Mason Jennings, 40831, Maroon 5, Miley Cyrus & Henry Rollins
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Wed. Oct. 31, 9pm
Tres Gringos
83 S. Second St., San Jose
408.278.9888
$5
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40831
URBAN HIPPIES:
If you're from Harlan, Ky., you'll recognize the 40831 as your zip code, but for most of us living around these parts, the number is an obvious combination of local area codes. They sing about bridging the gaps, the most literal of which is between San Jose and the nearby coast. But they also bridge cultural divides, blending a street-smart urban attitude with that of a reggae-loving hippie, while their music combines hip-hop, reggae and soul to create a gritty, authoritative message about peace and love-it's the contradictions and how they negotiate them that keeps it interesting. Also performing is Firme, the local reggae-rock band that one-ups the rest of the Sublime imitators with an injection of hot Latin vibes.
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Thu. Nov. 1, 9pm
VooDoo Lounge
14 S. Second St, San Jose
408.286.VODO
$10
GUEST LIST
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Tre Hardson and Fatlip
YA MAMA:
Fatlip and the artist formerly known as Slimkid3 are both formerly of the seminal '90s alternative hip-hop group the Pharcyde. With playful and self-deprecating hits like "Passin' Me By," "Ya Mama" and "Soul" Flower" (with the Brand New Heavies), the Pharcyde struck gold status with their debut album, Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde. Their follow-up, Labcabincalifornia, was not nearly as successful, but boasts classics like "Bullshit," "Somethin' That Means Somethin'" and "Runnin' Away." After various defections, breakups and solo outings, Tre Hardson and Fatlip are on the road as "Formerly of the Pharcyde," which hopefully means some crowd-pleasers in the set.
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Fri. Nov. 2
Cardiff Lounge
260 E. Campbell Ave, Campbell
408.374.7477
No cover
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Lowdown
ELECTROPAPP:
If you've ever been to the Cardiff Lounge's Friday night Lowndown event, you already know that there's no better place to hear deep house, rare groove, and downtempo electronica music. DJ Julius Papp brings his infamous brand of neo-disco for a truly unique dance club experience. Papp has been mixing elements of soul, funk, and jazz into a remarkable dance-friendly concoction for more than 20over twenty years, establishing himself as one of the area's premier electronica music pioneers. Let the DJ maestro take you on a trip you'll not soon forget, this Friday at Campbell's Cardiff Lounge.
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Fri. Nov. 2, 7:30pm
San Jose State University
Event Center
290 S. Seventh St., Downtown San Jose
408.998.TIXS
$23.50Ð-$28
BUY TICKETS
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Brand New
SAME 'OLE:
They're called Brand New, but if there's anything particularly novel about the Long Island quartet, it's not inherently evident in their music. Not unlike many of their rock & roll brethren signed to the Interscope label, including +44, AFI and Jimmy Eat World, Brand New emits an emo-tinged alt-rock sound mixed with an appealing waft of pop-punk energy. Their latest album, The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, shows a more sophisticated side of the band, delving into a wider and often darker range of artistic nuances. Now on the West Coast leg of their sold-out tour in support of the 2006 release, Brand New are justifying Interscope's conservative tendency to stick with artists that sell (see also: 50 Cent).
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Fri. Nov. 2, 8pm
South First Billiards
420 S. First St, San Jose
408.705.7826
$3
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The Underground Sound
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS:
Joining in the First Friday fun, South First Billiards hosts an evening of art and music, starting with an art exhibit featuring local artists and juried by you, the audience. Winners will be announced at the end of the evening, preceded by art and music performances. The $3 cover goes directly to Catalyst for Youth, a local nonprofit that gives art lessons and supplies to at-risk youth in the Bay Area.
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Fri. Nov. 2, 8pm
Johnny V's
31 E. Santa Clara St, San Jose
408.947.8470
$5
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Holy Role Model
YOU INFECT ME:
Petaluma-based Holy Role Model thrash their way through a blend of Pennywise and Face to Face-style skate punk, '90s alternative rock and brutal metal. Their unmixed demo, titled Circle Game and posted on their MySpace page, is surprisingly infectious, with well-balanced vocal harmonies and plenty of melodic variety.
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Fri. Nov. 2
Taste Ultra Lounge
87 N. San Pedro St, San Jose
408.885.1016
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Touch
BUT NO TOUCHING:
Taste Ultra Lounge presents Touch, a Friday night dance -party where the motto is "mingle and celebrate life." Not a bad way to spend a Friday evening, if you ask us. DJ's Don Lynch and Remedy will keep the dance floor rocking all night, and drink specials are available before 11pm in case you need to loosen up before gettin' down. Call ahead for VIP bottle and bed service, pimpin'-need we explain why?
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Sat. Nov. 3, 9pm
The Blank Club
44 S. Almaden Ave, San Jose
408.292.5265
$12
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Mason Jennings
GODLESS FOLK:
Playing music professionally since he dropped out of high school at age 16, Jennings finally got himself a band when he was 22 and developed a loyal following in Minneapolis. Now 32 with a wife, kids and six albums under his belt, Jennings has managed to build a diverse catalog that balances deceptively simple love songs with fearlessly, even shamelessly transparent autobiographical songs, as well as a bunch of playful tunes mixing things up.
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Sat. Nov. 3, 7pm
San Jose McEnery
Convention Center
150 W. San Carlos St.,
San Jose
408.960.2700
$40
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Los Inquietos Del Norte
NARCOCORRIDOS:
The promoters El Mexicano Presents and Marquez Brothers Entertainment have assembled a cavalcade of stars with squeeze-box conjunto kings Los Inquietos Del Norte topping the list. The Meza brothers-Jose, Felipe and Rosalio-along with Jorge Torres founded Los Inquietos Del Norte in the early '90s. It was a time when the notorious narcocorridos rose as a popular folk ballad form, telling exploits of drug lords and their victims. Singer-songwriter Chalino Sanchez, who was killed in 1992 at age 31, was the godfather of the genre, but it is was Los Inquietos, the once Fairfield, Calif.-based group, now considered pioneers of "el corrido pesado" (the heavy corrido), who found success with it on 10 albums. Their latest is titled La Clika (Fonovisa), and includes macho chest-pounding party anthems that are rounded out by romantic balada love songs. LIDN has toned down its narcocorrido material significantly since their 1999 mega-hit, "Me Cayo La FBI (The FBI Raid)," during their ascent to superstar status. Also appearing are Graciela Beltran, Pancho Barraza, Pablo Montero, Alegres Del La Sierra and Los Hermanos Salgado.
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Sat. Nov. 3, 8pm
Rio Theatre
1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz
831.423.8209
$22
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Architecture in Helsinki
BUILDING CODE:
It's no wonder David Byrne is such a big fan of Architecture in Helsinki. The Talking Heads' influence is more than apparent when listening to AiH's ridiculous-yet-intelligent songs. AiH draws from a wide range of instruments, including glockenspiels and recorders. Adding analog synthesizers to the mix creates a unique sound as quirky as it is danceable. The band started out as a musical collective in Melbourne, Australia, but AiH's Cameron Bird felt the need to go somewhere new and landed in Brooklyn, NY, while the rest of the band stayed down under. This made recording their most recent album, Places Like This, a very unusual experience. When they come together to play live, the energy rises to a level of zaniness that leaves audiences mentally and physically exhausted upon exit, but happy-yes, very happy.
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Sat. Nov. 3, 8pm
Senzala Restaurant
250 E. Java Dr, Sunnyvale
408.734.1656
$10
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John Worley and Worlview 4.0
SILKY SMOOTH:
John L. Worley Jr. lives for jazz music. I mean, the guy must eat flatted fifths for breakfast. Not only is he a member of several jazz bands, but he also teaches jazz at SFSU, owns a jazz record label called Dancing Sumo Records, and is a clinician for Bach trumpets. Whoever said being a musician is no way to earn a living obviously never met Worley. His band Worlview brings its silky-smooth jazz to Senzala Brazilian Restaurant in Sunnyvale, where unsuspecting diners will be serenaded by Worley's jaw-dropping horn playing. Lucky for you, the shock will be replaced by mere appreciation for the man and his band.
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Sun. Nov. 4, 4pm
HP Pavilion
525 W. Santa Clara St.,
San Jose
408.998.TIXS
$26-$66
buy tickets
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Miley Cyrus
A.K.A. HANNAH MONTANA:
Look out Britney, there's a new star in town. Queen of the super-teeny-bops Miley Cyrus brings her Hannah Montana act to the HP Pavilion Sunday night, as 14-year-olds everywhere are at this moment begging their parents to "take me, pleeeeeaase." Assuming that all the little princesses have long known about the show (AIM, duh), here's a message for the parents: just let her go. Think of it as an early Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa present if you must, but the months of whining you'll be subjected to if you say no will surely wear through your skull, compromising both your sanity and your marriage. So fork out the outrageous ticket fees, gas-up the minivan, bring some earplugs, and just remember that you're doing this for the whole family.
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Sun. Nov. 4, 8pm
Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
307 Church St, Santa Cruz
831.459.2159
$35-$60
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Ravi Shankar's Festival of India
SITAR HERO:
"I have come to think that sound is god," Ravi Shankar wrote in the liner notes of Ravi Shankar at the Monterey International Pop Festival. Indeed if sound is god, then Shankar has long been a high priest. Phillip Glass, Menuhin and John Coltrane (who called his son Ravi) considered him a teacher. George Harrison had met him and soon became his student, bringing the Beatles to India, triggering a decade-long embrace of all things Indian by the hippies of that generation. Now 87 years old, in a tour that took him earlier this month to a sold-out concert in Carnegie Hall, Ravi Shankar performs at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium with his daughter, Anoushka Shankar. Ravi has taught Anoushka within the exacting guru-shishya relationship. Like her father, she has fearlessly taken classical Indian music to a new generation of audiences, fusing Indian and electronic music for her Grammy-nominated CD, Rise, and her 2007 release, Breathing Under Water, on which her half-sister, Ravi's daughter Norah Jones, is a guest artist.
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Mon. Nov. 5, 6:30pm
Rio Theatre
1205 Soquel, Santa Cruz
831.423.8209
$22
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Henry Rollins
HE'LL BURN YOUR SOUL:
The onetime front man of American punk rock's most notorious hardcore villain, Black Flag, Henry Rollins has become somewhat of the poster boy for all things punk. Aesthetically, Rollins and company helped define rock music's most defiant image, and artistically, well, they set the tone for that too. Though Black Flag dispersed in 1986, Rollins never called it quits, relentlessly recording and touring with his newly formed Henry Rollins Band. Releasing material that varied widely to include elements of jazz, experimental, alternative rock and, of course, his alma mater, punk, Rollins continued to uphold his legacy as one of the genre's founding fathers. His current tour showcases his newly found talent for spoken word, and while it's not the old raucous Rollins we knew and loved, the man's certainly got a knack for pretty much anything he decides to get intoÑeven if it is hip-hop poetry.
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Mon. Nov. 19, 8pm
San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
255 Almaden Blvd, San Jose
408.998.TIXS
$35.50-$55.50
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Jewel
BACK TO FOLK:
Jewel Kilcher grew up in Alaska in a house without indoor plumbling, spent her teenage years studying music and busking around the country and recorded her first album, Pieces of You (some of which was recorded live at a coffee shop), when she was only 19-a gritty start for a songwriter who would become a staple of adult contemporary radio. Jewel's poppy folk songs and warbling voice climbed the charts and stayed there, at least until 2003 when she put out a dance-pop album called 0304, restyling herself as a Mariah Carey-esque diva. Not sure what she was thinking, but she fixed it on Goodbye Alice in Wonderland, a return to folk form. Her performance at SJCPA is a solo acoustic show.
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Sun. Dec. 9, 7pm
Little Fox Theater
2209 Broadway, Redwood City
650.369.4119
$18-$20
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Jonathan Richman
DEAR JOHN:
I worry about Jonathan Richman. I know we all like to think of him as Happy Happy Fun Man, singing songs about Little Dinosaurs and Leprechauns and parties in the USA, but there's that other side of him, too--the forlorn, brooding Jonathan Dark Half that reaches all the way back to songs like "Hospital" and "Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste" from his Modern Lovers years. You can usually see a little bit of this in concert, when Jonathan stares out with a hangdog expression that says, perhaps, "Man, it really was great dancing at the lesbian bar. I sure miss it. A lot." It's just that you're having such a great time at his show that you assume this apparent pathos is really only meant to be entertaining and cute. Is Jonathan in a funk? It's hard to tell when the show itself is still so relentlessly fun.
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--This week's newsletter by: RO, MC, CT, GW, SP PD, & DB
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