Gym Class Heroes, Tommy Davidson, Pepper & Beach Divas

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Fri. Mar. 23, 9pm The Cellar @ Agenda Lounge 399 S. First St., San Jose 408.287.3991 $5 Pep Love UNDERGROUND SOUND: Pep Love rose to his current high-speed, word-bending prime with the legendary Hieroglyphics crew through sheer force of will, and audiences never fail to shout it out for Pep and his preternatural rhyming chops. With his underground ties and sensibilities, Pep Love keeps things fresh, fast and furious--in true old-school Heiro style--thus ripping it up at the Agenda Lounge's Cellar rather than going for the bling-bling flash of a stadium or ultra lounge for his current tour. Pep Love hits it tonight with fellow underground hip-hopper the Slap Addict (a.k.a. Traxamillion), and DJs Worldwise, Roger Moorehouse, Chito and Souniq rock the decks for the first Funk City party.

Wed. Mar. 21, 8pm The Fillmore 1805 Geary, San Francisco 408.998.TIXS $20 buy tickets

Mat Kearney BASES LOADED: There are more than enough singer-songwriters saturating the music scene lately, but Mat Kearney has brought new elements to the genre that are so unique it makes his music hard to ignore. Starting with an acoustic base of folk rock, Kearney throws in some pop choruses and hip-hop spoken word--yes, hip-hop from a professed indie guitar slinger--to round out his sound. It's amazing how well he blends each influence together to make stunningly feel-good music. Pulling opening duties at the Fillmore show are The Feeling, Rocco Delucca and The Burden.

Wed. Mar. 21, 8pm VooDoo Lounge 14 S. Second St., San Jose 408.286.8636 $5

Lo Nero BATTLE AXES: Pumping out straight-ahead, all-instrumental rock with the technical precision of a computer engineer whiz on speed, Lo Nero takes the stage at VooDoo tonight supporting their long-awaited sophomore album, Relentless. Led by one of the best guitarists in the local scene, Bill Lonero, the quartet rips out metal-laced rock anthems that are as polished as anything you're going to find circulated on the airwaves or the well-established arena circuit. If you dig the sounds of Joe Satriani or Steve Vai, but don't feel like kicking down half your paycheck to Ticketmaster to see them live, swing by the VooDoo and check out what this local ax-man and Lo Nero bring to the amp wars.

Thu. Mar. 22, 8pm Improv Comedy Club 62 S. Second St., San Jose 408.280.7475 $22

Tommy Davidson REMAIN STANDING: The early-'90s sketch comedy show In Living Color jump-started the successful careers of Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, Jennifer Lopez, David Alan Grier and pretty much the entire Wayans family--not to mention Tommy Davidson, who often played the role of whipping boy to Damon Wayans' Homey the Clown character, and did spot-on impersonations of Sammy Davis Jr. and Michael Jackson. He went on to star in a few popular comedy films like Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and Booty Call, and turned heads with his performance in Spike Lee's Bamboozled. But standup is where he came from, and it is to standup that he returns. Tommy Davidson runs through the weekend at the Improv with Friday and Saturday getting a double booking of the diminutive funny man.

Thu. Mar. 22, 7pm The Fillmore 1805 Geary, San Francisco 408.998.TIXS $16 buy tickets

Anti-Flag THE SELL-OUT DEBATE: In keeping with the underground punk mentality, Anti-Flag toiled relentlessly from their gritty working-class roots to reach their current heights of popularity. The four boys from Pittsburgh started laying down distinctly subversive, anti-governmental tracks as far back as the late '80s, steadily rocking out against varied political topics that gained them the notice of NOFX's Fat Mike, who picked them up for a couple of Warped Tour runs. However, in '05, Anti-Flag's professed anti-establishment, anarchy-indie image took a serious blow when they decided to cut a deal with major label RCA. Have they sold out? Spend an hour in the pit at the Fillmore and decide for yourself.

Thu. Mar. 22, 10pm The Caravan 98 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose 408.995.6220 No Cover

Permanent Black STEADFAST NOISE: Since the blessedly short ban on live music has now been lifted at the Caravan, the favorite downtown dive bar is giving back to all its loyal boozers with a ripping show tonight featuring the hardcore rock of Permanent Black. This five-strong local outfit lays down loud-as-hell cuts full of angst, attitude and style that have gained Permanent Black some big time recognition from tons of noise junkies on the scene. Permanent Black sets up tonight with the melodic hardcore punkers Take Warning and the gritty pop-punk of Save Yourself, both lending their guitar-driven fury to the renewed scene at the Caravan.

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Fri. Mar. 23, 9pm Johnny V's 31 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose 408.947.8470 $5 The Audiophiliacs MELODIC COURTING: Alternative rock melds with harmonious vocals and a hopeful lyrical style when the Audiophiliacs hit the stage. The guitar-driven quartet from Santa Cruz rips out acoustic tunes in which the melodic interaction between vocalist Stefan Ross and lead guitarist Rebecca Feuerlicht is readily apparent, especially live, and reminiscent of a bright but tragic dance between two dreamers. The Audiophiliacs set up at Johnny V's tonight with the retro-rock of the Hysterians, mod-alt from the Manchester School and the sugarcoated pop-punk of the Runs.

Fri. Mar. 23, 9pm Vivid 8 S. First St., San Jose 408.279.4444 Usual Cover

Bikini Fashion Show CLEARLY SPRING BREAK: Just in time for the warm spring weather, the new Downtown mega-nightclub Vivid will be hosting a Spring Break Bikini Fashion Show Party. Forget the Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit Edition and forget Spring Break 2007: Cancun, this is the real deal--up close and personal. The sexiest models in San Jose and the hottest music converge at Vivid to show off the newest swimsuit collections this year. And, heck, if you get there early or book a cabana for some swanky bottle service, you won't even remember what you might be missing on the sunny shores of Mexico.

Fri. Mar. 23, 9pm The Blank Club 44 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose 408.292.6265 $10

Pollo del Mar IT'S NOT TUNA: It's time to break out from the winter doldrums and heat things up with some blazing surf rock at the Blank tonight. Leading the guitar-driven retro sounds is the all-instrumental, radical riffs of Pollo del Mar, who tap the vintage, psychedelic sonic flotsam from the first wave of surf guitar for inspiration. Pollo del Mar hits the silvery stage of the Blank with the Barbwires (from Belgium--hey, surf music's always relevant, even in places with a miniscule shoreline), the Pyronauts and the incomparable Mr. Neutron, straight from the big waves of NYC, for a surf-rock shindig like no other.

Fri. Mar. 23, 9pm Great American Music Hall 859 O'Farrell St., San Francisco 415.885.0750 $20

Badly Drawn Boy BRITANNIA SLOUCH: Although Badly Drawn Boy presents himself as the narcoleptic poster child for slackers everywhere, his lengthy discography in his short time on the U.K. alt-rock/pop scene has proven otherwise. BDB is a tireless singer- songwriter, and for his recent offering, Born in the U.K., he relates tales of his upbringing in England and the hole in his gut he feels whenever he leaves it. Sappy and soulful acoustic guitar-driven indie pop; you betcha! But it'll definitely work better on your date and say more about your character than flowers from a bucket.

Fri. Mar. 23, 9pm Fahrenheit Ultra Lounge 99 E. San Fernando St., San Jose 408.998.9998 Usual Cover

DJ Steve1der WELL-MIXED BEATS: If you're looking for a damn good vibe to carry your partying through the weekend, hit up Fahrenheit Ultra Lounge for the Blend party. Combining food, drinks and serious grooves, tonight's Blend features sets by hot up-and-coming Hollywood DJ Steve1der, sharing time on the decks with Fahrenheit resident DJ Solarez, pumping out all the Top-40, dance and club hits that your booty can take.

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Sat. Mar. 24, 9pm The Blank Club 44 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose 408.292.5265 $10 Agent Orange SKATE PUNK TIME MACHINE: Arguably one of the most influential bands in the So-Cal punk scene, doing it longer and stronger than the rest, Agent Orange tear up the Blank tonight with the Razorburns and Bad Samaritans. Hard to believe, but Agent Orange released their first album in '81 and immediately cemented their status as one of the best hardcore skate punk bands around. While a couple of decades have passed since that defining moment in surf-laden skate punk, Agent Orange still retain the same energy and adolescent discontent as they did oh-so-many years ago.

Sat. Mar. 24, 6:30pm MACLA 510 S. First St., San Jose 408.287.5819 $10

Left of Christ LINEAR METAL: Hauntingly melodic with highly technical rock and metal chops, Left of Christ takes on MACLA tonight, headlining a local bill that includes five other squads of amp junkies for one low price--and it's all-ages to boot. The band mates in Left of Christ have kicked around several other bands in the San Jo metal scene for years before coalescing into this incarnation, and their collective talent is apparent in each blazing guitar riff and pounding bass line that comprises their progressive sound. Also on the bill tonight are Paris is Burning, A Boy and His Gun, Saryn, Coretta Scott and Glimpse for what will likely be the show of the weekend for the underage set.

Sat. Mar. 24, 9pm Taste Ultra Lounge 87 N. San Pedro St., San Jose 408.885.1016 Usual Cover

Risque LINGERIE BARRAGE: All right clubbers, let the corset wars begin. After the Corset party hit Angels a couple of weeks ago, the fine promoters over at Taste Ultra Lounge have decided that their answering salvo would be the return of the Risque Moulin Rouge Party where, of course, the ladies are encouraged to don their sexiest corsets and DJ Jose Melendez is featured on the turntables. So, we're going to totally go out on a limb here and say that this type of friendly competition between downtown nightclubs is fantastic; it creates a better scene for everyone involved, and getting to see hotties in corsets twice a month ain't that bad either.

Sat. Mar. 24, 9pm Johnny V's 31 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose 408.947.8470 $5

Careless Hearts DIVE BAR COWBOYS: Call it country if you will, but the Americana roots-rock sounds of the Careless Hearts can turn any joint into a rocking hootenanny. Hailing from all over the Bay Area and twanging their way into the heads of dive bar denizens all over the coast, Careless Hearts stick to the time-honored lyrical material of lost love being rectified with a bottle of liquor and slaving away the days at a hard-luck job that only some solid guitar pickin' can resolve. Catch these hard-core rural rockers setting up at Johnny V's with Fred Odell and the Broken Arrows, Scotland Barr and Lisa Montes.

Sat. Mar. 24, 6:30pm The Warfield 982 Market St., San Francisco 408.998.TIXS $25 buy tickets

Killswitch Engage PSYCHOTROPIC RIFFS: Marked by powerful riffs from a twin guitar attack and heavy percussion, Killswitch Engage rips out complex metalcore anthems that meld a hard-hitting metal sound with positive lyrics. KSE's first two albums were hailed as more addictive than anything else coming from the metal camp, leading the Westfield, Mass. band to be included on nearly every noteworthy mega-metal show since their debut, Alive or Just Breathing, just about redefined the genre. KSE rocks the Warfield tonight, kicking off the West Coast leg of the tour for their latest sonic assault on our youth, As Daylight Dies, with Dragonforce, Chimaira and He Is Legend opening.

Sat. Mar. 24, 7:30pm The Catalyst 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz 831.423.1336 $21 buy tickets

Pepper ISLAND TIME: Originally from Kona, Hawaii, but rocking the crowds with electric guitars instead of ukes, Pepper blends island rhythms with melodic alt-punk riffs to form a raw sound that rivals any other rock/ska/reggae outfit. The trio's live shows rock, and sometimes it's hard to understand how such a complex, highly danceable sound can come out of three guys whose first studio album was only released a scant six years ago. But we're not complaining. Cruise over the hill tonight to start the deep groovin' summer vibe a bit early.

Sat. Mar. 24, 9pm C&J's Sports Bar 1550 Lafayette St., Santa Clara 408.423.9013 No Cover

Peaceable Jones ECONO-SHOW: There's nothing quite like a free rock show. Undergone, Peaceable Jones and The Struggle will be rocking the house with alternative and--dare we say--a little pop-punk to get the Santa Clara crowds moving. C&J's has been working hard to win over music lovers that usually flock to downtown or elsewhere to get their fix and, if they keep producing free shows with bands like these, this Santa Clara hangout will probably succeed in that venture. So if you feel as though you've been stuck in some nightclub doldrums lately, take the short trip over to C&J's and catch these three local acts for the remarkable price of free.

Sat. Mar. 24, 8:30pm The Independent 628 Divisidaro St., San Francisco 415.771.1421 $22

Cowboy Mouth BRINGING NEW ORLEANS: Hitting the road is nothing new for Cowboy Mouth. After all, this New Orleans rock band--who completely embody the spirit of that city--has been touring for nearly two decades and bringing their infectious sounds to millions of rabid fans like a traveling Mardi Gras parade. Known for their energetically rambunctious live shows, Cowboy Mouth doesn't just get up onstage and play music. Their concerts have been likened to a quasi-religious experience by critics and fans alike, with Cowboy Mouth's latest release, Voodoo Shoppe, carrying on in the same road-tested, funky rock tradition that's made their live performances must-see events.

Sun. Mar. 25, 7pm The Catalyst 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz 831.423.1336 $19 buy tickets

The Ataris POP EVOLUTION: Often in the music biz, where you start is not necessarily where you end up. Take the Ataris, for instance--what started out as a promising punk band is now a mainstream alt-rock machine with understated emo tendencies that pumps out tracks for major label releases. Splitting with Columbia and starting their own label seems to have rekindled some of the Ataris' indie fire, as evidenced by the darker, rock-based new release, Welcome the Night. Genre splitting aside, the Ataris can still crank the amps and get the crowds into some serious moshing when it counts. The Ataris hit the Catalyst tonight with Blackpool Lights and Wax on Radio opening.

Sun. Mar. 25, 8pm VooDoo Lounge 14 S. Second St., San Jose 408.286.8636 $5

INFM BLAZING ROOTS: Loud and fast with the pure, raw energy of true punk rock, INFM sets up in the VooDoo tonight to blow the roof off with three other local outfits that are certainly not slouches. INFM has been boozing it up and ripping chords in the downtown scene for years, kicking out subversive lyrics over fast licks that embody the near-forgotten punk mentality. They'll be ripping it up onstage with local punkers Goodbye Gadget and the Bane, with the full-tilt rockabilly sounds of Sik Luv rounding out the impressive--and freakin' cheap--bill.

Sun. Mar. 25, 7pm Slim's 333 11th St., San Francisco 415.255.0333 $16 buy tickets

Circa Survive EMO-CORE: It seems like every day a new emo band pops onto the scene from every moody corner of the nation, but Circa Survive is a bit different. Grown in Philly, Circa Survive has a harder, near-punk edge that sets them apart from their floppy-haired brethren. The guys bring AP Magazine's press tour with Cute Is What We Aim For, As Tall as Lions and Envy on the Coast to this all-ages show at Slim's.

Mon. Mar. 26, 7pm The Fillmore 1805 Geary, San Francisco 408.998.TIXS $35 buy tickets

The Tragically Hip NORTHERN FORCE: Inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame almost exactly two years ago, the Tragically Hip's version of indie rock is able to sell out shows across North America. The group is touring to support their recently released World Container album that's already getting airplay across the nation. The show in SF is already sold out, but if you get there early you might get lucky enough to snag some last minute tickets from some enterprising people that are always hanging about in front of the Fillmore. Now you might be asking how the Hips have sold out a Monday show; well, it's because these Canucks are well-seasoned musicians and execute a blistering performance every time they take the stage.

Tue. Mar. 27, 8pm Red Devil Lounge 1695 Polk St., San Francisco 415.921.1695 $15

Veruca Salt BRINGING IT BACK: Still rocking the grunge of the '90s, Veruca Salt are touring to support their 2006 album, IV, on indie label Sympathy for the Record Industry. The alternative rock that the foursome plays is a little cleaned up from songs that they were doing 10 years ago, but they still integrate melodious harmonies with more dark and violent lyrics that show Veruca Salt's evolution as a band. Veruca Salt will be storming through the Bay Area at the Red Devil Lounge before they head north to wrap up their West Coast tour.

Tue. Mar. 27, 7pm The Fillmore 1805 Geary, San Francisco 408.998.TIXS $16.50 buy tickets

Gym Class Heroes CROSSTOWN TRAFFIC: Instead of using turntables and spraying spit into a microphone, rapper Travis McCoy is backed by a three-piece rock band, creating a tantalizing amalgamation of indie rock and hip-hop. Gym Class Heroes' most recent single, "Cupid's Chokehold," made it to the Top 5 on the Billboard charts thanks to the catchy hook pulled from Supertramp's "Breakfast in America." The single, like all of Gym Class Heroes' songs, reached a wide audience, as they are played in hip-hop clubs and on alternative radio. Witty lyrics make the songs catchy enough for all ages to sing along to even if they have to do it when no one is looking. The Gym Class Heroes roll into the Fillmore on Tuesday to yet another sold-out stop on their tour.

coming up

Thu. Mar. 29, 8pm VooDoo Lounge 14 S. Second St., San Jose 408.286.8636 $10

The Expendables GENRE STEW: Kicking out a Nor-Cal blend of rock, reggae and surf-rock with healthy doses of metal and punk fury, the Expendables are hitting the VooDoo tonight on their West Coast tour with fellow penitent disciples of the musical mash arts 880 South and the Starving Millionaires. The Expendables rip like the swells in their hometown of Santa Cruz, with full heads of heavy beats and blazing guitars, continually blowing the roof off any joint they set up in. The Expendables are perennial local faves, legit battle of the bands champs and top our own lists for best bands to catch for a sonic summer beach party that always leaves you wanting more.

Fri. Mar. 30, 9pm The Blank Club 44 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose 408.292.5265 $10 buy tickets

The Red Elvises PERISTROIKA: Cooler than Siberia in the middle of winter, The Red Elvises play some of the best Americana surf-style rock that you're ever going to hear by some immigrant boys from Mother Russia. The Red Elvises have actually gotten their numbers back up, from a three-piece outfit to a mini politburo of five, through a solid propaganda campaign that includes selling out every venue they play and repeatedly wearing those damn animal-print suits that totally give you vertigo after a few vodkas. Catch this frenzied fivesome setting up at the Blank March 30 and ripping out two sets in their one-of-a-kind rock & roll style.

--This week's newsletter by: RO, AL & MC

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