Phantom Galleries: Two Buck Tuesdays ($2 Art!)

TWO BUCK Tuesday September 21st

from Phantom Galleries by Cherri Lakey

TWO BUCK Tuesday September 21, 2010
$2 Art Sale begins at Noon
Main event starts at 7p.m.
Curated by Drew Clark
Seriously, what else are you doing Tuesday night? Come out, enjoy some of the cool culture that the San Jose art scene has to offer! Where else will you find not only $2 dollar original artwork from local artists, but also ...
LIVE ART!

Timothy Tsun - Discovery, the "Humanature" (the relationship between human being and nature), is the theme of my art. I am always observing the shapes and texture of tree trunks, which I utilize to make the connection to human forms. http://www.timtsun.com/


Michael Foley will be there making $5 portrait transformations, creating stylized portraits you'll not find anywhere else.
Michael Foley is an artist from the San Francisco bay area whose works show nationally and internationally. First discovered by scientists after the great quake of 1906. Believed to be the cause of the catastrophe it was decided that he would be placed deep in the arctic sea to be forgotten. Seventy-Two years later he resurfaced and returned to California to exact his revenge on civilization through the use of art and his poorly scripted interpreted dance and slam poetry.
http://www.onibatsu.com

MIND EXPANDING SPEAKING SERIES

MoGo BBQ is a mobile food truck company serving up Koreanstyle BBQ in our taco truck serving the San Francisco Bay Area: San Jose, Oakland, Berkeley, Palo Alto, and more. They bring you the convenience of affordable gourmet food combined with good olʼ Korean family recipes handed down to them, resulting in portable street food fare. Take your pick from our Short Rib Tacos to our Spicy Pork Quesadillas—theyʼre all up for the tasting'.


Russell Targ is a physicist and author who was a pioneer in the development of the laser and laser applications, and was cofounder of the Stanford Research Instituteʼs investigation into psychic abilities in the 1970s and 1980s. His work in this new area, called remote viewing, was published in Nature, The Proceedings of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Targ has a B.S. in Physics from Queens College, and did graduate work in physics at Columbia University. In 1997 Targ retired from Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space Co. as a senior staff scientist.


Randall King co-founded San Jose Stage Company in 1983 and has served as the Artistic Director for the past nineteen years. Under his direction, the Company has produced over one hundred twenty-five stage plays and musicals and premiered thirty-nine new works, including nine World Premieres. Most recently, Randall directed ALWAYS…PATSY CLINE, A TUNA CHRISTMAS and GREATER TUNA and the Companyʼs original and return engagement of IDOLS OF THE KING at the California Theatre. In addition to directing,
Randall is an award-winning actor, most recently appearing with the Company as Milan and The Waiter in ROCK ʻNʼ ROLL. He has performed in leading roles at many theaters, including San Jose Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Sacramento Theatre Company and the Alaska Theatre Festival, among others. Randall has worked with Francis Ford Coppola, Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Bay, among others, and has also appeared in numerous television projects.

PERFORMANCE & DEMONSTRATIONS!

Keith Bunnell is a ceramic artist based here in Silicon Valley. He focuses on what he refers to as "the dark side of pottery, bringing out the true fear that resides within the clay."


Body painting by Trina Merry
Trina Merry, an American artist, currently lives in the Bay Area in a little town called Willow Glen. After receiving her BA in Communications/Media from Azusa Pacific University, she worked for companies like Sony, Paramount, Icon Productions (Mel Gibson), Yamaha, & Showtime's Golden Globe nominated TV Show "Sleeper Cell" (art department). She is truly a multi-media artist working in paint, video/film, installation & performance.

LIVE MUSIC!

Gianfranco & Friends - It all started for the love of the accordion sound and the passion of meeting the very friendly local musicians. Gianfranco had courage to ask them, one at a time, to do some notes together. The first he had asked was Kate and the answer was a curious: "Marimba and accordion? Yes...When?...Where?". A few weeks later he asked Jessica, and the answer was just lovely: "Piano and accordion?...Do they have a piano there?...OK...When?". Well.....We did our first notes at the Caffé Trieste and I continue to do notes at the caffé every second Friday of the month with all my friends musicians. That's how "Gianfranco and Friends" came alive around San Jose.
TWO BUCK Tuesday- September 21st, 7-10pm FREE and open to the public.
KALEID Gallery
88 South 4th Street
San Jose, CA 95112
http://www.KALEIDgallery.com
(408) 947-1785

San Pedro Square Market: Construction Update Video

Looks like the Plaza is coming along nicely. This is where you'll be able to enjoy al fresco dining, music, and entertainment throughout the year... all while enjoying the company of the oldest structure in San Jose, The Peralta Adobe.

BURN THE FLOOR is Coming to San Jose!

A very popular Broadway-caliber show featuring many famous dancers is playing Downtown from Sep. 21st through the 26th. I'm hoping to catch it early in the week and do a full review. For now, there's a video preview below and a direct link to see ticket options right over here.

Cajun Music Coming to the Bay

I rarely promote events outside of San Jose, but this one seems particularly unique. I've never even heard Cajun music before, so I thought I would toss this out there for anyone interested.

Sunday, September 19

Joel Savoy & Jesse Lége

Cajun Dancehall Music from SW Louisiana

Don Quixote’s Music Hall, Felton CA

Tickets $12

Matinee Show at 1pm

http://www.donquixotesmusic.info/

6275 Highway 9 in Downtown Felton, CA

831-603-2294

Cajun fiddler Joel Savoy (son of master accordionist Marc Savoy) is spearheading a growing movement of young Cajun musicians taking back their roots music. Founder of the Grammy-nominated label Valcour Records and the acclaimed Red Stick Ramblers, Savoy is equally at home playing the old twin-fiddling of Cajun masters like Dennis McGee, as he is playing swing or country fiddle for honky-tonk dancing.

He’s touring now with Cajun accordionist and vocalist Jesse Lége. Growing up in a rural, pre-electricity home in Gueydan, Southwest Louisiana, Jesse spoke Cajun French as a first language and learned music from relatives, neighbors and the family’s much-loved battery-powered radio. Listening to the Grand Ol’ Opry was as natural to him as staying up late at a Cajun fais do-do, and he brings that love of old school country and Cajun music to his collaboration with Joel Savoy. Jesse sings in the classic, old-school style of Cajun vocalists, and since French is his first language, he’s able to write new songs in this old style. He’s a master of Cajun dancehall music and the real deal.

Barry Ancelet, Professor of Folklore at USL: “Jesse Lége . . . is one of the great vocalists of contemporary Cajun music. His penetrating style and emotion-laden lyrics can make veteran festival producers such as this one weep backstage. This is the real stuff, straight and undiluted.”

The Anti Prop 23 Campaign

I know putting anything political up here is playing with fire; however, Prop 23 is essentially a sham backed by oil companies. It claims to be protecting jobs by repealing laws that will reduce consumption of oil-related products and reduce pollution. There was an anti-Prop 23 rally earlier today at a San Jose Valero station and you can read more details about it below:


A group of local citizens from the Crush Proposition 23 Campaign rallied outside of a San Jose Valero gas station yesterday. The rally was part of a state-wide effort to defeat Proposition 23 - a deceptive ballot initiative funded by Valero and other Texas Oil companies that would effectively abolish California's landmark 2006 global warming law. 

Photo by Ruth Robertson (rwsrobertson@yahoo.com)

Texas oil companies are pledging tens of millions of dollars this fall in an effort to pass Proposition 23 and effectively repeal California's landmark global warming bill (AB 32). If Proposition 23 passes on November 2, it's a serious blow to our ability to take aggressive steps to slow climate change. If Proposition 23 is resoundingly defeated, we can show ourselves and the world that the people of the United States are ready to do what scientists say is necessary to address our global climate crisis. Depending on the outcome of the election this fall, our state will either be the world's leader in the fight against global warming, or it could become the latest casualty in corporate takeover of government.

For more information and to volunteer with the campaign, www.stoptexasoil.org, stop by the Palo Alto office at 3491 El Camino Real, or email john@greencorps.org.

Baseball San Jose: A's Relocation Inevitable

The Biz of Baseball: "Oakland's Relocation into the South Bay is an Inevitability"

from Baseball San Jose by noreply@blogger.com (DLo)

This week, The Biz of Baseball re-ranked their Top Ten Markets for Relocation or Expansion. In it, they looked at those national and international markets most primed for a Major League Baseball team. In their 2008 analysis, San Jose didn't even rank. However, the story is different in 2010.

Here are their latest rankings:
10. Las Vegas, NV
9. Sacramento, CA
8. Nashville, TN
7. Montreal, QC
6. San Antonio, TX
5. Indianapolis, IN
4. Portland, OR
3. Metro New York City, NY
2. Charlotte, NC
1. San Jose, CA

Of an A's move to San Jose, they say:
The most obvious eventual home for the Oakland Athletics, San Jose is the ideal mix of fans and corporate interests. There is enough benefit for both the league and the club to make this deal a question of when, not if. Whether it is Cisco Field or some other iteration, Oakland's relocation into the South Bay is an inevitability.

You're up to bat, San Jose!

SJ01: ABSOLUTE ZERO Today!!!

Billed as a South First Friday on Steroids, this is one street fair you won't want to miss!

AbsoluteZER0

Friday, September 17, 2010
6pm – 12am in the SoFA District of San Jose, CA

AbsoluteZER0 is a vibrant street festival where the public can engage with art, music, science, and technology in new and compelling ways outside on city streets. Growing out of the success of the SubZER0events during the June South First Friday, AbsoluteZER0 celebrates the creativity and technological virtuosity that are the hallmarks of Silicon Valley by showcasing art projects for public exhibition, performance, provocation, and interaction related to theme of the 3rd 01SJ Biennial, Build Your Own World.

The event is free and open to the public and is presented in collaboration with Anno Domini Gallery, MACLA, San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, and San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art. The street festival will take place from 6:00 pm to midnight on Friday, September 17, 2010 in the downtown San Jose SoFA Districtalong South First Street between San Carlos and East Reed, and along San Salvador between First Street and South Hall where ZER01’s Future Films Program and Out of the Garage, Into the World project space will feature even more work by artists working at the intersection of art and technology.

San Jose Underground Food Market Tomorrow!

Chowhound got the scoop on all of the food vendors coming to SoFA tomorrow as part of Zer01's street fair:

Fri 9/17/10 San Jose Underground Market!

We're getting a SJ Underground Market in conjunction with AbsoluteZER0 Street Festival - 2010 01SJ Biennial. I've tried Kitchen Sidecar which makes a good banh mi burger. What else should I try?

Vendor list for this Fridays Underground Market in San Jose below.

Where: S 1st st between San Carlos and Reed St. , San Jose

When: Friday, Sept 17th, from 5pm-midnight

Allison Hobson
Golden Roots Catering
Culture of Change
Fresh Bite Baking
Bakesale Fruit Crisps
Bread Project
Good Foods Catering
Venga Paella
CoCoTutti
Fat Alley Foods
Jeannie’s Jam’s
Sweet Francisco
Luscious Liquids
Kitchen Sidecar
Kitty’s Kreations
Zukra Bakery
Thrive Holistic
JERK. (Matterson’s Authentic Jamaican Cuisine)
SF Delicious Catering
Saucy Dumplings
A Humble Plate
California Cane & Fruit Co.
Dr. Steve’s Magic
Socola Chocolatier
Hella Vegan Eats
Mali Num Num Treats
Angela’s Blackbottom cakes
Empenada de mi pueblo
HEARTBAKER
Good Foods Catering
Raw Daddy Foods ‘ jimmi jam’
Suite Foods
Cocoa Blossom Chocolaterie
Sajen Foods
Jaya
Farm Curious
Rokas Armonas
Nosh This
Tamale Nation
Sweet Lauren
Earth Alchemy Chocolate

Tomorrow is PARK(ing) Day

If you're like me, you're probably wondering what the heck PARK(ing) Day is. Turns out, it's a worldwide event that encourages city dwellers to turn metered parking spots into temporary parks for the public good. Basically, it's an event to raise awareness for the need for more urban green space. San Jose has a group created by the Greenbelt Alliance, the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, and the San Jose Parks Foundation that will be PARK(ing) at the corner of 2nd & San Carlos tomorrow. Great timing with Zer01 hitting full swing tomorrow!

ZERO1 Kicks off Today!!!

For the full schedule of everything going down over the next 4 days, just click on the images below to expand them, or print the schedule using this PDF link!

Psycho Donuts is Coming to Downtown San Jose!

Comedy Sports and Psycho Donuts are teaming up to give everyone a worthwhile premiere of downtown's first true donut shop tomorrow at Camera3.  If you haven't heard of Psycho Donuts before, then you will definitely have to click on this link to see the abominations they've created =).

Join us in celebrating the opening of a SECOND location for Psycho Donuts...at ComedySportz in Downtown San Jose! The wildly popular and crazy trademark donut creations will now be a part of the Downtown experience as they join up with ComedySportz, the live improv comedy show, to transform the inside of Camera 3 and make for a truly interactive experience for donut lovers and comedy goers alike. There is no other spot like it in downtown! When: Thursday, September 16, 2010 Time: 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: 288 S.2nd street in Downtown San Jose The event is FREE to all, so you can: • MUNCH on donut samples • WATCH some comedy from the crew at ComedySportz at any of the special mini-shows   presented in the ComedySportz theater • EXPLORE the newly transformed space • SEE/purchase the crazy art from local artists such as Christine Benjamin, Simon Salas,    Murphy Adams and many more • TAKE PHOTOS in the Padded Pfoto Cell- New and improved! • PURCHASE the beloved donuts or coffee and smoothie concoctions from the Full Service   coffee bar • MEET the Nurses from Psycho Donuts and Comedians from ComedySportz • ENJOY hanging out at the indoor Donut Asylum or on the outdoor Psycho Patio   Invite your friends and family and we'll see you then! *RSVP here for your attendance and to take part in our Facebook Fan-exclusive giveaway"

2010 Honda Civic Tour featuring Paramore, Tegan and Sara, New Found Glory and Kadawatha

Just a quick heads up to let everyone know that 4 great bands are playing at the HP Pavilion as part of the 2010 Honda Civic Tour this Friday: Kadawatha (cool pop-rock band based out of Sri Lanka), Tegan and Sara, New Found Glory, and Paramore.

Genghis Khan @ The Tech - Discount Tickets

The Genghis Khan exhibit at The Tech will only be available until October 24th. I've been hunting for some promotional codes, and the best one I've been able to find so far is LEXUS, which brings a $25 adult ticket down to $20 (just enter this code when you log in or create a Tech account). Member of the museum only pay $15 for an adult ticket. If anyone out there has a better discount code, please don't hesitate to post it in the comments! Details on the special exhibit below.

01SJ: Play Me I'm Yours

This is probably my favorite 01 exhibit so far. 20 decorated piano's have been placed across San Jose, most of them Downtown. Anyone can walk up to them and just start playing. A couple weeks ago I was walking down Paseo de San Antonio and heard some jazzy piano music accompanied by singing. It really seemed to add so much life downtown, I couldn't wait to find out where the music was coming from. At first, I thought it was a hired professional, but as I got closer I discovered just a normal guy playing his heart out. There wasn't even a crowd he was playing for, he was just playing because it was clearly something he loved to do.

A few other times, I actually did find crowds of people watching and listing to impromptu street artists. There always seemed to be something interesting going on around the pianos. This is one 01 project that I wish would become permanent!  Photos from the Play me I'm Yours website below:

Dance in Transit

The weekend of the 18th and 19th continues to become more and more interesting. According to the press release below (thanks DLo for the tip), there will be full 90min modern dance concerts starting at the Convention Center Light Rail. I have no clue how they're going to pull this one off, but I'm definitely curious to find out =). San Jose has plenty of dance talent (google Katee Shean), so it's about time something like this comes together in our neck of the woods.

01SJ: Santana Row Also Gets a Role

Downtown San Jose isn't the only part of San Jose benefiting from the ZER01 festival, Santana Row is getting in on the action as well. Below is the full breakdown on what to expect in the "other downtown."

Be part of the art at Santana Row

SAN JOSE, Calif. (August 25, 2010) – Dreams for the future projected four stories high, ballerinas with musical tutus and a lone piano waiting to be played are some of the unique, interactive art that will be on display at Santana Row during the 2010 01SJ Biennial (01sj.org), a city-wide exhibition of visual and performing arts, public art and digital media.  As a proud sponsor of the Biennial, Santana Row will host three of the dynamic installations and performances.

Play Me I’m Yours

Tickle the ivories with this installation by internationally acclaimed artist Luke Jerram.  From August 28-September 19, Santana Row will host one of 20 pianos placed throughout Silicon Valley, each one free to be enjoyed by anyone who encounters it.  Whether they practice their scales, play a concerto, or just fiddle with the keys, visitors are encouraged to take photos or video of themselves interacting with the pianos and share with the world at 01SJpianos.com.

On Wednesday, September 8, Play Me I’m Yours will be part of Piano Explorations, a special performance by young pianists who will play piano selections ranging from classical to jazz.  Produced by the Steinway Society of the Bay Area and Sherman Clay Pianos of Santa Clara, members of the audience will be encouraged to duet with the young artists on Luke Jerram’s installation.  Piano Explorations takes place September 8 at 6 p.m. in Park Valencia.

offscript (pictured right)

From September 14-19, the glass façade of Santana Row’s newest building, 300 Santana Row, will become a massive canvas for this interactive video installation by artist Christopher Baker that asks the question: what happens when individuals reject a future scripted for them and move offscript? 

Participants are encouraged to submit responses to the question, “What is your dream for the future?” in 140 characters or less.  Answers can be submitted by email, text message or voicemail (408-634-4436), Twitter (#offscript) or Facebook (offscript).  Answers may also be sketched and submitted at www.offscript.org.  To see the story that unfolds as these responses are projected across the façade of 300 Santana Row, stop by September 14 -19 from approximately 7:30 p.m. – Midnight.

For full details on participating in offscript, visit offscript.org.

Audio Ballerinas

In this site-specific collaboration between Ballet San Jose and artist Benoît Maubrey, dancers from Ballet San Jose will wear solar-powered, plexiglass tutus that have been equipped with microphones and speakers that record and play back the sound patterns of their movements and their environment. Using photovoltaic sensors, sounds emitted from Audio Ballerinas change according to the intensity of light, enabling these world-class dancers to translate their movements directly into sound.  Santana Row will host two performances of Audio Ballerinas on Saturday, September 18. (Times and location to be announced; visit santanarow.com for the schedule.)

For more information on these interactive works of art, visit 01sj.org or santanarow.com.

About ZER01’s 01SJ Biennial

San Jose-based ZER01 has served as a catalyst and platform for the world’s most innovative artists since 2000. The nonprofit focuses on inspiring creativity at the intersection of art, technology and digital culture.  As producer of the 01SJ Biennial, a multidisciplinary, multi-venue event of visual and performing arts, the moving image, public art and interactive digital media, ZER01 has showcased the work of 350 artists from more than 40 countries using such media as GPS-equipped pigeons, interactive platform shoe devices, mobile phone and surveillance technologies.

A celebrated success in the region, the two previous  01SJ Biennial in 2006 and 2008 attracted 65,000 visitors and generated $15 million in economic revenue for San Jose. Between biennials–the 2010 01SJ Biennial takes place Sept. 16-19, 2010–ZER01 nurtures Silicon Valley’s cultural landscape with events such as the SubZERO Festival, produced in partnership withSoFA, which drew 10,000 people to downtown San Jose.

About Santana Row

Santana Row is a one-of-a-kind neighborhood that blends a distinctive mix of living, shopping, dining and entertainment.  Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Santana Row features 563,000 square feet of retail, an international array of restaurants, a 213-room European-style boutique hotel and six-screen arts theatre, all surrounded by meticulously landscaped gardens, parks and plazas.  Above the retail pedestal are 514 residential units, featuring a fitness center and resort-style pool.  Santana Row is a property of Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE:FRT), headquartered in Rockville, Maryland. 

World Expo 2020 (The World's Fair) in Silicon Valley?

There was a lot of buzz last week when the Governator announced Silicon Valley's candidacy for the 2020 World Expo at the current 2010 Expo in Shanghai. There is entirely different from the "Bay Area" Expo that is also in the running for 2020 and would be based out of San Francisco (which has already hosted the Expo twice). Arnold's pitch was squarely focused around the world's leader in innovation and technology, Silicon Valley/San Jose.

Of course I'm biased, but I couldn't think of a more appropriate venue for 2020. It's a very "futurish" sounding year. As children we all probably imagined having robots clean up after us and driving around in flying cars by then. Who knows, that still may be the case... but whatever technology the future brings, there is a great chance it'll be coming from here. As an added bonus, we have one of the most statistically diverse ethnic populations on the planet for any large city (even more than SF), an extremely safe and clean city, and relatively good infrastructure.

A Wold Expo would no doubt be a huge boon to the area. I've only had a chance to attend one of them, Expo 98 in Lisbon, Portugal. I remember seeing billions of dollars worth of international pavilions, world-class museums, one of the best aquariums in the world, and incredible public art. That also happened to be one of the first Expos where they didn't tear most of it down afterward, they were able to re-purpose all of that development into one of the nicest parts of Lisbon today. The museums and public art are still there, along with new restaurants, hundreds of shops, and dense housing for 100,000+ people.

A great local example of how a World Expo can transform a city is Seattle in 1962. The most iconic symbol representing Seattle, The Space Needle, was built specifically for the World' Fair. Accompanying it was a monorail, what is now the Pacific Science Center, the current Seattle Center, and even the Experience Music Project was designed to fit in with the Expo atmosphere.

So let's get involved and do everything possible to bring Expo 2020 to Silicon Valley!

Barry Swenson Hoping to Build a Pair of 14-Story Apartment Towers on North 1st St.

A recent article in the Silicon Valley Business Journal announced Barry's desire to build 440 apartment units near Skyport Drive on First. These units would be spread across 2 towers, and accompanied by 10,000sqft of retail on the ground floor. This would be a great first step in the city's grand vision to build a walkable and transit oriented secondary "downtown" all along North 1st Street. The overall plan would include 32,000 new housing units and a staggering 27 million sqare feet of office space.

The main roadblock to getting Barry's project approved is that he doesn't have the needed building allocations. When the economy was rocking in 2008, the city gave allocations to various developers to kick start the vision for North First. Unfortunately Barry Swenson wasn't able to get the allocations back then because his financing fell through. Now that he has $100m ready to go for this new development, he doesn't have the allocations... ouch. He's now lobbying the city to redistribute the allocations so that developers that are ready to build can get their projects started. I hope he's able to convince the city council!

For the full story, head over to this SVSJBJ article. Unfortunately, you'll need a paid subscription to access this one, but it's a damn good publication so it's worth it.

Steel Magnolia Coming to Ruffled Feathers Eatery!

One of country music's hottest bands is coming to do a special lunchtime performance at Ruffled Feathers in Downtown San Jose next Wednesday, September 15th! Steel Magnolia will be meeting with fans and playing 4 or 5 songs between noon and 1pm... this is open to anyone. However, if you listen to 95.3 KRTY you can also participate in a contest that will give 30 lucky winners the chance to enjoy a free lunch with the band. Just listen to Gary & July in the morning for more details (can also go to this web link). Even if you don't win, remember that the performance and meet & greet are open to everyone!

01SJ: Oglala Oyate (Sister City Cam)

Another cool 01SJ public art piece that will be up during the festival is called Oglala Oyate and will provide a look at what our sister cities are up to around the globe. I wouldn't mind if this one was up all year round. You can find it at the corner of San Carlos and 1st Street on the side of the UFCW Local 5 building.