A pair of sneakers hangs from the rafters in Dirtbag Dan’s studio. He won them years ago at the Wednesday night Cypher, then held at Johnny V’s. At the time, another emcee had been challenging Dan for his title as the best battle rapper in San Jose.
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Sean McCourt, Justin Tonel, Nick Veronin on December 7, 2016
The sound of hoofbeats on the roof may be a welcome sign of Santa, but you’d better hope that those aren’t the steel toe boots of Brotha Lynch Hung. The legendary horrorcore pioneer brings his grimy rhymes to BackBar SoFa this week. If tales of disembowelment and cannibalism aren’t your thing, perhaps…
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Nick Veronin & Justin Tonel on December 7, 2016
San Jose dive bar and music venue Johnny V’s is closed. The news came abruptly on Wednesday, Dec. 7, and all live shows scheduled at the watering hole were cancelled—with many moving to the BackBar SoFa.
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Roger Springall awoke this past Saturday to a missed call and strange voicemail, logged at 2:49am, from an unknown number. He was alarmed. He’d already learned of the deadly warehouse party fire in Oakland, which killed 36 late Friday night. “I have a 25-year-old son who lives in Oakland,” Springall says. His…
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They say that a good DJ knows how to read a room. He knows what the crowd wants to hear before they know it themselves. A top-notch selector does more than simply match beats while stringing together a series of current hits and throwback jams. A truly great DJ blazes a path through…
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Avi Salem on November 30, 2016
Though the name might not ring a bell, fans of early East Coast hardcore will likely recognize at least some of the personnel behind New York rockers Dead Heavens.
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Avi Salem on November 30, 2016
Gemma Ray is one of those singer-songwriters whose saturated, soulful sound is at once eerily familiar and yet completely distinct from anything else in today’s pop music landscape. Pulling from a range of influences and sound textures—including Pink Floyd, ’60s girl groups and the musical scores of John Barry—Ray’s sonic palate is unquestionably…
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Sean McCourt, Nick Veronin, Justin Tonel on November 30, 2016
Hate him or love him, there’s little doubt that Diplo is one of the biggest names in electronic dance music right now. The Mad Decent founder, Skrillex and Bieber collaborator, and Major Lazer figurehead comes to both the SAP Center and The Ritz on the same night this week; Flux Pavilion leads…
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Avi Salem on November 25, 2016
For singer-songwriters Paul Kimball and John Blatchford—the voices behind indie-folk group Wax Moon—making music together has always been about capturing the moment. From their tendency to play smaller, more intimate shows to their desire to explore the experiential qualities of acoustic sound, their dedication to the craft of live performance is evident…
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The days are getting shorter, the meals are getting heartier and people all over Silicon Valley are getting ready to settle in for a long winter’s nap. While food and booze will certainly help send you off to slumberland, most physicians these days say vigorous exercise is the best way to ensure a…
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