The Thermals play San Jose's Blank Club

You got to admire a guy like Hutch Harris, lead singer and guitar player of indie rock band The Thermals. Despite a slow progression with Sub Pop records, and a subsequent split with the label, he is still dedicated to making great rock music. The band has roots in Seattle and Portland, but we won't bore you with the history of the band and their ascent to rock stardom. Besides, that can be read on Wikipedia. Just enjoy the live footage from The Blank Club.

Artisan cocktails and fried bliss from Billy Berk's

If you're looking for a new spot to have a cocktail, look no further than Billy Berk's in Downtown San Jose. Their happy hour menu -- 3pm - 6pm -- has $5 appetizers, $2 off cocktails and select $4 beers. As for the cocktails, the handmade Caipirinha (pictured above right) made with Leblon Cachaca, a Brazilian rum, sugar, and lime served over ice is a must try. It's the national drink of Brazil, made by smashing limes and sugar together and mixing with rum. If you're looking for something even sweeter, try the strawberry lemon drop (pictured above left) made with real strawberries!


As for appetizers, we like the Fried Zucchini with wasabi aioli, or the Fried Calamari, Lemons & Jalepenos with wasabi aioli and Thai chili vinegar sauce (pictured).

If you're new to the whole Downtown San Jose dining scene, or want to experience its full potential, check out Dine Downtown, an 11 day event running from June 3-13 that sees more than two-dozen Downtown restaurants offering up three prix-fixe three-course meals for $20, $30 and $40. Check out the new issue of the magazine on Wednesday, May 27 for a complete menu guide.

SJ Bike Party Draws 1,000

San Jose Bike Party has officially become a phenomenon on wheels. This past weekend welcomed nearly 1,000 riders to the streets of San Jose. Mountain bikes, BMX, road bikes, fixed gears, tandems, couch mobiles, and boom boxes on handmade bike trailers made their way through the valley in a peaceful yet enthusiastic fashion. With an ever changing route, May's bike party led the crowd through Cupertino, across the Mary Avenue birdge, down Santana Row, and back to Campbell where people eventually dispersed with an increasing excitement for next month's ride.


Interested in joining the fun? We'll roll out a few details:

WHEN: Third Friday of every month, 8:30pm
(next ride is Friday, June 19th)

WHERE: Dick’s Center parking lot: 1400 S. Bascom Ave, San Jose, CA 95128
(this is right next to the Bascom VTA Light Rail stop)

MORE INFO: www.sjbikeparty.org

See you at the next bike party!

Bike to Work Day 2009

It's green, it's healthy, and it's fun. Today is Silicon Valley's "Bike to Work Day", encouraging thousands of people to relieve congestion and take a break from another commute behind the wheel. Enjoying a beautiful ride to work, cyclists meet up at various Energizer Stations for breakfast snacks, drinks, and a reusable canvas goody bag full of helpful cycling information and maps. Hopefully you had a chance to ride in this morning. If not, fortunately we've got a summer full of great weather and wonderful trails ahead of us!

On our ride, we stopped at the Meridian Energizer station located in front of Aki's Bakery. They shared some delicious pastries with us and told us all about their family owned business, 40 years in the making! And apparently they bake an amazing Guava cake... We'll be back for sure!

The Wave's Executive Editor, Johnny Brafford, on his way to work this morning with fellow Wavers, Mitchell Alan Parker and Jon Sontag.

MORE BIKE STUFF: Check out the 1st Annual Willow Glen Bike Swap this Sunday, hosted by Willow Glen Bicycles. Coast in for a BBQ, great deals on used bike parts, and a chance to test ride the new Titus mountain bike! If you'd like to sell, get there by 9am to secure a spot. The festivities kick off around 10am and go until 5pm that evening. We'll see you there!

Boogie on the Bayou

Boogie on the Bayou is back! This Saturday and Sunday Downtown Campbell hosts three outdoor stages with jazz, blues, and funk. Cajun and New Orleans style food paired with great drinks, sunshine, free admission, and free parking make this event impossible to pass up.

In addition to all the excitement and fun both days have to offer, The Cardiff Lounge - The Wave Magazine's "Silicon Valley's #1 DJ Club" - will be home to DJ's Jimmy B from Green Gorilla Lounge and Heather B. Kicking it off at 10pm this Saturday night, May 16, both DJ's will spin it loud and fresh all night long. So get there early, 'cause this club will hit maximum capacity!


The Cardiff Lounge is located at 260 E Campbell Ave., Campbell, CA 95008.

Bike to Work Day in Silicon Valley: May 14

It's that time of year again, when the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition urges Bay Area residents to leave their cars behind and commute to work on a bicycle. May 14 marks this year's event, so if you don't have a bike of your own, you have plenty of time to borrow or buy one before Thursday. The best part is the 70 "Energizer Stations" that the coalition sets up all over the valley, where cyclists can receive prizes, biking information and, of course, refreshments. Check out their website for more info on the event and great links to maps so you can plan your route. The coalition points out that 40 percent of Bay Area commuters live within five miles of their workplace. So quit being lazy! Spare the environment and start pedaling!

An Appetite for Value

The ailing economy hasn’t diminished our appetite for dining out, so it’s great to see establishments such as Quattro Restaurant and Bar at the Four Seasons hotel in Palo Alto responding to the economic crunch with some great deals that make fine dining affordable, even in these tight financial times.

At Quattro, the onset of spring inspired a fresh new value-driven tasting menu. For $55, diners can enjoy a five-course menu that showcases the restaurant’s seasonal Northern Italian cuisine (and also showcases executive chef Alessandro Cartumini’s superb pasta dishes). The tasting menu changes daily depending on what’s seasonal, but diners can expect fare such as:
Raviolo (a perfectly rich and velvety combination of organic egg yolk, parmigiano and prosciutto); Sea Scallop (seared and served atop a bed of sweet pea risotto, with freshly plucked pea tendrils and preserved lemon); and Beef Tenderloin (the succulent beef comes with spring onion, fava beans, Thumbelina carrots and a sauce that will have you wishing you could lick the plate clean!). For an additional $28, diners can enjoy the wine pairings chosen by the restaurant’s sommelier with each course.

This five course tasting menu is just one of the initiatives taking place at Quattro to appeal to budget-conscious diners. Here are a few more deals to help foodies sate their appetite without breaking the bank:

Uncorked Fridays:
Each Friday, diners are encouraged to bring wines from their personal collection to enjoy with their dinner. All corkage fees will be waived, and the folks at Quattro will even make suggestions about which dishes will best pair with your chosen wine.

Sunday Supper:
Every Sunday evening families can enjoy steaming platters of family-style Italian specialties (chef Cartumini even serves up his mama’s famed meatball recipe! Adults pay $25 per person and children under the age of 18 just pay their age.

BYO Wine Dinners:
On the second Friday of each month, the restaurant is hosting a special “Uncorked” event that sees the chef prepare a seasonal menu designed to be paired with a particular wine. This Friday May 8 the chosen wine is chardonnay – so raid those wine racks and treat that notable bottle to some cuisine worthy of the vintage you’ve been saving!

For more dollar-saving dining deals, keep your eye out for upcoming issues of The Wave Magazine!

Quattro Restaurant & Bar, 2050 University Ave., East Palo Alto (650) 566-1200 www.fourseasons.com

Zeppelins Resurrected on KQED: featuring Mountain View's Airship Ventures

In April we reported on our adventures in an airship. The post garnered attention from Briana Iwuji from KQED, which is airing a story on dirigibles tomorrow night, May 5 at 7:30 pm, called "Zeppelins Resurrected". Here are some words from Iwuji:

The Hindenburg wasn't the only air ship to end in a catastrophic crash. In 1935, the USS Macon went down in 1000 feet of water off the coast of Monterey, California. Now, as scientists study the recently-discovered wreckage, dirigibles are returning to the Bay Area and are poised to rule the skies once again. But these aren't the same dirigibles - these are new and improved. The story is from QUEST, a science show at KQED, and will be airing on May 5 at 7:30pm.


QUEST on KQED Public Media.

Glass Blowing at the Bay Area Glass Institute

We stopped by the Bay Area Glass Institute in San Jose for a demonstration on glass blowing by Treg Silkwood, senior instructor at the non-profit school. Check out our new issue on streets May 11 for more on BAGI. For now, here's Silkwood creating a stunning conch shell from molten glass. The first video is him preparing, shaping and coloring the glass. The second video shows the more detailed part.

Part One:


Part Two: