Social Distortion, X, Blues Bros., Local Rap, BBQs and a Gigolo

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UPCOMING

Thu. July 27, 10:30pm SoFA Lounge 372 S. First St., San Jose 408.294.7632 $10		The Velvet Shop TAKE A SPIN: For 12 years house music fans had the legendary Velvet Shop every Thursday for a weekly beat fix. The longest running South Bay weekly dance party has been held at many a venue, but the Velvet Shop seemed to fit best in the retro cool confines of Downtown's SoFA Lounge. Tragically for deep bass-heads everywhere, the most trusted weekly party that always presented the upper echelon of original DJ talent is paring down to a monthly spin fest. The final symposium of the Velvet Shop as a weekly is going to feature the best of the best turntablists paying tribute to the sounds that made the Velvet Shop what it was for over a decade; kick yourself if you miss this one.

Wed. July 26, 9pm The Catalyst 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz 831.423.1336 $5-$10 BUY TICKETS

The Shltkickers AWW DANG: Hide the horses, women and whiskey because the six-strong banjo toting punks from SJ are hitting the coast and tearing up the Catalyst. For ya'll that have been to a Shltkickers show before, you know to start preparing your liver early, but, seeing as how this is an 18+ show, let's try to at least keep it in the R-rated arena. If, in fact, you've never been to a Shltkickers show before then the same advice applies with one addition: get the #*@$ off the couch and see the country punks that perfectly belt out songs about heartbreak and boozing with ones about wanting to have carnal knowledge about your grandma.

Wed. July 26, Dusk San Pedro Square San Pedro St., San Jose 408.279.1776 Free

The Blues Brothers @ Cinema San Pedro RAWHIDE: While from a musical standpoint it is wholly unforgivable for John Landis to have completely underused icons John Lee Hooker, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway and James Brown, The Blues Brothers still rocks and there has yet to be a comedic actor to rival John Belushi. The Blues Brothers just seems to get better over time—it's a great movie in its own right, but it's seriously gotten an incredible amount of help from the millions of crap SNL spin-off flicks that seem to deluge our cinemas annually. Cop a squat at the Flying Martini Brothers' patio and raise your glass to the man whose coattails were rode to stardom by far less talented performers.

Wed. July 26, 9pm The Fillmore 1805 Geary, San Francisco 408.998.TIXS $25

Rusted Root WORLD BEAT: Blending true world musical influences with a Grateful Dead style jam performing sensibility, Rusted Root was the darling child of college radio stations and resident potheads with inclinations toward drum circles everywhere in the mid-nineties. Rusted Root still kicks the same world-alt rock rhythms behind the lilting vocals of Michael Glabicki and, even though their following has grown a bit, odds are the neo-hippie college radio patchouli-scented and perpetually tie-dyed contingent will be at The Fillmore en masse.

Wed. July 26, 7:30pm Mountain Winery 14831 Pierce Rd., Saratoga 408.998.TIXS $49.50-$115

Gipsy Kings ROAMING ROYALTY: The Gipsy Kings are largely responsible for bringing neo-flamenco pop to the worldwide audience. Starting in Europe and swiftly becoming true world musicians, the Gipsy Kings gained so much notoriety in the late '80s and early '90s that Bush the First actually invited them to play at his inauguration—a dubious prize that the Gipsy Kings consciously declined; you know, musical integrity and all that.

Thu. July 27, 5pm Plaza de Cesar Chavez Market & San Carlos Sts., San Jose 408.279.1775 Free

Don Carlos @ Metro's Music in the Park SPECIAL EDITION: Don Carlos shies away from the frenetic in-your-face dancehall reggae that dominates the scene rather going for the mellow smoothness of true island groove sounds and messages. Reggae has to be the only musical genre where the more laid back you are, the better artist you'll be and Don Carlos does laid back like a fat house cat that got into the ganja stash, but also has the sense to turn the beats on when the crowd's feeling it. It's kind of an odd juxtaposition that the easy going Don Carlos kicks off the adrenaline laced San Jose Grand Prix weekend, but that's San Jo for ya.

Thu. July 27, 7:30pm SoFA District First St. & San Salvador, San Jose No Phone Free

Caravanserai @ Music After Dark PSEUDO-SUPERNATURAL: We guess an artist can gauge their success by how many imitators they've spawned and, while Carlos Santana really doesn't need the existence of a tribute band to remind him of his omnipresent musical influence and butt-load of Grammy's, Caravanserai has devoted themselves wholeheartedly to all things Santana. Pulling together hits from Santana's early days and his latest releases, Caravanserai captures an authentic sound that is usually lacking in most tribute bands. These phenomenal Bay Area musicians start out the Music After Dark 6-week free concert series on the streets of the SoFA district.

Fri. July 28, 8pm The Warfield 982 Market St., San Francisco 408.998.TIXS $27.50-$35

X w/ The Rollins Band PUNK LAUREATES: X is the quintessential LA punk band that formed while most of us were still in diapers and right from the get go harnessed a poetic gutter angst sound that was the perfect conduit for the band's wry and intelligent humor. X literally exploded onto the emerging LA punk scene and quickly established themselves as California's preeminent punk band during the musically regrettable days of disco. While X never fully reached the notoriety they truly deserve, any combat boot shod punk worth their salt will tell you that without X, the West Coast punk sound would probably sound like flowered hippie rock filtered through a cranked up amplifier. X has influenced more bands than we can count and in a punk-hardcore double wet dream billing, legendary hardcore punker/ poet Henry Rollins and The Rollins Band open.

Fri. July 28, 10:30pm South First Billiards 420 S. First St., San Jose 408.294.7800 Free

The Expansion @ South First Billiards 8-BALL & BEATS: This Friday showcase of rising local rap, hip-hop and DJ talent hits South First Billiards for another round of street rhyme proselytizing and heavy beat engineering. This edition of The Expansion features live music from local up and comers Aquatic Click, Audio Pharmacy and Locsta Villan with DJs Worldwise, Tesfa Roots and Dub opening the night. Special guests the Metal Mouth DJ crew will intersperse the live rap and hip-hop with their own brand of Cali beat funk. Make sure to scope the artwork by cutting edge local artists while you partake in South First's generous drink specials and discounted pool.

Thu-Fri, July 27-28, 9pm The Catalyst 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz 831.423.1336 $25

Social Distortion PRISON BOUND: Social Distortion has been throwing down speeding guitar licks through a booze soaked haze for years and are still some of the hardest living grease bands around. Blending rock, punk, rockabilly and a dash of country, these So-Cal boys have yet to take their foot off the gas pedal. Caveat: the Thursday Social D show is 16+ and if you've ever been to The Catalyst for a show that wasn't solely for drinking age folks, you know that the good security folks and decency laws corral all the boozehounds in a separate liquor paddock that kind of runs contradictory to what Social Distortion is all about. Solution: hit the Friday gig for a true taste of what Social D still brings to the punk rock table.

Fri. July 28, 8:30pm Hedley Club @ Hotel De Anza 233 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose 408.286.1000 Free

The Pimpsticks HEP CATS: Locally grown jazz, blues swingsters The Pimpsticks bring their unique retro sounds to the swanky Hedley Club for a dirty night of juke joint riffs and copious amounts of booze—these guys would feel right at home kicking it with Dino, Sinatra and the boys. The Pimpsticks have been playing together and in other local bands for years, their sound is tight and when these fellas get together for a jam session, rest assured the joint is gonna be jumpin'.

Fri. July 28 - Sun. July 30, 10am-7pm Christmas Hill Park 7050 Miller Ave., Gilroy 408.842.1625 $12 Adults, $6 Children

Gilroy Garlic Festival STOCK UP ON BREATH MINTS: The oppressive heat of the last week will only get hotter this weekend in Gilroy when they pay their annual homage to the righteous garlic bulb at the Gilroy Garlic Festival that starts the pungent fun on Friday and runs through Sunday. There's a long, long list of local bands coming out in support of the Valley's favorite produce including Drunken Starfighter, Red Beans and Rice, Sha-Boom and Masada to name a few. Go with someone you're close with.

Sat. July 29, 4pm Discovery Meadow Woz Way & San Carlos St., San Jose www.sanjosegrandprix.com Admission for SJ Grand Prix ticket holders only

David Lee Roth JUST A GRAND PRIX GIGOLO: The aging and hairline challenged ex- Van Halen front man, attempted blue-grasser and certified EMT David Lee Roth appears as the headliner to the Taylor Woodrow San Jose Grand Prix concert at Discovery Meadow, which is probably the biggest thing to happen to his resume in a decade—whatever happened to the days of "Running With the Devil" and "Hot For Teacher?" If you haven't already secured your tickets for the San Jose Grand Prix click on the banner or check out the Metroactive contest page for a chance to win a free three-day pass and we'll throw in Diamond Dave for free.

Sat. July 29, 9pm The Blank Club 44 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose 408.292.5265 $8

Hayride to Hell TOURS OF HADES, CHEAP!: What do you get when you mix beer, a standup bass, plenty of whiskey, rockabilly chicks, screaming guitar licks, adrenaline and fast cars? Well, it's either a perfect recipe for a stint in Elmwood or it means that those bad-ass psychobilly boys, Hayride To Hell, are back in town Grand Prix weekend. Nor-Cal punkers John Long, Mal Wrecker and Joey Myers will blow your skull with their bass slappin', guitar screachin' and skin poundin' sets before they most likely bust a bottle of Jack over your head and steal all the women. That's just good clean fun...try not to get arrested.

Sat. July 29, 9pm Fahrenheit Ultra Lounge 99 E. San Fernando St., San Jose 408.998.9998 $10

Lucid @ Fahrenheit Ultra Lounge BEYOND THE NORM: A new monthly is hitting the posh confines of Fahrenheit Ultra Lounge. The Lucid party features DJ Spindizzy in the mix rolling hip-hop, club hits and mash-ups for your dance and lounging pleasure. Even though Lucid is billed as a down-tempo chill party, you know that local bar legend and flamethrower Graham Kimura will probably douse the lights and set the bar top ablaze.

Sat. July 29, 2pm Shoreline Amphitheater 1 Amphitheater Pkwy., Mountain View 408.998.TIXS $29.99

Sounds of the Underground METAL MAYHEM: Hey, they say that the dead will rise as a precursor to the apocalypse, but even the most devout TV evangelist probably didn't see it coming on July 29 when the thrash metal hardcore festival, Sounds of the Underground, hits the Shoreline Amphitheatre. There's a safe bet that World of Warquest and the local Big Gulp lines are going to be pretty sparse that day. The lineup for this year's edition of metal mayhem features special guest GWAR along with As I Lay Dying, In Flames, Cannibal Corpse and other practitioners of the black guitar metal hardcore arts. If you haven't already scored tickets to the sickest congregation of gore-fest metal lords ever comprised, check out the Metroactive contest page and see what happens because we've got four tickets in our possession delivered by a little demon we know that resides in Mountain View. And don't worry metal won't rot your brain or make the devil appear like your parents feared...really.

Sun. July 30, 3pm Mission Ale House 97 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose 408.292.4058 Free

Beer Lovers Party & BBQ @ Mission Ale House SMOKING BLUES: Watching the Grand Prix can make you a little hot and tired so cool off and replenish your body on the Mission patio with some cool blues, sizzling BBQ and the almighty beer stein. The Jimmy Dewrance Blues Band and Phil Berkowitz will be supplying the riffs, Gordon Biersch will provide the beer and steins, the Jack Daniels girls are going to show up with the best American whiskey at special prices and Mission will provide the space. All you have to do is show up, eat and drink; what could be simpler? As an added bonus, legendary San Jose bartender Travis will be slinging barbs and booze out back.

Sun. July 30, 7:30pm Mountain Winery 14831 Pierce Rd., Saratoga 408.998.TIXS $45 - $69.50

Boz Scaggs SIX-STRING MAN: A former member of the Steve Miller Band, blues slide guitarist and San Francisco booze peddler (seriously, he's the proprietor of Slim's) Boz Scaggs hasn't stopped releasing material since he left "The Joker" in 1968 for a solo career and, well not as household of a name as Miller, Scaggs was always the better guitarist. Flawlessly strumming through classic rock and down home blues, Boz Scaggs is a world-class performer firmly rooted in the Bay Area.

Sun. July 30, 4pm Taste Ultra Lounge 87 N. San Pedro St., San Jose 408.885.1016 Free

Grand Prix BBQ @ Taste LOW-KEY INDY: Taste Ultra Lounge is getting in on the Grand Prix BBQ party trip for Sunday's big race featuring a special performance by reggae and calypso artist Lemo on their open-air patio—very island chic. As the sun sets, kick it to the club sounds of the entire slate of Taste resident DJs, including: Pat Allen, Brian Bass, DJ Sequence, DJ Remedy and G Tek. Also, the Taste girls will be on hand for some post-race eye candy.

Sun. July 30, 7:30pm The Warfield 982 Market St., San Francisco 408.998.TIXS $25

Panic! at the Disco w/ Dresden Dolls ADOLESCENT EMO: Suburban pop-punk outfit, Panic! at the Disco are barely out of high school and riding high on the emo wave set forth by bands like Fall Out Boy and Hellogoodbye. Even though these youngsters can't even shave, their perceptive lyrics and musical stylings make up for any lack of post-pubescent face stubble. Unorthodox Boston pop-rockers The Dresden Dolls open up with their wholly unique blend of alt-rock, riot grrl and '20s German burlesque cabaret.

Sun. July 30, 1pm-10pm Tres Gringos 83 S. Second St., San Jose 408.295.9777 Free

Substance II @ Tres Gringos BEERS, FAST CARS & BABES: Shoot on over to Tres Gringos on Grand Prix race day for a full slate of Sunday fun featuring drink and food specials all day long and one of the best promotional features of all the bar parties happening during the Grand Prix: the annual Miss Tres San Jose Bikini Contest.

Mon. July 31, 7:30pm Slim's 333 11th St., San Francisco 415.522.0333 $13 - $15

Circa Survive PHILLY POP: It seems like everyday a new emo band literally pops onto the scene from every moody corner of the nation, but Circa Survive is a bit different. Grown out of Philly, Circa Survive has a harder, near-punk edge that sets them apart from their floppy haired brethren. It's an all-ages show at Slim's so if you show up, try to keep your pickup efforts well within your age range.

Tue. Aug. 1, 6-9pm Park Valencia Santana Row Winchester Blvd. & Olin Ave., San Jose 408.551.4611 Free

Primary Colors HUED JAZZ: Premier soulful jazz vocalist Nate Pruitt and slick guitarist Rick Vandivier form the jazz and blues duo of Primary Colors that often employs other great musicians for the Bay Area to kick out their unique blend of straight ahead jazz and down home blues that carries a good mix of swing, pop and Latin jazz elements. Primary Colors showcases their talents in the tony digs of Santana Row as part of the Santana Row Summer Jazz Series.

coming up

Sat. Aug. 5, 7pm Taste Ultra Lounge 87 N. San Pedro, San Jose 408.885.1016 Free before 11pm

Women of Playboy Golf Casting Call BIRDIES, EAGLES, BUNNIES: You've gotta love a nightclub event that combines two of our favorite pastimes. The Playboy Golf Tournament will be looking for ladies to work the now classic event that's teeing up on August 21st and to console those who slice because they're not keeping their eyes on the ball. Seriously though—and we know we're not the best golfers—collectively we'd probably lose a case of Titleist on the front nine alone.

Sun. Aug. 6, 11am Guadalupe River Park Santa Clara & Autumn Sts., San Jose 408.823.2833 Contact for tickets

Day in the Sun: Angels 1-Year Anniversary ALL-DAY SCRATCH: Angels Ultra Lounge is throwing themselves a huge anniversary party that's going to sport five outdoor bars, multiple dance floors and themed areas, food concessions, Go-Go dancers and a veritable who's who DJ list featuring the turntable science of DJ Skribble, Michael Toast, Zhaldee, Komodo, KC The Drummer and many, many more.

—This week's newsletter by: RO, TI, RvB & BW

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