This weekend, San Jose’s premiere burlesque troupe the Circus of Sin returns to their loving home of the Caravan for “Back to the Van.” Led by MC and occasional wrestler Some Guy, the adventurous Circus of Sin is all about a memorable night out. A typical performance might include drag, exotic dancing, sideshow acts, painted ladies and plenty else. Recently, the troupe was also involved in the creation of the Bay Area Tarot Deck, which celebrates local performers and performance institutions. Ever a forward thinking institution themselves, the Circus has made this steamy event streamable online for ease of accessibility.

Back to the Van
Fri, 8pm, Free
The Caravan, San Jose

Every second Thursday of the month, the Caravan Lounge hosts one of San Jose’s best known open-mic sessions. The Cypher features rappers and turntablists in a freestyle session, followed by showcases of underground artists. This week, Guatemalan rapper Kontra Marin, signed to Barba Roja Records, is headlining alongside San Jose rap crew Six of Seven. Kontra Marin’s Spanish rhymes blend reflective and socially conscious themes, much like Six of Seven, whose 2018 single “Maybe Tomorrow” samples N.W.A’s classic protest banger, “Fuck Tha Police” underneath establishment-critiquing lyrics.

Kontra Marin
Thu, 9pm, Free
The Caravan Lounge, San Jose

If you’re craving the sweet, electronic sounds of your favorite ’90s video game, Vector Hold has your fix. This solo project, fronted by San Jose musician Peter Rice, deals in blippy, 32- and 64-bit synthwave compositions. Much of the Vector Hold catalog is original material, though Rice has had some fun crafting covers of ’80s and ’90s tunes—all of which sound as if they could be part of the soundtrack for the Sega Genesis game Road Rash. Last year, Rice recreated the Rush songs “Subdivisions” and “Ghost of a Chance” as a tribute to the Canadian prog-rock trio. Rice will perform with the Caravan’s DJ Bit. (SP)

Vector Hold
Fri, 9pm, Free
Caravan Lounge, San Jose

For some creatives, San Jose can feel both claustrophobic and incestuous—like some backwater city in the middle of nowhere—and also impossibly sprawling, like any other faceless suburb. Not for Jafar Green.

“It’s like a small town disguised as a big city,” the San Jose native says. “That’s what I kinda like about it.”

Similarly, Green’s band, Mercy High, pack a lot into a little. So far the quartet have only released a three-song EP on their Bandcamp page, but that doesn’t really tell the whole story. Although there are only four players in Green’s band, there is a wealth of local music history to be found in the group.

“All of us have been involved in a lot of other bands,” Green says, before launching into a laundry list of significant San Jose acts—including The Bang, Rachel Mae and The Havens, Fighting Jacks, TrashKannon and The Odd Numbers. “We’re all guys that have been in San Jose for years.”

Though everyone in the group has a long local music resume, Green is the one piloting this project—after years of playing in other people’s bands. “Mercy High came together because I wanted to put together something that was the kind of music that I wanted to play”—namely a mash-up of “dreamy, shoegaze-y elements” and “heavier elements.” Green says he draws on Black Sabbath, Queens of the Stone Age, My Bloody Valentine and Ride, to name a few.

But listening to Green sing—focusing on the timbre of his voice, a deep baritone, backed by fuzzed-out, psychedelic guitar work—it’s easy to hear other influences, like Jimi Hendrix and ’70s Detroit proto-punks Death.

“I think that’s just something that comes naturally—me being a black man playing rock and roll,” he says with a laugh. “I grew up with Hendrix albums around the house. That Death record was absolutely amazing.”

Then again, not to attach unnecessary weight to race, Green observes: “You’re only going to sound like your record collection.”

Mercy High
Jan 13, 9pm, Free
Caravan Lounge, San Jose

Punk legends Hüsker Dü don’t actually sound like San Jose’s the Conceal, yet I can think of no better band in which to compare them.

Both bands transcend their genre (Doom Metal, in the case of the Conceal) by creating a signature sound based a great deal on their distinct guitar tones. Bob Mould’s thick guitar sounds were unlike any other punk rockers at the time.

The Conceal, performing November 30 at Caravan, creates a total consuming wall of feedback-laden distortion unlike any sludge metal band out there—to the point that the label barely applies.

The Conceal’s music does technically have all the attributes of doom metal—dark, slow, punishingly dissonant—yet the absence of the typical sludgy distortion creates an odd effect—not to mention the complete lack of dynamics.

From the beginning of each song to the end, the Conceal plays at one tempo and at one volume (really, really loud). Their penchant for feedback is really more like the tease of feedback. They rest right at that moment the guitars start to turn into feedback and just stay there.

Listening to the Conceal is a long unrelenting, grating assault, yet a certain beauty arises upon closer inspection, the kind you might see in a surreal post-apocalyptic landscape painting—ugliness so breathtaking it can only be described in terms of beauty.

The band’s debut album, Endless River | Stunted Prayer, was not only recorded entirely on GarageBand, but it was also done before the band played any shows. The production is very cohesive, with the kind of chemistry most bands spend years gigging to develop.

Monkey may very well be San Jose’s longest running, consistently-active band. The band emerged in 1995, but unlike a lot of Monkey’s contemporaries, it never mixed punk rock and ska. Monkey always stuck strictly to the traditional more R&B-based sounds of ska’s first wave.

We caught up with Curtis Meacham (vocals/guitar) to ask him about the side of San Jose he knows best.

What part of Silicon Valley are you from?

Originally, I grew up in Sunnyvale, but I’ve lived in Downtown San Jose a couple of times and it’s always been a blast. There is actually a lot of community feel that can be experienced in San Jose on different levels. In a way, it’s always entertaining.

What’s your favorite place outside of San Jose?

Well, I like Telluride, Colo., for the beauty, Victoria, BC, for the people, and Belgium for the amazing food! Right now, I live in Campbell and it’s pretty cool… only, not as cool as Belgium.

What’s the best show you’ve seen in San Jose?

Easily, Prince at the Shark Tank a couple of years back. He came twice in the summer and I caught both shows—absolutely amazing. Aside from that, there’s the crazy Cactus Club shows, like the Twinkie fight during Big Sissy Brigade’s show, or the on-stage beer enema during the Diesel Queens.

Who’s your favorite local musician or band?

There’s a lot of really cool talent in San Jose. For fun factor, there’s always FTB. For good songwriting, there’s David Brookings. For ass-kickin’ guitars, there’s the Gillbillies.

Where’s your favorite place to get a drink in San Jose?

The Cinebar is always the cheapest, but aside from that, I always visit Rachel and her band of merry men, down at the Caravan.

Where’s a cool spot to get clothes?

Working Man’s Emporium. You can get some cool Dickies, Carhartt and Ben Davis there.

What’s your favorite spot for a cheap meal?

Any Vietnamese restaurant—and I do mean amy! Seriously, how can you make such a rockin’ sandwich for $3? it boggles the mind.

What’s the best thing about living in Silicon Valley?

It’s close to everything: 30 minutes from the beach, 40 minutes from SF and three hours from serious mountains.

Where’s the best place in SJ to go relax?

The back room at Trials pub. It’s low key and there’s a fireplace. How much more relaxing can you get?

Where’s the best place to see a show in San Jose?

Believe it or not, it’s the X Bar at the Homestead Lanes in Cupertino! Hands down. But then you say: “Hey, that’s not in San Jose, proper” …and to that, I say “Suck it Trebek!”

What’s San Jose’s best kept secret?

That damn orange sauce.

Seeing San Jose’s Culo A Boca live for the first time can be loosely akin to seeing Gwar live for the first time: it requires just as much time spent trying to figure out their costumes and obscene props as their music.

“It’s harmonious chaos,” says Fista NoGagreflexa, one of the two singers, donning an outfit that can be best described as demonic ragdoll.

Over five years, Culo A Boca has taken its mesh of punk rock and theatrics to all kinds of extremes. The other vocalist, Poncho Verde, wears skin-tight leopard pants, no shirt and a Mexican wrestling mask. The rest of the band, Sideburns McBlood (bass), Rev. BJ Gums (guitar), Herpe Hancock (drums) and new-comer Dick Rigormortis (guitar) all do their best to look like flesh-eating zombies.

Their audience can be as wild as the band itself sometimes. Stories of people trying to take a dump on stage, GG Allin style, and things breaking are not uncommon. Fista has had a personal request from an audience member for her to punch him in the face, which she gladly obliged. Another patron carried her around on his shoulders, and took some convincing to let her down.

Culo a Boca utilizes props to enhance certain points in a song. One is called “the Fear Boner.” This is basically a leaf blower fashioned into a giant erect penis with a roll of toilet paper on the end. There are also two more props called “the Clunghole”: two flat, wooded cut-outs that look like two women bending over. They are rigged to shoot liquids out.

“This chunky pair of nude vixens don lucho libre masks and generously bend over to shoot filth to whoever dares approach. Unfortunately sometimes this means one of us on stage,” McBlood explains.

In fact, the last time they played the Caravan, the bartenders thought the second story had flooded, because of all the liquid dripping from the ceiling.

McBlood claims they’ve never failed to win over an audience. “But our show has gotten us on the blacklist at more than a few venues, and every now and then there’s someone who doesn’t appreciate what we have to say about their shitty band,” he says.

Culo A Boca play Saturday, Aug. 4., at Caravan Lounge in San Jose, 9pm; free.

Zack Alves has been tearing up South Bay clubs for over a decade with his band Rivals. Originally a positive-hardcore band, their most recent album We Live Electric shifts gears and moves in the direction of old school punk rock in the vein of the Misfits.

Rivals have become infamous in the South Bay for their crazy, energetic shows, particularly their annual Halloween shows, complete with a killer costume contest. They they return to the stage at Blank Club on July 7th, opening up for the Flames. We asked guitarist Zack Alves to give us his insight into San Jose.

What part of San Jose are you from and what’s cool about it?
I was born and raised in the Berryessa area of East San Jose, and my band Rivals practices near Alum Rock park. I love the East Foothills; it still looks a lot like it did back when I was growing up there in the 80s, with undeveloped lots, rolling hills and rad mid-century homes.

What’s your favorite place outside of San Jose?
I really like Hawaii. I’ve been told that it’s the only place that people have seen me relax.

What’s the best show you’ve seen in San Jose?
My fondest memories of shows in San Jose are from the late 90s, when the SoFA District, including the Cactus Club, was the place to be to see the area’s best bands. One show that stands out in particular was one of the SoFA festivals where Dredg rocked the Cactus, Onelinedrawing played in front of the Metro building and most every club featured an awesome local band. I remember leaving the festival totally inspired.

What is your favorite local band/musician?
Relapse. They are awesome, weird and heavy. I mean, what other bands are rocking guitar talk-boxes right now? We’ve become very close friends with these guys over the years. Last year, I sat in with them to do a cover of “Those Shoes” from the Eagles. It was random and fun as hell. Our singer Matt Reed is also doing a project with them called “Ray Frankly.”

What’s your favorite place to get a drink in SJ?
Taqueria Tlaquepaque off Curtner Ave. I can’t pronounce the name, but nothing beats an ice cold Chavela on a hot San Jose day.

Where’s a cool spot to get clothes?

My style is fairly simple—rock T-shirt, comfy jeans or Dickies shorts, Converse or Vans. I’m always on the hunt for better deals on my “uniform.” Tilly’s of Blossom Hill, Lucky Brand Jeans at Oakridge, local shows for my rock shirts.

What’s your favorite spot for a cheap meal in SJ?
Super Taqueria. Did you know that they will grill your burrito for a few extra cents?

What’s the best thing about living in SJ?
It’s close to everything—an hour on the road could get you to the beach, at a show in SF, or record shopping in Campbell.

Where’s the best place in San Jose to go relax?
It sounds weird, but the San Jose Flea Market. I have been repeating the ritual for years. I wake up early on a weekend and spend the morning wandering the flea market digging for retro junk, instruments, old school video games and records. I get in a zone and my brain just shuts off.

Where’s the best place to see a show in SJ?
It depends on the show. I love the in-your-face element of the Caravan, but the Blank Club has been the most consistent local venue that San Jose has seen in a long time.

What’s San Jose’s best kept secret?

Freshly Baked Eatery off N. 3rd Street. My fiancé hyped up this place to the point where I almost didn’t want to go in fear of being totally disappointed—it was anything but. They are only open for four hours a day during lunch, and the lines are long, but it’s a small price to pay for the best damn sandwich on freshly baked bread you’ll ever have.

The Rivals play the Blank Club in July 7th at 9p. Tickets are $8.

Jonny Manak of Jonny Manak and the Depressives (full disclosure: Metro’s former in-house rock star) loves garage and punk rock with equal passion, at least that’s what his music suggests. He strings together bits of garage and surf from the 50s and 60s, early pissed-off punk rock from the late 70s and bits of well-crafted, catchy pop-punk from the 80s and 90s, blending it all together in a sort of punk-through-the-ages mixture.

Aside from the Depressive, Manak has played in the Forgotten, the Cliftons, Clay Wheels and the Odds Numbers. We asked him to give us a tour around San Jose from his distinctly punk rock perspective. There were his answers:

What part of San Jose are you from?

I grew up on the east side. There were a lot of spots to skate, the bike jumps at perk ponds to get rad on your BMX, cheap tacos and Mexican candy, the Berryessa flea market to get pocket knives, swords, ninja stars and other illegal items eight year old kids shouldn’t be able to purchase.

What’s your favorite place outside of San Jose?

The Pacific northwest! The best skateboarding in the world is up there. People are chill and the music that comes out of there is great. Whenever I’ve toured through Portland or Seattle, I’ve always wanted to stay. You could buy a huge house for what you’d get a townhouse for here. My wife and I joke that if we ever moved out of San Jose, we’d go to Seattle. But you’d have to say it with an English accent, “Sea-at-ow!”

What’s the best show you’ve seen in San Jose?

That’s a tough one. So many come to mind. The Buzzcocks at The Blank Club definitely is a standout. I was playing drums in one of the opening bands that night and I got to setup and sound check their guitars because the band was eating. I shit my pants dude! I was playing Orgasm Addict through their guitars and amps at sound check! They were on fire that night and it sounded like they sounded on their records from the 70s.

What’s your favorite local band/musician?

Damn, that’s really hard! Favorite local bands would be The Odd Numbers and Los Olvidados. Both bands rarely play these days, but when they do, look out. The dude dressed as a clown that plays trumpet in San Pedro Square has some chops. He’s got a creepy van and a cool bunny rabbit, too.

What’s your favorite place to get a drink in San Jose?

PT Liquors near my house. They have their own language. If you’ve been to my house, you know what I’m talking about, “my fren.” But the answer you’re looking for is a bar, so I’ll say The Caravan. Rachel is very talented.

Where’s a cool spot to shop?

Stevens Creek Surplus for Levi’s, Circle A for shoes, 23 Skidoo, Savers, Goodwill and Target for $10 button ups. Fun fact: you can trash dive behind Goodwill for some free fancy duds.

What’s your favorite spot for a cheap meal in SJ?

Crashing conferences at the Hilton. So good! Or go to a time-share seminar. Sometimes they feed you at those things. Also, wine mixers. Basically anywhere I’m not invited that serves food and drinks and any of the many east side $1 taco trucks are rad, too.

What’s the best thing about living in SJ?

The proximity to everything—beach, snow, SF, skate parks, it’s all so close. Herpes is running rampant in San Jose. That’s pretty cool!

Where’s the best place in San Jose to go relax for a bit?

On The Corner Music. There’s something very relaxing about digging through the $1 vinyl record bins.

Where’s the best place to see a show in SJ?

The Blank Club. My studio Cup O’ Pizza. That’s where the “Story Tellers” performances go down. Stoops.

What’s San Jose’s best kept secret?

I’m not telling, it wouldn’t be a secret… I guess I got one for you. Some of the hookers on First Street may be “packing heat” down below, if you know what I mean. It’s THEIR little secret. It’s like playing Russian roulette; you may be staring down the barrel of a “gun.” Extra equipment.

Hawk Jones’ early recordings paired the unlikely combination of driving punk rock drumming and weird, finger-tapping guitar work, making them a difficult group to classify. Experimental-punk seemed like the best description. But with their new EP, Que Rico, the San Jose band headlining at the Caravan on Saturday shakes things up a bit.

The punk rock edge is toned way down, making it just experimental. It’s not that the drummer has slowed down, but the playing is so much more complicated, “punk rock” no longer seems an apt description. It’s much more in the vein of King Crimson and early Tera Melos.

The guitar work too is as weird as ever. They implement a lot more strange techniques than just finger-tapping. The guitars are balanced out with a lot more synthesizers than the earlier recordings. It’s a multi-layered, math-rock, musical journey.

The songs on the first half of the EP have about ten sections apiece, not including the weird stops and starts and abrupt breakdowns in-between sections. On the opening track, “Cold Hands,” drummer Joshua Fairfield shows off his spastic chops and approaches his kit from just about every angle except the standard 4/4 rock beat. Every couple measures, guitarist Brandon Foss pulls out a new part, whether it’s power chords, finger tapping or just atmospheric noises. And René Francis Jr, who doubles up on bass and synthesizers fills out the songs with psychedelic washes and math riff rocking. Nobody in the band stops to take a breath.

Things mellow out a bit on the second half. “Out of Place” is a slow burner. They stick to one basic riff and work off of that, giving it plenty of minor alterations and nuances. They build through repetition and play with dynamics gradually. That doesn’t mean there aren’t a few abrupt stops, like halfway through the song when Fairfield changes his drum beat and everyone drops out for a couple lines. The synthesizer and guitar re-enter the song gently, creating a dissonant, slow build to the finish.

Vocals are few and far between. “Pop Grass,” probably the most accessible song on the record, follows a more standard structure, with actual repeating vocal parts and a guitar riff and synth part that would almost fit an Interpol song. Of course with the weird instrumentation between vocals and a twenty second drum outro, it probably won’t be getting on the radio anytime soon, not that Hawk Jones crafted one second of this EP with that in mind.

Hawk Jones performs at the Caravan in San Jose on Saturday, June 2, 10pm; free.