San Jose Musical Roundup

I have a couple updates from the local music scene. 19-year-old San Jose resident, Anja Kotar, has just released a brand new song entitled "How to Be Cool" (video below). Anja studied classical piano for 12 years and used a successful Kickstarter project to fund the creation of her first album when she was only 17. You can check out her portfolio of songs over here (I personally really like Black Soul).

Next up is new work from San Jose rapper Lucid Logic. His new album is entitled "illogic" and features futuristic, electronic melodies. All the music is original (no samples besides drum kits) and his lyrical skills are impressive. You can listen to the album over here. The songs are also available for purchase as a digital download, CD, or vinyl. Lucid Logic is going to support the release with a US tour later this year.

Playful People Productions Presents: Disney The Aristocats KIDS

What's a cat to do? In Disney The Aristocats KIDS, Madame's jealous butler Edgar cat-naps Duchess and her Aristokittens and abandons them in the Parisian countryside. Luckily, Thomas O'Malley and his rag-tag bunch of alley cats come to their rescue! This fun musical, based on the Disney film, features many of your favorite characters from Thomas O’Malley the Alley cat to Amelia and Abigail the bold Geese Sisters

This feline adventure is sure to get you tapping your feet to its upbeat, jazzy beat with a score that includes the Disney favorites "The Aristocats," "Scales and Arpeggios" and "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat.” 

Our shows often sell out prior to the show weekend. Be sure to buy your tickets early, you won’t want to miss out on this fantastic production. 

All Shows at the Historic Hoover Theatre, 1635 Park Ave  San Jose, CA 95126

 

Show Times:

Friday, July 21st - 7:00pm

Saturday, July 22nd - 11:00am, 3:00pm and 7:00pm

 

Tickets available at www.playfulpeople.net

$12 attendees 12 and up, $8 children 11 and under,  and $6 Children’s floor seating

 

Tickets at the door (30 minutes prior to curtain)

$15 attendees 12 and up, $10 children 11 and under, and $6 Children’s floor seating

 

For questions: barb@galiotto.com

 

Founded in 2010, Playful People Production’s mission is to provide a quality, caring environment where children, teens and their families can have positive theater experiences. We strive to involve all family members in the many aspects of on stage and backstage theater in a safe and fun environment and offer participation in theatrical productions, classes, summer stock and camps for ages 3-103

Saturday Stats: San Jose is the 2nd healthiest city in the US

San Jose ranked as the second healthiest city in the country thanks to very low rates of premature death rate, adult obesity rates, and uninsured adults. Our life expectancy is also 82.7 years, the highest in the country.

1st place went to Rochester, Minnesota while our neighbor San Francisco came in 14th place.

Source: 24/7 Wall St., Hat-tip to Barclay Livker for sending this in!

Blues Traveler visits Music in the Park on July 20

SAN JOSE – Blues Traveler, one of America’s favorite jam bands, headlines the second Music in the Park show of the summer on July 20.  The show starts at 5:30 p.m. at Plaza de Cesar Chavez, off Market Street in the center of downtown San Jose. 

Blues Traveler, which has recorded 12 albums and sold millions of records, including a cache of top-40 hits such as “Run Around” and “Hook,” and a six-time platinum blockbusting album Four.  This is their 30^th year in music.  Front man John Popper calls the band’s latest album, Blow Up the Moon “a misguided homage to The Beatles,” featuring a slew of guest artists.  Go to www.bluestraveler.com.

Openers include Ben Henderson and Friends plus special guest Socorra, both from San Jose.

August Music in the Park dates:

• Aug. 3:  Brenton Wood brings his chest of R&B hits up from Los Angeles to perform for his South Bay audience.  twitter.com/brentonwood Wood will perform in lieu of Bootsy Collins, who was previously announced but had to cancel for medical reasons.
• Aug. 25:  WAR, self-described as “The Original Afro Cuban Jazz Rock Blues band.”  Hit parade includes “Why Can't We be Friends,’ “Low Rider,” “Cisco Kid,” “The World is a Ghetto” and more classics.  Eric Burden of the Animals co-founded the band in 1969. www.war.com

Advanced tickets are $10 per adult and free for 12-under when accompanied by an adult.  Tickets and information are available at www.musicintheparksj.com.  Day-of-the-event admission will cost $15 per adult.  Special VIP seating area access is available for $25 in advance and $30 day of the show and includes a drink ticket. 

Music in the Park, presented by Metro, is produced by the San Jose Downtown Association and supported by the City of San Jose office of Cultural Affairs.  Other major sponsors include:  Deloitte, Coors Light and Ballast Point, plus a host of media partners.

July 2017 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:

• The potential for Google to bring up to 20,000 workers to the Diridon area across 8 million SQFT of new development is the most exciting news Downtown has had in the last 30 years.
• Imwalle Properties and real estate investor Gary Dillabough have partnered to acquire Camera 12 and are looking at some form of entertainment use for the space.
• Twenty of Downtown's best restaurants will celebrate Dine Downtown with prix fixe meals until July 16th, check dinedowntownsj.com for more info.
• Starlight Cinemas is bringing multiple free outdoor movies to St. James Park in August:
• Aug 5: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• Aug 12: Disney-Pixar's Cars
• Aug 19: Nacho Libre
• Aug 26: Star Wars - The Force Awakens
• Mayor Sam Liccardo has asked for an economic study of the economic trade-offs Downtown has faced due to the airport height restrictions. The goal would be to raise Downtown height restrictions as much as possible.
• Two residential towers on the former Greyhound bus site at 70 S. Almaden are on track to be built by 2020. The 708-unit project would also include 14,000 SQFT of retail.
• Local Color and the City of San Jose were awarded Knight Cities Challenge grants of $180k and $150k respectively. Local Color will use the funds to hire a program manager while the city has used it to hire a principal city designer.
• San Jose is looking for new technology to replace its Parking Access and Control System in eight Downtown garages. New features couple potentially expedite entry and exit into city garages.
• Uproar Brewery is now open at 439 S. First St. in SoFA.
• Enso dance and night club opened June 17th in the former Freddie J's space at 97 E. Santa Clara St.

To read the newsletter, click here!

The Insider's Guide to Little Portugal in San Jose

As I am hopping on a plane later today to visit family in the Azores, I thought it might be a great day to link to a great guide to San Jose's Little Portugal neighborhood just east of Downtown.

While not very large, the area has a rich history and is well worth a visit. Little Portugal is located on Santa Clara Street/Alum Rock Avenue between 28th and 34th street. Five Wounds National Church is the primary landmark for the area, but ADEGA--San Jose's first and only Michelin Star restaurant--is quickly becoming the top attraction.

You also have some really nice bakeries, cafes, and grocers that offer Portuguese treats throughout Little Portugal. Bacalhau Grill is another staple of the area that is part grocery store and part restaurant. You can try a number of Portuguese and Brazilian specialties here without breaking the bank.

To check out the guide and see a map of the attractions, head over here.

Sourisseau News: Let’s Shop!

If you want to learn more about the history of shopping in San Jose, look no further than the latest two-minute Sourisseau News video below. It begins with HART's department store in Downtown San Jose and then provides a glimpse into the history of what we now know as Valley Fair mall. Can you guess which department store is in the photo below? (Hint: I had never heard of it before watching the video).

To see an archive of past videos, head over here.

Sourisseau News June 2017 Let's Shop! from WMS media Inc. on Vimeo.

Valley Fair Expansion and Remodel

Last week the Silicon Valley Business Journal got a sneak peek at Westfield Valley Fair's epic $1.1 billion renovation. For perspective, that is nearly the same cost as Levi's Stadium and is more than the original budget for all of Santana Row.

The 650,000 SQFT expansion will add 160 new stores, 10 outdoor restaurants, a luxury ShowPlace ICON movie theater, outdoor event space, and a flagship Bloomingdale's. It also includes a design refresh for the entire interior of the mall as well as double the amount of current parking. The end goal is to build something that is iconic and draw shoppers from the whole Bay Area.

The renovation of the existing mall, the movie theater, and Bloomingdale's should be completed by Summer 2018. The rest of the expansion will open around April 2019.

Below are a few photos of the new sections. The outdoor area is a bit reminiscent of their neighbor--not a bad idea given Santana Row's success.

Source: SVBJ (subscription required for this article)

San Jose Beer & Wine Tours

It is amazing how many great wineries and breweries we have within a 30 mile radius of San Jose. One of the best ways to experience these places right in our backyard is with a tour led by a knowledgeable designated driver. I just came across Tommy John's which specializes in both wine and beer tours.

The beer tours caught my eye since most of them are located in San Jose proper. Potential tour stops include Hermitage Brewing Company, Gordon Biersch Brewery, Strike Brewing Co. and Warehouse Tap Room, Santa Clara Valley Brewing, Rabbits Foot Meadery, Golden State Brewery, Taplands, and JP Das Brew Tasting Room. Each tour features four different stops with multiple tastings at each one, behind-the-scenes tours, a picnic boxed lunch, snacks, refreshments on the bus, and discounts for "souvenirs" to take home and drink later. The epic 5.5 hour tour runs Wednesday through Sunday and costs $139 per person. It isn't cheap, but sounds like a worthy excursion for beer lovers.

Their wine tours are similar four-stop excursions that last 5 to 6.5 hours and feature as many as 23 (!) varietals to try. The wineries are mostly centered around Los Gatos and Santa Cruz, providing scenic drives to compliment the tastings. The wine tours range from $149-189 per person and include the tastings, lunch, and snacks.

For more information and to see all of their tours, head over to the Tommy John's website.

A^3 is developing flying cars in San Jose

It is starting to feel a lot like the future. Not only is every major auto manufacturer testing self-driving cars in the San Jose metro, but some companies are even starting to think beyond what we traditionally call a car. A^3, a division of Airbus, is working on an electric flying car called Vahana using very similar technology to the self-driving cars being tested today. It's equipped with 360 degree cameras, radar, lidar, and encrypted communications systems. The flying car also comes with redundant motors and a parachute should anything go wrong.

Vahana has 62 miles of range and transportation should cost somewhere around $2/mile, which is similar to today's taxi's (keep in mind self-driving cars will bring this cost down dramatically in just a few years).

It may seem like we are not going to see this type of technology anytime soon, but Dubai will already have an autonomous taxi system in place this year. Using flying cars to zip across the Bay Area and leave gridlock traffic behind might be realistic within a decade. The icing on the cake is that the technology is being developed right here in San Jose.

Source: SVBJ

Vahana - Future of Urban Air Mobility from Vahana on Vimeo.

Dine Downtown San Jose Restaurant Week is July 7-16

A total of 19 restaurants are participating in this year's Dine Downtown San Jose Restaurant Week. Each restaurant will feature prix fixe multi-course meals, discounts, or chef's specials. This is one of the best times to try out new restaurants Downtown, and it is a very strong list of eateries this year. Participating restaurants include:

• 71 Saint Peter Modern European Kitchen
• Café Stritch
• The Farmers’ Union
• The Grill on the Alley
• Habana Cuba Restaurant
• Il Fornaio
• La Pastaia
• Loft Bar and Bistro
• M Asian Fusion Restaurant
• McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks
• Mezcal
• Mosaic Restaurant and Lounge
• Nemea Greek Taverna
• Nomikai Social Food + Drinkery
• Olla Cocina
• Our House
• Poor House Bistro
• Scott’s Seafood San Jose
• SP2 Communal Bar + Restaurant

As an example, 71 Saint Peter is offering a $45 four-course meal with prosciutto wrapped melon, charred octopus salad, pan-roasted quail or braised short ribs, and a Bergamot orange creme brulee. To see all of the menus and specials, head over to the Dine Downtown website.

Dine Downtown is produced by the San Jose Downtown Association and sponsored by Sysco. Dinners begin at 5:30pm nightly and the event runs from July 7th to 16th.

Happy Fourth!

The Rotary Fireworks show begins tonight around 9:30PM. One of the best viewing areas is Discovery Meadow (access is free). Big thanks to the Rotary Club of San Jose and all of their sponsors for the show.

We hope you all have a fun and safe Fouth of July!

Fourth of July Festivities!

Today there are two great 4th of July events happening in San Jose tomorrow. The first is the 10th anniversary of the Rose, White & Blue Parade. The Parade starts at the Lincoln High School parking lot at 10am and continues 1.6 miles all the way to The Alameda. At the end of parade is a festival with arts and craft booths, entertainment, food, craft beer, and antique cars. This year, there is even a family-friendly group bike ride immediately after the parade. For more info head over to the Rose, White & Blue Parade website.

The next event is the Rotary Fireworks show which is free and can be seen from most of Downtown San Jose. They also have a VIP Party behind the Center for Performing Arts that includes a dinenr buffet in front of the Guadalupe River, indoor restrooms, entertainment, and a premium viewing area. Tickets are $75 for adults and $35 for children. More info and ticket purchasing is available over here.

Santana Row Summer Concerts

A free concert series kicks off this Wednesday at Santana Row. All of the concerts will conveniently be located in Park Valencia, which is now packed with eateries--Maggiano's, Roots and Rye, Pluto's VeggieGrill, The Counter, Kara's Cupcakes, and two brand new options: Smitten and Poke Bar. The odds are always good in July that the weather will be amazing, so grab a bite and hang out!

The concerts take place from 6pm to 8pm and you can see the lineup in the flyer below.

Saturday Stats: San Jose has momentum

JLL released a report earlier this year stating that the San Jose metro has the strongest "momentum" in the country when it comes to the economy and commercial real estate. Momentum is comprised of 42 factors grouped into three categories--socioeconomic momentum, commercial real estate, and the region's ability to maintain momentum over the long term. Here is a deeper breakdown:

• Socioeconomic momentum
• Gross Domestic Product
• Population
• Corporate HQs
• Foreign direct investment
• Commercial real estate
• Commercial space absorption
• Construction
• Rents
• Investment in office, retail, and hotels
• Region's ability to maintain momentum over the long term

After everything was computed, the San Jose metro was by far the leader in the report. Austin came in second and San Francisco did not even place in the top 10 (it was #21).

Source: SVBJ

What Up! Silicon Valley Podcast

I just found out about a killer weekly podcast that is mostly focused on San Jose and the South Bay. Sam Kabert and Sergio Oliveri started the podcast at the beginning of this year and they just released their 32nd episode. Topics include local businesses, networking, events, and sports. Most of the episodes are 30-40 minutes long and feature interviews with the movers and shakers of Silicon Valley. I would recommend starting with "Podcast 25: Top 10 Moments!" to get a feel for the podcast (embedded below).

You can learn more about What Up! Silicon Valley at the official website over here. Subscription options include iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or Soundcloud. I also added a permalink under San Jose culture to the right.

Awesome job Sam and Sergio, thanks for putting this together for the Silicon Valley community!

Gensler is hosting "Scratch"

UPDATE: This event is being rescheduled. Stay tuned for the new date.

Gensler, a leading architecture and design firm, is hosting an event today for local makers and creatives called Scratch. The goal is to connect designers, architects, and Gensler clients with the local artistic community. The guest speaker is Bay Area artist Aaron de La Cruz, a painter that specializes in graffiti writing and street art, especially patterned murals.

The event takes place at 5pm today at 225 West Santa Clara Street, Suite 1100.

San Jose's ADEGA is one of America's 100 Best Wine Restaurants

As a San Josean of Portuguese descent, ADEGA is a very special restaurant for me. Not only is it the very first restaurant in San Jose to earn a Michelin Star, but it is one of only two Portuguese restaurants in the United States to earn that honor. ADEGA has just won a second major award, a spot on Wine Enthusiast Magazine's prestigious "America's 100 Best Wine Restaurants of 2017."

One of ADEGA's owners is actually a wine importer, and he has amassed the largest collection of Portuguese wines outside of Portugal. This includes a large selection of ''green wines" which come from one of two varietals that only grow in Portugal.

The list was announced earlier this month and includes restaurants that the editors feel reflect the "best, brightest and most progressive wine and food experiences available today." The issue will hit newsstands in July and you can read the initial announcement over here.

Cupertino Welcomes Coconut’s Fish Café with Aloha

As soon as you walk into Coconut’s Fish Café, you are immediately transported to the Hawaiian Islands. From the Hawaiian music playing in the background, the staff’s welcoming hospitality, to the “ono” (delicious) dishes, Coconut’s in Cupertino is definitely a must-see!

Coconut’s is a fast casual restaurant where patrons order at the counter. From a menu perspective, think of it as a much healthier version of L&L’s. With great Pu-Pus (appetizers), healthy salads, gluten-free options, delicious entree selections to a keiki (kids) menu, Coconut’s has a variety of food choices for everyone.

The restaurant is renown for its fish tacos and it surely didn’t disappoint. The fresh mango salsa paired with Coconut’s famous coleslaw married perfectly #bomb.

The Fish and Chips were so scrumptious and one of my faves. I loved how the chips weren’t a thicker cut so it’s definitely a great platter for sharing #hellagood.

If I can live on just eating two things in this world, it would have to be calamari and shrimp. So, I was definitely excited that we ordered both of these Pu-Pus. It’s worth noting that the calamari is sliced calamari steak (the best cut)  #obsessed.

Other tasty recommendations include:

• Seared Ahi – sesame-crusted, blackened Ahi served with wasabi and soy sauce
• Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi-Mahi – served with homemade mango coconut sauce, brown rice and coleslaw
• Poke Bowl – choice of traditional, spicy or teriyaki. Served with coleslaw, brown rice, ginger, wasabi and radish sprouts

As a Hawaiian born, Coconut’s Fish Café definitely has my approval. Sorry L&L’s, but Coconut’s is my new love J

Mahalo to Chad, Erica and Reina for the excellent customer service! Shout out to Sarah Santos for the great photos #Mahalo

Coconut's Fish Café is located at 20010 Stevens Creek Blvd in Cupertino and is open every day from 11am to 9pm.

-Noe Sacoco Jr.

Introducing Noe Sacoco

Today I have the pleasure to introduce a blogger who has given us several scoops in the past.

Noe Sacoco Jr is a "Downtown dweller" and hails from Hawai’i, but has called San Jose home the last 8+ years. Noe works in tech, is a college sports junkie (go Duke!), loves traveling, working out, and enjoys hanging out in San Jose’s best kept secrets. Noe is fascinated with Silicon Valley’s innovation and how the Valley fosters creativity where new paradigms triumph over yesterday’s failures. He believes greatness is born here daily. To pitch him story ideas, you can reach him at noesacoco@yahoo.com.

Noe's first post for The San Jose Blog will go live in an hour!

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Wishlist: An Urban Linear Park

When traveling, one thing I can count on is that local parks are probably the best way to get to know a city. For some cities, it's due to a signature park or tourist attraction within the park. For the rest, I find it most satisfying to explore a city through a linear park.

Wikipedia defines an urban park as a "park in an urban or suburban setting that is substantially longer than it is wide". This usually means there are two ends to the park, and it is designed to encourage pedestrian traffic between the end points (i.e. a trail). A properly designed, public, pedestrian- and bike-friendly pathway can allow visitors to see more of the city while simultaneously activating otherwise deserted spaces.

Urban Linear Parks in Other Cities

The High Line, New York City

Some of this activation comes from re-purposing paths that are no longer in use. The High Line in New York used to be a stretch of railroad elevated railroad. Now visitors on The High Line can walk parallel to 10th Ave, but with a lot more green and some escape from the rush of the streets below.

Other examples include waterfront walks. While waterfronts are generally already pedestrian destinations, these parks naturally draw visitors to walk along side them. One example not far from home is the Embarcadero in San Francisco. The walk stretches from AT&T Park on the southern end to Fisherman's Wharf in the north. Along the way there is public art, a nice view of the Bay Bridge, restaurants, and of course, piers.

The Embarcadero, San Francisco

My favorite example of a linear park is actually from a recent trip to Panama City (in Panama, not Florida). The Cinta Costera is also a park along the waterfront, but is on a different level when it comes to pedestrian involvement. I walked along most of it, which took approximately an hour.

Playground at Cinta Costera, Panama City

Street vendors at Cinta Costera, Panama City

Here's what it had to offer:

• Outdoor exercise areas
• Playgrounds
• Food carts
• Toy vendors and DIY carnival games
• Basketball and futsal courts
• Sculptures
• Music
• People in Disney costumes (for photos)
• Plenty of seating, and plenty of people seated

This park was the place to be for kids and adults, tourists and locals alike. The eyes, foot traffic, and lighting provided a sense of safety. The entire stretch of the park felt lively and festive. Wouldn't it be nice to have something similar in San Jose?

Guadalupe River Trail & Park

San Jose doesn't have much of a waterfront to flaunt, and it doesn't (yet) have large stretches of unused rail or road to convert into a park. Until Alviso is a more appropriate destination for visitors, the park with the most potential to become an urban linear park to showcase the city is probably Guadalupe River Park and Trail. A large section of it already intersects with the most urban part of San Jose (and the South Bay). It is somewhat connected to various pedestrian walkways, and isn't fully contained within a large, isolated park. 

Interestingly we caught glimpses of what the park could become during the Pokemon Go craze. Just the equivalent of a couple of highway exits down from the park, masses of people gathered between the SAP Center and Little Italy near the Guadalupe River trail. At night there started to be music, hot dog carts started to show up, and people eventually seemed to go to the park just to hang out. The natural benefits of a successful public space were in full display, albeit a result of the mobile game.

Guadalupe River Trail during the Pokemon Go craze

Over time, the crowds started to dwindle until the park was empty once again. However, I couldn't help but wonder how great it would be if we had people enjoying our parks this much on a daily basis.

Safety is #1

From what I see, hear and read, the biggest obstacle preventing many people from visiting parks around San Jose is the fear for their safety. In my observations about Cinta Costera, I mentioned that it felt safe. That's what prompted me to take the one hour walk rather than call a taxi: the park both intrigued and welcomed me. It was easy to call for help with so many pedestrians nearby. The open layout meant I could see what was coming from a great distance. It was next to an expressway, so not many cars were parked on the side of the road. There wasn't a single poorly lit stretch of the path.

On the contrary, the Guadalupe River Trail is mostly isolated rather than integrated with the city. The miscellaneous trees and bushes mean it's hard to know what's ahead or around the corner. While San Jose is still one of the safest large cities in the US, its reputation within the Bay Area has suffered in recent years due to the growing homeless population (and related news). With most people afraid or uncomfortable walking through the parks, and refusing to visit, the opposite of the Pokemon Go impact occurs. The quieter the park, the more people are worried that something bad may happen in the next corner, or behind the next bush, and no one would be around to help them. It's a cruel cycle.

What's Next?

There did appear to be an effort to re-imagine Guadalupe Trail Park from 2009. As far as I could tell, this was nothing more than a brain exercise for the planning group. The presentation certainly looks interesting, but is also clearly outdated. For example, with movement on the St. James Park redesign (which includes a stage), does it make sense for Guadalupe River Park to also have a major entertainment venue?

Ken Kay Associates' vision of Guadalupe River Park

I do like many of the ideas outlined in this plan (an efficiently run fountain would be a great contrast to the mostly dry river), but it's missing a critical consideration. The park is connected to the trail. As the downtown, Diridon, and Japantown areas become more pedestrian friendly, the trail will be the best way for many locals to arrive at the park. Revamping with park itself without turning the stretches of Guadalupe Park Trail into a safe, welcoming walkway could mean that the park remains barren and inactive during most of the week.

As the urban core of San Jose develops, it'll be increasingly important that there's an all-ages, all-genders public space for us to gather as a community. Focusing on making Guadalupe River Park and Trail the best they can be would help us achieve that goal. A comprehensive plan must include turning the urban stretch of the trail into our own take of the urban linear park concept. It has the potential to not only become a unique attraction to the area, but also become a crucial pedestrian pathway between neighborhoods.

- Lawrence Lui

Saturday Stats: San Jose is one of the best places to live

In a U.S. News report, the largest 100 metros were analyzed to determine the best place to live in the country. The key criteria were desirability, value, job market, quality of life, and net migration. San Jose took 3rd place, behind Austin (#1) and Denver (#2). SF came in at #16.

Sources: SVBJ, U.S. News

The 30th Annual ComedySportz World Championship comes to Downtown San Jose

ComedySportz is a really fun concept where improv comics compete against one another. There is a large amount of audience participation and the competitions vary greatly, so each show is completely different. The San Jose ComedySportz troop runs their shows out of the Camera 3 theater, but there are actually 25 different ComedySportz locations throughout the world. 

Next week the ComedySportz World Championship is taking place in San Jose at the Hammer Theatre (now run by SJSU). This is the second time we will be hosting the World Championship, and San Jose won the first time we hosted it in 2006. You can find everything you need to know about the epic four-day event in the press release below. 

THE WORLD OF COMEDY COMES TO SAN JOSE

WHO: 30th Annual ComedySportz World Championship

WHAT: 22 ComedySportz teams from the United States and England will come together to battle for laughs. (See list of participating cities below)

WHEN: 

Wednesday, June 28  7:30pm Opening Ceremonies and First Match.  

Thursday, June 29  Championship Matches at 7:30pm

Friday, June 30  Championship Matches at 7:00pm and 9:30pm

Saturday, July 1  Semi-Final Matches at 4:00pm and 7:00pm.   FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH at 9:30pm followed by Awards Ceremony with presentation of the "Meaningless Cup” and Closing Party.

WHERE:  Hammer Theatre Center, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, CA 95113 

WHY: This 30th annual event is fun, fast-paced, family-friendly improvisational comedy played as a sport. Two teams take turns making up scenes, playing games and singing songs – and the audience votes on which team they like best. This is serious funny business.   This is only the second time in the 30 years of the event that the Bay Area will host the games.  Sponsored by San Jose State University.

PRICES: Single Tickets $10 to $20.  All-Access Pass available for $75. (All four days; all events)

TICKETS: 408.924.8501 or https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/971732

Hammer Theatre Center Box Office is open weekdays 12-5pm and 2 hours prior to performance for both phone and walk-up sales. Located on Paseo de San Antonio between Second and Third Streets.

CITIES PARTICIPATING: Boise, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Manchester (England), Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Portland, Provo, Quad Cities, Richmond, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Jose, Seattle, Twin Cities and Washington DC.

SHORT BYTE FOR CALENDARS: The 30th annual ComedySportz World Championship will be held June 28 through July 1 in the beautiful Hammer Theatre Center, 101 Paseo de San Antonio in the heart of downtown San Jose. Nearly two dozen teams from around the United States (and one from England) will compete over the four day event for pride and prizes with improvisational comedy, games and songs based on suggestions from the audience. Tickets are $10 to $20 at 408.924.8501 or online at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/971732

PHOTOS: Photos by PJ Heller courtesy of ComedySportz San Jose.  Comedy as a sport! Two teams battle each other in an improvised comedy competition based entirely on audience suggestions. A referee calls penalties for boring or crude humor. If a player (or fan) uses “foul language" the referee can call the “Brown Bag Foul" and place a paper bag over the offenders head.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Representative teams from 22 improvisational comedy groups from across the United States and England will descend on San Jose June 28 through July 1 for the 2017 ComedySportz World Championship.

ComedySportz isn’t a comedy about sports, it’s comedy played AS a sport. It’s a competition between two teams competing for laughs and for points by making up scenes based on the audience suggestions. There are penalties, there are fouls, there’s a uniformed referee. This is serious funny business.

The four-day event, featuring workshops, public performances and impromptu improvisation sessions stretching into the early morning hours, kicks off on Wednesday June 28th at 7:30pm. San Jose’s own venerable ComedySportz team, founded in 1987, will participate in the opening match. On Saturday, July 1st, after that evening’s 9:30pm championship match, one team will emerge victorious and be awarded the "Meaningless Cup."

The ComedySportz concept, created by Dick Chudnow in Milwaukee in 1984, was inspired by the Canadian-born Theatersports enterprise. Chudnow gave it a sports-themed look and feel, incorporating uniformed referees and devising time limits and a point system that seemed to place the event somewhere between the NFL and "Who’s Line is it Anyway." Chudnow has described the ComedySportz ethos as family friendly, relatively foolproof and pretty much guaranteed to be goofy.

ABOUT US: CSz San Jose, the producer of ComedySportz was founded in 1987 and is licensed by CSz Worldwide, one of 25 teams in cities across the United States and two in Europe (Manchester England and Berlin Germany.) In addition to a year-round schedule of matches at their Arena in San Jose, they participate in programs and road shows for corporate, college, church, school and association clients each year, coach high school leagues, and lead corporate team-building and Applied Improv workshops. 2017 will be the second time that ComedySportz San Jose has hosted the World Championships and they won the title in 2006.

San Jose Crime

Earlier this year San Francisco kicked off a major benchmarking study against 16 peer cities. The data in the report is completely unbiased in relation to San Jose--our city had no part in the funding or creation of the report.

A striking chart that I came across shows both violent and property crimes in the benchmark cities. The ideal quadrant to be in for this chart is the lower left, meaning cities that have both low violent crime and property crime. The red arrow shows where 0 crime would be. Despite all of the noise regarding increases in San Jose crime over the past few years, not only were we in the best quadrant but we had the lowest per capita violent crime of any city except for San Diego. As for property crimes, we also beat out all but four cities (in a good way).

San Francisco has nearly double the violent crime and property crime in San Jose proper. Oakland takes it to the next level with quadruple the violent crime. So if anyone ever tells you that San Jose is not safe, you can send them the chart below.

Source: SocketSite

VTA's BART Phase II Update

Below is a webinar with the latest updates on the $4.69 billion BART Phase II project. This will be the most expensive transit project in Silicon Valley history and add a subway through Downtown San Jose with three stations along with a new terminus station in Santa Clara.

The video is 40 minutes long, but well worth watching if you are interested in transportation projects. One question that came up multiple times is why the heck we are building a completely redundant station in Santa Clara that is already serviced by Caltrain instead of evaluating running BART to San Jose International or Santana Row. Unfortunately, the response was very mediocre--it takes a long time to plan these projects and voters already voted for this specific alignment. I have to say that is a disappointing answer and is completely misaligned with the pace of change in Silicon Valley. It will be 9 years (at least) until this project is completed, so we should make sure we build that most effective system that will maximize utilization instead of making multi-billion dollar errors because we did the easy thing instead of the right thing.

BART itself is built on 45 year old technology. I have been a huge advocate and supporter, but honestly am starting to have doubts that BART will be the most effective transportation solution in 2026. Self-driving cars will completely change the transportation landscape within a decade, and costs will come dangerously close to public transit for point-to-point transportation in a private cabin. I hope that VTA is agile enough to keep up with transit innovations and make sure we are building these epic projects for the future and not for the past.

Video Link