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Ballet San Jose
Center for the Performing Arts
255 Almaden Blvd, San Jose
408.288.2800
Thu-Fri – 8pm, Sat – 1:30 and 8pm, Sun – 1:30pm
Gilbert and Sullivan's high-spirited operetta about young lovers Frederic and Mabel, some unusually accommodating buccaneers and a quirk of the calendar has proven to be a perennial audience pleaser since its premiere in 1879. Its longevity was abetted by the Joseph Papp Broadway musical version. Choreographer Daryl Gray has worked another transformative miracle on Pirates of Penzance!, creating a ballet version that combines dance and onstage singers. The music for this Ballet San Jose production will be provided live by Symphony Silicon Valley under the direction of Dwight Oltman. The Saturday matinee is a special one-hour show for children. (MSG)
Wave Array
Mountain Charley's
15 N. Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos
408.395.8880
Thu – 9pm; free
Whenever you feel like spending some time in a purple haze, check out Wave Array. They're not hippies or anything, but they do have a psychedelic sound mixed with garage rock. Swirling guitars and Strom Lee's sweet voice complement the band perfectly. They obviously have a respect for the music of the past, while adding a modern feel to their sound. Mellow at times and rockin' the next, Wave Array sets the mood—rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies and all that—and sends listeners off on a trip. Just don't take the brown acid. Tether Horse opens the show. (BD)
Save the Scene Benefit Show
Saratoga Rec Center
19655 Allendale Ave, Saratoga
408.868.1272
Fri – 6pm; $10
PinUp Productions has hit on a novel idea—an emergency relief party for the South Bay rock scene, featuring "10 for 10"—that is, a lineup of 10 bands for 10 bucks. This is the first such show, featuring an impressive array of bands that will be familiar to scenesters. Three of them, headlining San Jose metal band Park Lane, local alternapoppers Undergone and Redwood City's Picture Me Broken, were finalists in the PacSun Battle of the Bands last month. Also performing are Pacific Lights (this is their farewell show), We Shot the Moon, Sky Highway, Tainted Virtue, Paris to the Moon, Cheers to Doerr and My Last Friend. A second "Save the Scene" show comes around on Dec. 11 with 10 different bands. (SP)
Explosion Sauce
Britannia Arms
1087 DeAnza Blvd, Cupertino
408.252.7262
Fri – 9pm; free
Definite contender for a band-name makeover, since "Explosion Sauce" is reminiscent of the burrito with the extra-hot salsa and its tragic consequences the next day. But that's neither here nor there, since Explosion Sauce is a ska punk band that has mastered the anthem. These are the kind of songs that rally the troops, sending fists in the air in defiance of the system. Politically astute lyrics combined with fine musicianship make Explosion Sauce music for the revolution. Usurper Vong, Scraping for Change and Pounders open. (BD)
Shitkickers
The Blank Club
44 S. Almaden Ave, San Jose
408.29.BLANK
Fri – 9pm; $10
Raw, powerful and vulgar, the rip-roaring extravaganza that is the Shitkickers was spawned out of a three-piece sideshow act built for entertaining the crowd in-between sets by more, well, credible bands. But it wasn't long before the 'Kickers fiery brand of cow-punk bluegrass earned the group a reputation as one of the South Bay's finest entertainers. How to describe the sound? Imagine a drunken banjo player jamming with a hopped-up punk band, then throw in a viola and a couple pints of whiskey, and you've got the basic ingredients for a Shitkickers gig. The White Buffalo and Slack Jawed Sons of Bitches open. (GW)
Whiskey Avengers
VooDoo Lounge
14 S. Second St, San Jose
408.286.8636
Fri – 9pm; $10
It's hard to keep count of which wave of ska is currently making a comeback. Third? No, that was in the '90s. Fifth? No, getting ahead of ourselves. Fourth—that sounds right. Anyway, it hardly matters, since Whiskey Avengers aren't your average ska band. They incorporate different genres into their music. Sure, you can skank your butt off while they play. But subtle inflections of Irish drinking music, hip-hop and reggae pop up throughout the songs. A good band for a bar and a great band for a party. Besides, the word "whiskey" is in their name—you just can't go wrong. They're releasing their new album Round Two: Wet and Reckless at this show and the Flames open up. (BD)
Lisa Lampanelli
Fox Theatre
2209 Broadway, Redwood City
650.369.4119
Sat – 7pm; $42.75
She's known as the "Lovable Queen of Mean," but you can bet she snuck "lovable" in there so she could get away with ethnic jokes. She also talks up her African American boyfriends a lot, which I guess is supposed to make it OK to do even more ethnic jokes. Is she offensive? Eh. Only when she gets lazy with her material. Racist? Nah. It's all ridiculously silly. Her whole shtick is that she can get away with "naughty" stuff because she seems so nice. Mostly she hangs around celebrity roasts and tries to shock people saying "spic," "gook" and "fag." Wow, edgy. (SP)
Laurence Juber
Little Fox Theatre
2209 Broadway, Redwood City
650.369.4119
Sun – 7pm; $18/$20
Laurence Juber isn't quite a household name, but he's got a reputation in the business as one hell of a gun for hire: past gigs include one-time lead guitarist for Paul McCartney's Wings and player on countless iconic movie soundtracks, including Dirty Dancing and Good Will Hunting. Within serious guitarist circles, Juber is something of a legend, having received two Grammy Awards and being declared top guitarist by Fingerstyle magazine. In recent years, Juber has put the rock & roll largely behind him in favor of nimble acoustic jazz chording and agile fingerpicking. Nevertheless he continues to conjure sparks from the six-string instrument he's mastered. (PMD)
Wednesday 13
VooDoo Lounge
14 S. Second St, San Jose
408.286.8636
Wed – 7:30pm; $10
Any fan of John Landis will know that the phrase "See you next Wednesday" makes a cameo on all his films, even the "Thriller" video. Wednesday 13 (also the singer's name, he's known for his time in the Murderdolls) takes on the darker side of rock and puts all its energy into the live show, making sure you get your money's worth. If rabid zombies had their own bar, Wednesday 13 would be the house band. Ghoulish rock with crunchy guitars and the singer's chain-saw voice turn the band in a force to be reckoned with. Call it horror rock. Call it gothic. They might still get your soul. Bullets and Octane and the Becoming open. (BD)
