Monday, June 6, 2011

May 2011 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:
  • Groundwerx continues to get great reviews. In 2011, beautification projects are going to be expanded to portions of Santa Clara Street.
  • Tons of great summer events are coming Downtown this summer, including Music in the Park, SubZero, Starlight Cinemas, Dine Downtown, Friday Farmer's Markets, the Soul Music Festival, Summer Pops Festival, Juneteenth Festival, and San Jose Jazz Festival.
  • San Jose is restricting the number of cannabis collectives citywide to 10 (there are 120 right now).
  • The ground floor of The Agenda will become a new sports bar with TVs and s simple menu for lunch and dinner (this actually opened yesterday). Check out agendarestaurant.com for future info.
  • Muchos! Taqueria will soon have a new Tequila bar and live music and dancing on the weekends.
  • SJEats was a tremendous success and also had a positive impact on restaurants in San Pedro Square.
To read the full newsletter, click here!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

USF Moving to Downtown San Jose

USF is planning to move their regional campus from a 11,000 sqft facility in Cupertino to a larger 14,000 sqft space in Cityview Plaza, right in the middle of Downtown San Jose. They are planning to open the new space in August.

USF Logo

Saturday, June 4, 2011

South Bay Music Swap Tomorrow

If you're a music fan, then this swap meet tomorrow might be right up your alley:


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"An Urban Swap Meet"

CHECK OUT OUR BOOTH
@ SubZERO FESTIVAL
FRIDAY JUNE 3RD!!

ON SUNDAY JUNE 5th, 2011:

THE REAL DEAL!!!

BUY • SELL • TRADE

Records • Music Gear
Art • Clothes • Furniture
Collectibles • Toys • etc...

Limited Space Available!
To Reserve Your Spot, Contact:
alonso@southbaymusicswap.org

Visit Us Online: http://southbaymusicswap.org/

Connect With Us!
Facebook - http://facebook.com/southbaymusicswap
Twitter - http://twitter.com/sobaymusicswap

The South Bay Music Swap is currently a monthly congregation in the Southern region of the San Francisco Bay Area for underground-minded people of all types to bring forth their best music, items and collectibles to sell to the public. Events in the past have brought vendors of music (including vinyl, cassettes & CDs), gear+instruments, art, clothing, toys and food together with collectors and art enthusiasts in a sunny, industrial outdoor venue, located just outside of Downtown San Jose. One of this event's highlights includes not only the finding of rare and hard-to-find music and items, but live music performances by local artists and DJs, setting a fun, exciting mood for the day's trading activities. Come be a part of a new experience in an underground marketplace!



Downtown San Jose
831 South 5th Street
Sunday, June 5 · 10:00am - 5:00pm

Friday, June 3, 2011

SubZERO / South First Friday Overview

Okay, I lied... one more plug:

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk + SubZERO Festival June 3rd!
This month's First Friday's art walk is also the 4th Annual SubZERO Festival!

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Sean Sczepanik
Henry%20Hand.jpg
Steven Sczepanik
Start off the art walk by parking at South Fourth & San Fernando garage and check out KALEID Gallery's feature exhibit (located on ground level of the garage). Sean & Steven have put together an amazing show not to be missed!

Layers of Age in Monster Land
New installation and paintings by Sean Sczepanik & Steven Sczepanik. An exploration of monsters and cartoons from the imagination, referencing mainly Nightmare on Elm Street, Poltergeist, Fright Night, and Hellraiser. Also on view is a display of hands representing fellow artists. Each hand containing a characteristic of each artists’ style.
Artists' Reception: Friday June 3, 7-10pm, free & open to the public
part of the South FIRST FRIDAYS monthly art walk http://www.southfirstfridays.com
Feature exhibition on view through June 25, 2011
KALEID Gallery
88 South Fourth Street
San Jose, CA
info@KALEIDgallery.com / 408-947-1785
http://www.KALEIDgallery.com
Gallery Hours:
Tuesday - Friday, Noon - 7pm
Saturday, Noon - 5pm

Then take a short stroll to 2 new Phantom Galleries exhibitions!!

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66 South First St.: Defragmentation 66 by Michele Guieu
Defragmentation 66 is an adaptation of the last installation I’ve made in San Diego: Defragmentation: Rearranging Bits and Pieces of Memory. It is an ongoing project and the occasion to reflect on bits and pieces of my memories, as I am recalling/documenting them. The project originated when I was about to leave San Diego after living there for 6 years. I thought about the different times I’ve left a place in my life. Defragmentation 66 is the first installation I am showing in San Jose since I’ve moved and it represents a link between the two towns – and beyond. The installation is on a smaller scale but uses some essential elements featured in the first version of the show: an ensemble of paintings, a painted background and videos. The videos in Defragmentation 66 are new memories and were taken here, in the bay area. The address number where the show is held, 66, is an interesting symbol in my life: the first time I came to the US, that’s the road I travelled on.
Exhibit on view through August 30th. Visible 24/7 from the sidewalk.

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95 South Market St.: Roundels sculptures by Gianfranco Paolozzi

"I was looking in the recycle container full of paper from flexo printing presses.
That’s when I felt the passion again: round surfaces screaming to be used. I looked at them changing on the floor of my studio. I had to use my marks, my moments on the surfaces as a sign of me being there.
That’s when the roundels were born." ~Gianfranco
Exhibit on view through August 30th. Visible 24/7 from the sidewalk.

Then make your way over to the SoFA District for the monthly art walk and 4th Annual SubZERO Subculture Festival!


South FIRST FRIDAYS presents the 4th Annual SubZERO Festival
Focused on emerging and present subcultures thriving in our region, SubZERO is a diy, artistically bent, hi/lo-techno mashup where street meets geek. Come downtown on June 3rd to San Jose's SoFA District from 6pm 'til midnight for an inspired evening of arts & culture. In addition to the South FIRST FRIDAYS monthly art walk you'll find outdoor stages of entertainment plus artists, performers & musicians celebrating the indie creative spirit!

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2011 from 6pm-midnight
SoFA district in downtown San Jose
(on South First Street between San Carlos & Reed Streets)

http://www.SubZEROFestival.com

http://www.facebook.com/subzerofestival

For full information on all the South FIRST FRIDAYS art venues' exhibitions, please visithttp://www.southfirstfridays.com

SubZERO is Tonight!

One final plug for SubZERO tonight in SoFA =)

If you needed any more convincing, check out the video below from last year's SubZERO featuring The Bangerz and San Jose Taiko (hat tip to Anonymous). What experiences will this year's event bring? Only one way to find out!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Community Shred Day This Saturday

This weekend Comerica and Iron Mountain are providing free document shredding services between 9am and 3pm at Comerica's Winchester Banking Center (1245 S. Winchester Blvd). If you ever had the displeasure of having your identity stolen, then you know how important it is the shred anything that has any personal information, including mail that has your name and address printed on it. All of the details are down below:

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Comerica Bank and Iron Mountain Team Up to Offer Free, Secure Document Shredding on Saturday, June 4

Shred Day Bay Area: Protect Your Identity. Promote Recycling
Comerica Bank and Iron Mountain are teaming up to host “Shred Day Bay Area,” a free, one-day event allowing consumers and business owners to securely shred sensitive paper documents by stopping by Comerica’s Winchester Banking Center on June 4, 2011.

The “live shredding” site, where guests will be able to view documents being destroyed onsite, will be open between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Comerica’s Winchester Banking Center (1245 S. Winchester Blvd., in San Jose.)

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the U.S. with more than nine million victims each year. Shredding personal documents is one of the best ways to ensure sensitive information doesn’t make it into the hands of an identity thief or “dumpster diver.”

What should be shredded?
 
- You should shred any document that has a piece of your personal information on it. This includes your name, address, phone numbers, date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, PINs (personal identification numbers) and/or passwords.

- Documents that you should consider shredding include: financial records, bank statements, old bills, credit card statements and even medical records – anything that may contain a piece of your personal information.

- Depending on the type of document, the timeframe to keep records may differ. You should always consult with your tax or legal advisor to determine the appropriate time to keep a document.

Consumers can watch their paper documents be shredded on the spot. All shredded materials will be recycled. Only paper documents will be allowed. Up to four boxes or bags of paper documents per vehicle will be allowed. All paper documents collected at Shred Day Bay Area will be recycled by Iron Mountain.

Susan Siravo
Vice President, Corporate Communications
Comerica Bank
333 W. Santa Clara Street
San Jose, CA
office (408) 556-5111

Comerica Bank Logo

Music in the Park Kicks Off Today!

June 9: The Original Stone City Band (Funk / R&B - Rick James' original band).   With So Timeless.  Sponsored by KBLX 102.9FM.
June 16: Freddie McGregor (Reggae).  With Tchiya Amet.  Sponsored byAlice @ 97.3
June 23:  White Album Ensemble (Beatles tribute).  Two full sets.  Sponsored by 94.5 KBAY.
June 30:  Natural Vibrations (Hawaiian Reggae / Rock / Soul).  Opening: The Bangerz.  Sponsored by LIVE 105.
July 7:  Led Zepagain (Led Zepplin Tribute).  Supported by ZeBop!.  Sponsored by Classic Rock KFOX 98.5 / 102.1.
July 14:  Special artist to be announced June 5. With 5606. Sponsored byMix 106.5 and S*ALT.
July 21: English Beat (Ska/New Wave). Sponsored by S*ALT and Alice @ 97.3
July 28:  Cracker (Alternative Rock / Americana.  With KFOG "Local Scene 8" artist.  Sponsored by KFOG 97.7 SJ / 104.5 SF and S*ALT
August 4:  Dredg (Alternative Rock).  With The Holdup and Trophy Fire.  Sponsored by LIVE 105
August 11:  Marcia Griffiths (Reggae).  With Reggae Angels.  Sponsored by 997 NOW
August 18: Sergent Garcia (World / Latin / Reggae).  With Los Hot Boxers.  Sponsored by 93.3 LaRaza. 
August 25: Pete Escovedo Orchestra (Latin/Jazz).  With The Mystique Band.  Sponsored by 98.1 KISS FM   

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

SubZERO 2010 Walkthrough

With SubZERO coming up this Friday, I thought it might be nice to take a walkthrough of last year's event: