'80s Rock, Dramarama, OG Rap & Devil Spawns

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Thu.-Fri., Aug.24-25, 7:30pm Oakland Arena 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland 408.998.TIXS $51.75 BUY TICKETS		Red Hot Chili Peppers RETURN TO HIGHER GROUND: Arguably one of the most influential bands of the '80s and '90s, and not just for their, uh, performance apparel, The Red Hot Chili Peppers bring their funkified punk rock to Oakland for a set of shows. As all of you long time RHCP fans know, guitarist John Frusciante has been back in the fold and the band as a whole is producing music that harkens back to their blockbuster heyday albums--on which Frusciante ripped the guitar--Mother's Milk and Blood Sugar Sex Magik, getting away from that lame period when Navarro led on the six string. Not that Navarro isn't a phenomenal guitarist, he just never looked right with a light bulb on his head. Up and comers The Mars Volta open.

Wed. Aug. 23, Dusk San Pedro Square San Pedro & Santa Clara Sts., San Jose 408.279.1776 Free

North By Northwest @ Cinema San Pedro PRE- 007: Cary Grant's Roger Thornhill was James Bond before Ian Fleming ever dreamed of his misogynistic, martini-swilling secret agent. In Alfred Hitchcock's North By Northwest--one of his most intense thrillers and definitely carving out a place in the all-time top ten--Grant plays a hard drinking and hapless NY ad exec mistaken for a government agent to a tee. North By Northwest is classic Hitchcock at his best, it's a taut thriller, tense and funny, and Eva Saint Marie defines the Hitchcock blond femme fatale. Oh yeah, Grant getting chased down by a crop dusting plane ain't bad either.

Wed. Aug. 23, 9pm The Fillmore 1805 Geary, San Francisco 408.998.TIXS $35 BUY TICKETS

Ted Nugent DETROIT ROCK: The Motor City Madman known just as much for his right wing political views as for Cat Scratch Fever steers his gun toting, bear hunting motorcade into the decidedly left leaning City by the Bay for one night only. We'll probably go, not to hear Nugent's six-string prowess or arena rock anthems like "Fred Bear" and "Fist Fightin' Sun of a Gun," but to check the sure to be hilarious juxtaposition of a guy that advocates gun ownership through being a board member of the NRA, has television shows about hunting and could sit and converse comfortably with both Rust Belt militia separatists and Karl Rove tearing up the stage in uber-left San Francisco. More to the point; we've gotta see Ted Nugent's Bay Area fan base.

Thu. Aug. 24, 5:30pm Plaza de Cesar Chavez Market & San Carlos Sts., San Jose 408.279.1775 Free

Soul Asylum @ Metro's Music in the Park TWIN CITY CLIMBERS: Their acoustic driven mellowing of sound away from their indie-punk roots ultimately led Soul Asylum to multi-platinum heights with their album Grave Dancers Union whose hit single "Runaway Train" made the band a household name in the early '90s. Soul Asylum's rocketing popularity also led to them performing at Slick Willy's 1992 presidential inauguration and to lead singer David Pirner's much publicized romance with the yet to be sticky fingered Winona Ryder that led many skeptics predicting a Yoko-esque band breakup. Yet, after dealing with some life tribulations and a lingering hiatus, the band recently reunited for their ninth studio release and hit the road again.

Thu. Aug. 24, 7:30pm SoFA District S. First St. & San Salvador No Phone Free

INQ @ Music After Dark ON THE TOWN: Bay Area rockers INQ pull double duty on Thursday opening Music in the Park for Soul Asylum and Animal Liberation Orchestra then headlining the street side throwdown Music After Dark in the SoFA district. INQ--made up of Bammie winning veterans of the local music scene--harness a sound that's part alt rock with a flair of '70s glam pulling pure classic rock driven licks and hard banging drums that's a rarity in our DJ deluged and rap-rock inundated aural culture.

Thu. Aug. 24, 10pm Club Abyss 146 S. Murphy Ave., Sunnyvale 408.732.2977 $10

Slapp Addict WEST COAST RISING: Self professed Bay Area progenitor of the hyphy movement, local rapper Traxamillion--known in this incarnation as The Slapp Addict--brings the sound of the streets to the Abyss for a record release party. Trax has produced banging anthems for such baggy-panted superstars as Keak Da Sneak and Too $hort while laying down his own sound and putting his mark on the hip-hop world. The blurb on the curb is that Too $hort and Hoodstarz are gonna share the mic with DJ Backside, DJ Juice and Rah 2K in the mix.

Thu. Aug. 24, 7:30pm The Independent 628 Divisidaro St., San Francisco 415.771.1421 $18

The Samples HERE AND SOMEWHERE ELSE: The Samples were one of the most popular touring bands of the early '90s blending a jam band traditional rock sound with a college rock indie consciousness. Musically calling on a long tradition of jam band influences such as The Grateful Dead, Blues Traveler and Phish, The Samples too have their legions of loyal fans that flock to their shows like vegan hippies crowding the organic food shop and clothier reseller. Their latest release, Rehearsing for Life, stays on their established jam band, trad-rock course.

Fri. Aug. 25, 9pm The Blank Club 44 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose 408.292.5265 $10

Agent Orange PUNK ROCK WAY-BACK MACHINE: So Cal skate punks who have been doing it longer and stronger than the rest are playing an exclusive show at The Blank. Hard to believe, but Agent Orange released their first album in '81 immediately cementing their status as one of the best hardcore skate punk bands around. All of you kids that were still filling your diapers when Agent Orange was ripping out noise pollution should come down for a little California punk history lesson--for next week's seminar we'll cover The Descendents, The Vandals and pontificate on why bubblegum punk sets today are nothing but cheap knockoffs.

Fri. Aug. 24, 8pm South First Billiards 420 S. First St., San Jose 408.294.7800 Free

Expansion @ South First HAILING FROM THE 408: One of the sickest free concert series continues at South First Billiards this Friday with seasoned San Jo rapper 2 Left Feet laying down some knowledge backed by the beats of the Metal Mouth crew, DJs Ruben, Cali and Destro. Also performing at this show are R&B vets Michael Anthony and Del Shaun with DJ Venom 347 from the Funk Lab spinning an opening set.

Fri. Aug. 25, 8pm Red Devil Lounge 1695 Polk St., San Francisco 415.921.1695 $20

Dramarama CINEMA VERITE: Hailing from the Garden State, but laying claim to premier Cali alternative station, LA's KROQ, most requested song ever, Dramarama lays down their signature blend of rock with alternative smarts and blazing punk riffs at the hip Red Devil Lounge. Strangely enough, Dramarama never realized the commercial success that they should of because when they finally broke it open to a major label in '91, alt radio play was hijacked by the flannel clad grunge set, pushing alt-punk back underground where it blessedly belongs. But, luckily you can still hear their prized single "Anything, Anything" tearing up the airwaves occasionally.

Fri. Aug. 25, 9pm Taste Ultra Lounge 87 N. San Pedro St., San Jose 408.885.1016 Free before 11pm

Red Light District @ Taste NO PASSPORT NEEDED: The Red Light District party throws down at Taste again this Friday with resident DJs Pat Allen, Brotha Reese and Sequence providing the hip-hop, dance and old school beats. The last go around, The Red Light District completely sold out, so cruise into Taste early to ensure your presence. PS: scope the note about the whole free before 11pm action--we know it's fashionable to be late, but it's thrifty to be early.

Fri. Aug. 25, 9pm Mezzanine 444 Jessie St., San Francisco 415.640.6484 $40

Fischerspooner MIND BENDERS: One of the most ambitious new wave/ electro-pop visually arousing multimedia troupes ever, Fischerspooner bring their avant-garde show to The City and, even if you've never heard of this NY based surrealists, you should check it out on curiosity props alone. Fischerspooner began as a collaboration between classically trained musician Warren Fischer and experimental video pioneer Casey Spooner with an impromptu performance a Starbucks at Astor Place. From there, they became the hottest thing in the Big Apple playing galleries and clubs while expanding their stunning stage show to include over 20 artists. Fischerspooner's shows are like a hallucinogenic Cirque du Soleil show blended through the aural waves of electronica.

Sat. Aug. 26, 8pm San Jose Civic Auditorium 145 W. San Carlos St., San Jose 408.277.5277 $20 BUY TICKETS

Summer Bash 2006 UPWARD FLOW: A new school hip-hop summer concert, the Summer Bash 2006, hosted by Bay Area premier rapper Traxamillion and Wild 94.9, features up and comers in an all-ages show. Another rising Bay Area rapper Mistah FAB--speculated as being the next rapper to break it big out of the local area codes--headlines the show with a veritable who's who of new Bay Area hip-hop and rap impresarios including J. Valentine and Bailey, The Wolf Pac, Chilwill, The Jacka and a slew of others soldiering on the hyphy movement.

Sat. Aug. 26, 8pm Agenda Lounge 399 S. First St., San Jose 408.380.3042 $12

Kim Nalley SATURDAY MORNING JAZZ: With a flowing style reminiscent of those Big Band songbirds of a bygone era, Kim Nalley hits a jazz tune like no other. Equally comfortable doing jazz, blues, big band or swing, Kim Nalley really doesn't cite a lot of the original diva set or bands as influences. Ironically enough, Nalley got interested in jazz from Bugs Bunny and Betty Boop cartoons always putting them forth as seminal influences. Now how can you not get into that? Funny though; we always claim that Bugs gave us an appreciation for the malicious tendencies of anvils and the glorious craftsmanship of ACME products.

Sat. Aug. 26, 9pm Vault Ultra Lounge 81 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose 408.298.1112 Free before 11pm w/ invite

Chanel Party @ Vault WHERE'S THE RED CARPET: Chanel and the posh Vault Ultra Lounge probably go together better than peanut butter and jelly which leaves us wondering what took so long in placing these glamorous bedfellows together anyway. But, we digress and, saving the social commentary for another time, will just give you the lowdown. DJs Danny Brown and David Q will be dropping mad beats up in the main room while the back room at this swank fest belongs to club hit master DJ Mein. With Chanel and the Vault together it has to be the height of superfluity to tell you to dress to impress.

Sat. Aug. 26, 7pm Shoreline Amphitheater 1 Amphitheater Pkwy., Mountain View 408.998.TIXS $42.50 - $85 BUY TICKETS

Def Leppard HYSTERIA: The definitive rock band of the '80s, Def Leppard induced millions of high schoolers to willfully tear their jeans ubiquitously and tease their hairsprayed locks with a skill reserved for contemporary female denizens of the Jersey Shore. Seriously though, you couldn't walk two feet in the '80s without hearing "Rock of Ages," "Photograph" or "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and to Def Leppard's credit, they were one of the originators of hair metal influencing more bands than we can count. Don some acid washed jeans because although they've been out of the game for a while, you can bet this show will rock...and not just with pure '80s nostalgia.

Sat. Aug. 26, 9pm The Blank Club 44 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose 408.292.5265 $8

Shrinkle's Doll Haus GEURILLA FASHIONISTA: Amy Doan is the creator, designer, production team and anything else that goes into producing one of a kind club clothes for the electroclash set. In Doan's own words her Shrinkle line is fashionable and dainty while blurring the lines between "girlie fabulous" and "I'll whip your ass." For her first fashion show, entitled Shrinkle's Doll Haus, The Blank will be turned into a new wave meets punk catwalk complete with models strutting Doan's latest wares and DJs Sleazemore and Cinderaura spinning electro, indie, punk and new wave while Doan probably breathes a sigh of covert relief from behind her well-deserved cocktail plotting her fashion world blitzkrieg.

Sat. Aug. 26, 9pm Club Glo 396. S. First St., San Jose 408.995.6414 $10

Sol @ Glo BACK IN THE MIX: The Sol party returns for a one night only throw down at Club Glo. The promoters have lined up Latin house, reggaeton, club hit, hip-hop and dance turntable wizards Nasty Nick, Jammin J, DJ Reckid and DJ David Q to do their thing while DJ Lando 1 takes a trip down from The City to rock the decks upstairs. Glo's letting the drink slingers fly with the specials too so don't spend all your time shakin' it on the dance floor.

Sun. Aug. 27, 2pm Smoke Tiki Lounge 154 Post St., San Jose 408.292.4266 $10

The Lost Party HOUSE IN THE TROPICS: The Lost party returns to Downtown San Jo's Smoke Tiki Lounge for an all day island flavored house party. Lance DeSardi will take a spin on the tables backed by resident Lost DJs Rick Preston, M3 and Mike Slim. While the Smoke crew will dish out their usual barrage of mind-bending tropical cocktails, you can get your solid house beat groove on, kicking it on the best patio in town.

Sun. Aug. 27, 8pm The Fillmore 1805 Geary, San Francisco 408.998.TIXS $27.50 BUY TICKETS

Venom UNHOLY CONCEPTION: Alas, there would be no speed freak, black death metal in the world today if not for Venom, who cut their first satanic tribute album, aptly named Welcome to Hell, in 1981 and thusly spawned the thrash sound. Heavily influenced by the blistering intensity of Motorhead and the stage flash of Kiss, Venom's proudly rampant displays of satanic imagery inspired legions of black metal fans and bands alike. Better start practicing your devil horn salute now. It's strange though, in recent photos these guys don't seem to have aged a bit from when they first broke into the UK metal scene...mighty strange.

Sun. Aug. 27, 4pm The Loft Bar & Bistro 90 S. Second St., San Jose 408.291.0677 Free

Sunday @ The Loft AFTERNOON CHILL: The turntable stylings of Wen Davis and Roger Moorehouse fill the chic two story confines of The Loft Bar and Bistro on Sunday for a little house action. The patio will be open--you know that second deck chill pad masterpiece--and the drinks will definitely be flowing, so join the Loft crew for an afternoon kick back because this party's been emitting some serious buzz and you've got an early claim to the scene now.

Mon. Aug. 28, 9pm The Cardiff Lounge 260 E. Campbell Ave., Campbell 408.374.7477 Free

Fractology SCIENCE OF SOUND: Fractology in new age medicine terms is the "science" of awareness of esoteric healing by re-patterning your underlying energetic structure. Fractology here means a down tempo chill night of hip-hop and dance with an independent flavor at the Cardiff Lounge to help wash away the sometimes repetitive aural wash that clubbers can often find themselves in on the weekends.

Tue. Aug. 29, 9pm Blake's on Telegraph 2367 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley 510.848.0886 $10

Andre Nickatina OG IN THE BAY: The godfather of Bay Area underground gangsta rap scene, Andre Nickatina is able to spout knowledge about life on the streets with the lyrical intelligence rarely found anymore. Together with longtime collaborator Nick Peace, Dre Dog will knock your head back. This show's gonna be large with special guests the legendary Mike Marshall, AP 9 and The Jacka kickin' in with DJ Pause spinning Bay Area slaps all night.

coming up

Sat. Sep. 16, 9pm 1015 Folsom 1015 Folsom, San Francisco 415.431.1200 $40

Paul van Dyk HAVE BEATS, WILL TRAVEL: DJ and producer Paul van Dyk has provided the soundtrack to the German house, progressive trance and techno dance revolutions since he first broke into the scene in '88. Along with fellow beat head Paul Oakenfold, van Dyk was one of the first globe trotting DJs who were selling out enormous venues across the world with nothing more than a ton of vinyl and an ear for sound in their arsenals. For this show at 1015, Paul van Dyk is spinning a 4-hour exclusive set starting at midnight.

Sat. Sept 16, Noon Boomerang Bay 4701 Great America Pkwy., Santa Clara 408.988.1776 $30 WIN TICKETS

Beach Club @ Boomerang Bay SWIMSUIT SEASON SWAN SONG: This 21+ all day beach party at Boomerang Bay in the Great America theme park features multiple fully-stocked bars, VIP areas and acclaimed DJs including DJ AM, Morse Code, David Savior and others. This is probably the last beach party of the summer that was filled with them, so keep in swimsuit shape just a little while longer kids.

--This week's newsletter by: RO

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