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Tomek Mackowiak on June 6, 2018
On the morning of May 22, we lost a keystone figure of our community. Andrew Pejack inspired us to pursue creativity, to respect and support everyone around us, and to treat life like an adventure. His immeasurable kindness and imagination seemed effortless. His artistic talents were boundless. He could appear at any…
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Bill Kopp on June 1, 2018
The original lineup of pop sensation The Monkees lasted for a brief period: The quartet that scored No. 1 hits with “Last Train to Clarksville,” “I’m a Believer” and “Daydream Believer” was together from fall 1965 to very early 1969. In the nearly 50 years since then, group members Micky Dolenz, the…
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Bill Kopp on June 1, 2018
Many of the bands considered part of the “British Invasion” of the mid-’60s drew from American soul and R&B. Some, like the Beatles, filtered those influences through their own musical sensibilities, creating something completely new in the process. Others—The Rolling Stones, for example—built upon an R&B foundation, getting their start playing their…
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Wallace Baine on June 1, 2018
In a political season of fear and loathing of all things Russian, Symphony Silicon Valley is reminding us that Russia has given us good and ennobling things as well. In this case, it’s Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the 19th-century Romantic Era composer responsible for some of the most memorable melodies in the classical repertoire.…
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Wallace Baine on June 1, 2018
Rockabilly was already a spent force by the time young Brian Setzer came along in the early ’80s with his hugely successful revival trio, Stray Cats. But if Setzer ever laments being born too late to take part in rockabilly’s golden age, the rest of us can only be thankful. Otherwise, he…
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Mike Huguenor on June 1, 2018
A dream tour for anyone who likes heavy music but doesn’t care for the machismo, Power Trip and Sheer Mag are for the people. While the metal genre can be a little cliquey and alienating, the Texas thrashers in Power Trip are refreshingly fun and inclusive—and they still tear through riffs like…
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Nick Veronin on May 31, 2018
South Bay-based Dogcatcher will be celebrating the release of their new single, “SRM.” The song—alternatively called “Stark Raving Mad”—tells the story of the band’s own Andrew Heine, an Iraq War veteran who spent time after his return living out of his car and selling paintings to support himself. The track also features…
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It was in a line at La Victoria’s for a late night burrito where I saw you. I was surrounded by scantily clad college girls and cologne-doused dudes, all partaking in loud, drunken cacophony. Waiting with these people was a hellish experience and I considered leaving, but then I saw you. A…
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Wallace Baine on May 23, 2018
Gumbo goes down best with live blues music (you can look it up), and San Jose’s Poor House Bistro is bringing out some big guns from the Bay Area blues scene. Among the headliners playing the Gumbo Party are Moby Grape frontman Jerry Miller (pictured), boogie-woogie pianist Mitch Woods, veteran vocalist Andy…
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Nick Veronin on May 23, 2018
Music production duo Aivi Tran and Steven “Surasshu” Velema bill themselves as an “organic girl” and a “machine boy.” Together they compose tunes that meld blippy electronic beats, glistening synths and live piano. The result is reminiscent of the music that soundtracked some of the best RPGs of the last 30 years—from…
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