What happens when ’70s jazz fusion masters Steely Dan are mashed with the downhome jam band legends the Grateful Dead? Steely Dead, of course! Steely Dead has earned a legion of fans thanks to its fascinating cross-pollination of sounds, genres …
As a modern reimagining of Camille Saint-Saëns’s 1886 musical suite, this fresh presentation of Carnival of the Animals was conceived by spoken word artist and activist Marc Bamuthi Joseph as an artistic answer to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. The …
Founded in 1999 by Belgian composer Pete Vermeersch, the Flat Earth Society Orchestra (FES) is a staggering 15-piece ensemble taking orchestral DNA and genetically engineering something new that’s equally beautiful and monstrous. Their music ranges from elegant and composed to …
The popular, fun, creative and lively Porter Robinson plays at the Shoreline Amphitheatre for what’s sure to be a big crowd, and the Grammy-winning DJ is kicking off his North American tour in style. He’ll be doing a set that …
The five-piece soul/R&B band from Sacramento Cosmic Roots (sometimes billed as Cosmic Roots Music) debuted with a catchy single, “Summer Time (From LA to the Bay).” The band has been especially busy of late. Just this year, they’ve released a …
Like, Oh. My. God. They turned the beloved 1980s dark comedy Heathers—originally starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater—into a musical?! They totally did, and it plays 12 times over the next three weekends (through Nov. 3). The musical reimagining follows …
A two-part lecture series by art historian and Triton executive director Preston Metcalf starts with art and murder in Victorian England. Jack the Ripper, the unidentified serial killer of 1888, has inspired countless theories and fictions. Of all the suspects, …
Dot Dot Dot is billed as being perfect for grades 1–4, but musical theater celebrating art, creativity and collaboration sounds perfect for whatever age. Based on bestselling author Peter H. Reynolds’s award-winning and beloved Creatrilogy series, The Dot, Sky Color …
The colorful exterior of 3Below, at the corner of Second and San Carlos streets, is a familiar sight. Tucked under the awning, the aroma of popcorn and waffle cones drifts out the doors. At the concession booth, a young, friendly …
Though his time in the spotlight was comparatively brief, singer-songwriter Jim Croce left an indelible impression. His career was cut short on Sept. 20, 1973, when a plane carrying him crashed, killing him and five others. He was 30, and …
Copublished with Capital & Main
It might seem incongruous, to say the least, but some people in the cannabis community are at least open to Donald Trump and J.D. Vance taking back the White House. Others seem to genuinely believe that it doesn’t matter much …
Back in 2013, millions of Syrian refugees were escaping the Syrian civil war. Jennifer Kim Sohn, an artist who lives in Sacramento and is originally from South Korea, was moved by the images she saw in The New York Times.
Astronomical prices. Heavy traffic. High-stress jobs. Incalculable wealth. Intractable homelessness. There’s plenty to complain about in Silicon Valley. But set that aside momentarily and focus on our biggest renewable resource: cultural diversity.
Only in San Jose would a long-vanquished parking lot summon the ghosts of Ernest Tubb, Iron Maiden and the Dead Kennedys.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
A featured artist with Lee Oskar Harmonicas, Seattle-based Astley is a blues harmonica player, bandleader, singer and songwriter. He released his debut album, Seattle to Greaseland, in 2023; the record (recorded at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studios in San Jose) soared …
Oingo Boingo were pop culture music nerds gleefully mixing genres. In the ’80s, they were right there with Fishbone leading the way for the eventual ’90s pop-punk ska explosion with swing, New Wave and even classical and opera thrown in. …
If there is a way to achieve maximum earthy groove while maintaining ethereality, bassist Jeff Denson and guitarist Romain Pilon have found it. They’ve brought the world-making drums of Scott Amendola into the mix, and music fans of the fair …
Jazz and soul singer/songwriter Lady Blackbird is described as the “Grace Jones of jazz.” She began her recording career (then known as Marley Munroe) in 2013 and has since released nine singles and been the featured artist on eight more. …
