises a cool longneck bottle to big skies and rolling hills with a lineup of young country talent. The bill includes RaeLynn, Frankie Ballard and festival headliner Rodney Atkins. The Knoxville-born singer can kick up dust—as he does on the boot-stomping “Caught Up In The Country”—or kick you in the feels (just try not to cry listening to “My Life”). Continue reading »
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Metro Staff on June 26, 2019
A massive floating pig, a top-of-the-line light show and all the hits—“One of These Days,” “Dark Side of the Moon,” “Wish You Were Here,” you name it—all against the unique backdrop of Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre. There’s just one problem. It’s 2013 and Pink Floyd could easily sell out the 9,500 seat Denver-area venue many times over. However, Brit Floyd, the immersive and impressive live tribute act is just right. The group plays an even more intimate show at an equally picturesque venue—The Mountain Winery—on July 3. Continue reading »
To watch the boys from Atta Kid perform is to see unbridled joy in the form of a musical performance. Founded in 2012, the group uses its technical prowess to craft tunes that are as academically impressive as they are toe-tappingly accessible. Blending elements of jazz and hip-hop with East Bay funk and New Orleans brass, Atta Kid produce bouncy beats punctuated by soulful horn punches, sneaky organ swells and scratchy rhythm guitar. More importantly, they clearly love playing—allowing the winding, improvisational paths of their songs to lead them in directions that are delightfully surprising, even to them. Continue reading »
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Metro Staff on June 26, 2019
The local high schools have already thrown their promenade dances—now it’s time for the grownups to get down. This Satori-presented event invites the 21+ crowd to don their ’80s and ’90s best and dance to new wave selections from DJ Bit and DJ 2Nite. While there’s sure to be plenty of goth, post punk and new wave tunes from the likes of Joy Division, The Cure and Depeche Mode, this Friday’s party will have a special focus on the work of Blondie and The Smiths. It’s free before 10pm with an RSVP; $5 after. Continue reading »
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Metro Staff on June 26, 2019
Héctor Amienta and his award-winning Opera Cultura bring a Mexican legend to the stage with this live production of La Llorona. Translated as “The Weeping Woman,” La Llorona is a folk tale about identity, colonization and revenge. A young Xochil girl falls for a man of Spanish descent, marrying him and angring the mighty Xochil River. It’s part of Armienta’s Aguas Ancestrales—or “Ancient Waters”—trilogy, which deals with a number of themes, including the spiritual role of water, the concepts of destiny and free will, and the lives of the women in Armienta’s Mexican-American family. Continue reading »
