The Wave Magazine

Ultimate Shakespeare

2009-09-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

If you never thought ultimate fighting and Shakespeare would appear in the same sentence, then you've never met San Jose Rep's artistic director, Rick Lombardo!

In his inaugural production for the company's 2009/10 season, Lombardo deftly adapts Shakespeare's well-known comedy As You Like It to the modern era, complete, yes, with ultimate fighting. The modern staging of the play - with its impressive sets (notably the high-tech screens that create vivid backdrops), lighting and stage direction - brings to mind the brilliance of director Baz Luhrmann's work in the film Romeo & Juliet.

But back to the stage. While the direction and staging are incredible, that's nothing without good acting, and the cast here certainly delivers. Notable performances come from the large roles of James Carpenter as Jacques and Anna Bullard as Rosalind, while Steve Irish is brilliant as the clownish Touchstone, Sepideh Moafi is utterly charming whenever she's on stage, and Jeanette Penley is hilarious as the rambunctious Phebe.

Think you don't like Shakespeare? Let Rick Lombardi convince you otherwise with this superb staging, and get thee to the Repertory theatre, now!

As You Like It plays at the San Jose Repertory Theatre (101 Paseo de San Antonio) through Sept. 27. For tickets call (408) 367-7255, or go to www.sjrep.com

Day Two: Outside Lands Festival -- Portugal. The Man (pics)

2009-08-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, we love this band (see our interview and footage of their Santa Cruz show here). We're fairly certain they will be the most talked-about performance this year... besides, of course, The Mars Volta, which hit the stage in a few hours. Stay tuned for those pics.

Day One: Outside Lands Festival (pics)

2009-08-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

For perhaps the first time in history, a sweater was not needed in San Francisco. Maybe it was global warming, maybe it was a heat wave, but most likely it was the scorching music burning up Golden Gate Park on Friday, the first day of the three-day aural orgy.

Highlights for the day included Akron/Family, San Fran's own The Dodos, emo darlings Built to Spill (who heavily influenced Death Cab), Bay Area radio stars Silversun Pickups, The National, and more. Headliners included Incubus and Pearl Jam, whose set was described by one fan as, "It was like church. Everybody was singing along. It was too uncomfortable. We left."

Today (Saturday) is shaping up to be another hot one, both climatically and aurally speaking. Today we'll be checking out Portugal. The Man; Bat For Lashes; TV on the Radio; Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band; Deerhunter; Dave Matthews Band and of course The Mars Volta. Stay tuned...

Bloody Book Event: Thurs. 27 Aug., 7pm at Books Inc., Palo Alto

2009-08-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

With Twilight fever having swept the nation over the past few years, and the ongoing popularity of HBO’s True Blood, the mythical creatures that are vampires have never been more mainstream.

For fans of author Richelle Mead, today is a big day as it’s the day they make their Blood Promise. The fourth book in Mead’s New York Times best-selling Vampire Academy series, Blood Promise arrives in bookstores today. And better yet – the writer will be in town later this week to discuss the series with her fans. Catch Mead at Books Inc. Palo Alto (Town & Country Village, corner Embarcadero and El Camino Real www.booksinc.com) this Thursday, 27 Aug. from 7pm.

For more on the series, go to www.vampireacademybooks.com. For more on the author, go to www.richellemead.com.

A bit about Vampire Academy, for those who have been buried too deep in Twilight to investigate other vamp fiction:

Vampire Academy has now over 1.5 million copies in print and has been touted as the series to fill the void for avid Twilight fans. USA Today singled out Vampire Academy as the newest teen series to watch when it asked, “You’ve raced through Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. Now what?” After the thrilling cliffhanger in Shadow Kiss: Vampire Academy Book Three, readers will be clamoring to pick up Blood Promise to determine whether or not love and loyalty run deeper than blood.

Benicio del Toro as Wolfman? Can he pull it off?

2009-08-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

Yes or no?

Outside Lands: Pearl Jam, How We Missed You (New Song)

2009-08-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

We're getting excited for San Francisco's Outside Lands Festival in a couple of weeks. We're particularly excited to revisit the nostalgia of '90s music when Pearl Jam plays Friday night (Aug. 28). They've got a new album coming out on Sept. 20 called Backspacer, so expect them to play a lot of new stuff, like this track called "The Fixer." Pretty darn good if you ask us. Rock on.

Update: Outside Lands annoucement

2009-08-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

We just got word that due to our recent post about a major OSL announcement looming, Another Planet has been inundated with calls. We want to clarify: it will NOT be a major headliner announcement. The line-up for OSL is already set. What we were alluding to is merely a really cool technical addition to the festival this year. So just hold your horses and stay tuned. Thanks!

New this year to Outside Lands Festival 2009 in San Francisco

2009-08-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had a chat with Outside Lands fest promoter Allen Scott of Another Planet Entertainment. At the moment, we're sitting on a huge announcement that we think will make music fans drool with excitement. Unfortunately, we have to sit on this "off the record" tidbit for a little bit longer. But believe us, it's awesome! So stay tuned.

In the meantime, we do have some info on what's new this year at OSL.

1. Last year, Radiohead was the first band ever to play in Golden Gate Park at night. Tom Petty and Jack Johnson soon followed. Previously, live music at the park was shut off at 7pm. Not sure why. Scott says it was due to some outdated city ordinances.

This year, Scott says an additional stage will offer music after dark. So, he says, an hour into Pearl Jam's set on Friday, Aug. 28, you can walk over and see Thievery Corporation; and an hour into Dave Matthews set on Sat. Aug. 29, you can go see The Mars Volta. Pretty cool stuff.

2. Also, a mind-blowing tent -- wood and glass interior -- called The Barbary was added in the back of the polo fields. This cabaret-themed mecca is a "freak show" of sorts, according to Scott. It will feature local bands, comedians, artists and more.

3. The bicycle valet was expanded this year from 3,000 to 4,000 bikes. And SF-based Bauer's charter buses -- they provide service for Google employees -- will be providing shuttle service throughout the city.

4. Scott said a goal of OSL is to offer 100 percent local vendors at the festival. Last year, 40 percent of the vendors were local. This year, Scott says 70 percent of all vendors will be from San Francisco. It's the only festival that comes close to this local angle.

By the way, do you know why it's called Outside Lands Festival? In the 19th Century, the Sunset District, East of Van Ness, was all sand dunes. It was referred to as the "Outside Lands."

Stay tuned for more!

Upcoming: Outside Lands Festival (Interview with Tenacious D and Dave Matthews)

2009-08-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

As many of you probably know, we will be front and center at this year's Outside Lands Festival, a three day music fest featuring the likes of Pearl Jam, Incubus, Black Eyed Peas, The Mars Volta, Modest Mouse, The Dead Weather, Dave Matthews Band and Tenacious D.

We'll be snapping pictures and recording the greatest Flip-ing video footage ever! In preparation of our descent down the music rabbit hole, we had the privilege of chatting with Jack Black and Kyle Glass (a Walnut Creek native) of Tenacious D, as well as none other than Dave Matthews himself.

But let's be clear about our conversation. To those who aren't privy to the inner workings of the press, please allow us to besiege a bit of disappointing and unglamorous knowledge on you fine folks. Our conversation with these gods of rock was part of a collective phone conference with publicists and other journos. What transpires is usually a muddy conversation wherein the subjects get to rant and rave and goof around while we journos can just listen and wait our turn (Example: press star 1 to get in line to ask a question). Full transcript at the end.

Nevertheless, Jack Black is hilarious, even on the phone.

On Modest Mouse:

Jack Black: We burned some mother down that night. And Modest Mouse was all up our butt

wanting to hang with us, and we’re like who are you chumps? We got to go hang with like the Mayor

of Texas. If I could turn back time, I would crawl right up their butts and create a rip in the time butt

continuum.

On plans to rock San Francisco on Aug. 30:

Jack Black: Oh. And yes, we’re going to close it out, and I just want to say one thing. If there’s any dogs barking on the day August 30 before we go on, don’t be alarmed. That’s just them sensing the earthquake of rock that’s coming. Dogs have an innate sense when a gigantic rock storm is coming. That’s all it is.

I’m seriously afraid for California because we haven’t rocked for a while. We haven’t rocked since Redding and London, and there’s so much buildup that when we let loose, it may – it may shake the foundations of the – what’s that fault line ((inaudible))?

Kyle Glass: San Andréa’s?

Jack Black: The San Andreas. And California may be shaking loose from the rest of the country. And the question is when that crack in the earth happens and it comes between your legs, where are you going? Are you going with America, or are you going to jump on California Island? You have to make a (split-cision) decision, or else you’re going down in the lava.

Download the full interview with Jack Black, Kyle Glass and Dave Matthews here.

View a video of DMB's new video Funny the Way It Is here. (Sorry, Youtube has disabled the embeds).

And keep checking back for upcoming OSL coverage!

Have a Ball Golf Tourney happening NOW in Sunnyvale!

2009-07-17T13:49:00.001-07:00

Tourney staff checks in participants

The "Have a Ball” Golf Tourney is happening right now (July 17) at Sunnyvale Municipal Golf Course, 605 Macara Ave., Sunnyvale (408) 738-3666. Get there quick to join the party!

Developed by two-time testicular cancer survivor, Bob Hammer, this appropriately-named golf tournament has raised more than $500,000 for cancer research in the past four years. Hammer started the foundation after meeting Lance Armstrong’s oncologist, who encouraged Hammer not to have surgery that would have prevented him from having children. Long story short, Josh Hammer, Bob’s naturally conceived son, is now five years old.

Photos from San Jose's OBON festival

2009-07-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

Home Is Where the Shark Is…

2009-07-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

A heartwarming story to start the week: A Peninsula family last week became the new owner of the Sharks Playhouse, courtesy of Rebuilding Together Peninsula (RTP) with the support of the Sharks Foundation.

We ran a feature a few issues ago in The Wave [Vol. 09, Iss. 08] about RTP’s Dreams Happen playhouse project – where every other year, 15 pint-sized dream homes are sold or raffled off to fund the organization, which helps low-income families rehabilitate their homes and community facilities. One of the playhouses was Sharks themed, and it was this house that was raffled off for $10 a ticket.

In a poignant twist of fate, the winning ticket belonged to Will, an eight year-old twin boy who only days earlier had lost his father to a three-year battle with cancer. Will, his twin Carl, and their four-and-three-quarter year-old sister Sarah were all big Sharks fans, as was their dad, and one of the last things they did with their father before he fell sick was go to a Sharks game.

Even more fateful, the winning ticket was drawn on June 6, which would have been Will’s parents’ 11th wedding anniversary. "Winning felt like a message on our anniversary," said Will’s mom Daisy. "I can't help but think my husband had something to do with it. This is a difficult time in [the kids'] lives but now, when they look at Shark House, they will think of their dad and know good things can still happen."

To celebrate this moving story, many people were on hand to see the Sharks playhouse take up its new home last Wednesday, July 8. Crane services were donated, and dramatically hoisted the 12-foot playhouse into the backyard, while Sharks players Torry Mitchell, Joe Paveiski and Devin Setoguchi were on hand to help the kids get to know their new playhouse. Will, Carl and Sarah's father's personal hockey skates will be placed inside Shark House in his memory.

Voodoo Lounge is Swinging

2009-06-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

You'll soon be reading our rants and raves for Voodoo Lounge in the upcoming Readers' Choice issue, out July 22. The reason is simple: the Downtown San Jose venue is making relentless efforts to bring back the live music scene to the South Bay. What better way to accomplish such a feat than by bringing the swinging? On Friday, July 10, check out Royal Crowne Revue, with support from The Pimpsticks. You can purchase advanced tix here. See ya there.

New restaurant opens in Redwood City

2009-06-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

Tonight marks the opening of Donato Enoteca, a new restaurant in downtown Redwood City. On Friday night, we had the pleasure of sampling the traditional Italian fare and we're still drooling over the marinated lamb skewers with olives; braised wild boar (our favorite); hand-made pizzas, amazing shrimp, and a bit of the exotica with squid ink risotto. Artisan olive oils play a large part in the cuisine, which prompted a tasting sampler on the menu of multiple olive oils.

Other highlights are the more than 80 Italian wines and a stunning grappa collection, the most abundant we've ever seen in a restaurant. The open-air kitchen adds an intimate touch. It allows you to watch the talented Chef Donato Scotti work his magic. Scotti has worked at the Michelin-starred Ristorante Del l'Angelo in Italy and at La Strada in Palo Alto more recently.

Here are a few other menu items: Carpaccio di Polipo – thin-sliced fresh poached octopus with olive oil, celery root and red rock salt ($8). Foiade di Funghi – organic buckwheat pasta with mixed wild mushrooms, garlic, parsley and Grana Padano ($12); and Bigoli e Coda – braised Neiman Ranch ox tail, Sangiovese, tomato, asparagus tips and “bigoli” pasta ($14). Costoletta Alla Milanese – pounded white veal chop breaded and golden with arugula and heirloom tomato salad ($23); Orata e Crostacei – Mediterranean sea bream sautéed with prawns, mussels, clams and tomato sauce ($18).

Interview and live video of Fremont's I The Mighty @ Voodoo Lounge, by Nick Veronin

2009-06-22T13:33:00.001-07:00

Glasvegas, Von Bondies, Audrye Sessions at The Blank Club

2009-06-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

Local radio station 104.9 must be doing something right. They've brought some really good acts to Downtown San Jose's The Blank Club recently. Last night was Scottish megastars Glasvegas, supported by Detroit rockers Von Bondies (their song "Come On" is featured on the Rescue Me TV show; Jack White of The White Stripes punched the lead singer in the face, etc.) and local boys Audrye Sessions, which had an amazing set. As always, The Wave was there to capture it all.

Exclusive invitation to ARITZIA pre-sale!

2009-06-11T16:18:00.000-07:00

The fashion forward femmes of Silicon Valley joyously heralded the arrival of Canadian boutique Aritzia at Westfield Valley Fair in late 2007. The female contingent at The Wave has been shopping there regularly ever since, so it's our privilege to share with you a special pre-sale invitation from our good friends at Aritzia.

Simply print or download the vouchers below and bring them to the store for 20-50% off Spring/Summer must-haves from the store's assortment of edgy, trend-conscious labels.

Please join us at our special Private Pre-Sale June 12-17th, 2009. Shop our discounts before anyone else. Up to 20 - 50% off! Simply print out this invitation and present at the time of purchase.

Find the nearest Aritzia here.

Click here to invite your friends & family to the Pre-Sale and enter for a chance to win a $2500 Shopping Spree at Aritzia! One winner will be awarded per store.

The sale starts tomorrow, Fri. June 12, and runs through to Wed. June 17.

See you there!

Dine Downtown is an appetizing hit

2009-06-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

We just got word from the San Jose Downtown Association that the inaugural Dine Downtown event in San Jose is a huge success. The event goes through Saturday, June13, making this the last weekend to sample some of the best food Downtown has to offer. For a complete menu guide to the three-course prix fixe dinners, go here.

Here's what some of the restaurants are saying about this amazing epicurean event:

Morocco's – Sham and Jay
Dine Downtown has been a blessing for our operation and we both are so thankful for it. From the bite kick off and the amazing traffic it generated. So many downtowners were so surprised to find out about us and that we have been around for 1 year. This event has allowed Morocco's to be advertised at levels that we just can not afford. Thank you once again for this great event.

Downtown Britannia Arms - Margaret
We didn't do as much at weekend as we did during the week. But still good.

Paolo’s - Carolyn
Seems that the promotion is going well although I have to say it is harder to gauge last week since there was a speaker at the CPA on Thursday and Bocelli at the Arena on Saturday which made those nights huge and may skew the stats a bit. This week may be more of a true indicator.

Inside The Grill on the Alley, by Chris Schmauch

The Grill - John
Over the weekend, they served more than 100 prix fixe dinners. They had a good turn out for the city bites which they served in their bar area. A lot of people asked for their menus. Overall the promotion is going well.

Mortons - Frances
They have served more than 100 prix fixe dinners so far.

Billy Berk’s - Brad
It's going very well for us, so far. I am thinking of how to do this year round.

PF Changs - Todd
They had a great weekend. On Sunday night, the manager talked to at least 10 tables that were there because of the promotion, and that was only during a short window of time.

Inside A.P. Stump's, by Chris Schmauch

AP Stumps - Shona
We have been very busy with restaurant week- which is great! They’ve had to alter their menu a little to keep up with the prix fixe orders and have already gone thru 100 customer surveys.

Fahrenheit - Eric
Its going great for us. We have seen a good 25% increase in food sales last week, with many tables per event coming in specifically for this program. We have done many programs with the downtown association over the past 4 years, and this has been the most successful by far.

SubZERO festival in Downtown San Jose

2009-06-05T19:55:00.000-07:00

After gloomy weather the skies cleared up in time for the SubZERO art festival in San Jose's SoFA district. The blocked streets made way for dozens of booths and vendors, a couple of stages for live music, and of course tons of live street art, from performers to painters to just plain strange folk doing strange things. The SJ Fixed crew has a cool booth set up. During the early evening hours they had the largest crowd by a long shot, packing the street with bikes. The fest is still going on, so if you're reading this and it's still Friday, June 5, you should pack up and head to Downtown San Jose, as the street fest goes strong until around midnight. And as soon as the sun goes down, it's going to get even wilder. See you all there!

Be a part of the Exit: Stage Left live stream!

2009-06-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

For those who don't know, EXIT: Stage Left will stream their season finale LIVE on the internet, something that has never been done before for a show like this. To be a part of the live broadcast audience filmed at San Jose State University, email tickets@lowrytheatercompany.com to request tickets. To read The Wave article about the show and the live event, go here. In the meantime, check out this quirky video of the event starring EXIT director Sinohui Hinojosa and lead actor Michael Navarra.

The Thermals play San Jose's Blank Club

2009-05-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

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:

Ida Maria live at San Jose's Blank Club

2009-04-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

You've heard it on the raido: a punky, poppy, rocking Scandinavian girl named Ida Maria screaming, "I like you so much better when you're naked / I like me so much better when you're naked." Somehow 104.9 and Blank Club were able to bring this sensational musician to Downtown San Jose on Thursday night for one of the best live sets we've ever seen. Ever.

Sounding like a British incarnation of Janis Joplin, Ida Maria's gravely yet mellifluous vocals and energy exploded on stage, sending the crowd into a frenzy and converting skeptics to the exceptional sound that emanates from this four piece.

Interestingly, Ida Maria is said to have a rare condition known as synesthesia, in which she actually sees colors when she hears music. It's something that Jimi Hendrix raved about when he took psychedelics. For Ida Maria, it just comes naturally. The result is a vibe like nothing else, a confidence unmatched and a sound so colorful, it's intoxicating.

And let's not forget about Suicidal Barfly, which played again last Wednesday. Here's a video of a new song. And go here for their set from two weeks ago.

Passport weekend: wine tasting in the Santa Cruz Mountains

2009-04-21T15:07:00.001-07:00

The wine passport program put on by the Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association is a great way to discover local wineries and, above all, sample delicious local wine. Every third Saturday in January, April, July and November, passport holders are invited to explore dozens of wineries, indulge in free wine tastings and enjoy the majestic scenery that rivals any locale in the Napa Valley.

On this particular weekend in April, we visited Ridge Winery in Cupertino for some fabulous Zinfandel; the beautiful Cupertino home of the Naumann's for some exquisite Chardonnay and Merlot; the peacock farm of Picchetti Winery in Cupertino for some Red Pavone; and finally the horse ranch and stables of Cooper-Garrod in Saratoga for some unforgettable Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Passports are a reasonable $40 and last until every winery in the book is stamped. You can purchase one at any of the participating wineries, or here.

For now, a few pictures of what you can expect:

The picnic area overlooking Downtown San Jose (pictured up top) at Ridge Vineyards.

Some highly sought-after Ridge Zinfandel in the sunshine...

Some old vines at Ridge Vineyards. At this height, looking to the left, you can see all the way to Oakland.

The spectacular home of the Naumann's, who kindly open their domicile up for wine tasting. They specialize in Merlot, with the vineyard resting just below their house.

A view from the Naumann's porch.

At the Picchetti Winery, there are roaming peacock's everywhere! What a site!

This one was either protecting it's property or was trying to hit on me. I'm not sure.

The tasting room at Picchetti is warmly lit and inviting. I recommend the Pavone, which means peacock in Italian.

An old Ford rests sluggishly at the Cooper-Garrod winery. Why are there so many abandoned cars in Silicon Valley?

The winery is also a working ranch, with dozens of horses! Look for our feature on horseback riding lessons in the new issue out April 27.

A chat with Mark Tran, director of All About Dad

2009-04-14T14:25:00.001-07:00

Winning the Cinequest 19 Audience Choice Award has meant nothing but good things for San Jose local Mark Tran, the young writer and director of the hit film All About Dad. The film, which was shot right here in San Jose, makes its theatrical debut at Camera 3 on Apr. 17 - 23. Check out the trailer below. We had a brief conversation with the talented movie maker about his new film project, the response to All About Dad and where to find the best Vietnamese food in San Jose.

The Wave: How are things going?

Mark Tran: It’s been busy. Reading a script for a new feature I’m doing. It’s a Vietnam crime drama about Vietnamese gangsters in the early ’90s.

TW: Is it autobiographical like All About Dad?

MT: No, no. [Laughs] Well, not anymore. I try to stay off the radar. [Laughs]

TW: Your film All About Dad is making its theatrical debut at Camera 3 in San Jose on April 17 – 23. What does it feel like to have the success you’ve had in your hometown?

MT: It’s intimidating to be in the spotlight here, but at the same time it’s great to get support from the local community, from where I grew up, from the faculty. I can rely on this built-in audience. I’m relying on the merit of the film here.

TW: We heard it will screen at Camera 12 for two weeks if all goes well; is that correct?

MT: It will play an extra two weeks depending on ticket sales and reviews. We haven’t had the film reviewed in any major newspapers yet. In order to have it play at Camera 12 we need to buy a film print, which costs about $25,000. That’s a good portion of the entire budget of the film.

TW: How much did the film cost to make?

MT: All I can say is that it was made for under $100,000 and above $1.

TW: Did Wes Anderson have a big influence on you and the film?

MT: Absolutely. I’d say he had a big influence on the film, his visual style, the awkward silence moments, and the fact that there are no villains. But I’d say films in general had a big influence on me.

TW: Does your new project have a title yet?

MT: Saigon, California.

TW: Is it a strait up crime drama or is there any dark comedy?

MT: I’d say there’s always room for some comedy, or a character with comic relief. The script was already written though. It’s the first time I’ve ever directed something that’s not my own.

TW: Have you learned a lot since All About Dad?

MT: A lot. I was 22 when I directed All About Dad. It was my first feature. I learned how to speak to actors, learned about writing, how to handle myself on the set. With All About Dad the big thing I learned was to never compromise unless I had to.

TW: Where’s a good place to eat Vietnamese food in San Jose?

MT: I like going to Vung Tau on Santa Clara Street. Really great food. I love it. I eat there a lot.

TW: What would be your dream situation with All About Dad? What would you like to see happen with the film?

MT: It’s tough to say. I’m just trying to stay grounded right now. What already happened exceeded my wildest dreams. What came out was a very good and enjoyable film and I just hope to get it into more theaters. It’s not just for Asian audiences. It’s for people in general. There are so many characters that a lot of people connect with.

Day Tripping in Silicon Valley: Mount Umunhum

2009-04-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

Ever the ardent Silicon Valley adventurers, we took a scenic trip up to Mount Umunhum today and felt like we could almost touch the clouds. It's a long, winding drive up into the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve, but the views of Downtown San Jose (above) and Mountain View are well worth it. Since it takes so long to get up there, it's best to begin with lunch in Los Gatos like we did. Although there are tons of dining options in Los Gatos, we opted for some delicious Indian food from Tandoori Oven (133 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos 408-395-1784).

Forbes Mill Steakhouse

A great dive bar: Black Watch, 141 1/2 N. Santa Cruz Ave. Los Gatos (408) 354-2200

Tandoori Oven ...

... has great artwork inside...

...of elephants...

...and giraffes.

Mr. Pickle's (151 N Santa Cruz AveLos Gatos 408-395-8800) has some of the best sandwiches around. So it's no wonder they made our Hit List.

Salon MonaLisa (151 N Santa Cruz Ave. Ste. A, Los Gatos 408-395-1331)

On your way up to Mount Umunhum the reservoir off Kennedy Road outside Los Gatos is a great place to pull over and stretch your legs.

Father and son walking on the reservoir dam.

Can you guess what these are?

About a dozen pairs of shoes!

The main entrance to the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve.

Why are there always abandoned cars in the mountains around here? This one had that creepy horror film feel about it.

This is your reward for the long journey. You can practically touch the clouds!

Beards for Tears: A Hair Raising Event

2009-04-05T18:52:00.000-07:00

Usually, two guys shaving off their beards on a Sunday afternoon isn’t exactly newsworthy. But in the case of bearded men Jon Sontag (far right) and Greg Miller (far left), it was exactly that! The Mercury News (and The Wave Magazine, of course!) showed up to cover the event because the two have been growing beards for charity for the past seven months. Jon (who happens to be The Wave Mag’s esteemed graphic designer) and Greg paired up with charitable organization Water Wells for Africa and started what they dubbed their “Beards for Tears” campaign. Over the course of seven months, Jon and Greg refrained from shaving, and asked people to sponsor their beard-growing efforts. Today, Sunday April 5, was the official end of the beard-a-thon, and the ceremonial shaving of the guys’ impressive facial hair growth. Water Wells for Africa representative Travis was on had to collect the $3,000 Jon and Greg raised through their hirsute fundraising pursuit. The money will help build a well for a village in Africa, offering access to much-needed clean drinking water. Keep an eye out for the guys on the front page of The Merc’s The Valley section on Monday April 6, and if you’d like to find out more about the campaign or donate money to this worthy cause, go to www.beardsfortears.com or www.waterwellsforafrica.org.

This Weekend in Silicon Valley

2009-04-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

Annual Bridal Faire, photo by Chris Schmauch

[ 4/3 ] FRIDAY

The California Home, Garden and Patio Show
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Rd., San Jose
April 3-5: Get out your “to do” lists and get on over to the California Home, Garden and Patio Show, where you can get all your home and garden questions answered while strolling through hundreds of exhibits, along with a chance at winning prizes, demonstrations and antique appraisals.

Bike Night at Rancho
Rancho Canada del Oro, 399 Casa Loma Rd., Morgan Hill (408) 226-3175
April 3: Attention, mountain bikers: We have something very special and fun for you. Tonight, and tonight only, there will be access to more than eight miles of open space trails! Safety equipment and event briefing required: 7-10:30pm

Shakespeare’s Most Wanted
Theatre on San Pedro Square, 29 N. San Pedro St., Ste. 200, San Jose (408) 979-0231
April 3-5: Horror and hilarity beckons as Shakespeare’s worst villains are presented with evidence of their wrongdoings to the audience.

[ 4/4 ] SATURDAY

Santa Clara Valley Quilt Show
Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Pkwy., Santa Clara
April 4-5: If you’re a fan of the quilt, you need to make your way to the Santa Clara Valley Quilt Show, where they’ll have hundreds of quilts and garments on display, along with booths offering services and goods for all your quilting needs.

Sixth Annual Model Trains and Planes
Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Rd., San Carlos (650) 654-0200
April 4-17: If you’re a model train lover, you won’t want to miss this. You’ll have a chance to view exquisitely crafted H-O model trains as they putt around miniature landscapes, scenery, and villages of Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, and other European countries: 10am-5pm

Juerga
Hoover Historic Theater, 1635 Park Ave., San Jose
April 4: Join The Flamenco Society of San Jose for an evening of what else… flamenco dancing!: 7pm

[ 4/5 ] SUNDAY

FC Gold Pride opening day!
Buck Shaw Stadium-Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara
April 5: Come on out and support the FC Gold Pride inaugural 2009 Women’s Professional Soccer season as they welcome the Boston Breakers to Buck Shaw Stadium with a butt kicking!: 3pm

Annual Bridal Faire
Los Gatos Lodge Hotel, 50 Los Gatos Rd., Los Gatos (408) 354-3300
April 5: Steer your pumpkin coach to this Cinderella’s ball of bridal info, plus you could win prizes, receive giveaways and much, much more!: 11am-3pm

The California Home, Garden and Patio Show
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Rd., San Jose
April 3-5: Get out your “to do” lists and get on over to the California Home, Garden and Patio Show, where you can get all your home and garden questions answered while strolling through hundreds of exhibits, along with a chance at winning prizes, demonstrations and antique appraisals.

Way Up High: The Wave hops an airship to cruise over the valley.

2009-04-02T19:56:00.000-07:00

The Wave had a unique opportunity today to join Airship Ventures for a quick spin around the sky in a zeppelin 1,000 feet above the valley. The airship -- one of only four in the world and the only one in the United States -- has a top speed of about 40mph. The ride is smooth, like a large sailboat in the sky, lolling about on gentle waves of air. The cabin holds 12 passengers, plus two pilots, and we were allowed to walk around freely and even open two door windows and stick our cameras out for some amazing shots.

We were told that there is an airship in Germany and Japan, both of which operate for tourism, advertising and scientific and environmental surveilance purposes. The fourth airship, we're told, is used in Botswana to hunt for diamonds. That must be some big bling!

We heard unverifiable buzz about a special charter deal during the Maverick's surf contest. How cool would it be to cruise around in an airship above those massive waves? Stay tuned for that. Here are a few shots from the day.

Downtown Mountain View, City Hall

Shoreline Amphitheater

Upcoming: Downtown San Jose's North First Street

2009-03-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

A short detour today down North First Street in Downtown San Jose revealed the location of the much-anticipated Brazilian steakhouse Maceio. It sits right across the street from Paul J. Gonzalez's amazing mural of pandas in a bamboo forest. Next door is an interesting looking restaurant called Wow Noodle House & Juice Bar. We're hoping these two new dining spots will be open for the summer to further liven up Downtown. Here's a quick look at North First Street.

A mural by Paul J. Gonzalez

Maceio Brazilian steakhouse

Wow Noodle House & Juice Bar

Upcoming: It's All About Mountain View

2009-03-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Silicon Valley. And to be in one of the tech industry's main arteries was all the more beautiful. Mountain View, home to Google, will be the main feature in our upcoming issue, out April 6. With all it's restaurants and shops, Mountain View truly shines as a bright beacon of day and night entertainment in the valley. But you don't have to be a start-up prince or a microchip king to enjoy the spoils of quaint Mountain View. All you have to be is susceptible to the flattery of sunshine, friendly people and abundant food and shopping locales. Stay tuned for the upcoming issue all about Mountain View!

The inside of the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

We're doing a Hi-Tech dining piece that includes uWink, an interactive dining experience created by Silicon Valley's original golden boy and founder of Atari Nolan Bushnell. Design Director Chris Schmauch and I ate here yesterday. We ordered our drinks and food right at the table via a touchscreen tablet! The cuisine was delicious (tortilla soup and caesar salad; garlic pasta) and the games were fun! We both favored the trivia on Zillionaire.

This Weekend in Silicon Valley: rap, sports, chili and Lily Tomlin

2009-03-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Livenation

[ 3/27 ] FRIDAY

Lil’ Wayne

HP Pavilion, 525 W. Santa Clara, San Jose
March 27: What can you say about Lil’ Wayne that hasn’t been said, he’s simply the voice of a generation: 7pm

[ 3/28 ] SATURDAY

Landon Donovan, courtesy of SJ Earthquakes

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Houston Dynamo
Buck Shaw Stadium-Santa Clara University
March 28: The Houston Dynamo will get DYNOMITED when they take on our San Jose Earthquakes: 7:30pm

San Jose Police Chief’s Chili Challenge
Club Auto Sport, 521 Charcot Ave., San Jose
March 28: The San Jose Police Department and San Jose Fire Department will be battling for bragging rights over who can make the best chili in Silicon Valley. Attendees will also enjoy wine, appetizers, live music, car show and, of course, wonderful bowls of chili!: Funds raised benefit the SJPOA Charitable Foundation: 5pm

Travis Gillespie, courtesy of SJ Stealth

San Jose Stealth vs. Portland Lumberjax
HP Pavilion, 525 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose
March 28: Tiiiiimmmmbbbbeeerrrr… what’s that the sound of? It’s the Portland Lumberjax getting cut down to size by our very own San Jose Stealth!:12:30pm

Home & Garden Expo 2009

Cocoanut Grove, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz

March 28-29: A mega home improvement show featuring the latest in interior design, gardening, landscaping, kitchenware, household textiles, and cutting-edge alternative living concepts: 10am-5pm

[ 3/29 ] SUNDAY

Courtesy Fox Theatre

Lily Tomlin

Fox Theatre, 2215 Broadway, Redwood City (650) 369-4119

March 29: Join the ultra hilarious Lily Tomlin and her mega bank of characters as she discusses life, love, and pop culture: 7:30pm

SXSW Day Four: traffic, crowds, heat, the end and three Israelis that shocked Austin.

2009-03-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

Monotonix at Waterloo Park

Andy Cabic, the lead singer/songwriter of Vetiver, told me that trying to write about music is like trying to dance about architecture. And after four days of trying to make sense of the South by Southwest music festival, I'm finally understanding what he means. There are few words to describe the chaos surrounding this event. The only thing you can do is try to document and capture what is presented in front of you. I guess that's actually the point of this whole thing. There's no purpose here, other than to entertain. Sure, you can get into all the underlying monetary issues, and try to delve deep into the struggles that musicians face, or the backroom dealing that's going on all over town by greedy record executives looking for the "next big thing." But if you go that route, I assure you, you are missing the point. All you need to do is read the bumper stickers, posters and T-shirts, proudly urging all citizens to "Keep Austin Weird."

And nothing can be weirder than Monotonix, an Israeli threesome proned to lude acts on stage, perpetual crowd surfing atop drum kits, and a tendency to leave a venue while still playing their instruments, taking the party outside into the streets to climb on street signs and building edifices. Check out the last set of pics and viideo below.

Or, The Whale at The Wave nightclub

Ann Yu of LovelikeFire

Vetiver at The Wave nightclub

Maus Haus (San Francisco) at The Wave nightclub

Dizzy Balloon (San Francisco)

Dizzy Balloon

Waterloo Park crowd

Dizzy Pilot from Houston, TX

Bill Kenney of Dizzy Pilot

Dizzy Pilot

Video of Monotonix at The Mohawk:

SXSW Day Three: videos and the Bay Area represents

2009-03-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are some videos of live SXSW 2009 performances. My personal favorite so far has got to be LovelikeFire from San Francisco. They have everything: energy, charisma, talent, a strikingly beautiful lead female singer and a sound that rivals the biggest acts out there.

Interviews with musicians proved a bit difficult, as the general controlled chaos of each event dictates that bands have to rush to set up, blast through their performance, then scramble to pack up and locate their next venue, only to repeat the process. During Vetiver's last song, lead singer Andy Cabic said they somehow had to pack up all their stuff and make it over to the University of Houston campus in 30 minutes to perform live on the radio. I presume they were horribly late.

At any rate, the festival is an amazing experience. It's rare that hipsters, freaks, musicians, weirdos, rockers and the like are ever given free reign over a downtown populous, yet here we are, packing the streets and bars with bright, colorful creativity. During the five days I've been here, the economy has never come up in conversation. And for good reason: the people here know that whatever happens outside this epicenter of weirdness, we will still be able to sustain ourselves on good music, friendly people and plenty free beer and barbecue.

The Thermals performing "I Let It Go" at the Historic French Legion park

The Thermals performing "Returning to the Fold" at the Historic French Legion park.

Cursive performing live at the Historic French Legion park.

Cursive performing "Some Red Handed Sleight of Hand" at the Historic French Legion park.

SFxSXSW: Bay Area bands gather at The Wave nightclub on Sixth St.

The Stone Foxes

Vetiver on the rooftop.

LovelikeFire

Or, the Whale

SXSW Day Two: better late than never...

2009-03-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

It was a hot one down in Austin as day two of South by Southwest kicked off early. The music and mayhem began at 10am, with venues all over the city hosting numerous bands, endless barbecue and scores of sun-drenched music fans. By late afternoon the lucky ones heard about a free lawn party at the Historic French Legion park on San Marcos St. It was a great place to grab some shade and watch about two dozen bands perform. The notables were Cursive and The Thermals. (Unfortunately, the WiFi in Austin hasn't proven to be very reliable, so uploading video has been a hastle. But we'll get to that soon enough -- The Thermals, Cursive, The Stone Foxes and more). For now, here are some pictures of day two. Enjoy and stay tuned for coverage of SFxSXSW, the Bay Area's own party down here in Austin, Tx. Yee-haw!

Ume, from Houston, TX

Best name for a hot dog stand!

The Jackalope

Out on the back patio at The Jackalope

This truck travels all over the country handing out free ice cream!

Lawn party at the Historic French Legion park.

Kathy Foster of The Thermals

Hutch Harris of The Thermals

Death metal pizza?

Golden Error at Ms. Beas

Golden Error

The freaks come out...

Parts of Sixth Street look like San Francisco

SXSW Day One: sunshine, freaks, mudbugs and live music

2009-03-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

The music portion of SXSW began today as hundreds of musicians, fans and freaks took to the streets of downtown Austin to drink ice cold Lone Star beers and watch dozens and dozens of little-to-unknown bands try to generate buzz for their music. It's early, still, about 8pm, but there is no sign of things slowing down anytime soon. Here, the party goes on for days, nonstop, with more than a few hundred bands set to take to the stages, streetcorrners, bartops, sidewalks, back alleys, public transportation and anywhere else deemed fitting for a live performance.

The Wave is taking a break from the madness to post a few pictures and a video taken at The Mohawk of an intersting band called The Mae Shi, a Los Angeles foursome with curious amounts of energy and equal amounts of strange face-making antics. Stay tuned. We're heading out later tonight to check out some more music and craziness.

We watched Watchmen

2009-03-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

Seen Watchmen yet? If not, read our take on it. And before you go, see the interviews with stars Billy Crudup (Dr. Manhattan) and Malin Akerman (Silk Spectre II) in the current issue of The Wave Magazine, at www.thewavemag.com.

SYNOPSIS:
In an alternate 1985 America, costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday life, and the Doomsday Clock (which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union) is permanently set at five minutes to midnight). Following the murder of one of his former costume-clad colleagues, the masked vigilante Rorschach’s paranoia pays off, when he uncovers a plot to assassinate all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his onetime fellow crime-fighters – a ragtag group of washed up superheroes, only one of whom has any special “powers” – Rorschach glimpses a disturbing conspiracy with links to their past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity... but who is watching the Watchmen?

REVIEW:
This cinematic adaptation of the legendary graphic novel is at once intense, enigmatic, romantic and magically surreal, not to mention explicitly bloody. The first 10 minutes alone are worthy of the ticket price, as the back story of the tale’s dystopian society (it’s the 1980s, Nixon is still president) unfolds in a stylish montage set to Bob Dylan’s anthemic track “The Times, They Are A’ Changin.” Squeamish viewers will have trouble with more than one scene later in the film – the violence is at times unrelenting, and always unsettling. But the story’s concept is so intriguing, and so cleverly avoids any superhero clichés, the film remains captivating in spite of the graphic (pardon the pun) violence.

Cast wise, the actors may not be household names, but all give solid performances. Notable is Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian – his tortured chuckle and tragic timing makes The Dark Knight’s Joker seem positively cheery. Also noteworthy is Oscar nominee Jackie Earle Haley as the implacable vigilante Rorschach, who hides his identity behind an intriguing, ever-morphing ink-blot mask. Rorschach may be the catalyst behind much of the film’s cringe-inducing violence, but he also gets some of the most killer lines. In the hands of a less nuanced actor, the inconspicuous Dan Dreiberg (who when suited up is nice guy hero Night Owl II), could have come across as self-pitying, but acclaimed performer Patrick Wilson’s portrayal is warm and endearing. On the female front, Malin Akerman is solid and sweet as onetime superheroine Silk Spectre II, while Carla Gugino manages to overcome an overdone aged makeup job to lend dignity to mark two’s mother, the original Silk Spectre – now wasting away in a retirement home on a diet of nostalgia and noontime margaritas.

Billy Crudup is rendered unrecognizable as the mysterious and mesmerizing Dr. Manhattan, although we do see him in some flashbacks, before he became a glowing, well-built blue man with the ability to control matter. While his inability to connect with, and sometimes comprehend, human emotions and frailty makes him an at times frustrating character, his confusion adds to the philosophical slant of the tale, which views humanity as both mindlessly violent and amoral, yet also capable of being courageous and noble.

Anyone buying tickets to this film will no doubt expect the usual ingredients of a graphic novel’s cinematic adaptation: bone shattering, blood spattering violence, insane special effects and lots of sexy, world-in-peril drama. That’s here in spades, but the flipside of this tale’s doomsday, brink of nuclear violence scenario also makes for some surprisingly poignant moments, and even some soap opera style, skeletons-in-the-closet drama.

With its philosophical, sociopolitical tale getting garbled in the at-times disjointed screenplay, Watchmen may not be the most lucid, coherent tale to have hit the screens in recent times. But with its talented cast, impressive visuals, sublime use of music (everything from Bob Dylan and opera numbers to ’80s tracks such as “99 Luftballoons” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”); it remains nothing short of a triumph in the realm of cinematic experience.
-Jo Abbie

SXSW: Interview with Lisa Light of The Lovemakers

2009-03-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

Lisa Light and Scott Blonde of The Lovemakers

The Lovemakers – Lisa Light
SXSW shows: Mar. 20 @ The Wave (SFxSXSW showcase)

While many bands choose to stay up in San Francisco where the local music scene is more compact, this band has never let us down. Their frequent shows at The Blank Club are epic dance parties of sexual tension and gyrating pop tunes. “We always have so much fun in San Jose,” says Lovemakers singer Lisa Light. “People definitely know how to party down there. I think every town has a style of seeing a show, which can be capitalized upon in certain ways, so I think why we like playing there is people are really open to dancing and just kind of being a little bit rowdy.”

The Wave: So, what are you up to?
Lisa Light: Well, I’m lying in bed with my cat right now. I’m a little bit sick. No shows this week. We are leaving on a little short tour out to South by Southwest. We’re leaving on the 14th and we’re playing some California dates on the way out.

TW: Hope you feel better before that starts.
LL: I do too.

TW: Have y’all played SXSW before?
LL: Yeah. At least three times. It’s totally fun. I think the first time we went, before we were on Interscope, we were just kind of doing our own thing and crashed the town and played some college dorms. So that was our introduction, because we didn’t know what was going on or how it was supposed to work.

TW: Was that when Times of Romance was out?
LL: No, this was before that when we had our self-titled record out. It’s always just so hectic that it’s best to have no expectations except for parking trouble and to just try to have a good time.

TW: Do y’all have time to relax and wander around the town?
LL: Austin is different because it’s just like a big party and we have to be there for a few days, so there’s time to wander around. Touring in general there’s not really any time for anything because it’s just always in the car.

TW: Do you enjoy touring?
LL: It’s a band of fun versus hard work, a lot of boredom and driving. It’s just like its own class of living. I’m sure people have weird ideas about what it’s like. It’s 15 hours in a van, you get to live your life for 45 minutes each day, but those 45 minutes are what you’re there to do. It’s really cool to play every day and get into a groove of performing really well and being really comfortable on stage. But everything is always changing and the more you play in a row things just gel. And then of course there’s always weird sh** that happens that would never happen if you were just sitting at home.

[Eds. note: Due to space, and time, Ms. Light's long anecdote about playing a police officer's benefit concert deep in the Australian Outback was removed.]

TW: Let’s Be Friend is the new album. Is it still slated for a summer release date?
LL: I don’t know. We just got done mixing. We’re actually shopping it right now, meaning we’re looking for a label to put it out. So that’s what is pretty much happening now. Talking House is a production house, they are also a label, but to a lesser extent. It’s possible we could put our record out with Talking House, but we’re just exploring some options.

TW: Can you tell me about the sound?
LL: It is a lot of pop songs, as we do. If you were to play it side by side with Times of Romance I’d say it’s a little more rockin’ and a little more raw sounding, however, it’s similar, we have the same person mixing, Cliff Norell, so sonically it’s similar, and kind of how we always do a little bit of this, a little bit of that. There’s a few ballads as well. It’s kind of what you’d expect from us, lots of dancing numbers and weird off-the-cuff stuff.

TW: Y’all just played the Blank Club in February. You play there a lot and are kind of one of the few bands that still come down to San Jose and doesn’t forget about us down here.
LL: Well, we always have so much fun! There’s always a really good crowd down there. People definitely know how to party down there. I think every town has a style of seeing a show, which can be capitalized upon in certain ways, so I think why we like playing there is people are really open to dancing and just kind of being a little bit rowdy.

SXSW: Interview with Spence Koehler of The Stone Foxes

2009-03-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

You simply can’t talk about 2009 buzz bands with out mentioning this blues-driven rock quartet from San Francisco. Their self-recorded album is raw but surprisingly well-produced, and its dirty, melodic slide guitar ambience sounds like what Springsteen would have done if he grew up in a steel factory community in Russia.

The Stone Foxes – Spence Koehler
SXSW shows:
Mar. 20 @ The Wave (SFxSXSW showcase)
Upcoming show:
Apr. 25 @ The Independent in San Fran; May 28 @ The Starry Plough in Berkeley

TW: So what have y’all been up to?
SK: Just gearing up for South by Southwest.

TW: Are y’all excited?
SK: Yeah. It’s kind of an honor to get asked by Talking House and the Live 105 to be in on their showcase. I’m pretty sure it’s Talking House’s showcase and Live 105 is cohosting or sponsoring it. So that’s how it got us there. We’ve got two booked so far. And we’ll just see how it goes from there.

TW: Are y’all taking a bus? Flying?
SK: We recently bought a sweet 15-passenger van so we’re going to truck it down there.
In January we did a two-week tour of the entire West, like down through LA and then out to Phoenix then Vegas, then up through Boise, up to Seattle and back down. But we did that in two of our own cars, so we decided that we needed a van to get out there. And we got this enormous ’91 Dodge Ram van, so we named it the White Whale. That’s going to be our ride. We’ve taken it down to LA and San Diego so we’ve deemed it road worthy. We took out the back bench, so we’ve got a drive, passenger and two bench seats and then all the gear in the back.

TW: Do y’all make it down to the South Bay at all?
SK: Every once in a while. We’ve played there. I’ve got a cousin down there and know different people down there, but we haven’t played there that much. We’d love to. We just haven’t had any booking offers.

TW: Tell me about the music; are y’all partial to any categories or genres?
SK: Everything we play seems to be based in the blues, whether it goes toward rock ’n’ roll or toward country a little bit. More electric blues for sure. Lots of slide and real over-driven dirty blues. Also the raw tunes we write are loosely structured in the blues so it’s like blues, rock, roll and country I’d say.

TW: When did the self-titled album come out?
SK: We started recording it in April and we just did it in our garage, just wanting to document what we had so far, didn’t really have big plans for it. We recorded it all ourselves and mixed everything ourselves and once we had it mixed it sounded pretty decent so we pooled some more money together to get it mastered and some people started liking it so we put that out in August and have since gotten some great managers who’ve helped push it to radio and other venues and kind of really helped us out.

TW: Are y’all still playing tracks off that album or will there be new stuff in Texas?
SK: There’s going to be new stuff for sure. I think even on the tour in January a third of the set was new at some shows. So we’ve written a lot since then. There’s a lot in the bag. We’ve been thinking summer might be the next time we record or maybe do some touring. But we’ve got some pretty sweet and exciting material that we’re all developing, playing it out and giving it all kinds of tune up.

TW: There’s a lot of buzz around The Stone Foxes. You have Aaron Axelson raving about it, a lot of press calling it a great buzz band for early 2009, is this something y’all pay attention to, does it stress you out, or all you just going with the flow?
SK: It’s kind of exciting. This is something that we do for fun and for people to respect it and get excited about it then that’s fun; we’re glad that people like the music that comes out just naturally.

TW: And you all have jobs right now?
SK: Yeah. We’re all working day jobs. I work at a plant nursery up in Richmond in San Francisco. Everybody has got their own little thing that they’re doing. You kind of just got to find something that is fairly flexible so you can take off for a weekend or a week to go down to Austin, which I went to school for product design and when you’re building models or working on some big project for 70 hours a week you can’t really do that. You kind of have to find something you enjoy doing that’s going to give you some freedom to move around a little bit.

SXSW: Interview with Alex Robins of Or, the Whale

2009-03-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Or, the Whale – Alex Robins
SXSW shows:
Mar. 18, 1am @ The Independent
Mar. 20 @ The Wave (SFxSXSW showcase)
Upcoming Bay Area shows:
Mar. 28 @ Starry Plough in Berkeley;
Apr. 17 @ The Fillmore (green apple music festival); San Francisco

The Wave: So what are you up to, man?
AR: We were actually finishing mixing our new record that’s coming out in the fall last night. No official release date yet. It’ll probably be at the end of September. But we’re sort of still working towards that. It’s funny, we were mixing the record and I got a phone call from my fiancé saying she smelled gas in our apartment. So I came home and then basically smelled the gas also, I picked her up, I turned off the gas, we went to the studio to wait it out and I made a call to our gas company and now I have to wait here at home until they come out and see what’s up.

TW: Well, be sure to crack a window or something.
AR: Yeah, well it’s fine now. Everything’s fine now. It’s been off for twelve hours but it’s definitely not how I wanted to spend my day.

TW: Are you up in San Francisco?
AR: I live in San Francisco, yes.

TW: Are you from there?
AR: I’m not originally from here. I was born in Michigan, in Detroit, and I sort of lived there until I was a pretty little kid, I was like nine, and then my family, along with myself, moved to Southern California and I grew up from nine to 18 there, San Diego, and then I went back to college in Michigan, and then I came here. So I’ve basically spent half my life in Michigan and half my life in California.

TW: So where did you pick up on the country undertones to your music?
AR: It’s strange how much this genre of music gets put into a box. If someone’s into techno they don’t automatically think they’re from Detroit, which has a very reputable foundation in creating techno. Or if it’s very upbeat pop music it’s from a certain area. Plenty of bands have sang with quote-unquote fake British accents and no one thinks they’re from England. To me, country music is really just another form of music; it’s another genre of music that I think the more you limit and the more you pigeon hole it the more you’re cutting yourself off to all the possibilities of it. We all came collectively together with a love for just playing music as this big band and having a good time. I think that a lot of classic stuff like The Band and the Rolling Stones, it always seemed like a lot of fun to be in bands like that and just listening to the music you could feel the energy and feel the great down-home vibe and I think that’s very apparent to those types of records and those types of bands. When we got the band together it was very much trying to be like that and trying to create that kind of energy, that family band kind of atmosphere.

TW: Ever played down here in San Jose?
AR: I think we did one show down there and it was very strange. It was just not put together super well…but that’s a cop out. I think we should get our asses down there. It’s not very far and it’s a different city. I don’t think we should expect people from the South Bay to come up here. We should go out of our way.

TW: Have y’all played Texas before?
AR: We have played Texas. We’ve only had one national tour and we did it in the summer right after we originally released Light Poles and Pines. We released it ourselves and distributed it ourselves and it was very local, very low budget, a good way to get something we had and sell at shows and go on tour and sort of do it in the self-motivated world. We did a month-long tour around the country. We’re really excited about coming back to Austin. Everyone always says “You’d do great in Texas”

TW: The music seems kind of fitting.
AR: Yeah, and not only that, I don’t know if it’s necessarily limited to Texas. You want people to see you so we need to go there. People want to see us play music. We’re slowly becoming a better studio band, but we’ve always prided ourselves on being a good live band and it’s definitely a different story from Light Poles and Pines. That record was made two years ago, and we’re a far better band now in all walks of life. We’re really proud of it and it’s a great record and we’re happy with it. But in terms of the actual output and the product on it, we’re itching to get this next record out in the Fall.

TW: Do you have a title for it yet?
AR: I think we’re gonna just self title it. It’s sort of one of those things where it’s going to be our next band statement…and it’s also really hard to make decisions with seven people in the band with pretty much a democracy like we have; it’s very hard to get every one to agree on it. But I think that we’re sort of all in the same boat. It seems like the right thing to do. And people love to talk sh** about our name.

TW: It’s a Moby Dick reference, right?
AR: It is. People ask, “Well, why is there a comma there, what does Or, the Whale mean?”…and I appreciate that because at least it’s creating a reaction, you know? I think people either love it or hate it. I was reading some article about us coming up to Seattle and someone commented on the bottom of it, “Could this be the worst band name ever?” And it’s like, do you really sit at home and think about what could be the worst band name ever? Is this really it? I mean, come on, there are so many terrible band names out there.

TW: Who came up with it?
AR: Matt [Sartain] came up with it. We actually have three English majors in the band and I’m a history major. Some of us in the band have this affiliation with cool nautical stuff and had read Moby Dick and I’m a big Melville fan; he’s written some cool stuff, and I think that we were trying to pick pieces from lyrics we liked or songs we liked and it’s so hard because you’re basically saying this is what our music is going to represent. It’s very hard to narrow it down. We often get literary nerds, or emails from the Melville Society that are like we love your name and we got emailed by a couple of biologists from up in Seattle about narwhals and had a long conversations about it and I honestly feel like we’ve really sort of grown into the name. And I think the name really fits our band.

TW: Will you be playing a lot of the new material at SXSW?
AR: We’ll be splitting it up pretty evenly, because honestly these songs are relatively old to us. We’ve been playing most of them for at least eight months to a year but we definitely understand that songs off the first record have some great merit and there are some awesome songs on that record and we’re really stoked on them. With that said, I definitely think the newer songs feel fresher and feel a little more lively and a little more like us, considering that the older songs were some I wrote before the band even formed.

SXSW: Let the coverage begin!

2009-03-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

Vetiver, by Alissa Anderson

As promised, today begins our coverage of the ultimate music festival: South by Southwest. I will be heading down to Austin, Tx. on Monday, Mar. 16 to bring the festival directly to The Wave readers. In the meantime, I've been working feverishly to interview local Bay Area bands that will be making the trek to the Lone Star State as well. If you haven't seen it yet, here's the video interview with Los Gatos natives dredg. I'll meet back up with the experimental rockers next week to see how they're coping with SXSW.

Starting today, I'll be posting our pre-SXSW interviews with Bay Area bands. Stay tuned for interviews with Or, the Whale (Sunday); The Stone Foxes (Monday); and The Lovemakers (Tuesday). Beginning Wednesday, I'll be posting (as often as possible) all sorts of great stuff, from video interviews with bands to images and whatever else happens down there.

For now, here's Andy Cabic of Vetiver:

Andy Cabic (second from right) with Vetiver

SXSW shows:
Mar. 18, 10pm @ Emo’s Jr.
Mar. 19, 11pm @ Radio Room

Upcoming Bay Area shows:
Apr. 7, Santa Cruz @ The Crepe Place w/ Richard Swift
Apr. 8, San Francisco @ Great American Music Hall w/ Adam Stephens (of Two Gallants)
Apr. 15, San Francisco @ Palace of Fine Arts Theater w/ Fleet Foxes

The Wave: You’re about to head to Europe. What’s it liking playing there compared to here?

Andy Cabic: Hospitality is a little better. They treat musicians, generally speaking, much better than they do in the states. When I first used to play there, there was a lot more smoking, but that’s changed a lot from town to town, country to country. Other than that, they are more patient listeners I would say, but that might be the tendency of the venues we’ve played over there.

TW: Have you played in Austin before?

AC: It’s been a long time. We played once there in 2004. Never been to South by Southwest. We played with Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom.

TW: Are you excited about playing SXSW?

AC: It sounds like some kind of controlled chaos. I’m sort of apprehensive. Not nervous but just I don’t know what to expect. It’s not something that I ever really have been enthusiastic about doing but it seems like it makes sense to do it this year, so we’re going.

TW: Why not enthusiastic?

AC: It’s not my bag. My music isn’t suited for that, to be honest. It has dynamics so at times it might be suited for it, there’s also moments in our set that are quiet and contemplative and it’s just going to be a bunch of drunk people running around like crazies, so we’ll see how it works.

TW: Are you going to have time to check out Austin?

AC: I’ve been to Austin before. I’m not looking to check out any other bands. I’m just going there to play.

TW: You seem sometimes uncomfortable with putting a label or a genre on your music. Is that accurate?

AC: Introduce me to the person that loves to put a label on their music and I’d like to see what they find so exciting about that [laughs].

TW: Particularly with the music you play, it tends to incorporate a lot of different styles and moods, talents, do you ever find yourself having trouble describing it to people? Say you’re in Europe and you meet somebody in a hotel, they ask you what you do, you say you play music, they ask what kind…what would you say?

AC: Umm. I don’t. I say just go and listen to it. I guess if I’m forced to say something I say I’m a singer-songwriter, but that’s not very helpful either. So I don’t know. It's tricky. It's sort of like writing about music is like dancing about architecture. It's not easy to carry across...thenuances of what you're doing just have to be reductive.

TW: You grew up in Virginia and spent some time in North Carolina, but how big of an influence has the Bay Area been on your?

AC: It’s definitely my home now. It’s had a big influence on some of my music. Just the environment, the venues, everyone was very supportive when we were getting going and still are. It’s got a feeling and ease to it that makes creating and focusing on what you’re doing not difficult.

TW: You’ve said that you hear some songs and it reminds you of the bay or waking up in San Francisco on a sunny morning, do those kinds of tangible placements effect you when you’re writing music, do you feel they are coming out through your music?

AC: I hope so. That would be nice. I tend to write songs with some of the rhythm that I usually get when I’m home in the midst of daily living, which would be like going on walks and hanging out with friends and stuff. So that’s what I do when I’m home and I think that does have an impact on my song writing.

TW: What can you tell us about your new album Tight Knit?

AC: Tell you about it? What do you want to know?

TW: You’ve said that recording Things of the Past was such an enjoyable experience. Was it similar for your new album?

AC: It was made pretty much the same way, at the same studio, with the same instrumental gear, and the same people playing on it, so Thing of the Past was sort of an effort, an experiment, to gear up for Tight Knit. So it kind of went along the same lines as that one, how that one went.

TW: Did you take any divergent paths in creating some of the songs on the album or do you feel it’s pretty much has the feel you were going for and that you’ve come to embody in you music.

AC: I’d say so. It’s not like I was trying to reinvent anything or do anything…it’s got sort of more layered arrangements; it’s got different instrumentation; it has different sonic range of treble and such that maybe wasn’t quite explored on other records. It’s got everybody playing together and comfortably and I think we’ve learned a lot from playing with each other. It’s the fourth record I’ve done with Tom so at this point I think we were able to bring all the things we’ve picked up on over the years.

TW: You’ve said you tend to take time with your music when you’re writing, is that a conscious choice that you make, has it ever frustrated you that you take so much time in crafting and producing albums?

AC: It’s not a conscious choice, well, every choice you make is a conscious choice. If I decide right now to go play tennis, then I’m deciding to not go work on a song. So it’s just that kind of thing. You decide to engage in life, then you’re deciding not to sit at a keyboard at home. But I don’t get frustrated about it. It’s just living your life and I’m not in any hurry. I just take it as it goes.

This Weekend in Silicon Valley:

2009-03-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

It's is going to be nice this weekend. Really nice. So why not turn off the TV and head out into the world to experience Silicon Valley at its finest? There are concerts, fairs, parades and more. See for yourself...

[ 3/13 ] FRIDAY

San Jose Home Show
San Jose McEnery Convention Center, 150 W. San Carlos St., San Jose (888) 560-EXPO
March 13-15: Attention, home owners: You’ll find the latest in everything to make your home and garden look spectacular with, exhibits, seminars, and aisles of vendors to answer your home care needs.

Gem Faire
Alameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton
March 13-15: More than 100 exhibitors from all over the world will be offering the best deals west of the Mississippi on jewelry, gems, beads, crystals, silver and minerals and more.

Our Town
Heritage Theatre, One W. Campbell Ave., Campbell (408) 866-2700
March 13-15: Campbell Theatre Company presents Thornton Wilder’s timeless portrayal of family, marriage and small-town life.

[ 3/14 ] SATURDAY

Photo by Joshua Uziel

The Mumlers
The Blank Club, 44 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose (408) 29-BLANK
March 14: Don't miss these San Jose folk indie rockers perform at one of Downtown's finest live music venues. For an interview with lead singer and songwriter Will Sprott, go here.

San Jose Super Toy, Comic & Record Show
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Rd., San Jose
March 14: Are you an Easy-Bake Oven collector, or are you just looking for a new ViewMaster Viewer? Either way, the San Jose Super Toy Show will have what you need, featuring more than 200 toy, comic book and record vendors selling new and vintage items.

The Great Gatsby Rummage Sale
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds-Expo Hall, 344 Tully Rd., San Jose
March 14: It’s all about “rummaging” at this year’s Great Gatsby Rummage Sale, featuring furniture, children’s clothing, computers, house wares, and much, much more!: 8am-Noon

The 158th Annual San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Market St. and Civic Center Plaza, San Francisco (415) 395-3417
March 14: A huge parade with floats, dancers and bagpipes followed by a festival featuring arts & crafts, food, beverages, children’s activities and much more: 11:30am

[ 3/15 ] SUNDAY

Jazz on The Wharf
Santa Cruz Wharf, Beach St., Santa Cruz (831) 420-5273
March 15: Dance on the wharf to great jazz, along with food and activities for the kids: 11:30am-5:30pm

Courtesy of California Pops Orchestra

Carol Channing in Concert With The California Pops Orchestra
Venture Christian Church Theater, 16845 Hicks Rd., Los Gatos (650) 856-8432
March 15: The California Pops Orchestra would like to welcome Carol Channing for a night of humorous storytelling and music: 3pm

Fantabulous Events Bridal Show
Hilton Hotel, 4949 Great American Pkwy., Santa Clara
March 15: So he popped the question. Are you popping with planning stress? Head over to the Fantabulous Events bridal show to see the latest in formal wear, wedding cakes, gowns and much more: 11am-4pm

Sunday Salsa: Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Memorial Auditorium, 551 Serra Mall, Stanford University (650) 725-ARTS
March 15: Prepare to have your mind blown by one of the baddest orchestras around. That’s right, please welcome the Spanish Harlem Orchestra!: 2:30pm

San Jose film makers have a hit with Whiskey Tears

2009-03-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

A great short film shot on location in Downtown San Jose premiered last Friday night at San Jose's Voodoo Lounge. The film, presented by Element 151, won the crowd over with its booze-riddled plot line and rock-a-billy characters played by Eric Callero, Brittany Dawn Tilleman, Bianca Pegg and Brad Kranich. After the film screened, local bands The Pimpsticks, Shitkickers and Whiskey Avengers performed. The latter two were featured heavily in the film's soundtrack. The film makers, writer and producer Chante Cardosa and director Frank Door, are shopping around for distribution now so keep an eye out for it in the near future. Check out the movie trailer and an interview with the cast and crew.

The trailer:

Whiskey Tears - Teaser

The interview:
with (from left) screenplay writer and producer Chante Cardosa; actors Brad Kranich and Bianca Pegg; and director Frank Door.

SXSW: The Wave gears up for the ultimate music festival down in Austin, Tx.

2009-03-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

The legendary South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival begins Mar. 18. And for those of you that can't make it to Texas this year, don't worry. The Wave has you covered. We'll be down there for an entire week, bringing the action right to you. Keep checking here for exclusive SXSW coverage, interviews with bands, video, pics and other Texas adventures beginning Mar. 17. Stay tuned for interviews with The Federalists; The Lovemakers; The Stone Foxes; Lovelikefire; Or, The Whale; dredg; Scissors For Lefty; Vetiver; and many more.

Here's a little preview of what's to come:

We sat down with progressive art rock band and Los Gatos natives dredg in Fremont, Calif.(at Strata's practice space) to talk about their upcoming album, The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion (slated for release on May 19), and their trip down to Austin, Tx. for the SXSW music festival. We'll be meeting up with the band again down in the Lone Star State along with more than a dozen other Bay Area bands.

Chris Schmauch shot some cool pics of the band. But for now, the interview (turn it up!):

Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero has disappointing night, but will be back!

2009-03-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

All that built up excitement for Gilroy native Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero was quickly squashed Saturday night at the HP Pavilion. In the second round, Guerrero caught an unintentional head butt from Daud Yordan, which split The Ghost wide open, causing blood to stream into his eye, blurring his vision. The fight was immediately stopped. A "no decision" ruling was given, but the crowd erupted with disapproval, chanting "bulls***! bulls***!" The fans were furious and we all felt deflated.

Below is a video of The Ghost entering the arena with Goldenboy Promotions head and champion boxer Oscar de la Hoya. After that is the press conference in which de la Hoya and Guerrero discuss the disappointing results. The good news? De la Hoya asserted that boxing will return to the HP Pavilion. Good thing, too. These fans deserve it.

This Weekend in Silicon Valley: Movies, Concerts, Art and More!

2009-03-05T13:26:00.000-08:00

OK, folks. There's lots to do this weekend, so pay attention. Cinequest 19 is still raging strong, but it's the last weekend for the film festival. If you haven't seen any films yet, you're missing out. Here are a few suggestions:

Euforia
Thursday (3/5) and Sunday (3/8)

Courtesy of Triana Films

The Least Among You (see our interview with star Louis Gossett Jr. in Monday's blog post)
Thursday (3/5) and Sunday (3/8)

All About Dad
Friday (3/6)

Courtesy of Cinequest

Witch Hunt
Saturday (3/7)

The Last Lullaby
Saturday (3/7) and Sunday (3/8)

Courtesy of Cinequest

And for those of you that aren't movie buffs, check these events out.

FRIDAY:

Outrageous Outgrowns
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, Pavilion Hall, 344 Tully Rd., San Jose (408) 391-5909
March 6-8: If you have kids, you know all too well how expensive those li’l devils can be. That’s why you need to hit the Bay Area’s largest kids’ products resale event, featuring clothes, toys, furniture and much more!

Evening for the Arts
The Los Gatos Museums Gallery, 24 N. Santa Cruz, Los Gatos (408) 395-7386
March 6: Starting today, and continuing every first Friday of the month, the museum begins its special program, where you’ll meet many local artists, view amazing art and help raise money for the museums of Los Gatos: 6-9pm

Courtesy of Terri Hill

SATURDAY:

The Music Man

Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View (650) 903-6000

March 7-15: A fast-talking salesman cons a small town into a huge order of band instruments for their schoolchildren. But his plans run afoul when he falls for the lovely madame librarian.

HBO Boxing After Dark
HP Pavilion, 525 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose
March 7: NABO and USBA junior welterweight crowns will be on the line when “Vicious” Victor Ortiz takes on “Mighty” Mike Arnaoutis, while Gilroy native and two-time Featherweight World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero battles undefeated contender Daud Yordan: 3:30pm Read our interview with Guerrero and view a slideshow here.

Richie Havens
The Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell St., San Francisco
March 7: Ever see the Richie Havens Woodstock performance? Well, to put it mildly, it was incredible (maybe even super incredible), that’s why we suggest you get your keister to the concert for a whoppin’ display of his greatness!: 8pm

Richie Havens: Photo Courtesy of Walter Parks

SUNDAY:

Sergio Monroy Quartet
Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz (831) 479-1854
March 8: A very special evening of jazz-infused flamenco with the Sergio Monroy Quartet, featuring guest dancer Graciela Perrone: 8pm

Cinequest 19: Interview with Louis Gossett Jr. and director Mark Young of The Least Among You

2009-03-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

We sat down at San Jose's Fairmont Hotel with Academy Award-wining actor Louis Gossett Jr. (An Officer And A Gentleman) and debut director, writer and producer Mark Young to discuss their new film, The Least Among You, premiering at Cinequest 19. The film is based on a true story about a teenager who is unjustly arrested during the 1965 Watts riot. As part of his probation, Richard Kelly (played by Cedric Sanders), is forced into an all-white seminary that is rife with corruption and bigotry. He soon meets Samuel Benton (played by Gossett), who becomes an ally and mentor in his struggles with both subtle and outright racism. Watch the trailer here.

The Least Among You opens at the California Theatre on Tuesday, Mar. 3, with Gossett being presented with the Maverick Spirit Award. Buy tickets here.

The film also screens at the San Jose Repertory Theatre Thursday, Mar. 5. and Sunday, Mar. 8. Buy tickets here.

Here's a video and pics of our interview with Gossett and Young.

All photos by Chris Schmauch.

Cinequest 19: How To Be...

2009-02-28T14:45:00.000-08:00

Screening tonight and on Monday at the California Theatre as part of Cinequest 19 is this British indie comedy about the anxieties of an affable young man named Art. Here’s our take on it:

How to Be...

Director: Oliver Irving

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Powell Jones, Rebecca Pidgeon, Michael Irving, Alisa Arnah, Johnny White, Mike Pearce

After seeing Robert Pattinson swoop through cinemas last year as the protagonist of Twilight (all brooding vampire angst and cheekbones that could slice any teen girl’s heart in two), it’s refreshing to see him fill out the role of Art in How to Be... (all lank hair, ill-fitting grocery clerk uniform and body language that screams “morose.”). Art is a depressed twenty-something experiencing an existential crisis. His girlfriend (Alisa Arnah) has just dumped him, his disinterested parents (Rebecca Pidgeon and Michael Irving) barely acknowledge his presence when he moves back home, and his idiosyncratic buddies care more about making music than making Art feel better. When Art reads self-help book It’s Not Your Fault he believes he has found the solution to his misery, and uses what’s left of his inheritance money to bring the book’s elderly Canadian author to his London home to fix his family’s dysfunction.

While the middle-class melancholy of a young struggling musician who still lives with his parents may not make for the most earth-shattering subject matter, Art’s painfully funny coming-of-age is charming in its impossibly awkward authenticity. Dr. Ellington’s (Powell Jones) presence as the sanguine self-help guru at many inopportune moments makes for some of the film’s funniest scenes, as do Art’s conversations and interactions with his fellow muso buddies Ronny (Johnny White) and Nikki (Mike Pearce).

The film has some problems with its flow and timing, and some scenes that just don’t really seem to gel, but on the whole it offers an amusing journey through the somewhat trivial but nonetheless tangible tumult of a young man in middle-class London.

Cinequest 19: Two of Silicon Valley's own star in Two Million Stupid Women

2009-02-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

The world premiere of the Jamie Neese-directed Two Million Stupid Women was at the San Jose Repertory Theater Friday night as part of the Cinequest 19 film fest. What an amazing film. Brilliantly done. The film follows Anna, Todd and Melissa as they embark on an adventure to track down the latter's five ex boyfriends so she can say, "Tell me I'm stupid and pathetic and I should leave you alone!" Melissa (played by the charmingly sweet Anna Faris-like Sarah Lindsay Hall) believes this will help her gain closure from her past relationships. Hilarity and drama ensues as this emotional comedy pulls viewers in with its remarkably talented cast.

Interestingly enough, Katy Stoll (Anna) is from Redwood City and honed her acting skills locally at the California Theatre Center in Sunnyvale, while Mark R. Gerson (Todd) grew up in Palo Alto and attended Stanford University. In fact, Gerson came out of college as a management consultant when, much to the chagrin of his parents, he decided to try his hand at acting. Well, nice job, Gerson. We saw your family at the premiere. From the looks of the champagne and balloons they handed you, they are proud. "As a kid, I never dreamed of being in a festival like Cinequest," Gerson told us. "I'm 50 miles from my parents house. It's wild!"

The dialogue was so fluid, so relaxed, it almost seemed entirely improvised, yet few moments went unscripted. Amy Heidish did an amazing job writing this script. And big props to director/executive producer Jamie Neese shooting this film in only 11 days, braving all those freezing 4am nights in the Los Angeles and Pasadena areas.

Other showings for Two Million Stupid Women at the SJ Rep:
3/1 @ 9pm tix
3/4 @ 5pm tix

Here are a few pics of the cast.

Sarah Hall (Melissa), Katy Stoll (Anna), Jamie Neese (director), Mark R. Gerson (Todd), by Shannon Lee

Sarah Hall (Melissa), by Shannon Lee

Sarah Hall (Melissa) and Mark R. Gerson (Todd)

Katy Stoll (Anna), by Shannon Lee

Sarah Hall, Katy Stoll, Mark R. Gerson, by Shannon Lee

Katy Stoll (Anna), Sarah Hall (Melissa), by Shannon Lee

This Weekend in Silicon Valley: Cinequest 19 is here!

2009-02-26T15:56:00.000-08:00

What a blessing to have a great film festival like Cinequest here in the heart of Silicon Valley. The madness began Wednesday night with the opening gala, which started at the Hotel Montgomery for drinks; then continued on to the California Theatre for a red carpet soiree and world premier screening of the Ellie Kanner-directed Wake, starring Danny Masterson and Bijou Phillips. The film's cast, crew and fans took the party vibe over to Billy Berks and Mezcal in Downtown San Jose for a killer after party.

Here's a quick video (and song by Jon Sontag) of the night, attended by San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, and Wake stars Masterson and Phillips, who was charmingly sweet to us right off the bat. Thanks, Miss Phillips.

The Cinequest film festival will be going on Downtown until Mar. 8, with dozens of movie screenings, events, discussions and parties every night. So stayed tuned here for more updates or got to the Cinequest website here for all the happenings.

If movies aren't your thing, here are a few things happening in Silicon Valley this weekend. Enjoy!

Bat Boy, The Musical
Lohman Theatre – Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Rd., Los Altos Hills (650) 949-7360
February 27-March 22: We all remember when Bat Boy was discovered by The Weekly World News. Now relive Bat Boy’s saga via the stage.

Video Games Live
The Fox Theatre, 1807 Oakland Ave., Oakland
February 28: Classical musicians will perform theme songs from popular videogames such as Halo, Mario Brothers, Zelda and Tetris, plus Final Fantasy, World of Warcraft and others. The orchestra will be accompanied by lights, lasers and videogame footage on the big screen: 8pm

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy / Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers
Fox Theatre, 2215 Broadway, Redwood City (650) 369-4119
February 29: Just hearing their names wants to make you dance, so swing, baby, swing!: 8pm

Silicon Valley Great Outdoors

2009-02-22T22:05:00.000-08:00

We here at The Wave love all the great hiking spots in Silicon Valley. Be sure to pick up the new issue on Mar. 2 for a great article on the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park.

In the meantime, here's a quick video of the astounding view of Silicon Valley from Hunters Point, a great spot about a mile up at the Fremont Older Open Space Preserve in Saratoga. Here are directions.

View of Silicon Valley from Hunters Point from Mitchell Parker on Vimeo.

Again, stay tuned for more and keep picking up The Wave Magazine for great adventures in Silicon Valley. And keep hiking!

Silicon Valley Weekend Events

2009-02-20T16:16:00.000-08:00

Got nothing planned this weekend? We're here to help. Here's a few things going on in Silicon Valley:

Fourth Annual Santa “Claws” Crab Feed
Camden Community Center, 3369 Union Ave., San Jose (408) 794-6204
February 21: Come on out and help raise needed funds for next year’s San Jose Holiday Parade. All you have to do is eat cracked Dungeness crab, seafood cioppino, shrimp, salad, sausage, pasta and bread: 6-10pm

The Song Remains the Same: check out our feature here.
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View (650) 903-6000
February 21-22: Company C Contemporary Ballet invites you to an evening of dance featuring the music of the mighty and all powerful LED ZEPPELIN!!!

Modern Bridal Faire
San Jose Convention Center, 150 W. San Carlos St., San Jose
February 22: Gettin’ hitched, eh? Well, don’t miss the Modern Bridal Faire, where they have all the bases covered, from florists, photographers, bridal gowns, live music, invitations, caterers, limousines, reception sites, and so much more: 11am-4p

Live Music:

Kinky
February 21, Grand Ballroom at the Regency Center, San Francisco tix

Dropkick Murphys
February 21, The Warfield, San Francisco tix

Donovan Frankenreiter
February 22, The Catalyst Club, Santa Cruz tix

Fixated on Fixies: San Jose fixed gear bike riding crew

2008-12-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a vid we shot of the local fixed gear riding crew SJ Fixed. You can read The Wave's article and view a slideshow with commentary here.

Brought to you by Palo Alto Bicycles